happy birthday mommy

Well today is my birthday and I feel older than my 32 years suggests.  Regardless of how old I feel I wouldn't change anything about my life right now.  My boys are what make my day each morning and fill me up with so much love.

I'm going down to Shipshewana with Doug and my parents.  You know you are getting old when a trip to Amish land for lunch and grocery shopping gets you excited.  Oh well, that's my kind of fun and I don't care who knows it. :)

I will admit though that I am feeling on the verge of panic and trying to keep the tears at bay today.  I'm leaving my boys with some friends for the day and I know they will be great with the kids.  My fear has nothing to do with their undoubtable ability to care for my boys.  It has to do with the fact that Doug and I still have not decided what to do with the boys if something should happen to us.  All I can think of is that we will get in a car crash on the way down and die.  What then would happen to my boys?  We would be leaving a great big legal mess behind us.  All I have running through my mind since 4 am is what if...what if...what if.  This really stinks.

I know we don't lack for people in our lives who love our little boys but I worry just the same.  So prayers today that nothing happens to us and that we make it back safe to our precious cargo!

Wall Lake

I should have written this post a couple of weeks ago but better late than never.

We had a family reunion on August 13th at Wall Lake.  What a lovely place.  I have been looking forward to this for the last year.  We had a reunion there for the first time last year and I had such a wonderful time that I couldn't wait to go again.  It was even more exciting to have the boys and introduce them to some of the family that has not had a chance to meet them.


Even thought we were there for six or seven hours I felt like I had taken a vacation.

Elly and Levi

There is an old cottage that is so inviting.  It has many windows facing the lake so you can enjoy the view from inside as well as out.  The floors slant in some areas and there are several beds for many guests.  There are old couches and chairs everywhere for lounging.  It just feels right to be there.  If I could buy a cottage on a lake this is exactly the kind of place I would want.

Jesse and her boyfriend

Ruth, Renee and Elaine

Aaron came from Wisconsin and we were all excited to see him.

When we arrived the weather was actually quite cool and breezy.  I was grateful that I had thought to bring a sweater.  It was a cloudy morning and we thought it might rain but the rain held off.

There were plenty of tables set up to accomodate such a large group of family to eat.  There was chicken, corn on the cobb, taco salad, cucumber salad, brownies, cookies and so much more food.  All the wonderful comfort foods of a perfect vacation.  And boy did I eat!  I was so stuffed that I was sure I wouldn't need to eat for a week.  But alas, I was hungry the next day.  Maybe an hour or less after we ate the skies started to clear and the sun came out.  What impecable timing.

Outside there is large tree at the edge of the water that shades much of the beach and land.  I laid in one of the lounge chairs with William on my chest.  We took a nap in the shade of that tree with a wonderful breeze flowing over us to keep us just the right temperature.

Most of the kids went out swimming while the adults sat around inside and out talking and just enjoying the company of each other.  Over time the women all seemed to migrate to one group and the men to another.

One of my cousins pulled out a box of nail polish that had about every color in the rainbow and then some.  I was still lounging in the chair with William and I saw that there was a neon green nail polish in the box so I grabbed it and started painting his toes.  The skies started turning dark again so we all relocated to under the tent that was set up in the yard.  Once I finished Williams toes I saw that there was a neon orange so of course I had to find Levi and paint his little piggies too. :)

Nora and Levi

William has green toes and Levi has orange toes.

The wind started to pick up and it appeared there was a storm coming so the men took the tent down.  That was entertaining in itself because they were fighting the wind and try not to let it take the tent away.  Thankfully they won that battle.

We spent the rest of the time indoors visiting and just enjoying each other.  Needless to say the boys were the hit of the party.  Cousin Nora just adored them and I think any time I saw her she had one of the boys in her arms.  The boys are so good about being passed around from person to person.  As long as they get smiles and kisses from someone then they are happy.  And this mommy didn't mind sharing the boys with everyone.  It gave me a chance to rest my arms for a while and feel like I didn't have any extra appendages.

That was our day.  And what a day it was!

Aunt Ruth and William

Mommy and William

More of Wily William

This kid makes me laugh so hard.  Such a character.

 Here are some pictures of William to enjoy!

 Apparently he didn't like his shower that day.

 I think he has the cutest bellybutton.  It looks like a snail.  I want to draw antennas and a tail on it. :)

 Three months old and he has already been practicing at removing his diaper.

 What a little instigator. 

 naptime with mama

 tummy time

Bogart wanted to nap with William

The Squeaky Wheel Gets the Grease

William is definitely the squeaky wheel around the house.  He is so vocal and becoming more so every day.  Today at dinner he just went on and on and on.  Even after we finished dinner he continued to talk and squeal for the longest time.  He does everything he can to get everyones attention.  I feel like I have to attend to him more than Levi.  Levi is usually so contented that he usually has to wait when I am unable to take care of both immediately.  I feel guilty about it but I am grateful that he has such a patient demeanor. 

Right now I am sitting in bed with William who does not want to go to sleep.  He thinks it's playtime.  How do I get him on an earlier schedule for bedtime?  Sigh.

3 month photos

The boys had their three month photos and here are some of them.

Wily William

 oh the looks this child gives....

 I love that grin.  It reminds me of my grandpa.

 Look how they have grown!

Lovin' Levi

 he's so round and solid like a basketball

 I admit, they cried through half of the session.  I should have fed them more before we started.  And when I got there I realized I forgot one of the pacifiers so they had to take turns with the one I had.

 We're tired.  Is this over with yet?

 Lovin' on the mommy.

Mommy and the boys.

Thank you to Sandy VanderTol for doing such a wonderful job again!

Lovin' Levi

Levi has had eczema since he was only a couple of weeks old.  Lately it has been really itching him.  The other morning I awoke to find he had scratched his scalp up pretty badly.  It makes me so sad to know he itches and can't verbalize it to me.  I'm trying to keep up with the lotion and hydrocortisone creams but sometimes I just don't think about it.  When I realize he has gone several hours without anything I feel bad that I wasn't taking care of him well enough.  I hope that he will outgrow it and it isn't something that he struggles with throughout his life.  

He likes to sit straight up.  He's not a big fan of reclining.  He likes to look out and see all that is around him and especially find people he can smile at and get smiled back at.  He can even smile really big with his ever present pacifier in his mouth.  What a talented boy.

For the last week or so he has been using his legs more and wanting to stand on laps.  That's a good sign for me considering William has been at it for a several weeks now.  Levi likes to take his sweet time on things and there is nothing wrong with that.  I think it means that he will be an observer.  Learning things by watching others do it first and then thinking about it.  William will be the one to do first and think later.  

Levi is such a tender-heart.  His smile could light up a dark room.  He has an expression of so much adoration when he looks at me or anyone.

Here are some pictures of Levi.

 Snuggled in a towel after a shower.

 Tummy time!

He loves his mommy.

Wily William

William learned a new trick yesterday.  He can purse his lips together, stick the lower lip out some and then he makes spurting sounds.  He's practically spraying slobber everywhere when he does it too.  Then today he improved on that trick while we were all sitting at the dinner table.  He can suck his upper lip in and hold it there for a while.  We were all cracking up over it.  Who needs tv when you have children.  They are way more entertaining.

William has been so vocal the last couple of days prior to going to bed.  He gets so loud and moves around so much that it is hard to hold onto him.  He practically yells in your face like an angry referee.  I have to let him get it all out before he finally crashes and then he will sleep for several hours into the night.  Silly little boy.

Great Grandma Hickey bought the boys a couple of light blue, super soft and fuzzy bunny rattles when we found out we were having boys.  The last few weeks they have been able to really enjoy them.  But I think William likes them the most.  When he sees one coming at him he gets excited.  His limbs starting moving and he gets an open mouthed grin.  When I lay it on his chest or legs he grabs onto it right away and pulls it up to his mouth and starts going to town.  He loves the feel of it on his face.  I can see the wheels cranking in his brain when he is grabbing at it.  The only other thing he gets as much joy playing with is a burp cloth.

One great thing about William is that he does really well sleeping at night.  He typically gets up only once to eat and then occasionally he sleeps through the night.  Unfortunately he makes up for lost time during the day.  Naps are something he tries to deny being a part of his vocabulary.  His little naps are five to twenty minutes long.  He will sleep longer but only if, and I repeat ONLY if someone is holding him.  If you lay him down so you can get some work done he will only sleep a few minutes because then he will realize that he is not being held and then the yelling begins.  Oiy!  I love that kid but man I can't get much done.  What saves me from getting upset with him is that he is so stinkin' funny.