Fun Pics!!

We have had a busy few months so time gets away from me so easily. Right now I am busy baking for weddings, birthdays, confirmations, photo shoots, just about anything you can think of. It is so fun to have all these orders. I hope it stays this busy in Kansas!! I am also trying to pack up the house. What a chore! My goal is 1-2 boxes every day. We have 5 weeks so I figure that is a good goal. The basement is done as much as I can do right now. I have to be able to live so the rest will wait until I am done with daycare. Now I am working on the upstairs. We have a lot of stuff!! I am collected quite the garage sale pile that is for sure. I am also loving Craigslist. I have gotten rid of a ton on there! I am posting all our big items on Craigslist so I don't have to haul them to my mom's for the garage sale. It is great to get rid of it!! I finished the boys birthday invitations yesterday afternoon. They turned out great. I can't believe how much one person can accomplish in one day!! I am hopeful that today is just as productive!! I am showing our house privately tomorrow afternoon. Please say lots of prayers that it sells. These people sound so interested.

I have these cute pictures of Charlie that I haven't posted yet and thought now is the time.

Charlie helping put the basketball hoop up!

Check out my shoes mom! I can play basketball with dad now!

Playing the Wii at Nana and Papa's

Ears and Speech

Charlie will be having his tubes put back in February 3rd. He had an ear infection about 2 weeks ago. At that point we found out that his right tube had fallen out. His pediatrician was concerned since Charlie already has a speech and developmental delay. We made an appointment with the ENT so that we could discuss our options with him. His ear doctor looked at him today and said there was quite a bit a fluid in the right ear and with his speech problems the tubes need to be put back in. This mom was not against it one bit. We have come a long way with Charlie's speech and I don't want him regressing. Charlie's teacher came on Wednesday and noticed a little change in him that made her concerned. It is amazing what one ear infection can do! The poor kid is listening to us and it must sound like we are talking under water. The doctor insisted that the tubes be put in before our trip to Disney World. He said that the flight would be miserable for Charlie with the fluid that is in his ear. Now Nick and I just have to make the decision between permanent tubes and temporary tubes. There is a risk that the permanent tubes could leave a hole in his ear drum that would have to be patched later. Braeden had the permanent tubes and didn't have a problem. We are leaning more towards the permanent but want to make sure we know all the options first. Charlie does risk having to have a 3rd surgery in 6 months when the tubes fall out again. If he has to have tubes a 3rd time the doctor would automatically put in the permanent tubes anyway. Sometimes these choices that seem so simple are really very difficult to make!!

Memorial Weekend

We had a great, hectic, chaotic, fun filled weekend! We fit a lot in, in a short amount of time. After Braeden birthday parties were over we were able to just enjoy the nice weather. Sunday we headed to the lake and spent the day with the Otto's. It was so beautiful out and a great day for the first pontoon boat ride of the year. We all got some sun, some of us got too much!! The kids stayed at the lake Sunday night and Nick and I enjoyed a night out on the town. It was great to go out and not have ot worry about the kids. They had a blast and slept really well for Nana and Papa. Monday Nick golfed and I took the kids to the pool for the day. It was windy and over cast so it wasn't as beautiful as Sunday. The kids didn't care and enjoyed swimming in the pool. Braeden had fun throwing a ball for Leo. Emma was thrilled that she could finally tall enough to touch the bottom of the shallow end. Nick joined us when he was done golfing. We look forward to many more weekends like this one! The summer has just started!! It was a perfect weekend but I was happy to get home and get to bed!

Warm Weather!!

Last week we had a few days where it was 90 degrees out. I got out the sprinkler for the kids to run through. They had a blast! Here are some pictures of the week. Charlie's new game is peek-a-boo with a towel, bib, shirt, or whatever else he can find.

Brotherly Love

I just had to share these pictures. Nana from the pool brought ice cream cones over for the kids. Braeden was nice and shared some with Charlie!

1 Year Check-Up

Charlie had his 1 year check-up and he sure has come a long way. We no longer have to worry about weight with Charlie. He has lots of rolls and chubby cheeks. We did find out that he has an ear infection. The bad mom that I am played it off as teeth. He didn't have a fever but was cranky. He is cutting 3 teeth so I just assumed his teeth were bugging him. He is now on antibiotics and is doing a lot better. He had 3 shots and his finger pricked at the doctor. I am very proud of my tough little man!

Weight: 22lbs 12oz - 50th percentile
Height: 29 inches - 20th percentile
Head: 18 3/4 inches - 84th percentile (its all brains)

Charlie's Birthday Party

What a great day for a party! It was a busy day on Saturday. Emma and Braeden had a birthday party in the afternoon at our neighbors' house. It was Emma's first 'friend' birthday party without mom and dad there. She looked so cute and was so excited to go. Braeden had to pick up his MAYBA uniform so one of Emma's daycare friends came and walked with her to the party.

I was able to get a lot done with the older two not at home! Charlie took a great nap so that helped as well! The weather was perfect and everyone was able to play outside. It was a great day!! It is always so draining to plan and get ready for a party. The end result is worth it though. Thanks to everyone that was able to come and celebrate Charlie's first birthday. He had a great time and LOVED his cake.

Happy Birthday Charlie!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Big Day!

Charlie had quite the evening tonight. He took his first step. I knew it was coming. He stands unassisted all the time. He even dances while just standing there. He just wasn't confident enough to take a step. Tonight he was so excited and took a step towards me. My baby is growing up!

Nick and I also gave him his first hair cut tonight. Well...we trimmed around his ears. He doesn't have a ton of hair but it was still getting long. He looks so cute. I will post pictures!

19 DAYS!

Only 19 days and my baby will be 1! I just can't believe that we are that close. This past year has gone by so quickly. Charlie is growing up so fast. He is so independent now and I am really enjoying that. It is nice to know that I am still needed some though! He is starting to let go when holding on to things and just stand there. He hasn't taken his first step yet but I know it is close. He sure has a special relationship with his siblings. Emma and Braeden just adore him and love to play with him. Charlie even likes to wrestle with Braeden. It is so darn cute because he grunts as Braeden is tackling him down. I just wish I could bottle this time up and save some for later. It goes by too fast and I want to cherish every second!

Easter

Life...

The last week has been so crazy at our house. Nick and I were trying to adjust back to Minnesota time and the kids were adjusting to having us home. They sure enjoyed the rules that Nana and Papa have a lot more than our rules. It was a long week at the Otto house. We came home to Charlie cutting 3 new teeth. Poor little boy was a wreck and didn't sleep much at all. It sure was wearing on Nick and I who were already dealing with the time change. The teeth popped through and he is a much happier boy and so are we! Sleep is key! Braeden was home sick on Monday. I enjoyed having the day with him. We spent the rest of the week readjusting everyone to their schedules. Friday night I suggested a movie night. We were all exhausted and just needed something low key. It helped that it was raining outside too. The kids were so excited to watch a movie and have popcorn. It is so nice to have kids that will just sit and zone on a movie when Nick and I need a break. It doesn't happen often but we all enjoy it!! Charlie enjoyed crawling around and getting chased after by mom and dad. He is perfecting is ability to climb the stairs. The thinks it is hilarious to climb them and then fall backwards. It is funny to him because we catch him. To us it is one more thing we have to worry about. The gate at the bottom of the stairs is now has to be up at all times. Oh the joys of crawling babies!! We are remembering what it was like with Braeden and Emma. Charlie sure bumps his head a lot more than the other two ever did. We remember following Braeden around every where. With Emma we let her explore a little more and weren't so protective. Now with Charlie we are constantly hearing him fuss because he has bumped his head once again. He gets to explore the whole house and enjoys every second of it. At least until he bumps his head. His forehead looks like a war zone! He is going to be the toughest of the three!

Dino's Pizzeria!!

Recently I told Nick that I was done making supper 7 nights a week. I told him that Friday night was his night to plan what is for supper. Last night was his night and he chose to take us out for supper. I know this surprises a lot of people ;) We took the kids to Dino's Pizza. We told them it was a fun place to go and they would even get to color on the tables. Both Braeden and Emma were so excited and couldn't wait to go. We got there and we sat at a booth in the back of the restaurant. We were hesitant at first because we wouldn't be able to use a highchair for Charlie. It turned out to be the best seat in the house! Braeden asked the waitress right away if they got to color on the tables. He was so excited. The waitress even brought pizza dough for the kids to play with. That sure helped the wait time go by quickly for the kids. Our booth was right by the pizza oven so the kids were able to watch the guys make pizza the whole time. Their faces were priceless as the guys tossed the dough in the air. What a fun night for all of us. Charlie even enjoyed chewing on some pizza crust!

9 Months Old and On the Go...

Where does the time go? I can't believe that my baby is already 9 months old! Charlie is growing up so fast. He had his 9 month check-up today and he is doing so well. He has grown so much since his 6 month check-up. We don't have to worry about weight any more. He has gone from the 4th precentile to the 25th percentile!

Tonight he really started crawling every where. Before today he wasn't crawling nearly as much. He would move a head a little and then lay down...lazy boy ;) Tonight we tried everything to get him excited to crawl. He wasn't motivated by me, toys, Emma or Braeden. He was motivated by the remote. Yes we have a remote lover! Nick put it in front of Charlie and he crawled right to it. Then I of course, being the nice mom that I am, kept moving it further and further away. He went from our bedroom all the way into our living room. We are in trouble now. We now can no longer just set him down and know he isn't going to go any where until we move him. Before long he is going to be running in the back yard with his brother and sister!

Growing Boy....

Charlie is changing so fast these days. Today he learned to sit himself back up. He was grunting so loud and I turned to see what he was doing. He looked so cute working hard at sitting back up. Once he accomplished it he looked at me with the biggest smile! He was so proud of himself and has done it all morning. He hasn't started crawling yet but he moves forward a little. We know that as soon as he starts crawling our world will change. I am starting to prepare myself for this new moment in our life. We will have to remember to close doors and lock the gate at the top of the stairs.

We are also working on getting him to sleep better at night. He doesn't go to bed as easily as Braeden and Emma did. We put him in his crib and he will cry for 2 hours without falling asleep. He is a little stinker and definitely proves the cry it out method doesn't work for every kid....believe us we have tried hard with Charlie! Poor Braeden suffers because Charlie and him share a room. We have moved Braeden in with Emma for now until we get Charlie on a night schedule. Braeden and Emma love being together again. It is so sweet to hear them talk to one another from their beds.

This weekend we are going to be visiting Auntie Alli at the zoo. We all can't wait to meet the dolphins. My kids have talked about it all week. It will be so exciting to see them interact with Auntie Alli and the dolphins!

First Tooth!!

Charlie got his first tooth today. It is so cute. I noticed it at lunch time when I was feeding him. He was so happy to show it to me. It was as if he was saying..."Now you understand why I have been so crabby!" My baby is growing up way to fast.

Fun Weekend!

We were bummed that we couldn't go to Milwaukee so we decided to do something really fun with the kids. Friday night we went out to supper with Mary and Dean. We all went to Olive Garden and had a great supper. It was great food and great conversation.

Saturday we took the kids to the Wow Zone. I had never been but Braeden went for a birthday party. He was so excited to go again and show us around. Uncle Nick and Auntie Molly met us there for a day of fun. We arrived at 11am and started out with a game of bowling. The kids were so much fun to watch. Emma would scream wahoo every time she would roll the ball down the lane. Braeden stayed in his stance until he knew which pins were knocked down! After bowling we had lunch at one of the restaurants inside and that took forever. It was a little long on the kids so we will do something different next time. Braeden just wanted to forget about lunch and go play laser tag. We made him sit through it and rewarded him with the game right after lunch. Uncle Nick, Auntie Molly, Braeden and I all went in and played laser tag. It was a blast! I got some fun pictures of Braeden. He was the smallest kid playing but had so much fun. We split up into teams. Uncle Nick, Braeden and I were on a team and Auntie Molly was on the other team. We got 15 minutes to play and then at the end they print off your results. I KICKED BUTT! Who knew laser tag was my calling. I had the highest score amongst the 15 people that played. It was so much fun and we will do that again! After laser tag we played indoor mini golf so Emma could participate. It looked like a lot of fun because it was in the dark. The only lights were the black lights inside. It wasn't as much fun as it looked. It was a short course and the kids got bored quickly. We will avoid that next time. We finally left at 2:30 and went home for naps. We had to get ready for the evening.

Saturday night my sisters all came over. We ordered pizza, let the kids play and then played the Wii. It was a great time. After the kids went to bed we stayed up late playing the Wii. My arm still hurts from playing tennis. What a wuss I am!

It was a great weekend!

Success...

Taking Charlie's blanket away was a success for nap time. He slept for 3 1/2 hours today. I kept checking on him and he was snoring away. He obviously needed the sleep. He looked so cute and comfy amongst his blankets. Hopefully tonight is just as successful!