Happy New Year!

Happy New Year and Happy Birthday to our precious little Two Year Old Duke!  Time is flying!  I failed with the NaBloPoMo, but that is the way life is right now.  Not a lot of time to concentrate on anything but the four kiddos and I would not have it any other way!

Wordless Wednesday - Spring Break Boating!

For more Wordless Wednesday posts, go here!

Wordless Wednesday - I'm Gonna Getcha!

Snotty Noses and other Big Green Monsters...

This hasn't been a pretty week.

The Duke caught a cold last week, and I managed to catch it too. As with all colds, this one went directly to my left ear and I cannot hear a thing out of it. So far, we appear to be the only victims of this latest round of germs. (Knock on wood...)

Besides running around chasing after a one-year-old with a really, really green, snotty nose, we have been dealing with yet another Big Green Monster.

You can call it jealousy or you can call it Sibling Rivalry - it all looks green to me.

If the Duke is playing with a toy, the Knight wants it. If he doesn't get it, he gives the Duke a little push or shove. The baby cries and I have to give the Knight a time out.

Repeat. Several.Times.Each.Day.

We have a no-hitting policy around here. If you hit, you get a consequence.

Consequences have been flowing freely at our house this week!

The Knight does not want to share any toys with his little brother - even if they are the Duke's own toys. When I make him share, I hear things like, "Why do you like the baby better than me?"

Heart breaking.

I have really been trying to work on their relationship. I want these two boys to be close, but right now I am failing miserably.

When the Duke toddles over to the Knight, I say things like, "Duke really likes his big brother and wants to say hi!" Sometimes this works and the Knight is receptive to the Duke's attention.

Other times, the Knight just walks away or asks me to put the Duke upstairs to nap or into his play pen.

I am not going to give up though.

1-year-olds are tough. They want to explore their little world. And if that little world includes toys absent-mindedly left in their paths, they are going to play with them and most likely put them in their mouths.

It's what 1-year-olds do.

The Knight isn't buying it though. He thinks the Duke is just being mean and we like the Duke better than him.

Sigh...

Here's to hoping this phase does not last long!

One year olds are fast!

Knight vs. Food Part 2

Last Friday I took both the Knight and the Duke to their annual well checks.  Both of them were declared "well".  My poor little Duke got 4 shots... :(

I love our pediatrician.  He has been our doctor since Princess was an itty bitty baby and he is wonderful.  DadOf4 and I both went to the appointment because we had some concerns about the Knight and his not eating.  We wanted to make sure that we covered all of the bases so the doctor had all of the information.  I also brought a list of questions. 

After talking to the doctor, he said that it appears that our little Knight has reflux and that is making his little tummy hurt when he eats.  He gave us a prescription for a medication that the Knight will be on for about a month.  The goal is to re-build the lining in the Knight's esophagus.  The doctor said that the medicine would take a good week to start working.  He warned that we would not see an increase in appetite for at least that long.

My little Knight has eaten more in the last three days than he typically eats in a week!

He is not gorging himself - he is just eating. 

Instead of taking three bites of a piece of toast because I am standing over him, he will eat the entire thing by himself and ask for more!  Music to this mommy's ears!

And get this - he is even eating the bread CRUST! 

This is just such good news for us.  Encouraging this kid to eat has become a daily struggle, and maybe, just maybe it does not have to be anymore!

I cannot wait to weigh him on Friday!! 

Duke's New Haircut!

Duke's First Haircut!

Princess and Duke before Duke's very first haircut!

First, we played for a while!

Princess is really good with her littlest brother!

A good look at the "before" hair!

All ready for the hair cutting to begin!

I was holding on to him so he would not bolt!

He did NOT like the shaver - it was way too loud!

He is not so sure about this hair cutting thing anymore!

Big sister saves the day by holding a lollypop for him!

After!  Princess was a big help to me and Duke got his very first haircut!

Sick Days

This has been quite the week.  My little Knight woke up with the tummy flu last week Wednesday and since then it has traveled from him to Princess back to him and then to the Duke on Tuesday night. 

Dealing with a vomiting 1 year old is not an easy task, but like all things in parenthood, you roll with the punches.

Not old enough to tell me when you need the bucket?  OK, then I will sit you on my lap surrounded by lots and lots of towels with my hand on your belly so I can feel when when it tightens up.

Don't know that you should face down with you throw up?  OK then I will place a towel under your chin when the time comes and tilt you so gravity helps get that icky stuff out of your mouth.

Getting scared because you don't know what is happening?  Then I will hold you close to me and tell you that you are going to be OK.

Barfy smell and all!

This too shall pass!

Wordless Wednesday - Duke ---> Look what I can do!!

Pictures!

We are missing the grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins today!  Here are some pictures!

Taken 1/23/2010.  He is starting to look like a little boy!!

What a handsome and happy boy!

These kids are wearing Daddy out!

Playing Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots!

Brothers

The Prince and the Knight share a room. The Prince is now 6 1/2 and the Knight will be 5 in February. Bedtimes are a nightly challenge for us. The Prince falls asleep very quickly, but the Knight needs a while to settle down and fall asleep - he gets that from me.

DadOf4 can literally fall asleep in under 2 minutes after we have gone to bed. I know this - I have timed him. Me? I take at least a half an hour to settle down.

DadOf4 and I work this out by him falling asleep right away and by me either reading or watching a little TV in our room until I get sleepy.

The Prince and the Knight work this out by the Prince falling asleep right away and the Knight throwing toys at the Prince's head.

Yeah - this is not exactly working out for them.

The Duke (1 year old) currently has his own room. This was necessary last year when he was waking up three times per night. But now that he is sleeping through I am rethinking the entire roommate situation.

Princess is the only girl - plus she is the oldest (8 1/2). She gets her own room.

I would like to give Prince his own room too. He has put up with a lot from the Knight the last few years.

However, the Knight will start Kindergarten next year. I am just not sure it makes sense to separate the Knight and the Prince now. It would be nice to have the Duke sleep past the 6:00AM school morning wake-up call when school starts next fall.

This is my dilemma right now.

Any suggestions?

Duke is Walking!

I just cannot get vidoe to load to blogger in a timely manner. So, once again, if you know my true identity, check out my videos of Duke WALKING on facebook!!

Duke Video

Here is our little Duke at 8 1/2 months!

Duke Video

My camera is slowly "giving up the ghost". It came back from the dead this weekend so I got some new video of my little Duke!

Photo Story Friday - The Eyes Have It!

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

The kids and I were messing around with my camera, and we decided to take close-ups of their eyes. Here is my 4 year old Knight's eyes:

My 6 year old Prince's eyes.
And my almost 8 year old Princess's eyes:


I will add my baby Duke's eyes when he wakes up from his nap. His are the only eyes that are brown like my husband's. Our three oldest have my color. :)

No longer toothless!

My little Duke has gotten his very first tooth! He is 6 months old. The new tooth does not surprise me because he has been drooling and gnawing on things for the last several months. He is being a trooper about it and is still his happy little self!

Duke's New Trick!

Our youngest hit a BIG milestone this weekend!

He can SIT!

See! No wires or mirrors!

Happy 5 Month Day to my Little Duke!

It is hard to believe that it has been 5 months since our little Duke was born! Time flies when you are having fun (or are trying to keep up with 4 kids!)

Happy 5 Month Day, little man!