Mya 4, Ian 18 months

Wow, I guess it's been a full year since I've posted...time sure does fly when you're having fun. Mya just had her fourth birthday...princess of course. We were lucky that most of our family and quite a few of our friends were able to make it. We had a really nice time. Mya has finally hit 30 pounds (actually 31 today!) and is getting so tall. She started going to sleep by herself with her Dream Light that she begged for her birthday (thanks Aunt Tia)! Until now, I've been laying down with her every night until she falls asleep (which usually results in me falling asleep first). She's still involved in dance and had her first BIG recital a couple months ago. She loved it...she loves being on stage and performing! And she got to be a baby kitty cat which thrilled her. She's learning a lot...how to do cartwheels, straddle rolls, all the ballet positions and terminology. I think it's really good for her and I'm hoping she sticks with it a while. She also just finished summer camp at school. Her teachers adore her and never have any trouble with her (wish I could say the same!). She's even learning to read...sight words and what they call blends (a consonant sound with a short vowel sound). She'll start the 4 year old preschool program in the fall! Only one more year until "real" school, and I'm sure it'll be here before we know it. We'll have to decide whether to keep her at her current school (private) for kindergarten or go ahead and send her to Russell, which is the public school she'll eventually attend. I'm leaning towards keeping her where she it through kindergarten and then sending her to Russell in 1st grade. As we get closer, we'll investigate it a little more. Mya is still a very intense child...I guess she'll always be that way. Sometimes it can get a little overwhelming - her little quirks and OCD-like behavior. But, she sure does enjoy life, her family, and friends! She asks about a million questions every day like " Where was I when you were a little girl?" She's been learning to swim at swimming lessons over the past 6 months or so, and we plan to start again in the fall. Probably her favorite trip this year was when we went to Great Wolf Lodge - the indoor water park. It was our first family trip just the four of us. We had such a great time and Mya thought sleeping in a hotel was really exciting (Ian didn't quite agree with that part). My dad even came and spent the afternoon with us. She LOVED the wave pool and water slides. I can't wait to go back next year. We're getting ready to go back to Fripp Island in a few weeks...she is so excited to go to the beach. She's still her fun-loving, out-going, opinionated, strong-willed little self!

Ian just had his 18 month visit today. He came in at a whopping 28 pounds! Such a big boy! Everything went well and our pediatrician is still encouraging us to take him to a pediatric hematologist, which I guess I'll be doing soon. His clotting times were off when he was a born and Aaron has a minor bleeding disorder, so we're going to have to get him evaluated further. I'm not too concerned about it, but I dread having to have blood drawn from his little arm. We'll have to go to the children's hospital in Columbus...UGH! Good thing my family is close by. Other than that minor setback he's doing great. He's so easy and pleasant. He has a very predictable schedule...sleeps pretty well at night and naps from noon to 2 or 3 every day. He's one of the babies that they write textbooks about...if he fusses, run the vacuum, swaddle him to sleep, take him for a car ride if he's fussy. You know, ALL the things I was told to try with Mya that NEVER worked! He loves to put things together, do snaps and buckles. He's always trying to figure out how things work. And he somehow knows how to use almost any tool just by looking at it. He's not to interested in cars like a lot of boys his age, unless he's trying to use a screwdriver on the wheels! He also likes trying to ride Mya's scooter, his tricycle, and his little 4 wheeler. And will spend hours in the sandbox. Kind of reminds me of Matt when he was little. He's also really bull headed and has quite the little temper. He's so good at playing and entertaining himself, sharing, and he's so sweet. Always good for a kiss and hug! My favorite times are cuddling with him and his blanket first thing in the morning or last thing before bed. It still amazes me that I can put him in his crib and walk out of his room and he lays down and goes right to sleep! He loves his bed! He's also not a daredevil the way Mya was. He's afraid to go down the slide on the play set, he doesn't like to swing as high, he's just more cautious all around.  He also loves to vacuum the floor. He plays with Mya's toy sweeper and sweeps the entire house...moving toys so he can vacuum underneath them, and laying on his belly to get under the crib or coffee table. It's really funny. He's learning new words every day and is saying Mya properly now. He understands so much when you talk to him and he loves to help around the house...putting things away, helping with laundry, throwing stuff in the trash, turning off lights. I wonder if his helpfullness will continue? It still amazes me how opposite he is from Mya...in every single way! It's amazing that the two of them came from the same two parents!!!!! We feel so lucky to have a boy and a girl. We're really having a great time with them. I still feel grateful everyday that I get to mostly stay home with them. I wouldn't trade this time for anything in the world.

Steve and I are the same. He's still working his variable schedule. They just hired a new guy who really seems like a great asset to his group. He's starting to look at trucks to replace the CR-V, since it's now 11 years old and I'm starting to be concerned about how safe it is to drive. I'm still working 2 weekends a month and really enjoying it. It gives me new appreciation for my ability to stay home...so nice to not be involved in the politics at work. And I'm so glad I don't have to leave the kids each day. They get to sleep in their own beds, eat at our kitchen table, and play outside and with friends whenever we want! I love feeling like we don't have to rush around all the time, that we can enjoy the simple pleasures that time has to offer.

Post Mya's 3d birthday!

Wow...Mya is THREE! Amazing how quickly the past few years have gone. Ian is 5 1/2 months old now, too. It seems like Mya should be Ian's age. We had Mya's birthday party this past weekend. We had a great turn out and a fantastic time. Most of our immediate family was here along with our closest friends...including Sommer and her family from home. We had a really nice day (although a little hot, well REALLY hot). The slide was a hit, especially for Mya and Michael, who had a blast on it. We adults had a good time on it, too. Mya had a really great time and loved hanging out with family and her friends. By the end of he party, she and Addison were inseparable as usual. We're so lucky to have such great families and friends. Even our neighbors came over for a cupcake...6 of them! It was really sweet. We are really loving our new house, it's such a great place to host parties...esp. with our big backyard and swingset. Mya got the Dora "pupcakes" that she's been looking forward to. Thanks Dave's Bakery...they were delicious! My mom made tons of barbecued pulled pork which was also very delicious. We had a lot of help from both sets of parents...it really helped us to enjoy the day as well. I think we ended up with close to 40 adults, 12 or so kids, and 5 babies! What a great support system we have! Ian was laid back as usual and did great even though he passed around all evening long. Mya got so many gifts, she's quite the lucky girl. And Steve's folks got her the cutest pink Dora bike (which was exactly what she wanted...and I couldn't find one, but luckily they did!). She got lots of cute outfits, craft supplies, a slip n slide (which Steve enjoys as well), books, a movie, toys, a tent, and so much more!

Ian is growing like a weed. He's so cute, 19 lbs last I checked...what a big boy! His dark hair is gone and he's now becoming blond. His eyes are getting darker...I think they'll be brown like Steve's. We've been trying him on some baby food for a week or two. He's enjoying it pretty well...he's had green beans, peas, squash, and bananas...not too crazy about the rice cereal. I can't believe he's almost 6 months. He's sitting up really well by himself and he LOVES playing balls...maybe he'll be a baseball player like Steve! Steve's family would LOVE that! My dad built a really cute book/toy case and shelf for his room...it looks so nice. And I love having his stuff organized! My dad has made the cutest things for the kids...we're really lucky!

Preschool

Mya started preschool last week and is doing great! I worried so much about how she'd do...would she survive the drop-off, was she too young (she's not quite 3 yet), was I pushing her too much? All the worrying for nothing. School is no big deal to her. She does just fine and doesn't even hardly talk about it when she gets home. She acts like she's just going to any other activity. She comes home with tons of papers and crafts, so we've been putting them on the kitchen wall. They're so cute. I'm so glad this has been a seemingly easy transition for her! It's also nice to have a few hours twice a week where it's just Ian and I. Grocery shopping is SOOOOOOO much easier! I think she's enjoying meeting some new friends and learning new songs...she's always singing new songs these days.

Heat Wave!

Well, Summer is officially here with the >100 heat indexes! We have lots going on these days in the Sarver household. Mya is officially, completely potty trained! Which is AWESOME! Once she made up her mind she went from diapers to full time panties (even at night and on long car rides) in 2 days! It's really nice to only have one in diapers (after my last $80 diapers.com purchase). She is currently taking swimming lessons at the Flatwoods pool and doing pretty well, she is by far the youngest and smallest. Her teacher, Miss Sarah, was tightening her training belt yesterday and told her she was really little, Mya promptly told her "No, I'm a big girl, I pee in the potty". Last month she had her first dance recital with her good friend Emma. They did really well and Mya had quite the audience with my mom and Damon, Steve's folks, and of course, Steve, Ian, and I. We had a really nice time. Mya really enjoyed having 2 sets of grandparents together at once. We even went to dinner at BW3's afterward (we NEVER take our crew out to dinner!) Mya is taking the summer off with dance...she's such a busy girl. She's getting ready to start preschool in 2 weeks. I'm really excited, but nervous about getting her up and out the door on time in the morning. Her class is from 8-11a, which means we need to be up at 7. For the past couple weeks, Mya has been going to bed at 10p and and sometimes sleeping until 9 in the morning. So we really need to work on adjusting our schedule over the next 2 weeks. We've been periodically visiting the school so Mya can say hi to her teachers. She's really excited to have 3 and has learned all of their names...Miss Katrina, Miss Kim, and Miss Pat. I just love her teachers and think she's going to have a great time. She already has a couple friends, Emily and Cooper" that she met on our trial class. This will be the first time she's been dropped off with someone other than family, so I'm a little nervous about how she'll do right at first. I know she'll be fine after a few minutes, though. We got our schedule for the summer and it sounds like a lot of fun. The first week they do some individual testing, so I'm anxious to see what they think she needs to work on and so forth. Her teachers really fell in love with her and seem so excited to have her in classes...they are so excited when we pop in to say hi. It's such a relief to know that she'll be in good hands.

Ian is doing more and more every day. He had his first cold last week, but is doing great...doesn't seem to bother him at all. He's sitting up really well with some assistance and sometimes on his own in the tripod position. He's really starting to grab at objects and can now pick up some of his toys. He also likes to bat at them. He's doing really well in the excersaucer, too. He's rolling over really well (has been for about a month or so). He's just so big...17 lbs. 9oz at his last visit. Mya was 18 when she turned one! He's really a pretty easy baby...content most of the time, but can get really crabby when he's tired! He sure needs his rest. He's doing great at night, too. Wakes up to be nursed twice usually and goes back to sleep pretty easily. He's an absolute joy in the mornings...smiling and laughing! I'm really enjoying him. He does great being on the go for all of Mya's activities and now even has his own baby buddies at our playgroups! This summer has been a little hard so far just because it has been SOOOOOO hot! It's been in the mid 90's every day. His poor little hands, feet, and cheeks just get fiery red if we're out for long. He's changing so much every day. Sometimes I'm amazed at how much he's grown when we look at pictures of him as a newborn. His really dark hair in almost completely gone, and he's getting blonder, peach-fuzzy hair in it's place. His eyes are changing, too. I'm thinking they may eventually be completely brown like Steve's. Right now they're blue around the edges with brown around the pupil...very unique. He's such a cute, lovable little guy!

Steve is off the rest of the week which is really nice. I feel like we do a lot of tag team parenting and it seems we never get a break together. Sometimes I get a few minutes, sometimes he does. But we're really having a good time (well, most of the time!) Tomorrow Mya and I are going swimming with our friends, Melissa and Addison, after her swim lesson. She's so excited...Addison is one of her favorite friends and they play so well together. This is our second summer hanging out with them so it'll be interesting to see how differently the girls play this year. They are seeming so big and grown up. This weekend we are heading to Circleville for my mom's 60th birthday...crazy how the time flies. It just doesn't seem possible. I'm excited for this trip because I think we'll all be there together. It's so hard to round every one up at the same time these days. Especially with Kaitlyn and AJ being so busy with they're lives, too.

We've been in the process of planning Mya's 3rd birthday. We just rented a huge inflatable slide for the backyard. We're planning on lots of family and our closest friends. I have such great memories from her past 2 birthday parties. It's so great to have Steve's family here along with mine. And it'll be even more special this year, because Ian will be with us, too! Mya wants Dora cupcakes ("pupcakes") with blue icing and has been talking about her birthday party daily. I still can't believe she will be 3 in a month. I'm really looking forward to it already. I just love having everyone here at our house. And this will be our first big get-together at the new house. I'm just hoping this heat wave is gone by then!

Ian is 2 months old!

Ian is now 2 months old. He's becoming a little perkier and stronger...and even heavier than before! He was 15 pounds at his 2 mo. well child visit. He was diagnosed with a little torticollis (wry neck)...but is doing great after a couple visits to PT and some education for me and Steve. He's sleeping great at night. He's even been doing some 6 hour stretches early on in the night...which is awesome, although, it's in the swing and I'm sure I'll regret it later! But, I'm living for the moment right now. He's so much different than Mya...he's quite the little sleeper. He's starting to get a little fussier during the day, but usually because he's tired and has a little trouble settling down. We're just enjoying a quiet day at home today. We've been on the go a lot lately and his nap routine has been disrupted lately so we decided to stay home today! My mom came down to take Mya to her dance class and to Chick-fil-A family night tonight. It's just me and Ian...until Steve gets home in a few hours! It's nice to have some one-on-one time with each kid every now and then!

We signed Mya up for preschool last week. I'm really excited about it. She'll go twice a week for 3 hours. She'll go to the lifelong learning center which is pretty close to our house. I LOVE it. She'll rotate to different rooms throughout the day in groups of 4 kids. The facility looks awesome and her teachers are fantastic and seem to really love what they do. This was the first time I've walked into a place and felt like "this is where Mya should be". She starts in August...so we've got a lot of work to do before then...potty training!!!!

Ian is up and probably starving as usual!

Happy times!

Last night was such a great night. I was sitting on the couch with Ian on my lap...he was smiling and making noises...it was so cute! Mya was in the bathtub with Steve watching her and I could here her singing her entire repertoire of songs. It was such a great feeling! Knowing my kids are home and happy, having Steve close by, and having some (relatively) quiet time with Ian! It's amazing how our lives have changed over 5 years...and I'm loving every minute of it (well, maybe not EVERY minute).

Ian had a Dr. appt. yesterday. He has a blocked tear duct with some conjunctivitis...yuck, but easy to cure with some antibiotic ointment. He's already almost 14 pounds and only 7.5 weeks. He's such a chunk and sure loves to eat...the complete opposite of Mya!

Mya is still becoming more and more independent every day. Had her first "real" haircut today. She took the lady"s hand and went to the back to get into the chair with a smile on her face...it was so cute! She did everything she was told (look down, look up) and when she was finished yelled "YAY, Got my hair cut". She's becoming such a big girl. She even helped push Ian's stoller through the mall.

That's all I have time for...dance class tonight! Preparing for the big recital in 2 short months!

Baby Ian is HERE!

Wow...it's been awhile since I posted last! So much has happened. We spent our last Christmas together as a family of 3! We were able to have wonderful visits to Pittsburgh and Circleville and were able to spend Christmas day just the 3 of us at home. It was wonderful! Mya had such a great time opening presents this year and just spent the entire day playing. It was so relaxing and stress free. She had such a happy day...WE had such a happy day!

Baby Ian arrived on Jan 20th. We had a scheduled C-section due to estimated macrosomia by ultrasound...he was estimated to weigh almost 10 pounds at 38 weeks. He was actually only 8lbs and 8oz...and PERFECT. The delivery went very well...although the C-section was really difficult for me. I felt so disconnected...laying on the OR table while the baby was swept away. He and Steve were taken immediately for measurements while they had to finish the surgery. Then I had to be in recovery for 30 minutes prior to Steve and Ian arriving. This first hour after his birth was really hard and emotional. But, once I held him in my arms it was all ok. It was so different from Mya's birth which was so relaxed (thanks to an awesome epidural) and happy...and we were all in the room together the entire time. I'm just so glad that he's finally here and healthy. We couldn't be luckier...one perfect girl and one perfect boy!

My hospital stay had to be extended by a day due to Ian having a little jaundice and a little too much weight loss, so I wasn't discharged until the 3rd day post op. This was the longest I had been away from Mya. Which is crazy to think of now because in the 3 weeks since Ian's birth she has become quite the independent little girl! She is currently staying with my mom for the 2nd time since Ian's arrival (which is how I've found the time to post this). AND she wanted to go and went willingly! It's so nice to see her excited to go with other people and say "bye mommy, see you later". She's been such a Mama's girl that it's really nice to see this new independent side of her...and what great timing! She's been really sweet with baby Ian. She likes to rub his head and say how cute he is. She also likes to give hugs and kisses and hold him. It's really sweet. She's having a hard time sharing attention, though, which is to be expected. Especially since our lives have revolved around her and her activities for the past 2 and a half years! We're finally getting back to our normal activities. I was able to take her to her friend Emma's birthday party and dance class just the two of us this week. It's been nice to get out just the two of us. Ian went with us to Mya's music class this week. She loves her music class and he slept through the entire thing. I think he's going to travel pretty easily. He sleeps in the car and seems to be pretty relaxed.

It's unbelievable how opposite he is from Mya already. He can lay so still it's amazing. He loves to be warm and cuddled and HATES to have his diaper changed. He's pretty laid back most of the time. He only cries during his crabby times in the evenings and a little in the mornings (well, except for the dreaded diaper changes). It's so funny how different he is to console than Mya was too. He likes to be held tightly and swaddled and rocked GENTLY. We only put the swing on the "1" setting. With Mya she liked to be cool and naked...didn't like to be held tightly...and if you were rocking her, you practically had to tip the chair over to console her. The swing was always on the highest setting of "6"...it looked like she would fly out of it. He loves to eat...I feel like I can't keep up with him, and he's growing like a weed. Only 3 weeks and already out of his newborn and 0-3 month clothes. The 3 mo. outfits fit perfectly. I'll be anxious to see what he weighs at his next appointment in 2 weeks. He looks so much like Mya, although his eyes, eyebrows and forehead are more like Steve's and he's a lot more filled out. I think he's going to be a mini-Steve...even more so than Mya! It's been so fun having a newborn in the house (well, most of the time..not so much at midnight!). He's just the sweetest little thing. I'm so excited to see his personality develop and to see how he and Mya interact as he grows.