This year's Christmas celebration seemed to last the entire month of December, not that it was a bad thing at all. We should celebrate the birth of Christ of day! Bryce (and Sadie) really got into Christmas this year.
On Christmas Eve Eve (yes 2 eves), we attended a gathering at our church. It was a nice service with carols, skits and sermon. After the service we headed up to NW Indiana to celebrate Christmas Eve with Jared's family. Jared's mom and step-dad hosted Christmas at their new home in St. John. It was great to be with family and watch the kids play together and be so excited about Christmas!
We drove back home on Christmas Eve to prepare for Santa's big arrival! Sadie was very sleepy when we got home, so she went right to bed. Bryce made sure to leave cookie and milk for Santa and carrots for the reindeer. He was so surprised the next morning to see that Santa had brought him his Spider Man fishing poll he had asked for! Sadie got a Hi-5 video and princess ball from Santa.
We had my Aunt Gayle, Uncle Larry, cousin Christopher (and his girlfriend) over for Christmas Dinner.
We truly enjoyed this years Christmas and excited to see out kids learning the true meaning of Christmas!
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
The Christmas Celebrations Continue
Upon returning home from Wisconsin we have been in full swing with Christmas Celebrations. It began with a Christmas Party at our neighbor’s house, complete with a visit from Santa. This Santa was GREAT. He read a story, even rapped a song, and asked each child (nearly 25) what they wanted for Christmas. The kids could hardly wait their turn to sit on Santa’s lap. Santa even had a present for each child in his bag. We had a great time.
The preschool’s annual Walk to Bethlehem was held last week. The preschool director “walks” each class through props (made by the classes) that help tell the story of Jesus. Each year they build on the story. Being that this was Bryce’s 3rd year, the story was quite detailed and all the kids enjoyed hearing the magical story of Jesus’ birth. Sadie’s class was a bit more to the point. They sang “Happy Birthday to Jesus” and each gave Jesus a hug.
Both Jared and I have had work Christmas Parties. I have also been baking away making my famous tea-rings (a recipe that has been passed on from my grandmother to my mother and to me). Christmas is not the same to me without making these tea-rings).
Jared read in the paper this past weekend about some of the best light displays around the area. The 1st and 2nd Place decorated houses were in Carmel, so we strolled by them one evening. We have NEVER seen anything like this before. You pulled up and they told you to tune in your radio to a certain station as the light display was synched to music. It was unbelievable! We know the kids enjoyed it as well as we did not hear a peep from them in the backseat looking at the lights. This will be a new tradition for us from now on!
There have been numerous Christmas specials on TV and we have enjoyed sharing these with the kids. This Christmas season truly has been magical with the kids. We have heard Bryce on numerous occasions singing Christmas carols by himself…too cute! We hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!
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| From Christmas Celebrations 2009 |
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| From Christmas Celebrations 2009 |
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| From Christmas Celebrations 2009 |
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| From Christmas Celebrations 2009 |
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| From Christmas Celebrations 2009 |
The preschool’s annual Walk to Bethlehem was held last week. The preschool director “walks” each class through props (made by the classes) that help tell the story of Jesus. Each year they build on the story. Being that this was Bryce’s 3rd year, the story was quite detailed and all the kids enjoyed hearing the magical story of Jesus’ birth. Sadie’s class was a bit more to the point. They sang “Happy Birthday to Jesus” and each gave Jesus a hug.
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| From Christmas Celebrations 2009 |
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| From Christmas Celebrations 2009 |
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| From Christmas Celebrations 2009 |
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| From Christmas Celebrations 2009 |
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| From Christmas Celebrations 2009 |
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| From Christmas Celebrations 2009 |
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| From Christmas Celebrations 2009 |
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| From Christmas Celebrations 2009 |
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| From Christmas Celebrations 2009 |
Both Jared and I have had work Christmas Parties. I have also been baking away making my famous tea-rings (a recipe that has been passed on from my grandmother to my mother and to me). Christmas is not the same to me without making these tea-rings).
Jared read in the paper this past weekend about some of the best light displays around the area. The 1st and 2nd Place decorated houses were in Carmel, so we strolled by them one evening. We have NEVER seen anything like this before. You pulled up and they told you to tune in your radio to a certain station as the light display was synched to music. It was unbelievable! We know the kids enjoyed it as well as we did not hear a peep from them in the backseat looking at the lights. This will be a new tradition for us from now on!
There have been numerous Christmas specials on TV and we have enjoyed sharing these with the kids. This Christmas season truly has been magical with the kids. We have heard Bryce on numerous occasions singing Christmas carols by himself…too cute! We hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!
Thursday, December 17, 2009
A Reynolds Family Christmas
Our annual Reynolds Family Christmas was held in Wisconsin this year, December 5-11. With my brother, Aaron, and his girlfriend, Ashley, taking jobs in Wisconsin we decided to venture up to their area. We got a timeshare condo in Wisconsin Dells. My brother, Eric, flew in from California and my parents and our family caravanned up to the Dells.
The kids did great on the drive. It probably helped they were in different cars and had all the attention of two adults just on them!
We spent one day skiing at Cascade Mountain. We got up on skis last year for the first time in over 10 years, up at Lake Tahoe. This ski resort was much more in our comfort of skiing. We are enjoying this new adventure and hope to make it a yearly event. While we skied, my parents took the kids on a Santa Train ride and then brought them over to watch us ski. Bryce even asked, “When I’m 4, can I go skiing?”
Another Day was spent at an Indoor Theme Park at the Kalahari Resort. There were go-karts, carousels, ferris wheel, high ropes course, mini-golf, laser tag, arcades and so much more! We all had a great time.
Being the Waterpark Capitol of the world we of course enjoyed the indoor waterpark at Kalahari. This place was great. They are very catered to kids. There were so many things for the kids to do. Bryce did some waterslides on his own, but preferred to do the ones with us in tubes/rafts. Sadie was so content in the kiddie area. My mom was so entertained by Sadie’s excitement!
We visited the Tommy Bartlett Exploratorium and it was so neat. There are hands on activities galore that focus on making things go and how things work. Eric and I remember going to this museum when we were kids.
There was so much laughter, game playing and reminiscing during the week. We had Christmas Dinner one night and even had a surprise visit from Santa! We even got 14-16 inches of snow making it feel just like Christmas!
The kids, as well as Jared and I enjoyed ourselves so much that we would LOVE to make this a yearly trip.
The kids did great on the drive. It probably helped they were in different cars and had all the attention of two adults just on them!
We spent one day skiing at Cascade Mountain. We got up on skis last year for the first time in over 10 years, up at Lake Tahoe. This ski resort was much more in our comfort of skiing. We are enjoying this new adventure and hope to make it a yearly event. While we skied, my parents took the kids on a Santa Train ride and then brought them over to watch us ski. Bryce even asked, “When I’m 4, can I go skiing?”
Another Day was spent at an Indoor Theme Park at the Kalahari Resort. There were go-karts, carousels, ferris wheel, high ropes course, mini-golf, laser tag, arcades and so much more! We all had a great time.
Being the Waterpark Capitol of the world we of course enjoyed the indoor waterpark at Kalahari. This place was great. They are very catered to kids. There were so many things for the kids to do. Bryce did some waterslides on his own, but preferred to do the ones with us in tubes/rafts. Sadie was so content in the kiddie area. My mom was so entertained by Sadie’s excitement!
We visited the Tommy Bartlett Exploratorium and it was so neat. There are hands on activities galore that focus on making things go and how things work. Eric and I remember going to this museum when we were kids.
There was so much laughter, game playing and reminiscing during the week. We had Christmas Dinner one night and even had a surprise visit from Santa! We even got 14-16 inches of snow making it feel just like Christmas!
The kids, as well as Jared and I enjoyed ourselves so much that we would LOVE to make this a yearly trip.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
So Much To Be Thankful For
Thanksgiving of 2009 made us feel very blessed. The Lord has given us so much to be thankful for. We have a home, food, beautiful and healthy children and great families.
We ventured up to Northwest Indiana on Tuesday night, which was a great travel day. On Wednesday we took the kids to Bass Pro Shop where they have a Winter Wonderland and even get to meet Santa and take a picture FOR FREE! The kids had a blast, we even went back later in the evening. Bryce could hardly wait his turn to meet Santa and Sadie followed right in tow. Bryce asked Santa for a Spiderman Fishing Pole!
We spent Thanksgiving Day at the Reynolds’ household where my brother, Aaron, and Ashley (his girlfriend came down from Appleton Wisconsin. We also had Ashley’s family join us. A great time was had! The kids enjoyed being at Nana and Papa’s with all their toys…lots of them where mine and my brothers when we were little!
Jared and I decided to participate in Black Friday this year. I will state that was our FIRST and LAST time going! I love a good bargain, but those people are nuts! It truly was a spectacle worth seeing.
We then went over to the Wagner/Bognar household. Bryce and Sadie LOVED being with Evan and Norah! It is so neat to watch the kids grow up together. Evan and Bryce are 5 months apart and Sadie and Norah are 4 months apart.
We hope you all enjoyed Thanksgiving with your families!
We ventured up to Northwest Indiana on Tuesday night, which was a great travel day. On Wednesday we took the kids to Bass Pro Shop where they have a Winter Wonderland and even get to meet Santa and take a picture FOR FREE! The kids had a blast, we even went back later in the evening. Bryce could hardly wait his turn to meet Santa and Sadie followed right in tow. Bryce asked Santa for a Spiderman Fishing Pole!
We spent Thanksgiving Day at the Reynolds’ household where my brother, Aaron, and Ashley (his girlfriend came down from Appleton Wisconsin. We also had Ashley’s family join us. A great time was had! The kids enjoyed being at Nana and Papa’s with all their toys…lots of them where mine and my brothers when we were little!
Jared and I decided to participate in Black Friday this year. I will state that was our FIRST and LAST time going! I love a good bargain, but those people are nuts! It truly was a spectacle worth seeing.
We then went over to the Wagner/Bognar household. Bryce and Sadie LOVED being with Evan and Norah! It is so neat to watch the kids grow up together. Evan and Bryce are 5 months apart and Sadie and Norah are 4 months apart.
We hope you all enjoyed Thanksgiving with your families!
Monday, November 16, 2009
Halloween 2009
I know Halloween has passed some time ago, but I thought I better get this blogged before we get to Thanksgiving (yikes, next week) and all the activities we have for December.
The month of October was CRAZY!!! Jared was on an 8 week traveling spree and I was working quite a bit between the office and hospital. I am soooo happy to report that Jared will be home for quite some time and I won't have to play the "single-mom" role for quite awhile, yippy!
The week of Halloween was very busy for the kids. Sadie had her Halloween party that the parents were invited to come to. The next day we attended "Trunk or Treat: at Bryce's preschool, which is also my aunt's church. We didn't want to get the kid's real costumes dirty, so Bryce wore his pirate costume from last Halloween and Sadie was a princess.
Bryce had a Halloween parade at school with a class party. He had a blast!
Halloween night was quite cold. The kids made it around the cul-de-sac then had to come inside to warm up. Bryce enjoyed handing out the candy to all the kids. We warmed up and met up with all our neighborhood friends for some more trick-or-treating fun.
We decided to pass on carving pumpkins this year, but the plus is we have been able to enjoy them longer as fall decorations on our porch.
I am now caught up and hope to not delay posting Thanksgiving and Holiday blogs!
The month of October was CRAZY!!! Jared was on an 8 week traveling spree and I was working quite a bit between the office and hospital. I am soooo happy to report that Jared will be home for quite some time and I won't have to play the "single-mom" role for quite awhile, yippy!
The week of Halloween was very busy for the kids. Sadie had her Halloween party that the parents were invited to come to. The next day we attended "Trunk or Treat: at Bryce's preschool, which is also my aunt's church. We didn't want to get the kid's real costumes dirty, so Bryce wore his pirate costume from last Halloween and Sadie was a princess.
Bryce had a Halloween parade at school with a class party. He had a blast!
Halloween night was quite cold. The kids made it around the cul-de-sac then had to come inside to warm up. Bryce enjoyed handing out the candy to all the kids. We warmed up and met up with all our neighborhood friends for some more trick-or-treating fun.
We decided to pass on carving pumpkins this year, but the plus is we have been able to enjoy them longer as fall decorations on our porch.
I am now caught up and hope to not delay posting Thanksgiving and Holiday blogs!
Sunday, October 18, 2009
A Trip to San Francisco to Celebrate Eric's Birthday
My brother, Eric, turned 30 on october 9th so I thought it would be a great time to go out and visit him. I have been to San Francisco a few times and have already done many of the touristy things, so we did more local things.
He took me to his work, Solyndra, a company that is designing a new type of solar panel. I was amazed to see what Eric does, especially since I know he helped design and the build the machines that are building these solar panels! I am so proud of my brother and I am amazed at how intrinsic his mind is!
He then took me to his friend, Yale's, place of work, Google! This place is unbelieveable. I want to work for Google. They are highly encouraged to take breaks and have fun! They have fully-stocked micro-kitchens every 150 feet and they have over 25 buildings on their campus! They have 3 meals a day, plus snacks fully provided to them at no cost! They have many on-site amenities such as a work-out facility, lap pool, massage parlor, salon, oil changes, dentist, sleep pods and many more! It was so cool to be able to tour this company!
We saw a shoe called Beach Blanket Babylon which is a musical theatre show with a spoof of pop culture. It was quite hilarious and would encourage anyone to see it if they are in San Francisco.
We had the opportunity to go up to Napa Valley, I have never been and already cannot wait to go back! We toured the wineries of Robert Mondavi and Sterling Winery. Such a peaceful and cool experience.
While we were in San Francisco we also watched the Columbus Day Parade as well as the Blue Angels down at Fishermans Wharf. Thos planes are soooo cool!
I had such a great time with my brother and I am so greatful to be his little sister!
He took me to his work, Solyndra, a company that is designing a new type of solar panel. I was amazed to see what Eric does, especially since I know he helped design and the build the machines that are building these solar panels! I am so proud of my brother and I am amazed at how intrinsic his mind is!
He then took me to his friend, Yale's, place of work, Google! This place is unbelieveable. I want to work for Google. They are highly encouraged to take breaks and have fun! They have fully-stocked micro-kitchens every 150 feet and they have over 25 buildings on their campus! They have 3 meals a day, plus snacks fully provided to them at no cost! They have many on-site amenities such as a work-out facility, lap pool, massage parlor, salon, oil changes, dentist, sleep pods and many more! It was so cool to be able to tour this company!
We saw a shoe called Beach Blanket Babylon which is a musical theatre show with a spoof of pop culture. It was quite hilarious and would encourage anyone to see it if they are in San Francisco.
We had the opportunity to go up to Napa Valley, I have never been and already cannot wait to go back! We toured the wineries of Robert Mondavi and Sterling Winery. Such a peaceful and cool experience.
While we were in San Francisco we also watched the Columbus Day Parade as well as the Blue Angels down at Fishermans Wharf. Thos planes are soooo cool!
I had such a great time with my brother and I am so greatful to be his little sister!
Starting to get the blog up to date....A TRIP TO THE PUMPKIN PATCH!
Two weeks ago, Jared took off a random Monday so we decided to spend the morning at the pumpkin patch. We went to the same farm we have gone to since Bryce was a baby, Stoney Creek Farms. The kids thouroughly enjoyed the hayride and going through the patch to find "the perfect pumpkin"!
We had such a great time and going during the week was awesome as it was not packed! There were bouncy houses and hay mazes and yummy food there too!
We had such a great time and going during the week was awesome as it was not packed! There were bouncy houses and hay mazes and yummy food there too!
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| From Fall 2009 |
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| From Fall 2009 |
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| From Fall 2009 |
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| From Fall 2009 |
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| From Fall 2009 |
Family Reunions
This summer we were blessed to have family reunions from both sides of my family. It was great to visit with all my cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, parents, siblings, etc! Even more it was great to watch the great-grandkids play together,
In August, my granddad from Florida made it up to Indiana for a visit, so we pulled together a reunion at my parents house. The hits were the power wheels and slip-n-slide! A fun time was had by all.
In September, my grandparents from Arizona were back to Indiana for a visit. My Uncle Ron and Aunt Bernie hosted this get-together at their home in West Lafyette, I have so many memories from my childhood at their house, so I ALWAYS enjoy going back for family visits. There were lots of stories shared, lots of laughs, hugs, plenty of food and fun games that created many memories!
In August, my granddad from Florida made it up to Indiana for a visit, so we pulled together a reunion at my parents house. The hits were the power wheels and slip-n-slide! A fun time was had by all.
In September, my grandparents from Arizona were back to Indiana for a visit. My Uncle Ron and Aunt Bernie hosted this get-together at their home in West Lafyette, I have so many memories from my childhood at their house, so I ALWAYS enjoy going back for family visits. There were lots of stories shared, lots of laughs, hugs, plenty of food and fun games that created many memories!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
We Stay Loyal...Boiler Up!
This season has been quite rough for the Purdue Boilermakers. We were predicted to be a poor playing team as this is a rebuilding year with new coach and only 3 returning starters. So, I guess we are living up to that prediction. We have been very close to winning every game, but can never finish. Almost is not enough.
For what the football team has lacked in bringing us joy, our tailgating has made up for! We are tailgating with GREAT friends of ours, The Ho Family. This was the family I nannied for in college and the pediatrician I worked for when I first decided I would go to nursing school. This family is very dear to me and it is great to be back tailgating with them.
Our friends, Chris and Cathleen have also joined in on the fun. My parents have stayed loyal patrons with us through the seasons! Aaron, my brother, and his girlfriend, Ashley have come down from Appleton, Wisconsin for a few games.
Jared and I remain loyal to ALL our teams, PURDUE, CUB'S and THE CHICAGO BEARS!!!
For what the football team has lacked in bringing us joy, our tailgating has made up for! We are tailgating with GREAT friends of ours, The Ho Family. This was the family I nannied for in college and the pediatrician I worked for when I first decided I would go to nursing school. This family is very dear to me and it is great to be back tailgating with them.
Our friends, Chris and Cathleen have also joined in on the fun. My parents have stayed loyal patrons with us through the seasons! Aaron, my brother, and his girlfriend, Ashley have come down from Appleton, Wisconsin for a few games.
Jared and I remain loyal to ALL our teams, PURDUE, CUB'S and THE CHICAGO BEARS!!!
Monday, September 21, 2009
Back it up....(Catch up of our Summer Happenings)
Back in July we attended the wedding of some great friends, Andy and Sara! Andy and Jared used to work together in Chicago and ironically we both moved to Indy the same exact weekend. Jared was a groomsman in the wedding and I was delighted to be asked to help decorate the reception hall...I would LOVE to do wedding coordination, especially on the day of the event!
We attended another Prairie Tykes Class: Summertime Fun! Bryce had a blast, especially in the obstacle course. It was also fun to do the class with Bryce's friends, Oliver and Grace!
Most of our free days in the summer were spent just having fun. I captured lots of moments of the kids doing what they normally do...being silly!
At the beginning of August we made it the the Opening Day of the Indiana State Fair, which was Purdue Day! We have tried for the past 3 years to make it, but it never worked out. This year we made it a priority! The kids had a blast. I even got to see Miss America-who is from Indiana this year!
This summer has been a lot of fun for us. We have also learned how much BOTH of our kids LOVE the water...mainly the swimming pool. We went back to the spray park a few times, bu they still don't like to get soaked!
We look forward to a fun filled fall. Stay tuned for all our fun adventures!
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| From Horner-Morin Wedding |
We attended another Prairie Tykes Class: Summertime Fun! Bryce had a blast, especially in the obstacle course. It was also fun to do the class with Bryce's friends, Oliver and Grace!
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| From CP Summertime Fun |
Most of our free days in the summer were spent just having fun. I captured lots of moments of the kids doing what they normally do...being silly!
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| From Crazy Summer 2009 |
At the beginning of August we made it the the Opening Day of the Indiana State Fair, which was Purdue Day! We have tried for the past 3 years to make it, but it never worked out. This year we made it a priority! The kids had a blast. I even got to see Miss America-who is from Indiana this year!
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| From Indiana State Fair |
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| From Indiana State Fair |
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| From Indiana State Fair |
This summer has been a lot of fun for us. We have also learned how much BOTH of our kids LOVE the water...mainly the swimming pool. We went back to the spray park a few times, bu they still don't like to get soaked!
We look forward to a fun filled fall. Stay tuned for all our fun adventures!
Sunday, September 13, 2009
The School Year Has Begun!!!!
Well, the kids (yes you read correctly, plural) are off to school. Their first day was the Tuesday after Labor Day. They are attending the same Weekday Ministries at Carmel United Methodist Church that Bryce has gone to the past 2 years.
Bryce has graduated from the Parents Time Out Program to Preschool. His class is called The Chipmunks and meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9-1! His teachers are Mrs. Winston and Mrs. Patton. Mrs. Patton has been his teacher the past 2 years, she just keep moving up to the next level each year. She is wonderful and Bryce loves her! This year he will be learning LOTS with the biggest being self-help skills. We are looking forward to see how much Bryce will grow this next year!
Sadie is starting in the Parents Time Out Program in the Bunnies Class. This class is for kids 18-24 months. She has great teachers! Mrs. Annie and Mrs. Amy. Sadie was soooo excited to go to school this year. She did not even hesitate going into the classroom. Sadie's class is on Tuesdays from 9-1.
I am so thankful to have found a preschool program that I feel very strongly about. The teachers and staff are wonderful and are so caring towards the kids. What a great school year this will be!
Bryce has graduated from the Parents Time Out Program to Preschool. His class is called The Chipmunks and meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9-1! His teachers are Mrs. Winston and Mrs. Patton. Mrs. Patton has been his teacher the past 2 years, she just keep moving up to the next level each year. She is wonderful and Bryce loves her! This year he will be learning LOTS with the biggest being self-help skills. We are looking forward to see how much Bryce will grow this next year!
Sadie is starting in the Parents Time Out Program in the Bunnies Class. This class is for kids 18-24 months. She has great teachers! Mrs. Annie and Mrs. Amy. Sadie was soooo excited to go to school this year. She did not even hesitate going into the classroom. Sadie's class is on Tuesdays from 9-1.
I am so thankful to have found a preschool program that I feel very strongly about. The teachers and staff are wonderful and are so caring towards the kids. What a great school year this will be!
Monday, August 31, 2009
My 10 Year Class Reunion at PHS
So, I was in charge of planning my 10 Year Class Reunion and enlisted the help of some good friends from high school. I knew these girls would be helpful and creative! Amanda, Mandi and Stephanie were awesome. I could have NEVER done this on my own.
Even though I did all the planning of the event, I was a bit leery of going. Number 1, because I was afraid no one would like the outcome of our planning and Number 2, nervous to see how people perceived each other.
Everything was great!!!! We heard nothing but positive feedback on all the events we had. It was so nice to see everyone with their walls down, and open to talk to everyone! We had a blast and I cannot wait until the next one!
Enjoy the photos...
Even though I did all the planning of the event, I was a bit leery of going. Number 1, because I was afraid no one would like the outcome of our planning and Number 2, nervous to see how people perceived each other.
Everything was great!!!! We heard nothing but positive feedback on all the events we had. It was so nice to see everyone with their walls down, and open to talk to everyone! We had a blast and I cannot wait until the next one!
Enjoy the photos...
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Pictures: June 2009
In June The Bognar family came down to visit. Jared was super excited to take the boys fishing! Evan and Bryce, both, caught fish with ease...making everyone happy!
We were also up in Portage for a few days and got together with my best friend, Jenny and her daughter Laynee. The kids had a blast at the park and at Bass Pro Shop looking at the fish.
Bryce and Sadie are really enjoying playing together, sometimes too much. Bryce gets mad when Sadie won't play with him! I am tickled every time I see them play together especially when they giggle!
Stay tuned for more summer fun pictures!
We were also up in Portage for a few days and got together with my best friend, Jenny and her daughter Laynee. The kids had a blast at the park and at Bass Pro Shop looking at the fish.
Bryce and Sadie are really enjoying playing together, sometimes too much. Bryce gets mad when Sadie won't play with him! I am tickled every time I see them play together especially when they giggle!
Stay tuned for more summer fun pictures!
Blog Update!!!
Many people have been wondering why I haven't updated the blog lately. Not only am I busy with the kids, but I have been working quite a bit this past month and a half between the pediatrician's office and the hospital. Some days I work at both places!
I also have the daunting task of planning my 10 Year High School Reunion which is August 29th. It has been such a headache trying to track down the 600 people I graduated with. All I have is a list of names, possibily an incomplete list according to the high school! So, all the spare time I have (ha) is spent searching for people to try to have a successful reunion.
Sadie had her 18 month check up on Tuesday. She weighed in at 23 pounds 3 ounces (25th percentile) and 32 1/2 inches (75th percentile), she's on th epath to be tall and skinny! I also put Bryce on the scale for comparison and he was 27 pounds (0 percentile, below the charts) and 36 inches (5th percentile). He's still a little guy but FULL of energy!
I do have LOTS of pictures to post of things we have been up to this summer. I will try to do that this weekend as my mom is in town and can watch the kids while I do that.
I just wanted to let everyone know we are doing well, just BUSY, BUSY, BUSY!!!!
I also have the daunting task of planning my 10 Year High School Reunion which is August 29th. It has been such a headache trying to track down the 600 people I graduated with. All I have is a list of names, possibily an incomplete list according to the high school! So, all the spare time I have (ha) is spent searching for people to try to have a successful reunion.
Sadie had her 18 month check up on Tuesday. She weighed in at 23 pounds 3 ounces (25th percentile) and 32 1/2 inches (75th percentile), she's on th epath to be tall and skinny! I also put Bryce on the scale for comparison and he was 27 pounds (0 percentile, below the charts) and 36 inches (5th percentile). He's still a little guy but FULL of energy!
I do have LOTS of pictures to post of things we have been up to this summer. I will try to do that this weekend as my mom is in town and can watch the kids while I do that.
I just wanted to let everyone know we are doing well, just BUSY, BUSY, BUSY!!!!
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Summer Playdate Fun...
Well, with summer in full swing our play group has started to get together for our weekly playdates. We have missed our friends SOOOOOO much! During the school year, we attempt to get together about once a month but it is hard with everyone going to preschool on different days.
These our our friends we met back when we first started Gymboree, when Bryce was about 11 weeks old! Most of us have 2 kids now, all around the same age. I am so greatful for my "mom friends" and Bryce and Sadie have a blast with their real friends!
Last week, we had a BEAUTIFUL day and went to a local spray park and all the kids had a blast! Bryce and Sadie were a bit leary of getting wet, so opted to just put their hands in the trickling water. Every so oftne, the sprayers would increase and my kids would back away. I am anxious to see if they ease their fears over the summer. I predict by the end of summer, they will be drenched!!!
Bryce and Sadie playing in the trickling water.
Grace and Maddy also enjoying the trickle.
Elliott has NO fear of the water AT ALL!
Elliott must take after Big Brother Oliver, who is soaked head to toe as well!
The boys started a game of slurping the water and spitting it-this ended real quick!
(That's Ben in the background.)
The sprayers, that were originally trickling, turned on and Sadie was NOT happy!
We look forward to more of our summer playdates and will keep you posted on how our summer goes!
These our our friends we met back when we first started Gymboree, when Bryce was about 11 weeks old! Most of us have 2 kids now, all around the same age. I am so greatful for my "mom friends" and Bryce and Sadie have a blast with their real friends!
Last week, we had a BEAUTIFUL day and went to a local spray park and all the kids had a blast! Bryce and Sadie were a bit leary of getting wet, so opted to just put their hands in the trickling water. Every so oftne, the sprayers would increase and my kids would back away. I am anxious to see if they ease their fears over the summer. I predict by the end of summer, they will be drenched!!!
Bryce and Sadie playing in the trickling water.
Grace and Maddy also enjoying the trickle.
Elliott has NO fear of the water AT ALL!
Elliott must take after Big Brother Oliver, who is soaked head to toe as well!
The boys started a game of slurping the water and spitting it-this ended real quick!(That's Ben in the background.)
The sprayers, that were originally trickling, turned on and Sadie was NOT happy!We look forward to more of our summer playdates and will keep you posted on how our summer goes!
Thursday, May 28, 2009
A Busy (FUN) Memorial Day Weekend
Well, the weather sure feels like summer!!! We had a fun filled Memorial Day Weekend.
We started the weekend, on Saturday, fishing on Lake Michigan. I had a pretty draining week with the kids while Jared was away on business, so I told him I wanted to go fishing with him and his buddy Chris. We were at the Marina at 4:45am. It was nice to see exactly what him and Chris do while they are out on the water. I was mainly in charge of driving the boat and "finding the fish", which I did quite well. We were fishing for Salmon and caught 6 of them as well as 3 Trout. We had a great time and I was a pretty darn good captain!
Later that day we had our niece, Norah's, 1st Birthday Party! It was a beautiful day and the kids had so much fun. Sadie spent most of the day in the bouncy house. Norah was adorable and had fun with her smash cake. She was so dainty while eating it- too cute! The kids were so hyped up on sugar, they were fast asleep within 5 minutes into our drive back to Indy.
On Sunday, we celebrated my best friend, Heather's son, Garrett's 1st Birthday Party! It was a lot of fun and the kids had a blast on the playground equipment. Garrett was so cute watching him smash his cake. That had to have been the most smashed cake I have ever seen, but the CLEANEST kid!
We had Jared's dad and step-mom visiting us from Iowa. Grandma Hamilton enjoyed baking bread with Bryce. Grandma and Grandpa were so tickled to be with the kids they hung out in the playroom most of the time with the kids just listening to them talk, play and giggle. We had a great visit.
We did not attend the Indy 500 this year as our weekend was so packed. We enjoyed our yearly BBQ with my Aunt Gayle and Uncle Larry, my parents, Jared's dad and step-mom and the kids. We look forward to the Indy 500 festivities for next year.
We hope everyone has been enjoying the great weather we have been having. Bryce know it's summer as the pool is open as well as the spray parks! Bring on the SUNSCREEN and SUNSHINE!!!
We started the weekend, on Saturday, fishing on Lake Michigan. I had a pretty draining week with the kids while Jared was away on business, so I told him I wanted to go fishing with him and his buddy Chris. We were at the Marina at 4:45am. It was nice to see exactly what him and Chris do while they are out on the water. I was mainly in charge of driving the boat and "finding the fish", which I did quite well. We were fishing for Salmon and caught 6 of them as well as 3 Trout. We had a great time and I was a pretty darn good captain!
Later that day we had our niece, Norah's, 1st Birthday Party! It was a beautiful day and the kids had so much fun. Sadie spent most of the day in the bouncy house. Norah was adorable and had fun with her smash cake. She was so dainty while eating it- too cute! The kids were so hyped up on sugar, they were fast asleep within 5 minutes into our drive back to Indy.
On Sunday, we celebrated my best friend, Heather's son, Garrett's 1st Birthday Party! It was a lot of fun and the kids had a blast on the playground equipment. Garrett was so cute watching him smash his cake. That had to have been the most smashed cake I have ever seen, but the CLEANEST kid!
We had Jared's dad and step-mom visiting us from Iowa. Grandma Hamilton enjoyed baking bread with Bryce. Grandma and Grandpa were so tickled to be with the kids they hung out in the playroom most of the time with the kids just listening to them talk, play and giggle. We had a great visit.
We did not attend the Indy 500 this year as our weekend was so packed. We enjoyed our yearly BBQ with my Aunt Gayle and Uncle Larry, my parents, Jared's dad and step-mom and the kids. We look forward to the Indy 500 festivities for next year.
We hope everyone has been enjoying the great weather we have been having. Bryce know it's summer as the pool is open as well as the spray parks! Bring on the SUNSCREEN and SUNSHINE!!!
A Visit from Uncle Aaron and Ashley
Before Uncle Aaron and Ashley packed their things to move up to Appleton, Wisconsin they came down for a day long visit. We took the kids to the Children's Museum and grilled out. We always have a blast when they visit. We are going to miss them, especially come football season but are happy to see them moving on. Ashley finished up her Doctor of Pharmacy degree at Purdue and accepted a position with Walgreen's. Aaron was also able to get a job with Walgreen's, also in Wisconsin. No need to worry, they are not going to root for the wrong teams, they are TRUE Purdue and Bear's fans!!!
Here are some pictures from our day at the museum...
Here are some pictures from our day at the museum...
Monday, April 13, 2009
Easter 2009
On Saturday we dyed Easter Eggs. Sadie wanted to drink the dye and eat the eggs. it was quite interesting, but I know the kids had fun!
We had a nice Easter as a family in Carmel this year. It was fun to talk to Bryce about the Easter Bunny coming. He kept asking, "Is he coming to OUR house?!?!" It was cute! He was surprised to wake up Easter morning and see that the Easter Bunny had visited our home.
We attended church and Bryce learned, once again, that, "Jesus is ALIVE!" Every time we talk about Easter eggs and opening them up he says this. He learned this same message last year on Easter Sunday and remembered it the year. '
Jesus is alive, indeed! What an awesome God we serve. We are very thankful for the many blessing we have in our lives. We hope you all had a wonderful Easter spent with those you love!
We had a nice Easter as a family in Carmel this year. It was fun to talk to Bryce about the Easter Bunny coming. He kept asking, "Is he coming to OUR house?!?!" It was cute! He was surprised to wake up Easter morning and see that the Easter Bunny had visited our home.
We attended church and Bryce learned, once again, that, "Jesus is ALIVE!" Every time we talk about Easter eggs and opening them up he says this. He learned this same message last year on Easter Sunday and remembered it the year. '
Jesus is alive, indeed! What an awesome God we serve. We are very thankful for the many blessing we have in our lives. We hope you all had a wonderful Easter spent with those you love!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Busy, busy, busy...
Ok, I know it has been awhile since my last post. As usual, the Hamilton’s have been very busy. We (mainly Jared) have been doings lots of stuff to the house, our master shower will be completed in 2 weeks as we are just waiting on the tile to be installed! Jared has done a great job with the shower and becoming handier and handier around the house. Last weekend we installed new lights on the outside of the house, they look great. They are going to make the house look even better when we get our new storm door installed. At the same time we are replacing our back patio door. I cannot wait to open the house up to the outside air! We are loving all the upgrades and have so many more plans for the house!
In my spare time (ha), I have been getting things ready for a spring garage sale, going through the kids old clothes and putting them on Ebay, couponing, working out (I highly recommend Jillian Michael’s 30 Day shred-thanks Jess- as I am getting major results!), and playing outside as the weather is getting nicer. I am averaging about 1 day of work a week, but still have some flexibility where there are some weeks I do not work and others I work 2-3 days. I love being a nurse!
Well enough about us, on to the kids….
We have started a new reward chart for Bryce. It is a start and “Point A” and get to “Point B”, where the prize is. Bryce gets to pick out his prize, to name a few…go to Bounce Zone, go to Chuckie Cheese, go get a Cheeseburger and French Fries, Make Cookies, Paint, Do a craft with scissors, etc. The way he gets to move along the path is by #1 Being nice to Sadie and #2 Being a good listener. Of course if he does not do these things, he moves backwards. The chart is working well for him!
Other big new for Bryce- He has his first Big Boy bike!!! He loves it. It is super cute watching all the neighbor kids ride around the cul-de-sac on their bikes usually in a line. He cannot get enough of his bike! He is still going to school 1 day a week and LOVES it. He likes to help me pack his lunch in the morning and carry into school. He walks right into his classroom, sometimes without telling me good-bye…I guess it’s good he is gaining independence! I am currently looking into some summer camps for him to keep him occupied and do activities that are “school-like”. Next year he will go to preschool 2 days a week.
Bryce has become quite the avid Mario Cart fan! Bryce and Jared play, about 3 nights a week, together. It is so much fun to watch the bonding between them, even if it is over video games!
Sadie is growing up too fast!!!! She is such a good little girl and soooo much fun! She is running all over the house now. She is doing breathing treatments once a day, for her asthma, and is doing very well with it. It is part of our night time routine. She gets her own mask and sits on my lap while she watches one of her DVDs. The treatment is really helping her as she is not coughing or wheezing after running around.
She LOVES to eat. There is nothing this girl won’t eat. Most of the time, she eats more than Bryce! She is communicating quite well. Not a lot of words, but she lets us know by pointing or shaking her head yes or no to a question. Her words right now are Mama, Dada, Baby, Milk, and Bryce. Milk is just “Mmmm,” and Bryce is, “Byyyyy”.
It is definitely noted that she is growing up faster than Bryce. I am sure this is due to her watching Bryce and me not being as over-protective as I was with Bryce.
Her favorite toy is her babydoll. She is obsessed with it. She also loves jewelry and purses…girly things in general!
We cannot wait for spring to finally come and STAY. The kids love being outside, as does mom! We hope everyone is well.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Where are the Days Going?!?!?
We have been super busy these past few weeks and wanted to share some of our adventures with you.
The 1st of February I headed up to Northwest Indiana to meet with some girls from high school to begin to plan our 10 year reunion (gasp!). I took the kid sup with me and made it a fun trip. We went to a Japanese Restaurant where Bryce loved the Hibachi cooking! He LOVED the food and used his chopsticks well. I took the kids over to my friend Jenny and Mike's for a Super Bowl Party. It's crazy how parties have changed to incorporate kids (there were 5 kids there). We also visited with Aunt Heather, Uncle Tim, cousins Evan and Norah, and Grandma. The kids had a blast over the weekend.
I took an afternoon to myself and went to the Indianapolis Home Show the day Kate Gosselin was talking. It was fun to be there, but I am not sure it was worth waiting 1 1/2 hours to hear her talk. She basically told of how they felt when they found out they were having sextuplets, to the pregnancy and birth of the kids. It was great to relax by myself though!
A lot of kids in our playgroup are having birthdays, so we have seen our friends a BUNCH, which has been awesome! We attended Oliver, Ben and Grace's 3rd birthdays and had so much fun! We also joined our playgroup at the Children's Museum to see the new exhibit of legos. What a joy it was to see the excitement in all the kids eyes. This trip was interesting as most of us had 2 kids to tend to and entertain. Us mom's worked together though and fun was had by all!
We have been enjoying the warmer weather and have gotten the kid's outside as much as possible. It has been so refreshing. Sadie had her first ear infection (a double) since having her tubes (not bad for 6 1/2 months without one). She has been a trooper and seems to be on the upscale to getting better!
I hope you enjoy the updated pictures of the kids!!!
The 1st of February I headed up to Northwest Indiana to meet with some girls from high school to begin to plan our 10 year reunion (gasp!). I took the kid sup with me and made it a fun trip. We went to a Japanese Restaurant where Bryce loved the Hibachi cooking! He LOVED the food and used his chopsticks well. I took the kids over to my friend Jenny and Mike's for a Super Bowl Party. It's crazy how parties have changed to incorporate kids (there were 5 kids there). We also visited with Aunt Heather, Uncle Tim, cousins Evan and Norah, and Grandma. The kids had a blast over the weekend.
I took an afternoon to myself and went to the Indianapolis Home Show the day Kate Gosselin was talking. It was fun to be there, but I am not sure it was worth waiting 1 1/2 hours to hear her talk. She basically told of how they felt when they found out they were having sextuplets, to the pregnancy and birth of the kids. It was great to relax by myself though!
A lot of kids in our playgroup are having birthdays, so we have seen our friends a BUNCH, which has been awesome! We attended Oliver, Ben and Grace's 3rd birthdays and had so much fun! We also joined our playgroup at the Children's Museum to see the new exhibit of legos. What a joy it was to see the excitement in all the kids eyes. This trip was interesting as most of us had 2 kids to tend to and entertain. Us mom's worked together though and fun was had by all!
We have been enjoying the warmer weather and have gotten the kid's outside as much as possible. It has been so refreshing. Sadie had her first ear infection (a double) since having her tubes (not bad for 6 1/2 months without one). She has been a trooper and seems to be on the upscale to getting better!
I hope you enjoy the updated pictures of the kids!!!
Friday, January 30, 2009
Birthday Party 2009
Well, we pulled it off…celebrating 2 kids birthdays in one day! We used our front room as Bryce’s birthday headquarters and the living room as Sadie’s birthday headquarters. It was kind of like organized chaos, but we had so much fun!!! It was great to have our family down for the whole weekend.
Bryce has been into rocketships for quite awhile, so that was his theme. Over Christmas we realized how much Sadie LOVES jewelry (thanks to Aunt Gayle and Nana), so her theme was girlie things.
I have always enjoyed watching cake decorating shows and I LOVE TO BAKE, so I gave it a whirl and made their cakes this year. Bryce had a spaceship cake complete with fire shooting out of the back (candles!). I made Sadie a purse cake decked out with rings and a necklace.
The kids really seem to have gotten older in our eyes these past few weeks. Sadie has taken to walking quite well. She began to take steps the 1st of January, but really started working on it the week before her birthday. She is still a pretty easy going kid and so much fun! Our heart just melts when she smiles at us. She is so full of curiosity. She points at things, looks at us and says, “This?” It still amazes me how much they are learning at such a young age.
Bryce is really maturing. He has become so gentle mannered saying please and thank you as well as playing nicely with Sadie and getting toys for her. Sure, he still has melt downs but he seems to get over them easier as we can talk him through them. He is quite the negotiator with everything! “2 more minutes,” is his key phrase! He is excelling at preschool and got a great report from his teachers. The only things they say he needs to work on are sharing and cleaning up, so we will work on that at home!
We took the kids to see the pediatrician, Dr. Boyce, on Tuesday for their yearly physicals. Bryce got a clean bill of health and Dr. Boyce assured us there is nothing wrong with him, he is just small. He weighed in at 27 pounds (about the 5th percentile) and 35 ½ inches (about the 5th percentile).
Sadie is growing nicely weighing in at 19 pounds 8 ounces (25th percentile) and 29 ¾ inches (75th percentile). We had mentioned to Dr. Boyce that we were concerned that when she crawls around she stops often and coughs away. This has been going on, on/off, for about 6 months, ever since she started crawling. He listened to her and with what we reported to him, he diagnosed her with mild asthma. We are doing a breathing treatment one time a day. Sadie is starting to settle into it and get used to having it done. I hold her and we watch a Baby Einstein type video and I sing to her. I am trying to make it as positive as possible for her.
God has blessed us immensely and we are so proud to be called Bryce and Sadie’s mom and dad!
Bryce has been into rocketships for quite awhile, so that was his theme. Over Christmas we realized how much Sadie LOVES jewelry (thanks to Aunt Gayle and Nana), so her theme was girlie things.
I have always enjoyed watching cake decorating shows and I LOVE TO BAKE, so I gave it a whirl and made their cakes this year. Bryce had a spaceship cake complete with fire shooting out of the back (candles!). I made Sadie a purse cake decked out with rings and a necklace.
The kids really seem to have gotten older in our eyes these past few weeks. Sadie has taken to walking quite well. She began to take steps the 1st of January, but really started working on it the week before her birthday. She is still a pretty easy going kid and so much fun! Our heart just melts when she smiles at us. She is so full of curiosity. She points at things, looks at us and says, “This?” It still amazes me how much they are learning at such a young age.
Bryce is really maturing. He has become so gentle mannered saying please and thank you as well as playing nicely with Sadie and getting toys for her. Sure, he still has melt downs but he seems to get over them easier as we can talk him through them. He is quite the negotiator with everything! “2 more minutes,” is his key phrase! He is excelling at preschool and got a great report from his teachers. The only things they say he needs to work on are sharing and cleaning up, so we will work on that at home!
We took the kids to see the pediatrician, Dr. Boyce, on Tuesday for their yearly physicals. Bryce got a clean bill of health and Dr. Boyce assured us there is nothing wrong with him, he is just small. He weighed in at 27 pounds (about the 5th percentile) and 35 ½ inches (about the 5th percentile).
Sadie is growing nicely weighing in at 19 pounds 8 ounces (25th percentile) and 29 ¾ inches (75th percentile). We had mentioned to Dr. Boyce that we were concerned that when she crawls around she stops often and coughs away. This has been going on, on/off, for about 6 months, ever since she started crawling. He listened to her and with what we reported to him, he diagnosed her with mild asthma. We are doing a breathing treatment one time a day. Sadie is starting to settle into it and get used to having it done. I hold her and we watch a Baby Einstein type video and I sing to her. I am trying to make it as positive as possible for her.
God has blessed us immensely and we are so proud to be called Bryce and Sadie’s mom and dad!
Monday, January 5, 2009
Success!
On Thursday I woke up and said, "Today is the day I am going to start weaning Sadie from her bottle." She has been doing so well with her sippy cup at meal times for quite some time now and has been on whole milk for a week.
She has become so dependent upon her bottle for naps and bedtime that I wasn't sure how this would go. I decided to take away the bottle for naps and give her a sippy cup instead (We are bad parents, over the past 2 months we have given her bottle to her in bed, with all the traveling this seemed to comfort her the best to fall asleep...ANYWHERE).
Day #1-Thursday
The first nap she cried for an hour...I know this sounds horrific, but she was just moaning, never an uncontrollable cry. She finally fell asleep. Her second nap of the day found her again crying, a bit more, and after 45 minutes I went and got her. I did not give in with the bottle. She just skipped this afternoon nap. At bedtime, she moaned for 5 minutes and was out like a light and slept through the night.
Day #2-Friday
Naps were pretty much the same, with crying lasting 30 minutes and took both naps. Boy this seems to be going well. I worked on Friday night, so Jared did bedtime duty. He got distracted and forgot that we weren't giving her bottles anymore. Needless to say, she got her bottle and went to bed without a peep. Oops!
Day #3-Saturday
She still cries when we put her down, but will be asleep or happily playing in her crib within 5 minutes. She successfully went the entire day without a bottle!
Day #4-Sunday
Another successful day without a bottle and getting better when we put her down.
I hope I am not jumping the gun here, but it looks like we are done with bottles and formula!!!! They are still in the cabinet, but by the end of the week I hope to see them disappear...a step towards de-cluttering! Yeah! Of course I am a little sad as this is a HUGE milestone for my little girl as she is becoming a toddler. I will miss our little baby, but am so excited for what the future holds. She is so full of life and becoming more and more independent each day. I am truly blessed to be able to call her my daughter!
She has become so dependent upon her bottle for naps and bedtime that I wasn't sure how this would go. I decided to take away the bottle for naps and give her a sippy cup instead (We are bad parents, over the past 2 months we have given her bottle to her in bed, with all the traveling this seemed to comfort her the best to fall asleep...ANYWHERE).
Day #1-Thursday
The first nap she cried for an hour...I know this sounds horrific, but she was just moaning, never an uncontrollable cry. She finally fell asleep. Her second nap of the day found her again crying, a bit more, and after 45 minutes I went and got her. I did not give in with the bottle. She just skipped this afternoon nap. At bedtime, she moaned for 5 minutes and was out like a light and slept through the night.
Day #2-Friday
Naps were pretty much the same, with crying lasting 30 minutes and took both naps. Boy this seems to be going well. I worked on Friday night, so Jared did bedtime duty. He got distracted and forgot that we weren't giving her bottles anymore. Needless to say, she got her bottle and went to bed without a peep. Oops!
Day #3-Saturday
She still cries when we put her down, but will be asleep or happily playing in her crib within 5 minutes. She successfully went the entire day without a bottle!
Day #4-Sunday
Another successful day without a bottle and getting better when we put her down.
I hope I am not jumping the gun here, but it looks like we are done with bottles and formula!!!! They are still in the cabinet, but by the end of the week I hope to see them disappear...a step towards de-cluttering! Yeah! Of course I am a little sad as this is a HUGE milestone for my little girl as she is becoming a toddler. I will miss our little baby, but am so excited for what the future holds. She is so full of life and becoming more and more independent each day. I am truly blessed to be able to call her my daughter!
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