My "BIG" little boys

The other day I had a realization. I was sitting there, watching my boys play and it dawned on me how big they actually are. Life has been very busy this last year. Summer was a whirlwind of events and work, fall was full of moving, then the hectic holdiay season ensued. I feel like I havent had much time to just sit and simply enjoy my surroundings. This pregnancy has given me a great excuse to do a lot of nothing:) I have had a lot of down time, simply because I dont have the energy to do much of anything. (Luckily that is looking like its changing the last week or two....starting to almost feel normal again) But all this down time really gave me some perspecive on how fast life is truly whizzing by. I realized that I havent really kept up on the boys' progression and milestones that they have hit this past year, and there have been quite a few. I wanted to take some time and document these changes.

The boy that has gone through the most changes this year is my little Ko Man. He started 2010 as just a baby, and has evolved into a little boy all in this past year. I cannot believe his 3rd birthday is approaching. I still consider him 'my baby'... although he is quick to put me in my place if I call him that. He has always been my little snuggle bug, and I am lucky to still get a few cuddle moments once in awhile. His vocabulary has improved immensely. He was just beginning to talk at this time last year, now he is able to almost carry on a conversation (needs a mommy interpreter at times) He is also COMPLETELY potty trained, and has been since November. He really shocked me with how well he adjusted. I was concerned because he didnt show the same interest Kason did and he didnt have any desire at all. All it took was a special trip to the store to buy some new undies, and within a week or two he was potty trained. He even is wearing undies at night and has only had 1 accident. I am so extremely proud of him!!!! It is awesome to not have to change or BUY diapers or pull-ups. Although its short lived, it is wonderful, I will greatly appreciate this next 7 months of no diapers!
Last, but not least, Kohen is no longer in a crib and is in a big boy bed! The transition took place also around November. I was hesitant because he was making no attempt to escape his crib so I didnt want to create unecessary drama, but once he potty trained, it was inevitable. He has to be able to get up if he needs to go in the middle of the night and I didnt want him to have to make a dangerous climb out of the crib. So off went the side of the crib. He was SO proud of his new bed! But.... this is when my great sleeper turned into a nightmare at bedtime. To make matters worse, we decided to move the boys into the same room once we found out we were pregnant. I figured we were going through an adjustment anyway, lets kill 2 birds with 1 stone. Then when baby arrival gets closer, we will already be set. So we now have the boys in bunkbeds. Some nights are good, others almost put Nick and I over the edge. We have to take turns to avoid insanity. But I think we are making progress and I am confident that by summer we will be through this transition. (If not, I made need some psychiatric help!) Even though I get mad at the boys, I sometimes chuckle to myself because I find myself saying the same thing to them that my parents used to say to Kiley and I when we wouldnt go to sleep. I guess kids will be kids!

Then there is Kason. What an amazing young little man he is! It is so wonderful to be having such postive experiences with him. He was NOT an easy baby, and was even worse as a toddler. With age though, noticeably since his 4th birthday, his behavior has leveled out and he has become my best friend. He still has moments of intensity and irrationality, but they are few and far between. And when he is rested and at his best, there is no better behaved, or sweeter boy in the world. He has such a big heart and is so sensitive. He has become quite protective of me, especially now that I am pregnant. I feel like the safest mommy in the world with these 3 boys to look out for me (counting Nick as #3, not the baby...still thinking pink!!) He has also become such a helper around the house doing chores and little favors for me when I need him to. I am prepping him for the big brother role. He will do a great job! I am so proud of him!

It amazes me how much can change in just 1 year, and also how fast the years are going. I am excited for all of the changes that are in store for our family in 2011! Mostly to meet this little baby and to see the Pintler family grow!

Snow Fun!

Well it seems strange posting these pics now, as the snow has completely melted away. We are super sad that it is all gone, the boys loved sledding and playing in all the white stuff. On a brighter note....the melted snow is an indication that spring is on its way. I am sure we will have another month or 2 of cold days and possibly even more snow, but I am hoping for the best. I have a serious case of spring fever! But we really did have a blast playing in the snow (myself inculded). It makes winter seem not quite so bad. Here are some of my favorite pics of the winter fun.

The boys snowblowing the driveway

Christmas Day~2010

This Christmas was a bit rough on me this year. Being newly pregnant, fighting fatigue and nausea, and also battling a major cold was a recipe for disaster. Add that to the long 'to do' list that Christmas brings and I was walking zombie most of the month. I struggled to keep up and get everything done, and doing so nearly killed me. My poor yet amazing husband has been so incredibly understanding, supportive and helpful. I could not have done it without him! He got the daunting task of wrapping every last present (except his own, I did muster up the energy to do that) But nevertheless, Christmas was still a major success and very enjoyable, even for me. The festivities began at the Pintlers house on Christmas Eve, where we got to spend time with Mike and Danielle and their two boys (who we dont get to see often enough) and also the rest of the Pintler (and Varnell) clan! It was really nice to spend time with everyone. We then headed to my aunt Lindseys for her annual Christmas eve celebration. It has been years since we have been able to go and it was tons of fun. We had a very entertaining white elephant gift exchange, and lots of yummy snacks. We had a great time. Here are a few pics I captured from the evening.

Yes, I know, we are quite a large group! But thats what we love about it!!

Christmas morning was or course the highlight. The boys' excitement made all the stress and hardwork worth it! Kason was so shocked that Santa ate the cookies and the reindeer ate the banana (we didnt have carrots or apples) He came in our room with the empty plate of cookie crumbs with the brightest eyes, saying "look, Satna ate his cookies!" it was so precious. Definitely a highlight for me to see:) Then, the destruction began.....ripping into all gifts. I only got a couple pictures of the madness. Seems to be the case every year!!

Then of course we had a little play time before heading over to aunt Shelly's for a delicious Christmas dinner. The day was wonderful! But to be honest, I am glad its over so I can get back into my routine!

Visiting Santa

The boys were so very excited to go visit Santa this year. We didnt have to deal with any fear or anxiety this time  which was nice. Kohen was a bit intimidated, but his excitement took over and he didnt hesitate once it was our turn. After the visit, we got hot cocoa and scones and drove around to look at Christmas lights. It was a fun evening and will become a tradition for us. 

Expecting #3

During all of the Christmas chaos, we discovered that we are expecting our 3rd baby next summer. The news was a bit surprising but also very exciting. We were definitely planning on #3... just not expecting to have it as early as this one will be arriving. My due date is August 14th ,so it is safe to say that our summer will be affected slightly by this. Probably wont be able to go camping as much as we got to last year, but we will still find the time and energy(me) to go a couple of times. My plan for the summer is lots of relaxing in the sun watching the boys play:) I will cut down my work schedule a bit so I can have lots of spare time to prepare for this little ones arrival. I cant wait to have a newborn baby again, it has been way too long!