Family Update

So thought I just post about what we have been up to lately. First, thanks to all of you who gave advice on my last post! It really helped a lot to get some advice. To know how those areas of our life are doing refer to the Savanna update below. So anyway, life is good, busy but good. TC has been busy working and trying to keep up on his calling. He also has a long list of projects that he is trying to accomplish around the house including starting a garden. I wish that I loved the idea of gardening but I don't that much. It just seems like a lot of work but I am trying to support him in this endeavor. It just seems easier to me to go and buy what you need at the grocery store (I know you avid gardeners out there are cringing at my words!) I did try-I went to a couple gardening classes with a friend and everything went right over my head. I'm like, "What is compost again?" Anyway, TC still manages to hang out with us and have some fun. We are grateful for all he does for our family! I am busy running around taking care of these two little ones all day long. I'm happy to say that nursing this time around is going much better with Clark so I am still doing it rather than pumping like I did with Savanna. When I get a moment to myself while they are sleeping I am usually cleaning, doing laundry, or exercising. I really want to get back into running. My neighbor and I will probably start running together so that should help me if I have a set time to go. Savanna loves going to her play dates, swimming right now and playing at the park or on the swings at the playground. She could swing for hours!! Her music and gym classes are over for the summer and we will probably get back into them in the fall. As of a couple months ago she knows all her letters, can count to ten, recognizes her numbers and most of her shapes, tells people her full name and can spell Savanna, Ashley and TC (ok I know spelling TC is not that impressive-lol). Savanna seems to be adjusting to having a little brother though I have to watch her constantly because she can get rough with him. She means well but she thinks she is rocking him and will push him way too hard or will roll him back over from his stomach to his back when I turn around for a second. Anyway, Savanna made it through this last cold without an ear infection! Yeah! So the doctor told us to wait on ear tubes because she may have out grown them. Cross your fingers for us! And yes, potty training is going okay! We have been putting her in panties every day while we are home and she has not had an accident since Friday I think. The only problem is sometimes it seems like she holds it too long because she does not want to go on the potty and she always seems to want to poop in a diaper. Tonight was the first time we took her out in public in panties and she stayed dry and peed in her potty right when we got back. So hopefully she will master this toilet training soon! I'll keep you posted! Clark is getting cuter everyday! We are loving our little man. He is really starting to smile and coo a lot. He loves the airplane hanging in his room and this sun toy that lights up that hangs from his play mat. He loves to be held and cuddled.He loves to be swaddled when he naps and sleeps at night. He is sleeping well. He actually slept through the night last night-10.5 hours. We will see if it continues! Anyway we also enjoyed a visit from my family last weekend because my dad had a conference in Midway. My friend Grace also was here visiting family this past weekend and we got to spend some time with her. I did not bring my camera when I was with her though unfortunately. She had a cute little girl named Evie who is the same age as Savanna. It is crazy-we actually had the same due date and we had our girls on the same day-two weeks early. She also now has a cute little boy named Chet. Anyway, here are a few pictures of the last few weeks. Enjoy!

Couple of Parenting Questions

Okay so I know that there are a lot of knowledgable mothers out there that hopefully sometimes look at my blog. Anyway, just thought I would ask a couple of questions/advice. I am the type of person that before I make a decision or when I am working towards something I like to bounce off ideas with others and get reassurance with what I am thinking. I have been asking these same questions to friends I see on a regular basis but the more advice the better! Question #1: I am wondering if any of you out there have experince with getting your children ear tubes. We are thinking of doing this for Savanna. She has had 8 ear infections since September (I know-yikes!). Every time she gets a cold and she has had a lot of colds this past winter it goes straight to her ears. She has a cold right now and it has not turned into an ear infection yet but if it does I am thinking of just getting the tubes. Anyway, the doctor said we could wait and see how she does in the fall because last spring/summer she only got one cold and not any ear infections. He said it is possible that since she has gotten colds so frequently that her ears have not been able to fully recover and that is why she keeps getting ear infections. The problem is that TC's insurance is changing in July and it will be more expensive to do it in the fall and I am tired of going to get an antibiotic for her ears every month. Bless her heart she does not act like they bother her at all but I will notice her pull on her ear here and there. Anyway, just wondering what some of you would do in this situation. And if any of you have put tubes in your children's ears, was it successful? I hear sometimes they can fall out in six months so I don't want it to be a waste. I don't want her to have surgery to just start getting ear infections again in a few months. Question #2: So we are starting to get more serious about potty training Savanna so any of you out there with successfully potty trained kids I would appreciate your advice as well! (and even if you don't but have advice). She is doing all right. She will wear her panties and make it to the toilet sometimes but other times it is all over the floor. We have not ventured out to her wearing panties outside of the house. We were using stickers for awhile as a reward for wearing her panties or going on the toilet but they seem to be losing their power. Anyway, some people say their children potty trained on their own when they were ready but is that really what happens the majority of the time? Anyway, thanks to all of you moms out there. I love to be able to have a support system of smart, wonderful friends.

Clark is 2 months old!

So Clark turned two months old on Sunday. The time has kind of flown by in one way and another way the days and nights seem to all blend together. Clark is doing well. He seems to be happier lately and gives us some coos and smiles. He is starting to like to play with toys and especially likes his play mat and the sun that we hang from it that lights up and plays music. He will coo at it all the time. He is starting to fall into a pattern of sleep more. He is going 6-7 hours at night before waking up and then he will go right back to sleep and then wakes up in the morning around 7-8 a.m. He takes about three naps per day and a little cat nap in the evening though it is still hard to time those so he is not on a schedule quite yet. We love him and it is fun to have a little man in our house that we are able to see grow and develop. Savanna is a good big sister to him (most of the time). If he cries she always tries to give him his binky and says, "It's ok, Clark". Of course if he does not stop crying soon afterwards it turns into "No crying, Clark. Stop crying."

Anyway, so we took Clark to this two month check up and he is healthy. BIG and healthy. Apparently we create giant children.

Here are his stats

Head circumference:16 inches- 75%

Length: 24 inches-90%

Weight: 15 pounds-Off the charts

What a chunk-he he. I love it. Though he is a bit chunkier than tall so hopefully it will even out. Savanna was the same way and then she got really tall and is now taller than she is heavy. The only concern we have is that he still has his hernia. Poor little guy will need it surgically repaired when he is 6 months old if it does not heal on it's own by then (doesn't normally happen). Apparently, it is a pretty routine one-day surgery but it will still be sad if he has to have it.

Anyway, we are having a good time with these two little ones. They keep us crazy busy but life is good! Here are some pictures over the past couple weeks of our cuties!