Happy 3rd Birthday Kayla Grace

Happiest birthday to you sweet Kayla Grace!  You are the perfect girl for our family and we adore you so much.  Just about daily your Daddy asks me, "can she get any cuter?" 

Right now you love to look at books, have books read to you, help me cook/bake, be my taste tester, do school, pray, swing, tend to your babies, watch Super Why and Daniel Tiger and hanging out with Mom.  You like when just the girls go do errands and you are so much fun to have come along. 

You are so bubbly and animated.  We love all your facial expressions and cute little sayings. 

You still enjoy snuggling and having Mommy and Daddy hold you and we cherish those moments. 

Bear is still you special lovie and when you get tired, hurt or upset you always ask for him. 

You love being a helper and are good at it. 

You are such a caring sister.  You like to get me things for Levi like his diaper or the wipes.  You watch out for Levi and make sure he isn't doing anything that could be dangerous to him.  You are really great at sharing your toys with your brother and telling them randomly, "I love you." 

I pray that you walk in all that God has for you, love Him always, and know how much He loves you!

We love you to the moon and back!

Love,

Mommy and Daddy

3 Year Well Baby Stats:
Height- 36 inches (25%)
Weight- 28 lbs (25%)

Getting her blood pressure checked.  She told everyone in the office it was her b-day and showed off her Birthday Girl button.

"This is baby Camden (her newest cousin)."

Date with Mommy.  We had lunch at CFA and then went to the Chocolate Factory.  Even though she likes hanging out with me so much she really misses Joshua when he isn't around. 

Chocolate Factory goodies. 

 

Snug as a bug in a rug with her baby and bear.

 

 As she was loving on Levi in the below pictures I asked her, "Do you love Levi?" And she said, "yea, forever!"

  

She likes to pretend she is Dr. Milobsky (our pediatrician).  She asks Daddy, "Want me to doctor you up?" 

Happy 18 Months Levi

This big bundle of joy is 18 months old and is such a happy, fun loving boy. Although he is only 18 months old he thinks he can and should be able to do anything Joshua and Kayla do.  There is no limits to what this boy will try.  Cautious is not in his vocabulary. 

I was reading about birth order and the one word that described the baby of the family that stuck out to me the most for Levi was uncomplicated.  He is so laid back and well, uncomplicated.  When the doctor was looking in his ear at his check up he commented, "look at you just not caring" (referring to how Levi didn't mind the doc looking in his ears).  He hasn't a care in the world.

Here is what Levi is doing at 18 months old...

Well Baby Stats:
Height- 31 2/4 inches (35%)
Weight- 25 lbs (75%)
Head: 19 inches (75%)

 

*We have officially dropped his morning nap and he is doing great.  He sleeps 2.5-3 hours in the afternoon and goes to bed slightly earlier than he was (around 6:30ish).
*I am no longer Mama but Mommy which he says, "Mombie." 
*When he wants more of his food, and trust me when I say he always wants more, he either says more over and over (ma, ma, ma, ma) or more please which sounds like "Ma-pease."
*Other words he is saying this month is Kayla (kay-a), come on (mon) as he motions you with his hands by opening and closing them, there it is (well his version of it) when we ask him where his hands are as we are putting his arms through his shirt, and I love (again his version of it).  He also says bird which can either be a bird or airplane. 
*He loves to have his teeth brushed (because that is something he sees big sis and bro do).  He is so good at spitting in the sink when we tell hi and sticking out his tongue to have it brushed.  He got an electric toothbrush in his Easter Basket and is just tickled with having the same kind of toothbrush as J and K.  Just this morning when he heard me brushing Joshua's teeth he stopped what he was doing and came over to have his teeth brushed. 
*He likes to sit on his potty.  He hasn't done anything in it yet but he sure does think its fun to sit on it.  When he sees J or K going potty he tries to pull down his pants so he too can sit on a potty. 
*Unlike J and K who would play and play for quite some time in the their crib after waking from naps and in the mornings, this one cries and cries until you go and get him.  When we go into his room to get him he can often be found reaching through the bars trying to get his beloved monkey that he threw out of his crib and crying in frustration.  Even when he doesn't throw monkey overboard he is crying most times and I seriously think it is because he thinks we are all having fund without him.  Once he is up and out of his room he is his happy self. 
*He used to cry and arch his back 75% of the time when I would put him in his car seat.  Now he gets so excited to get in his car seat.  When I tell him we are going bye-bye he sometimes tries to get his jacket of the hook and tries putting his shoes on.  He will also tell me, "come on, come one" or wave and say "bye-bye" followed by blowing kisses at whoever is in the room.
*Levi seems to be following in Joshua's footsteps by always checking out how things work.  He will pull out a cabinet drawer and start studying it from underneath, then shut it, and open it and really just figuring the dynamics all out.  He turns on the bath faucet, looks underneath at all the water running out, turns it off, looks again.  He is a thinker.
*His animal sound for most all animals is a growl thanks to Joshua's love of dinosaurs. 
*We always say he is going to be a little comedian.  And now I know for sure.  The other day we were driving home and it was a little past nap time.  Levi started dozing in the car and I did what any mother who covets nap time does, I started tickling him, shaking his leg, clapping real loud, anything to keep him awake so he didn't get a 5 minute catnap and then have trouble napping at home.  After about 2-3 times of him dozing and me waking him he caught on and started closing his eyes pretending he was sleeping and then belly laughing when I would try to wake him up. 
*He could ride his truck and bike all day long.  He loves to be outside.  Getting him to go back inside is quite a chore. 

He likes to put his feet up and fly down the driveway and the hill that leads to the cul-de-sac stopping at the very last second possible.  Kayla did the same thing and it always made and me so nervous.  Still does.   

 

Loves wearing Daddy's hat.

Poor baby got sick with strep, double ear infection, virus with a nasty cough and pink eye ALL AT ONCE.  Before we went to the doctor I thought he just had a virus.  I knew something was up when he didn't nap for two days.  He is normally a very consistent and good sleeper.  He would only nap in my arms. 

 

3 days after taking him to the doctor Miss Kayla needed to be seen.  The nurse brought each of the kids Otterpops and the look Levi gave her as she handed it to him was  absolutely priceless.  It was the sweetest smile.  He just couldn't believe he was getting such a treat.  He sure stole that nurses heart.

He kept doing Papa's "brrr."

Here is what I got when I said, "smile Levi."

 

Family frozen yogurt night.  Levi was thrilled with his yogurt in a little sample cup.  How much longer until he is no longer satisfied with a  sample cup?  I know all these pictures look the same but I just couldn't decide which ones I liked best so I added them all. 

Levi is not about to miss out on anything that J and K are participating in.  We made homemade donuts and as J and K were standing at the counters on their chairs helping me and I hear Levi scooting his chair across the kitchen towards us so he too could help too.  And then here he is helping at the table.  We have so many of these pictures of his little head poking up trying to see what is going on. 

See, always doing what the bigs are doing.

 

Happy 1/2 b-day to our Gentle Giant (as Omah and Papa have affectionately nicknamed).

February

Levi:
*Officially walking more than crawling!
*He wasn't really saying any words except for uh-oh and once he learned to walk he started talking more.  I think all his focus was on leanring how to walk. I guess that multitasking thing is true about males :0  Words he says are cracker, Kay-Kay (Kayla), uh-oh, bird (bird and airplane), Omah, Papa, Mama, Dada, baby. 
*He stands at the counter where I keep animal crackers in a canister and says, "cracker, cracker, cracker."
*He likes reading books about babies and loves to give them kisses. 
*He covers his mouth with the back of his hand when he coughs.
*He loves to get Kayla in the morning.  He says, "Eh, eh" the whole way up the staris to her room.  The "eh" call started with J and has continued with K and L.  One morning I turned on the monitor to check Kayla and he immiediatlye started saying, "eh, Kay-Kay."
*When one of the big kids takes a toy from him he whines while pointing at them and looking at me like he is telling on them.
*He still takes 2 naps a day.  Morning nap is about 2 hours and afternoon nap is 2-2.5 hours.
*Almost every night the kids play a game they call, "Bear Statue Bear" with Daddy (there is a story behind the name).  Essentially it is hide and go seek in the dark and the kids love it.  Levi loves joining them and you can tell he feels so special being apart of the game. 
*He makes a mean dinosaur roar and he does that roar for most animal sounds. 

Kayla:
*Loves books.  She can often be found just sitting quietly all by herself looking through books and she will read them for quite a while.
*For the most part Kayla is low maintaince and doesn't require much dispcline.  Good thing because when she does need to be disciplined I think she thinks its fun (leading up to the discipline), like she is taking part in a big kid thing like her big brother.
*She likes music, singing, and dancing.
Joshua:
*Levi has nicknamed Levi Bubba.  I have never cared for this nickname but since hearing Joshua call Levi it it has really grown on me. 
*I am really amazed at how old Joshua is looking these days.  He is not a little kid anymore.
*Joshua really is pretty mature and takes a lot of initiative.  One thing that I noticed this month is how whenever he mpty's a TP roll he always refills it without being asked to.  One day he made a mess with his snack and he told me not to clean it.  He told me he made the mess so he should be the one to clean it. 

Singing in the dual microphone Joshua made.   

Gotta get every last drop.

Working on his rocket ship that is also a submarine.  This boy is going to invent something really cool someday, I am telling ya!

Levi was jumping up and down with excitement.   

Levi LOVES doing what the big kids are doing. 

Joshua took another cooking class this month and again we made the meal he learned how to make for family.  Here he is chopping up the peppers.

Levi did not care for having a real baby in the stroller.

Playing Doc Fot with her baby...a made up family game that goes way back to when my mom and her sisters were little.

Best Daddy ever! 

 

We got out the potty chair to get Levi used to it. 

Well Levi, that is one way of sitting on it. 

Ready for the big game! (Super Bowl Champs)

 

Joshua set up his beloved dinos next to both sides of our bed and let us eep them there for a few nights.  #truelove  This really was a deep sign of love from him.  Another thing he did this month that I know was a way of him showing love was one night he told me, "In the morning I am going to come into your room and give you Poor Dog and Little Foot."  (his special lovies).  Sure enough, when he got up in the morning he walked into my room and without saying a word gave me his precious stuffed animals to cuddle with. 

 

This note makes me so happy.  Joshua did rest time in my room one day (which he never does) and while he was in there he left me this note on my night stand.  It says, "I love you."  I love the phonetic spelling (I LV U).  And thing after the U is his attempt at a heart.  When we went to bed that night we discovered that Daddy had an I love you note too.  I also found the papers where he kept trying and trying to do a heart. 

My little helpers making homemade graham crackers and granola bars.  Levi needs a taller stool.

 

 

This is what romance looks like when you have 3 kids...using the kids magnet toys to write eachother love letters. 

Happiness is licking the beater! 

 

We took a quick trip to Holyoke to celebrate Grandpa's 93rd b-day.  It was a big gathering with almost the whole family. 

 

I told the kids that I would give a penny to whoever fell asleep...

...Kayla knows what a penny gets her.

 

The family honoring Grandpa with kind words and fun memories. 

 

What a crowd!

 

 

 Joshua is so over pictures.  He sure wa sa good sport considering he had a fever :/

 

These kiddos love their Uncle Andrew.

 

Noah playing in Grandpa's chair; probably one of the kids favorite toys. 

Kayla and her only girl cousin, River.

Levi was just so happy the whole finding new things to get into.  We hardly knew where he was most the trip. 

Celebrating our favorite Omah's 60th b-day.

Levi kept bending down and looking at Jeremiah like, "Are you like me?  Are you going to move or do something?"

Off to Story Time.

Mimi gave Kayla this monkey and she loves is.  It talks and moves.  She says, "I wuv my MOnkey."

Stroytime with Aunt Sydney. 

Aunt Sydeny braided Kayla's hair.

 

Daniel went out of twon on a business trip for 5 days.  While he was gone we all got hit with a yucky stomach bug.  Levi woke up sick On Sunday, the day Daniel left.  Poor baby only threw up while he was sleeping and he must hae went back to sleep because only once did we hear him cry.  He acted okay for the most part while awake.  The next day Joshua woke up from nap throwing up and was feeling miserable.  I got a text form Daniel that he too was sick.  A few hours later I I started feeling yucky and got sick later that night.  It was a long, miserable night for us.  I couldn't sleep because my stomach hurt so bad and J was up a few times.  I kept wondering, "how am I going to take care of sick kids while I am sick and running on no sleep?"  But God makes a way.  I threw up for the firt time in 16 years!  Sad to see that record go.  The next morning Kayla woke up in a puddle of throw up.  But that didn't keep her from singing away.  She was just singing her little heart out when she first woke up and I thought, "I guess she isn't sick." Then I went to get her up and she was sitting in throw up.  When I walked in her room she said, "my tummy hurts."  Thankfully she threw up only the one time  and acted okay for the most part. 

I am so thankful for amazing neighbors who were more than willing to make a run to the store for us at 8:30pm, bring over any needed items, and who checked in on us. 

Kayla getting all cleaned up after  being sick.  Sick but still smiling.

 

And this was a few hours before J got sick.  Levi loves giving kisses, no wonder we all got his sick germs. 

It was a PJ and TV day while we recoered.   

Kayla went to bed in a bun every night just in case she threw up again in her crib.  That was messy!

Brave Omah came over two days after we were sick to help give me a little break and bring some food.  We were all feeling better just wron out.  Joshua kept asking, "Now how many more minutes until Omah comes."  When I told him 25 minutes he asked me to set his clock for 25 minutes.  Here he is watching his clock count down. 

 

The kids were all playing on the slide.  They would all take turns going down, get in line and repeat.  LEvi was always in front of Kayla.  He would climb the stairs, turn around and kiss Kayla and then go down the slide.   

Watching for Daddy at the airport.  

This is what happens when little man misses his morning nap.