September 2013

Doug, Vanessa, and Baby Aiden visited NC for a full week. It was wonderful having them down here and we were very sad to see them go. John, Larkin, and Reagan adored Baby Aiden and Larkin made sure to hold him numerous times each day. Whenever Larkin would hold Aiden, she would either smile brightly or have a proud but cautious look on her face. Aiden is very good at telling his parents when he is hungry or needs a diaper change and he seems to training to be a boxer. Aiden trains hard by throwing many right jabs and left hooks all throughout the day. Doug and Vanessa are doing such an amazing job as new parents and already seem so comfortable in this new role.

At the end of their visit, we combined our monthly family baby picnic with a UNC football tailgate. It was Aiden’s first tailgate ever, so we were determined to make it a good one! It was a beautiful North Carolina fall day and thanks to Pete (aka Tailgate Kindem) most of the work was done so that everyone could enjoy the party. Pete supplied the tables, chairs, a tent for shade, an outdoor UNC Rug, BBQ grills, and 20 pounds of homemade delicious BBQ. It was a great mix of family and friends and everyone else chipped in with side dishes and beverages, so a good time was had by all who attended. John was a little sick while he was there and Paul helped him take a nap on a stroller with a bud light case as his pillow and Larkin learn how to use the restroom behind a bush (good tailgating requires some creativity at times). Thanks Pete for organizing a great party and thanks for all those who attended.

John, Larkin, and Reagan are all doing very well. Reagan continues to gain balance and speed with her walking ability. She recently got her first top tooth and seems to have multiple other teeth on the way. Reagan is getting better and better at telling her caretakers what it is that she wants and she has taken her role as a human garbage disposal very seriously. This child eats anything and everything in front of her, which makes her father quite proud. She has begun squatting and pulling on her diaper when daddy asks her if she has gone poop and leans towards her crib at night time when it’s time to go to bed.

John continues to be the sweetest, but also one of the most manipulative children we know. Bedtime has become somewhat of a challenge with him. Our bedtime routine goes like this; put pajamas on downstairs, give kisses and hugs to whoever is at the house, walk upstairs to brush teeth, read four or five books, turn off the lights, sing songs, and say goodnight. For the last month John has made the very last part of this routine difficult. Right when someone is leaving the room, he will yell, “daddy/grandpa/etc., I want a glass of water” or “I need to go pee pee” or “I need to poop.” We have learned to adapt our bedtime routine to include most of these items so that he can’t pull these cards on us at the very end, but the other night he took it to a whole new level. After saying he wanted water, and then that he needed to poop, he proceeded to say, “Grandpa, I need to throw up in the potty.” John Boy, John Boy, our sweet manipulative little boy.

Larkin has started singing more. She enjoys singing her ABC’s, wheels on the bus, or Danny Boy. Her favorite colors are pink and purple and she would wear a dress to school every day if we allowed her to. Larkin still uses a boppy (pacifier) at night time, but daddy has been talking to her about possibly giving this up when she turns three. Larkin is very aware that her birthday is coming up soon and that she is turning three. She likes to sing happy birthday and frequently reminds me that her birthday is coming soon. Reagan has started to do laps around the living room (literally 20+ laps around the couch) and Larkin will run after her to inspire her and be the good big sister that she is.