A catch up...

As the weather warms up, and I push er play with my children outside, gone is the chance to get on the "big" computer every day, or even week.  Only when work calls me back to the reality that it is just April and I am I forced to make calls, check emails, and order lots of sparkly clothes do I spend the time booting up my lap top.  I have noticed that my iPhone battery is dying earlier in the day with all my research, emailing, and surfing done at the park, on the drive way or in the car while I wait for soccer, swimming, music, preschool or practice to start or end.  And yet I can't get blogger to work quite right on my phone.  All of this is to say why I'm just not posting very much! 

Also we are down to one only slightly functional camera.  As in it will take pictures but I can't zoom in or out.  It's on the list of things to get, and we even have a gift card, but haven't taken the time to figure out WHAT to get.  It makes blog posts less fun when there isn't pictures.  So then I have to get them off of my phone, another host of things to find, plug in and update.  All taking moments that could be spent outside, or otherwise with the kids. 

So now in a rare moment where Em is sleeping, and the boys are quietly and attentively watching Curious George, I'll try and update as much as possible...

John:
Biggest news is that he cut his hair!!  Totally his choice and we are both very happy with it!  I don't think he will be growing it out anytime soon :)

John has also mastered riding a two wheeler, doing the monkey bars and driving his mother insane. He is reading EVERYTHING, and it is so fun to watch.  No more spelling in front of him! Now if we could work on listening and participating in soccer we would be in fine form!

Colin:
All signed up for preschool in the fall two days a week. We are both excited! Still the biggest mower guy fan you will ever meet, Colin is still usually found in some type of worker clothes.

He is in a very polite and lovey faze that I just don't want to end.  If I could bottle him up now I would.  Even with his not so great BIG ideas. 

Emerson: Is 10 months (update to follow) and still not walking or sleeping, but IS finally and thankfully eating!!!  Consistently waking once or twice a night, I think just to nurse because she is so busy during the day she doesn't get in enough momma time.  An expert cruiser, she only needs the slightest bit of help getting around from the furniture.  She is standing alone, squatting and standing back up.  She has GOT to be close to walking, right!?

In the last few weeks eating finally clicked and she understood what to do, how to do it and did it!  Even eating baby food!  Now her diet has ALL the food groups (she LOVES meat), and her diapers prove it  :-(

Seth has started making children's picnic tables in his "free" time, but REALLY enjoys it.  So we have a beautiful place for the kiddos to eat, paint, and climb!  He is hopeful that he will be able to sell them on craigs list, and I am hopeful to get hand made patio furniture for us adults! 

(looks like I've reached the max amount of pictures, so I'll add a table picture later!)

I am thankful cheerleaading tryouts are over and I am in the lull between seasons.  I am working on two BIG birthdays next month with LOTS friends birthdays sprinkled in!  I'm also trying to get in as much crafting, reading and outside time as possible before the summer starts.  I have the kids singed up for a few camps and both boys are going to play t-ball with Seth as the coach.  And yet I'm most excited for the concerts in the park, grilling with friends and mojitos!

Hope this post finds you well!

Emmy Anne is 9 whole months!!!

Baby girl is 9 months old, and kind of a new lady!  Our usually crabby, only likes mom girl is now an independent woman, er sort of!

At the doctor's on the 21st you weighed 18 pounds 7 ounces, and were 28 inches long.  Both are perfectly average.

I just put you in 12 month clothes because the 9 month ones were getting a little short with your ghetto cloth booty.

Your sleep has improved greatly this month with you sleeping in your own bed all night, usually 7 until 7 give or take an hour.  Two naps is your normal, but 1 has happened and so does 3 occasionally.

You got a tooth!!  The bottom right came in on the second after a couple cranky days.  She liked the frozen teethers and meds, plus being held.  (The second tooth popped through on the 27 with much less issue).

Eating was possibly the biggest change this month with food actually being swallowed!!!  Your favorites are bananas, cheerios, and strawberries.  Still not a huge veggie fan, but you'll get there, I'm just so happy you are not longer puking!

You are signing all done, and are talking up a storm.  You say Dada for both me and dad, say all done, Ba I think is brothers and ball, and you surprise us all the time with repeating what we say.  It is so cool!  Still mama would be nice...

Your dislike for dogs is still going strong.  Well you like looking at them, you just don't like having them near you, especially if their wet noses touch you:)

Your crawling is amazing, and you are so fast!  You like playing with all of your brothers big boy toys and you love balls.  You've crawled all the way up the stairs a few times and only seem to bobble at the top, thank goodness I'm there.  The boys have been really good about keeping the doors shut so you can't fall down the basement stairs and the gate closed so you can't go upstairs. 

I think you will be walking soon as you pull up on everything and let go or hold on with only one hand.

Another good month Em, what's the next month going to hold for you?  I can't wait to see!! Love ya baby girl!

A day in the life...

I wrote this a while ago and just never finished!  So the first part was written almost two months ago, while the last part was this week:)

I saw a couple people do this and have been thinking about it for awhile.  So here it goes...

2:30 AM - Emmy wakes up for her first feeding (this is a great night!) Seth gets her out of her crib and brings her into our bed

5:30 AM- Another feeding.... She's still in our bed.  Seth wakes up.

6:30- Boys wake up and play in our bathroom as he gets ready, Em and I sleep, kind of. Seth takes boys downstairs to watch a show and drink their morning milk, yep still do it, haters:)

7:15- Emerson wakes up and she comes into the bathroom with me to play as I brush my teeth, etc.  We head downstairs.

7:30- Change Em, get breakfast going.  Oatmeal for John, Colin and I, cheerios and banana for Em.
Colin ended up eating 3, half serving, all that sleeping made him hungery!

8:00- Colin and I clean up the kitchen, he vaccuums while I clean off the island. 

8:30- Boys get into a squabble over a paper pizza, John hits, and heads to time out for 8 minutes. 

8:45- We all head up to play in the playroom.  I organize the leinen closet while everyone plays. 

8:50- Nurse Emmy and put her down for a nap.  Boys and I head downstairs.

8:55- Boys and I do jellybean math, eat snack of apples and jellybeans! 




9:05- Nurse Em again and put her down again, this time she falls asleep.

9:15- Finish jellybean math, boys clean up crayons, while I unload and load the dishwasher.

9:30- Boys get out and play with color wonder books. Man I love these things! I start typing this.

10:00- Colin starts on puzzle. John joins him.  I surf the internet and then help.  They finish I take a picture, and then John wrecks it and punches Colin, back to timeout he goes.

10:20-Emmy wakes up...

10:30-12:00-PUZZLES!!!  The boys are crazy for them right now!  I try and keep Em out of their way, with only a little success

12:00-12:30- Lunch, John eats a tuna sandwich and apples, Colin eat Mac and Cheese, apples, a pepper, strawberries, the rest of John's sandwich.  Emerson eats cherrios and a sweet potato fry.

12:45 Em goes down for a nap, while the boys watch a show.

1:30 The boys create artwork for Mimi

2:30 Mimi arrives saving the day!!

2;45-5:15- I work at the high school with my cheerleaders, just like I do every Monday and Wednesday

5;15-5:45: Get home and get dinner started

6;00 Seth gets home, and dinner is ready! 

6-6:30 Dinner

6:45 We all play in the play room, football, crawl after Emmy, puzzles, and kitchen

7:15 Em goes to bed.

7:45 Boys are in bed for the night

8:15 Boys fall asleep

8:15-10 Seth and I watch tv this night, but other nights we have home dates with cards and wine, we go to bed early, or we work on a project:0)

I hope you've enjoyed our day in the life!!

It's the little things...

* Colin's been playing lots of cowboy.  His (stick) horse's name is Lucky and rain boots are used, as are strawberry sunglasses, a 12 month cowboy hat, a Cars wallet and a bright blue bandanna.  All of it together makes him a cowboy.  Sometimes he's mean and sometimes he's nice, and all of it is hysterical!  We only have one pair of rain boots, so if John plays, he wears high heels, I love it! The picture is blurry, but I had to be stealth, he gets self conscious :)  You get the idea!!


*John loves crafting and is always creating something.  He will tell me he needs fabric scraps, paper, more glue, almost all day. 

*Emerson is SUCH a mama's girl, and wants me to hold her all day long.  Or if I get to put her down I need to sit right next to her or she cries, big wails, I am over this...  And she still doesn't want to eat in a traditional sense, she likes to hold her own food, but doesn't chew so there is lots of gagging.  Again, over this.  She is however sleeping big chunks again, I needed this in a big way.

Seth and I have been working hard on the house, making major and minor adjustments to make it just right. It's been hard making this house feel like our home.

 We've painted our bedroom, and are using what we have to create a new feel.  I am LOVING the yellow pillow I made!! (it's not really that off center, I just made the bed funny)

 And then there's the kitchen!  After almost 4 months of off and on work, it's really close to being done!!!  Only lighting and painting to go...  The back splash really tied things together!! 

 Crazy boys sitting at the new island/table.  It's my favorite part!

With all the snow and cold we've had we have gotten creative with playing inside!

Emmy in the playroom, playing with shaker eggs

Seth hates when we do this, but alas, it's a Rhoades tradition!!  A little whipped cream never hurt anyone....

Em's hair is getting SO long!  These are pig tail buns, AFTER a hair cut!  I'm practicing my braids for the summer!!

In other news... Colin has learned to ride a "big" bike, which will make this summer so much fun!

 John had surgery that went very well, everything has healed nicely, and we are hopeful that we are done with ear infections for good with him!

 Seth and I are still very much in love and enjoy date now and then when family will take the kiddos (THANK YOU FAMILY!!!!)

 Emerson has rolls, like lots of them :) Even though she weighs much less then her brothers, her smaller statue means lots of kissable baby chunk. 

SO there's a quick update, with some recent pictures of everyone.  Sorry for the lack of blog posts, but we've been busy, I hope you enjoyed the catch up!

Emmy is 8 months!

 She is a big thumb sucker!

Holy crow this was a HUGE month for Em! 

Emerson is crawling, well, full time!  She is also pulling up on everything and cruising along furniture, walls, and people.  Yesterday she took a step!

Weight is about the same at 18.5 pounds on Pop Pop scale. And you still feel like a shorty.  In 6-9 month clothes, though the PJ feet are getting small the 12 month legs are WAY too long.  Diapers are the same.

Your sleep is pretty bad, though you take two naps a day in your crib, always because you fall out of my bed.  Some days you will also do a quick power nap at dinner time, but not usually.

Bedtime is 7ish unless you take that power nap.  Naps are about 9 and 1 and you wake up about 7.  Still nursing all night which we are going to work on this month....

Still no teeth.  Food was still a challenge with nothing being swallowed so I quit.  No more purees for you!  We started doing the baby lead weaning and it is going SO well!  Now we just cut up the best of what we are eating and you eat along with us.  So far your favorite is rice!  You eat it so fast!   Two hands at a time.  You also will eat more veggies, and fruits then ever before.  You still gag and vomit a bit, but not as much as before.  You are signing all done, though it looks a little funny.   I've used your purees in other things, and no one is the wiser:)

You are a child on the move!!  You love all the decorations that are low, all the food on the floor and everything else you shouldn't be into.  You still love loud light up toys, and your banana brush.  Soffe giraffe is usually very close to you. 

While in your crib you like to hold a lovey and a paci, though I've never seen you suck on in only chew.  And you sleep on your belly.

You would still prefer that I hold you all the time and don't like to be put down.  And now if I put you down to cry and crawl to me.

You are starting to say things with a purpose, we believe you are saying Hi, bye-bye (sometimes doing a straight arm wave), ba bar for brothers, Seth thinks you said momma the other night while I was at work.  You've cried dadada a couple times. 

The funniest thing you do is growl ALL.THE.TIME.  It is so funny to hear such a low noise for such a tiny thing!  Your brothers think it's really funny and encourage you to do it lots!  Sometimes after growling you will talk in your low voice and it is really funny. 

You are SO much fun to have around and you are really interacting with all of us now which the boys LOVE!  I can't believe it's only been a month, and how much different you are.  I can't wait to see what the next month brings!

Emmy is 7 months!

Phew!  What an exciting time of year!  It's been amazing to see how you are changing everyday!

I think you are over 18 pounds, based on the scale at Grandma's house.  I don't know how great it is...

You're sleeping a little better sometimes, but not great all the time.  We are really working on sleeping in your crib for your first nap and in my bed for a second.  You are rarely taking a third nap.  Bedtime is earlier because of it, close to 7. 

You are wearing 6-9 month clothes, medium fuzzi bunz and size 3 paper.
Everything is still going into your mouth, Still NO teeth!!  I can't believe it!

You are still preferring me to others, but for the right toy you will let me put you down, which has made me much more productive.
You are a great sitter, up on all fours rocking back and forth, scooting backwards, and MAD that you can't go forward!  You roll to get to things you want, and nothing is safe :) 
You are nursing less, and eating some.  You still are much picker than your brothers were, but apples, bananas cut up and oatmeal usually are acceptable.  You only eat about 3 bitefuls on a good meal.  I'm not great about feeding you everyday though so I am working on that.  You like cheerios or puff, but rarely get them in your mouth.

 After a particularly messy lunch :)

SO big, while blowing raspberries!

Emmy is 6 months (just a little late)!

I can't believe my baby is half a year old!  It seems like I was just pregnant yesterday and yet, it seems like Em has always been here!
From your doctor's appointment you are 16 pounds and 10 ounces, 27.5 inches long...  Tall and skinny. And only slightly above average. 
You're sleep is pretty bad, between mom wanting to cuddle and being on vacation you sleep most if not all night with mom. 
You're entire schedule is off except you always nap in the afternoon between 1230-330 and you always go to bed around 730.  You cat nap in the morning most days and sometimes right before bed

You are wearing 6-9 month clothes, medium fuzzi bunz and size 3 paper.
Everything goes into your mouth, you would think that you would have teeth, but none yet!  Much later than your brothers.
You love toys and want to be entertained more.  Measuring cups and spoons are a favorite.  You also loved a car seat pull toy we borrowed.
You will sit in things, but prefer to be held ALL THE TIME!  Mostly by mom.  You really prefer her to everyone else, and won't let her be seen and not be the one holding you. 
Now that you are sitting up more you are okay being on the ground with lots of toys all around you, but your brothers don't let that happen too often.
You had your first taste of food on your 6 month birthday and hated it. 
You had your first ear infection and hopefully that isn't a trend starting.
You are sitting for short periods before you tuck and roll onto your tummy.  (She is up on all fours rocking in real time:)

Emmy you are such a great little girl, I look forward to each day with you!