Elias-3 years old; Ian-8 mths old (and yes Elias is wearing a bib, don't ask)
I cannot believe it is the eve before Christmas Eve. This year has gone by so fast. I have thought often about writing the annual Christmas letter and what we would put into that letter to sum up our year for you. We did not get cards out or the annual Christmas letter...sorry! There are so many things to write...I decided that we shall call 2011 one of joys and sorrows, hurrahs and 
tears. We had an incredible blessing in 2011 in the form of our sweet Ian, whom mommy affectionately refers to as "boo boo". Elias has been my "bubby" from the beginning and somehow Ian got a silly name as well. Ian is now 8 months old. He is a happy little guy. He loves walking by holding our fingers (we have quite a lot of achey backs lately), he is learning to crawl (so far more of a crazy inch worm thing), he can scoot on his bottom to just about anywhere and rolls like a crazy man to reach what he wants. He enjoys any toy you put in front of him! He is doing ok with his "solids". He has good days and not so good days eating. He still wants to nurse during the night, but we have gotten him to stretch out about 4-6 hours on average between night feedings. He is definitely not the sleeper his brother was at this age! Elias would sleep 10-12 hours straight...oh how blessed we were and had no idea! Ian is getting lots of hair, but somehow teeth are still elusive...also different from big brother. But all in all, Ian is a joy and such a cutie...as Elias says, "Ian is cute." Elias thinks a lot of things are cute lately, which I find very endearing!
Elias is where we have had our sorrows and tears this year. Poor kid has just had a rough year. He really struggled adjusting to sharing mommy, even though he really does like Ian (not quite as much as Ian likes him). After that phase we had his 3 year old check up. He was really settling down and doing great. And after his 3 year old shots, Elias lost control. Not sure what 
happened or why. I just know that he took major steps backwards in development and functioning. Needless to say we are still trying to regain lost ground. Back in July he had actually started to get potty training, but that was also something that took a hit. So, we are now back to potty training, and coming along slowly, but at least he talks with us about it, and seems to be showing some interest again lately. He is also back to learning leaps and 
bounds again! And his vocabulary and imagination are beginning to take off. After so much heartache and joys over the past 8 months, I can honestly say that I love my boys more everyday! It has been a really tough road, but they are so worth the fight! Thankfully, through all the tears, Kyle and I have grown closer and stronger as a couple. I love that man so much more today than I ever thought possible 7 years ago. Yes, seven years ago, Kyle and I became man and wife, and we have been so blessed to walk through those years as best friends! We have hope in our hearts for the changes and blessings that 2012 is going to hold. We are thrilled to be stepping forward into it together as a family, and we are expecting GREAT things! We really look forward to sharing those great things with you. I tried to get some pictures for Christmas of the boys, and the pictures here say just about everything about where we are...they are crazy because life if just crazy for us. But it is what it is, and we are learning to grow and love through the ups and downs...and of course we have learned a lot more about prayer! So to close this Christmas update, we want to say Merry Christmas to you and yours. We send you our love!
I love fall, the cool mornings, the crisp sun in changing leaves, the crunch of leaves while you walk, the rain of leaves and laughing little boys...I love fall. The boys and I have been trying to get outside more often since the weather has been so incredible. And since Ian just turned 7 months old yesterday, I decided to take some pictures outside of our fun. Here are a few of my favorites. I love these boys oh so much! 
Oh my goodness...I did it again. Life got busy and somehow I forgot to blog about my sweet Elias turning the big 3! We had a great time celebrating his big day. Saturday before his birthday we went to the zoo with family and friends...and on labor day...Monday, we had a cookout and party. He enjoyed both equally! Especially the giraffes, cupcakes and presents. He totally gets presents now and wants to open any present he sees, even if it isn't his!
We are actually having a rough few weeks. Elias has really been struggling with a lot of stuff lately. We really are trying hard to find a balance for him, but it has been a hard road. It isn't just having a new brother, although that is affecting him, but it is more than that. We have several appointments over the next few weeks to see if we can pinpoint what is going on, and help him have happier days. Please keep us in prayer as we try to help our little guy. We are all really tired physically and emotionally.
In happier news, Ian is growing like a weed and sitting up really well. He will be 6 months old in a little over a week. He loves his brother and is really just a fun little guy. He got to start eating his first "solids" about a week ago and really thinks he is a big guy! He loves "meal time" and gets really excited about spoons and bibs! 
We are heading to visit with famlily in a few weeks, please don't have snow in WI, please?!? We are really excited to have some time away, Kyle will hunt with the guys, and the boys and I will hang out with Oma. We are all pretty excited as you can imagine.
We have started "homeschool" preschool with Elias and recently he enjoyed cutting out letters with our cutters Oma gave us. We made homemade playdough with natural food dyes and Elias loved cutting out letters and naming them...we don't quite have all our letters down, but he is adding more everyday. We also do worksheets, read books, color, etc. He seems to like our time learning. 
I am sure there is more to share, but I will post some pictures instead. We are enjoying cooler temps now and we will leave you with this thought, "Happy Fall!"