battle of the bottle update.

We are now on week 3 using the no-bottle-until-bedtime rule and things are going great! I am SO proud of Emmett and how cooperative he has been through the whole transition. And I know he is proud of himself too. I am making a big deal over this because he has been ATTACHED to his bottle and this change has turned his world upside down.

 Basically, we have completely skipped using sippy cups all together. He will only drink from a cup or plastic water bottle. He's been doing great at controlling how much goes into his mouth and trying not to spill. He has a Cars cup and one with monsters on it and he seems to enjoy drinking from those two the most.

 good job buddy!

I also believe this change has affected his sleeping pattern a bit. Not sure why, but he has been sleeping differently lately. It's getting better with time.

passed out

I can't believe my little buddy is going to be 3 on Thursday! He is becoming such a big boy and so much fun to be around! I love you Emmett!

- mom

country wedding and a lake home.

One of my younger cousins, Albert, got married in the Bemidji area last weekend. A chunk of my extended family got together and we all rented a lake home for three days on Island lake (FAR away!).  It was a nice time and great to spend time with family! The weather was nice and the water felt glorious. We spent a lot of time on the deck, dock, and went for a paddle boat ride with my mom.

charming.

little loon

a rather large snapping turtle laying her eggs! I watched the whole thing and made sure she made it back down to the lake okay.

mom and I

my extremely silly uncle modeling my aunt's dress.

 

at the wedding with my two beautiful cousins Jen and Sarah. I didn't even get a decent shot of the bride and groom! too busy enjoying the reception, I guess.

Congratulations Albert and Sara Beth!

celebrating dad.

This is what my dad is doing right now, only he is in his trunks! Being on the lake in his boat is his favorite thing to do; he would do it 24/7 if he could. I am glad my dad is able to do what he really wants to do today. I am grateful for my dad and I love him very much! Happy Father's Day dad! And thank you for all you have given me.

The other dad I am celebrating today is my husband and father of my children! I am so grateful for Matt and all he does for our family. He works very hard and is the kind of man I have always wanted as the father of our kids. Happy Father's Day babe!

battle of the bottle.

I think most parents have to deal with a child that is attached to something for a longer period of time than they need to be, am I right? For Ethnie, it's her doll that she can't live without. Going into second grade, she will still sneak it into her backpack each morning.
For Emmett, it's the bottle. Sigh... I know he would still be nursing if I was still producing milk. He loves sucking on a bottle; it is so comforting to him and makes him perfectly content. We have tried several ways to ease him away from the dang thing and each time has failed. With his third birthday rapidly approaching, Matt and I have decided to go cold turkey on breaking him from the bottle.
We are now on day 5 of our no-bottle-until-bedtime rule. I made sure nothing major was planned this week in case he was a nightmare. We have about 6 different kinds of sippy cups; some as close to a bottle as you can get, some with straws, some all hard plastic. Emmett won't touch any of them. It doesn't matter if I poured liquid sugar into it; he will not drink out of it. He has been going hours with nothing to drink because he is that stubborn. Later in the afternoon he'll give in and take gulps of water from a glass, nothing more. It's pretty impressive how stubborn he is being about it. As far as meltdowns go, day 2 was worse than day 1, but he has been tolerable. Yesterday we snuggled a lot because he was having a hard time. The odd thing is he still carries the sippy cup around with him, but won't take a drink.

More updates to come. Any tips would be greatly appreciated!

details to share.

I thought I'd share some thoughts/moments from the week:

* I have been in the mood to declutter my home again. I've been getting rid of old clothes, papers, junk, you name it. And it feels good.

* I'm learning every day how much of a BOY Emmett really is. The obsession of cars and trucks, the roughness in his behavior, the constant running, messes, energy. It amazes me!

* We have a nest of baby robins in the rafter of our front porch and I feel like I need to protect them.

* I have been focusing on learning more about my ancestors and have discovered some very interesting facts. I feel connected to them.

* Ethnie brought her yearbook home from school this week and showed me every person she knows on every page and the name of almost every staff member. She is so excited to have her yearbook.

* Emmett can be shy around other kids his age, but he loves watching them play and laughing with them.

(gloomy-day outing to the playplace at McDonald's)

* I want it to be hot outside soooooooo baaad.

* Emmett threw up in the grocery store this week. Yep. I knew this moment for me would happen sometime. It actually wasn't that messy. I was able to catch him in time to move everything out of the way and bend him over so it all landed on the floor. Other people jumped out of the way and kept their distance. But there was one sweet lady who came up to us and offered us some tissues while she went to get help. She came back with the manager and made sure Emmett was okay. I was really grateful for her kindness.

* Ethnie's last day of first grade is today. Sigh... She is super excited! Such a big girl.

(from the fall. she's definitely taller now!)

* I am helping my cousin Jen photograph an outdoor wedding tomorrow. Cross your fingers for nice weather!

Have a wonderful weekend!!

wearing socks in june.

We've had a gloomy drizzle here in St. Paul for several days. It has also been unpredictable and the forecast unreliable. I am running out of things to do with my squirrelly boy. We will be outside playing or walking and all of a sudden the clouds come rolling in, getting us wet without warning. I think Emmett would stay out in the rain if I let him; he loves being outside regardless.

Yesterday, it was chilly and I needed my socks to warm up. I'm making a big deal out of this because I hate wearing socks. Hate it. Especially in June. I think we were spoiled last spring with the 80-degree weather by Memorial Day. It was heavenly. I pray summer this year isn't cut short! I'd like to wear my swim suit a couple of times and brown my shoulders just a little. 

I think this weekend will bring sunshine. I am hopeful!