from BTemplates!

Getting done!!


Well for over a year we've been slowly finishing the basement as we saved up the funds...and once we got the sheetrock up it really snowballed from there! I'm SOOO excited to have a place for the kids to play and an office for the desktop/craft stuff. We will also have another bedroom and bathroom down there so that guests can be a little more comfortable and eventually when Kaden is older he can move down there. Just doing the painting and trim has really added a lot (Tyler did a great job with that and has worked so hard! Thanks honey!) and Tyler's dad was kind enough to come and install all of the tile around the fireplace and hearth so it looks great! In a couple of weeks the carpet will be installed. We are hoping we will get to spend Christmas Eve down there together watching movies and cuddling in front of the fire!

Here's a pic of the west end of the family room- the closets will house blankets, games in one and all the dvd/speaker components in the other. It's all prewired with some conduit so the cords can go through the walls to the TV/speakers.
A close-up of the fireplace/'cubbies' I'm not sure what will go in there yet, probably decorative stuff or shelves. What would you put in there?
The East end has double doors into the office and there's a playroom under the stairs next to the bathroom (on the South wall). I'll post more pics when carpet is down. Thanks everybody who has helped us out on this 'little project' we are so grateful! We have also been really lucky to have met and worked with some great guys whom we would definitely recommend for sheet-rocking, plumbing, custom doors, electrical, etc. if you're interested- :)

30 WEEKS!


Today makes 30 weeks! I have a maximum of 9 weeks left to go (love scheduled c-sections!) I have been getting requests for belly pics from far away family and friends so here you go, fresh off the press this morning:


A close-up...

18 Months


Today Kyson is 18 months old. I can't believe he is going to nursery! Here are his stats:
  • 22lbs 4 oz. (9th % up from the 3rd % 3 mos. ago- yay! It has been SO difficult to get him to gain weight with his newfound picky eating, the Dr. was VERY pleased with our progress!)
  • 31.7 inches tall (32nd%)
He is still too busy exploring to say much other than 'dada' 'mama' 'baba' (cup), and 'bum' and a few animal sounds. He is attempting more sounds- and babbles a lot more than he used to, so soon the words will come. The Dr. said not to worry about the talking since he is still very good at communicating. For now it's really entertaining watching his made-up sign language- he definitely gets his point across. Just Sunday in church he pointed to his bum, grabbed the wipes and ran out of the chapel- and he DID need a change.

He is starting to climb things now that he's figured out the lego bucket doubles as a stool- he likes to find keys, phones, and treats off the countertop. His favorite movie right now is probably Toy Story- he LOVES Buzz. He is still refusing to eat most of the time- but in the last day or so he's been doing better- he goes in spurts of good eating/fasting. He is just too busy to stop and eat! Next week we move his crib into Kaden's room to start testing out the sharing schedule, then in December Santa is bringing a bunk bed (don't tell!). He will probably want to sleep in the big boy bed when he sees it since he's not really attached to his crib and hates being stuck in it when he wakes up; but if not we still have a few months before the baby will sleep in the crib. It's just nice to have them in the bed before the new sibling shows up so it doesn't seem like we kick him out and put the new baby right in. Anyway here's some pics of Ky over the last 18 months :)

Less than 24 hrs old and grinning:
This was around 2-3 months old:
This was at 17 months- his first 'big boy' haircut:

Ky is such a joy in our home- he continues to be a pretty easy baby (toddler now!) he's usually happy and laid back. If he gets mad or frustrated he does the cutest "incredible hulk" impersonation and then a few minutes later he's over it. He loves his brother tons- he is always giving Kaden random hugs. He loves to rock out to music on the radio. His favorite toy is whatever Kaden is playing- he copies pretty much everything he does- especially Star Wars sound effects.

The Stock Market is Up...


Or at least that's what my weight chart looks like:
Well one of the many joys of pregnancy is the weight gain...so far I've gained about 18 lbs. (That dip in July was from morning sickness/flu.) This is on track I suppose, but the last 10 lbs have really come on quickly and I'm worried it will continue to speed up and I still have 10 weeks to go! It is so hard to get to the gym at the end of a long day, and the bigger this baby gets the less energy I have in the first place! And not snacking is NOT an option- it's as if an alien being is controlling me...and it knows its way to the pantry all too well. So anyone out there who has any suggestions is welcome to comment.

Spooky Hour...


This year Halloween came fast! I have had a lot going on this month and making cute homemade costumes just wasn't in the cards. Kaden was fine with this- he LOVED his Wolverine costume (he has a Wolverine school backpack which turned him on to this character). Kyson wore the good ole' monkey costume (Kaden's wore it a few years ago). I was so happy Ky would leave the hat on- he even made some monkey noises.

Here is the ONLY picture I got of the two of them together in costume- Kyson was running around non-stop!

In the car on the way to trunk or treat- he was strapped in so I could get a pic!

Here is one I REALLY wish I had from the front...but once again he was racing around- excited to see his "cousins."

Wolverine!

Here are all of Grandma's great grandkids- except Samantha, she was a mover too!

Claws are out!

After the trunk or treat- sugar high!

This was so sweet- Ky loves giving random hugs to his big brother.