9 Month Comparison Outfit

Here's a comparison picture of Tavin in an outfit my sister gave Koen at his first Christmas and then a picture of Koen in the same outfit. You can see that Koen at 9 months no longer had bright blue eyes (it was around then that they changed). Hopefully Tavin's will stay blue! Koen's face was still rounder than Tavin's at that stage, but they definitely look similar. Enjoy!

Tavin Time

With Koen going to nursery school two days a week, Tavin and I are getting some nice quality time these days. It is amazing how you think it is a big deal to have 1 child and then when you have two and you have some moments with just 1 of them you realize how 1 was not that complicated. I can't imagine what it would be like to pile on more (don't tell Doug it even crosses my mind!).

Koen is doing great with nursery school. He leaves in a happy state and quite content to go (so far so good at least, it's only week 2). He has been doing well coming home too. He is definitely exhausted (usually requests to go up to nap early), but behaviorly does well.

I took some pictures of Tavin playing this morning. He is getting so good at getting around despite the fact he cannot figure out how to actually crawl. The video is of him playing a new game (he can put the ball in the basket and then knows where it comes out, although the video is not the best example of his prowess at this sport).

Tavin is still recovering from his cold and hates getting his nose wiped, so I'm feeling quite mean. We are about to have our afternoon snuggle time now though, so hopefully he will think of me for that and not the tissue torture.

Here's a comparison picture of Koen in the outfit and Tavin in the outfit. You can see that Koen at 9 months no longer had bright blue eyes (it was around then that they changed). Hopefully Tavin's will stay around! Koen's face was still rounder than Tavin's at that stage, but they definitely look similar.

About the Updates

Yesterday at the bottom of my post about the library I included a few updates of the state of things with the boys. Unfortunately, Tavin's "probably" cold is a definite one and Koen's "possible" croup was definitely a sign that he too was catching the cold. Thankfully, Koen hasn't had a full-on croup episode, but he is definitely one of those kids that has a croup response to colds and allergies. Today before nap he actually said that he had something stuck in his throat (this is what he said the night that he had the really bad flare-up). Anyways, hopefully this is a quick little virus and they will both move through the yucky, snotty stages quickly.

Today Koen did make it to nursery school as he still didn't have a runny nose this morning or anything. He was so tired when I went to pick him up. He started crying just from being overwhelmed at his new surroudings and just wanting to go home. He was good though, not over-reacting, just very honestly tired and hungry and ready for nap. He was in bed and probably asleep at 1:30pm. I literally could not get up there fast enough. When Tavin and I made it upstairs from lunch he was laying in his bed with the lights off, eyes closed. Poor guy! He was still very positive about nursery school though and already said that he is excited to go "tomaknow" (then I had to let him know it's not until Thursday).

Tavin is falling apart at the seams. He had a rough night and then only slept 30 mins. this morning. I think he is having a hard time being comfortable with all the cold nastiness. He looked really cute all bundled up to go get Koen though!

Rainy Day Visit to the Library

Our local library (East Liberty branch of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh) recently was completed renovated and it is now reopened. It is beautiful! We haven't had a chance to get new books in awhile, so we used the rain today as a great excuse to get to the library.

Koen and Tavin both enjoyed playing and Koen and I also read a lot of books while we were there.

I just got through reading Koen a few new selections before nap. I think I enjoy the new books just as much (if not more) than he does. It is nice to read a new story after weeks of the same ones over and over!

Other Updates:

I think Tavin has a cold. He is sneezing like crazy and has a very runny nose. Koen woke up coughing this morning. Doug said it sounded croup-ish (I was out at gym). Anyways, all day I've heard the croup sound in the back of his throat. I really hope we don't have an episode of that again! Maybe he's just adjusting to the cooler weather or the rain or maybe he's getting this little cold Tavin is fighting. Anyways, hopefully you won't see a blog post about croup again anytime soon!

Off to snuggle with Tavin before his nap starts. He's getting so good at getting around without crawling. He is on the verge of crawling though, be on the lookout for an exciting blog post whenever that finally happens!

Backyard Beauties

We've had such a nice weekend. Yesterday we walked to Little Italy (Bloomfield) for the Little Italy Days and had a very Italian lunch. Yum! Koen was very experimental and had fresh-made ravioli stuffed with butternut squash in a butter sage sauce and also tried a risotto ball stuffed with fresh mozzarella. It was fun watching the festivities. I love the Italian heritage that is so strong in Pittsburgh, not to mention Italian is definitely my favorite kind of food!

The rest of yesterday was pretty low key which was good because it had been a fun-packed few days! I enjoyed going out all by myself during the afternoon naptimes to do errands and Doug stayed at the house. Then last night I got to go out to a friend's surprise birthday party after the boys were asleep while Doug stayed at home. I'm not normally able to get out like that so it was really fun and refreshing (although it would've been even more fun if Doug had been with me)!

Today Koen went into KidzChurch for the first time at our church. It is the equivalent of moving up from nursry to Sunday School. Big day! He did so well and really enjoyed it. Doug heard that he even raised his hand and answered a question. He loved the music and was trying to sing along and do the hand motions. We were so glad he finally moved on out of the nursery, now they can focus on the babies and not our busy little boy!

This afternoon after lunch I took the boys out to the backyard. It is cool and sunny and just perfect! I let Koen play "car wash" with his trucks. He called it a "wash down." I had fun taking shots of the boys and Koen for once was really into it, actually posing and smiling normally. I actually think I might get some of these printed. I also took a few shots of my roses that are still going strong. Probaby about 50 blossoms still!

Tavin in the Swing

Every few days I look at the swing that takes up a nice chunk of the corner of our kitchen and think to myself, "maybe we should put that in the basement..." But then I end up using it and seeing that Tavin still enjoys it, even if it is only once every other day. I guess we are sticking with this apparatus a little while longer. This video shows something new he's learned with the swing (again, definitely a reminder of me in my baby days).

Family Fun Friday!

We've had a few odd weeks in a row with work being busy for Doug, Tavin and I being out of town, Koen starting school, etc. It's been a whirlwind and Doug and I had really missed just spending time together as a family having fun. So, yesterday, we made up for it!

After Tavin's nap we went to the Strip District to run an errand and get lunch together. We ate at the Enrico Biscotti Company. Yum! Brick oven pizzas and salad. So perfect! It's a tiny, old shop that used to actually be a garage for fixing cars (Koen liked the sound of that). It was a very quaint spot for lunch. Koen did a great job being a big boy and enjoying the more adult ambiance of the place. Tavin also did well enjoying his baby food there and keeping pretty quiet (not to mention all the looks and comments he got from all the women in there).

Doug being the fun dad that he is suggested ice cream on the way back to the car, and how could I resist since it's my personal favorite treat after an Italian meal? We had gelato from Mon Amie Chocolate. I got their dark chocolate. Delicious!

I always feel a little bad for Tavin on these outings as big brother gets a much bigger kick out of this stuff, but I guess soon enough Tavin will be joining in on the fun. He did get some special Daddy time before nap...

It was so, so hot yesterday. A record 90 degrees. It had been high 80's for the few days before too, so the house was just an oven with the sun flowing in in the afternoon. After laying the kids down for naps Doug and I had no energy to move, so we napped too. (I never nap, so this is a really big deal!). It was a good thing we all rested well in the afternoon though because we had a full evening!

We woke the boys up from their naps and got them in the car around 4:40pm. We headed through rush hour traffic (which wasn't too bad) far into the South Hills to visit our friends' farm. It was amazing! By the time we got there the sun was low enough that it wasn't uncomfortable outside anymore, although still balmy. A few of our neighbor families came with us and we just had a blast letting the kids enjoy the countryside. Tavin and Huck were troopers and just enjoyed riding around in BabyBjorns and sitting on blankets watching the older ones enjoy all the activities. Aren't they so cute?The farm had a fishing pond with a little row boat. When Koen saw the boat he kept saying, "Daddy, do you want to go across the sea with me?" Eventually Doug got in the boat with him and 3 other kids! I gave him lots of credit for taking on that camp counselor role!Koen between activities spotted a tractor and spent some time pretending to be a farmer busy at work.They had 4 horses and each of the kids got their first horse ride! We had an amazing steak/chicken dinner with delicious sides and fresh veggies and fruit. Then they had a bonfire down by the pond. Finally, we all came in one last time for dessert (chocolate cheesecake and triple berry pie). Our hosts were so generous letting us enjoy their beautiful home and property and showering us with all the delicious food. It was a really fun night to just enjoy ourselves. We host so often (which we absolutely love), but every once in awhile it feels so good to just sit back and relax and let someone else host and these friends have a gift for it!

We didn't leave until almost ten and Koen didn't get into bed until almost 11pm (Tavin slept in the pack'n play there and then went right back to sleep at home, so had a relatively normal night). Koen did pretty well sleeping almost until 8am this morning, but I'm sure we will see the tiredness hit at some point today. He and his friends all did very well staying up late and staying pretty well-behaved. It was a great night with friends and family!

Ouch!!

Tavin is getting really close to crawling. He can scoot backwards, turn circles and basically manuever his way around without crawling. This morning with this "manuevering" he got into a basket of toys and pulled a plastic boat down onto his forehead. It is the biggest "ouchie" he has gotten yet (I can't actually think of any others). The poor thing was so upset and now he looks so sad with this scab dot and raised bump with a bruise sticking out of his head. Poor little guy. He cheered up quickly though (and don't worry, I didn't stick the camera in his face until about an hour after it happened).

First Day of Nursery School, continued...

I couldn't wait to pick up Koen. Tavin and I stayed busy playing and multi-tasking until about 10:10am and then Tavin took a quick nap. I got a few things done and then woke him up at about 11am to walk to get Koen. It is hot here again and I had Tavin in the BabyBjorn, so I tried to pace myself and not walk too fast, so I wouldn't arrive a disgusting sweaty mess. Walking slowly is tough for me though, so we got there in basically record time. Thankfully along the way there was quite a bit of shade and so we weren't too gross by the time we got there. Tavin was so cute on the way there, he actually dozed off again for a few minutes. Then I knew he was awake because he started talking about everything. So cute!

I felt like a real mom (sometimes it is hard to believe I am really grown up and am a mom, so experiences like this make it really convincing) walking in to get my son from school. Koen's teacher said he did a great job. He was even patient when I got there. They sing a song to let each child go as they come and get collected by their parents. Koen waited on his little carpet square until they sang his name. I was so impressed. And he didn't even shed a tear! He wasn't even in a rush to leave either, he was very excited about getting cups of water at the water fountain (figures that was the highlight!).

We then walked (now all in the stroller that Doug pushed Koen in this morning) to playgroup at the park, just to stop in and say hi to our friends there. Tavin hung out on a blanket with Addison and Koen enjoyed swinging. We left after about 20 mins. to get home in time to feed Tavin lunch and get Koen down for nap early (he went down at 1:35pm without a peep, he was exhausted!).

Well, Nursery School Day 1 officially accomplished!!

First Day of Nursery School!

I was a teary mess for a little while last night. Sad that Koen is growing up so fast, feelings of guilt for sending him off two mornings a week, fear that he would struggle with saying goodbye and it would feel like we are just torturing him, etc. Well, I got the crying out of my system, talked it out with Doug and thankfully slept fine.

Koen slept in this morning, which was a blessing because I wanted him to be really rested for school today. I got him up around 8:15am after I had heard him talking for a few minutes. In those few wakeful minutes he was quite busy. He had taken his pajamas off and was working on getting into the outfit I had laid out for him for school.

He was very cooperative with the fast routine of getting clothes on, using the bathroom, having some breakfast (I made him his favorite, whole wheat chocolate chip pancakes) and then even brushing his teeth. Then we went out to the front porch to take some pictures. Doug then walked quickly off with him in the carriage. There were no tears as I said goodbye and gave him some quick reminders about what he can expect today (listen & obey the teachers, don't forget to tell them if you have to go to the bathroom, etc.).

Doug called me after the drop-off. Koen walked right in and got the toy he didn't want to leave the other day (see below how comfortable he was right away!). Then he turned around and said, "Ok, Daddy, you can leave now!" I am just so thrilled that it was a positive drop-off. I can't wait to see how the whole morning went when I get him in a few hours! More blogging to come...

Playdate Pandamonium

What a morning! It was a whirlwind, but I think the Mommies, the babies and the toddlers all thoroughly enjoyed it.

Today was a little bit of a reunion of three of us girlfriends that haven't had a chance to get together in awhile and since now we are all moms, we thought we would get the kids together. Koen was so excited when I told him the plan, "Jonathan and Faith are coming over, oh great!" The three-year-olds played really well together. It is neat to see that every time we get them all together they can play even better together - sharing, explaining things together, now even starting to use their imaginations together.

We played in the backyard for about an hour, but it is actually really hot here today, so we then came in the house. The babies all took naps (Tavin even slept through about a half hour of loud toddler play in the playroom outside his room).

Next we all had lunch together. The kids all did very well eating their lunch (Koen was really hungry, he had 3 sandwiches!). They also pretty quickly though and then headed back up to the playroom to play. So weird that they are now old enough to climb the stairs themselves and play upstairs together for awhile (don't worry, we checked on them every few minutes).

Tavin enjoyed eating his lunch next to his new friend, Luke. Benjamin was also here today, but he doesn't eat in a highchair yet. Anyways, Luke had his eye on all of Tavin's food, it was so cute, he just kept grunting and groaning for more. I felt a little guilty giving it to Tavin and not to Luke. Luke looked way more excited about it than Tavin was. =)

Thanks to Krissy, Jen and Allison for coming today. Koen had such a blast with Jonathan and Faith and I really enjoyed hosting some good friends that I rarely get to see. Let's definitely do this again!

Tavin's Babble

Tavin is making new sounds these days..."ma, ma, ma" and "ba, ba, ba" noises. He has started a low growling noise at mealtimes that just makes me laugh. There are some unexplainable noises, so here is a video of one new one (blowing air through his pursed lips).

Tavin and I always enjoy our afternoon time together between Koen's nap start and his nap start. It is a sweet time. I love it! Here are a few lovey pictures from today.

Nursery School Orientation for Koen

It was a big day in the Melder Family today. Koen had orientation for his nursery school this morning. It was a great opportunity to get his feet wet with the whole nursery school experience and it was a full family outing. We had been really talking up nursery school over the past few weeks and especially the last few days. Koen was so excited this morning when he woke up that before we got him up for breakfast Koen had already undressed himself from the waist down and found underpants and pants in his dresser and put them on by himself (of course both were backwards). It was so cute. He was so excited to tell Doug that he had picked out his own outfit and put the clothes on himself (I must note he was still in his PJ top, so his look was quite hilarious). He also mentioned to Doug that since he was his first day at nursery school he wanted to "match." Thankfully when I suggested another outfit (I blamed it on the weather that it was too hot to wear pants), Koen said, "ok, Mommy, I'm so sorry about this, it's all my fault." So hilarious the responses he comes up with!

Our whole morning was directed at getting out of here at 10am to walk to the school with time to spare before the 10:30am orientation start. Before heading out on our walk, Koen posed for a few pictures (see below), one was serious and one was silly. Can you tell the difference? He has his hands folded because that is his "I'm so excited" look.

On our way to the nursery school he seemed pensive and a little tired, he did this without prompting...

The nursery school really impressed us as they just finished a construction project. We were also impressed at the wonderful care all of the employees took to welcome us and immediately engage with Koen and the other children.

Tavin did pretty well amidst the busyness in the room and the fact this event was not for him at all and considering it was his naptime too! He fell asleep for a few minutes on our way there and then probably napped for a half hour on our way home as we stopped on errands and walked back through our neighborhood. A beautiful day here by the way!

Anyways, Koen did great at nursery school. He was obviously overwhelmed with all there was to play with and look at and he was very quiet with the adults and other children, but I could see that the room, the supplies, the toys and the teachers were all exactly geared to his age, personality and skill set.

I think he will really do well there with some new challenges (socializing, listening and obeying others, working with other children, etc.) and new distractions (toys, storytime, crafts, etc.). At the end of orientation the teacher led a storytime. Koen seemed to get very aware of the fact he was somewhere different, that he was going to have to stop playing with the trucks and then it happened...he totally showed his "momma's boy" side. When I walked away from getting him settled at storytime he totally wailed and cried, "Mommy!, where are you going?" Oh dear. I was half-hoping some other kid would do the same thing and make me feel a little more normal, but no, it was just Koen. I sat with him through storytime and he was fine (super reserved and quiet, but fine). It definitely made me nervous about how Thursday will go with saying goodbye to him, I'm thinking that sending him off with Doug might be best, but we'll see.