Peyton turned 6 months old yesterday and had her check up today. Here are her updated stats:
Height: 27.5 inches (97th percentile)
Weight: 19 lbs. 11 ounces (97th percentile)
Head Circumference: 45 cm (97th percentile)
So, she's big and beautiful. Our wonderful pediatrician says she looks fantastic and is developmentally right where she should be. She did tell me she is the size of an average 10 month old....ha ha. In comparison, Greyson is 29 lbs so only a 10 pound difference between the two of them. I'm sure she'll level out when she gets moving just like G did. For now I'm just going to love and adore all her folds and pudgy cheeks. She's our gorgeous princess!
Well, as you can see from the pictures above we've had another busy month. From attending the Veteran's Day parade, to a trip to the North Pole Amusement Park, to going to the shooting range we definitely managed to keep busy and have fun during November.
In other news, Peyton is growing and changing almost everyday. She's "talking" and making noises constantly. She's eating stage 1 fruits and vegetables and so far seems to like just about everything. No surprise there with our gorgeous chubby baby girl. She's now working on rolling and every now and then manages to do it on her own. She's gaining a lot of head and back strength and is enjoying spending more time sitting in her bumbo and playing in her exersaucer. Can't believe she'll be 6 months in a matter of days.
With Peyton turning 6 months, it's a reminder that Kyle has now been deployed for 4 months...yeah, for being 1/3 of the way done. Speaking of Kyle, he had an exciting month. On Thanksgiving he was promoted to First Lieutenant and found out that shortly after the new year he'll be switching to a different battalion 4-42 Field Artillery and taking a slot as a platoon leader. It's a big honor as Kyle was one of two out of 15 candidates selected to take these leadership positions. We'll keep you posted as soon as we know more and this will definitely be a change of address for him in the near future. The pictures above show Lt. Colonel Padgett (1-22 Battalion Commander) shaking Kyle's hand after "pining" on his new rank. The other shows Kyle with his Company Commander Isaac and the former company XO Cary - who happen to be the husbands of my two great friends Allyson and Orienna. Love the symmetry of the picture of the 3 of them together as the 3 of us wives spend a lot of time together.
The month ended with a laid back Thanksgiving with us and Kyle's parents and then I headed out of a town with 2 fellow Army spouses for a getaway to Winter Park. Big thanks to Daryl and Joyce for watching G & P while I was away. I did my first 'real' skiing and proud to say I survived and escaped uninjured. It was a bit petrifying at first, but with time and practice I definitely improved and had some fun. It was a really fun trip and now we're in the wind down to the holidays time and getting ready for our big trip to Chicago for Christmas. We can't wait to get in town and see many family and friends.
Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season. Don't forget to check out the rest of the November pictures linked on the left.
Enjoy a little rock n' roll start to your holiday season from our family to yours! Who knew Kyle could sing like that, that I look quite striking with giant red hair, that G can rock the guitar, and Peyton can do one heck of a drum solo at only 5 months old? Hope this gives you a good laugh and smile!
Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!
Well, another new month arrives and we're another month down with the deployment. Thankful to say this month marks us making it 1/4 of the way. Now that doesn't sound so great, but I'm thinking next month when we're 1/3 of the way through it will sound really good!
We continue to keep busy, as usual, to make the days while K is away pass quickly. This month was highlighted by my trip home to Chicago for Beth and Michael's wedding in Peoria. It was a beautiful ceremony and a super fun celebration. I enjoyed a weekend kid free thanks to my inlaws staying with the kids at our house in Colorado. Minus Greyson sharing a little bug he had with them they had a a great weekend and I enjoyed a fun time with family. If any of you know my sister and I well then you know that when we get together we always have fun, and fun we had!
Greyson continues to be the amazing little boy that he is. I attending his parent-teacher conference at his preschool and his teacher told me he is a great kid that loves to sing and play with his friends. It was wonderful to hear that he is just as wonderful as a kid when I'm not around.
Peyton also is doing fantastically. She's entered in to the really fun stage of being a smushy cute baby who smiles and coos. She's sitting up, assisted, and holding her head up almost all the time. She is such a sponge right now who loves to sit on my lap and see what's happening all around her. She also smiles all the time and makes the cutest baby sounds and laughs. She is such a laid back baby and so genuinely sweet. We have started introducing her to rice cereal (see video below) and will begin baby food soon.
Kyle continues to stay very busy overseas. He's now started the process of working with a military officer headhunter to prepare for the civilian job hunt when his Army obligation ends in May 2012. We're excited to get the ball rolling and to see what the next step in Kyle's career will hold for us and our family. He sends his thanks for the many packages and continued support and prayers. They definitely keep his morale up and help him get through the frustration of being separated from us. Each day gone is one closer to being done.
Hope you all had a fantastic Halloween. Greyson sure did! He was one adorable Buzz Lightyear and got to wear his costume at least 5 times...somehow Halloween has turned into a week long event. Peyton enjoyed her Team Daddy cheerleader costume and fun was had by all.
Enjoy the October pictures (linked to the left) and the videos below.
Well, tomorrow Peyton will be officially 4 months old. Hard to believe she's getting so big. Today we had her 4 month old check up. Here is her updated stats:
So, yes we have one not so little, little lady :) Our pediatrician says she looks wonderful and is growing just as she should. Here's a video of our little girl in action. She's definitely the little princess of our family.
Well, another month down and one closer to Kyle getting home. I'm thrilled to say how fast these first 2 months have gone and I'm really hoping this pace continues so we'll be at the end of this long year before we know it. Plus, I'm happy that fall has arrived. Definitely one of my favorite times of the year. Love the feel of the crisp breezes and excited to actually see leaves change color again....living in the south for the last 5 years it just suddenly gets cold one day and the trees lose their leaves all at once. Hoping for a REAL fall now that we're in Colorado.
We have been busy as usual. After a great Labor Day visit from my mom we began our busy Monday through Friday schedule which keeps us going, going, going. Tuesday and Thursday mornings G attends his Mom's Morning Out class called Treehouse. It's for 2 and half to 3 and half year olds and he LOVES it! They do arts and crafts, circle time, play outside, eat lunch, and all sorts of fun things. He's gained so much in his social skills from going to school and does a fabulous job of learning to be a bit more independent of Mommy. He's even getting inspired by some of his classmates, who are already potty trained, and asking to sit on the potty at class. Not too much is actually happening on the potty, but the fact that he's showing interest is a good sign that we're moving in the right direction. On Mondays Greyson spends the day with Kyle's parents, who he calls Pop Pop and JoJo, for adventure day! Each week they do something fun and new like going to the park, the zoo, fishing or having a picnic. G really looks forward to his special time with them and I know they love getting to spend one on one time with him, too. Wednesday we're doing a parenting class on Fort Carson where G and P are in classes with other toddlers and babies being taken care of and I'm in a group learning about parenting styles and techniques. It's been really informative so far and it's nice to take a few hours each week to really think about the kind of mom that I want to be and how we want to raise our kids. The teacher in me loves to always be learning so it's been a lot of fun. Then on Fridays we go to playgroup on post with some friends and Grey gets to march like a dinosaur which he LOVES. So, as you can see during the week we are BUSY, and we like it that way. On the weekends we keep busy getting together with friends, running errands, and going to the YMCA. Getting out and about each day keeps me sane and helps to burn G's energy so he takes a great afternoon nap and ideally I can get P to nap at the same time, too, on a good day.
Speaking of G and P - both are doing fabulously! Peyton is now sleeping in her crib in her room and has a regular bedtime of around 8:30pm and sleeps through the night until about 7:30am, most nights. It's great having a few hours each evening to myself to watch TV or work on grad work. She's heading to her pediatrician in a few weeks for her 4 month appointment and I'm anxious to hear her new stats. Look for an update on that soon. All I can say is she's a big girl whose quite sturdy. She's holding her head up well, kicking her feet, and starting to reach for things. She's hitting that really fun stage of being a cuddly baby who is interactive. She loves when people make faces at her and has a gorgeous smile and adorable coo. Greyson is also doing fantastically! He continues to blow our minds with how verbal he is and his incredible memory. He's helping out more and more around the house. Taking his own shoes on and off and putting them up on the shelf. He will do simple chores that I ask him to do such as putting something in the trash, picking things up off the floor and even giving Peyton her pacifier. He continues to be a wonderful big brother who loves to talk to P-nut and show her all of his toys. I'm one lucky Mom to have these two amazing kids, and I know Kyle feels the same way, too!
Speaking of Kyle, he continues to keep quite busy with work, but is doing well. Most days he's working 14-18 hours and is lucky to get 6 hours of sleep each night. He's somewhat the jack of all trades in his company, but he's really enjoying the work he's doing on community projects in Kandahar. He's currently working on a proposal to improve the water system over there, and he finds that work very fulfilling. He and I talk almost every day and we're so thankful to be able to do that. Kyle also greatly appreciates the many packages from loved ones he's received. The comforts of home make being over there much better. Yesterday was our 5th wedding anniversary and we both can't believe 5 years have come and gone. Seems like we were just cutting our cake yesterday. Looking back we sure have come a long way in 5 years. We've lived in 4 homes in 3 different states. Gone through 2 deployments. Most importantly, welcomed 2 amazing kids into the world. Kyle is hands down the best husband and father I could have ever hoped for and not a day goes by that I don't appreciate him and know how lucky I am to have him be my other half. Love you babe and miss you sooooo much!
Ok, enough of the sappy stuff..he he. Hope you all are doing well and enjoying the nice change of seasons. Here's to another month going by quickly and enjoy the videos below and the September picture link on the left.
Lots of Love, L, G, and P
Singing for Daddy (pardon P crying in the background)
Well, here in our house we're very excited to welcome a new month. It's such a rewarding feeling to have completed one whole month of this deployment and know that we're one month closer to having K home with us. Plus, September brings a packed schedule for us which should only make the time go by even faster. August has been full of lows (Kyle leaving) and highs (lots of family visiting). Here's a brief update on our family.
Kyle left for Afghanistan at the beginning of the month. After spending about a week in Kyrgyzstan he headed into Kandahar and is now at a small base east of the city. I'm honestly not exactly sure of what all he does each day, but I do know he's very busy and working long hours. Most days he works from roughly 7am until at least 10pm and then with time to eat, shower, and call home he's lucky if he manages to get 6 hours of sleep. His living conditions are rough. They are actually stationed at an old hotel that was taken over and turned into an Army base. He shares a room with another soldier in his platoon and sleeps on a very squeaky cot. He has no A/C, not hot water, but is happy that he's getting at least 2 hot meals a day. He's already had a case of dysentery and fractured 2 fingers in a Humvee door. The good news is his spirits are high and most days he spends in the TOC (tactical operations center...aka the main office for those of you who don't speak Army) and doesn't leave the base very often. Which helps rest my nerves. He did purchase an Afghan cell phone so he is able to call home normally once a day if there is not a blackout of communications due to an injury or death of another soldier. This week his another company in his battalion (1-22 IN) lost 3 soldiers...definitely hits close to home. Thanks to all for the continued support, love and prayers for Kyle's safety. It means so much to both he and I. If you didn't get his latest updated address in the previous email I sent out, shoot me an email and I'll happily send it to you. Getting packages and mail for home are so important for morale and keeping in good spirits when it feels like Groundhog's Day and every day is a Monday.
Here's a pic of Kyle and his corner of the room he's sharing with a buddy. Rustic, to say the least.
Greyson and Peyton are both doing great. So far Greyson has dealt with the transition of Kyle leaving quite well. He often talks of Daddy and we do things each day to think of him - like the kisses from Daddy jar and a special prayer before bed - but he hasn't seem overally upset or angry that Daddy is away. I think ignorance is bliss at his age in that he knows that Daddy is in Afghanistan for work to help people, but he doesn't really know what going off to war means. Greyson also just recently turned 2 and half and I swear he gets a secret memo to start acting like a 3 year old. Our little man is never short on opinions and if he wants something...gosh darn it...he's willing to fight for it. I've gained more patience then I've ever had and learned to pick my battles. Mommy is the boss in this house and even when he tries to rule the roost I maintain composure and work to get him back in line. As much as he can frustrate me, he's also my greatest source of joy while Kyle's away. He makes me laugh at his goofy antics, and fills my heart with love with all his hugs, kisses, and "Love you Mommy!" We've kept busy this month with some special fun events like seeing Sesame Street Live (free from the USO on Ft. Carson), visiting the North Pole Amusement Park, and of course, helping Mommy cook. Here's some videos of our fun.
Peyton is also doing quite well and just recently turned 11 weeks. Can't believe she'll be 3 months old soon. She's already starting to outgrow some clothes and is getting really skilled at holding her head up. We also had the consult with the pediatric plastic surgeon about her skin tag that she was born with by her right ear and he said she would need general anesthesia to have it removed and the earliest he would recommend doing that would be at 6 months. I asked if we could wait until Kyle gets back late next summer and he said that was fine. Frankly, I'm too much of a wuss to put my poor baby into surgery without Kyle there for moral support. Plus, I feel much better with her having anesthesia when she's a bit older and larger so her body can handle it better. He said it would be a quick 30 minute procedure, but you know us moms...worrying is what we do. Peyton is also smiling regularly now and starting to do those adorable baby coo's. She's our princess and we sure do love her.
This month has also been busy and fun with many visitors coming to help out during this adjustment time. My Dad and Robyne came for a weekend and we had a blast with them visiting the zoo and the Air Force Academy. Greyson loved taking Nonny and Poppy on the carousel that he loves so much, and he loved getting to see pictures of Kali the dog. He's so looking forwarding to seeing them and Kali when he head to Chicago for the holidays. A few days after they headed home, my wonderful sister Lisa came in town for a visit. During her stay we also were joined by Ron. We had lots of fun visiting the zoo (again...Grey would go everyday happily), cooking tasty breakfasts at the house, and visiting the Children's Museum in Pueblo. Auntie LaLa was a huge help and great extra set of hands around the house. She did laundry, emptied the dishwasher, and changed many diapers. We're sad to see her go, but I'm happy that I'll see her in Chicago in October for our stepsister Beth's wedding. Now we're looking forward to my Mom's visit over Labor Day weekend. Like a said, lots of a visitors, but I so enjoy the company and help and Greyson and Peyton love time seeing all their family members who were so kind to take the time to come out to Colorado.
Here's a video of Lisa (aka LaLa) and Greyson having fun in the music room at the Children's Museum.
And one more from right before Kyle left. Great to see and hear Kyle and Greyson is quite the artist :)
Lots of Love, K,L,G, and P
P.S. Don't forget to check out the August picture link to see all our fun!
P.P.S. Here's the 11 week side by side of G and P. Quite the expressive kids we've got :)
In much happier news than my last blog, Peyton had her 8 week check up today and is doing fantastic! Here's her recent stats:
Head Circumference: 40.5 cm (93rd percentile) Height: 22.25 inches (60th percentile) Weight: 11.8 pounds (85th percentile)
She's eating well, pooping well, and sleeping almost through the night with just one feeding. She's even starting to smile (see the picture below) - such a joy! Couldn't be prouder of our little (actually not so little) lady :)
For fun here's a recent picture of her and one of Grey when he was this age...fun to see the similarities. Peyton - 7 weeks old
Greyson - 7 weeks old
Also, in other news Kyle is safely in Kyrgyzstan were he will be for a little while before heading into Afghanistan. He's doing well and getting to call at least once a day and we even got to video Skype earlier today and he was thrilled to see his little boy. Greyson is adjusting well and enjoying getting his "kiss" (Hershey's, that is) from Daddy each night as a fun when to countdown the deployment. So far, so good and that's the best we can ask for at this point.
Very shortly Kyle will be heading off with his unit to defend our nations freedom. We sure will miss having him around - truly more than words can say - but we are beyond proud of the service he is doing for our country. Kyle is an incredible soldier and more so an incredible father, husband, and my best friend. We know this is only 1 short year in our lifetime together, but it sure does hurt to feel like half your heart is being ripped from your body.
Thank you for the many kind notes and offers of support for our family during this upcoming year - we feel very loved. So, this blogs for Kyle - the best husband and Daddy that any family could wish for.
Well, I aptly named this blog "going out with a bang" because that's exactly what July has been for us. We've had a lot of fun this month, but with the the knowledge in the back of our minds that this would be Kyle's last month around before heading to Afghanistan.
We enjoyed the remainder of his block leave that lasted until July 11th and even though he went back to work then he's had short days and long weekends so we've soaked up as much family time as possible. Kyle heads off to Afghanistan sometime next week (can't give out specifics due to keeping with Army security standards) and I'm loathing the day he has to go. We're doing our best to stay positive and to focus on that each day he's gone is a day closer to him coming home. It's been very hard for him to fathom leaving me and especially the kids behind, knowing how much they'll grow and change each year. While I'm grappling with the knowledge that I'll be a single parent of 2 for the next year. What doesn't kill us makes us stronger, right? We know how lucky we've been having Kyle home for the past 3 and half years, but this deployment is a new experience for us having kids this time around. We're both so appreciative to all our friends and family for offering support, coming to visit, and just simply keeping us in their thoughts and prayers. We're really going to need you all during this next year. I know many of will want Kyle's address and we're working on getting an accurate one asap and then I will email it out. He believes he'll have some internet and phone access overseas so he will at least be available via email sporadically at paradigmshiftbrewing@gmail.com. I will also do my best to send out updates via the blog or email on how he's doing, things he wants/needs in packages, and just general updates throughout his tour of duty. We're so proud of Kyle and what he does for our country and we KNOW that he'll be coming home to us safely in just a few short (12...ugh) months.
In more positive news, our kids are great! Greyson is ridiculously verbal and speaks in sentences all day long. He learns at least 10 new words a day and commits them to memory. He has an incredible memory overall - if we go to a place we've been before he remembers and can tell you what we did last time we were there. He's also working on counting, his ABCs, colors, and shapes. Peyton is growing like a weed. She's now 6 and half weeks old and has got to be weighing in around 11 pounds and she was 22 inches tall at her 4 week appointment. She's eating plenty, pooping a lot, and sleeping quite nicely. We had one night of sleeping all through the night (ahhhh), but most nights she goes down around 10pm, wakes up to eat around 5am, and then goes back to sleep until 9-10am. We truly can't complain. She's starting to "almost smile" and is working on holding her head up more and more each day. Can't believe how quickly 6 weeks have flown by. I'm thankful that I'll have my two munchkins to keep me plenty busy while Kyle is away - granted I may be a bit stressed, exhausted, and want to pull my hair out at times...but they sure are cute and fill my heart with love and joy even when I'm feeling blue that Kyle is away.
Go check out our July picture link on the left to see the fun we had over the 4th with my Mom and Mike in town and all the family fun we had this month. Also enjoy looking at the family portraits we had done here in Colorado Springs over leave. We used a great photographer (www.charlottegeary.com) who took gorgeous shots of our family that we will treasure always.
Sorry my blog updates have been less frequent, but time with Kyle has been our focus this month. I'm sure once he's deployed I'll be a bit more on top of things - who am I kidding? I'll be flying solo with 2 kids and completely busy...but I promise to TRY to be better. Lots of love to you all and please keep Kyle in your prayers as he serves our great nation.
Well, I think this picture of Kyle sums up what the past few weeks have been like for us.
Life sure is busy with 2 kiddos, but we're having so much fun everyday! Greyson continues to be an amazing big brother who is always willing to help out around the house and is always quick to tell Peyton, "It's ok P-nut" when she starts to cry...adorable! He has shown no signs of resentment of her and is learning to deal with that it may take Mom or Dad a minute or two longer to tend to his needs now that there's a newborn around the house.
Peyton is growing and doing so well. She's your typical newborn - she loves to eat, sleep and poop. At her 2 week check up she was back up to 8 lbs 7 ounces (she dropped to 8 lbs 1 ounce after birth - normal and common for bigger babies) and she's developing just perfectly. She gets up twice a night....around midnight and 3am...I take the midnight shift and nurse her and K gets up with her and does a bottle of formula for the 3am feeding. That way we're both getting a decent amount of sleep and it's great that P is willing to take either source of food. LOVE not having a picky eater. She's our gorgeous baby girl and pretty laid back - thus far.
I also realized I never gave the back story on her name. We picked Peyton simply because we liked it and it goes well with Greyson. Plus, we all know you need a strong first name to stand up to our somewhat challenging last name. We decided on Jo for her middle name in honor of both of our moms. My mom is Joanne and Kyle's mom is Joyce so it was a nice way to honor the 2 ladies that brought us into this world to meet, fall in love, and create 2 amazing kiddos together.
Here's a few videos of things we've been up to. I'm not quite mentally alert enough to give you a full written play by play of this months activities, but between the pictures (linked on the left) and the movies (below) you can see all the fun we've been having. Including events like going to the circus, Kyle's Battalion Ball, Greyson's first trip to the movies to see Toy Story 3 in 3D, and simply having fun and hanging out outside during the gorgeous Colorado summer. Enjoy and happy summertime to all of you! I'm making this short to go spend today (my birthday..the big 28) with my family and a looking forward to a date night with my hubby thanks to the grandparents babysitting...yahoo!
G holding his little sister
Greyson sings to Peyton and plays on her activity mat with her
After Peyton was born we definitely immediately noticed the resemblance between her and her big brother. Here's birth pictures from both and WOW, you can definitely tell they are cut from the same cloth.
Can't wait to see how they look alike and differ as they grow.
Peyton Jo Hackbarth arrived on Sunday, June 13th at 6:31pm at Evans Army Community Hospital on Fort Carson in Colorado. She weighed in at 8 lbs. 14 ounces and is 21 inches long. Both myself and our little princess are doing so well and just got home today.
Go check out the photo link (on the left) for all the pictures of Peyton's arrival!
I'll update again soon with all the details, but frankly I'm too tired at this moment to do so.
Lots of Love, K, L, G, and P
P.S. This will now become our new blog titled "Greyson and Peyton's Life" and the web address will be www.greysonandpeytonslife.blogspot.com
Well, yesterday was my 38 week check up and I'm already dilated to 3cm. So, clearly my body is starting the process of our little lady's arrival. They said that makes me a great candidate for induction and went ahead and scheduled it for when I'm 39 weeks on Tuesday, June 15th. My mid-wife did mention she wouldn't be surprised to find out she decided to arrive before than. So, basically we're sitting on pins and needles and over analyzing every little "sign" my body is giving me that she will be coming soon. Crazy to think that in less than a week we'll be meeting our little girl!
Stay tuned to the blog and your email as we'll send out any updates that way as soon as something occurs. Also, yes, we have named her (and some are in the know) but we're not going public with that information until her arrival....gotta keep a little element of surprise.
Looking forward to sharing the news of our little girl's birth with you all SOON!
May has been a busy and fun month for our family. First, we have to say how happy we are to actually have a spring season again. After spending the last 5 years in Oklahoma and Tennessee where it just suddenly switches from winter to summer we're loving the gorgeous spring season. Plus, we are heaven having NO humidity! Yesterday it hit the upper 80's, but with no humidity and a light breeze coming off the mountains it was still absolutely gorgeous! Such a joy to be back in the North again. Just one of the many reasons we're loving our new home here in Colorado.
Kyle got back from JRTC at the end of April so May has been all about family fun! We have enjoyed our weekends together with going to the park, running errands, going out to eat, and all and all enjoying family time. The great weather has allowed us to get outside as much as possible and we even got G his very first big boy bike. Decided to spoil him a bit with his little sister's arrival coming soon. He was so excited to pick out his bike and helmet at the store - so much so that he requested to wear the helmet the entire time we were shopping. Here he is in action on the street, and by action I mean he mostly just sits on it....we're working on the peddling.
He has also finally gotten up the courage to "drive" his Power Wheels F150 truck all on his own that Poppy and Nonny got him for his 2nd birthday. He loves to press the peddle and go cruising down our street and he's working on the steering. Thankfully we have pretty smooth curbs in our neighborhood that allow him to drive up on them. He's a bit of a crazy driver, but he sure does have fun! Check him out:
We also have spent a lot of time at parks around town. One we love is America the Beautiful Park in downtown Colorado Springs. We headed there the other week and Greyson had so much fun "playing slide" and even made some friends.
Greyson finished his school year at his Mom's Morning Out a few weeks ago and had a fun "graduation" party. His teachers are wonderful and he has gained so much through the program. He does amazing art projects, learns new concepts, and has made some great buddies. He will be participating in the their summer program for the last 3 weeks of June and then has 3 weeks off (good time to bond with little sister) and then will head back for 3 more weeks in July before having August off and starting back up for the next school year in September. Developmentally, especially in the language department, Greyson is thriving. He is quite the talker and uses simple sentences to communicate throughout the day. He's constantly observing all that is going on around him and has an amazing memory. If he's been somewhere once he remembers it when he sees it and can tell you about what happened when he was there. He also has a love of music and has some favorite songs that he likes to hear on the radio. He loves "GaGa" and the "Hey Sister" song by train. He also has memorized some favorite kid's songs and likes to sing "Wheels on the Bus", "The Itsy Bitsy Spider", and "Rock-a-bye Baby". He's getting more and more excited about the arrival of his little sister and tells us all the things he's going to do for her and show her. He says he can't wait to show her how he eats big boy food and to show her all his favorite shows like Baby Einstein and Toy Story. We're in awe of our amazing little boy and our really enjoying our final bit of time of just having an only child before we're a family of 4.
Speaking of our little girl, the pregnancy is moving along nicely. I'm about 36.5 weeks along and look like I swallowed a beach ball......see what I mean:
Our not so little girl is still measuring in the 90th percentile and they will make the official call on if we'll schedule an early induction when I go back for a checkup at 38 weeks. Think they will go with that so I'll be induced around June 15th or hopefully she'll decided to come on her own on or before then. Everything is set and ready for her arrival and we just can't wait to see our little lady. Kyle's parents are now living in town (they'll be "snow-birding" here for 6 months to get away from the hot FL summer and to help us out) so they are "on call" to come watch G when the times comes for Kyle and I to head to the hospital for her arrival. We will spread the word as soon as their is news to report and will do our best to get pictures posted as soon as we can after she comes into this world. I will be keeping this blog, just renaming it a bit, to have it work for both kiddos. So, that way you can continue to keep tabs on what's happening with our entire family.
Well, off to rest a bit while G is taking his nap. I have to take advantage of the down time to keep my energy up to keep up with him for the rest of the day. Happy Memorial Day weekend to all of you and remember all our current and past service members for the sacrifices they make serving our great country.
Lots of Love, K, L, and G
P.S. Don't forget to check out the May 2010 picture link on the left - lots of great ones of all the fun we're having!
First, wanted to share a cute video of a conversation I had with Greyson the other day while he played with his sand table. This is a great example of the conversations I have with him all day and everyday. He's so verbal and always wanting to share what he's learning or experiences. Enjoy him and all his cuteness.
Also, a little baby #2 update. Had an ultrasound today and she looks healthy as can be. We also got additional visual confirmation that it is most definitely a girl. Phew - Kyle was worried he may have to repaint her room. By the way, here is a pic of her nursery - not completely done but almost.
Back to the ultrasound results, the other main purpose of this ultrasound was to see roughly how big she was measuring due to my history of having large babies (G was 9 lbs. 6 ounces). Well folks, she seems to be following in her big brother's footsteps with being a big baby. Today she measured in around 7 lbs and typically babies at 35 weeks measure at 5 lbs. So, we'll see what the doctor has to say next week about possibly scheduling an induction a bit early due to her size. Now I really feel like a ticking time bomb knowing that she could come at any time now. Here's a pic of me today at a little over 35 weeks.....looks like I swallowed a beach ball.
Greyson wanted to wish all of the fabulous women in his life Happy Mother's Day! We enjoyed a great day of french toast in bed, a trip to the zoo, and we're hosting a BBQ at our home this afternoon on an absolutely gorgeous May day here in Colorado. Greyson and Kyle spoiled me rotten with super sweet cards, an adorable frame G made for me at school and a massage gift certificate to use after the baby is born. All and all it's been a wonderful day.
Wishing all the moms, aunts, and grandmas out there a fabulous day from Mr. G!
Greyson and Mommy
Grandma JoJo
Grandma Joannie
Nonny
Auntie LaLa
Great Grandma Bell
Great Grandma Hackbarth
Also Happy Mother's Day to Great Grandma Lee, Great Grandma Sheila, and Glo - sorry didn't have any pictures for you all.
I'm happy to say that April is over as it was our first taste of life with Kyle away. Kyle spent majority of the month April 6-29 at JRTC (joint readiness training center) at Fort Polk, Louisiana. It's a predeployment training that all brigades do in preparation of their upcoming deployments. Basically they are super busy down there doing everything and anything to simulate the situations they will face overseas. The training culminates with a 5-6 day force on force laser tag war where they are tested by opposition forces to see how well they do in a variety of circumstances. Overall Kyle found the training to be pretty valuable as a learning tool and he personally did very well. He was awarded the Fire Support Officer of the Battle award - recognizing that he was the best performing fire support officer in the entire brigade. It was a nice honor and recognition of how competent and skilled Kyle is in his specialty and that he is continuing to grow and develop as a successful officer. The month long training was good "practice" for what life will be like when Kyle deploys later this summer. Where he was he had NO cell reception so our contact was limited to when he found a place with a signal or when he could borrow someone's phone who actually had service. Greyson and I kept plenty busy while he was away, which you'll read about below, and overall the experience gave me more confidence in myself to hold down the fort while Kyle is deployed....granted then I'll have 2 kiddos, so it won't be quite the same, but still a good learning experience.
Before Kyle left for JRTC we were lucky enough to have my Mom and stepdad, Mike, come and visit over Easter weekend. Sadly Greyson was battling pink eye and ear infection during their visit so that limited our activities, but we still were so happy to have them around. They were able to celebrate Easter with us and watch G enjoy his egg hunt and eating far too much chocolate. We also got a chance to check out Ft. Carson, the Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun, and the Air Force Academy. Overall, a great visit and worked out so well that they were able to see Kyle before he left for training.
Greyson and I have a pretty busy schedule Monday through Friday with preschool twice a week, playdates, a playgroup on Ft. Carson, and Diaper Gym. Now I'm sure you're wondering what on Earth is Diaper Gym? It's a tumbling/gymnastics class for children under 3 and G loves it. He gets to walk on the beam, bounce on the trampoline, and do rolls. His favorite part of class is at the end when Ms. Cindy, his teacher that he loves, puts stamps on their hands on feets and they get a sucker for a doing a good job. Here's a video of him in action at Diaper Gym showing off his roll skills.
We also like to get outside as much as we can, especially when he have nice weather...which has been hit or miss this month with crazy weather ups and downs. On nice afternoons Greyson loves to visit the pond at a local park to feed the ducks and geese.
Greyson, like all 2 year old little boys, is full of plenty of energy and he's quite a quick runner. Check him out running a loop at the park after feeding the ducks. We're thinking toddler soccer next spring will be a great activity for him and all his energy.
We also did a variety of things around the house while Kyle was away to help Greyson cope with Daddy being gone - another preparation for the upcoming deployment. We made a calendar showing our daily activities in pictures and when Daddy would be home on it and he loves marking off each day and seeing what we're doing. We also had Kyle make a DVD of him reading some of G's favorite stories. His favorite activity was getting a "kiss" from Daddy each night after supper. I made a jar with pictures of him and Kyle on it and filled it with the number of Hershey kisses for the amount of days Kyle would be gone. Then each night he got to eat one to count down to Kyle's return. Check out how we did this in the video below....so cute!
We were also lucky enough to have even more visitors this month. My Dad was able to come out for a weekend to help keep us company while Kyle was away. We enjoyed going for hibachi, taking Greyson for Dairy Queen (keeping with family tradition), visiting the Dinosaur Museum, and feeding the giraffes at the zoo. Greyson had lots of fun playing with his Poppy and thinks he's very funny.
Shortly after my Dad's visit, Kyle's parents (Daryl and Joyce) arrived to visit and watch Greyson while I headed off to Vegas for our annual family girl's trip. Greyson had so much fun with his PopPop and JoJo going to Diaper Gym, going to playgroup, playing outside, and going shopping. I had a fun filled weekend in Vegas with my mom, sister, aunt and cousin seeing lots of shows, eating at fabulous restaurants, shopping, and doing LOTS of walking around the strip. I definitely could have used a vacation after my vacation to catch up on my sleep.
Enjoying a DELICIOUS brunch at Bouchon at The Venetian. Best pastries ever! We even got to spend sometime with President Obama....ok, just kidding...we did have a great time at the Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum. Big thank you to PopPop and JoJo for helping me out and coming out to watch G while I was away enjoying a bit of "me time". I was able to relax and have a great time knowing that he was in great care. We're excited that later this month they will be moving out here to their apartment for 6 months to be around to help us out when the baby is born and after Kyle deploys. They truly are lifesavers and we're so appreciative of all the help they give us. Greyson doesn't mind all the attention and spoiling either :)
Last, I guess I should update you on my pregnancy progression. As off tomorrow I'm 7 weeks from my due date...yikes! Sudddenly, it seems like this pregnancy has hit fast forward and we're in the final stretch. I'm scheduled for an ultrasound in a few weeks to check on the size of our baby girl and the midwife said if she's still measuring large they may schedule an induction at 39 weeks....meaning I could really be 6 weeks from delivery day. Kyle and I are working hard on all the final preparation of her room. We're pretty much set just need to finish a bit of decorating and getting a rocking chair. I must be in the nesting stage as I did about 5 loads of laundry of her stuff this weekend washing everything in Dreft so it's ready for her to wear when she arrives. I'm definitely feeling large these days and getting up and down is not so easy. I once again have one "cankle" (my left), but my midwife reassures me my blood pressure is great and it just must be how my vascular system copes with the weight gain. Especially, since I had the same swollen left ankle with Greyson....not a very good look. At my last check up she was already in position with head down and I feel like this little lady is sitting super low so if I'm supposed to "drop" later in this pregnancy I have no clue where she thinks she's dropping to. Sleeping is a bit of struggle with not being able to get comfortable and the joy of having to wake up to go to the bathroom. We'll keep you all posted as the pregnancy progresses with any updates and we can't wait to meet our little girl SOON!
Love to you all, K, L, and G
P.S. Don't forget to check out the April 2010 photo link on the left.
March has been a busy month for our family. We've gotten out and about around town to check some new things out and even had a surprise visitor come to see us. Kyle has continued to keep busy as the FSO for his company and we're gearing up for a fun Easter weekend with my mom and stepdad Mike in town and then Kyle heads off to JRTC training in Louisiana early next week.
This month we had another great trip to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. We got a family season pass and having it right here in town we tend to get up there at least a few times a month. Greyson loves to visit the giraffes and you can even feed them. Check out how excited he gets giving the giraffe's their crackers:
We also have had fun hanging out around the house. As you can see in these clips Greyson can making fun out of just about anything. He loves to play in "his cabinet" and even turn it into a little hiding place, and you can also see him showing off his dinosaur marching dance. We learned this at the playgroup we go to on Ft. Carson each Friday and now he LOVES doing it multiple times a day.
We had a lot of fun as a family rooting on the Boilermakers during there surprisingly decent run in the NCAA March Madness competition. We were proud our Boilers made Sweet 16 and we're sure it was Greyson's cheering that aided in their success. Check him out scooping out the basketball game when we watched it online (Mom taught him a bit about the game of basketball along the way) and how loud and proud he says, "Go Boilers" - Purdue he's coming your way in about 16 years.
The best surprise of the month was a last minute visit from my sister, or as Greyson's calls her Auntie LaLa. She got to experience the ups and downs of a Colorado springtime with a gorgeous sunny 65 degree day when she arrived followed shortly there after with a 30 degree day and 4 inches of snow. We had a blast having her here - visiting the Figure Skating Hall of Fame, playing in the snow, taking G to the pool, and decorating spritz cookies. We LOVED having her here and G is still asking me everyday, "Where's LaLa?" They have quite a bond and he always has lots of fun when she's around - could be because she spoils him rotten, but that's what aunts are for.
Kyle continues to stay busy with all of his commitments at work. He's really finding a place for himself in Charlie Company of 1-22 infantry and is getting to know all the fellow soldiers he works with. He's spent some time teaching some call for fire classes to his peers, planning and organizing for their JRTC field training, and generally being the go-to guy whenever they need someone else with a head on their shoulders. I'm so proud of how well he's transitioned to becoming an officer and I can already tell how respected he is by his peers and superiors. Plus, secretly it's a lot of fun to visit him on post and watch a whole bunch of people salute him...he he. Speaking of his training schedule Kyle is gearing up to leave next week for a 3 week JRTC training in Ft. Polk, Louisiana. This is a required training that all units do before a deployment to test their skills and get rated in a variety of areas in preparation of what's to come. We're not thrilled Daddy will be leaving us for a few weeks, but accept that it's part of the job. Greyson and I will keep plenty busy here and we're looking forward to a visit from my Dad during that time and then Kyle's parents are coming out to watch Greyson while I head off on our family girl's weekend to Las Vegas at the end of the month. Yes, I know a 7 month pregnant gal in Vegas is a bit of a funny sight, but I plan on eating all the tasty food and saving all the money that the rest of the girls will spend on booze.
My pregnancy continues to go smoothly. I'm now 28 weeks and officially in my 3rd trimester. I'm definitely starting to get bigger and bigger. I use my belly button as a gauge of how I'm progressing and it sure seems to be getting shallower and shallower every day - soon it's just going to pop out and stay out. My blood pressure has continued to look great and so have my glucose levels. They are still tracking our baby girl's size and plan to send me for another ultrasound to get measurements around 33 or 34 weeks. Lots of hard work has also been done on her nursery. Her walls are all painted - pink on top with chocolate brown and a white chair rail. Also the furniture is put together and we're working on all the finishing touches. Pictures to come soon when we get a bit more accomplished.
That's about all for us for this month. Happy Passover and Easter to our families and get out and enjoy these warmer sunny days when they arrive.
Lots of Love, Kyle, Lindsey, and Greyson
P.S. Don't forget to check out the March 2010 picture link on the left.
Well, folks it's official. Greyson is now a big 2 year old! He had a FABULOUS birthday! Thankfully Kyle was off on the day due to the moving leave his unit granted him so we spent the day as a family. He woke up to come downstairs to see a mountain of birthday presents. Nonny and Poppy (my Dad and Robyne) got him a Power Wheels F150 truck so we set that up in the living room and loaded it up with all his gifts. He was so excited when he saw it all! He loves his doctor kit from Auntie Lisa (Lala) and is quite obsessed with the play cash register and the Thomas the train set we got him. We spent the morning at the playgroup we go to every Friday on Fort Carson. He loves going there to interact with other kids and loves that for the last half hour we sing songs and dance. His favorite is called "We are the Dinosaurs" and we get to march in a circle and pretend to eat and sleep like dinos - he's a riot during it! Then we headed to Lil Biggs (similar to a Chuck-E-Cheese but geared for little ones) that evening with our friends, the Brown family, and Greyson had a blast playing games, running around, eating pizza and blowing out the candles on his cake. See the video below of the fun time we had. Overall, it was a great birthday for him and I'm so thankful we got to spend it to together as a family as we know that sadly Kyle will be overseas during his birthday next year.
Speaking of Kyle's work - he went from enjoying his 10 days of moving leave off at home with us to being thrown into the deep end with his unit on a week long field problem. Kyle left last Tuesday and has been out on Fort Carson running missions, calling for fire, and preparing for their JRTC rotation that is coming up in April. Thankfully he has his cell so I'm able to hear from him once or twice a day. He seems to be enjoying his work and sounds like he's doing a great job mentoring his guys he's in charge of - no surprise there, he's a natural leader. He's been working long hours and outside a lot, so most days he's quite exhausted. Sadly the exhaustion isn't ending just yet. He will come home on Tuesday, but then goes back into the field for Thursday night to do a 22 mile ruck march back in on Friday morning. Sounds torturous to me and I know Kyle is dreading it. Thankfully after that he'll have more of a 9-5, actually with the Army it's more like 5-5, schedule for the rest of March before he leaves for all of April. This has definitely been a wake up call to me as to what to expect in the next 6 months. It can be a challenge to be a temporary single mom, but Greyson has been wonderful and we do our best to keep busy to make the time go by faster.
Baby girl keeps growing and kicking away inside me everyday. I've definitely popped out more and know that my belly will only keep growing for these next 4 months. We've made headway on her nursery and hope that by next month's update we'll be able to show you some pictures of were we're at with her room. We're doing a pink and brown theme and have all the nursery furniture ready to put together and set up - a big thanks to my Mom for that. She's already spoiling her first granddaughter. I'm guessing she's going to be quite the princess amongst both of our families.
That's all for now. Wishing you all the best and enjoy the February pictures (linked on the left) and the videos below.
