Graduation weekend

Trevor graduated!!!  It is really hard to believe that its over.  We started school right after we got married and have been going almost non stop (besides a extended summer break) ever since.  We have learned a lot along the way and I am very grateful for the experience but I am also very grateful its over.  At least until grad school.  This weekend Trevor's parents came to celebrate with us and we tried to fit a week of activities into three days.  It started with a morning of hair dying and shopping to get ready for Trevor's graduation ceremony.  He decided not to walk with his school so his class did a traditional nursing graduation ceremony.  It was short and sweet which I was grateful for.  Of course my kids still managed to knock an entire tray of subway cookies on the floor during one of the speeches.  But hey thats almost expected.  Afterwards we went to our favorite Mexican restaurant and ate until we were sick.  Then we went home and rented guardians of the galaxy which was good but I fell asleep 30 min in.  The next morning we celebrated christmas with trevor parents.  We opened presents from them and ate christmas toast and it was really fun.  I think having Christmas twice might become a new tradition.  Then we went on a really fun bike ride in the desert with Trevor's parents and uncle Doug.  We grabbed Thai food for dinner and then Trevor had to go to work so Sherrie and I left the kids with my wonderful father-in-law and we went shopping.  We had a great time except for the fact we spent a good hour of our time driving around in the wrong direction.  We did make it to a few stores and had fun trying on clothes and I got some much needed church outfits.  Finally on the last day we let the boys go for a morning bike ride while we got ready for a graduation party.  Then at 11 we went and saw big hero 6 which I LOVED.  It was a little scary for Kirra at the end but a cute movie overall.  We got home in time to cut fruit and veggies and start the party.  We had delicious bbq pork sandwiches and cheese cake for dessert.  And at night we ran over to the San Tan mall where they had stories with Mrs. Claus and free horse and carriage rides.  We were all tired and exhausted by the end but it was a really great way to celebrate and now I am ready for life to start being normal.  Not that I really know what normal is like but we will figure it out.

 

Knox's Birthday

When Kirra turned one I spent her whole birthday trying to make her day perfect but I was so busy that I barely had anytime to spend with her.  I was not about to make the same mistake twice.  I made a simple cake the night before so that I would have the whole day to enjoy my kids.  I made one tiny mom mistake and scheduled shots in the morning but the kids both did great.  We came home and had lunch and then spent the whole afternoon outside playing with the neighbors and bubbles and enjoying the nice weather.  After the kids woke up from their nap we took them to Costco to pick out a gift for Knox.  It was fun to see his eyes light up at all the fun toys.  Then we had some pizza and went home for our mini party.  Our favorite Arizona cousins came for cake, ice cream, and presents.  It was a great day and I am so happy for the little things that make life special.

Knox is one!

I am so emotional today.  My sweet baby boy is one year old!  When I was pregnant with him I was completely miserable almost the entire time and I kept thinking that he better be an easy baby.  Then he came out and he was not exactly easy.  He would not poop, he spit up all the time, he grunted and cried all night so we got no sleep.  And then right around 5 months a switch went off and he became the most perfect baby.  He smiled all the time, he slept all through the night.  He has been an excellent sleeper ever since and he continues to be a happy baby.  I cannot say enough good things about him.  Here are a few fun facts about Knox.
1.  He Loves cars.  I notices as soon as he started crawling that he would "drive" his bottle across the floor.  When we gave him a car to play with instead he knew exactly what to do with it.  He will drive his cars around the floor and up the stairs and walls all day long.  I love how entertained he is by such a simple thing.

2.  He loves balls.  He is the typical boy.  When we started to get Kirra ready for soccer by practicing outside he was obsessed with the ball.  He would crawl back and forth over and over chasing Kirra in hopes he could have even a small turn holding the ball.  He loves when we hold his hands and he can stand up and try to kick it.  When he can't stand he will push it around with his hands and crawl behind it. He will sit and watch Kirra's soccer games and try everything possible to get on the field.  Im pretty sure it is the cutest thing ever.

3.  He loves being outside.  Knox will sit and look out the window for hours.  He will sit at our sliding glass doors and bang on them until I let him out.  Anytime he hears the garage open he stops whatever he's doing and books it to the door and cries until I open it.  He hates knowing that someone else might be outside and he is not.  He will come and grab my hand and walk me to the door to let me know he is ready to go out.  When he started sticking his tongue out and panting as he led me to the door I started feeling like I gave birth to a puppy instead of a little boy.

4.  He loves to eat.  He is a pretty scheduled kid.  I never have to look at the clock to know if it is breakfast, lunch, or dinner time because for sure Knox will begin whining right about those times.  He eats as much as Kirra eats (maybe more) and anytime he sees someone with food he thinks he should be eating too.

5.  He does not like to be pushed to do anything.  Knox has decided that he will do things when he is ready.  Kirra walked at 8 months and at 12 months Knox had showed no signs of walking.  Then one day he got up and walked across the floor.  Of course when I tried to get him to do it again he refused and still refuses.  He knows how to do it but he is not ready.  Instead he likes me to hold his hand so he can walk everywhere and as I clean the kitchen he holds my pant leg for balance and follows me around.  If I try to use these moments to help him learn to let go he throws a fit and bends his knees so I am forced to set him down.
6.  He loves Kirra..  I have never seen Knox laugh harder than he does at Kirra.  Everything she does is funny to him and she loves having him as her audience.  During her nap time he often goes upstair and stands at her bed babbling trying to wake her up.  I am pretty sure as much as he loves her, he also does not trust her because anytime she tries to help him walk he looks to me with a look of pure terror and lets his legs go limp.

7.  He is a cuddle muffin.  Sometimes at night when trevor is working I will keep him up a little late so I can snuggle him.  He will lay on the couch with me completely still.  He snuggles in close and plays with my hair.  He does this in the morning when he wakes up as well.  I don't mind it at all.

8.  He loves his binki.  He likes to hold it while he eats.  He will take a bite and then stick it in, and take it out for another bite, and stick it back in.  He doesn't like to be too far from it.  If he is upset his binki is the one sure thing to calm him down.  He also likes to try to give me a binki.  He thinks it is funny when I pretend to suck on one but he won't let me hold it for too long.

9.  He loves his mom.  I don't care how this makes me sound but this kid really loves me. He looks into my eyes and I can feel his love.  He demands my attention and I am happy to give it to him.  I honestly believe that he won't walk on his own because he likes hold my hand too much.  Trevor tells me I have created a mama's boy and I can't say that bothers me.

I love this kid.  It has been a completely opposite experience from Kirra but I have loved it just as much.  He is such a calming presence in our home and he adds so much to our family.  I am not ready for him to grow up. It kills me to know that one day some girl will come along and replace me (not without a fight) but that is going to be one lucky girl because Knox is a special boy.  Happy Birthday my son.   Love you forever, like your for always, as long as your living my baby you'll be.