T is for Trouble and F is for Fun

Here is our lame attempt at some family pictures. Everyone looks tired & cranky! Maybe that's because our house wakes up at 5:30am. I swear I don't hear any roosters, but when I find the bastard, I'm gonna emasculate it and fry it up. Oh how I love my crazy boys. Never a dull moment. Truman - your word of the month is "THAT". Everything is THAT and you want it yesterday!
FIN - you are now in soccer, super hero class, and pre-school. Can you say mama is a taxi?
Love you guys! Time to get you from school kiddo!

Baby Walking!

God Help US! It walks!

Oh Truman! You are walking boy! Not just walking, but that baby mummy walk where you arms are out in front of you, your shoulders sorta shrugged, no neck in place to hold that bobbling head of yours. Then you either land those hands with a splat against the object of your desire (all house hold electronics or glass surfaces), or fall because those unsure legs just give out, and then leave long strings of drool EVERYWHERE. You are the reason I am in bed at 8:30 now days, because I'm constantly chasing you.
By the way, if you could sleep past 6am, that would be great!
I'm so proud of you baby boy! Soon you'll be saying four-letter words just like your big brother!

Truman 13 months; FIN 2 more months till he's 4

Dear TIME, SUN, EARTH ROTATION:
I'd really appreciate it if you'd slow down because this is all going too fast. But just on the good days - not on full moons, days where the boys wake up before roosters, or all around days where tantrums rear their ugly heads. This month was busy as usual. FIN wrapped up his summer camp (I'm weeping as I type that) and only, what, 6 more weeks till school starts. Your biking skills are wicked - your dad's favorite thing is to ride bikes with you! Except for some reason, you refuse to ride in the ravine, which is the only place HE wants to go. You are telling us jokes too. They are sorta funny, but no matter if you are trying to be funny or not, if we laugh at you, you will buckle in the middle and start laughing with us and tell us "that's silly".
Truman, your front teeth have FINALLY come in, as well as your ability to bite food more firm than pudding. Truman, you are days, just days I tell ya away from walking - please just walk already. I don't think it will make my life more easy, but it will give you something else to do. You are every bit as independent as your brother, you little stinker. You have also started to point your little finger and things and say, "THAT". Oh let the gray hair just sprout on my head now, because that game isn't exhausting at all.
Oh how I love you boys!
mama

Seriously, where did this year go?!

These guys have decided to grow at a colossal rate! In December, I measured them both in the door frame of the basement toy room, and I remeasured them again last week, and FIN grew 2 inches; Truman 3!! That kind of growth had to hurt!  I guess as the ol' saying goes, time flies when you are having fun.
What can I say about where these guys are - FIN is driving, and Truman starts high school next week. OK it only feels like that. Truman is going to walk very soon. He cruises on the wall, on people, on the dog. He loves climbing the stairs - I could take or leave this actually. FIN started at a new school for summer camp - Highland Park Community. He loves his new teachers and his language is so amazing. He is Mr. Contrary though. If you tell me the sky is blue, he will tell you that no the sky is not blue, it has a baby blue hue to it with some clouds. Oh he is so going to be that kid. I'll hide my mascara and eye liner now before he starts to use it.
These past few months have been so fun. There are so many videos that I need to post of these characters. Parents with grown kids tell you that childhood flies by - I look back on this year with only happy memories, and shock that it has gone by this quickly.  I love you boys! Please, lets remember to slow down and enjoy the moment!
love mom

Truman 9 month Update

On March 31, 2011, Truman had his 9 month health check:
Weight: 20 lb 14.5 oz  50-75th percentile
Length: 28.25 inches  50th percentile
Head: 46.5cm  75-90th percentile

Not that we are counting, but FIN weighed 4lbs more than Truman at this stage ;) awww Finny!

Truman Update Dec '10 - Present

Oh my baby boy, its difficult to go from you being 4 months to 7 months old. Essentially, in this time, you have mastered sitting, eating foods like puffs, graham crackers (you prefer home made foods versus the Gerber packaged ones). You have such a love of life! Nobody, and I mean nobody can make you laugh like your big brother. You are so happy all the time. I can think of only one thing that makes you cry consistently - and that is putting you in your car seat, then in the car when its dark out. You hate it! I honestly believe that when people dream of having a baby, they dream of your demeanor. Just happy, sorta placid, easy going, easy napper, and a love of bath time!
I love morning times. FIN practically makes coffee for us now, you wander around in your Elmo seat or jump in the jumpy seat. You tolerate hanging out without complaining to be picked up - I think mostly because everyone is always giving you attention. You love your doggy Winston. He is very tolerant of your grabbing his fur, probably because he's waiting to clean your face or eat the puffs out of your hands. Below are a couple of videos I have of you and your brother just laughing and you and Winston. You two in the tub is just way fun!
You had your 6 month appt. and you weighed 18 lb 12 oz - 75%; height 26.5 inches 50%; 75% for head circum. I know since then you have put on weight because after we got back from AZ, you got an ear infection and you weighed 19 lbs!


I love you Mr. T. I pitty the fool who don't know you!
-mama

FIN Update Dec '10 - present

With the delay in updates, you can tell the boys keep the parents busy! So I have to write these memories down before I lose them, so here's the past 3 months:
Potty Training
I went to potty training basics website instead of using one of the 3 retarded books that I bought. Books all were "train when you have time in sessions, use fluffy positive language, blah bah". I put a potty on the floor in the kitchen, put FIN in big boy pants, and made him practice taking his underwear on/off/on - told him to use the potty or time out. After 2 accidents, that was about it. Now poop, well thats a different story. FIN was afraid to poop on the potty. He would wait till the last last minute, run to the potty and go. It was an awful process, but lets face it, he potty trained now.
Christmas
All I wanted for Christmas was a potty trained boy - and I got it! We stayed in for the holiday. G&G Dahlke came over and we just enjoyed time together as a family. Grandpa made a wooden carriage wagon for the boys. Its beautiful! It will be perfect to walk down the ravine (not so sure walking up will be a treat though). We had lots of food, movies, nap time. Christmas morning was so amazing to watch - Santa Claus brought FIN a new truck. That night, we went to look at lights in Lake Forest. A wonderful holiday!
Happy New Year
For New Years, we had the Nunez clan over. We celebrated New Years until 8pm - when all kids turned to pumpkins - grumpy ones.
January
Its like with potty training came this boost of confidence, independence, and language. FIN babbled still when people would talk to him, and now its mostly stopped. Back in school, FIN no longer hits other kids as a lack of communication - he is the big boy.
We took a nice warm trip to AZ to visit auntie Sara, uncle Henry, & cousin Maddy. They moved homes, and now have horses in their back yard. We pet and fed the horses, and hit up the Phoenix zoo. Mama & Dad even got an evening out with Sara & Henry and Binky's Cafe.For Grandpa Dahlke's birthday, we went to celebrate with him by taking him presents, sharing cake, and going ice skating!
February
FIN is retaining all the holidays - he still asks about the Christmas tree and when Santa gets here. He talks about hearts and Valentine's day. This year, he was my Valentine, and I bought him a little trainer golf set. Boy is this winter getting long! Can wait for swim lessons to start, summer school, summer sports - FIN has so much ahead of him. We are longing for days to play at the park & just be outside!!!

All in all, FIN, you are growing so fast. I barely remember the baby you were, because you are a big boy, and an amazing big brother. To say you love your baby brother Truman is putting it lightly. You are always hugging, kissing, talking to him - I know its too much to hope that things will never change, but for now - you two are best friends. I know there are little nuances I'm missing, like the little flu you got and your poor Leapster was a casualty of the vomit episode in the car, or how you hate to use public toilets because the flush scares you, or how you love the movie Top Gun because you are going through an airplane phase, oh the little daily things that I'll try to keep up on.
I love you FIN - everyday with you is as usual, an adventure!

Visit with Grandma Dahlke

This is my Grandma Dahlke - my dad's mom, and besides my mom's step dad Eugene Indgjer, Rosalyn is my last living grandparent, and my childrens' great grandmother. I wish we didn't have to visit her in a senior living center, but nonetheless, it was time with my grandma. I have a lot of memories of her - all good memories. She isn't the kind of person that tries to make a lesson out of everything, she let us be kids... probably because my dad and his twin brother Russ wore her down to let her just have an attitude with kids that boils down to, "ah heck with it", and I mean that in the most lovingly way possible. She always had nice Christmas's at her house, and had a present for everyone. She graduated college when she was in her seventies, and I most love the memory of her coming over to see us after her yoga class - and no I'm not talking as though she is gone. Due to recent unfortunate health events, she now lives in a senior living center as an independent senior, diagnosed with beginning alzheimer's disease.
Why am I going into this - well, I'm using this as a reminder that she is still here and during this time of year when we are all hustling to perfect the art of gift giving, and possibly preparing for the inevitable family dilemmas, that there are people that just want the gift of time with you. No gifts, perfect meals, just being there - time.
I wish I could have spent more time with her today, but there was a virus floating around the senior center and we were shoo'd out by a not so nice nurse that seemed to forget that the residents there need family, and not just other residents to get by - but lest my babies get sick, we left and she cried. I'll still only have the good childhood memories - and I'll get back to see her and spend time.
Now FIN & Truman, let this be a lesson to you - you always make time for your mother!
I love you, and so does your grandparents, and for that matter, your great grandma.
-mama

Christmas photos 2010