Buckle boy daily life...

Graham always wants to climb in Owen's crib when he wakes up from nap.
I let them bounce around like they're on the trampoline for a bit.
They both love it.

I always love reading other mom's posts about their daily routines, what real life looks like with toddlers, etc. And I love reading back on mine. So here's a glimpse of what life looks like with a newly 3 year old and a 16 month old...and a preggo Mama. ;)

6:30am- I get up. If I'm nursing a newborn or in first trimester of pregnancy or something equally exhausting, I just let the boys be my alarm clock, soaking up every moment of rest. But if it's somewhat normal life, I am so convinced my day goes WAY better if I get up before them. I either shower or start breakfast or stuff diapers, or whatever the need is for that day.. Because let's be honest- I don't shower every day.

7:00am- Owen is for sure awake by now, and usually Graham. Since he's given up his nap, he sometimes sleeps in til 8.00ish, but it's unpredictable. Diapers changed, clothes on for the day, and head downstairs for breakfast. Breakfast lately is usually scrambled eggs, pumpkin muffins, carrot muffins, banana bread, or oatmeal, plus a smoothie or fruit. I've been loving this granola lately too. We've been reading Thoughts to Make Your Heart Sing at breakfast and praying for our day. After breakfast, I clean up and the boys immediately run to the living room and start fighting over the new workbench and toy tools from Graham's birthday. At least twenty meltdowns between the two of them before anything else happens. I seriously never want to get them new toys again. It's ridiculous. Good thing Christmas is just around the corner, huh?? The rest of the morning consists of us just trying to get things in order before we leave the house... Washing a mountain of dishes (have I mentioned we don't have a dishwasher?!), stuffing a millions diapers (we haven't even attempted to start potty training Graham yet, based on the pediatrician's recommendation with some other issues going on in his little body), packing the bag for our morning activity, making the bed, changing myself from pajama pants to yoga pants :), changing more diapers, etc, etc... Exciting stuff. I've realized I usually only even look in the mirror on Sundays. Not good, people. Not good. Andrew usually eats breakfast with us and then heads out to work.

Children's Museum 

9:30ish am- We usually head out around this time, depending on what we're doing. Our typical activities include grocery shopping/ running errands, MOPS, Music Class, the Children's Museum, playdates, parks, and plenty of trips to Target. :) I HAVE to get out of the house every day, and the boys love it too.

12:00pm- We're back home and everyone is hangry. HANGRY and in need of new diapers, shoes removed, coats unzipped, and they let me know it. Loudly. Lunch lately is grilled cheese/ black bean burgers/ dinner leftovers/ crockpot soup, along with a fruit and veggie. My boys can EAT, so they usually devour especially their first two meals of the day. After lunch, they play for a bit while I clean up.

Graham's latest favorite Room Time activity. 

1:00pm- Naptime for Owen/ Roomtime for Graham. I'm sad to say that Graham has officially dropped his nap, right around his 3rd birthday. It has been gradual; the last few months have just decreased in the number of days he would actually fall asleep. After a couple weeks of him not napping at all, I told him we were going to start doing "roomtime," which basically means he just has to stay in his room but can do whatever he wants- play with toys, read books, whatever. His favorite is probably to watch the neighbors out the window. Ha. I consistently hear him banging on the window and calling "hiiiiiiii!!!! hi megan!! hi johnny!! hi charlotte!!" Hahaha. We've only been doing this about a week or two, so I'm still figuring it out. So far he's lasted between 1-2 hours before melting down. So I'm not sure where we'll land on the length of time. But Owen for sure sleeps longer than this (usually around 2.5 hours), so I'll just go to Graham's room after his roomtime is over, and we read books until Owen wakes up. Since around the time Graham turned 2, I've been making sure we read every day for 30 minutes. He just couldn't sit and listen that long before, and I can see the same thing with Owen now. But Graham LOOOOOVES to read now, so sometimes we read up to an hour, if Owen is still sleeping. His favorites lately are the "How Do Dinosaurs...?" series, Clifford books, the Pigeon series, Little Critter, etc.

He became a teenager overnight. Seriously.
We love our neighborhood gardens.

3:30pm- Owen is usually awake now. Occasionally he'll sleep 3 hours, but whenever he wakes up, I'll change diapers and give the boys a small snack. Then, it's whatever the need of the hour is- sometimes play at home while I dinner prep, or a walk around the neighborhood, or a Target run, whatever.

Typical scene when Daddy comes home.
I LOVE THIS.

5:30pm- Andrew gets home and rescues us from all melting down. Ha. Something about the clock striking 4 makes us all lose our minds. The boys are like instantly whiny, I'm instantly impatient, and my eyes stay glued on the clock, counting the minutes until Andrew walks through the door. He swoops in like Superman, throws Owen up in the air, chases Graham around the table, and all is right with the world. I finish dinner in peace, and we sit down to eat. Dinner is usually a madhouse. Owen is still a mess in the high chair, flinging his sippy cup to the floor every 2 minutes, screaming if it's not food he likes, frantically signing "all done!" but then begging to be held and eat off my plate (which is always the exact same food). Graham screams at Owen to stop screaming, constantly interrupts us with "Graham's turn to talk!!!", and immediately declares "all done" as soon as Owen does- I'm pretty sure because he thinks Owen is going to run back to the toys and take all the good ones. So, yeah, madhouse!!! But both boys are usually done in about 10 minutes, and then they run off to play while Andrew and I can catch up on our days and relax for a bit.

A glimpse of dinner crazy.
Both boys in my lap, Owen screaming, Graham smearing my food everywhere while ignoring his.
You get the idea.

I love this guy.

6:30pm- We start the bedtime routine. It seems to take exponentially longer with two kids than one. Am I right?! We clean up the toys, fight over the dreaded toothbrush, triple-stuff cloth diapers, triple-layer our boys' PJ's on really cold nights, read two books, sing, pray, and then both boys collapse into bed.

7:00pm- They're out. Graham used to stay up later when he was napping, but he is beyond DONE at 7 since he gave up his nap. Andrew will usually relax by watching one episode of the Big Bang Theory or something, and then head off to study the night away. Did I mention he's getting his PHD?! We're all just trying to survive here, people!! I clean up the kitchen and then do whatever the need is. I've seriously had a 4-month long to-do list since I had ZERO energy during my first trimester to do anything but survive. So I'm playing catch-up still.

10:30pm- We usually collapse in bed around this time.

But seriously- I.JUST.LOVE.THEM.

Grahammers at 3 years

The day my baby turned 3.

Typical picture attempt. 

Waking up to his birthday balloons.

He will always be my baby. So how the heck is he 3 now?!!! Even reading his 2.5 year post, I can't believe how much he's changed!!! Mostly verbally. This kid was a late talker, but now he talks all.day.long. And I LOVE it. I always said going from 0-1 kid as a stay at home mom was SO MUCH LONELIER than going from 1-2 kids. Maybe also because I was living in a new city with like one friend, but seriously, having a kid who talks to you is such a sanity saver!!! Anyway, Graham. HOW I ADORE YOU. We are so, so very thankful for our 3 years with you.

Age: 3 Years

Stats: 37" tall (50th %) & 33 lbs (50th %) ... After he caught back on his weight gain as a baby, he's been pretty steady at the 50th % for height and weight the rest of his life.

Clothes: 3T. He moved into 3T right around his 3rd birthday. He's pretty much followed the sizes/ ages really closely, which makes him easy to plan for. 

When Daddy's not eating a meal with us,
we almost always end up here.
Graham always requests it, and I think it's so stinkin cute.

Favorite Foods: CUPCAKES! I think he really discovered this love when Owen turned one, but he didn't know what they were called (we're mean parents and hardly ever give him dessert), so he would say "eat happy birthday! eat happy birthday!" Hahaha. And now he thinks any birthday party we go to is ONLY to eat cupcakes at. It's pretty much a disaster every time we go to a birthday party where they don't serve cupcakes til the end. Yikes. For weeks before his birthday, he would pray every night for cupcakes and balloons. Now that he knows baby Jesus's birthday is coming up, he prays every night for "cinnamon cupcakes" (what we'll have Christmas morning to celebrate). This kid cracks me up... He also loves pizza and ANY and all fruit. Still not big on veggies, so we shamelessly bribe him with a few "bunny crackers" after dinner and he happily agrees. Veggie muffins and smoothies are staples.

Graham asks to push Owen every time.
#momwin

Words: He is a walking commentary on whatever is happening around him or whatever he's thinking. He wants to be in EVERY conversation I have with adults- on the phone, with neighbors on the sidewalk, friends coming over to visit. "Graham's turn to talk!!!!" He declares, and then jabbers about the vacuum making loud noises and the minivan doors going open and shut and building bridges for his cars and trucks. It's pretty comical. He is funny about verbalizing his emotions, consistently saying things make him "sad" (Owen taking his toys or knocking over something he worked on) or "scared" (loud noises). He also has memorized a ton of books and recites them with emotion, which is pretty great. "The Pigeon Wants a Puppy" is my favorite one because he really gets into it. Hahaha. He loves making up new lyrics to songs, so we're constantly changing the words to familiar tunes because he requests to sing about the splash pad or carousel or tools... or poop. Hahaha. Lately when I tell him the day's activities, he'll respond with "Yeah, that'd be good."

"Throw the ball" song in his beloved Music Class. 

Activities:

Music class (A favorite of Graham's since he was a baby. He still LOVES it.)

MOPS (He got moved up to the 3 year old room, which has toy tools, so he's pretty much in heaven.)

Children's Museum (He's still obsessed with the carousel.)

Playdates

Grocery shopping (He would grab a plum first thing every week and carry it all around the store, until they went out of season. That was a sad, sad day. Luckily he befriended Mr. Jim, a worker, so that gives him something to look forward to every week now. Mr. Jim is the best and even gave him a little Hot Wheels car a few weeks ago! I'm telling ya, Graham is quite a charmer.)

Favorite friends: He kinda has friends now! Haha. He loves to play with Elodie, Chet, Chapman, Liam, Cori, Charlotte, Jonathan. And of course, we always remind him that Owen is his best friend. ;)

Favorite Things: Being center of attention. Graham at first was quiet and cautious and reserved, but this boy has come out of his shell! He can still be those things when he's uncomfortable in an unfamiliar environment, but he has become quite the little performer in the last year. We had Andrew's family over for his 3rd birthday, and you would think this kid had a stage and a mic. Quite the entertainer. I LOVE seeing his little personality blossom!! He LOVES Teddy. He comes EVERYWHERE with him. Pretty cute. His favorite toys are blocks, cars/ trucks, and tools. Favorite books lately are these series: Pigeon, Clifford, Dinosaurs, Little Critter, etc. He also loves going to the "tool shop" with Daddy and Owen. Andrew will occasionally take them to Lowe's, etc, and as soon as he mentions it, Graham will literally drop whatever he's playing with and immediately say, "Bye-bye Mommy!" and start walking to the door. It's their special "boy time!" and we all love it. He also loves helping me in the kitchen, especially dumping things in the blender, stirring things in a bowl, handing me things when I'm washing dishes. Pretty presh.

Give this kid a mic!! 

Mom's Proudest Moment: Seeing him grow in kindness and thoughtfulness with Owen. He's had a hard time sharing since Owen's learned to walk and is more on "his turf" with toys, but lately he will offer Owen toys consistently without being prompted. And just seeing him be comfortable enough to let people see the real Graham- silly, loud, funny, engaging. He really is a little ray of sunshine.

He loves helping Daddy do anything!!
So stinkin sweet. 

Dad's Proudest Moment: Being able to remember and recite his favorite books and how much he likes to read. 

20 weeks with Baby #3!

Halfway baby!!
Always love this milestone!!

How far along?  20 weeks. How, oh how am I already halfway done with this pregnancy?! CRAZY. (Okay, I'm actually almost 23 weeks now, but you know how it goes...)

Total weight gain? 10ish lbs.

Maternity clothes? Oh yeah. I was in maternity jeans at 12 weeks. Maternity shirts are mostly still too big, but I'm loving my maternity jeans and leggings. Third time around, I'm totally embracing it. We were on a super tight budget when I was preggo for the first time, so I just got a few pieces from yard sales, and made it work. This time around, I got some super cute pieces from friends/ neighbors, which makes me really happy.

Sleep? The first four months, I did not sleep well. I felt so nauseous going to bed every.single.night, and then I would have to get up to pee several times throughout the night. Finally sleeping well now.

Best moment this week? The ultrasound! We decided not to find out gender this time around, so I didn't know if it would be torturous staring at the screen, but not finding out... But it was so magical, as always!! I don't know how else to describe it. It always brings me to tears to see a sweet little miracle alive inside me. And so reassuring that everything looks good-- baby looks healthy and perfect size. The 20 week ultrasound is so long and detailed and thorough, it's always nerve-wracking to see the heart and brain and everything, without really knowing what you're looking for. Praising Jesus for a healthy baby so far. I love Baby3 so much already!!!

Miss anything? I was majorly missing energy the first 17 weeks, but I'm feeling good now... I always want strawberry margaritas for some reason when I'm preggo. So yeah, I miss those.

Movement? Yes! I felt this one super early, like at 13 weeks or so, which seemed crazy. But it was never very consistent, so I always doubted it. Now little peanut is getting more consistent, and I looooooove it. Always my favorite part of pregnancy! Andrew felt it for the first time last night too!

Food cravings? All the unhealthy stuff. Let's be honest. Could care less about pineapple (which was my biggest craving with the other two, especially Graham). Ate tons of mac 'n cheese during the first trimester, because everything made me wanna puke. :( 

Anything making you queasy or sick? Not anymore. Whew.

Have you started to show yet? Oh yeah! No hiding it. Someone asked me at 10 weeks (before we told people) if I was preggo, because they could see a bump already!

Labor signs? Nope.

Symptoms: Bellllllllly.

Belly button in or out? In, but it's being weird already. It's been popped out so much with the other two, I think it's almost ready to go again. :/

Wedding ring on or off? On.

Happy or moody most of the time? Happy now that I'm feeling better! I do think I was super sensitive the first trimester, which of course made me really fun to be married to. ;) Andrew's glad my hormones seem to be leveling out now. :)

Name possibilities? Well, if you know anything about us, naming babies ranks right up there with root canals or whatever other torturous activity you cant think of. Andrew has an extremely short list of boy names he'll even consider-- two, to be exact, and we've already used them as both the boys' middle names. So, he's got nothing to offer this time around... But won't agree to my favorite either, so we'll see what happens with the boy name. As for a girl name, we've actually been in agreement on this one since Owen's pregnancy, but I'm not sure if we're ready to reveal it yet here. Stay tuned.

Looking forward to? Deciding names. Andrew building bunk beds for the boys to share a room soon. Seeing if it's a boy or girl!!!!!!! (A long time to go for that one!)

Buckle boys ready for another baby!!!

Here comes Baby #3!!!!!

We are beyond ecstatic that Baby #3 is coming around April 6!!!!

We could have found out a bit earlier, but we took the test on my birthday, and then told family/ friends on Andrew's birthday... So the timing was pretty fun on this one. Sweetest birthday gift ever was finding out about this little one!!!

We've always said we wanted three kiddos (although lately I think I want four!), so it's really sweet to be able to see God answering those prayers.

13 weeks with baby #3!
Photobombed by Baby #2!

Thoughts on this pregnancy...
1. First trimester is no joke, especially with two toddlers. Nausea and extreme exhaustion consumed my every day and night. So not fun. With the other two, it felt like more constant nausea, but with this one it always gradually increased throughout the day. So I would actually wake up feeling fine every day, but as the day went on, I felt worse and worse. By dinner, I was trying not to puke in whatever food I was cooking. And by bedtime, I had a miserable time falling asleep- because even though I was soooooooo tired, I felt so sick to my stomach, I couldn't sleep. Ugh. So, so thankful that's all over. And I took a nap almost every.single.day for the first 17 weeks. Could NOT make it throughout the day without one.

2. We're considering not finding out the gender on this one. We found out with both boys, and LOVED knowing, but since this is the third time around, we kinda want it to feel different and special in this way. I keep going back and forth, but I'm leaning towards not. I may regret this decision. Next week is the ultrasound at my doctor, and she doesn't keep it in the file. So it's a "now or never" type scenario. Eek.

3. When I was preggo with Owen, Graham was so little, he had ZERO idea what was happening. He couldn't say baby, he didn't even notice my belly getting so big, nothing. Owen is the same way this time, but it is SO, SO fun to share this pregnancy with Graham!!! He has recently started acknowledging babies around us (he NEVER cared before), he will give kisses to my belly, he prays for the "baby in mommy's belly," and he goes back and forth predicting a little brother or little sister. It is seriously such a joy for me to share it with him. PRESH.

4. Ain't nobody got time for documentation. I can't for the life of me keep up with LIFE, much less take weekly bump pictures or blog about what's happening. I LOVE reading back on these, so I'm going to try to do more now that I have a little energy.

Big purchase for our new family of 5!
#3carseatsbaby

O baby is ONE YEAR OLD!

Weight: His 12 month checkup isn't for a while, so we'll find out then. This kid is solid though. Solid.

Height: ???

Clothing size: Still living in his 18 month rompers. All day and all night... Although a couple them are getting tight! Eek. 

Diaper size: Cloth. 

Feeding: Three nursing sessions a day. Was hoping to drop one before now, but he still doesn't drink a ton out of a sippy cup, and I've been afraid he's going to get dehydrated since we're out in the sun every moment possible. Eating a TON of solid foods lately- about half pureed and half table food. Tried cow milk for the first time on his birthday and didn't hate it! RELIEF.

Sleeping: Same- 2 naps a day, and still sleeping roughly 7p-7a every night.

Milestones: 8 teeth... He loooooooves standing lately. He's taken a couple steps while holding onto things, but seems far from walking on his own. Still not wanting to crawl. He scoots backwards a little on his belly, and scoots on his butt while sitting. 

Likes: His feet- he constantly plays with them in the stroller.  Being outside. There have been a couple times when I have been holding him to check the mail, say goodbye to a friend, etc, where I just step onto the front porch and then come back inside... and he FREAKS OUT. He gets so excited when he thinks he's getting to go outside, and then screams when I bring him back in. Poor kid. Still loves baths, the stroller- as long at it's moving, Ergo, swings, pool, standing up, attention.

Dislikes: Getting diaper changed. Unfamiliar people trying to hold him. Okay let's be serious- ANYONE trying to hold him. He has a DEATH GRIP when people get near him, he's so scared they're going to take him away  from me. Poor kid. Church nursery. 

Adventures: First hike for Father's Day. Lots of family! First Chick-Fil-A Cow Appreciation Day. TURNING ONE!!!

What we couldn't live with out: Ergo. Double stroller. Don't I say this every time?

Best part of parenting this age: Same as last month- As much as I hate that he screams bloody murder any time I'm not within reach, it is pretty sweet how much he loves his Mama. :)

Hardest part of parenting this age: Fevers for both boys this month. :( Sick littles is so sad and hard.