Alex is 3!!!

I can't believe that Alex is 3 years old!  It just doesn't seem possible.  I'm pretty sure he just turned 2.  Three doesn't seem right.

We started his birthday celebrations Saturday.  We did a joint birthday party with his friend Xavier again this year.  Luckily it has worked out both times and the boys don't seem to mind sharing their party with each other.  I think they're just happy to get cake and presents. :)  Alex had a couple of friends from school come and several church friends.  Unfortunately the park we usually do birthdays at needed some fixing up, so Amber found a great new park to celebrate at.  All of the kids played so well together.  We are lucky to have such great friends.  It would have been a perfect day if the wind wasn't blowing!  Of course, it's hard for us to complain about winter when most of the country is covered in snow!

We did a Cars in Space birthday party since Alex wanted a Cars birthday and Xavier wanted a rocket ship birthday.  Amber did a great job combining the 2 and found cute snack and drinks to go along with the theme.

The snacks: Asteroids - Corn Pops, Nuts and Bolts - trail mix, Saturn's Rings - Fruit Loops

Flo's French Onion Dip and Mater Tater Chips

Rocket Fuel (lemonade with green food coloring) and Motor Oil (sweet tea)

The delicious chocolate cake made by our friend's mom (with a little help from Ava and Zac)

Snack and cheesy face time!

My cute (almost) 3 year old!

Jim and Catie

Alex running on the playground.

Ready for the cake!

Looks like Alex is singing "Happy Birthday"

Xavier blowing out his candle

Alex blowing out his candle (though I think the wind got it before he did).

Jim and Jean came up for the weekend to celebrate as well.  It's always nice to have grandparents around.  We figured the boys weren't going to nap, so we let Alex open up his presents from Jim and Jean.  He loves his new space ships and they have both kept the boys entertained.

Jim and Jean also offered to watch the kids so Matthew and I could go out.  It was especially nice since it was Valentine's Day.  We tried a new (to us) restaurant, Saucy Taco, that we both liked.  It's always nice to go out without kids, no matter what day it is!

Matthew made lunch Sunday so we didn't have to go anywhere.  It's nice to just be able to sit and talk and not worry about the kids getting up and running around.  We also did Facetime with Patrick, Mariruth, Caitlin and William.  I'm definitely glad we don't live up north after seeing all of the snow they have gotten!

Monday was Alex's actual birthday.  We spread out the celebration.  Alex opened a couple of presents in the morning.

Birthday pancakes!

Since it was also President's Day, Robbie didn't have school, so all of the kids got to go to the gym together.  I made sure my friend Meg was taking her boys, too, because they all like to play together and Robbie has asked when he gets to play with Lawson at the gym because Robbie is in school Mondays, so he doesn't get to see him.

It really wasn't a good time to take their picture, but I tried!

I left my class a few minutes early so I could change before getting the kids and going to Mama Fu's for lunch.  Alex loves their ninja noodles (teriyaki noodles and chicken) and Robbie loves that it's next door to Moe's.  Matthew met us for lunch with a Cars balloon for Alex.  Then we went to Sweet Frog for some frozen yogurt.

We let Alex open a couple more presents after lunch, they watched shows and then it was nap time.  Matthew went in to wake up Alex so we could go to dinner, but, apparently, he wasn't quite ready to wake up!

Yes, he did lie down on the changing pad and fell back asleep!

Sweet angel face!

We finally did get him to wake up so we could go to Five Guys for dinner.  We also had to go to Publix where Alex picked out cookies to take to school the next day to celebrate with all of his friends there.

When we got home Alex had a few more birthday presents to open.  Matthew got him some Cars to play with the Infinity game that Jim and Jean gave the kids for Christmas.  While the boys were playing, I took the side off of Alex's crib so he could have a toddler bed.  He was so excited to see it!

Unfortunately, after bath time, Alex started crying. It took us a while to figure out what he was saying, but eventually I figured it out.  "I want my crib fixed!"  Rewatching the video makes me think he was worried about falling out.  Thanks, Robbie!!  So while I read the boys books, Matthew put the side back on.

The Eikelands gave Alex a bubble blower for his birthday and the boys wanted to use it yesterday.  Just remember that it's nice and warm here (or it was yesterday!) and that is why Catie is only in a diaper.



Today was Alex's 3 year check up.  I think it might be the best one because he didn't get any shots.  Alex was great with the nurse and the doctor, even better than just a few weeks ago when he had an ear infection.  Alex is 29.6 lbs (26%) and 36 3/4 inches (33%).  He's happy and healthy and growing like he should.

Alex asked yesterday and today for a big boy bed, so I thought we'd try it out again.  I won't say that the boys napped today, but at least Alex didn't cry asking for his crib to be fixed!



Robbie said "Brothers don't fight, brothers hug!"

Catie is 10 months!!!!!!!!!!

Catie is now in double digit months.  We have even started talking about her 1st birthday.  I know the next couple of months will go by quickly and we won't have a baby anymore.  That's not true, I tell the boys they will always be my baby (and I will tell Catie the same thing, too). 

Catie crawls and is fast!  She's quiet, too.  She's surprised me more than once showing up in a room that I'm in.  It's just another sign that she's growing up that she no longer stays in the room I left her in.  She's also walking a lot.  Ok, not walking-walking, but she'll hold your hand or hold on to furniture and walk.  I even put her behind the boys' space rover and she took a few steps.  Robbie was holding her hands the other day and walking with her and they were both laughing the whole time.  It was so cute!

Catie's 3rd tooth came in New Year's Day.  I keep waiting for more to come in, but they haven't yet.  She has been pretty fussy the last couple of days, so maybe they are coming soon.

Catie was diagnosed with her first ear infection last Saturday.  I knew it was coming because at her 9 month check up the doctor commented that she hadn't had any ear infections yet.  I knew the doctor jinxed us!  We never even realized her ears were bothering her.  We only took her to the doctor because she had a high fever (102+) Friday evening that had gone away by Saturday.  Guess it's a good thing we still took her!  For a few days all 3 kids were on amoxicillin because they all had ear infections.  Fun times! :)

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10 months - Catie's hair seemed to get longer and fuller this month!

Catie's 9 month check up

It's weird having Catie's check up schedule a month after she turned 9 months, but really, it was only a week ago.  I know with the holidays and her doctor is one of the favorites, it can be tough getting in right away.

Catie is growing and perfect, though I don't need an MD to tell me that!  I've know it since day 1! :)  Catie did surprise us by popping out a tooth yesterday.  It's a top one, but not the very middle one, but the one right next to it (on the right side).  When the doctor was checking her out, she did a gum check and her other 3 top teeth seem pretty close to coming through, too.  We'll definitely be keeping our eye on her mouth.  She's going to hate us because she hates to let us see her teeth.  But now we know that her gums are probably just sore with so many teeth coming through.  Matthew bought some Motrin so we'll have it on hand if she gets too fussy.  But other than a short nap yesterday we really didn't know she had a new tooth coming in...and I certainly wasn't looking for a side one to come in first on top!

Catie is 18 lbs, 0.5 oz (45%) and 28 1/4 in (70%) long.  Her head is 45.5 cm full of brains, but the doctor didn't get the percent for that.  I always forget, but the soft spot should close between 9-18 months and the doctor thinks it will close around 12 months because it's pretty small already (according to her).

Matthew and I both think Catie is starting to favor Alex more, though many people thought she has looked like him since birth.  I'm glad they all look alike...especially since they are all super cute!

Catie is 9 months!!!!!!!!!

Catie turned 9 months the day after Christmas.  She could possibly be my favorite as she did start sleeping through the night all by herself.  I thought that was just a myth!! :)  She's turned into an awesome eater!  Once we realized that she doesn't like pureed food and started giving her solids she started eating it up.  I'm sure it's because she's the 3rd child, but we are pretty much giving her whatever we are eating and have already started giving her bites of chicken, turkey and ham.  It's amazing what she can eat with only her 2 bottom teeth.  Yes, she still only has her 2 bottom teeth and it doesn't look like her top ones are coming in any time soon.  She does look so cute with her teeth.

Catie is getting better crawling and is starting to crawl properly more than army crawling.  She's also starting to take steps if you hold her hands.  I even watched her hold on the couch and take a couple of steps holding on to it.  I'm not going to get my hopes up about her walking early, though.  Everyone thought Alex would walk early to keep up with Robbie, but he didn't.

I also decided to take away Catie's baby bath tub and am just bathing her in the big tub.  She loves it!  But she is definitely one we will have to keep an eye on when there's water in the tub because she's fallen face first reaching for toys and has tried to pull up on the side of the tub.  Who knows, maybe she'll even be a bigger daredevil than her brothers!  (Lord help me!)

I don't know if it's because Catie is older or because Alex is older, but Alex is definitely giving Catie more attention than he used to.  He'll give her hugs and kisses and bring her toys.  Of course, now that she's more mobile and grabby he's not always her biggest fan.  He has acted like she's a 10-ton boulder when she's crawled on his legs and he can't get them out from under her.  And she does want to look at whatever book he might be reading.  But both boys are so sweet with her and are great big brothers.

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Visit with Santa

Robbie said a while ago that he wanted to see Santa.  This is a complete 180 from previous years when he would barely even look at Santa when we walked by (though he still wanted to keep his eye on him!).  Alex and Robbie are both out of school now and Matthew was able to meet us at the mall.  The wait wasn't too bad and it helped that my friend Amber and Robbie's best friend Xavier were there, too.  (That was a totally unplanned surprise!)

I feel like these pictures sum up our kids pretty nicely.  Robbie was super excited to see Santa.  Alex is shy and we had to carry him up to sit with Santa.  And Catie is in the beginning stages of separation anxiety.

Robbie - Yay, I'm so excited to see Santa!
Alex - Do I have to sit here?
Catie - Where'd you go, Mommy?

Alex - Am I done yet?

Yes, yes you are, Alex!

Robbie's Christmas Chapel

Today was Robbie's school Christmas chapel.  Matthew was able to take some time off to join me.  Alex and Catie were in Mom to Mom childcare.  It was nice not having to worry about them.

I asked Robbie a few times in the last couple of days if he was going to sing with his friends on stage.  He said he was and that they practiced being on stage.  I couldn't help but remember the last time we were on stage, for Catie's dedication, and he said it was scary.  Robbie did great!  After he was done he was able to come sit with us for the rest of the chapel.

Here are the 3 songs they did:

I love that Robbie looks right at the camera.  And the smile on his face at the end is priceless!  I really didn't know I was such a bad camera-person, though



I scanned the stage just to see all of the kids.  There are 4 PK3 classes.

Catie is 8 months!!!!!!!!

No one believes me when I tell them how old Catie is.  I can hardly believe it myself!!  She is such a happy baby and smiles at EVERYONE.  She still prefers the army crawl to actual crawling, but she's starting to go farther and farther on her hands and knees.  Either way, Catie gets around!  I'm always surprised when I find her in a different room than I leave her in.  She is trying to pull up, now, and successfully did it once on a toy.  And one way she has developed quicker than the boys: she has 2 teeth!  Robbie and Alex both got their first tooth at 8 months and she already had 2 when she turned 8 months.  It's hard to know when she's teething, though.  The night before her first tooth came through she slept through the night (or, I did anyway).  The second tooth came through when I was in Tallahassee and Matt was home with the kids.  It's funny because she has started sucking on her lips and I think it's because she's feeling her new teeth.  I'm sure it must be a strange feeling!

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Feeling her teeth...looking like an old man!

Can you see them?