Soccer - Week 4

Soccer was a disaster this week. Midway through soccer, Jonathan started crying and had to leave the field. He said his foot hurt and he wanted to go home. I personally think it was because he was challenged by a kid this week during drills who was really fast. We finally got him back out on the field and he played for a little bit and then complained again about his foot. Who knows what was wrong with him. Hoping next week goes better.

Silly Jonathan

I don't think I have a picture of this on the blog yet or not but this is something he used to do at Mary's with all the other kids...hike up his shorts/pants and shirt and run around and be silly. Not sure what it is all about but he thinks it is hilarious.

Proud Big Brother

Jonathan loves his baby sister. He is asking to hold her more often and plays with her from time to time. He really is a great big brother. Diana gets the biggest smile on her face whenever she sees Jonathan too. It's really sweet.

Diana Laughing

Jonathan and I heard Diana laugh for the first time today. She woke up extremely happy from her afternoon nap and while we were all playing on the couch Diana laughed. I was shocked at first and then tickled her and she laughed again. Of course I rushed to get the video camera to capture it but I couldn't get her to do it again. I think this might be the next thing to add to her list of developmental accomplishments.

Diana's Baptism

Diana was baptized this weekend. Thank you to everyone who was part of this special day. Especially, Tara and Aaron, for being Diana's godparents and making the long trip to be here. Diana was hungry so a little fussy throughout the whole baptism but she didn't cry when she had the water poured over her head. And big brother Jonathan was for the most part well behaved. Of course all of his little buddies were there which added to the excitement.

Race for the Cure

Diana went to her first Race for the Cure today. She was an angel and slept the whole time. Thank you Nana and Auntie Heidi for joining us.

Soccer - Week 3

Well our first 2 weeks of soccer may have led Jonathan to believe that you score goals every time you play. We were very disappointed this week when we didn't score. I do think it is a good lesson for him to learn though that you can't score every game. He still ran a lot and played hard but he was a little more distracted this week.

Diana 4 Month Pictures

A little late but here are some 4 month pictures I took of Diana.

Dollhouse

Daddy G brought down the dollhouse that Tara has given to Diana today. It is BEAUTIFUL! I can't wait for Diana to grow up and play with it. I just hope I have the patience to finish it, I may be calling in reinforcements. For the time being, Jonathan is enjoying his sister's doll house and has played with it non-stop. Since we don't have dolls for it, he has decided to use his lego and green army people instead, seems to be working just fine.
Shh...don't tell Daddy I let Jonathan sit on the table.
Knock, knock anyone home? Oh Jonathan is (I love him smiling through the window.)

Museum Center

I took the kids to the museum center as Jonathan was home today (preschool is Mon, Tues and Wed mornings). I wanted to go a park and play but Jonathan decided the museum center. Once I got outside I told Jonathan that he made the right decision, it was actually quite chilly and windy. Jonathan loves the children's area at the museum center and spent most of the time building. He is such a busy boy! Here he was building a "clock" and when one hand was pointing up and the other one down, it was time for bed. I got a clock for my birthday (which I love, thank you GB!) that we have been using to help teach Jonathan about time. I guess we use it the most for bedtime. :-)

Soccer - Week 2

Jonathan is still enjoying soccer. He is doing really well listening to the coaches and following directions. He dribbles the ball a little slow in my opinion, but he is very focused. He did score 2 goals today which he was very excited about!
He really does give it his all and runs non-stop. This is after practice...his face is always so red.

Peek-a-boo Diana

Peek-a-boo Diana. Where did Diana go?

There she is...Jonathan is still loving his baby sister and is so good with her. Today he decided to put his hoodie on her, which resulted in peek-a-boo

A Little Neighborhood Fun

I had a good idea to call up some neighborhood friends (Alivia, Rocco, Liliana, Alex, Evan, Danny and Andrew) to meet us at the baseball/soccer field down the street for some sports fun. We played baseball, kickball and soccer...and then of course the kids made up their own kind of fun with sticks, pretending they were pirates and watching the "big kids" play soccer. Jonathan asked me if they could go join the big kids game and didn't quite understand why he couldn't when I said no. I think the kids had fun and might try and make this a weekly activity.

JT 2nd Day at Preschool

Drop off went well again today for Jonathan's second day. He wanted lots of hugs and kisses but held it together. When I picked him up today the teacher came out and told me he had a great day. She then said "He is so sweet!" I wonder what he did to win her over, maybe wink at her? I guess he practiced putting on a coat all by himself today. He used to know how to do this but must be out of practice with all this hot weather we have had. He loves the "dress up" area in his classroom and every day he tells me, "I was a policeman today"

Diana 3 Month Pictures

We got the CD with Diana's 3 month pictures...Jonathan snuck in a few too. :-)

Diana 4 Month Checkup

Diana had her 4 month checkup and as soon as we walked in both the nurse and Dr. Bagamery said wow, Diana has grown. Sure enough, she is a big girl now...jumped to the 50% for both height and weight (non-adjusted, meaning she is average for all 4 month olds). I am so proud of her and very happy about the jump from 10th percentile to 50th! She is now 24 inches long and weighs 13 pounds, 5 ounces. The doctor also gave her the best compliment she gives, "Diana's development is perfect." She said her husband tells people if I ever say this to your child, that is the best thing my wife can say about your child. Again at this appointment, Dr. Bagamery spent a lot of time looking at Diana's eyes and her tracking and said she is perfectly fine and that she is no longer worried about her development. She will continue to be "behind" in some development areas but that is to be expected. Diana's newest things...she loves to smile and talk to you. So much so that she isn't eating as well during the day because she just wants to talk, but clearly she is eating enough so I don't need to worry. She also furiously tries to get her whole fist in her mouth and hasn't learned that a finger or two would be a better idea. We are all getting better about her shoes. I am learning how to put them on better and what activities she can do without kicking them off. She still wakes up every morning with them off so I am not sure what I am going to do about that yet.

First Day of Preschool

Jonathan started preschool today! His teachers are Mrs. Eagle and Mrs. Marshall. We went and visited his classroom yesterday and it looks like he will have lots of fun there. Of course it will help that his buddy Alex is in class with him. Jonathan made sure to ask me several times, "Alex is going to be there right?" It was cute! He wasn't too sure about going at first, but remarkably he did really well at drop off today, no tears or crying. I was very proud of him and think that Dr. Seuss camp might have helped transition him. Hopefully this good behavior will continue...I am "bribing" him with a yogurt smoothie on the way home if he does good at drop off.

Thank you Kristi for the cute idea of the sign (saw Addison's first day of preschool picture)


Here was Alex, Jonathan and Evan leaving school all holding hands together. Shonda took a picture from the front and I took one from behind.

Diana Kicking Feet Over

Diana is showing the first signs of trying to rollover by kicking her legs over.

Tummy Time

Diana likes tummy time a little better but still doesn't last very long. Jonathan likes to get down and do tummy time with her...which might actually help keep her interest longer.

Soccer - JT's First Goal

Here is video of Jonathan's first goal...this was about 45 minutes into soccer practice where I really don't think there was a minute Jonathan wasn't running, aside from water breaks. I love that he had a meltdown and told his coach he was hungry. I knew he would be hungry but I didn't realize how hungry he was until we got home and he ate 5 pieces of pizza, a handful of carrots, some salad and an oreo cookie...about an hour later he ate again when Brad got home to eat.

Shoe fitting

Diana had her shoe fitting today and as soon as we walked in the door, the nurse said her shoes are too small and immediately called the shoe store. I guess this explains why her shoes wouldn't stay on. So my original thought of a 30 minute appointment turned into 2 1/2 hours! Thank goodness Bev came to play with Jonathan or I may have gone insane. The guy at the shoe store asked where I got the original pair, when I said there and he looked shocked, agreeing they were too small. NICE! I think these shoes will be better. They go up higher on her ankle and he added pads to the heel and tongue of the shoe to help with her foot sliding out. So far she hasn't gotten out of them but I also don't have the bar between them yet so tomorrow will be the true test. We are also back to the "pain" cry and it is breaking my heart. She will not let me put her down, been holding here for 3 hours now. Looks like it will be another long night. Oh and in case you were wondering like me, each pair of shoes is $460. Ouch! Thank goodness for health insurance.

First Soccer Practice

Tonight Jonathan had his first soccer practice and he did GREAT! He was so excited about it, he barely took a nap and we got there about 20 minutes early because he wanted to get there. As soon as we got there, he put on his cleats and watched the 4 coaches playing soccer. Then one came over and asked him if he wanted to play and off he went. It was just him and the four coaches for a few minutes and he was talking their ears off. Other kids started showing up, including his friends, Alivia, Rocco, Alex and Danny. I was impressed with how well Jonathan listened to the coaches for instructions and how FAST he is. The boy can run! We had a couple meltdowns because he couldn't stop the ball at first like they were showing him and when other kids got the ball from him but the coaches handled all of the situations perfectly. Jonathan definitely learned a lot tonight but now needs some practice. I can't wait to see how much he improves by the end of the session. He is playing "up" with 4 and 5 year olds so he can play with his friends but I have to say i think it will work out. Highlight of the night, Jonathan scored a goal!!! He worked hard for it and was very proud. I will post the video of it soon. Daddy and GB came to watch also. I think we are all excited for next Thursday already.

We got there early so Jonathan was out playing with one of the coaches all by himself.

Listening to drill instructions.

Picture with his coaches and friends after practice. I love the rosy cheeks.

Soccer Shoes

Jonathan is obsessed with his soccer shoes! He hasn't taken them off since he got them...well I guess he has but as long as we are inside and he isn't sleeping, he is wearing them. He asked me today if he could nap with them. When I said he couldn't sleep with shoes on, he said "How about if I just hold them?" I had to put them in a place where he could see them while he was napping. As soon as he woke up, we wanted them back on. I really hope he likes to play soccer otherwise we may need to find another use for these shoes.

Brad really thinks Jonathan looks like he did in this picture.

Athletic Tape

My lifesaver (thank you Libby!) through all of Diana's foot issues gave me a great tip...use athletic tape to keep Diana's shoes on. I bought some today when we were buying Jonathan's soccer shoes and can you believe it, the shoes have been on for 3 hours without falling off once! I am overjoyed at the moment. Diana hasn't even seemed bothered by the shoes either. Alleluia! Oh and yes, I said soccer shoes...Jonathan has his first soccer practice on Thursday of this week. He is pretty excited!

Two Cuties

Jonathan still likes to hold his baby sister.

Activity Mat

Diana loves her activity mat! Here are some pictures I stole from Brad's phone from August 7th.

Notice the Feet

So Diana fell asleep today in her swing after we rigged up an incline to help from her shoes falling off. I went upstairs to put Jonathan down for a nap while Brad was working at the kitchen table. I came down and looked at her and one shoe was off. Brad goes "she was making all of these cute noises." Yeah! No wonder! She got her right shoe off (her worst foot).

Then I go to the gym, come home and Brad said she started to wake up as soon as you left but then settled in again. I looked at her and sure enough now both shoes are off! She will be wearing these braces when she is 16 at this rate.

Oh and yes it is finally cool here...went from 90+ degrees to low 70's (hence the reason why Diana is bundled up).

Houdini

I was able to get Diana to sleep last night, lay her in her bed and then put the brace on to connect her feet. Of course she woke up this morning with both her shoes and socks off. We decided to let Diana have her break while we went to church today and on our way home from church she fell asleep. We let her sleep in her pumpkin set with her shoes off while we ate breakfast, did house chores, etc. 5 hours later she finally woke up. I think she was exhausted from all of the crying and kicking. She did better today with her shoes and we are learning how to put them on better and what activities she can do that don't kick her shoes off right away. She loves her activity mat and I am not quite sure what to do because as soon as you lay her down on it, she gets super excited and kicks away with excitement but then her shoes come off. If only we could get these darn shoes to stay on.

Jumperoo

Diana is liking her jumperoo more and more each day. She is even trying to "jump" in it...barely gets it to move but it is a start. She also doesn't mind her shoes and bar while she is in it...think this is where she might spend a lot of time.

Put Out the Fire

Water fun at the Pusateri's. Thanks Rocco for letting Jonathan borrow some dry clothes.

Brace

We put Diana's brace between her shoes this morning and it did NOT go over well. She screamed and cried so hard it broke my heart yet again. As Brad said too, her new nickname should be Houdini because she can escape from her shoes within a matter of seconds. The shoes are impossible to keep on and that might be more frustrating than anything. I did some research and tried some of the tricks that were suggested to keep the shoes on better and she can still escape. We have an appointment with the nurses this Thursday for a shoe fitting so I am hoping they will give me some better ideas. I was supposed to take Jonathan to GB's pool today for the last day of summer and Brad was supposed to work but he quickly realized that I wasn't going to be able to handle both kids today with Diana's screaming. So Brad and Jonathan met GB at the pool and I stayed home to deal with Diana. Jonathan has gotten so good at swimming this summer, we are very proud of him. After swimming today, Brad took him into the shower and they have cranberry soap in there and after Brad washed Jonathan, he said "Mmmmm, I could eat myself for dinner." I thought this was hilarious.

Thank you to the Pusateri's you put up with Diana's crying tonight while we tried to have dinner, amazing pizza's on the grill. Jonathan had so much fun playing with Alivia, Rocco and Liliana. He said his favorite was "putting out the fire" with the garden hose. I am happy Jonathan had friends to play with because Diana was consuming all of Brad's and my attention with trying to keep her shoes on and keep her from screaming.