Gerdes Party of Six

Sunday, May 4, 2014

Bronx is crawling & Brigs is potty training!

He's a little slow yet, but Bronx finally figured out how to crawl! All this past week he was getting a little braver on his hands and knees, and then Thursday he finally moved forward! By Friday he was doing it even more, but only if we would lay the remote, my cell phone or another fun gadget in front of him to crawl towards. I know he's our third baby, but these milestones are just as exciting the 3rd time around! Friday morning, all 5 of us were in the living room cheering him on! Boston was just so excited he got to see it before he went to school. He was so proud of his little brother!

Monday, April 27: We finally got bar stools for the basement!

Bronx doing pull ups under the chair!

Tuesday: The daycare girls got a special treat on Tuesday afternoon. I was their 'waitress' and they pretended they were having tea together.
I served lemonade and snacks and they loved getting to try out the stools!

I guess Derek was hoping the first girls that were served at his 'bar' were of age :)

Derek and I had a fun day to ourselves on Wednesday, 4-30. The little boys went to daycare for the day & B was off to school, so we headed downtown! We had never eaten at Wild Sage Grill, so that's where we went for lunch. It was fabulous! I had a delicious asparagus bacon baguette and soup, and Derek had an open faced salmon melt! I can't wait to go back!

Our next downtown lunch will be at Josiah's!

I just stopped in for a coffee to go & loved the atmosphere there.

Our fun downtown shopping find was this Lords Prayer sign for our kitchen!

Derek even enjoyed browsing the stores at 8th & Railroad!

And our other fun Wed. project was figuring out our family canvas collage wall! After browsing many different ideas on Pinterest, and doing math all day long about what sizes would work together, we opted for canvases all the same size. So much simpler!

We printed one canvas to start. I wanted to make sure I liked the quality/size before ordering 8 more!

Thursday, May 1st! Bronx & Alliana playing together.

I love that these two get to play so much together!

After a long, very frustrating day dealing with Walgreens about my canvas order, I finally got them all picked up! They turned out awesome!

We only had enough command tabs (beats pounding holes in the wall!) to hang one canvas so we started with Derek's favorite!

5-2: Friday morning we visited Derek at work & caught this cute little video of Bronx crawling in his daddy's office!

Bronx has been fighting his naps all week, so I think he's fighting off a bug.

Poor buddy must have been exhausted because he just zonked right out while we were shopping.

When Derek got home from work on Friday, we were both very anxious to hang the pictures!

It looks SO nice! Love the pop of color that it gives the main living space!

Friday night, I told Brigham it was time to give ALL of his diapers to his baby brother. I am determined to get him potty trained so he can start preschool at the end of August! He needs the break from me, (and I need the break from him) and him having to sit still and listen to instructions from someone other than his mom will just be a really good thing for him.

He is a very strong willed little boy, and it can be a challenge for me. Some days he is just so naughty and then other days (usually when it's just quiet days with me, him & Bronx) he can be such a good little boy & be such a good listener! I have read oodles of articles on potty training boys and it always starts out by saying 'Don't push it!'. I get that, I really do, but if I don't put an end to diapers, he will wear them forever. That's just how he rolls.

Saturday morning, we moved ALL of Brigham's diapers to Bronx's closet! He wet 3 pair of underwear throughout the day, which I thought was very good for day #1! He wore a pull up during nap, which was a little wet when he woke up, but I am fine with that. Boston was 5 before he figured out how to stay dry while sleeping!

Brigham showing off his TMNT underwear!

Still trying to figure out his sippy cup.

Now that Bronx can get from point A to point B, the boys are getting a little irritated that he is messing in more of their stuff!

Saturday afternoon we headed to a free event at the Mary Jo Wegner Arboretum down the road!

The boys held snakes and say baby farm animals!

Brigham thought it was a rubber snake until I told him not to squeeze it because it was real!

Then he got a big 'Woah' face!

Boston wasn't so sure he wanted to hold one until his little brother grabbed onto one first and showed him up!

Alliana had no fear!

I thought it was funny that the horses name was Trouble Maker. Fits Brigham to a T. :)

The baby pony was only 3 days old! His little legs were still pretty wobbly.

We had to check out the snakes again before we left. Boston was a little braver and wanted to hold a bigger snake :)

The past two days, we have found Bronx sleeping like this!

Trying to figure out how to stand up and pee!

Easter Break & Everyday Craziness!

4-17: No school + mom didn't feel like making lunch, so off to BK we went!

Boston ate 2 cheeseburgers and fries! Growing kid!

Rub a dub dub, 3 brothers in the tub!

Love Boston's drawing of a Ninja Turtle!

The boys never get the opportunity to sleep in the same bed, so when my cousin Ali and her family got here Friday evening, the boys insisted that they sleep together in Brigham's bed.

They were each on their own side when we tucked them in, but an hour later Derek and I found them like this. So sweet! They had flipped sides, but they slept sound all 3 nights!

4-21: Bronx's 9 month picture!
A week and a half late, but better than completely forgetting right?!

So happy!

Bronx & Lux playing toys.

We tried getting a quick picture of all the kids before Ali & David left for OH.

2 of the 5 cooperated! Boston just loves Lux!

4-22: Boston's 1st baseball practice of the season!

It was a nice night, so the little boys enjoyed playing at the park!

Thursday, 4-22: Bronx figured out how to pull himself up in his crib.

Mom got it lowered right away!

Bronx discovered his shadow! He sat and waved his hand around for quite awhile. So cute!

Friday 4-25: Early dismissal day for Boston!

The boys had a picnic lunch in the backyard and spent the entire day playing outside.

It was beautiful!

Brigham was so excited to use his new lunch box!

Bronx even got to eat his lunch outside!

Such big smiles when he is in the swing!

Now that the crib is lowered he can stand and look around all he wants!

During Brigham & Bronx's nap, Boston came in the house asking for a hammer & nail. He wanted to make something with two pieces of wood he found in the empty lot behind us. He had made a cross and was sticking it in the ground. He told me it was a place to bury Jaxon!

He also said 'Or I could bury Brigham!" It was super cute though when the neighbor girls got home from school. Boston was so excited to show them what he had made, and the little neighbor girl said 'Let's put rocks around the cross, and a sign that says 'Jesus died here'. :)