Braid!!

Anyone who knows Katie well knows that she does not like to have her hair pulled up and our of her face.  I am not sure why she likes to go for the unkempt look but I have been doing my best to make sure her hair at least gets brushed every day.  I already had to tell her that her school wouldn't let her in unless she wore her hair up out of her face.  It worked and I have kept up my end of the bargain by doing something with her hair every day.  As her bangs grow out more and more, it becomes much more manageable.

As I was doing her hair this morning, I asked her if she wanted a braid.  In the past, the answer has always been no but I figured I would give it another shot.  I told her what it would look like and she agreed because she wanted to wear more than one color elastic in her hair.  When I finished braiding it, I showed it to her in the mirror.  Katie's response, "I love this braid!".  Finally, a hairstyle that she approved of.

Here is a picture of her happily displaying her braid.

Wordless Wednesday

Brotherly Love

Michael and Katie definitely have their share of sibling squabbles. Underneath it all, I know that he and Katie really do love each other. Michael showed just how much he loves Katie today.

Wednesday is library day for Michael's class at school. Each student gets to pick a book to bring home until the next Wednesday. I met Michael after he got off the bus and asked him how his day was. He told me a little about it. I asked him what book he picked for the week from the library. Michael said to me that he picked a special book out for Katie that he knows she likes.

We got in the house and he happily opened his backpack to show me what was in there. It was one of Katie's favorite books, Fancy Nancy and the Delectable Cupcakes. When Katie woke up from her nap and came downstairs, Michael stopped what he was doing to get the book for her. A big smile came across her face and she said, "Thank you Michael!". Then they hugged.

I was so touched by Michael's thoughtfulness, especially in doing something for his sister. Recently Michael has been having a hard time following directions, both at home and at school. Todd and I have been talking about what we are going to do about it and how we can make him listen better. Then he does something like this that lets us know he is listening to what we say, at least some of the time.

Wordless Wednesday

Isn't this sweet?

I picked Michael up from school one day last week and he had a bag in his hand. He told me it was something special that he made for me. He wanted me to open it that day but I told him that I wanted to wait for Mother's Day.

We sat down on Sunday morning for me to open the bag. I was so excited to see what was inside. This is what I found.





There was also a piece of paper rolled up inside. The teachers asked each child what made their mom fantastic. Michael told them that he loves when I make him yogurt popsicles. It's the little things that mean a lot.

It was a nice Mother's Day and I am so thankful to have Michael and Katie as my children.

Wordless Wednesday - Sibling Edition

I love watching this.....

relationship develop between Katie and Michael. Now that Katie is getting a bit older and more vocal, she is able to interact with Michael. They have little conversations too. Most of them involve Michael telling Katie not to do something or to stop touching his things but some of them have Michael telling Katie that he loves her or wanting to take care of her.

Since Todd had been working hard in the yard for the majority of the day, I took both kids inside for their bath. They don't normally bathe together but I thought it would be fun for a change. And it can be an incentive for Michael to cooperate since he always wants to be first.

As soon as they got into the bath, Michael was being so sweet to Katie. He was giving her kisses on her head and telling her that he loved her. These moments just make my heart so happy. It's also one of the reasons that I love having 2 kids. To watch their relationship grow and change is amazing. One moment like this stays with me for several days.

And here you can see them interact:

Playhouse in Progress - Part IV

The playhouse is almost done. Todd and one of his friends put the walls up this past weekend. This really changed the look of the playhouse. Now you can go inside and be shielded by the walls. The windows just have to be cut out. We have one done but have drilled the holes to take the other two out.

Underneath the playhouse, Todd has built a sandbox. It is complete with doors that can close over the sand, as well as wood around the side that can serve as a bench for the kids to sit on as they play. And since it's shielded from the sun, that will be a nice place to play on hot, sunny summer days.

It's really coming along. I know that this will be something fun for the kids to play with for years to come. And I know that Todd has had a lot of fun building, even though I know it was hard work. I admire his initiative to just get in there and roll his sleeves up, even though he never built anything from the ground up. I am so proud of him for building it and happy that my kids have a dad who wants to do things for them. What more could we ask for?

10:11 pm, 3 years ago

was when our lives changed forever and Michael Todd Sipos, Jr was born. He was not due until May 22nd but due to pre-eclampsia, my doctor decided to induce me on the morning of May 16th. I was in labor for most of the day and was wondering if I would even have a baby that day as time went on. Around 9:00pm, they were having trouble with his heart rate and it was determined that I would have an emergency c-section within the hour. I don't remember too much else after that as things really seems to move quickly. The last thing I remember was being wheeled into the operating room and then I was put out under anesthesia. When I woke up in recovery, Michael was here!

He weighed 7 lbs 15 oz and 20 1/4 inches long and I was wondering how much bigger he would have gotten if I went until the due date. He had just a little bit of very light hair. In the nursery, he looked so tall because his arms and legs were completely stretched out. And he was a very alert baby too!

As he grows and changes, I am simply amazed at how much joy he brings to our lives. Now that he is talking more and more, we can have the funniest conversations. He is full of energy and keeps Todd & I on our toes at all times. He has his moments just like any child does where he doesn't listen and do what we want him to. Even in these moments when he is challenging us, we still love him so much and know he tests us because he loves us too.

Happy Birthday Michael, our firstborn son. Mommy and Daddy look forward to celebrating many more birthdays with you. And so does Katie!

Wordless Wednesday