Saturday (3/3) was another one of those tough days. Carter was extremely needy and grumpy all day. Aubrey already appears to be doing much better after just one day of antibiotics. Carter woke up many times during the night. Actually, it took forever for him to go to bed Friday night. He just kept coughing and coughing and couldn't go to sleep.
Carter and Aubrey got up at 6:00 this morning. Carter started coughing again when he got up. We gave him some honey which he soon thereafter threw up. After vomiting he appeared to be doing better for a while. Brayden and Calvin woke up a little bit later. We got their breakfast ready and brought them downstairs. Carter wasn't too interested in eating.
We put Carter down for a nap about 9:00. Aubrey went down for a nap a little later, probably 10:00 or so. Carter got up about 10:30 and Aubrey got up about 11:00. We decided not to go anywhere in the morning because the babies weren't feeling well.
We were planning on putting the boys down for a nap a little later than usual hoping that we could get Carter and Aubrey down for another nap at the same time. Unfortunately it didn't work out that way. Calvin and Brayden were playing with their trains and Brayden got mad at Calvin for something and hit him twice. So we decided to put them down for a nap right at noon. Brayden actually woke up about thirty or forty minutes later and he was drenched in sweat. We moved him to our room and he went back to sleep.
We tried putting Carter and Aubrey back down for a nap and it didn't work. Neither of them were interested in taking a nap. Yet another day where we had no time with all the kids taking a nap at the same time. It was worse this time because the babies were so fussy and needy.
After the boys got up in the afternoon we decided to head out for a break. We went to a grocery store to pick up some things for Sunday. It was good to get out. Carter seemed much happier being out in the stroller and looking at all the different things and people.
The boys have enjoyed watching Dora the Explorer. We just stream it to the Blu Ray player through Netflix. The boys watched the first Cars movie last week. They really loved it. Mama and dada enjoyed it too. We hadn't seen it before and I have to say it was a pretty good movie.
Sunday was a little better. Carter was still quite fussy and needy the whole day. We headed out to Wal-Mart to do our nomal weekly shopping trip in the morning. Carter wasn't very happy during the shopping trip as you can imagine.
We got home and the babies weren't very interested in eating. Carter just wanted to be held all day. We tried putting them down for a nap, but that didn't last long. We probably had about twenty minutes when all four kids were napping at the same time. At least that gave us an opportunity to clean the house a little. I was able to clean the fish tank and put fresh water in it. I keep wanting to get new discus fish for the tank, but I'm not willing to spend the money until I get in the habit of regularly cleaning the tank.
Erin's family came over Sunday afternoon to celebrate my birthday. My birthday is actually on Monday, but we got together on Sunday. We ordered some barbecue from Pierce's. We got both pork barbecue and chicken barbecue. Everyone seemed to have a good time. Grammie and Pappap held the babies most of the evening. Calvin and Brayden were well behaved.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Saturday, March 3, 2012
February 25th - March 2nd
On Saturday the babies didn't nap with their brothers. Fortunately they did on Sunday. At least we had some time to get things done around the house.
On Saturday morning, two of Erin's co-workers came over to watch the babies so we could take Brayden and Calvin out to do something. We decided to go to the Living Museum. They love looking at all the fish and animals.
After we were done at the Living Museum we planned on going to Chick Fil-A for lunch and to let the boys run around their play area. Unfortunately the Chick Fil-A that was near the museum had an outdoor play area and it was too cold to be outside. So we went ot McDonalds instead. The McDonalds play area is definitely built for older kids (4 and up). I also remembered why we never go to McDonalds. It's dirty. There was one little boy there that was coughing and looked sick. We overheard his mother say that he had a fever and that his prescription should be ready. Who brings a kid to a play area like that with other kids when they are sick? Idiots, that's who.
On Monday, the daycare lady called and said that Aubrey had vomitted. She said that she would keep watching her because she seemed fine otherwise. Aubrey continued to vomit the rest of the week.
Wednesday morning we got a message from the daycare lady that said she was up vomiting and couldn't watch the kids. Unfortunately, she sent a text message and we never saw the message. So we got the kids up at the normal time and Erin took them to daycare. Got them out of the car and then found out that they needed to come back home. I was almost at the gym when Erin called and told me. I got to the gym and worked out for only about twenty minutes. Then I decided to head back home instead of going to work. Erin had already called her mom and asked her to come to the house to help.
It was a good thing because Carter and Aubrey were both vomiting. At least Brayden and Calvin were well behaved. It was not a very fun day. To make things worse I wasn't feeling well.
We kept Carter home on Thursday because he had a fever. The other kids all went to daycare. Erin's mom came over to watch Carter. Everyone seemed to do well, but Carter obviously wasn't feeling well. Aubrey appeared to be doing better.
On Friday we took all four kids to daycare. Early in the morning Erin got a call that Aubrey had vomitted and that Carter was really hot. I couldn't get off work so Erin got them and took them to the doctor. Aubrey has an ear infection in both ears. Carter has some sort of repiratory virus. We got an antibiotic for Aubrey. We got a nebulizer for Carter for his respiratory issues.
I imagine that one of these days we'll have all four of the kids healthy again.
On Saturday morning, two of Erin's co-workers came over to watch the babies so we could take Brayden and Calvin out to do something. We decided to go to the Living Museum. They love looking at all the fish and animals.
After we were done at the Living Museum we planned on going to Chick Fil-A for lunch and to let the boys run around their play area. Unfortunately the Chick Fil-A that was near the museum had an outdoor play area and it was too cold to be outside. So we went ot McDonalds instead. The McDonalds play area is definitely built for older kids (4 and up). I also remembered why we never go to McDonalds. It's dirty. There was one little boy there that was coughing and looked sick. We overheard his mother say that he had a fever and that his prescription should be ready. Who brings a kid to a play area like that with other kids when they are sick? Idiots, that's who.
On Monday, the daycare lady called and said that Aubrey had vomitted. She said that she would keep watching her because she seemed fine otherwise. Aubrey continued to vomit the rest of the week.
Wednesday morning we got a message from the daycare lady that said she was up vomiting and couldn't watch the kids. Unfortunately, she sent a text message and we never saw the message. So we got the kids up at the normal time and Erin took them to daycare. Got them out of the car and then found out that they needed to come back home. I was almost at the gym when Erin called and told me. I got to the gym and worked out for only about twenty minutes. Then I decided to head back home instead of going to work. Erin had already called her mom and asked her to come to the house to help.
It was a good thing because Carter and Aubrey were both vomiting. At least Brayden and Calvin were well behaved. It was not a very fun day. To make things worse I wasn't feeling well.
We kept Carter home on Thursday because he had a fever. The other kids all went to daycare. Erin's mom came over to watch Carter. Everyone seemed to do well, but Carter obviously wasn't feeling well. Aubrey appeared to be doing better.
On Friday we took all four kids to daycare. Early in the morning Erin got a call that Aubrey had vomitted and that Carter was really hot. I couldn't get off work so Erin got them and took them to the doctor. Aubrey has an ear infection in both ears. Carter has some sort of repiratory virus. We got an antibiotic for Aubrey. We got a nebulizer for Carter for his respiratory issues.
I imagine that one of these days we'll have all four of the kids healthy again.
February 18th - 24th
Obviously I've been slacking in the blog department. It has been a really busy few weeks.
A few weekends ago (2/18 & 2/19) we didn't get any time at all where all the kids were napping at the same time. On Saturday it was Aubrey and Carter that wouldn't nap. On Sunday it was Carter that wouldn't nap. We didn't have anyone come over the entire weekend so it was just us and the kids. We really look forward to the kids napping so that we can get some things accomplished around the house. It's a real downer when they don't nap.
We took all the kids out to Burger King on Saturday for lunch. They have a nice play area in the restaurant so Brayden and Calvin had a great time. They weren't very interested in eating their lunch. They did have their chocolate milk though. We gave them a straw to drink it and they did really well until the end. Calvin decided to tip his cup up and spilled chocolate milk on his shirt and the floor. It wasn't too bad.
We started letting the boys watch a little bit of TV each day. It's amazing how mesmorized they are by the TV. We started by letting them watch some animals from the Planet Earth series. It was interesting when one animal would hunt another animal. We tried telling them that the animals were playing, but I don't think they bought it. Especially when the lions took down an elephant. We told them that they had a few more minutes and then we would turn it off. This seemed to work fairly well. We use the same "you have a few more minutes" when it's time for bed or to go to the store so they know what it means.
On Monday as I was driving to work I noticed the temperature gauge on my minivan was going up. I looked the car over and couldn't see what was wrong. I drove it again on Tuesday and the car did it again. I decided to take Friday off work so that I could attempt to fix the car. I didn't get everything finished so I still need to work on it. We had to alternate days that Erin and I dropped the kids off and picked them up since we only had one vehicle that could hold four car seats. Fortunately we still have my Pontiac Grand Prix which we drove.
Monday night Erin's parents, younger sister's family and one of her aunts and uncles came over. It was good to have everyone over even if it was only for a few hours.
The boys continue to amaze us with their ever growing vocabulary. It's fascinating listening to the things that come out of their mouth. They are certianly smart little guys.
Carter continues to crawl and cruise along couches, coffee tables, and anything he can get stand up next to. Aubrey still isn't crawling, but she has figured out how to scoot on but.
A few weekends ago (2/18 & 2/19) we didn't get any time at all where all the kids were napping at the same time. On Saturday it was Aubrey and Carter that wouldn't nap. On Sunday it was Carter that wouldn't nap. We didn't have anyone come over the entire weekend so it was just us and the kids. We really look forward to the kids napping so that we can get some things accomplished around the house. It's a real downer when they don't nap.
We took all the kids out to Burger King on Saturday for lunch. They have a nice play area in the restaurant so Brayden and Calvin had a great time. They weren't very interested in eating their lunch. They did have their chocolate milk though. We gave them a straw to drink it and they did really well until the end. Calvin decided to tip his cup up and spilled chocolate milk on his shirt and the floor. It wasn't too bad.
We started letting the boys watch a little bit of TV each day. It's amazing how mesmorized they are by the TV. We started by letting them watch some animals from the Planet Earth series. It was interesting when one animal would hunt another animal. We tried telling them that the animals were playing, but I don't think they bought it. Especially when the lions took down an elephant. We told them that they had a few more minutes and then we would turn it off. This seemed to work fairly well. We use the same "you have a few more minutes" when it's time for bed or to go to the store so they know what it means.
On Monday as I was driving to work I noticed the temperature gauge on my minivan was going up. I looked the car over and couldn't see what was wrong. I drove it again on Tuesday and the car did it again. I decided to take Friday off work so that I could attempt to fix the car. I didn't get everything finished so I still need to work on it. We had to alternate days that Erin and I dropped the kids off and picked them up since we only had one vehicle that could hold four car seats. Fortunately we still have my Pontiac Grand Prix which we drove.
Monday night Erin's parents, younger sister's family and one of her aunts and uncles came over. It was good to have everyone over even if it was only for a few hours.
The boys continue to amaze us with their ever growing vocabulary. It's fascinating listening to the things that come out of their mouth. They are certianly smart little guys.
Carter continues to crawl and cruise along couches, coffee tables, and anything he can get stand up next to. Aubrey still isn't crawling, but she has figured out how to scoot on but.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Roses for Mama
Calvin and Brayden continue to only want mama in the mornings on weekdays. I really wish they wouldn't fuss and fight so much with poor dada when I'm just trying to get them ready for daycare. Unfortunately I don't have time to wait for them so I just have to basically hold them down and change them.
Carter and Aubrey continue to sleep through the night. I realized that I don't feel tired while driving to and from work anymore. Obviously that's a good thing. I can also concentrate more at work.
Dada had flowers delivered to mama at work on Valentine's Day. The daycare lady also had two roses for Calvin and Brayden to give to mama when we got home. Brayden decided to use his rose as a weapon on the ride home. He was smacking the flower against the car seat. He also would move it over and touch Calvin with it, which Calvin did not appreciate. Calvin kept asking Brayden to "stop poking me". By the time we got home Brayden's rose was almost completely beaten up.
The kids all received a dollar in their Valentine's card from my parents. They didn't understand what money was yet. We told Calvin and Brayden that it was money and they could buy stuff with it, but they still are a little young to understand currency. As a matter of fact, Calvin has been picking up a piece of paper (I think it's instructions to something) and saying that it's money. If only it worked that way.
The kids have all been playing with their Hot Wheels cars more and more. One day I was playing with them and had two Lamborghini's. I told the boys that the cars were called Lamborghini's and I was surprised at how well they picked up on the name. Of course Calvin proceeded to call just about all cars Lamborghini's. He even would say that cars he saw on the road on the way home from daycare were Lamborghini's.
Carter likes to attack his giant teddy bears. The babies each got a huge teddy bear for Christmas. Carter will crawl over to one and then tackle it. Then he'll turn around and do the same to the other. He has the biggest grin on his face while he is doing it.
Brayden and Calvin finally had their two-year doctor's office visit on Thursday. I dropped the babies off at daycare when Erin took the boys in and then I met them at the doctor's office after I dropped off Carter and Aubrey. The pediatrician's office is directly across the hall from Erin's office so she took the boys a little early so that her co-workers could see the boys. Brayden did quite well even though he was a little bored and wanted to go. Calvin was not happy at all. Brayden doesn't appear to have an allergy. The doctor said that it looked more like Eczema. It doesn't appear to be itchy which is good. We got some medicated lotion to put on Brayden that will hopefully make it better.
We decided to stop using the baby timers. We got to the point where it's easy enough to tell if the babies are hungry without seeing how long it had been since they last ate.
Carter and Aubrey continue to sleep through the night. I realized that I don't feel tired while driving to and from work anymore. Obviously that's a good thing. I can also concentrate more at work.
Dada had flowers delivered to mama at work on Valentine's Day. The daycare lady also had two roses for Calvin and Brayden to give to mama when we got home. Brayden decided to use his rose as a weapon on the ride home. He was smacking the flower against the car seat. He also would move it over and touch Calvin with it, which Calvin did not appreciate. Calvin kept asking Brayden to "stop poking me". By the time we got home Brayden's rose was almost completely beaten up.
The kids all received a dollar in their Valentine's card from my parents. They didn't understand what money was yet. We told Calvin and Brayden that it was money and they could buy stuff with it, but they still are a little young to understand currency. As a matter of fact, Calvin has been picking up a piece of paper (I think it's instructions to something) and saying that it's money. If only it worked that way.
The kids have all been playing with their Hot Wheels cars more and more. One day I was playing with them and had two Lamborghini's. I told the boys that the cars were called Lamborghini's and I was surprised at how well they picked up on the name. Of course Calvin proceeded to call just about all cars Lamborghini's. He even would say that cars he saw on the road on the way home from daycare were Lamborghini's.
Carter likes to attack his giant teddy bears. The babies each got a huge teddy bear for Christmas. Carter will crawl over to one and then tackle it. Then he'll turn around and do the same to the other. He has the biggest grin on his face while he is doing it.
Brayden and Calvin finally had their two-year doctor's office visit on Thursday. I dropped the babies off at daycare when Erin took the boys in and then I met them at the doctor's office after I dropped off Carter and Aubrey. The pediatrician's office is directly across the hall from Erin's office so she took the boys a little early so that her co-workers could see the boys. Brayden did quite well even though he was a little bored and wanted to go. Calvin was not happy at all. Brayden doesn't appear to have an allergy. The doctor said that it looked more like Eczema. It doesn't appear to be itchy which is good. We got some medicated lotion to put on Brayden that will hopefully make it better.
We decided to stop using the baby timers. We got to the point where it's easy enough to tell if the babies are hungry without seeing how long it had been since they last ate.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Tooth Fairy Recycling
Carter finally got his first tooth a little over a week ago (2/6). His bottom teeth have finally poked through.
The babies have been doing quite well sleeping through the night. They also typically go right to sleep when we put them down around 7:00 each night.
The boys appear to have become mama's boys. They definitely like their mama more than dada at this point in time. Morning's have become rough for poor dada. Neither of the boys want dada to pick them up and get them changed in the mornings. At least they are happy to see me when I pick them up from daycare in the evening.
On Saturday we noticed that Aubrey had two top teeth poke through. Apparently she didn't want to be equal to her brother for long. We're still waiting for her to start crawling. She will sort of scoot when she sits, but she'll only move a foot or so. We took the kids out to Target and PetSmart Saturday morning. The kids all had a great time. Brayden couldn't get enough of the gerbils that were hiding under their wood chips.
After the stores we went to Burger King. We let Calvin and Brayden run wild in the play area. They absolutely loved it. In fact they didn't even eat any of their french fries or chicken nuggets.
After Burger King we came home and got the kids in bed. Carter and Aubrey once again took a while to finally go to sleep.*a Carter didn't sleep for very long even though he was the last to fall asleep. It was a pretty good rest of the day though. The boys all played with their trains, Hot Wheels cars and monster trucks.
Sunday morning wasn't much different than every other Sunday. Kids got up. They ate. We went to Wal-Mart. Came home and gave them lunch. Put them to bed. Carter and Aubrey fussed yet again and took about an hour to finally put to sleep.*a At least they slept for longer than they did on Saturday. Carter was the first to get up yet again.
Erin's parents came over around 2:00. They agreed to watch all four kids so we could go out and get some dinner. We went to a relatively new place called The Pita Pit. It was really good. Nothing fancy. It's basically a fast food restaurant similar to a sub shop, but they use pitas instead of sub rolls. After eating we went to The Fresh Market (really nice grocery store) to get a dessert for the kids. They had a lot of really good looking desserts to choose from. We picked up a few and headed home.
The boys barely even touched their dessert, but that's okay because dada ate it. I gave them a bath and then got the boys ready for bed. Carter was already in bed when we got home. They were just putting Aubrey down when we walked in the door.
The babies have been doing quite well sleeping through the night. They also typically go right to sleep when we put them down around 7:00 each night.
The boys appear to have become mama's boys. They definitely like their mama more than dada at this point in time. Morning's have become rough for poor dada. Neither of the boys want dada to pick them up and get them changed in the mornings. At least they are happy to see me when I pick them up from daycare in the evening.
On Saturday we noticed that Aubrey had two top teeth poke through. Apparently she didn't want to be equal to her brother for long. We're still waiting for her to start crawling. She will sort of scoot when she sits, but she'll only move a foot or so. We took the kids out to Target and PetSmart Saturday morning. The kids all had a great time. Brayden couldn't get enough of the gerbils that were hiding under their wood chips.
After the stores we went to Burger King. We let Calvin and Brayden run wild in the play area. They absolutely loved it. In fact they didn't even eat any of their french fries or chicken nuggets.
After Burger King we came home and got the kids in bed. Carter and Aubrey once again took a while to finally go to sleep.*a Carter didn't sleep for very long even though he was the last to fall asleep. It was a pretty good rest of the day though. The boys all played with their trains, Hot Wheels cars and monster trucks.
Sunday morning wasn't much different than every other Sunday. Kids got up. They ate. We went to Wal-Mart. Came home and gave them lunch. Put them to bed. Carter and Aubrey fussed yet again and took about an hour to finally put to sleep.*a At least they slept for longer than they did on Saturday. Carter was the first to get up yet again.
Erin's parents came over around 2:00. They agreed to watch all four kids so we could go out and get some dinner. We went to a relatively new place called The Pita Pit. It was really good. Nothing fancy. It's basically a fast food restaurant similar to a sub shop, but they use pitas instead of sub rolls. After eating we went to The Fresh Market (really nice grocery store) to get a dessert for the kids. They had a lot of really good looking desserts to choose from. We picked up a few and headed home.
The boys barely even touched their dessert, but that's okay because dada ate it. I gave them a bath and then got the boys ready for bed. Carter was already in bed when we got home. They were just putting Aubrey down when we walked in the door.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Play With This, Okay?
We went to the Williamsburg public library for the first time Saturday morning. The boys played with the toys more than the books. Eventually they started grabbing books off the shelves so we could read to them. Carter and Aubrey also did very well at the Library. The babies fell asleep on the way to the library and actually stayed asleep for a while. They woke up while we were there and got out and played for a bit. Carter really enjoyed pulling himself up on things and cruising around.
Aubrey still isn't crawling. It's getting to the point that we're starting to get a little worried that she's behind, but I'm sure she'll turn out just fine. It looks like Carter has two teeth that are about to poke through.
After the library we picked up lunch at Chick Fil-A and then came home. The babies weren't interested in napping at all. We got the boys down easily. Calvin actually asked to lay down and take a nap which is a first. They actually slept quite well.*a We had to pick up the babies and take them back downstairs to play because they just wouldn't go to sleep. After about an hour we gave them a bottle and they actually went to sleep. They didn't sleep that long though. Aubrey was up about forty minutes later. Then Carter got up fifteen or twenty minutes after his sister. They played well and we always enjoy giving them some attention without the boys around. The babies definitely don't get anywhere near the attention that Calvin and Brayden did when they were babies. I'm not sure what's better for their development...watching their older brothers or getting more attention from mama and dada.
I started smoking the pastrami early Saturday morning (about 6:30). I had to add charcoal a few times. Since it was cold the smoker went through a lot more charcoal and I ran out after about six hours. Fortunately the gas station just up the street had charcoal so I picked up two bags so I could finish smoking the pastrami. I was outside checking on the pastrami and I saw a few of my neighbors talking at the road. They came over and asked if they could smell the pastrami. I obliged and opened the lid. They were impressed with the smell. They'll be more impressed Sunday when we get to eat it.
"Play with this car, okay" is what Calvin was saying to Brayden in the afternoon while they were playing. He kept saying slightly different variations of it, but always ended with "okay?". Brayden would sometimes respond by saying "okay". The kids did very well playing the rest of the day.
Aubrey woke up around 4:00 Sunday morning. I gave her a bottle and then put her back in bed. She didn't get up again until about 7:00. Carter got up a little after 5:00 and didn't go back to sleep. I think it's actually better when they wake up early and then go back to sleep. The boys got up about the same time Aubrey did.
Calvin and Brayden ate some pancakes. Then Calvin ate a bunch of dada's cream cheese stuffed french toast. I don't mind. It keeps me from eating too much and they eat more.
Erin's family came over Sunday about 1:00 to celebrate her father's birthday. Everyone had a really good time. Calvin and Brayden had a long nap when we got home from Wal-Mart and didn't get up until about 3:30. I figure that they sleep somewhere between 12 and 15 hours each day.
Brayden may be allergic to strawberries. Erin gave him a bath Sunday night and he had a rash all over his back and stomach. He didn't have it in the morning. The boys ate lost of strawberries for lunch so that may be what caused the rash.
The Super Bowl party across the street started at 4:00. I couldn't go over that early, but I decided to warm up the pastrami and take it over around 4:30. The boys wanted to go with me so I took them with Pappap. When we got to the door the boys heard dogs barking and wouldn't go in the house. We tried to get them in, but eventually gave up and took them back home. I stayed for a while and went back over about 6:00. Erin and her parents were nice enough to watch the kids while I went over to the party. Everyone commented on how great the pastrami was. There was lots of good food, but the pastrami was pretty awesome.
The game was decent. I was hoping that the Patriots would win. Mostly because I don't like the Giants since they beat the Bills in Super Bowl XXV. I can't believe that the anouncers mentioned Scott Norwood towards the end of the game (he missed the potential game winning field goal at the end of Super Bowl XXV). Buffalo Bills fans everywhere cringed when they heard that. I had a good time watching the game. All the neighbors get along very well so it makes getting together a lot of fun. At some point in time we'll be able to take all the kids over (when they get a few years older) which will make it much easier to do things together. There are a few neighbors with kids the same age as our kids, but many of the kids in the neighborhood are a little older (6-11).
Aubrey still isn't crawling. It's getting to the point that we're starting to get a little worried that she's behind, but I'm sure she'll turn out just fine. It looks like Carter has two teeth that are about to poke through.
After the library we picked up lunch at Chick Fil-A and then came home. The babies weren't interested in napping at all. We got the boys down easily. Calvin actually asked to lay down and take a nap which is a first. They actually slept quite well.*a We had to pick up the babies and take them back downstairs to play because they just wouldn't go to sleep. After about an hour we gave them a bottle and they actually went to sleep. They didn't sleep that long though. Aubrey was up about forty minutes later. Then Carter got up fifteen or twenty minutes after his sister. They played well and we always enjoy giving them some attention without the boys around. The babies definitely don't get anywhere near the attention that Calvin and Brayden did when they were babies. I'm not sure what's better for their development...watching their older brothers or getting more attention from mama and dada.
I started smoking the pastrami early Saturday morning (about 6:30). I had to add charcoal a few times. Since it was cold the smoker went through a lot more charcoal and I ran out after about six hours. Fortunately the gas station just up the street had charcoal so I picked up two bags so I could finish smoking the pastrami. I was outside checking on the pastrami and I saw a few of my neighbors talking at the road. They came over and asked if they could smell the pastrami. I obliged and opened the lid. They were impressed with the smell. They'll be more impressed Sunday when we get to eat it.
"Play with this car, okay" is what Calvin was saying to Brayden in the afternoon while they were playing. He kept saying slightly different variations of it, but always ended with "okay?". Brayden would sometimes respond by saying "okay". The kids did very well playing the rest of the day.
Aubrey woke up around 4:00 Sunday morning. I gave her a bottle and then put her back in bed. She didn't get up again until about 7:00. Carter got up a little after 5:00 and didn't go back to sleep. I think it's actually better when they wake up early and then go back to sleep. The boys got up about the same time Aubrey did.
Calvin and Brayden ate some pancakes. Then Calvin ate a bunch of dada's cream cheese stuffed french toast. I don't mind. It keeps me from eating too much and they eat more.
Erin's family came over Sunday about 1:00 to celebrate her father's birthday. Everyone had a really good time. Calvin and Brayden had a long nap when we got home from Wal-Mart and didn't get up until about 3:30. I figure that they sleep somewhere between 12 and 15 hours each day.
Brayden may be allergic to strawberries. Erin gave him a bath Sunday night and he had a rash all over his back and stomach. He didn't have it in the morning. The boys ate lost of strawberries for lunch so that may be what caused the rash.
The Super Bowl party across the street started at 4:00. I couldn't go over that early, but I decided to warm up the pastrami and take it over around 4:30. The boys wanted to go with me so I took them with Pappap. When we got to the door the boys heard dogs barking and wouldn't go in the house. We tried to get them in, but eventually gave up and took them back home. I stayed for a while and went back over about 6:00. Erin and her parents were nice enough to watch the kids while I went over to the party. Everyone commented on how great the pastrami was. There was lots of good food, but the pastrami was pretty awesome.
The game was decent. I was hoping that the Patriots would win. Mostly because I don't like the Giants since they beat the Bills in Super Bowl XXV. I can't believe that the anouncers mentioned Scott Norwood towards the end of the game (he missed the potential game winning field goal at the end of Super Bowl XXV). Buffalo Bills fans everywhere cringed when they heard that. I had a good time watching the game. All the neighbors get along very well so it makes getting together a lot of fun. At some point in time we'll be able to take all the kids over (when they get a few years older) which will make it much easier to do things together. There are a few neighbors with kids the same age as our kids, but many of the kids in the neighborhood are a little older (6-11).
Monday, February 6, 2012
A Second Cowbra
Babies have been sleeping through the night. They look so big when we put their jammies on that have separate pants and shirt (instead of a onesie). Pretty soon they'll be wearing 18 month clothes.
The babies are "talking" more. They say mama and dada all the time. Aubrey makes this "ah ah ah ah" sound. After she says it I repeat it and then she smiles and repeats it back to me. This will go on for minutes until one of us gets tired.
Carter will crawl around and find a bottle on the floor and pick it up and put it to his mouth and start drinking. We have also been giving the babies sippy cups of water and they actually drink a little bit from them.
We're definitely going to have to buy car seats very soon. The babies (especially Carter) are getting too big for the car seat carriers. We get the pleasure of buying four car seats at once. Two for Erin's car and two for mine. Fortunately we get fairly cheap ones, but they have worked well for the boys.
Brayden was rather fussy a few days on the car ride home. I'm wondering if he didn't nap for very long at daycare.
The daycare lady's son found another Cowbra (part cow, part zebra stuffed animal) and got it for Aubrey. They gave it to her one morning and her eyes light up. She loves to hold both Cowbra's in her hands and flail them around.
Friday when I was picking up the kids the boys were running around outside after I got the babies loaded in the car. Brayden went up some stairs and decided to jump from the second step to the first step. I tried to stop him, but he jumped and then lost his balance and fell to the ground landing on his head. He cried for a little bit, but he didn't even have a mark on him.
The babies are "talking" more. They say mama and dada all the time. Aubrey makes this "ah ah ah ah" sound. After she says it I repeat it and then she smiles and repeats it back to me. This will go on for minutes until one of us gets tired.
Carter will crawl around and find a bottle on the floor and pick it up and put it to his mouth and start drinking. We have also been giving the babies sippy cups of water and they actually drink a little bit from them.
We're definitely going to have to buy car seats very soon. The babies (especially Carter) are getting too big for the car seat carriers. We get the pleasure of buying four car seats at once. Two for Erin's car and two for mine. Fortunately we get fairly cheap ones, but they have worked well for the boys.
Brayden was rather fussy a few days on the car ride home. I'm wondering if he didn't nap for very long at daycare.
The daycare lady's son found another Cowbra (part cow, part zebra stuffed animal) and got it for Aubrey. They gave it to her one morning and her eyes light up. She loves to hold both Cowbra's in her hands and flail them around.
Friday when I was picking up the kids the boys were running around outside after I got the babies loaded in the car. Brayden went up some stairs and decided to jump from the second step to the first step. I tried to stop him, but he jumped and then lost his balance and fell to the ground landing on his head. He cried for a little bit, but he didn't even have a mark on him.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Bacon Maple Donut
Grammie (Erin's mom) had a birthday on Saturday. We went over to their place for brunch. Carter was standing holding onto the coffee table and fell and hit his head. I was actually reaching to grab him when he slipped. It looked like he hit right across his forehead, but it was apparent a few minutes later that he actually hit just next to his left eye. It was bruised, but it wasn't too bad. He obviously cried for a bit, but it didn't take long and he was smiling and happy again. As a matter of fact he headed back for the coffee table, but we didn't let him near it again for obvious reasons.
The boys were outside almost the entire day. They were blowing bubbles and playing with chalk on the sidewalk. Brayden would take a few steps and then swipe his hand down and make a line with the chalk then take a few more steps and make another line. They also really enjoyed just wandering around outside and looking at the birds and trees. They had a great time picking up pine cones and throwing them. It was only about 50-degrees, but it felt warmer in the sun.
I had my first bacon maple donut and it was really good. There was a local donut shop not too far from Erin's sister's house so they picked some up when they came over. It reminded me of when I was a kid and we went to my grandmother's house (dad's mom). We would get up really early and go to the local donut shop for a donut and chocolate milk. It was great.
We ended up leaving late. Our plan was to leave by 11:15, but we left closer to 1:00. The kids all slept during the car ride home. When we got home the boys went down for a nap, but the babies didn't. The babies got really fussy later so they went to bed early.
Sunday morning Carter and Aubrey ate some of Calvin and Brayden's french toast.*m We would break off a small piece and giving it to the babies and they were gobbling it up. After a little while we headed out for our routine shopping trip. The babies actually fell asleep on the way to Wal-Mart. The kids were all really good while we were out. Shortly after we got home the babies got a bottle and were put down for a nap. The boys didn't eat much of their lunch, which has become the norm. The boys were put down for a nap and they went down rather quickly. The babies were not as easy. We kept trying to get them to nap and eventually we just got them up out of bed. We gave them another bottle and played with them for a while before putting them back to bed. This time they actually went to sleep.
Erin's parents came over Sunday evening. The babies didn't sleep long, but at least they went down for a little bit. We were able to get some things cleaned around the house while they were down. I went downstairs to clean and ended up laying down and falling asleep because I was so tired. I was awaken by Calvin coming downstairs to see me. We played for a bit before heading upstairs. We played for a while longer before dinner. The boys continue to play with their train set and Hot Wheels cars everyday.
The babies went to bed early again since they didn't really nap. I gave the boys a bath before they went to bed. They like to run wild upstairs before getting in bed. They run between all the rooms which we don't mind as long as they don't go in the babies room. When they try to run past me I grab them and do flips and things that really gets them laughing. Eventually they calm down and go to bed.
The boys were outside almost the entire day. They were blowing bubbles and playing with chalk on the sidewalk. Brayden would take a few steps and then swipe his hand down and make a line with the chalk then take a few more steps and make another line. They also really enjoyed just wandering around outside and looking at the birds and trees. They had a great time picking up pine cones and throwing them. It was only about 50-degrees, but it felt warmer in the sun.
I had my first bacon maple donut and it was really good. There was a local donut shop not too far from Erin's sister's house so they picked some up when they came over. It reminded me of when I was a kid and we went to my grandmother's house (dad's mom). We would get up really early and go to the local donut shop for a donut and chocolate milk. It was great.
We ended up leaving late. Our plan was to leave by 11:15, but we left closer to 1:00. The kids all slept during the car ride home. When we got home the boys went down for a nap, but the babies didn't. The babies got really fussy later so they went to bed early.
Sunday morning Carter and Aubrey ate some of Calvin and Brayden's french toast.*m We would break off a small piece and giving it to the babies and they were gobbling it up. After a little while we headed out for our routine shopping trip. The babies actually fell asleep on the way to Wal-Mart. The kids were all really good while we were out. Shortly after we got home the babies got a bottle and were put down for a nap. The boys didn't eat much of their lunch, which has become the norm. The boys were put down for a nap and they went down rather quickly. The babies were not as easy. We kept trying to get them to nap and eventually we just got them up out of bed. We gave them another bottle and played with them for a while before putting them back to bed. This time they actually went to sleep.
Erin's parents came over Sunday evening. The babies didn't sleep long, but at least they went down for a little bit. We were able to get some things cleaned around the house while they were down. I went downstairs to clean and ended up laying down and falling asleep because I was so tired. I was awaken by Calvin coming downstairs to see me. We played for a bit before heading upstairs. We played for a while longer before dinner. The boys continue to play with their train set and Hot Wheels cars everyday.
The babies went to bed early again since they didn't really nap. I gave the boys a bath before they went to bed. They like to run wild upstairs before getting in bed. They run between all the rooms which we don't mind as long as they don't go in the babies room. When they try to run past me I grab them and do flips and things that really gets them laughing. Eventually they calm down and go to bed.
Monday, January 30, 2012
I Love You, Goodnight
Carter and Aubrey have both been waking up in the middle of the night the past few nights. They get quite upset and the only thing that will make them happy is a bottle. I was hoping we were past this stage, but it looks like they are starting again.
The fence in our backyard was finished Tuesday. It looks great. On Thursday I got a letter in the mail from the HOA telling me to stop construction of the fence. It indicated that I needed to submit an application and have it approved by the Architectural Review Committee. I immediately called the HOA and asked if they ever processed my application that I submitted 8/10/11. I also forwarded them a copy of the application via e-mail. They quickly apologized and said that everything was okay. I asked why it has taken over five months to process my application and they said that they forgot to submit it. HOA's suck!
We have been giving the babies sippy cups with water and they actually drink from them. Carter will even grab the sippy cup and pull it up to his mouth in order to drink from it. We're still waiting for Carter to get his first tooth.
Aubrey still isn't crawling. She will spin around and move a little while sitting up though. She also likes to play a little game where she holds out a toy or whatever she has in her hand like she wants you to grab it. When you reach for it she pulls it back and starts laughing.
I stayed at home Thursday and Friday so that the house builder could come out and repair a number of things that needed to be fixed since we are coming up on our one year warranty. It was pretty boring watching people work in the house. I was able to get some laundry done and go through some papers that had been piling up. They didn't get everything finished by the time they left Friday. I had a pretty good idea that they weren't going to finish when I walked around the house Thursday after they left and saw there was still a lot to do. They really should have brought more people in order to finish on time. Now I have to find another day to take off work to allow them to finish.
The boys have been behaving very well. They weren't being fussy when we got them up in the morning. I'm sure it helped that on Thursday and Friday I dropped them off and let them sleep about thirty minutes to an hour later. Erin picked them up after work.
The boys have been doing well at night too. They go to bed and want us to read them books. When we finish reading books they continue to look through other books. As we are walking out the door they say "Goodnight, I love you". They keep repeating it after we say it even after we're downstairs.
The fence in our backyard was finished Tuesday. It looks great. On Thursday I got a letter in the mail from the HOA telling me to stop construction of the fence. It indicated that I needed to submit an application and have it approved by the Architectural Review Committee. I immediately called the HOA and asked if they ever processed my application that I submitted 8/10/11. I also forwarded them a copy of the application via e-mail. They quickly apologized and said that everything was okay. I asked why it has taken over five months to process my application and they said that they forgot to submit it. HOA's suck!
We have been giving the babies sippy cups with water and they actually drink from them. Carter will even grab the sippy cup and pull it up to his mouth in order to drink from it. We're still waiting for Carter to get his first tooth.
Aubrey still isn't crawling. She will spin around and move a little while sitting up though. She also likes to play a little game where she holds out a toy or whatever she has in her hand like she wants you to grab it. When you reach for it she pulls it back and starts laughing.
I stayed at home Thursday and Friday so that the house builder could come out and repair a number of things that needed to be fixed since we are coming up on our one year warranty. It was pretty boring watching people work in the house. I was able to get some laundry done and go through some papers that had been piling up. They didn't get everything finished by the time they left Friday. I had a pretty good idea that they weren't going to finish when I walked around the house Thursday after they left and saw there was still a lot to do. They really should have brought more people in order to finish on time. Now I have to find another day to take off work to allow them to finish.
The boys have been behaving very well. They weren't being fussy when we got them up in the morning. I'm sure it helped that on Thursday and Friday I dropped them off and let them sleep about thirty minutes to an hour later. Erin picked them up after work.
The boys have been doing well at night too. They go to bed and want us to read them books. When we finish reading books they continue to look through other books. As we are walking out the door they say "Goodnight, I love you". They keep repeating it after we say it even after we're downstairs.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Cars Fruit Snacks
It started out as a rainy Saturday morning. Carter was the first to wake up. Aubrey was actually the last to get up where she normally is the first. The boys ate their french toast and then went to play with the train set.
After a while we decided to head out to some stores. Calvin was saying that he wanted to see fishies so we went to PetSmart. Of course it was raining harder and harder as we got to the store. I pulled up as close to the front door as I could so we could unload the kids without getting too wet. We let the boys out of the stroller and they ran wild in PetSmart. Calvin said, "Fish are going crazy". They seemed to really enjoy running around. It was a little bit of a challenge keeping up with them. As you might expect they went in different directions several times. After PetSmart we went next door to Belk. The boys were still out of the stroller running around. Eventually Erin got them back in the stroller. Then she took them to Tropical Smoothie to get a small smoothie and a little pizza for lunch. They didn't eat the pizza, but they sure loved the strawberry-banana smoothie.
By the time we got home it was time for lunch and then nap. Carter didn't nap for very long. I had gone down to the basement to play the PS3 when Erin brought him down for me to watch. So I stopped playing the game and played with Carter instead. Then I actually did a little cleaning up while we were down there. The boys woke up a while later and then Aubrey got up too. The rest of the day was spent playing around the house.
Sunday morning we went on our usual Wal-Mart trip. I'm not sure how, but we spent over $500 on this trip. I guess formula and diapers really add up. Only two more months of formula. Then we can switch the babies over to whole milk. We picked up some Cars fruit snacks and the boys wanted them while we were in the store. By the time we go to the checkout line there were only two pouches of fruit snacks remaining. The box comes with ten so they each ate four. Each one was shaped like one of the Cars characters and they would tell us who it was before they ate each one.
I found it interesting that he had some folks stop us and ask about the kids. The one lady said that she has twin girls and always get stopped. She said, "Isn't annoying when people stop and talk to you when you're in a hurry?" Then of course she proceeded to continue to talk to us for another five minutes or so. I guess she didn't get her own message.
We got home and gave the boys another Kid Cuisine, but they didn't seem too interested. Probably because of all the fruit snacks they had at Wal-Mart. They all went down for a nap and again Carter didn't nap long. This time Erin kept him while I went around marking all the areas that need to be fixed when the house builder comes by this week to do our warranty repairs.
Aubrey started to get hives from the Zithromax after her third dose. We gave her some benadryl which helped counter the allergic reaction. We now know that Brayden, Calvin and Aubrey are all allergic to Zithromax. I'm sure Carter is too, but we haven't given it to him yet.
After a while we decided to head out to some stores. Calvin was saying that he wanted to see fishies so we went to PetSmart. Of course it was raining harder and harder as we got to the store. I pulled up as close to the front door as I could so we could unload the kids without getting too wet. We let the boys out of the stroller and they ran wild in PetSmart. Calvin said, "Fish are going crazy". They seemed to really enjoy running around. It was a little bit of a challenge keeping up with them. As you might expect they went in different directions several times. After PetSmart we went next door to Belk. The boys were still out of the stroller running around. Eventually Erin got them back in the stroller. Then she took them to Tropical Smoothie to get a small smoothie and a little pizza for lunch. They didn't eat the pizza, but they sure loved the strawberry-banana smoothie.
By the time we got home it was time for lunch and then nap. Carter didn't nap for very long. I had gone down to the basement to play the PS3 when Erin brought him down for me to watch. So I stopped playing the game and played with Carter instead. Then I actually did a little cleaning up while we were down there. The boys woke up a while later and then Aubrey got up too. The rest of the day was spent playing around the house.
Sunday morning we went on our usual Wal-Mart trip. I'm not sure how, but we spent over $500 on this trip. I guess formula and diapers really add up. Only two more months of formula. Then we can switch the babies over to whole milk. We picked up some Cars fruit snacks and the boys wanted them while we were in the store. By the time we go to the checkout line there were only two pouches of fruit snacks remaining. The box comes with ten so they each ate four. Each one was shaped like one of the Cars characters and they would tell us who it was before they ate each one.
I found it interesting that he had some folks stop us and ask about the kids. The one lady said that she has twin girls and always get stopped. She said, "Isn't annoying when people stop and talk to you when you're in a hurry?" Then of course she proceeded to continue to talk to us for another five minutes or so. I guess she didn't get her own message.
We got home and gave the boys another Kid Cuisine, but they didn't seem too interested. Probably because of all the fruit snacks they had at Wal-Mart. They all went down for a nap and again Carter didn't nap long. This time Erin kept him while I went around marking all the areas that need to be fixed when the house builder comes by this week to do our warranty repairs.
Aubrey started to get hives from the Zithromax after her third dose. We gave her some benadryl which helped counter the allergic reaction. We now know that Brayden, Calvin and Aubrey are all allergic to Zithromax. I'm sure Carter is too, but we haven't given it to him yet.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Daddy's Little Girl Got Sick
The babies have been doing pretty well at night. Carter will still wake up every now and then, but we have had some nights where we actually got to sleep all the way through the night. Aubrey almost always sleeps through the night. That's daddy's little girl!
Wednesday night Brayden had a really hard time going to sleep. He was crying and it didn't seem to matter what we did. He also woke up the next morning crying. I don't know what was going on, but he's fine now.
The boys are definitely getting less and less tolerant of us waking them up at 5am during the week. They tell us to "go away" and they pull their blankets over their head and roll over. It takes us about fifteen minutes to get them ready only because it takes us forever to get them out of the bed.
The boys are also doing quite well when I pick them up each evening. They usually head over to the minivan after I get the babies loaded. On Thursday Brayden was a little fussy when I got him in the car because he still wanted to run around some and wasn't ready to go. It was funny because Calvin would repeat everything I said. I would ask Brayden "What's wrong" and Calvin would chime in "What's wrong Brayden?". "Do you want some cocoa puffs?" followed by "Want some cocoa pops?". It didn't take long until Brayden was happy again. They still run straight for the train set each day when we get home. They just can't get enough.
Aubrey got sick during the week. It started with a very low fever (100-degrees) which we figured she was just teething. Then Thursday morning she had a much higher fever (103-degrees). Erin called in an antibiotic and she was doing better by Friday evening.
I had to leave work early on Friday to get the kids by noon from daycare. The daycare lady's grandmother passed away and she needed us to pick up the kids so she could go to the funeral. I got the babies in bed first for a nap. Then I brought Calvin upstairs, but he didn't want to get in bed until Brayden was upstairs. I was trying to get Brayden upstairs and he was running away from me. He turned and ran straight into the dining room table and ended up with a big bruise on his head. So then I had to console him before putting him down. During this time Calvin came back downstairs so I had to go back down and get him. By the time I got them in bed Carter was screaming so I went in there and found that he had pooped. I changed him and put him down. He went to sleep soon thereafter. Aubrey was another story. It took over an hour to get her to sleep. I had to put her in a swing to get her to take a nap. She didn't nap long. Fortunately, Erin's mom came over a little after 2pm to help out.
Our fence in the backyard is being built. They said it should be finished on Monday. So far it looks pretty good. I think the fence will actually make the yard look bigger. We had to wait a long time to get the fence built. I had to take down a number of trees and then I brought in a lot of top soil to help level the yard. One corner of the yard had about eight inches of top soil added. It took months for that section to firm up enough to allow them to drill and put in the fence. This means we'll finally be getting our dog back from my parents. I'm excited about getting Hemi back. It was probably a good thing we didn't have him for a while because we have enough going on with the kids, but at this point I'm sure we can manage. Especially with a fence where we can just open the door and let him run.
Wednesday night Brayden had a really hard time going to sleep. He was crying and it didn't seem to matter what we did. He also woke up the next morning crying. I don't know what was going on, but he's fine now.
The boys are definitely getting less and less tolerant of us waking them up at 5am during the week. They tell us to "go away" and they pull their blankets over their head and roll over. It takes us about fifteen minutes to get them ready only because it takes us forever to get them out of the bed.
The boys are also doing quite well when I pick them up each evening. They usually head over to the minivan after I get the babies loaded. On Thursday Brayden was a little fussy when I got him in the car because he still wanted to run around some and wasn't ready to go. It was funny because Calvin would repeat everything I said. I would ask Brayden "What's wrong" and Calvin would chime in "What's wrong Brayden?". "Do you want some cocoa puffs?" followed by "Want some cocoa pops?". It didn't take long until Brayden was happy again. They still run straight for the train set each day when we get home. They just can't get enough.
Aubrey got sick during the week. It started with a very low fever (100-degrees) which we figured she was just teething. Then Thursday morning she had a much higher fever (103-degrees). Erin called in an antibiotic and she was doing better by Friday evening.
I had to leave work early on Friday to get the kids by noon from daycare. The daycare lady's grandmother passed away and she needed us to pick up the kids so she could go to the funeral. I got the babies in bed first for a nap. Then I brought Calvin upstairs, but he didn't want to get in bed until Brayden was upstairs. I was trying to get Brayden upstairs and he was running away from me. He turned and ran straight into the dining room table and ended up with a big bruise on his head. So then I had to console him before putting him down. During this time Calvin came back downstairs so I had to go back down and get him. By the time I got them in bed Carter was screaming so I went in there and found that he had pooped. I changed him and put him down. He went to sleep soon thereafter. Aubrey was another story. It took over an hour to get her to sleep. I had to put her in a swing to get her to take a nap. She didn't nap long. Fortunately, Erin's mom came over a little after 2pm to help out.
Our fence in the backyard is being built. They said it should be finished on Monday. So far it looks pretty good. I think the fence will actually make the yard look bigger. We had to wait a long time to get the fence built. I had to take down a number of trees and then I brought in a lot of top soil to help level the yard. One corner of the yard had about eight inches of top soil added. It took months for that section to firm up enough to allow them to drill and put in the fence. This means we'll finally be getting our dog back from my parents. I'm excited about getting Hemi back. It was probably a good thing we didn't have him for a while because we have enough going on with the kids, but at this point I'm sure we can manage. Especially with a fence where we can just open the door and let him run.
Monday, January 16, 2012
A Fussy Baby Weekend
Babies woke up really early Saturday morning (about 2:00am). We tried to plug them and they wouldn't go back to sleep so we ended up giving them both bottles around 2:30. Then they both got up about 5:00am. They just didn't want mama and dada to sleep in.
We went to Target to return one of the motorized trains that wasn't working. Then we tried going to Payless Shoes to get some new shoes for the boys. We got to Payless right at 10:00 which is when they open and no one appeared to be in the store. I was looking through the window when a lady walked up, unlocked the door, walked in and then locked it behind her without saying a word. I was quite irritated by the fact that she didn't even say anything to us when she walked up. We decided not to go to Payless and I might not ever go back to that store if that's the way they treat people.
We stopped by PetSmart and Bed, Bath & Beyond after Target. The kids love looking at the animals in PetSmart. After looking around we headed home. Aubrey fell asleep on the short car ride home. Carter was awake so we fed him and then put him down for a nap. Aubrey woke up shortly after so she was fed and then put down for a nap. Calvin and Brayden played with their trains for a while and then eventually ate lunch and went down for a nap.
It wasn't long before Carter and Aubrey were up from their naps. It seemed like we had just enough time to get a little cleaning done and then it was time to get the babies. Carter and Aubrey were both a bit fussy all day. We checked their temperature and Carter had a little fever (101-degrees). He didn't seem too interested in playing and wanted to be held most of the afternoon.
Calvin and Brayden woke up a bit later. They were both very well behaved. There were a few short instances where they made each other mad, but overall they were good little boys. They continue to play with their trains all the time. They both wanted cereal for dinner.
We ended up putting Aubrey and Carter down for the night fairly early (~5:30 I think). The boys continued to play and have a good time. After we put the boys down to bed I went across the street to watch football and play cards. Once again it was nice to be able to do something different. I played cards with a bunch of new people which is always exciting because you don't know how they play and they don't know how you play. This time I only had a few beers and I was back home around midnight.
The babies woke up a few times during the night. They also got up early once again. They were behaving very well first thing in the morning. Carter's fever had gone down. The boys got up and ate some French Toast. Then it was off to play with the trains. The babies started getting a little fussy so we got everyone ready to go to Wal-Mart.
This trip brought lots of comments from other folks at Wal-Mart. We hadn't been getting that many lately, but we sure got a lot this Sunday. One guys saw me with the babies and said "it must be contagious" as he pointed to Erin with the boys (they were on the other end of the aisle coming towards me). I said "oh, they're mine too" and the look on the guys face was priceless. He couldn't believe it. A number of people stopped us to ask if it was really two sets of twins. At least most people usually say how adorable they are and well behaved.
On the car ride home I told Calvin that he was getting Kid Cuisine for lunch (hamburger). He said "what's that?". We tried explaining it to him, but he kept asking "what's that?". We made the Kid Cuisine cheeseburger, french fries and corn as soon as we got home and told Calvin "this is Kid Cuisine". He seemed happy to know what it is. They weren't too fond of the french fries which seemed odd since they love french fries. So I tried one and they weren't very good. They tasted like they weren't fully cooked. They did eat most of their cheeseburger though. It was cute seeing them pick up their little cheeseburger with both hands and take a bite.
The kids all went down for a nap, but just like Saturday the babies didn't nap for very long. We got a little bit done around the house and then it was time to take care of the babies. Carter was super fussy when he got up (likely because he was still tired). I had Carter and it didn't seem to matter what I did he just wasn't happy. After about thirty minutes he finally seemed to calm down a bit. Brayden and Calvin got up a while later and were in great moods.
Erin's parents came over Sunday evening. I lowered Carter and Aubrey's crib while they were here. Brayden came upstairs to help dada with the cribs. I was almost done and I couldn't find one of the screws so I came downstairs to ask Brayden and he said "it upstairs". So I went back up and searched some more and sure enough it was up there. The babies went to bed early yet again.
I decided to have some poached eggs for dinner and the boys ate some of it too. I'm happy when they try something and like it. I highly doubt they would eat it if we just put it on their plate, but they LOVE food off dada's plate.
Brayden, Calvin and I went down to the basement to play for a while. Erin straightened up upstairs while we were playing. The boys read books most of the time. I was able to clean the fish tank and fill it up with water. I turned on the TV to watch some of the football playoffs. Brayden came in and laid down on the seat next to me and put his head on my lap. He laid there for a few minutes with a great big grin on his face. After a few minutes I asked if he wanted to play with toys and he said "S" which is Brayden's way of saying yes. So he hopped down and went to play some more.
Erin started the boy's bath and I bathed them both. Then we went back downstairs for a late snack of banana and cereal bar. After that we headed upstairs to brush teeth and then get in bed. They did very well today and went to sleep without a fuss.
We went to Target to return one of the motorized trains that wasn't working. Then we tried going to Payless Shoes to get some new shoes for the boys. We got to Payless right at 10:00 which is when they open and no one appeared to be in the store. I was looking through the window when a lady walked up, unlocked the door, walked in and then locked it behind her without saying a word. I was quite irritated by the fact that she didn't even say anything to us when she walked up. We decided not to go to Payless and I might not ever go back to that store if that's the way they treat people.
We stopped by PetSmart and Bed, Bath & Beyond after Target. The kids love looking at the animals in PetSmart. After looking around we headed home. Aubrey fell asleep on the short car ride home. Carter was awake so we fed him and then put him down for a nap. Aubrey woke up shortly after so she was fed and then put down for a nap. Calvin and Brayden played with their trains for a while and then eventually ate lunch and went down for a nap.
It wasn't long before Carter and Aubrey were up from their naps. It seemed like we had just enough time to get a little cleaning done and then it was time to get the babies. Carter and Aubrey were both a bit fussy all day. We checked their temperature and Carter had a little fever (101-degrees). He didn't seem too interested in playing and wanted to be held most of the afternoon.
Calvin and Brayden woke up a bit later. They were both very well behaved. There were a few short instances where they made each other mad, but overall they were good little boys. They continue to play with their trains all the time. They both wanted cereal for dinner.
We ended up putting Aubrey and Carter down for the night fairly early (~5:30 I think). The boys continued to play and have a good time. After we put the boys down to bed I went across the street to watch football and play cards. Once again it was nice to be able to do something different. I played cards with a bunch of new people which is always exciting because you don't know how they play and they don't know how you play. This time I only had a few beers and I was back home around midnight.
The babies woke up a few times during the night. They also got up early once again. They were behaving very well first thing in the morning. Carter's fever had gone down. The boys got up and ate some French Toast. Then it was off to play with the trains. The babies started getting a little fussy so we got everyone ready to go to Wal-Mart.
This trip brought lots of comments from other folks at Wal-Mart. We hadn't been getting that many lately, but we sure got a lot this Sunday. One guys saw me with the babies and said "it must be contagious" as he pointed to Erin with the boys (they were on the other end of the aisle coming towards me). I said "oh, they're mine too" and the look on the guys face was priceless. He couldn't believe it. A number of people stopped us to ask if it was really two sets of twins. At least most people usually say how adorable they are and well behaved.
On the car ride home I told Calvin that he was getting Kid Cuisine for lunch (hamburger). He said "what's that?". We tried explaining it to him, but he kept asking "what's that?". We made the Kid Cuisine cheeseburger, french fries and corn as soon as we got home and told Calvin "this is Kid Cuisine". He seemed happy to know what it is. They weren't too fond of the french fries which seemed odd since they love french fries. So I tried one and they weren't very good. They tasted like they weren't fully cooked. They did eat most of their cheeseburger though. It was cute seeing them pick up their little cheeseburger with both hands and take a bite.
The kids all went down for a nap, but just like Saturday the babies didn't nap for very long. We got a little bit done around the house and then it was time to take care of the babies. Carter was super fussy when he got up (likely because he was still tired). I had Carter and it didn't seem to matter what I did he just wasn't happy. After about thirty minutes he finally seemed to calm down a bit. Brayden and Calvin got up a while later and were in great moods.
Erin's parents came over Sunday evening. I lowered Carter and Aubrey's crib while they were here. Brayden came upstairs to help dada with the cribs. I was almost done and I couldn't find one of the screws so I came downstairs to ask Brayden and he said "it upstairs". So I went back up and searched some more and sure enough it was up there. The babies went to bed early yet again.
I decided to have some poached eggs for dinner and the boys ate some of it too. I'm happy when they try something and like it. I highly doubt they would eat it if we just put it on their plate, but they LOVE food off dada's plate.
Brayden, Calvin and I went down to the basement to play for a while. Erin straightened up upstairs while we were playing. The boys read books most of the time. I was able to clean the fish tank and fill it up with water. I turned on the TV to watch some of the football playoffs. Brayden came in and laid down on the seat next to me and put his head on my lap. He laid there for a few minutes with a great big grin on his face. After a few minutes I asked if he wanted to play with toys and he said "S" which is Brayden's way of saying yes. So he hopped down and went to play some more.
Erin started the boy's bath and I bathed them both. Then we went back downstairs for a late snack of banana and cereal bar. After that we headed upstairs to brush teeth and then get in bed. They did very well today and went to sleep without a fuss.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Thunder Thunder Thundercats Hoooo
This past week seemed to fly by. The babies have been doing well sleeping at night. Every now and then they wake up, but we have been getting decent sleep so we can't complain.
Calvin and Brayden seem to want to sleep in later in the mornings. They used to jump up out of bed when we went in to get them ready to go to daycare. Now they lay there and pull their blankets over their head. Sometimes after we get them out they will crawl under their crib (especially Brayden). Every now and then they get fussy when we are changing them. As soon as we are done putting their clothes on they are fine. Calvin always tends to take longer picking out a snack in the mornings for the car ride. On several occassions I will have the babies and Brayden already in the car and Calvin is still inside. Sometimes I have to come in and pick him up because he is being difficult. He always resists and gets fussy when I do that, but we can't wait around forever.
They continue to play with their train set everyday. Brayden really enjoys taking the extra track and putting it together on the floor to create a new layout. The other night they completely disassembled the train track on the table.
I had to pick the kids up a little early one day because the daycare ladies daughter had a dentist appointment. This gave us some extra time at night so we took everyone down to the basement to play. We also were able to get on Skype with my parents so they could see the kids. The kids all seemed to enjoy being downstairs since we don't go down that often. There are lots of toys down there that they don't see or play with very often.
A few months ago I bought some toys from Toys R Us and they were running a special where you got a free kids backpack if you spent a certain amount of money. I got a Thundercats backpack. We gave the backpack to Brayden and put some books in it to take to daycare. You would have thought he won the lottery. That boy loves his backpack. When I picked them up from daycare Calvin said "have to share it" refering to the backpack. We now need to pick up another one this weekend.
I took Friday off from work because the builder came out to perform the final review of our house since we are coming up on our one year warranty. It's hard to believe we have been in this house for almost a year. Everything went very well with the review. I wasn't sure if they would fight or argue with anything that I had on the list, but they agreed to fix everything. The guys even stayed and fixed a number of things that morning.
After he left I headed out to Firehouse to get a sub for lunch. I can't get enough of that place. I tried their brisket cheddar sub for the first time. It will also be the last time I get it. It was okay, but not one of their best. I tried Raspberry Coke which isn't good. Then I had some Cherry Vanilla Coke which was good. I finished with old faithful (Grape Mello Yellow).
After getting home I talked to my neighbor across the street. He invited me over to his place Saturday night to play cards and watch football. Then we moved his outdoor playhouse from his backyard to my backyard. He had asked if I wanted it months ago and we just never got around to moving it.
I also got a few things cleaned up around the house and then was able to play the PS3. I have been playing a wrestling game (WWE Superstars) that I bought a while ago and hadn't played yet. I don't watch wrestling, but I did when I was a kid and this game has a lot of the wrestlers from the eighties. It's pretty fun and I'm getting better at it.
I had picked up a new table for the kids when I stopped by Wal-Mart after the gym. This is a Thomas the Train table and is square instead of round. They seemed excited to see it, but it didn't help them eat their dinner.
I also picked up the screws I needed to attach the magnet board to the easel. I was able to attach the magnet board in the morning and the kids enjoyed playing with it later that night.
Calvin and Brayden seem to want to sleep in later in the mornings. They used to jump up out of bed when we went in to get them ready to go to daycare. Now they lay there and pull their blankets over their head. Sometimes after we get them out they will crawl under their crib (especially Brayden). Every now and then they get fussy when we are changing them. As soon as we are done putting their clothes on they are fine. Calvin always tends to take longer picking out a snack in the mornings for the car ride. On several occassions I will have the babies and Brayden already in the car and Calvin is still inside. Sometimes I have to come in and pick him up because he is being difficult. He always resists and gets fussy when I do that, but we can't wait around forever.
They continue to play with their train set everyday. Brayden really enjoys taking the extra track and putting it together on the floor to create a new layout. The other night they completely disassembled the train track on the table.
I had to pick the kids up a little early one day because the daycare ladies daughter had a dentist appointment. This gave us some extra time at night so we took everyone down to the basement to play. We also were able to get on Skype with my parents so they could see the kids. The kids all seemed to enjoy being downstairs since we don't go down that often. There are lots of toys down there that they don't see or play with very often.
A few months ago I bought some toys from Toys R Us and they were running a special where you got a free kids backpack if you spent a certain amount of money. I got a Thundercats backpack. We gave the backpack to Brayden and put some books in it to take to daycare. You would have thought he won the lottery. That boy loves his backpack. When I picked them up from daycare Calvin said "have to share it" refering to the backpack. We now need to pick up another one this weekend.
I took Friday off from work because the builder came out to perform the final review of our house since we are coming up on our one year warranty. It's hard to believe we have been in this house for almost a year. Everything went very well with the review. I wasn't sure if they would fight or argue with anything that I had on the list, but they agreed to fix everything. The guys even stayed and fixed a number of things that morning.
After he left I headed out to Firehouse to get a sub for lunch. I can't get enough of that place. I tried their brisket cheddar sub for the first time. It will also be the last time I get it. It was okay, but not one of their best. I tried Raspberry Coke which isn't good. Then I had some Cherry Vanilla Coke which was good. I finished with old faithful (Grape Mello Yellow).
After getting home I talked to my neighbor across the street. He invited me over to his place Saturday night to play cards and watch football. Then we moved his outdoor playhouse from his backyard to my backyard. He had asked if I wanted it months ago and we just never got around to moving it.
I also got a few things cleaned up around the house and then was able to play the PS3. I have been playing a wrestling game (WWE Superstars) that I bought a while ago and hadn't played yet. I don't watch wrestling, but I did when I was a kid and this game has a lot of the wrestlers from the eighties. It's pretty fun and I'm getting better at it.
I had picked up a new table for the kids when I stopped by Wal-Mart after the gym. This is a Thomas the Train table and is square instead of round. They seemed excited to see it, but it didn't help them eat their dinner.
I also picked up the screws I needed to attach the magnet board to the easel. I was able to attach the magnet board in the morning and the kids enjoyed playing with it later that night.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Fat Guy On Truck
Last weekend was quite good. The babies did well sleeping through the night.
We went out shopping on Saturday and picked up some Thomas the Train books for the boys. They always seem to have a good time going shopping. We went to TJ Maxx and Calvin and Brayden kept wanting me to put them in front of one of the mirrors so they could see themselves.
I was able to play some PS3 while they napped on Saturday. The weather was nice so we took everyone out for a walk after their nap. The kids keep playing with their train set every day. They also are growing more fond on their Hot Wheels cars and Monster Trucks.
After putting them to bed on Saturday I went across the street to watch some football. It's nice to get out every once in a while. Even if it's only across the street. I had good intentions of only drinking a little (I purposely brought four beers). Of course after I got over there they told me that they decided they were going to do a shot for each touchdown scored. It was the Lions-Saints game so I knew I was in trouble (both have exceptional offenses this year). As I expected they scored a lot and we probably ended up doing ten shots each. I had to come back home to grab some Whiskey since they ran out. I think there were only two of us that actually took all the shots that we were supposed to. The guys talked me into making pastrami for the Super Bowl party.
Sunday morning I wasn't feeling very well. I managed to get out of bed to feed Aubrey and then put her back down. Fortunately the kids didn't get up until about 7:00 so I could sleep in a little. It's sad when sleeping until 7:00 is considered sleeping in. I managed to drink a lot of water and take some Advil and started feeling a little better. We went out to Wal-Mart for our usual shopping trip. The kids were being fussy before we left and we were a little off our game. We realized while we were at Wal-Mart that we didn't give Carter and Aubrey a bottle before we left (they did have breakfast though). So they started getting fussy. Fortunately we had Puffs so we gave them Puffs as we were wandering through the store. We managed to make it through and got everyone home. As we were pulling out of the parking space in Wal-Mart we heard Calvin say "Fat guy on truck". We just started laughing. We asked him what he said and it sounded like "fat guy on truck" again so we continued laughing. Then Brayden said it and we realized that he was actually saying "flag is on truck".
Aubrey didn't want to nap at all. I think she may have gone down for thirty minutes or so. Needless to say she was quite fussy later in the day. Erin's parents came by a little after 2:00 and helped with the kids. I got a few things done around the house. We decided to put Aubrey down for a nap a little after 4:00. I planned on lowering the beds in their cribs, but I couldn't because she was sleeping. Much to our surprise she didn't wake up until 4:00am Monday morning.
I set up an easel that we got from Erin's sister. It has a dry-erase side and a chalkboard side. It also has a roll of paper that you can attach and let the kids color on with crayons (which is what we do...no way will we give them markers). We also picked up a huge magnet board from Wal-Mart in the morning. It will fit perfectly on the easel. I need to pick up a few screws so that I can attach it. The boys will love putting their magnetic letters on it.
They did quite well getting their bath. They were running around the house after getting their bath. They would go into the kitchen and then start running and jump on the couch. They were pretty worn out so they went to bed very easily.
We went out shopping on Saturday and picked up some Thomas the Train books for the boys. They always seem to have a good time going shopping. We went to TJ Maxx and Calvin and Brayden kept wanting me to put them in front of one of the mirrors so they could see themselves.
I was able to play some PS3 while they napped on Saturday. The weather was nice so we took everyone out for a walk after their nap. The kids keep playing with their train set every day. They also are growing more fond on their Hot Wheels cars and Monster Trucks.
After putting them to bed on Saturday I went across the street to watch some football. It's nice to get out every once in a while. Even if it's only across the street. I had good intentions of only drinking a little (I purposely brought four beers). Of course after I got over there they told me that they decided they were going to do a shot for each touchdown scored. It was the Lions-Saints game so I knew I was in trouble (both have exceptional offenses this year). As I expected they scored a lot and we probably ended up doing ten shots each. I had to come back home to grab some Whiskey since they ran out. I think there were only two of us that actually took all the shots that we were supposed to. The guys talked me into making pastrami for the Super Bowl party.
Sunday morning I wasn't feeling very well. I managed to get out of bed to feed Aubrey and then put her back down. Fortunately the kids didn't get up until about 7:00 so I could sleep in a little. It's sad when sleeping until 7:00 is considered sleeping in. I managed to drink a lot of water and take some Advil and started feeling a little better. We went out to Wal-Mart for our usual shopping trip. The kids were being fussy before we left and we were a little off our game. We realized while we were at Wal-Mart that we didn't give Carter and Aubrey a bottle before we left (they did have breakfast though). So they started getting fussy. Fortunately we had Puffs so we gave them Puffs as we were wandering through the store. We managed to make it through and got everyone home. As we were pulling out of the parking space in Wal-Mart we heard Calvin say "Fat guy on truck". We just started laughing. We asked him what he said and it sounded like "fat guy on truck" again so we continued laughing. Then Brayden said it and we realized that he was actually saying "flag is on truck".
Aubrey didn't want to nap at all. I think she may have gone down for thirty minutes or so. Needless to say she was quite fussy later in the day. Erin's parents came by a little after 2:00 and helped with the kids. I got a few things done around the house. We decided to put Aubrey down for a nap a little after 4:00. I planned on lowering the beds in their cribs, but I couldn't because she was sleeping. Much to our surprise she didn't wake up until 4:00am Monday morning.
I set up an easel that we got from Erin's sister. It has a dry-erase side and a chalkboard side. It also has a roll of paper that you can attach and let the kids color on with crayons (which is what we do...no way will we give them markers). We also picked up a huge magnet board from Wal-Mart in the morning. It will fit perfectly on the easel. I need to pick up a few screws so that I can attach it. The boys will love putting their magnetic letters on it.
They did quite well getting their bath. They were running around the house after getting their bath. They would go into the kitchen and then start running and jump on the couch. They were pretty worn out so they went to bed very easily.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Scooby Dooby Doo
The babies slept through the night last night. We had to wake them up about 4:45 to feed them and get them ready for daycare. We got Calvin and Brayden ready and then everyone was loaded in the car and off we went. Calvin actually cooperated today.
After work I got to daycare to get the kids and Aubrey saw me come through the door and gave me a great big smile. Then Calvin and Brayden came running out. Calvin had chocolate milk and said "dada no chocolate milk". I got them loaded in the car without any problems. The boys had some Scooby Doo fruit snacks. They started saying "Scooby Dooby Doo where are you? We've got some work to do now".
We got home and everyone was behaving very well. The boys didn't eat their dinner yet again. Carter kept crawling over to me and tried putting his mouth over my nose. Aubrey was sitting up playing with some cars. Calvin and Brayden were playing with Legos and the trains.
We got the babies ready for bed and then I went to get the bath started for the boys. Brayden has super bath hearing and came upstairs to get in the bath. Calvin came up a little later. It was Calvin's turn to get out of the bath first today and he wasn't happy about it.
They both brushed their teeth and then got in bed. Calvin wanted a Hershey's bar so we actually gave it to him even though we figured it would make a mess (even after just getting a bath). The Hershey's bar was broken and he wasn't happy. He kept asking for a whole bar. We was crying and throwing a fit. I tried a number of things to get him to calm down and eventually gave up and walked out. Erin read books to Brayden and he was content. Calvin continued to cry and fuss for thirty minutes or so. Eventually he stopped and went to sleep. One of these days he'll learn. One of these days...
After work I got to daycare to get the kids and Aubrey saw me come through the door and gave me a great big smile. Then Calvin and Brayden came running out. Calvin had chocolate milk and said "dada no chocolate milk". I got them loaded in the car without any problems. The boys had some Scooby Doo fruit snacks. They started saying "Scooby Dooby Doo where are you? We've got some work to do now".
We got home and everyone was behaving very well. The boys didn't eat their dinner yet again. Carter kept crawling over to me and tried putting his mouth over my nose. Aubrey was sitting up playing with some cars. Calvin and Brayden were playing with Legos and the trains.
We got the babies ready for bed and then I went to get the bath started for the boys. Brayden has super bath hearing and came upstairs to get in the bath. Calvin came up a little later. It was Calvin's turn to get out of the bath first today and he wasn't happy about it.
They both brushed their teeth and then got in bed. Calvin wanted a Hershey's bar so we actually gave it to him even though we figured it would make a mess (even after just getting a bath). The Hershey's bar was broken and he wasn't happy. He kept asking for a whole bar. We was crying and throwing a fit. I tried a number of things to get him to calm down and eventually gave up and walked out. Erin read books to Brayden and he was content. Calvin continued to cry and fuss for thirty minutes or so. Eventually he stopped and went to sleep. One of these days he'll learn. One of these days...
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Cuckoo Pops
Aubrey woke up once or twice last night. Erin got up to plug her with a paci. We woke the babies up around 4:30 to feed them. We got the boys up a little later and got them ready. Once again Calvin lagged behind everyone else getting ready and in the car.
The Wednesday 6am meeting was canceled today so I was able to go to the gym instead of going to work super early. This was nice because I didn't go to the gym on Monday so I'm still able to get my normal weekly workout in.
I got to daycare to pick up the kids and Calvin was hiding. He didn't want to go outside so I took Brayden and the babies out and then Calvin came running to the door. I got the babies loaded in the car and then Calvin ran over. I got him in the car and then was trying to buckle his seat belt, but he started fussing and wanted to get down. So I had to hold him down while I buckled him in. Then Brayden got in rather easily. Once I got in the car Calvin stopped fussing. This was nice because once he starts he normally continues until we get most of the way home. The boys both wanted their "Cuckoo Pops" which is really Cocoa Puffs cereal, but they always call them Cuckoo Pops. They go through phases of wanting different cereals. Right now they love Cuckoo Pops and Gold Grahams (Golden Grahams). At least they have good taste.
The boys love it when we go over bumps. They always say "bump bump". There is one bump that is close to our house that they always remind me of. After going over that bump Calvin said "go driveway bump bump". The last bump is always when I pull into the driveway. Smart kids.
Aubrey was asleep when we got home and stayed asleep even after getting her out of the car and in the house. So Erin fed Carter while I ate dinner. The boys didn't touch their dinner yet again. They just wanted to play with the train set and Legos. Eventually Aubrey woke up and we pulled her high chair into the Living Room so she could see everyone while she ate.
Calvin and Brayden both took turns hitting their head on the table tonight. Then Brayden did something where one of the baskets that we put their toys in smacked him in the nose. I think he stepped on one side and the other popped up and hit him. Sort of like in those goofy movies where someone steps on a rake and it pops up and hits them in the face. Anyway, it got him right on the nose and he has a pretty good red mark. We'll see what it looks like in the morning.
The babies didn't have any problems going down to sleep tonight. Calvin and Brayden were another story. Brayden let Erin change him with very little difficulty. Calvin fought me the whole way. Then Calvin didn't want to go upstairs so I carried him up which he didn't like. Then he wouldn't brush his teeth. Brayden finished brushing his teeth so I took him in to bed while Erin tried getting Calvin to cooperate. I read a few books to Brayden and then told him that I would read one last book for the night. After reading it I said goodnight and started walking out and he started crying and wanted me to read another book. I figured that we need to stop appeasing them all the time so I just walked out. Erin was still reading to Calvin and I think she ended up reading one more story to Brayden. Calvin was also really difficult getting in bed. He didn't want to get in bed and fought with Erin. Then he didn't want her to read any books, but when she walked out he started screaming and crying. Erin came back and he calmed down so she could read to him. After reading to Calvin he went down to sleep rather easily. Brayden continued to fuss for a while. It has been taking 45 minutes to get Calvin and Brayden in bed from the time we start by changing them into their jammies. This is way too long and we need to figure out how to shorten it.
The Wednesday 6am meeting was canceled today so I was able to go to the gym instead of going to work super early. This was nice because I didn't go to the gym on Monday so I'm still able to get my normal weekly workout in.
I got to daycare to pick up the kids and Calvin was hiding. He didn't want to go outside so I took Brayden and the babies out and then Calvin came running to the door. I got the babies loaded in the car and then Calvin ran over. I got him in the car and then was trying to buckle his seat belt, but he started fussing and wanted to get down. So I had to hold him down while I buckled him in. Then Brayden got in rather easily. Once I got in the car Calvin stopped fussing. This was nice because once he starts he normally continues until we get most of the way home. The boys both wanted their "Cuckoo Pops" which is really Cocoa Puffs cereal, but they always call them Cuckoo Pops. They go through phases of wanting different cereals. Right now they love Cuckoo Pops and Gold Grahams (Golden Grahams). At least they have good taste.
The boys love it when we go over bumps. They always say "bump bump". There is one bump that is close to our house that they always remind me of. After going over that bump Calvin said "go driveway bump bump". The last bump is always when I pull into the driveway. Smart kids.
Aubrey was asleep when we got home and stayed asleep even after getting her out of the car and in the house. So Erin fed Carter while I ate dinner. The boys didn't touch their dinner yet again. They just wanted to play with the train set and Legos. Eventually Aubrey woke up and we pulled her high chair into the Living Room so she could see everyone while she ate.
Calvin and Brayden both took turns hitting their head on the table tonight. Then Brayden did something where one of the baskets that we put their toys in smacked him in the nose. I think he stepped on one side and the other popped up and hit him. Sort of like in those goofy movies where someone steps on a rake and it pops up and hits them in the face. Anyway, it got him right on the nose and he has a pretty good red mark. We'll see what it looks like in the morning.
The babies didn't have any problems going down to sleep tonight. Calvin and Brayden were another story. Brayden let Erin change him with very little difficulty. Calvin fought me the whole way. Then Calvin didn't want to go upstairs so I carried him up which he didn't like. Then he wouldn't brush his teeth. Brayden finished brushing his teeth so I took him in to bed while Erin tried getting Calvin to cooperate. I read a few books to Brayden and then told him that I would read one last book for the night. After reading it I said goodnight and started walking out and he started crying and wanted me to read another book. I figured that we need to stop appeasing them all the time so I just walked out. Erin was still reading to Calvin and I think she ended up reading one more story to Brayden. Calvin was also really difficult getting in bed. He didn't want to get in bed and fought with Erin. Then he didn't want her to read any books, but when she walked out he started screaming and crying. Erin came back and he calmed down so she could read to him. After reading to Calvin he went down to sleep rather easily. Brayden continued to fuss for a while. It has been taking 45 minutes to get Calvin and Brayden in bed from the time we start by changing them into their jammies. This is way too long and we need to figure out how to shorten it.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
New Year, Back To Work
Carter got up a few times last night. When we go in to check on him he is almost always standing up in his crib holding on to the side. Aubrey slept through the night.
It actually wasn't that hard to get up at normal time to go to work this morning. After showering I got my lunch ready and then headed upstairs to feed Aubrey because she was waking up. Erin came in a little later to feed Carter. Aubrey has developed a bad habit of peeing immediately after I remove her diaper before I can put the new one on. I'll have to see if I can get faster at this evolution. We have kind of slacked off in the speed department because they haven't done this since they were newborns.
I got Brayden ready and Erin got Calvin ready this morning. Calvin was being a little difficult.
I had used the remote starter on Erin's car this morning since it was quite cold outside (20s, I think). I got the babies loaded in the car and then Brayden too. I came back inside to see what was taking Calvin so long and he was being difficult and wouldn't choose his snack for the car ride. So I just grabbed him and then put him in the car. It was too cold to leave the babies and Brayden out there for long while Calvin fussed over what snack to take. Not to mention that we needed to get going so I could get to the gym and then to work.
After my workout I realized that I left my badge at home. So I had to come all the way home to get it. I ended up being about thirty minutes late to work today because of this. I'm pretty sure that this is only the third or fourth time in almost eleven years that I have ever been late. Work went by very quickly because we were really busy catching up. I'm sure it will be this way for the rest of the week.
I don't think the boys ate any of their dinner tonight. Calvin did eat some of my turkey sandwich. He was funny and would put the lettuce that fell out back on the sandwich.
Calvin also decided to take one of Aubrey's play cups and spoons and pretend to feed everyone. He would put the spoon in the empty cup and then put the spoon up to each of our mouths. Perhaps not the greatest idea with some of us being sick, but whatever. He was having fun.
We got the babies fed, changed and in bed. I gave the boys a bath tonight. They did very well until it was time to get out. Brayden and Calvin were playing some game where they would intentionally slide down the side of the tub. I was trying to get them to stop before someone fell and hit their head. Of course Brayden decided to fall down and hit his head. So he was the first to get out of the bath and get dried off. Then it was Calvin's turn and he definitely did not want to get out of the bathtub.
Eventually we got them in bed and put down for the night. I think it was 8:15 before they finally quieted down and went to sleep. It seems to be getting later and later. We need to figure out a way to get them back to going to sleep earlier.
It actually wasn't that hard to get up at normal time to go to work this morning. After showering I got my lunch ready and then headed upstairs to feed Aubrey because she was waking up. Erin came in a little later to feed Carter. Aubrey has developed a bad habit of peeing immediately after I remove her diaper before I can put the new one on. I'll have to see if I can get faster at this evolution. We have kind of slacked off in the speed department because they haven't done this since they were newborns.
I got Brayden ready and Erin got Calvin ready this morning. Calvin was being a little difficult.
I had used the remote starter on Erin's car this morning since it was quite cold outside (20s, I think). I got the babies loaded in the car and then Brayden too. I came back inside to see what was taking Calvin so long and he was being difficult and wouldn't choose his snack for the car ride. So I just grabbed him and then put him in the car. It was too cold to leave the babies and Brayden out there for long while Calvin fussed over what snack to take. Not to mention that we needed to get going so I could get to the gym and then to work.
After my workout I realized that I left my badge at home. So I had to come all the way home to get it. I ended up being about thirty minutes late to work today because of this. I'm pretty sure that this is only the third or fourth time in almost eleven years that I have ever been late. Work went by very quickly because we were really busy catching up. I'm sure it will be this way for the rest of the week.
I don't think the boys ate any of their dinner tonight. Calvin did eat some of my turkey sandwich. He was funny and would put the lettuce that fell out back on the sandwich.
Calvin also decided to take one of Aubrey's play cups and spoons and pretend to feed everyone. He would put the spoon in the empty cup and then put the spoon up to each of our mouths. Perhaps not the greatest idea with some of us being sick, but whatever. He was having fun.
We got the babies fed, changed and in bed. I gave the boys a bath tonight. They did very well until it was time to get out. Brayden and Calvin were playing some game where they would intentionally slide down the side of the tub. I was trying to get them to stop before someone fell and hit their head. Of course Brayden decided to fall down and hit his head. So he was the first to get out of the bath and get dried off. Then it was Calvin's turn and he definitely did not want to get out of the bathtub.
Eventually we got them in bed and put down for the night. I think it was 8:15 before they finally quieted down and went to sleep. It seems to be getting later and later. We need to figure out a way to get them back to going to sleep earlier.
Monday, January 2, 2012
One Final Free Day Before Going Back To Work
The babies again didn't have a good night Sunday night. We had to get Carter and Aubrey a few times each. Surprisingly Brayden had a really bad night. He woke up hysterical twice. The first time I got up and gave him his pacis and things that he had thrown on the floor. Then he was happy and laid back down. It didn't last because he got up again later in the night. This time Erin got up to help him, but he just wasn't happy no matter what we did. Eventually I got up and grabbed him and put him in bed with us. That seemed to make him happy. He slept very well curled up next to me. So well in fact that I got up a little before 6:00 and it didn't wake him up when I got out of bed.
By the time I got up Erin had already fed and changed Carter and Aubrey. She didn't want to take a chance at bother Brayden so she didn't get me up to get one of the babies. I wasn't feeling great this morning. My throat was really scratchy and I had a lot of phlegm. I actually didn't go to the gym this morning because I wasn't feeling great. Erin took the kids to daycare this morning. I laid on the couch and watched a little TV.
Erin got home and worked out in the basement. After a while I went down to the Media Room to play the PS3. I was actually able to play for a few hours today which was a nice break. Especially nice considering the weekend was very stressful. I didn't go anywhere today. Erin went out to do some clothes shopping.
I loaded a new game to play and of course it had to download an update. I hate it when the updates take hours to download. I'm not sure what takes so long. Eventually I fell asleep in the Media Room and woke up right when it was time to leave to get the kids.
They were all very happy to see me. They did very well on the car ride home. Brayden was singing the ABC song and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.
They also behaved quite well tonight. Calvin didn't eat any of his dinner. Brayden ate some cheesy broccoli, but that was it. Calvin did eat some of dada's dinner. Since we moved most of the toys to the Living Room I was able to sit at the dining room table to eat. This is only the second we have used the table (the first was on Christmas day).
We got the babies ready and put them down for the night. Then we let Calvin and Brayden play for a while longer before getting them ready and putting them down. I think it took about an hour to get them in bed tonight. Calvin took forever brushing his teeth. Then he didn't want to get in bed. I put him in bed and he didn't want any books or anything so I was goign to walk out of the room, but then he said "no dada, read books". So I came back and read him a few books. One of the books is a preschool book and I'm amazed that he knows his shapes already. He struggles with square and rectangle, but the others are a breeze.
Erin finished reading books to Brayden while I was still reading to Calvin. Eventually Brayden got very fussy and kept asking for mama and "Thomas" (referring to the train). Erin came back up and gave him the Thomas from the bathtub. This didn't make him happy. We're pretty sure he wanted the powered Thomas for the train set, but we weren't going to give that to him in bed. We just had to walk out and let them cry. After washing my face I heard Brayden calling for me so I went in to see what he wanted. He had thrown out all of his blankets, pacis and books. So I gave everything back to him. Then Calvin and Brayden took turns asking for another book so I picked up all the books and gave some to each. Then they seemed happy and said "night night" as I was leaving. We didn't hear another peep from them all night.
By the time I got up Erin had already fed and changed Carter and Aubrey. She didn't want to take a chance at bother Brayden so she didn't get me up to get one of the babies. I wasn't feeling great this morning. My throat was really scratchy and I had a lot of phlegm. I actually didn't go to the gym this morning because I wasn't feeling great. Erin took the kids to daycare this morning. I laid on the couch and watched a little TV.
Erin got home and worked out in the basement. After a while I went down to the Media Room to play the PS3. I was actually able to play for a few hours today which was a nice break. Especially nice considering the weekend was very stressful. I didn't go anywhere today. Erin went out to do some clothes shopping.
I loaded a new game to play and of course it had to download an update. I hate it when the updates take hours to download. I'm not sure what takes so long. Eventually I fell asleep in the Media Room and woke up right when it was time to leave to get the kids.
They were all very happy to see me. They did very well on the car ride home. Brayden was singing the ABC song and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.
They also behaved quite well tonight. Calvin didn't eat any of his dinner. Brayden ate some cheesy broccoli, but that was it. Calvin did eat some of dada's dinner. Since we moved most of the toys to the Living Room I was able to sit at the dining room table to eat. This is only the second we have used the table (the first was on Christmas day).
We got the babies ready and put them down for the night. Then we let Calvin and Brayden play for a while longer before getting them ready and putting them down. I think it took about an hour to get them in bed tonight. Calvin took forever brushing his teeth. Then he didn't want to get in bed. I put him in bed and he didn't want any books or anything so I was goign to walk out of the room, but then he said "no dada, read books". So I came back and read him a few books. One of the books is a preschool book and I'm amazed that he knows his shapes already. He struggles with square and rectangle, but the others are a breeze.
Erin finished reading books to Brayden while I was still reading to Calvin. Eventually Brayden got very fussy and kept asking for mama and "Thomas" (referring to the train). Erin came back up and gave him the Thomas from the bathtub. This didn't make him happy. We're pretty sure he wanted the powered Thomas for the train set, but we weren't going to give that to him in bed. We just had to walk out and let them cry. After washing my face I heard Brayden calling for me so I went in to see what he wanted. He had thrown out all of his blankets, pacis and books. So I gave everything back to him. Then Calvin and Brayden took turns asking for another book so I picked up all the books and gave some to each. Then they seemed happy and said "night night" as I was leaving. We didn't hear another peep from them all night.
Surviving the New Year's Weekend
Aubrey got up a few times Friday/Saturday night. Once again I gave her some Tylenol and eventually she went back to sleep. Carter woke up around 4:00. Erin fed him and then put him back down. Aubrey got up about the same time and I fed her and put her back down. She woke up again around 6:00 because she had pooped. I got her changed and came downstairs. Erin had just finished her shower so she watched Aubrey while I went to get my shower. When I came downstairs Erin was feeding both Carter and Aubrey.
Both of the babies got baths after eating their breakfast. Aubrey was a little fussbucket in the morning. She just hasn't been happy about anything.
Calvin and Brayden didn't get up until about 7:30. We gave them breakfast and then they played with their train set. It seemed like none of the kids were in a very good mood. Carter and Aubrey have runny noses and are coughing a little. I'm sure they're not feeling well and that's why they are grumpy. Calvin and Brayden are two year-olds so I'm sure that's why they're grumpy.
Eventually we got everyone ready and went to the Living Museum. We have easily got our money's worth buying a year's pass. They had some barnyard animals there that the kids could pet. We knew Brayden would be timid, but after a few minutes he would actually walk up to them. He seemed to really enjoy the rabbits. They boys were running around on the trail. Calvin just took off at one point and Erin had to chase after him.
The babies slept on the car ride home. Carter was able to take another nap. Aubrey didn't nap at all. The batteries in her swing are dead and we didn't have any more good C-batteries. Guess we'll have to pick some up. One of the things we'll have to make sure of in the future is to always have an ample supply of all types of batteries.
Calvin and Brayden went down late for their nap. At least they slept. They actually napped for quite a while. While they were napping Erin took Carter and Aubrey out for a walk. While she was out I got a few things done around the house. I also took a short nap.
Calvin and Brayden weren't much better after they got up from their nap. They continued to be very fussy. Nothing seemed to make them happy.
Sunday wasn't much better. It started with Brayden being really upset in the morning. After a while he was happy again, but then Calvin was upset. The babies still had runny noses. Aubrey really hates it when you wipe her face. Every time we wiped her nose she would cry which would just make her nose run even more. Seemed to be a losing battle.
After what seemed like a very very long morning we got the kids ready and went out to Wal-Mart for a short shopping trip. We did some shopping earlier in the week so we didn't need much. After Wal-Mart we went to Erin's parents for New Year's lunch/dinner. The kids actually seemed much happier there. I suppose sometimes they just need a change in scenery.
On our way home all the kids fell asleep in the car. We stopped by Target and Erin ran in to get a few things. She picked up an powered Thomas the Train for their train set. We gave it to the boys when we got home and it was an instant hit. Of course the boys were very fussy again when we got home.
We put the babies down to bed early. Calvin and Brayden also went to bed early. It couldn't come soon enough with how everyone behaved. Not a great way to start a new year.
Both of the babies got baths after eating their breakfast. Aubrey was a little fussbucket in the morning. She just hasn't been happy about anything.
Calvin and Brayden didn't get up until about 7:30. We gave them breakfast and then they played with their train set. It seemed like none of the kids were in a very good mood. Carter and Aubrey have runny noses and are coughing a little. I'm sure they're not feeling well and that's why they are grumpy. Calvin and Brayden are two year-olds so I'm sure that's why they're grumpy.
Eventually we got everyone ready and went to the Living Museum. We have easily got our money's worth buying a year's pass. They had some barnyard animals there that the kids could pet. We knew Brayden would be timid, but after a few minutes he would actually walk up to them. He seemed to really enjoy the rabbits. They boys were running around on the trail. Calvin just took off at one point and Erin had to chase after him.
The babies slept on the car ride home. Carter was able to take another nap. Aubrey didn't nap at all. The batteries in her swing are dead and we didn't have any more good C-batteries. Guess we'll have to pick some up. One of the things we'll have to make sure of in the future is to always have an ample supply of all types of batteries.
Calvin and Brayden went down late for their nap. At least they slept. They actually napped for quite a while. While they were napping Erin took Carter and Aubrey out for a walk. While she was out I got a few things done around the house. I also took a short nap.
Calvin and Brayden weren't much better after they got up from their nap. They continued to be very fussy. Nothing seemed to make them happy.
Sunday wasn't much better. It started with Brayden being really upset in the morning. After a while he was happy again, but then Calvin was upset. The babies still had runny noses. Aubrey really hates it when you wipe her face. Every time we wiped her nose she would cry which would just make her nose run even more. Seemed to be a losing battle.
After what seemed like a very very long morning we got the kids ready and went out to Wal-Mart for a short shopping trip. We did some shopping earlier in the week so we didn't need much. After Wal-Mart we went to Erin's parents for New Year's lunch/dinner. The kids actually seemed much happier there. I suppose sometimes they just need a change in scenery.
On our way home all the kids fell asleep in the car. We stopped by Target and Erin ran in to get a few things. She picked up an powered Thomas the Train for their train set. We gave it to the boys when we got home and it was an instant hit. Of course the boys were very fussy again when we got home.
We put the babies down to bed early. Calvin and Brayden also went to bed early. It couldn't come soon enough with how everyone behaved. Not a great way to start a new year.
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