The Letter of the Day is...

This post is mostly for the grandparents, to see the fun things that me and Bo have been doing together. But, ALL are welcome to enjoy our creations, and borrow them for your own kiddos! I say don't be impressed because most of these are not original ideas, but borrowed ones from other cool moms.

A is for...

Ark - This is actually an original idea. Pretty good, huh? It was also our first "Letter of the Week" activity, and I thought it turned out pretty well.



Apple - not an original idea. But we did add real apple seeds to our picture, which is original. I told a friend about our "Letter" activities and she brought over the book, Johnny Appleseed, for us to read. We also ate apples for snack, and had Applesauce and an Apple Cinnamon NutraGrain bar for breakfast one day. We have been working on a letter A bible verse, as well. "A friend loves at all times." Proverbs 17:17 (Thanks, Grammy!)


Anniversary - Okay, so this is not an activity for me and Bo, but it fit so I added it to the post! August 31st, 2009 marked 7 years of marriage for me and Robert. I hear year seven can be a doozy. We shall see...


These are the BEAUTIFUL flowers Robert brought home for me. And they make the house smell so good!
This is my anniversary present! I already used it to make a double recipe of spinach pie. IT - IS - SO - AWESOME! I love it, I love it, I love it.


These were not a "Letter A" activity. Just a craft we did because I had kept an egg carton and thought we could do something fun with it. The little critters used to have eyes, but they were pulled off on purpose by Bo. For some reason, anything that came home last year from CDO with googly eyes, was soon to be de-eyed. I'd love to hear the psycho-analysis of that behavior.


R is for...
This week, we have done the letter, R. Bo actually cut out the R himself (with a little assistance), which is a big deal as he has just started to use scissors.

Road

Rainbow - This activity proved to be A LOT more extensive/complicated than the simple directions implied (or maybe it was my lack of experience making homemade cookies). A rainbow cookie. But it has been fun to have a Letter R sweet treat to enjoy! This is a small sliver of our rainbow, as most of it has been eaten already.


Robert - Not really a Letter of the Week activity either, but it fits. This is Robert's canvas that is primed and ready to be sketched on and painted. As you can see, it is rather large, measuring 72 x 48 inches (or 6 ft x 4 ft). I'll try to take some pics along the way to show his progress. Here we come $50,000 art prize!


This does not go along with the theme either, but here is our new quilt and shams. It's not a great picture - I had to take it in the dark, b/c Justus was asleep in our room. I LOVE the colors, and Robert thinks it is the best cover ever b/c of how it feels and it's weight. It is truly a miracle that we found something that both of us really like - seriously, a miracle.

2-month check-up

Stats for Justus
weight: 12 lbs. 6 oz. (50%)
height: 23 in. (50%)



He got 2 shots, which he definitely did not like and let us know by screaming and turning blood red. Other than that, he did great...even christening the table!

Justus at 2 months

Sunday was Justus's 2 month "birthday". He still looks pretty similar to how he looked at birth, except that he has definitely grown, longer and thicker. Some of his dark hair has fallen out, mostly on the top sides and sides, making him look like he has old man hair. He is making eye contact, smiling and "talking" a little, which makes being sleep deprived at least a little more bearable! He is starting to go longer between "meals" and I am thankful for this as it allows me to spend more quality time with Bo. I have noticed that I'm saying, "I can't right now", a lot less than in the beginning. And I can see an improvement in Bo's behavior as a result - not surprising that a little quality time can make a heart softer to instruction!

Updates on growth:
Justus at birth: 8 lbs. 1 oz., 20 3/4 in.
at 2 weeks: 8 lbs. 10 oz. (50%), 21 1/4 in. (60%)
at 2 months: check back on Saturday for an update.






Bo at 3 years: 36 lbs. (90%), 40 in. (90%)
Making progress in potty training! He went to the bathroom twice in a restaurant on Sunday, and has started using the regular toilet!

Brothers

Evan "Justus" Sanders has arrived!

Evan "Justus" Sanders arrived Tuesday, June 16th at 1:17 PM. He weighed 8 lbs. 1 oz. and measured 20 3/4 inches. He seems small to us for two reasons - we automatically compare him to Bo at birth and now - so compared to a 9 1/2 lb. baby and an almost 40 lb. 3 year old, he seems tiny!

We are already behind, I think, in the amount of pictures taken of Justus at birth compared to what we took of Bo. We don't have very many of Justus right after he was delivered...but for good reason. Robert stayed by my side during the c-section, which I was and am so thankful for. I was fully awake this time, compared to being exhausted and medically gassed when Bo was born. I heard all the scissor action and was asking the anesthesiologist about everything that was happening. So that was a very interesting experience. I can't decide which one was better right now...awake or mostly unconscious. Maybe I'll write about that later.

Bo is doing okay for having so much irregularity the past week. He was taken care of by 3 different people in 3 days, so my mom could come to the hospital while Robert was finishing up his last days of summer school. Then we came home from the hospital and it was hard for him to understand why he couldn't sit in my lap and why I couldn't pick him up. Then my dad flew in to join all of us, adding another playmate (and some new trucks). Add to all of this that he's been getting in the bed later than usual, and it makes for a confused, cranky, emotional 3 year old. He has been, however, super sweet with Justus, giving him kisses, holding his hands, patting his head, etc.

This is all I can write for right now. More to come later.

Playing "Baby"

This past week, since Baby Boy Sanders is coming soon, we have been pulling out baby gear, washing clothes, and trying to prepare Bo for some of the changes that are in store. I think Bo knows that his baby brother is going to be here soon, but I believe most of his excitement comes from sleeping in his new tent, his new movie "Cars" and anticipating the arrival of G.G. and Grandad (my mom and dad).

When the baby gear started coming out, Bo was asking lots of questions. So I told him to go get one of his stuffed animals and I would show him how all the stuff works. Some of the animals he brought me were too small and too big, but the one that fit the best was "The Grinch"! So we decided to diaper and dress the Grinch, and he could be our "baby". So the Grinch has been strapped in the car seat, has taken a ride in the swing, and been toted around to pretend parks (in the house) to picnic. Bo has also been patiently waiting for Daddy to clean out the car, so we can put the car seat in and the Grinch can ride next to him! This has all been quite hysterical to watch and pretend with Bo. I can only hope that our real baby bears absolutely no resemblance to our pretend one!

Baby Boy Sanders

Here are a few pics of Baby Boy Sanders! The face shot above isn't great, because he had been covering his face with his hands.

At my other ultrasound appointments, I'm usually in a room that only has a paper printer. But at my last appointment, I was in a room that had a CD burner, so the nurse burned a CD of the pics for us! So you can thank the nurse for these pics!


I think he is pouting in this picture! Look at those lips poking out!


Here are his arms with his hands up around his face or chin!



I did have one more picture - confirming that he is definitely a boy. If you want to see that picture, you'll have to email me and let me know. Otherwise, I am saving him from future harassment!