Oops, it's May.

Well, I can sum up the month of April in a few words: allergies and ears. We have spent WAY too much time in the Dr's office this last month with both boys - and right when both of them would be healthy, we'd seem to have something else come up.

The good: We've had lots of fun family time. We've made the most of the sunny days - the boys love playing on our deck and running around outside.  On the crummier days we've been taking lots of field trips, snuggling, wrestling and baking cookies.  Jack is down to 1 nap a day which has made getting out and adventuring a bit easier.   He is also talking more and just growing up so much. He can climb on any and everything now - the couch, kitchen chairs, tables (eek!) and wants to do anything that Crosby does. He loves being outside so this weather lately has been 100% Jack approved. The boys have been playing together a ton and Jack LOVES giving Crosby kisses, such a fun brother friendship developing!

 

The bad: Ailments galore.
Crosby had mostly had allergy craziness. We knew Crosby was prone to allergies (most kids with food allergies also have seasonal allergies). We've given him kid's claritan on and off as he's displayed allergies symptoms, but mid month he all of the sudden got crazy bad - watery eyes, runny nose, hacking cough, lethargic - we immediately got him in to the Dr and they prescribed him an allergy inhaler, nose spray and changed the allergy med he was taking. Thankfully he quickly turned around and we were able to stop most of the meds after a few days. Unfortunately this last week it kicked back up again and got really bad Friday. Back to the doctor because our meds weren't helping much and now we have dropped the inhaler but are on a new medicine that is supposed to help open his airways.  Thankfully he is already doing much better.
Jackson had 2 ear infections in March/April and we just found out Friday that he either has another or the last one didn't completely go away. We are back on antibiotics and praying this knocks it out and we are over them for awhile. If he continues to get more or this one doesn't resolve itself quickly we are probably going to seriously be looking at tubes.  He also a couple of weeks ago started looking like he was walking a bit funny - one shoulder was below the other and it seems one hip was swinging out a bit more. We ended up in the Chiropractors office and Jack has some stuff he has been working on since then - it seems his legs were different lengths due to his lower back being a little whacked. His neck was really tight which could have resulted in headaches and could have contributed to the ear infections because they were likely not draining properly.  We are hoping our little is put back together soon!

All of the boys and their lightsabers.  :) 

 

Easter

We had a wonderful weekend celebrating Resurrection Sunday and spending time together as a family.  Saturday I got to help throw a baby shower for a friend adopting a baby girl and then we went to Easter Service that night as a family.  Sunday we got to wake up, play with some new toys (we don't do the Easter Bunny but we still do a few small things in their Easter baskets, a celebration of Christ's resurrection). We talked a lot with Crosby this year about the meaning of Easter, we are hoping that some of it sunk in!

After our time at home we headed over to Grammie and Papa's for a wonderful lunch with the whole Nelson crew, followed by an Easter egg hunt and lots of cousin play time.  The boys had a blast playing with their cousins and Crosby LOVED searching for the eggs.  Jack decided picking up rocks was more fun but thoroughly enjoyed chasing the bigger kids around the yard.

This weekend reminded me yet again how blessed we are. Not only was I grateful for the precious time we had with loved ones, but more importantly how blessed I am to have the love of my savior. He is risen!

18 months

My baby is 18 months old. Seriously, when did this happen?  I cannot believe how big and how old Jackson is getting, time is flying with these 2 littles and I can't seem to wrap my head around how quickly things change these days.

Jackson Drew - here is the skinny on you at 18 months.

• You sleep like a champ. The only time you wake is when you are teething really badly, but you return to sleep quickly. You sleep from roughly 7:45 or 8pm to 6:30am (weekdays) or 7:30am (weekends). You still take 2 naps most days, but we are just now cutting you down to 1.
• You eat everything! Thankfully you aren't too picky, but you are starting to show preferences.  You really love meat. Which is funny because that is the exact opposite of your brother, especially when he was younger. Everything from meatballs, chicken sausage, chicken breasts, turkey hotdogs...anything meat you will eat!  You don't care for many carbs (like pastas, rice, bread) other than fishy crackers (which you adore, especially in the car).  You LOVE fruit and will tolerate vegetables. You also have a sweet tooth and will definitely be my deserts boy.
• You babble all of the time but still don't say much. We heard you say "Crosby" once but it is yet to be repeated. Mostly you babble "Dugga dugga dugga" "Whoa whoa whoa" and say things like "Mama" or "Dada".  And really mostly what you do at this stage is point and grunt or whine :)  Can't wait until you verbalize more!!
• You want to do everything Crosby does. You aren't so keen on sharing yet and expect that you can sit down and grab a toy out of his hands to play with. We are working on that :) We are also working on your pouting/throwing of something if you don't get your way.  You love to play with Crosby though and no one can make you laugh like he does. You are really becoming best buds.
• You are my snuggle bug - you love to give kisses, hugs and press your cheek to my cheek. First thing in the morning you love some serious snuggle time and I am all to happy to oblige. 
• You are HUGE!  97% for weight (31 pounds), 90+% for height (34 and 1/4 inches) and 97+% for head size.  At this age you weigh 2 pounds less than Crosby did, you're 1/4 inch taller and your head is 1.2 cm bigger. You mostly wear 18mo-24mo clothing but you are starting to wear 2T as well.  We just bought you new shoes and they were 7.5 wides. 
• You are most commonly referred to as Jackson, Jack, Jackie-boy (Crosby's favorite), Moose, Whoa-whoa, or Dugga-dugga.  Yes, we often refer to you as the sounds you most commonly make. It's not uncommon to hear a shout of "Moose on the loose!" as Daddy and I indicate to each other that you have escaped our line of vision.
• You are quick. You run everywhere. You love being outside, being able to walk (and you just starting holding our hands while walking - YAY!). You try to ride your trike, but mostly you just walk with it between your legs.
• You are super silly. Your smile literally lights up a room and your belly laugh could probably bring about world peace. You love to play hide-and-seek or tease us in some way. You love to be chased.
• Your love Curious George and Mickey Mouse clubhouse. Your favorite toys are cars and you make an adorable car noise as you push them along.

Overall Jackson, you are a delight. We are loving this age and so excited to see you constantly discover new things. You are the perfect addition to our family and complete us in so many ways!  We love you!

Scottsdate sunshine

We just got back from spending a wonderful week in Scottsdale, Arizona with Grammie and Papa. It was a much needed break from reality and we had a WONDERFUL time.

Not only were we in dire need of some sunshine, but a week together with nothing to do but snuggle and laugh was just what was needed to break up the long winter we've been having.  The boys did much better with travel and sleeping all in the same room than we anticipated, and when they ran into my parent's adjoining condo in the mornings to find Grammie waiting for them, well, you just can't replicate those smiles and squeals of delight.

We played at playgrounds, rode miniature trains, swam EVERY DAY, went on walks looking for rabbits, ate a lot of ice cream, took in (part) of a Mariner's game (it was SO HOT), watched the Phoenix Coyotes practice and visited their stadium, and just had a great time together!

Both of the boys are water babies, much to our delight. We weren't sure how Jack would respond to swimming, but he warmed up to it quickly. He loved the splash park at the clubhouse and was my pool buddy - floating around. Crosby LOVED swimming and with the aid of some floaties was a wild thing - swimming by himself, wanting to jump in over and over and never quite wanting to get out of the pool.

We can't wait to go back again. Crosby tried to convince us to head back yesterday when he saw a pool ball we found during our time there. His logic was quite sound - we needed to return it and go to the "vacation house" again.  What wonderful memories and time spent together!

Riding the Train and the AMAZING railroad park!

  The park wore Jack out.  This seemed to be a common occurance - Jack asleep in the stroller!

My water boys.

The Mariner's game (it was so hot and the park offered very little shade so we didn't make it through the whole game, but it was still fun!)

The Culver's cow - the boys both shared their Papa's love of custard and cheese curds.

Crosby's digs - he loved sleeping in his own huge bed next to us.



Party!

To celebrate our big boy turning four we had a birthday bash at Super Jump Party Zone, and boy did we have fun!  We had lots of friends help us celebrate and run of a room stocked with a huge bounce house, double bounce slide, bouncy obstacle course, skeet-ball machine and Foosball table.  Per Crosby's request our theme was Star Wars Legos and we had lots of yummy snacks and desserts.

It's hard to say who had the most fun bouncing - Drew was in the toys as much as the boys were, and Jack had a blast exploring them all as well!  Overall we had a wonderful time and it was a great way to celebrate Crosby.  And nothing makes a Mommy happier than not having to clean up after a party!

Unfortunately we were so into our bouncing that we didn't stop to take pictures until present time!!

Birthday boy waiting to start opening

His friends waiting patiently to see his loot

Jack's future wife Kate came to hang with her future in-laws

Jack helped open a few gifts and swiped a little light saber

He was so excited about every gift!

4!!!

Crosby James turned 4 years old today. 

I'm seriously in shock. 

It feels like just yesterday he was this tiny baby and now he is all boy. We are so in love with our big boy, and while this age is already throwing us some challenges (mostly because he is smart!), we are so excited about this coming year.  Crosby is silly, smart, creative, loving, inquisitive and a bit hesitant about anything new.  He is our careful one, our sensitive soul, our budding artist and our crazy silly show off. He is easily excited, has an excellent pout face/body, and I am so grateful that I get to be his Mommy through all the ups and downs.

 An interview with Crosby James on his 4th Birthday...

What is your favorite color? Blue and red

What is your favorite toy? Star Wars toys

What is your favorite fruit? Apples

What is your favorite TV show? Hockey

What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Star Wars sandwiches and Mac & cheese

What is your favorite outfit? Star Wars shirts (sensing a theme yet?)

What is your favorite game? Star Wars Angry Birds and Lord of the Rings Legos on Xbox with Daddy

What is your favorite snack? Crackers

What is your favorite animal? Elephants and Penguins

What is your favorite song? "Bless the Lord oh my soul" (which I think is really called 10 thousand reasons)

What is your favorite book? Star Wars book

Who is your best friend? Daddy and Blakey

What is your favorite cereal? Kix

What is your favorite thing to do outside? Play in my sandbox

What is your favorite drink? Milk

What is your favorite holiday? Christmas and Halloween and Happy Valentine's Day

What do you like to take with you to bed at night? Blankie, stuffed animals, book, drink and dreamlight

What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Toast with cream cheese

What do you want for dinner on your birthday? McDonalds

What do you want to be when you grow up? A Daddy. And a fireman or a hockey player.

So...the last two months...

So the months of January and February have nearly passed and I have basically no pictures to show for it. January started in a haze of illnesses...colds, flus, tummy bugs. Basically we had a few miserable weeks to usher in the new year.  The rest of the month flew by with lots of family time. We kept to ourselves a lot more than normal because after all our sickness I was trying to keep any other germs at bay.  Thankfully our lazy weekends seemed to be needed by all and we enjoyed lots of laughing, tickling, forts, hockey and brother-bonding time.

Things of note in the Miller household for the last two months:

• Hockey is back with force. We watch it in some form most nights, and usually play it too. Crosby and Drew got to go to a Thunderbirds hockey game last weekend with Papa and sit right behind the glass.  Crosby had a blast (once he got used to the players slamming into the glass in front of him!) and can't wait to go back again.
• Jack turned 16 and now 17 months old. He is running everywhere, saying a few things (but mostly making his feelings known via grunts and whines), eating up a storm, teething several molars (which means some days are grumpier than others) and pretty much wanting to do EVERYTHING that Crosby does.  His favorite things to play with are anything that isn't a toy of his - keurig coffee cups, a box of crayons, spoons, etc... He is still taking 2 naps most days, but sometimes he is down to one.
• We've visited the doctor more times in the past few months than I recall ever having visited in a two month period - mostly to check for ear infections and thankfully we haven't had any..I figure once I've paid my deductible I'm going to make good use of my insurance!
• And of course the biggest thing of note: Crosby James turned 4!! Today!!

Here are a few photos of our Jackie boy...