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.

Beginning of October

Earlier this month we went to Sandbridge Beach (just south of Virginia Beach) with Steve's family. We had such a good time relaxing and spending time together. It was a much needed break from the stresses of moving. Mya really enjoyed playing in the sand and the swimming pool at our place. It was a great time for her to bond with Tia, her grandparents, and great grandparents. She has always been such a mommy's girl that it can be frustrating, especially for others who want to spend time with her. That is slowly, but surely improving, though! She really warmed up to everyone on this trip...especially her Aunt Tia!
Steve and I have been working on getting the nursery ready. We've almost finished it, just a couple more finishing touches like wall hangings, waiting for a curtain rod, and a bookshelf. It looks really cute...we painted 3 of the walls green and an accent wall blue. I was really nervous to do this, but my friend Sommer (who is a wonderful decorator...wish she lived closer) has done it several times with great results. It turned out great! Grandma Bower helped us purchase a 12 piece bedding set...animal themed in green, blue, and brown...so cute! It's come together really nicely. We're really excited to have a "real" nursery this time. The kids' rooms are so cute, I just love them! We put some finishing touches on Mya's room, too...some beaded curtains. The new house is really starting to feel like home. It's just amazing how many projects we'd like to do in our "move-in ready house"!!! I think it's never ending!
Mya has started dance classes with her friend Emma on Tuesday nights. She really seems to love it. The girls have gotten really close and it's so fun to watch them play together. Mya really looks up to Emma (who is about 6 months older) and will follow her ANYWHERE!!!!! They do some basic dancing (the hokey pokey, mainly), tumbling (somersaults), and baton! I still can't believe they give 2 year olds real batons! But the girls love it and the dance studio is so much closer to our house than driving to Huntington for gymnastics. She seems to like it more, too. She's warming up to her teachers...she was always panicky with her gymnastics teachers because they had to pick her up for certain things. She will actually let them help her more than she'll let me (she's afraid I'll take her baton away). Which is so great. I love to watch her participating as part of a group, listening, and TRYING to follow directions.
I still can't believe how big the Mya and her friends are getting. I got Mya some new shoes the other day...she measured a size 7! I've been putting her in 5's. She looks so big with her real tennis shoes. And she's getting so tall and thin...really looking like a little girl. She's got all of her numbers down...she knows them when she sees them (to 10), and I think she recognizes the entire alphabet now. She still LOVES to read and will let you read to her as long as you will. She's always singing these days, too. Christmas tunes are her favorite right now. It's so cute to hear her singing in the mornings while I'm in the shower.
I need to go through her clothes soon and get rid of the ones she's grown out of. We've kept everything in case the next baby was a girl. I've been putting off going through her things because I know I'll have memories of her in those old outfits! It just seems silly to leave them packed in the basement when someone else can use them. I doubt we'll want to put pink and purple on our little boy when he gets here, and we're pretty sure this will be our last baby!
Mandi is coming over in a couple days to get some pictures of Mya in her Halloween costume...so hopefully Hannah will be able to wear some of her winter clothes from last year.
We also got some wonderful news from our good friend Mandi...she also, is pregnant. She just found out and is so excited. Our friend Mary (Michael's mom) is pregnant, too. Holly (Maddie's mom) just had her second (a boy like our next). Our babies will be close in age just like our toddlers are. I'm really excited. It's so nice to have such great Mommy and baby friends. I really hope that our kids maintain friendships as they grow up. The kids all feel like part of our family. It's been so fun watching them grow and change together.

Moved in!

We are officially living in our new house! This move has been quite the undertaking...we had NO idea how much stuff we had accumulated over the years. We are slowly getting organized...I still have a ton of boxes to sift through. But, it has all been worth it. We are loving our new house. Mya's room is set up almost like it was in the old house, same color and all. I couldn't believe how much bigger it is than her old room...couldn't really tell until we got all of her stuff in there. She's had a rough time with the move. She's such a sensitive kid that everything seems to really affect her. She's finally coming around, though. She's starting to venture off through the house by herself now and thank goodness, losing some of her clinginess to me. She seems to love her room and is getting adjusted to the new surroundings. We are loving our new yard. It is so nice and peaceful out here, although we are still close to both hospitals. My dad and Steve worked tirelessly over a 3 day period getting an AWESOME swing set/play house built for Mya. We have already enjoyed it immensely. It's been really great for our family time especially in the evenings. It's a fun way to spend time together without having a TV involved! And Mya loves swinging so much that it gives Steve and I a chance to catch up with some adult conversation. We are definitely living the American Dream now!!!! Steve and I feel so lucky to be living in such a beautiful place and being able to raise our kids here. Things have just really fallen into place.

The pregnancy is moving along, too. I'm now 19 weeks and really starting to show. We are anxious to find out the gender of the baby...we'll know in 2 weeks. I'm really feeling good now. The nausea has subsided and I feel like I'm getting my energy back. I'm sure glad we made the move prior to #2 being born!!!! We'll soon be deciding on colors for the nursery. I'm really excited to have a dedicated nursery this time around since we didn't get the opportunity to with Mya. I'm really hoping she adjusts to the new baby ok. She's so used to having everything revolve around her! We've gotten some big sister and new baby books (along with sharing and no hitting) that we've been frequently reading. She seems to really be paying attention to the pictures and she's now saying "Baby Mommy Belly". Not sure how much she really gets, though. I still can't believe that we'll have a baby in the house again in just a few months. Hoping for a calmer one this time.

We are heading to Virginia Beach this weekend with Steve's family. We're looking forward to relaxing without having the feeling that we should be doing something productive. I'm excited to have some time where we can really focus on Mya...she really needs it after the past couple weeks. It'll be nice to spend some time with the family, we all live so far apart that it's hard to all get together for an extended visit.

Moving Week - FINALLY

We are officially moving this week! I am hanging out at home today anxiously awaiting the phone call saying "come get the keys to your new house". We have had the van packed since yesterday afternoon, because I didn't want to waste a trip just to get the keys. I wonder what our sellers will think when I pull up in the fully loaded van...they may think we've been living in it since closing day. Yesterday we bought paint for Mya's room and our bedroom. We're keeping Mya's room the same shade of yellow, I LOVE her room here and would like to replicate it as best as we can. I also think it will help her transition to the new place. She's has been quite the little helper these days. "I's helpin" is what she says as she's packing boxes or sweeping the floor. I'm glad she wants to help because I think keeping her involved will help her with the transition. I'm really getting exciting about our new house...2 car garage, 1 more bedroom, 1 more bathroom, laundry on the main and ONLY floor (besides the basement). I've been decorating in my head for the past month and Steve has been fretting about the TV situation! We're really ready to get going...sitting around waiting is for the birds!
Mya is starting to drop her naps. Which I'm not sure if this is good or bad. There have been a couple of occasions when she's actually fallen asleep before 10p which is GREAT! Since I'm exhausted by then. It makes for a really rough day though, if there is no nap and she's still up late. Fortunately, she's napping now...getting ready for the start of the big move today! She's doing so much these days...wild as always. She's been counting to 10 for a while now and she's learning her letters. We have foam letters in the bathtub (not sure why we don't have the full alphabet) and she knows all of them. I think we have about half. Steve said he picked her up the other day (he was wearing a Harley shirt) and she spelled H-A-R-L-E-Y. She wants to be able to read SOOOOOO bad. She still jibber jabbers almost constantly from the time she gets up until falling asleep at night (in motion, of course). We're still working with her "aggressive behavior". She tends to be overly aggressive with her friends at times, taking toys and hoarding things. It seems like it doesn't matter who we are with, she is always the dominant child. Most of her friends have a developed a "personal space" by now, she has not! She loves to hug and and chase her friends...especially her friend Michael. One day she was chasing him saying "Yuv you Maaaacheal". She loves her friends, it's so cute. We're really lucky to have such great friends to play with almost every day. She's been begging to go swimming most days. She will play at the pool for hours, it's wonderful! It gives me a chance to just sit back and watch her play.
Just got the call...gotta go!!!!!

Time to move on...

We sold our house...and bought a new one. We had our house on the market for about 3 weeks and it sold. We've been talking about getting a little bigger house in a different school district for about 2 years now. But, now that it's actually sold, I'm finding myself getting really emotional about it. It's funny when I think about buying this house 8 years ago. I was a single perfusionist and I bought this house for 2 reasons...1) It was cute and 2) It had a small yard that was manageable by just me. I wasn't thinking about where kid bedrooms would be or whether it would be a problem carrying laundry up and down 2 flights of stairs, closet space, having a yard, being in the "right" school district. It was much simpler then. Plus, I don't think I realized what a huge investment having a home would be at that time in my life...I was 24. I've gone through the 3 biggest life changes of my adult life living in this house. I got married, changed careers, and had Mya. Steve and I met while I was living here...well, actually I bought this house shortly after he started working with with me at KDMC. We were just friends for a long time before we started dating. He moved in with me right around the time that we got engaged which was about 6 months prior to our wedding. So this was "our" first house together. We came home from our wedding here! Which was also about the time I quit my job to start PA school. I spent many hours on our deck studying for my classes...especially that first semester (when I was still gung ho) when I had gross anatomy. My classmates and I took tests together here, too. And then two and half years later Mya was born. We brought her home from the hospital to this house. She and I both slept in the living room for the first six months. We walked around our neighborhood a bunch back in those days when only being outside would calm her. I remember feeling lucky to have such a nice, safe neighborhood to bring her home to. She learned to crawl here, then walk, then of course...the running, jumping overall being crazy came next (and continues)!!! She had her first "big girl" room here as well. She LOVES her room. She LOVES being "home". It breaks my heart to have to move somewhere else right now. But, it's time. And I know, soon enough the new house will feel like home. I've just had such wonderful memories here. I'm so glad we recently had Mya's 2nd Birthday party here. We all had such a good time. Almost all of our family was here, and most of her closest friends were able to come. We had Foofa as our special guest (from Yo Gabba Gabba) and she was a hit. Mya loved it! All of the kids danced and had a great time. It was a nice "last party" to have at this house before we move.
Our new house is a little further out in the country. It's a super functional brick ranch. With the bedrooms on one side of the house and a huge master bedroom with walk-in closet and it's own bathroom. It will be so nice having 2 bathrooms! Mya will still have a nice room...I'm planning on painting it yellow just like it is here and keeping everything virtually the same. We'll even be able to do a nursery for the new baby. I'm really looking forward to doing that because we didn't have a nursery for Mya. I'm really excited about having everything on one floor. No more carrying laundry, kids, and toys up and down all day long. Steve's looking forward to not having to scrape ice off of his car at 6am in the winter...because we'll have a 2 car garage. And we'll have a nice unfinished basement for storage and for Mya's ride-on toys and bikes. We're hoping to put a guest room in the basement as well, so that our guests are a little more comfortable when they stay with us. I'm also looking forward to having nice, quiet, peaceful surroundings. We'll be more out in the country than we are now. And Mya's Grandpa (my dad) is already working on an AWESOME play house/swing set for our new yard. Mya will love this!!!! She loves to swing and her baby swing doesn't swing high enough for her anymore. She's a little daredevil.
I'll just be relieved when we can get into the new house and put this house behind us. I keep finding myself thinking "this will be the last time Mya lines her animals up in the bay window" or ""this will be the last time I enjoy my huge eat-in kitchen". But the new house will be good for us. I think it will especially be good for Steve, because this will be his first home purchase. It will actually feel like "our" house, rather than my house that he moved into. We'll be happy there.

Haven't written in a while

I guess it's been a while since I've made a blog entry...and so much has happened since the last. First things, I FINALLY got Mya weaned. This happened about a month ago, it was a very trying week for both of us, but it was time. It had been time for a while. The first 4 nights were the worst, but then she started understanding. Since then she's been sleeping much better at night. She still occasionally asks to "urse", but quickly forgets. She hasn't asked in a while until yesterday and today. I've been working more lately so I think she's just been needing some extra time with me. She's finally slept through the night about 6 times or so since then. Which is fantastic. I'm finally able to sleep in my own room for most of the night. She still occasionally cries through the night, but it has improved so much. Secondly, Mya had her first overnight with Gamma Pam. She did fantastic. I had to work a couple days so she went to Circleville by herself with my mom. Steve and I then went up to Circleville for the weekend for Aaron's wedding reception. By the end of the weekend she was ready to come "home". She loves to go and play, but she really seems to miss being home after a few days. Thirdly, we are working on selling our home. We just really need some more room...definitely another bathroom! We are currently working with a couple trying to come to an agreement on the selling price. We're really nervous about it. I really love this house...it's where Mya first came home. I have a lot of really great memories here, and there are so many things that I love about it. But, it's really getting to be time to move on. Steve and I really need to find a home together. I'm nervous about how Mya will adjust, although I'm sure I'm worrying for no reason. She'll adjust just fine. Lastly, we are expecting another baby the end of January. Which is why we are in such a need to get a bigger home. I really want this baby to have his/her own room. Mya really enjoys her room and it's good for her to have her "own" space. I don't want to stick this baby in our room or with her! Plus, since we didn't do a nursery with Mya I'm kind of eager to have one this time around. Especially since this is very likely to be our last child. We are all guessing that this one will be a boy because this pregnancy has been SOOOOO different from Mya's. I have been so nauseated...what an awful feeling. I took one of the urine intelligender tests just for fun this week, and it said BOY. It'll be interesting to see if it is accurate or not. I won't find out by ultrasound until the 20th week or so, about 2 more months. I'm currently a little over 10 weeks. I had my first ultrasound yesterday. Everything looked great, we could see the little legs and arm buds...those 3D ultrasounds are crazy! The heart rate was about 170. My midwife (whom I LOVE) said everything looked great. She was able to check nuchal translucency (which is a measure for Down's syndrome) and thought it looked great.
We're preparing for Mya's 2 year birthday party next weekend. I can't believe she will be 2 already. She's grown up so much. She's really been really good lately, although rather clingy since I've been at work quite a bit. We're doing a Yo Gabba Gabba theme and Foofa will be there. It will be a lot of fun. Most everyone that she loves will be there. We're able to have some of her friends here this year, too. I'm just amazed at how quickly the past 2 years have come and gone! But, what a great 2 years!!!!

Mya Stats

Age: almost 23 months
Height: not sure
Weight: 22.5 pounds
Favorite Colors: seem to be pink and purple
Favorite TV shows: Yo Gabba Gabba, Barney, Little Bear, Curious George, Dora
Favorite Movies: Charlotte's Webb, Finding Nemo
Can Count To: 4, she did this for the first time today, without help
Best Friends: Maddie, Hannah, Hailey, Addison, Michael, Emma, Rose, Iris
Favorite Songs/Dances: The hokey pokey, Bubbles, Itsy Bitsy Spider, I'm a little teapot, "Circle"
from Yo Gabba Gabba
Loves to: TALK, pretend talk on the phone, sing/dance, play in her sandbox, jump, throw things,
TALK, be the center of attention, visit with friends and family, help with laundry and chores
around the house, play outside, READ and be read to
Hates: getting her diaper changed, sleeping, listening
Favorite things to say: Baby sleepy, Careful Baby, Chuckie little pretty, flowers pretty, thank
you and welcome (elcome), all gone, all done, I see you Daddy, scared, baby crying (cwynin),
stop it, quit it
Favorite things to eat: Chocolate, bacon and ketchup, ketchup, hot dogs, macaroni and cheese,
beans, chicken and noodles, french fries, fruit snacks, goldfish snacks, grapes, watermelon,
apples
Favorite Drinks: Chocolate milk (pediasure), juice (V8 fusion), lemonade

"Careful"

Mya was so funny last night. She was putting her baby and her stuffed animals into the baby carrier (which was supposed to be their bed, I think). She kept saying "babies sleepy" then she carried all of them (it'll be interesting to see if she ends up on Hoarders as an adult) in the carrier up to the couch. The baby kept falling forward so she would say "careful" and push her head back. Then we woke up this morning and she says "mommy sleepy". She's really trying hard to form sentences right now. Day before yesterday Steve got home from work and she said "Daddy's home". It was really sweet.

Camden Park

We took Mya on her first trip to Camden Park in WV this past weekend. Mandi and her two girls and Melissa and Addison were there with us. We had a blast!!!!!! Mya is such a daredevil she could not get enough of the rides. She cried and yelled "GEEN" (again) when the rides stopped each time. When Steve and I first got there with her she rode inside a pink hot rod at least 10 times. Thank goodness the worker allowed Mya to stay in the car (there weren't any lines) the entire time. I didn't think we were even going to get to see the rest of the park. She was finally persuaded to try a different ride once her friends got there. She rode EVERYTHING including a small roller coaster. She looked so tiny in the seats. Her friend Addison ("Asson") is a wild child, too. So they got to ride lots of rides. We had such a great time. We're really lucky to have such a variety of family friendly activities in our area. Camden Park is perfect because it is a small amusement park geared towards smaller kids. It's contained in a relatively small area and you're never too far from your car in case of the need for a quick getaway! I guess we'll be getting season passes this year, because we'll be spending lots of time there if Mya gets her way about it!!!!!

Staying Home Today!

Mya and I are enjoying a rainy day at home today. We were supposed to go to the bounce house today with our friends...but, Mya just wanted to stay home ("say ome" she says). I worked this past weekend, so it was Daddy and Mya weekend. It still seems to take her a few days to recover from my absence. At times I'm impatient with her clingy-ness, but someday she won't want to have anything to do with me, so I'll try to enjoy it while it lasts! She's been really good today...just hanging out in her diaper (she took her clothes off) watching her shows (Barney and Gabba Gabba) while reading, jumping on the bed, and playing by herself. It's really nice to see her self-entertain, because it doesn't happen often. She's usually wanting to be on the go! We were doing the hokey pokey ("hokey") earlier...she's really funny, because she tells you which body part she wants to do and it's always something really weird like your eye, teeth, elbow, toe. She knows all of the motions and tries to sing along. She LOVES singing songs with dances and arm motions. She's probably destined to be a cheerleader someday, with me and Aunt Tia. It is a sure-fire way to cheer her up and distract her when there is an impending tantrum! Although, it sure looks silly to see a grown woman doing the hokey pokey in the check out line at Kroger's...but whatever works! Yesterday I actually got the "evil eye" from an older lady who thought I was being too harsh on Mya...yeah, I know, me and harsh usually don't occur together when it comes to Mya. It's amazing how judgemental others can be when they see you dealing with your child. Mya was trying to run completely wild and I've been trying to teach her that she has to stay where I can see her...obviously it isn't working! But truth be known, I'll yank her arm out of socket if I have to, to keep something from happening to her! Unfortunately you can't leave your kids in the car anymore why you grocery shop!!!!
Weekend before last we took a trip up to Circleville and Columbus. Matt just bought an awesome new house, so we had a little get together with the family. It was really fun. Mya loves to see the kids...Kaitly, AJ, and Mary. Mary, unfortunate for her, became the resident hokey-pokey-er. Mya was grabbing her hand and bossing her to do the "hokey" every chance she got! Thank goodness Mary is a really good sport and sweet with her. Grandma Pam, Steve and I took Mya to her first zoo trip. She's still a little too young to get it. It was a beautiful day and we had a nice time...Mya loved playing with mulch and rocks as usual. She did really like the elephants and the aquarium, oh, and the train ride was pretty cool, too.
This morning, Steve took off to DC to see Tia for her nursing school pinning and graduation. I wish Mya and I could've made it...but Mya still doesn't travel well. We're really proud of her...has been a hard road, working and going to school both full time. Although, I've never heard her complain about it. I'm really glad that Mya's Aunt will be such a good role model for her.
Well, my little parasite is back. Guess she's had enough of entertaining herself, now it's my turn.

Fun with Friends - Pictures