Easter Bunny

The week before Easter, Kolten's daycare always has an Easter Bunny "visit and picture day."  This is SOOO nice because it saves us a trip to the mall.  This year was very different from last year.  

The first difference, the weather!  This morning we woke up to SNOW!  Yep, thats right, snow in March.  Granted it was not much snow, but it is still snow and any type of white powder should be LONG gone by now.    Last year, the bunny sat outside and we wore shorts and t-shirts.  This year it was sweaters, pants and a coat with an indoor bunny scene.  

Last year the visit went something like this....

Kolten HATED the Easter Bunny, he was scared to death and wanted nothing to do with that oversized rabbit (can you really blame him?)  He would not take his eyes off him, he watched him all the way to the car to make sure that creepy thing was not following him.  

This year?  Happy as a clam! 

I was not really surprised given his LOVE for Santa this year and we had been talking about the bunny for sometime and he seemed super excited about it. Plus, he does not have many fears these days.  I would never have considered him super shy, but he was a little shy to strangers.  Not so much anymore..this kid will talk to a tree.  

It might have also helped that these guys meet us there and were coming over to the house to play when we were finished! 

The last big change was this guy!  Yep, Beckham's first visit with the Bunny.  I am kind of upset I did not get Kolten alone too, but I totally spaced on that one. 

I also took the opportunity to snap a couple of the pics of the boys in their coordinating outfits before we left.  Kolten was not much for cooperating, but I got a few cute shots.   

Kolten {2.5 years}

Nobody warned me that when you bring your newborn home, your 1st born baby automatically looks and acts five times bigger than he did when you left for the hospital.  I feel like Kolt is already starting to get too big for mommy.  Just last month, he would get up in the morning and come "snuggle mommy" for and hour while we watched his morning "toons".  Not anymore, when he gets up he has things to do.  He is a busy boy I tell you!  And what is he busy doing these days you ask?  Let's start with his number one love...TRAINS.

If we are at home, there is about a 90% chance that you will find Kolten hanging around his train table. I mean this kid LOVES trains.  I would not challenge him in a "name that train" contest either, this kid knows his engines.  

If he is not around the wooden table, you will probably find him about two feet away at the Trackmaster or Chuggington tracks. 

OR he may be watching a "mystery" (Thomas and the Blue Mountain Mystery) on TV.  

*Notice the line-up of trains by his side*

OR better yet watching "train track" on the "by pad" Yes, you heard me right..he watches trains go around the track on the IPad.  He will occasionally play a game or watch a movie, but more times than not he is going from one you tube video to the next...typically ending up on some type of video that is not in English, but he does not mind.  

Speaking of English, this kid is now a talking machine.  There are still a lot of things that are hard to understand, but for the most part you can tell what he is saying.  It is crazy to hear what comes out of his mouth, his imagination is WILD.  I will sometimes just stand at the stairs and listen to him play with his trains and laugh at his sayings.  "Oh Dear! Toby is not a useful engine"  or "James and Henry hit fiends and sit time-ut"  and he always wants to know "What you doing?"  He knows almost all his colors (but for some reason always misses blue) and will count to about 15 on a good day. 

He also still loves to "race".  He will get in his stance and say "ready, set, GOOO!" and take off running lap after lap.  If I could only bottle up some of that energy and drink it I would never need another cup of coffee. 

He is the pickiest eater alive.  He loves all things breakfast- pancakes (cakes), waffles, muffins and offer this child a donut and he will be your best friend forever.  Outside of that he eats chicken nuggets, fish sticks, any type of fruit, mashed potatoes, fries, peanut butter (on a good day), crackers and just about anything sweet.  If you get lucky, he might eat some corn but as far as veggies go that is it.

He wears 2T's in both shirts and pants, but we will probably be moving up to a 3T in shirts soon. I am a horrible mother and have no idea how much he weighs or how tall he is, the good news is that means we have not been to the Dr. in a long time, which also means we avoided all the yuckiness that went around this winter.  

Oh, and you know how I said that Trains were his first love?  It might actually be a tie between that and his beloved paci...or paci's I should say.  He still sleeps with three and gets one in the car.  I just don't have the heart to take it away right now with a new brother at home.  It is not like he walks around all day plugged up (although he totally would if we let him) and if you don't put them out of his reach he will at some point come marching out of his room with one in his mouth...STINKER. 

We have made several attempts to start talking about the potty, and Kolten's response..  "No potty, I not want go potty"  This kid is NOT interested AT ALL.  He wants NOTHING to do with it. Who cares if all his friends are big boys?  He will stay a baby forever if it means he gets to wear a diaper.  Granted, with a new baby at home I have not put in a true effort but it is coming soon and I have a feeling it won't be easy.  Maybe when I check back in we will be potty trained, paci free and in a big boy bed...one can dream.  

Beckham {One Month}

I know that I should not be surprised that Beckham's first month has already come and gone, but I swear we are moving at rapid speeds these days.  I wake up in the morning, blink my eyes and it is time to start bedtime routines.  Does the clock speed up with each kid?  We have had a fun first month as a family of four.  

We left the hospital on February 9th and Big Guy was weighing in at 6lb 13oz (Kolten's birth weight Ironically).  

Big Brother was just as excited to have Beckham home as we were.  He was eager to hold him and give him lots of kisses.  The first month with big brother was AMAZING!  Kolten has been absolutely wonderful when it comes to Beckham.  He asks about him the second he gets up in the morning and runs to give him his paci if he is crying.  I am almost certain this will not last forever, but I am soaking it up while I can.  

So what is Beck up to in his first month?  Mainly sleep!  Don't let those big eyes below deceive you:)   Bryce and I joke that we barely saw his eyes during the first month.  He would sleep all day, only waking up to eat about every 2-3 hours, with longer stretches, about 4 to 5 at night.  By the end of the month he was staying awake longer.  He gives us 1 hour stretches, with the occasional two hour stretch of awake time.  Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining...I know the days of all this sleep will not last. 

As for food...well, that has been an issue.  I gave nursing my best attempt, but I was just not producing milk like I should.  I felt like Beck lived on me the first couple weeks and he just kept looking skinner and skinner, so I decided to supplement a bottle one day to see what he did...well, he drank that thing like he had never eaten before.  Poor buddy was starving and I did not even know it!  By week three I had NO milk left and he is now eating straight formula.  Newborn Enfamil- 3 ounces every 3-4 hours.  Sometimes he will eat every two, but he totals about 22 ounces a day.  

We visited Dr. Shelton on Valentines day and Beckham weighed 7 lbs, 2 oz (he was still nursing here and not back up to birth weight).  We went back on February 28th and our big guy was up to 8lbs 5 oz!     He is wearing newborn diapers and newborn sized clothes, most of which are still too big.  

As for his personality, we have a "mr. serious" on our hands.  This is SOOOOO much different than his big brother who was the smiliest baby you had ever met..I swear he came into the world smiling.  Not this guy..he is as serious as can be. Furrowing his brow most of the time. Check out this face I got after his first bath at home! 

I also think our two guys look very different.  There are definitely some similarities, but for the most part this little guy looks like his daddy! (Kolt left, Beck right) 

It has been a wonderful first month with these two guys and I am so excited to watch them grow together.  Blessed, Blessed, Blessed! 

Beckham's Newborn Pictures

We had Beckham's Newborn Pictures taken when he was a whopping 7 days old!  As always, Alissann Elpers with Captured Studios did a great job.   She even managed to capture some sweet ones of both boys, even though Kolten was NOT having the 100 degree room.  Here are a few of my favorites.