House Improvements to accommodate 2 kiddos!

Eric and I have been in spring (fall) cleaning mode at our house. We have brought 4 vanloads to Goodwill and another one to Once Upon a Child. It's amazing the stuff that you accumulate once you have children. It's overwhelming and takes work to maitain the "stuff." During my pregnancy with Levi, I swear most of my nesting energy went into "stuff management" organizing, donating, compiling what we needed for him. Now we are feeling pretty good that we no longer need the huge baby gear and have been busy trying to clear it from our house, give the baby clothes and materinity clothes to people who do need it. So!...we are finally going to take time off work tomorrow and take what's left and pile it up in the guest bedroom. THEN, this is the exciting part it's taken us 6 years to get to...we are going to hire a contractor to come in and refinish our basement. First, the electrical will be done and then the demo, wallboarding and then finally the refinishing! Can't wait. The ultimate goal is to have a play-space for the kids when the inevitable MN frigid winter hits us. We'll keep you posted on how things are going during the process! We are very excited about it!

Then after we have our "stuff" pared down the plan is and has been for a while...get rid of something if you bring something in. In other words, our house is feeling a bit small to us and it is necessary to control the influx of new stuff. New stuff is necessary as kids grow...but we have a goal of not letting it get too out-of-control. It's easy to do (I mean to let it get out of control) when you are a busy working mother/father of two.

Also! Another exciting thing is that we may purchase a trundle bed (you know like a bunkbed but lower, like 42" off the floor, with a pull-out below) for Kaylee and Levi around Christmas-time. Levi will then be much more ready to be out of his crib and we can then free up some floor space in their room to relieve some congestion upstairs!

So 2011 was a good year for us for improvements:
- we got a new pool liner, and cover
- we redid our deck
- Eric and my Dad installed a new playset in the backyard
- we got new couches
Can't wait to see we accomplish yet by year-end!

Our 1 year Old!

photos of our boy playing on the playground, eating his birthday cake, with his gentle sister...he's a happy boy. I'm so proud of my little Levi and his big girl sis!

Walk like a man

This past week Levi is walking as his primary mode of transportation. He has learned that putting out his arms helps with balance. He also is getting real great at climbing onto his little rider, riding it backwards and forwards facing, pushing and pulling it, walking it from each face pretty much any way he can get it to move he does.

Also this weekend he says ," peek-a-boo-WA" and said "cookie" (though threw it across the room when I gave him some) and said once even, " evi" trying to say his name.

Kaylee is going through a clingy phase with me and so is Levi. Don't know what it's about exactly, maybe she's doing it cuz he's doing it. He's teething his molars and giving up daytime nursing so I can see from his angle...kaylee wants to go everywhere with me, even wants me to stay while she goes potty...it's kinda sweet though in a way ... I'll try to enjoy it while it lasts if I can.

Kaylee likes preschool evidently but doesn't say too much about it. She enjoys that her hair is growing longer, likes to point out hban baby teeth and boasts that her legs are " reaching long to get to the pool ground."

Kaylee starts Pre-school!

Kaylee had a great first day today at Pre-school. This morning she cried that Daddy wasn't going with her, since he went with her to orientation. She didn't understand how going just with her friends would be okay. She thought she might get lost. I hugged her and reassured her, and told her she could bring her puppy with (but that the teachers might want him to take a nap in the backpack) and then she felt better. She looks great in these photos. Her daycare buddies (pictured) probably helped her a lot! I'm so proud of my little girl!

Also on the news front today, Levi has tried soy milk and is transitioning away from momma milk during the day. I love that, I love breastfeeding but I do not love to pump and to clean and prepare bottles. It's so much simpler when they switch over, hooray. He'll still breastfeeding for as long as he wants to and I want to though.

Mr. Levi, tough guy!

Levi is one now! Can you believe it? I can't, this year has gone by soooooo fast! Today he had his 1year doctor appointment, he was 57% on height and 52% on weight (22 lb 15 oz). Can't really believe that, thought he'd be higher on percentages for weight. He's still like 99% on head circumference at 50.25 cm. But he's following his own curve and has passed his us check earlier, so they're satisfied with that. She was happy with all his words he's saying, and his walking and other developmental questions she had for me. She said "wow, he's so good for you, isn't he?" I couldn't agree more, he's so even-going and sweet I can't believe how little work he is, we lucked out. Thanks for being a great baby Levi! He cried at his shots of course, the hardest part was they are doing a standard hemoglobin and lead check on his blood, and waiting in the waiting room with two exuberant children and a somber room of grown ups who were not friendly and very quiet felt like forever and was Slightly embarrassing, though I felt my kids were just being kids...he didn't cry as they pinched out two vials of blood from his fingertip only squirmed as he didn't like being restrained. I was truly amazed! Good job Mr. Levi, tough guy!

Levi now walks at daycare and in front of others, like his grandparents (much to their joy! So cute to see!)

Kaylee went to orientation for preschool with her dad, she liked meeting her teacher and is very ready to attend on Tuesday with her two daycare pals as the school year begins!