Our trip to the pumpkin patch

Every year we try to go to a pumpkin patch. Here's the best photos from our trip today with the Crider Clan . . .


















































It was hard to get a lot of great photos of my two because Garrett spent most of the time doing things like this:













And Summer spent a fair amount of time doing this:















Yup, this year we were THOSE people.

Luckily I also did a photo session at home this morning, which yielded much better results, including a preview of Garrett's much anticipated "Scubie Diver" costume.

TGIF (ALMOST)

Its not quiet Friday, but when Friday gets here I will be thrilled.Its been a very wild and crazy couple of weeks here. Last week involved Brad going to work super early and getting home late a couple of times. Then on Friday our company arrived (my boys + 2 teenage boys + two more grown boys = 6 boys to clean up after!!). Really, though, they weren't any trouble--we loved having them here. But I was more or less been on my own most of the time between Friday and Wednesday. I got really good at putting the kids to bed alone.

So here's what's been going on in the past week and a half or so . . .

Brad did a dive course for our guests, which meant Brad was busy all weekend long. Garrett LOVED having everyone here, especially Issac and his friend Guiseppi, who played with him night and day and really kept him quite entertained. (The top picture is Issac with the kiddos--I guess he is my 2nd cousin or something like that? His mom is my mom's cousin . . . )
I started tracking my fitness and nutrition on www.babyfit.com. I'm still carrying around 10 extra pounds since I got preggers with Summer, and a whopping 20 since I got pregnant with Garrett. I want to get back down to 180, which is what I weighed in HS. But more importantly I want to improve my fitness level. I've been doing 40 minutes of cardio every single day for a week now, and I hope to keep that up indefinately and work up to an hour. Strength training twice a week, watching what I eat, the whole nine yards. So far its going well, and my milk supply is still doing great, which is another plus.

Summer continues to be a good sleeper. Garrett does not. He is, as a rule, up as many (if not more) times than his sister. He HAS started napping (3 of the last 4 days), which allows me to work out, but I'm not sure its a good thing since his night time sleep is deteriorating again instead of improving. I just don't know what to do with him, and it is frustrating me to no end.

Other than his sleep issues, Garrett continues to be a trip. He's obsessed with hotwheels and racecars. He talks non-stop, and says the funniest things. He's missed his dad desperately over this past week or so. He loves to do crafts, and whenever he does one he says "Look, I made this for daddy!" And he shows it to Brad at the first opportunity.

Oh, and the story behind yesterday's Wordless Wednesday picture--I decided to do a little photo session with Garrett and Summer. Of course, neither of them wanted to cooperate. Summer was fussing and Garrett simply didn't want to be there at all. So that was the ONLY good picture I got of the 2 of them. I got one good picture of Garrett. The rest are the "out takes," so to speak.

Since my own kids weren't cooperating, I borrowed a couple of Criders, who were far more cooperative!

I'm still having a lot of fun with the photo editing prograp we have, and am starting to play around more.

Wordless Wednesday - A kiss for Summer

Bows and a quick update

Long time, no post! We've had a busy week or so here--my cousin is here with his son and their friends for diving. They've been keeping us crazy busy. Garrett is loving playing with the boys--Issac and Guiseppi, who are both 13.


The other thing I MUST say is we got our bows from Kaycee over at http://lifeasamomat21.blogspot.com and we LOVE THEM. They stay in Summer's hair better than the wally world bows. The first picture is Summer this AM in one of them. More to come . . . I went back to work yesterday, so between that and company, we are sooo busy!

Wordless Wednesday

Busy week so far!

We've had a REALLY busy week so far, and its only Wednesday! Monday was our regular My Gym playdate, followed by a park playdate since the weather is getting so nice. Then on Tuesday we went out to my work and to a Mommy and Me Program at the Miami Seaquarium. It was a lot of fun, Garrett got to get face to face with a 540lb sea lion, and hang out with his buddies. I picked up some work from my boss and got to visit with coworkers and friends I haven't seen in a while. I will say driving out that far was a major pain with an infant!! Today we had our preschool playdate. And the week is only half over.

Summer in the wrap, Garrett doing a dance @ My Gym
(Thanks Haydee for the first 3 pics)

Haydee took this picture @ our park playdate

Garrett checking out the dolphins @ Seaquarium

I couldn't resist including this picture--another mommy/son from our playgroup

Crazy Garrett loves his sister

Pretty Summer showing off a pretty outfit from Sherry's friend Lillian

The biggest news here is I decided to go to work at the beginning of next week, rather than at the end of it--I'm already working anyway, so I figured we might as well make it official and save a little sick time for later.

Summer slept NINE hours in a row last night--from 8:30-5:30. It was amazing. Garrett was up briefly at midnight, but other than that, it was the best sleep we've had in a while. This is the third night in a row she has slept 6+ hours, so we're really hoping that will continue.

Last, but not least, CONGRATS to Kaycee, who welcomed her 2nd little girl yesterday!!

Much better than last weekend!

This weekend was definately much better than last weekend. Garrett had a mini-meltdown on Saturday evening, but NOTHING compared to last weekend's fiasco. On Saturday we went to the zoo with Daddy, with the sole intention of "Riding those ole candles". Garrett had a blast--we fed the giraffes again and then rode the camel. He really wanted to see Diego again, but he was super tired and couldn't listen, so we left. He hasn't stopped telling us how he wants to go see Diego at the zoo again. We're supposed to go (again) on Thursday with our playgroup, assuming I haven't dropped dead from exhaustion from a crazy-busy week. Brad and I are excessively sick of hearing about Diego though. And he sings the song from the show. Its hilarious, but only the first few times :-)

Summer sleeping in the stroller after hanging out in the sling most of the day.

Sunday was pretty relaxing--we went to church in the morning. I need to put Summer back in her dress and take pictures. She was pretty good--she actually stayed wide awake through the entire service (and Sunday school too) with minimal fussing. Garrett was in the 2-3 year old room for the first time and did great. He colored and listened when he was supposed to.

Brad and I attempted to have a mommy-and-daddy's night in, but our plans for a sitter fell through, so we ended up sending Garrett upstairs to watch Cars while Summer took her evening nap so we could have a few quiet minutes alone. It was not ideal, but we'll take whatever we can get.

Now for photo fun . . . these are random pictures from Thursday and Friday of last week.

Summer having tummy time on the bobby . . .

Garrett in the same onsie at approximately the same age
(I meant to get her in the same pose, but it didn't happen)

On Friday in one of the cute Pooh outfits Grandma brought . . .

I like to call this sequence "The Bow Thief"
1. I see the bow

2. I reach for the bow.

3. I got it, I got the bow!!

Even Aspen isn't too sure about this whole bow thing.


And of course if Aspen sniffed the baby, Haylee has to sniff the baby . . .

As for how we're adjusting . . . Summer was a month old on Saturday. She's smiling a lot, and holding her head up very well. She continues to be a pretty easy baby. We're figuring out her schedule better, and are hoping for more nights like last night!! Garrett's sleep continues to improve. No naps since Thursday, but we are enforcing a daily quiet time that is getting better (and longer) every day. He's going to bed sooo much better. He has had several bed wetting accidents at night, so we made the decision to put him in pull ups at night. I honestly think its because his sleep is getting back to where it used to be.

Brad and I are having a hard time to find time to just be alone together (thus the botched couples night in) . . . that is going to take a little more time to find the balance. I know it will come as both kids get better about sleeping. Again, we made major strides this weekend--Brad and I were actually able to go outside and sit in the hammock after the kids went to bed (versus going to bed ourselves!!). I also need to find time to work out more, but that will come too. I was running for a while, but haven't been able to find the time in over a week! But all in all, things aren't too bad!

Ahhh, sleep!

Summer slept SIX HOURS in a row last night. Score!!! And Garrett slept well too. More on the weekend later, but just had to share that. We've got a busy week ahead of us, so the rest was much needed!

Sleep training, the 2nd time around

Sooo, obviously I screwed Garrett up big time in the sleep department. Or else he wouldn't be getting up at night at the age of almost 2.5.

Garrett was almost a year old when we found this great book, "Good Night, Sleep Tight" by Kim West. He was seriously up every 2 hours, every night, to nurse, and it was driving me NUTS. The book has helped us with him so many times since then, but I can't help but think if we'd taught him how to sleep right from the beginning, it would have helped.

So with Summer, we're going to try and build good habits from the beginning. What I like about this book is that it isn't like Ferber, where you just let them cry and cry. And at the same time, it isn't like "No Cry Sleep Solution" . . . its just a middle of the road method.

We started working on it today, for our morning nap. This is the ONLY time we'll work on it for a while. I laid Miss Summer in her crib after letting her swing for a little, then nurse for a little, until she was good and drowsy. She fussed a tiny bit, so I stuck a paci (which she hates and won't take, but it usually will make her stop crying. Go figure) in her mouth to calm her down. She watched me fold her clothes for about 5 minutes and then fell right to sleep. Imagine that. So, day 1 of the next 365+ days of trying to teach her to sleep has gone well. Maybe its because I know more than I did with Garrett, or maybe its just because she's a much easier baby. Who knows! I DO know that I love the Sleep Lady!! :-)

4 weeks

WHY do kids have to grow up so fast?? I spent half the day packing up Summer's newborn and 0-3 clothes. She didn't even manage to wear half of them, and I missed getting photos in some of the adorable stuff we have been given by friends. I can't believe she is already 4 weeks old, but at the same time it seems like she has been with us a lot longer. She's already grown SO much! So I'll keep taking a zillion pictures a day, because she won't ever be this little again, and in no time she'll be running around being wild, just like Garrett . . .

I bought bows for her hair--ordered some from a friend at http://prissymissboutique.com/ , but also just got some Wal-mart cheapies because I couldn't wait any longer to put a bow in her hair. Totally out of character for me . . . the last time I REALLY did my hair was for my senior pictures. But she looks so freakin' cute!!

During our little photo session, Garrett decided to do "This little piggy" on his sister. I couldn't resist more fingers/toes shots. He's so much bigger than her. I really can't get over how gentle he is with her . . .

And, of course, I can't take pictures of Summer without a picture of Garrett.
Note the messy face. Grandma Becky mailed him a package of M&Ms, which he quickly dispatched.

And my crafty moment for the week. The chair Garrett sits at for our meals had gotten quiet nasty from the messes Garrett likes to make, so I bought some fabric and recovered it, then put vinyl over it to protect it. Turned out pretty cute, if I do say so myself, and Garrett LOVES having his new special Cars chair!

Another "I love my sister" moment

We had our weekly preschool playdate today. Summer was getting tired and it was time to go, but Garrett wasn't having it. So after a minor tantrum, I had to carry him out to the car. Summer stayed in with the other mommies while I got Garrett situated. After he got over his fit about having to leave, he frantically started asking "Where is Summer??" over and over again. At least I'll never have to worry about forgetting her.

He keeps putting toys near her, wherever she is. She'll be 4 weeks on Thursday, so the newness should have worn off by now. I think we're just blessed with a little boy who truely loves his sister and isn't threatened by her.

Garrett is napping for the 2nd day in a row. BOTH kids are asleep in their rooms right now, so I may just go try and take a nap while I still can. Or at the very least, have some ME time!! Woot!

My Baby Summer!

We try to let Garrett hold Summer whenever he asks--and he asks often. Today when I gave her to him, he first told me to get the camera and take a picture. Then he informed me "You can't have her back!" When I asked her why he told me "My baby Summer." Okay then. At least he likes her!