Fall 2013

As I sit down to write this post, I'm a little sad about how fast life is moving. I don't know why but Aaron and I are always looking at each other and wondering aloud when is it gonna slow down? I don't think it will. Nothing ever stays the same and our children will never be the same age they are today. Maci has proved that to us by growing so fast over the past 5 1/2 months. Sad face. She started rolling over shortly before Thanksgiving and can now meander her way around any room: rolling, scooting and getting up on her knees. I have a theory she is going to do everything early because she watches Liv. She is such a good baby. The easiest yet. So sweet. Makes my heart melt a little every time I look into her brown eyes. Her thick dark hair thinned and lightened and it's any one's guess as to what color of hair she will end up with. She loves her big sisters. To watch Olivia and Maci interact with each other is so precious. Liv just wants to hold and kiss her little sister all day. Maci looks at Liv with the biggest grin on her face. Although Olivia has started to say things like: "Maci touched me" or "Maci pulled my hair"...ok Liv, Maci is a baby and she loves you and wants to touch you.
Olivia is doing great on Potty training. If we remind her and make her stop playing she can go all night and day without having an accident. She almost always tells us she has to go to the bathroom but sometimes she tells us about 5 seconds too late.  Every box of pull ups I buy from Costco makes me wonder how much longer we have. She's about on the same time frame as Cecelia was at her age. Olivia is so accustomed to hearing us say "good job" after she uses the restroom that she has began to tell Aaron and I "good job Mommy/Daddy" after we finish using the restroom. I love toddlers at this age! Olivia is still very attached to her baby doll. Doesn't HAVE to go with us everywhere like it did just a few months ago but it HAS to be in her bed at night, along with her pink RODY, her purse, her 2 pieces of fake plastic mail and sometimes her big pink hat. She MUST be read at least 1 story before every nap and bedtime. She asks in the sweetest voice: "Do you want to read me a story Mommy"? How could I say no to that face and voice. Of course I want to read her a story! Liv is still taking classes at the Y. We haven't been taking the kids to the daycare there anymore than we have to with it being cold and flu season.
Cecelia has had 2 competitions so far this season in gymnastics. Both have been in house to get the girls prepared for judging. She started to compete with the Gold level girls but being the youngest and joining a group with 12 year olds made her feel a little left out so she has opted to compete with her friends at a silver level (keeping her more advanced gold routine however) until at least 1 of her friends moves up to the Gold level. Her coach Courtney suggested this because she wants Cecelia to have fun and enjoy gymnastics. I agree! We saw our first sports injury a few weeks ago at her in house meet. Her feet hit the bars when she went to dismount off the high bar. My heart sank. Gymnastics is so scary! We talked with the owner of the gym who was a gymnast her whole life about possibly getting Cece into a cheer class to prepare her for wanting to be a cheerleader in junior High. Liz told us not to waste our money and that the cheerleaders actually come to practice at metro Stars and that everything she would need to have to cheer she already has (other than the actual vocal cheering). Cecelia loves her 4th grade teacher. They get along very good. We promised Cece that if she got all pluses on her report card (Papillion Lavista doesn't use a letter or number grade scale in elementary) that we would give her $100. She got one minus because sometimes she blurts out answers. Next report card comes home in about a week. I hope I can reward her with her money.
Aaron grew his facial hair for No shave November and I'm afraid to say that I think its staying permanently. I kind of like it. Definitely makes him look more his age. Were hoping his days off are going to be changing here very soon to Sunday and Mondays off. Which would be perfect for our family and my work schedule. We have it so good being able to be home with the kids as much as were able to.
My new job is good. Much better benefits and work load than my previous job. My sister Nikki who is also a nurse just got hired on as well. So excited to work with my sister again.
School is annoying. Not hard but masters level classes require a lot of time to write papers and after 2 classes I'm already burnt out. Planning on taking a little break. I'm not in any hurry to finish because I won't use the degree until the last baby is in school full time, And since I don't really know what I want to be when I grow up it's probably a good thing I take a semester off and enjoy my family and my fast growing babies! Liv is going to be in preschool next fall:( I'm still loving my moms group through church. We had a womens wknd retreat back in October at the Lied lodge in Nebraska City, and Aaron took off and kept the kids. It was amazing and such a good bonding experience with my moms group friends! Loving Southridge Church! Thank god they were put in my life. Even though I work every weekend, since I make my own schedule I usually can still make it to Sunday service.
There is so much more to write but the kids need almost every minute of my time these days and that is priority. Although, I write this blog for them to be able to look back and read when they are older. I hope I can update this sooner. Time is flying by.