My Paul-Paul

There are so many things I want to remember about my Paul James at age 2 years, 3 months...

*his cute little voice. His language has just exploded over the past couple months. Some of my favorite words - Wheevin (Stephen), Reesa Rose (Theresa Rose), burnout, dragster, Wockies (Rockies),

*his giggle. It is so easy to get Paul to laugh. 

*He counts "3, 6, 3, 6..."

*He calls himself Charlie Blackmon, an outfielder for the Rockies. Stephen started it and now if I call him Paul, Paul will say, "No, Charlie Blackmon!" Luckily, Blackmon is a good guy to have as a role model. 

*He LOVES Stephen. They play together very well. They do have their fair share of fights which usually include biting and tackling, but overall, they are the best of pals. 

*He seems to be as big of a sports fan as Stephen. He is frequently seen running around the living room playing baseball or football.   

*He is becoming quite the Duplo master. He loves building houses, trucks, and cakes.

*I love his blonde curls and his cheeks. I also love how he says "hug" whenever he gives a hug. I love my sweet Paul-Paul. 

What Paul's been up to

At Paul's two year appointment today, he was 27 lbs. and 35 inches tall. This is almost exactly the same as Stephen was. Stephen was 3/4" taller at his 2 year appointment. Paul is a very busy little boy. Here's a bit of what he's been up to...

Putting his bib on his head

Feeding the baby a hot dog (this was just hours before Theresa was born)

Riding bikes outside

Having a picnic with Stephen

Building with Duplos - he's getting pretty good at this.

Theresa and her brothers

 Theresa is very loved by her big brothers. Stephen is always eager to hold her and likes helping her when she's crying. He puts his hands on her, and she'll usually stop crying. I can tell that she recognizes Stephen's voice because she always looks at him when he's near her. Stephen likes being my helper when I'm changing her diaper. The cutest thing is when he holds her hand in the car.

Paul likes sticking her pacifier in her mouth. He insists on calling her "Rose." He's not as interested in holding her, but he does like knowing where she is. We're working on gentle touches. His favorite is rubbing her head. I know he will be a great big brother.

2 years old!

Happy 2nd birthday, Paul! He is such a happy little boy and brings joy to everyone around him. We had a train party the day before his birthday. He always gets very excited when a "choo-choo" goes by on the tracks behind our house or when we see a train anywhere. Here are some things I want to remember about Paul as a 2-year-old.

*Paul LOVES his big brother and little sister. He can usually be found doing whatever Stephen is doing. As much as he likes playing with him, Paul is also very good at pushing Stephen's buttons. He will take toys away, push or bite him, or even tackle him if he is upset. Paul calls Theresa "Rose" and just points at Stephen.

*He enjoys looking at pictures of his family members and will point and name everyone.

*His imagination is really developing. He has fun pretending to play basketball and baseball. He will also pretend to be a puppy or a tiger.

*Paul is a big fan of reading books, by himself or with mommy or daddy. His favorites include any books about trucks, "Slam Dunk," and animal books.

*He has a stuffed tiger that always goes to bed with him. He holds onto it by the tag around its neck. Paul is also still attached to his pacifier. He asks for it by pointing his finger in his mouth.

*His vocabulary is building everyday. I can usually understand what he is talking about. His favorite word is definitely "why."

*Stephen and Paul both like to be "Father." They are frequently seen holding books up and walking around like a priest does at Mass. Paul likes pointing out crosses and Jesus. He has started repeating random words he hears during Mass. This morning he heard the priest mention St. Paul. Paul looked at me and said, "Paul!"

"Paul loves playing outside. He likes riding bikes, playing baseball, and digging in the dirt.

We love you, Paul!

"Happy birthday, dear Paul!"

Blowing out his candles

Yay for grandparents!

I'm so grateful for my parents. They came the day after Theresa was born and stayed for a week. Stephen and Paul loved having them here. I did too! They were a huge help as we began our adjustments to a family of 5.

Napping with Grandpa

Playing baseball

Stephen takes his turn as catcher.

Our best effort at a picture with all 3 kids

It's a girl!

After having two babies during the 37th week of pregnancy, I was definitely anticipating another early birth. I started having what I thought might be contractions on the morning of Monday, April 28, so I started keeping track of them. By lunchtime, they were about 4-6 minutes apart. After I got the boys down for their naps, I called the doctor's office. The nurse said I should head to the hospital so they could check things out. Unfortunately, Dr. W was out that day. I called Steve and Grandma Rose. Then I finished packing and cleaned up around the house a bit. Steve got home around 2:00 and Grandma Rose got here around 2:30. We arrived at the hospital at about 3:00 and got checked in. Finally, after all the usual pre-delivery questions and checks, at 5:00 Dr. L said we would be having a baby that evening. I walked into the operating room at 5:20. Steve had the privilege of standing up and announcing, "It's a girl!" Theresa Rose was born at 5:51 pm. I got to see her before she was cleaned up.

Our first look at our baby girl

Steve went over with her to watch her get cleaned up and weighed. He also got to finish cutting the umbilical cord. Then he brought her over to me before heading to the recovery room.

Daddy cuts the umbilical cord.

I joined them at 6:27 pm. After getting situated, I was able to nurse her right away, and she ate like a champ. We started making our phone calls to announce her birth. Steve headed out to pick up the boys and Grandma Rose. I was wheeled to my room around 8:00 and the boys got there shortly after that. Stephen and Paul were both a little confused by Mommy being in bed and weren't too sure what to think of their baby sister.

Grandma and Grandpa G arrived Tuesday afternoon and were very eager to meet their new granddaughter.

Steve brought the boys over after naptime. They were much more excited to see their little sister.

We also did FaceTime with Megan and her kids. They were very excited to see their new cousin. I used some of the down time in the hospital to take some pictures.

We were able to leave Wednesday afternoon. Theresa wasn't overly thrilled about her car seat. We are ready to begin our transition to a family of 5.

20 months old!

Wow! I am so behind on this blog. I'm hoping to get caught up as soon as possible. I need to share about my boys before I forget what I'm loving about these ages.

Paul is now 20 months old! He is such a fun-loving little boy who is always following his big brother around. They are at the point where they enjoy playing together and have a lot of fun...until one of them starts crying. I love hearing Paul's giggles and seeing his cute smile.  He's not a big talker but he has quite a few words. Luckily, I've been keeping a running list of them. Here they are (for my own memory)...
Whoa!
Mama
nana (banana
cup
poop
ball
go
shoe
sock
woof
hi
yes
grrrr (tiger - his favorite animal)
truck
hoop (basketball hoop)
hat
na (dad)
no
Da-ee (Daddy - 12/20/13)
tree
ho ho ho
go go go (when playing football or soccer)
milk
water
snack
toast
hot - whenever he sees a stove or any food that may potentially be hot
I wuv oo (I love you - will sometimes repeat it)
chips
choo choo
book
dirt (when playing with construction trucks)

Paul will also attempt to repeat most words and phrases we say to him which is really cute. He's still a big fan of his pacifier but only uses it at naptime and when he's upset or sad about something. He's on day 4 of being laid down awake for naptime! Woo-hoo! He will usually sleep for 3-4 hours at naptime. He goes to bed between 7:30 and 8:00 and wakes up between 6:30 and 7:30 in the morning.

Paul LOVES his daddy. I hear "Daddy" all day long and he likes to look at Daddy's picture on my phone. One of Paul's favorite things to do is tackle Daddy. He also likes driving cars and trucks; playing with trains; playing basketball, football, and soccer; playing outside; and reading books. He loves seeing babies and likes kissing Mommy's baby.

I'm trying to enjoy my "baby" boy as much as I can before he's no longer my baby in a few months. He brings all of us great joy and I know he'll be a wonderful big brother.

Playing in the gym at St. Louis - one of his favorite places!

Paul and his daddy

Sleeping last Friday (1/24) after being sick Thursday night

Family photo shoot

We had pictures taken yesterday. We got a family picture, Stephen's 3-year picture, and Paul's 18-month picture. The boys were very cooperative, and we got great pictures!

Paul James - 18 months old

Stephen Joseph - 3 years old

Random August fun

August 2 - Paul loves corn on the cob.

August 6 - Paul started using a spoon.

August 7 - Two's a crowd!

August 17 - Western Welcome Week parade

August 19 - a creative piano player

August 22 - a silly boy

August 23 - Stephen loves his new job.

August 24 - Stephen has become a big fan of his Duplos.

August 24 - Reading books with Daddy

August 25

August 26 - Vroom!