Yeee Haw!

Many of our days are spent pretend playing and being various characters in our favorite movies or firefighters, vets, clowns, doctors, or princesses .  For sometime now, actually, since I was a pregnant Jessie for Halloween, Kennedy has asked me to make her Jesse chaps.  So after months, here they are!  Our version of Jessie chaps...the material is so soft and it easily hot glued onto her old jeans...and this brought my little lady the biggest smile, and made my day!  To our surprise, this may be the one thing that she will wear aside from a dress!

And as I am sure you are all wondering, Bryce was quick to ask for a pair of his own chaps....

We're Rolling on...

Well I had good intentions to maintain my blog, and can now say that I am recomitted to this venture now that Austin is 6 months (yes, 6 months!) old and into a more predicatable routine.  He has been sleeping through the night since 3 months so I have no excuses.  I guess I should also admit, that I am too now into a routine and can spare a few minutes in the evening to keeping up!  Who said being a mom of three, wife, friend, and working was an easy task?

My sweet Austin is now moving full throttle ahead to keep up with his big bro and sis!  He is rolling all over to get from place to place and has started to reach while on his stomach and pull his knees in, I think though he is my biggest baby (I am guessing he is about 20 lbs-we'll see tomorrow), he may be my earliest crawler!  He has started eating my homemade baby food, another first for me, and just loves avocados!  He isn't too sure about nectarines...but loves his nanas! If the spoon is out of reach he extends all limbs out and begins to tense and shake them until you shovel in another scoop-too funny! 

Bryce graduated from Miss Bontempo's Pre-K4 and is getting ready to head to kindergarten and both he and Kennedy have enjoyed their summer home with mama!  We have had so much fun just being lazy, doing art projects, going to the pool, movies, bowling (Bryce broke 100!), enjoying parks, and all of our friends!  Bryce is now in his second season of soccer and scored four goals our first session!  He is beginning to swim on his own, and is hoping to pass the swim test at lessons this week!  If he passes he can go on all the slides as well as the diving board- I am not sure I am ready for that!  Kennedy is just turning into the spunkiest young lady!  She is now three and independent as can be, and continues to wear dresses, and ONLY dresses everyday.  She is enjoying riding her tricycle, caring for babies, playing with her best bud Bryce and swimming! She is excited to head back to school a few days a week next year and hang out with her Aunt Connie and Ashten everyday!  She is growing her hair as long as Rapunzel's and is ecstatic to go back and see the Fresh Beat Band again at the Allentown Fair....as our summer winds down we will be heading to the Philadelphia Zoo, SIC, so stay tuned for pics...

Our duo turns into a trio!

Finally, after 40 weeks of wonder and guessing we met our new baby!  On February 1, we welcomed Austin Ryan into our family!  Having our third child was quite memorable in many ways.  As usual, I didn't sleep the night before his delivery, knowing I was going to meet this gymnast that would keep me awake for many nights.  After Sarah arrived to watch Bryce and Kennedy, we journeyed off into the dark, rainy morning to be at the hospital by 6am.  In Solly style we were late as usual, missed a near fatal car accident, and once we arrived they let me know that I wasn't scheduled until after 8am, and asked why I was so early...well it was good that I was early!  As I was being prepped for the c-section, the nurses managed to blow out two veins trying to input my IV, and I felt like a living pin cushion.  Once they finally had me prepped, I learned that the delivery before me went into labor and delivered earlier in the morning so the OR was ready for us!  Now the anticipation is taking over...as I walked to the OR, I began sobbing-could have been my horomones getting the best of me, or the thought that I knew this was the last time I would make this journey, this was our last baby!  Once in the OR all the staff began taking their guesses on what our baby would be, a boy or a girl?  As Kevin entered the room for delivery I became even more emotional...as the procedure began and the head appeared Dr. I let us know that our baby would need a haircut soon...then we hear the crying and still no news of the sex and beyond the blue curtain I can't see, finally they announce, IT IS A BOY!  And can you guess what came next...more tears, I couldn't even speak to name him.  He weighed in at 7 lbs. 13 oz and was 21 inches long-perfection!  Finally, the day to meet our baby had come, and passed so quickly, and I can't believe he is already two months old.  We are so proud to annouce our newest addition, and happiest baby Austin Ryan~words cannot describe how much he has made our family complete!

Bitter-sweet

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4 AM...and the baby is having a blast in my belly! The acrobats are so intense that I can't sleep so why not watch television and just enjoy the quietness that will only be for a few more days. The programming at 4:23 now, is riveting...so what is a girl to do? Jersey Shore! I am not sure which will kill my brain cells quicker, the infomercials that are on at this hour, or the pure utter idiocy of this "reality" television...so we are down to 4 days and had our last OB appointment today. As usual, Bryce came with me to this appointment, as I don't think he has missed any but one. He has been very involved in the baby's care and with taking care of me. He loves to hear the heartbeat, which has hung around 148-155 the entire pregnancy, play with the BP cuff, and put away the stirrups on the table so the doctors have to fix it each time we leave. Our appointment went well, I signed off on the c-section and we are ready to deliver on Wednesday, February 1st, unless the baby make an earlier appearance. Today was bitter-sweet. I am thrilled and anxiously anticipating the arrival of our last baby, but also torn that this is the last time I will have this beautiful belly. Not all women enjoy their pregnancies, but I can truly say that I have loved it with each of my children, and will miss it...the growth, changes, movements, heartbeats, and pure joy that overtakes your life the moment you hear the first cry, hold your baby for the first time, and look into one another's eyes and know that this is where you belong...so until February 1st!

Awaiting the arrival of number 3...

Finding the time to blog and maintain my life as a teacher, mother, wife and friend is virtually impossible.  As you can see my last blog was long ago...and since this time we are now expecting again, in less than two weeks, our third child will bless us with their sweet cries and cuddles.  As we await, I am anticipating the whirlwind that is about to hit our family...where will everyone sit in the car, who is going to take care of the kids while I am in the hospital, how will the kids adjust, bottle or breast, who will share a room, what do we need to take restock of...and the list goes on and on and on...but at night's end, I guess I just need to trust that all will work itself out!  Bryce and Kennedy are already debating who will feed the baby and help Mommy...I am not sure they realize what will be interrupting their blissful world of play and innocence. 
Kennedy is elated to have a break from Chesterbrook and spend time at home with me while I am on maternity leave.  I am not sure which one of us is more excited...she is at such a great age, almost three now, and I look forward to all the new things we will learn from one another for those three months.  Not only will we get an opportunity to bond as the ladies of the house, but she will have the time to bond with her little brother or sister without being overshadowed by Bryce.  Stay tuned for updates...