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Kate is getting ready to start preschool. She has "meet your teacher day" on September 9th and will start attending Tuesday and Thursday half days the following week. As you can imagine, she's super excited! I have mixed feeling - it feels like the simple days of waking up and taking the day as it comes are coming to an end. I have really enjoyed these days. Since I've been away from full time work, I have really come to love the slow pace of life that accompanies being home with the kids. Ahh, but all in due time and we're starting off slowly, so that's nice. Kate will have a blast and Luke and I will have some wonderful one on one time.
Luke has really grown in the last couple months. For starters, he's getting a bunch of dark blond curly hair. It's much curlier than Kate's! He's also talking all the time and in complete sentences. I would say he is in his "terrible twos," but they're a breeze (relatively speaking, that is). ;) He is also potty training. For about a month now he's been asking to go potty on the big boy potty. Every time he asks, he goes! He's beginning to realize when he has to go and ask for help, which he needs because he's not able to take of his pants or diaper yet. We're all about the slow and steady progress here, though and we're content keep this slow pace up for now. He really is a little gentle soul.
Mom: Kate, I'm really going to miss you when I'm away in San Francisco.
Kate: (strokes my cheek a bit ) Mom, but it's ok, you'll be with daddy, he'll take care of you.
Luke is really talking up a storm. He's beginning to speak in full sentences! He can also count to ten, which really surprised us and he knows how to sing the entire alphabet with a bit of prompting. He's still the super sweet, laid back dude he's always been, but occasionally experiences a "terrible two" moment. It's usually only when his sister is teasing him or taking something away. Oh, and he's FINALLY got another tooth coming in! He's one of the latest teethers I know!
Kate and I were walking rather fast to the housing office yesterday because I had to get there before it closed. Suddenly she stopped walking, shrugged her shoulders and looked down at the ground. "What's wrong Kate?" I asked. "I ran out of power." she replied.
Kate (a little confused): Well, are there at least some things real there?
Comments By the way, let Kate know that I would LOVE to go to Pretend City . . . ANY day! She's only 3, so she doesn't need to know why, but just let her know that Pretend City is the BEST city EVER! Again, love you guys! - Caitlin
HAHA! She is WAY too smart to only be 3 years old! Good luck with that . . . And I say this knowing that you will be giving me plenty of grief when my kids get to that stage. Love you guys! - Caitlin
A couple of days ago Kate was biting her nails when I gave her a little look that implied she shouldn't be doing that. She, in turn, gave me a little look back and replied in a very matter of fact way, "What? sometimes my nails need a little hair cut."
Papa and Pammy just stopped in for a quick visit and as usual, we had a great time seeing them and hanging out. We took it easy, Mark and I were able to go out on a date, which was a real treat, and today, we went whale watching! We saw so many different kinds of dolphins and two different species of whales. Pics to follow soon!
One morning, Pam was finishing her diet coke when Kate went up to her and asked for a tiny drink. Pam said no, so Kate sighed a big audible sigh, dramatically swept her hair from her face and said, "PLEASE, it's been a REALLY long day!" It was ten in the morning.
We're back from our marvelous Spring Break trip to Mammoth Mountain! We had an excellent time playing in the snow, hanging out as a family and seeing more of beautiful California. In one day we went sledding in the mountains, hiking in the desert and were 3 miles from the beach (we didn't go because we were just too tired). We saw Joshua trees and Mt. Whitney (the tallest mountain in the continental US). We passed Camp Manzano, which was an internment camp for over 10,000 Japanese Americans in 1941 and we drove through a little part of the Mojave desert. So much fun!
The kids had a great time too. Kate, however, was a little homesick. She kept asking to go home to sleep in her bed and play with _____ (insert any name of friend here because we heard the entire litany). Luke was pretty chill about the whole experience, which was great considering he spent a little part of the day before we left in the ER with RSV induced bronchilits. He responded well to the breathing treatments and the doctor gave us the go ahead, so we went and he did just fine.
We arrived home and woke up the next day deciding that 670 miles in three days just isn't enough driving, so we journeyed to San Diego and spent the afternoon at the San Diego Zoo. The kids loved it! The chimps were the family favorite. One baby chimp in particular named Tuts took a liking to Luke and they became fast friends, touching hands through the glass.
We are all tired and very glad to be home and fall back into our routine. Mark is putting up Kate and Luke's new loft bed! Transition time for Luke is fast approaching.... now if we could only get him weaned at night....
We haven't had our camera, so we haven't updated in awhile. As soon as we get it back, we will start taking some pictures of the kids and post them again. BUT, since this is the kids' baby book AND since Kate has been saying some very funny things that I keep forgetting AND since Luke has changed so much in the past few months, I thought I would write a few Quick Takes here:
1. The other morning Kate woke up and went to go snuggle on the couch with Mark. Mark asked her what she wanted to do today and she responded, "ummmm... I just want to lay here with you and watch the sky all day."
2. Yesterday while I was busy changing Luke's diaper I noticed Kate was being extremely quite in the kitchen. I assumed she was climbing and sneaking Girl Scout cookies again. Just as soon as I finished she ran out of the kitchen exclaiming that she had taken care of the problem. "What problem?" I inquired a little confused. Kate pointed to a freshly cut quarter-sized hole in her dress. "Kate! What did you do?!" Immediately the tears started flowing as she tried to explain to me that it [the dress] was "mixed up with the colors" in that particular spot. That particular spot just happened to be directly over her belly button. Kate has a thing for touching her belly button. Coincidence? I think not. For the remainder of the entire day she happily touched her belly button.
3. Luke is a regular old toddler now. He has a bunch of words, so many that Mark and I were trying to count them and it just got to be a little tedious, so we left off on 40 or something like that. Not that Luke says all these words on a regular basis. He much prefers to stick to a couple. These include: no, cookie, elmo, cracker, no, juice, banana, nurse, no, hi, bye, no... you get the idea.
4. Kate is still dancing. She loves it! Luke happens to love it, too. He watched the girls and mimics what they do. pretty cute.
5. Kate has been begging me to go to preschool. I'm pretty sure she thinks that preschool is playing on a playground, but whatever. I've been looking into preschools, which was an entirely surreal experience for me. My little baby is growing up... tear....Anyway, I digress :-) I had no idea that the cost for 6 hours a week of preschool is about the same as it would be to send Kate to elementary school at a Catholic school full time for the entire year. Crazy. Oh and you have to sign up in March for the following September.
6. Luke LOVES to read. He can just sit and look at books for an uninterrupted hour. Ok, so maybe not that long, but a long time for a baby. So different than his sister.
7. Their cousins are coming today! The kiddos are so excited. Kate is at least, I don't think Luke really knows what I mean when I tell him Sebastian and GiGi are coming. We're all excited for a fun day and we'll post pics soon too!
Comments So cute! I lovew my grandbabies! Grandma Deb - Grandma Deb
I know it's been so terribly long since I've updated on the kids. It wasn't until family came over Christmas and New Years that I realized most people don't know what the kiddos are up to; everyone was so surprised to see Lukey walking so well.
Luke has really changed and grown these past few months. Not only is he walking well, but he's talking a ton and his little personality is really beginning to shine through. He's a little goof ball and loves to laugh and make us laugh. He also loves to read and can sit with books for at least a half hour at a time - much more of a reader than his sister ever was at this age. He's so laid back and quite most of the time, but he has found his voice and when he wants something he lets us know! Luke's vocabulary is pretty good for a 14 month old. I could list the words he says, but that would be boring, among them, however are: backpack, flower pot (his dad's first word) and cook book. :) Like his sister, Luke really loves music and dancing. He also is a ham for the camera and will always smile and say, "cheese." Luke recently started signing more and in general has shown an interest in communicating his needs/ wants with us. He's also much more of a cuddler than his sister. He really enjoyed cuddling with his godmother while she was here.
Kate is still great! It's hard to believe she just turned three, although sometimes she seems much older to me. I had a "mom moment" the day of her birthday party. So cliche, I know, but I almost cried as I thought, "She's definitely not a baby anymore, she's a little girl." They certainly do grow up so fast! She's quite the precocious little lady and is incredibly determined and independent. She asks so many amazing questions, has definite opinions about issues, and of course, refuses to let me dress her or do her hair (see pictures). She is so full of joy! She loves her dance classes, playing outside, riding her bike, watching Dora (we really fought this one), and she LOVES her friends. The Katester is an incredibly social kid and she had a great time at her third birthday party. It was a double birthday party with her friend Ethan complete with a bounce house, pinata, and a homemade castle cake (Kate picked it out)! There were about 60 people there total and it was a very incredible party!
Mark turns 33 in a week! He is still teaching for HumCore, which is a fairly big work load and is writing his dissertation in all of his "spare time." He is on track to go out on the market next year. There is a backlog in the market right now, however, so we just keep praying that God has something in mind for us. Please pray for him and for us!
I am still working as a housing assistant in our community. This job has been an incredible blessing for our family and we are so grateful to God for it. We have to interview for the upcoming year already, so I would also really appreciate prayers! In my "spare time" I am getting together all of my requirements and paperwork to become a Dona certified Doula. Although, with our other commitments it is not a great time to doula professionally for many people, I am excited about the possibility of being certified and continuing to help friends and acquaintances have satisfying births.
We recently had visits from much of our family and it was so nice to see everyone. We look forward to future visits and a big midwest tour this Summer for two weddings! We are so excited for Katie and Parker and Nick and Jenny! Many blessings to them in their planning and their vocation as married couples!
What a weekend! We just said goodbye to Aunt Jennifer, Sebastian and GiGi. We had a great visit with them and were sad to see them go. Mama also had a great birthday weekend. Friday, the whole family walked around downtown disney, ate cajun food and watched the fireworks. Saturday, the dads watched all the babes while the moms gathered at Hope's for champaign and chocolate cake and Sunday we had a much needed day of rest. Kate picked out a pink ipod shuffle as a gift and made mama a very yummy carrot cake!
Luke is 10 months today! How time flies! Both kids went to the doctor two weeks ago and they both are very healthy. Kate is still in the 95% for both height and weight. The doctor took her BMI and couldn't believe how strong she is! She is very strong and very athletic. As pictures can attest to, last Monday she started dance classes and she LOVES them. She asks me every day if she can go to dance class. I'll post a video of her class as soon as I get a chance.
Luke is 29 inches long (95th%) and 21 lbs. (50th %). He's very long and lean like his daddy. He says a few words (usually with prompting): mama, dada, hi, bye, more and all done. His latest feat is climbing. He is a little monkey and can climb unassisted onto the couch, the bed, the bookshelf, the stool and many others places... it's been an interesting couple of days. :) Luke is also walking with assistance and standing unassisted for a few moments (though this makes him laugh so hard he usually falls after a second or two. Oh, and he's also been throwing mild temper tantrums for about a month now.
Mark has been busy getting ready for a new year here at UCI. He's still plugging away at his dissertation and getting ready to teach. I'm still a housing assistant, which keeps me busy, but I've also been working on my doula certification. It's a lot of work, but it is so rewarding. Two weeks ago, I helped two friends as their doula. There is nothing like helping a couple bring new life to the world and there is nothing like witnessing babies being born! Nothing can describe how beautiful and amazing it is!!!
Comments We had so much fun with you guys! Kate is going to be an amazing dancer. Chris still thinks you should have her in Greco-Roman wrestling, but my vote is for ballet! - Aunt J
We've been busy here! I know I haven't really updated much since June. Life around here has been a little crazy since then. In early June we received the horrible news that Meghan's dad passed away. This was shocking news and we are deeply saddened by it. Please continue to keep Ron Dempsey and his family in your prayers. So, in June we had a surprise trip back to Milwaukee and Chicago. Despite the horrible circumstances, it was very nice to see so many friends and family. We have some pictures and we plan on posting them very soon.
When we returned from our trip to the midwest and Mark and I both started work immediately and Kate started swim lessons. I had training and Mark began work teaching Summer school and writing (he had some deadlines). As the work frenzey died down slightly, we had a wonderful visit with Grandma and Grandma (see pictures). While Grandma and Grandpa were here we went to the beach, ate great food and spent some R&R time at the pool. It was great to see them - it had been far too long!
This past week, we had another wonderful visit from Nana, Jack the Great (because he's Kate's ultimate favorite :), and Jim. We had a great time with them sight seeing, hanging out at Mission San Juan Capistrano and playing in the pool at the hotel. Their trip was too short and we miss them already!
While they were here, Luke came down with an ear infection. We went to the doctor and found out that he now weighs 21lbs. 9 oz. He's a big guy! He's now pulling up all the time, occasionally standing without holding on and walking while holding onto my hands. He now waves hi and bye and says Mama and Dada. He is still our sweet little dude!
And now, we're just wrapping up the Summer. Mark is teaching his own class at UCI and I'm trying to get a loose curriculum on calendar for our upcoming year (regarding liturgical living and some arts and craft projects)... I'm beginning to think that this is going to happen slowly over the years, rather than in the next few weeks!
Luke is 8 months old now! He's crawling everywhere, pulling up and putting everything in his mouth. He likes to babble a lot and will often copy sounds he hears. This means that he says, "hi, mama, & dada and a whole bunch of other sounds. Though he doesn't appear to know the meaning of these, sometimes it seems as though he does know "mama" and "dada."
He's still our little laid back dude. We've recently been using a pack n play at night time. He didn't seem to mind the transition too much, but it seems now he's on nursing strike because of it. Oh, and he's still a big guy. I think he's about 22 lbs. and about 28 1/2 inches. This puts him in 12 month clothing already!
Kate is great! She's a happy little lady lots of the time. I've recently read "Parenting with Love and Logic." We've put to work many of the techniques such as offering choices, carefully choosing battles and allowing natural consequences and it's been a great help for both Kate and her parents!
Some of Kate's favorite things to do are dance, sing (she's always singing), play "funky" dress up, garden and do her "work" at her imagination station (color). She's quite the tall little girl. She's already 38 1/2 inches!
Luke turned 7 months last week. We took him to the doctor at 6 1/2 months and his stats were:
Weight: 20 lbs (80%)
Height: 28 1/2 inches (95%)
This past week he started crawling! I'll post a video on the blog and possibly on utube. He also started saying "Mama" and this either means me or milk or a combination thereof. Last night he was with the Hartenburg family while Mark and I were on a date and he was crying for a long time. At one point he stopped, looked at Jen and said, "Mama Mama." It was Jen's opinion that he quite knew what he was asking for. He has become very attached to me these days and has a touch of stranger anxiety.
Kate's the same spirited young lady as always. She seems like such a little girl to us already. She's quite the chatter box :) While the Hartenburgs were watching her the other day, Kate wanted Katherine's baby. We told her that she could not take it home with her bc it was Katherine's baby. She replied, "Oh... Can I buy it?"
Our little dude is 6 months old!!! How time flies! He's sitting up, moving from a sitting position to his tummy and attempting to scoot. He is able to move around the room this way, but is not crawling just yet. He's still such a sweet, sweet baby. He's pretty laid back, unless he wants food, then he means business, but most of the time he just smiles and chats.
Kate is doing great too! With a little help of the promise of a new kite, she's very nearly potty trained! Yay!!
The other day we were getting ready for Mass and she said to me, "Mommy, I don't want to go to Mass. You go ahead, I'll be right here when you get back."
That kid, I'll tell you!
4/25/09 -
Luke is 5 months old! He's growing so fast. He now sits up, can turn himself 360 degrees while on his belly, is eating (and loving) solids, and occasionally, he even attempts to feed himself. He's a giggly little guy and no one can make him laugh as much as his sister. They're buds.
Kate, oh, Kate. The other day while at a festival, Kate continued asking me if she could attempt the climbing wall. Feeling a little run down after my 7th "no", I instructed her to go ask her dad. So she ran ahead of me to the place where Mark and Luke were sitting. I saw her talk to Mark a little bit. As soon as I got there I sat down and asked her what daddy had said. She turned to me and in one breath said, "Daddy said yes. Okay, Mama. Let's go. Don't talk to Daddy." Needless to say, she didn't get to go on the climbing wall.
He is Risen! We celebrated the Triduum as a family and it was truly beautiful, especially Easter Vigil last night. The kids did great through the Vigil, but we were out until midnight. We've all slept in, but now have some eggs to dye, so we'll have to post pictures later! Soon, I promise!
3/24/09 -
Some 4 month stats for Lukalicious:
weight: 17.8 pounds (95%)
Height: 26 3/4 inches (of the charts!)
He's just a touch bigger than his sister was at this age!
so apparently in order to create paragraphs on this site you need to know html. i do not know html. sorry bout not having proper paragraphs.
Comments just put a
before it and a
after it - chris
whoops. the code was used rather than mentioned. I'll describe it. before the paragraph put a left corner bracket (). After the paragraph put a left corner bracket then a forward slash then the letter p then a right corner bracket. That's all. - chris
whoops again. before the paragraph put a left corner bracket, then the letter p, then a right corner bracket. After the paragraph put a left corner bracket then a forward slash then the letter p then a right corner bracket. That's all. - chris
3/22/09 -
Luke is four months today! And he's a big guy! We're going to the doctor on Tuesday, so we'll have some official stats then. In the meantime, he's rolling like a champ, grabbing at things and bringing them to his mouth, and he is trying to move while on his tummy - this will take a while though, I think. I know that from pictures he looks like a pretty serious guy, but he's pretty smiley and easy to get giggling. He's super sweet and although he's calmer than his sister, he's still a fairly active little dude.
The other day Kate uttered these words while pointing at Mark: "No, he's not Mark, he's daddy and he's my friend." Kind of sweet, huh? She's also taken to using the words, "Yes, Sir!" Instead of a simple yes. She says it with excitement. We did not teach this to her and have no idea where she got it, but we think it's pretty funny. I have to get better about putting up "Kate-isms," since she seems to come up with stuff like this fairly often.
Aunt Terry and Uncle Tom were recently in town. The took us to the zoo and we had a wonderful time with them. It's such a bummer that we don't live closer! We'll post some pics soon!
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