Has it really been 4 months...already?

It's hard to believe that Andrew is already four months old. As you can see from the picture he is a "healthy" boy! I took him for his 4 month check-up on Wednesday. Andrew received a good report. He weighed in at 16lbs (72 percentile) and was 26" long (82 percentile...I think). The doctor commented on how strong Andrew is and mentioned that he appeared to be ready to rollover (I think it will definitely be soon). He actually liked the vaccine that he got to drink. The nurse said most babies gag on it and try to spit out, but not Andrew...he actually slurped it up and then smiled :) The two shots were a bit of a different story. He cried before but not during the shots and then he screamed after the shots. He fell asleep on the ride home and was fine after that. Caroline loved his army wounds (bandaids). Andrew really is starting to look more and more like Caroline did at this age (face rounding out, legs chubbing up, etc). My mom took him to have two pictures mirrored that we had of Caroline at this age and the similarities are scary. I will try and post them side by side soon.

Well, we are headed to Hilton Head tomorrow so I'm sure my next post will be of sandy beaches and sunny skies! Caroline is so ready to go to the beach...she has been asking to go since we left last year (literally) :-).

A Birthday for Daddy!

Last night we surprised Ben when he got home from teaching guitar lessons by hanging a BIG HBD banner across the fireplace mantle. I drew out the banner and Caroline colored it. We even traced everyone's hands and wrote messages on it. We then all hid in the playroom to wait for Daddy to walk in the door.

Of course, typical of most men, Ben walked in -- didn't call out our names or think it was odd that no one was around, nor did he even notice the banner hanging in the living room. He then walked up stairs...all the while, Caroline and I were trying to keep Andrew from giggling (he was on a roll). Caroline and I would whisper to each other as we hid behind her princess playhut. And then sometimes, Caroline would forget and start talking in her regular voice and I would remind her we were hiding. She would then whisper while holding her finger up to her lips, "oh yeah, we have to be very, very quiet, it's a surprise.". Too cute! Ben finally came downstairs (he had changed clothes and looked for us upstairs).

When he walked toward the playroom, we all yelled "SURPRISE." And in the process I scared Andrew and Ben half to death....the moment was priceless!!

For Ben's birthday we all gave him Keith Urban concert tix. We went to the concert Sat night. Ben LOVED the guitar solos and said it was one of the best concerts he had ever been to-- I guess we did good :)

Bathtime Buddies!

So I tried something new...I let the 2 kids take a bath together. This was Caroline's idea of course. I have now done this successfully twice, and both kids seem to really enjoy it. Here's what I do... I fill the tub w/ just a little water, put Caroline in the back corner, and then I lay Andrew on his back in the water. I had to laugh when Caroline immediately started washing Andrew. She started with his toes and said, you have to get all in between the toesies, Mommy, then she moved up his legs and said, you have to get him all sudsed up really good, and then she finished by tickling his tummy. I'm assuming this is what she has observed Ben and I doing when we wash Andrew. It was too funny to watch my 2 yr old bathing her 4 month old brother. And, Andrew just loved it -- he was grinning from ear to ear!

Once Andrew is all clean, I grab him out of the tub, dry him off good and put him in his pjs. I then add more water, toys, bubbles, etc and Caroline starts splishin' and a splashin'. It amazes me how well she understands that she can't splash water or have toys in the tub while we wash Andrew. This has been a great experience so I plan to keep it up. I told Caroline that as soon as Andrew gets big enough to sit up, we can put more water in the tub and they can play together...she liked that idea.

The other night, while Caroline was still in the tub, I was flying Andrew "super man" style toward her and they were both just a giggling...when Caroline stops, looks up at me very seriously and says,"Mommy, I want Andrew to go back in your tummy." I asked her why, and she said, because she wanted a "new" baby. I laughed and said, awe but Caroline why would you want another baby when you have Andrew...and she splashed the water all around as a BIG smile drew across her face and said, I'm just kiddin' Mommy. I like Andrew. Too funny...she was just watching for my reaction -- she's doing that more and more these days that is for sure.

Family Photo Fun!

We have a new family photographer that we are using. Veader Photography was recently started as a side business by a good friend of mine, Shawn Veader. He took Andrew's newborn pictures in early March - http://veaderphotography.com/clients/andrew/ and did an awesome job, so we decided to have him do a family photo shoot for us at the end of May. The photo shoot helped to capture Andrew at 3 months as well as provide an opportunity for us to get some great shots of Caroline. You can check out the proofs by going to http://veaderphotography.com/clients/the_applings/ Caroline was quite the typical 2 year old during the photo shoot, so we were impressed at how many good shots Shawn got of her.

Top 10 Happenings in May

1. Mom went back to work -- transition was even more successful than we had prayed for. Both kids are adjusting well, and I am happy to be back at work.

2. Andrew turned 3 months old and started babbling more. His smiles and giggles are priceless!

He also has the saddest pouty face ever...but it is soo cute.

3. Caroline was caught on video saying her ABC's while multi-tasking (I think she gets this from me) :)

4. Caroline is still not potty trained (arghhh!), so we are trying to make her more responsible for telling us when she needs to be changed. The other day I asked her how her diaper was. Her reply: My diaper is doing well. Such a courteous child -- Ha!

5. Andrew took his first vacation. We enjoyed spending Memorial Day weekend at the Appling's cabin near Vogel St Park. Andrew did great!

6. Caroline rode on her first horse and buggy ride, and she even got to help drive the horse. She enjoyed talking to Cadillac Jack (the horse).

7. Andrew is becoming our lil' thumbsucker. No matter how many times we place a pacifier in his mouth, he'll eventually push it out and move his hand in.
8. Andrew has a new girlfriend - Marti Antonakos (yep, she'll be happy to marry an Appling)! Sorry Sadie Hartzog, but you were last month's girl.

9. Andrew thinks tummy time = nap time.

10. Caroline has gotten more comfortable with holding Andrew and loves to have him sit on her lap.

Hi-Ho Hi-Ho It's Back to Work I Go...

It is hard to believe that I have already been at home for twelve weeks. At first I wondered if I could do it; could I really keep two kids under the age of three day in and day out for twelve weeks?? What would we do every day? How would I juggle the schedule of a newborn with a toddler?

I am happy to say that I have enjoyed my time at home far more than I ever thought possible (those of you that know me, know that I am not a home body -- more of the on the go type). Although my time home with the kiddos has been nice, I am heading back out into the workforce tomorrow morning. I'll hit I-85 at 6 a.m. with hundreds of others to make the trek to Atlanta.

Am I sad? Yes, a little. I'll miss waking up Andrew at 7a.m. by rubbing his back and rocking him in his glider while I feed him (Yes, I do actually wake him at 7 so I can put him back down before Caroline rises around 8). I'll also miss swinging Caroline's door wide open and saying, "Good Morning Sunshine, It's Mommy!" I have definitely enjoyed my time at home, and I am thankful that I was able to take such a long leave of absence from work. The break has been nice, and I know that I have made memories with Caroline and Andrew that I shall never forget.

So tomorrow morning do I leave for work with a heavy heart? NO! I am so blessed to have the best of both worlds. While I do go back to work tomorrow, I am fortunate enough to still be able to stay home with my kids two days per week. On top of that, we are very blessed to have a wonderful team of caregivers working throughout the week to care for Caroline and Andrew. Thankfully, my parents, Ben's mom & Miss Cheri (a dear friend from church) each take a day during the week to babysit while I am at work. This network has been instrumental in shaping Caroline's young life, and I look forward to seeing how each special relationship will impact Andrew's life.

Please pray for me as I head back to the office, and pray for my awesome network of caregivers as they learn how to juggle two little ones (I think my dad is the most apprehensive of the pack :) ).

Yellow River Game Ranch

Caroline feeding the goat (notice the chicken on the goats back).

Caroline enjoyed feeding the deer carrots, but she didn't like when the carrot got too short and the deer started nibbling her finger (ouch!).

Caroline would sit down along the trail and just gaze at the animals. She really enjoyed herself (you would never guess that her favorite song is "Old McDonald Had A Farm").

Andrew being attacked by a deer looking for more food.

At the end of April, we took the kids to the Yellow River Game Ranch (near Stone Mountain). It is an outdoor, interactive animal park. Immediately after starting the trail, we were greeted by fawns that walked right up to us, along with squirrels, chickens, ducks and a baby goat. Caroline enjoyed feeding the deer and mooing at the baby calf (which was behind a gate). The entire trail took us approximately two hours. We got to see many different types of birds, black bear, bison, goats, peacocks and even swine (they were quite smelly). At the end of the trail was a fenced area where you could go in and feed bunny rabbits. While Caroline and I were feeding the rabbits and Ben was trying to take pictures and video, Andrew was being attacked by a friendly squirrel! Caroline started pointing and yelling for Ben to save Andrew. It was somewhat comical, but scary at the same time. The squirrel then pounced on Ben's head, and then a deer started poking into Andrew's stroller. Andrew didn't seemed phased by any of the excitement going on around him. We had a great family day at the park and hope to take the kids back once Andrew gets older.