Color and shapes sorting

Sick baby

This has been a rough week with sickness. Luke had a fever and was very fussy for three days. Never serious enough that I felt he needed to see a doctor, but miserable enough that he had to be held all the time, and we barely slept for three nights. I really can't complain though as this is his first time being sick at 11 months old.

Napping in the rocking chair.

The first time he was feeling better and wanted to play.

And happy Duke is back!

Home decor

To continue my efforts at home decor......I found these bookends on the Waupaca bst page, and the pine cones on the side of the road :-)

John found this candle holder thingie on the bst page too, and I added the pinecone. It fills the empty wall space in the dining room.

It kind of matches this one that we already had in the living room.

11 months old

I can hardly believe this is my last month post before he is a year old! Time to start thinking about his birthday, though I do have his main present stashed away :-). Luke is a big boy, 23 pounds, and still has 8 teeth. He cruises around now, but still only says, mama, though I'm pretty sure he said, dada one evening. He eats quite a bit of solid food, pretty much just whatever we are eating, though a favorite is bananas. Nursing is going ok, he generally does 3 times a day, before each nap and bed, but we have to be in a  perfectly quiet room with no distractions for any nursing to happen, and sometimes I really have to work at it to convince him to eat. I'm guessing he will wean early, but if at all possible I want to keep him nursing till he is 12 months old. (Caroline weaned at 14 months). We had a rough patch with sleeping this past month. We trained him to sleep through the night, and then I reasoned that if he got up and nursed once that wasn't a big deal, and it generally got in a good nursing session which was a big deal to me. Sadly though it was a slippery slope to Luke deciding if he was allowed to get up once, why not three or four, or five times a night......so had to redo some sleep training, and the past two nights he has slept though the night great. He's still very much my cuddly baby and loves to snuggle on my lap, or just crawl up to me, lay his head on my leg, and suck his thumb.

October days part one

Doing nails.

Watching Baby Einstein after breakfast.

Cooking together.

Watching "Something Different" ( Baby Genius) together.

Deep fried cheese curds from Culvers.

Playing together. To keep this real I should have some pictures of them whining and fighting too....

Coloring.

Luke has gotten very into books right now.

Putting dandelions in a bucket, "I having so much fun, Mama!"

Luke loves to help with laundry, haha!

"I having a party!"

So happy when Aldi got Caroline's favorite "cream cream" back in stock.

Playing at Goodwill is so much fun!

My special girl.

I love this stuff!

Apples from the neighbors.

A treat for mama.

Watching the lawn get mowed. Luke loves lawn mowers!

We often see deer on our Sunday night walks.

Making pumpkin cheesecake, "I love cooking with you, Mama!"

Yes, that is a diaper on her head.

Grapes from one of Grandma's friends being turned into wine.

Cheerios friends.

I'm the cool mom that gives my kids chocolate chips when I bake cookies,

Sister and brother

Finding colors

A favorite activity of Caroline's lately has been reading her color book. Each page focuses on one color and she likes me to ask her to find an object of each color (usually a toy). She runs and finds something and gets all excited. I can see how we could also do this with learning shapes, and maybe an object that starts with the letter A and so on as she gets older and starts learning letters.....

Caroline said

Caroline, "I'm just being a pain, Mama."

Caroline was visiting Grandma. and I hear Grandma say they need to ask me if something is ok.
Caroline says, " No! She is cooking dinner and doesn't want to talk to anyone!"
Me, "What?!!!"

 Me, "Caroline, what would you like for lunch today?" Caroline, "No, I too sad to talk right now." 

 Caroline, "I took Girl's diaper off." 
Me, "Why?"

Caroline, "Cause I did."
 Then sighs and shakes her head, "I know Mama."

Caroline, "You happy you married, Mama?'
Me, "Yes, I'm happy and married."
"You married to Daddy, Mama?"
"Yes, Daddy and I are married."
"I get married too? I get a ring like you?"
"Yes honey, you will probably get married and you get your own pretty ring then."
Big smile, "When I a leetle beeger I get married."

And just because I like remembering stuff.....yesterday Caroline said Luke for the first time. Ever since he was born she has always called him Duke, but she finally figured out how to say his name. Of course everyone in his life (even his chiropractor) calls him Dukie now. Poor kid, lol.

A new chalkboard

John made this chalkboard for the playroom and the kids love it!

Today

7:00 - baked "hutmeal' for breakfast.

8:00 - crib time while Mama takes a shower.

9:00 - reading ABCs.

10:00 - I find a chance for my Bible reading while Caroline is playing with Grandma and Luke is napping.

Brushing hard baby's teeth.

Dukie is awake.

Just hanging out.

Playtime.

More play.

In the playroom before naptime.

Ahhh naptime....for the record, I only ate two.

This post was supposed to have a picture for every hour to document our day like I've seen on some other blogs, but I got distracted, busy, and it didn't really happen. A few bullet points to fill in the rest of the day -
I put clean sheets on our bed.
Caroline woke up from her nap and extremely hungry tiger.
John took Caroline and Luke with him to get Hunter so I got a pleasant half hour of quiet all to myself.
Dinner was sliced ham, green bean casserole, baked potatoes, and pumpkin rolls.
Family worship was going over the catechism question, what is sin?, reading in Proverbs 10, and singing in Psalm 103.
Thiis evening Hunter primed the chalkboard John is making for the playroom (a pinspiration project), and we gave the babies baths.