Here's Looking at YOU

Isn't the Professor adorable?  He is such a good baby too!  On Sunday my parents kept all three kids for the first time and my husband and I went out on a late anniversary date!  We had some yummy Chinese food for lunch, did some birthday shopping for the Genius and finished the date with a yummy diet coke!  The Professor did great while we were gone.  He drank a bottle and his Gampy loaded him up in the stroller and took him for a walk.  It was so sweet to come home from our date and see the Professor sitting outside with Gampy and the girls were playing with Nana.  It felt so wonderful to finally have some alone time with my hubby!  The Professor slept through the night once and so far has not repeated it.  I do admit that he IS sleeping better, but sure will be thankful when I can sleep all night long again. 
The girls first dday of school went well for them.  They were not super excited about it, but I am hoping that is just gets better and better for them both.  The Hippie kinda thought school was a one time thing.  But she seemed ok with returning today.  I cannot wait to pick them up and hear all about it!

And They're Off

And as I walked away I cried! 

Overheard

The other day the girls came running in from the yard so they could go potty.  They still go in at the same time and think nothing of it.  I was coming around the corner to do some laundry and I heard this conversation.

The Hippie: Do you remember when we tried sitting on the potty together and going at the same time?
The Genius: Yeah, man, that was a bad idea.

6 weeks old and 9 year anniversary

The Professor turned 6 weeks old this week.  So hard to believe!  He is growing steadily.  Sometimes it seems overnight he gest bigger!  He has totally outgrown almost all of his 0-3 month clothes.  He can still wear Carter's 3 month clothing though.  We have had to retire all his newborn cloth diapers....they do not even come close to closing around his waist.  Several of the diaper covers have been retired as well.  Luckily, none of those diapers are our favorites!  My husband loves the Happy Heiny's, but sadly we only have 1.  It was actually the only cloth diaper we bought new.  He now told me that he can justify the price of them because they fit so well on the Professor and our 1 H.H. diaper is the one he always looks for!  I love the H.H. one and our Fuzzi Bunz.  We have a bunch of the Fuzzi Bunz that I found at a consignment sale.  As for the Professor, he is finally seeming to settle into a night time routine that we can live with.  All of us are feeling more rested and more normal.  I no longer feel I will melt away if I cannot take a nap!  I am slowly being able to get more done around the house.  I have even cooked and eaten several hot meals lately!  (Those with a nursing baby can relate!)  The Professor is really just the cutest little thing!  He makes these little piggy, snorty sounds when he is hungry, he doesn't cry much and (usually) is easily soothed.  He loves his Mommy, Daddy and sisters.  He knows all of us and sometimes when he cries it is because he wants his Daddy!  He smiles more and more each day and is cooing all the time.  We all just love him!
My husband and I celebrated our 9 year anniversary this past week.  We are looking forward to going out together ALONE this weekend sometime!  These past nine years have been the best of my life.  He is best friend and the best husband I could ever ask for.  I love him SOOOOO much!  We got a card from his family this week and I want to have the words from it framed.   I thought I would share them here because they were so meaningful to us.
"Love has little to do with moonlight and balconies and everything to do with patience, acceptance, and hanging in there.  Love can't always move mountains or change the world overnight.  But it can open its arms at the end of a long, bad day and welcome you home to true belonging.  Love brings a beautiful wholeness.  Nothing else quite compares with the sense of completeness that comes from sharing with that one special person for a lifetime."
Happy Anniversary baby!  I love you!!!!

Time Keeps On Ticking

Time is just flying right on by.  The Professor is already pushing 6 weeks and the girls are just about ready to start school! 
We are so thankful that we decided to try them for a year in public school.  We have been so hesitant, partly because many teachers are unfamiliar with Selective Mutism and many schools do not want to work with  the parents and/or child to help them.  The school the girls will be going to have just been incredible so far!  They told us there is actually another child with Selective Mutism attending and they had a child LAST year with Selective Mutism.  Both of the girls teachers have already made contact with us and invited the girls to come in for some one-on-one time with them.  So, both girls have met their teachers and been into their classrooms.  The teacher for the Genius even let her pick out her desk and choose who gets to sit next to her.  When we went to drop off some paperwork the principal already knew who they were!  We have met with the guidance counselor and she introduced the girls to all the teachers in their grades and to the lunch ladies.  We have just felt so blessed at the amount of support being shown so far. 
As for the girls, they just cannot wait to head out to school! LOL!
The Professor is doing really good.  He is moving out of his 3 month clothing already!  He is starting to get some little baby rolls.  He smiles and coos and is just starting to discover his hands.  He loves his sisters and loves his Daddy to take him on late night walks! LOL!  The other night I took the girls to a Mommy/Daughter tea party and my husband had the Professor.  He took him out and gave him his second bottle and my husband got himself a burger and shake....he felt it was guy bonding time =).  The Professor is having some good nights and some bad nights.  I look forward to intoducing cereal.  I hope when we do that he sleeps longer!
Have a great Monday!

One Month Photo Shoot

The sign says "One Month  Smiles and Coos".  The girls made it!  Here is the Professor's One Month Photo Shoot with the Hippie and the Genius too =)

Big News

The Genius and the Hippie have some big news!  They are going to be going to public school for this school year!  It was a decision that came from 2 years of therapy and WHOLE bunch of prayers.  We plan to home-school again next year.  But we are hoping that a year in the public school system will help them with their Selective Mutism.  Since our move back in May, both girls have made HUGE strides!  The Genius talking at camp, both girls going to camp alone, they are talking to neighbors and both are speaking in Sunday School etc.... They even got on the church stage at VBS and the Genius loved it!  We are praying that this year in school will help overcome the Selective Mutism.  They may always be a little on the "shy" side or something but we would love them to talk to kids and their teacher.  Both girls are super excited!  I am nervous about it but feel very good about the school they will be in.  It is a public school but it seems most of the teachers are Christians.  Being a small community the teachers seem to know most of the kids in the grade they teach.  This has been a very difficult decision for us but we do feel peaceful about...for the most part! LOL!  We are by no means turning our backs on home-school though.  We love doing it and I cannot wait to resume it again in the future!  For now though I hope the girls have a great year and make some good friends and gain all kinds of confidence!

The Professor's First Trip and the Cloth Diaper Experience

We took an overnight trip.  It was TWO firsts.  It was the professor's first overnight trip AND our first trip using cloth diapers. 
The Professor handled the trip quite well!  He travelled well.  Ate when took breaks AND kept to his normal routine in the evening.  Plus we got to show him off to friends who had not met him yet!  The girls were excited to introduce their friends to him as well.  When I locate our camera (and have time) I have some VERY cute pictures to post.
About the cloth diapers....it went great!  We had plenty of diapers and I used my BIG wet bag for storing the dirties.  We got to show the diapers to our friends and who knows...maybe they may consider cloth someday.  We were determined to use cloth diapers to save money but I did not expect to love using them!  They are so easy and extremely cute too =)