week one

Boden

Boden Bob Katt

October 13th, 2012

9:58 PM

7 pounds even, 20 inches long

We got transferred to Children's hospital NICU yesterday. Bodhi has TTN and needs oxygen + monitoring until his lungs clear and he can breathe slower on his own. My labor and delivery was quick and easy (2 hours.)

a teenager and a dinosaur

Alikah

Alikah is starting preschool either next week or the first week of October! All we have left to do is stop by the doctors office so they can sign a paper and then well be set. She is soooo excited to finally go to school! 

She is going half days and will do alphabet/writing, math (I wrote meth first. ha), science projects, crafts, quiet time, music, outside, days of the week/weather/etc...

Certain facial expressions she does along with the attitude? She is 13. I keep saying, "Oh my god, you are such a teenager!" and she says, "No Im not! Im just a little kid!" 

She wants to do everything by herself. Something Spencer and I both used to get so annoyed at was her coming out of her room at night time and asking us to turn her music back on. The other week while I was reading to her she randomly tells me that she climbed onto her desk and turned her music on all by herself. WHY didnt I think of that? All I had to do was put her music somewhere she could reach it! Now Spencer & I dont have to deal with it. Everyones happy! She also: turns on and off her fan, puts movies in herself, picks out her undies in the morning and put them on, takes off her clothes before bath and bed (she doesnt put them on. Well, she could do shorts. Pants/shirts not yet, but she is showing interest), puts her Ovaltine in her cup, puts salt on her food.....she moves stools all over to reach things herself and she always wants to watch us cook. Oh and she figured out a way to climb over the baby gate which is nice because I dont have to go lift her over it or take it down 100 times a day. 

Playing: Her imagination is in full swing. Shes always talking to toys or imaginary friends (Jack and Jake), playing chef/doctor/teaching the bad guy to be a good guy/mommy/water park. She sets up detailed scenarios for her Barbies and loves to play with them. Drawing and writing. Plays great with Harper when she feels like it. They just started wrestling. The other day Spencer and I were upstairs for a minute and when we came back down, Harpers pants were off? and they were wrestling. Alikah said she grabbed him by the legs to "yank him back" but "his pants just came off!"

TV: Doc McStuffins. She called it "Mixed Up Muffins" for the longest time which was pretty funny. Spongebob with Spencer. Driver Dan's Story Train. Tickety Toc. And the old favorites, too. 

Books: She really likes the Pinkilicious series right now. Fly Guy series. 

She can memorize a book after hearing it once and is always, always listening. She can mimic me perfectly. The other day after I told her to eat all of her food she replied, "I will! Just, like, relax ok?"

Other things I say that shes repeated lately...

"Its not a big deal." 

"Doesnt matter." 

"I am not yelling at you. I am just trying to explain." 

"Harper. Dont pull my hair. Its not nice. I tell you this every. day." 

An example of how she torments me:

Alikah: Im gonna put my feet on you.

Me: Dont.

Alikah: If you dont let me i'm gonna suck on my toe.

Me: Ohmygod...

And an example of how she fills my heart:

Alikah: Mom? You know how you came in my room before and yelled at me? You shouldnt do that a lot because its just mean. 

Me: I know. Thats why I came back in, I felt bad. Im sorry.

Alikah: Its ok Mom! I love you! I forgive you!

Harper

Harper still wants to explore everything. He is fearless. Climbs up and on anything. He would plop himself right into a pool if allowed (and probably start swimming.) Wants to eat everything and hasnt found many foods that he doesnt like. He uses bowls and plates now! Meaning that instead of just looking at it like "what the fuck is this for?" and then dumping all his food out, he will actually eat the food off of it! But, when he decides hes done eating he likes to make it known by staring you right in the eye while he throws the rest of his food on the ground. On purpose, though! If its not cleaned up immediately he will wander back over there when hes hungry again (5 minutes) and eat it off the floor. Or he'll just climb onto the table and finish Alikah's for her. He is also trying very hard to use a real fork. He is going from hands to fork, none of that baby utensils nonsense for him.

His facial expressions are hilarious. Scrunch face is still my favorite, but hes got a few new ones that are pretty great. He loves music, dancing, walking, playing with spices, screaming like a dinosaur, making us laugh, climbing the stairs, cars, car rides, walks, baths, his crib, and throwing everything in the garbage.

Harper is learning through copying. Alikah especially. It is adorable. Its by far my favorite thing right now - watching the two of them play together, and then seeing Harper doing it himself the next day. Example: Yesterday Alikah took this little pumpkin bucket and filled it up with play food/"treats." Today Harper saw the bucket, looked in it, realized it was empty and ran into the play room. I had know idea what he was doing until he came out with his arms full of play food. He went and got it to fill the bucket.

I think he might be growing out of his shyness. He was very social and outgoing at Stefanies rehearsals and wedding. He has no problem walking up to strangers and saying hey. 

We also witnessed him worrying about a boy at the library. Alikah and this boy were fighting over a ball. Alikah brought it in, the boy wanted it, Spencer told the boy he could have it, Alikah cried, the boy's mom gave the ball back to Alikah, then the boy cried. Enter Harper. Hes just watching this all happen and at the end when the boys laying on the floor crying he walks over, squats down next to him, and pats his back. Made me proud.

He is a daddys boy. He gets so excited to see him and is seriously his shadow when hes home. It seems like he knows when Spencer is getting ready for work and he will just follow him, whining and pulling on his pants. Then he cries by the door when he leaves. 

But when Dadas not home if he wants to cuddle he has no choice but to cuddle with me :)

This is a daily thing lately, mostly because of the constant teething. Speaking of teething - He has 12 or 13 teeth now. Its impossible to really check because hes not letting my fingers anywhere near his mouth. 

This entry is really for me. I write a lot of stuff down but I know I still forget so much. I feel like there is so much more I need to say here. I could go on and on forever, especially lately. 

Im pregnant and hormonal so I could get very emotional here if I wanted. 

Just checking on them before I go to bed is enough to make me cry. 

I have to do it quick - in and out - or I could stand there staring all night. 

a bully

On Sunday we went to the lake for a few hours before nap time. After swimming I was watching Alikah play on the playground while Spencer took the stuff back to the car and changed Harper.

I wasnt really paying too much attention until a dad walked up the playground and goes, "Hey buddy, knock it off! Stop bothering her or Im going to have to tell your parents!"
The kid he was talking to snapped back, "You dont know my parents!"
The guy knew I was watching so looks he looks at me and we are both just stunned. Eyes and mouths wide open.

Fast forward a couple minutes, I walk to the concession booth to see what they all have and on the way back I see Spencer walking up to the playground. I get there just in time to hear Spencer say, "Kid in the blue, stop being an asshole! Im gonna throw YOU down the slide!"
Now Im just staring like holy shit what is going on!! and Spencer turns around and says that the kid was...
1) Calling all the other kids retards (this is NOT ok to me)
2) Kicking people down the slides (!??!?)
3) He called Alikah a cry baby for no reason and when Alikah said, "Thats not very nice," he told her to shut up!


Seriously? This kid just got warned not even 10 minutes ago! So I get pissed and I go stand right next to this kid who by then is standing with his sister and they are pointing and whispering at Spencer. I tell Alikah hes just a bully and that I am going to wait and find out who his parents are. Unfortunately he heard me say that and basically just stood there until I walked away...

THEN! 

Another mom yells, "KNOCK IT OFF!" because the kid ran right back onto the playground and told her son he was going to "kick him in the stomach."

We decided to just leave.
Im watching him the whole time were walking to our car and once we were pretty far away they ran off towards the lake. When they stopped at a group of people we stopped & waited for a few minutes because we figured they were probably telling their parents and if they started walking back towards the park we were going to as well. I really hoped they would because I was dying to say something.

It was insane!! I was in shock the whole ride home.
When I think of what I want my kids to be, nice/caring/kind/loving is at the top of the list.
I would honestly be devastated if I had mean kids.

I am really proud of Alikah for handling it the way she did. I was so proud of her for standing up to him and telling him he wasnt being nice.

Also, the first thing I did when we got in our car was look at Spencer and start cracking up. 

Who the fuck tells a little kid they are going to throw them down a slide?!

Alikah Is THREE!

Well, today my baby is officially 3 years old. I love birthdays. This is the 1st of 3 birthday posts :)
Alikah Lee: is caring, hilarious, bossy, beautiful, a genius with a memory that still blows us away, an amazing big sister and an even more amazing daughter.
3 foot 1 inch, 31 pounds.
Food: Noodles. Tortillas. Strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, banana, any fruit I guess! Fruit snacks. Ice cream. Speghettios. Mashed potatoes. Chips.
Pets: Stabler, Fishy
Sleep: Wakes up around 8:30/9
Naptime, Id say normally 3-5.
Bedtime 9:30/10. Shes in her room awake until 11+
TV: Super Why, Calliou, UmiZoomi
Music: Coldplay, Matisyahu, Pink Floyd, The Blowers Daughter by Damien Rice
-Wears pull-ups for nap, bedtime and car rides. She rarely goes during nap or car rides, its just in case.
-Trying to cut nunus down to only naps and bedtime. Doing pretty well.
-Only drinks milk (with Ovaltine or Breakfast Essentials) at nap and bedtime. She used to drink it all day but we stopped in an attempt to get her to eat more. It worked.
-Never had a favorite kiekie but now she does. She calls it her "bumpiest blankie." It gets "bumpy" when she sucks on a corner at night.bumpiest blankie-Loves to draw faces, flowers, jellyfish, "rules", letters.
-Refers to everyone, especially little kids, as "my friend."
-When she meets someone new (usually an adult) she says, "Im shy of them."
-Always speaks in full sentences. Prefers to be around older kids.
-Playing with Harper more and more now that hes older.
-Shes protective of Harper and always tells him, "Be careful Buddy!"
-She loves motorcycles, bikers, and wants to be one.
Also Loves: Trucks, dinosaurs, being outside, picking flowers, Barbies, bath time, shoes, reading, riding her bike, hair clips and headbands but not ponytails or having her hair combed. Some Recent Quotes
‎(Alikah sneezes all over my face) Alikah: HAHAHA I sneeze on you!
Alikah: You got blessyous all over your face!

"Those guys are totally cool they play rock n roll man!"

(On her laptop) "Harper can you be quiet please. Im trying to do something. Harper I cant play with you right now I need to do this." Totally mimicking me. It was hilarious.

"No, you can put it in your big rock bag." Our diaper bag is giraffe print. She thinks it is rocks.

Me: Ok bossy.
Alikah: DO NOT CALL ME BOSSY!!

She also calls Harper "Nosebreather" now because I do. It cracks me up every single time.Alikah, we love you so much. I could watch you all day and smile. You are the most amazing little girl ever. Sometimes I swear I need you more than you need me. You mean everything to me and I love you forever.

Alikahzam

I need a whole entry about Alikah. She means the world to me and amazes me every day, I really need to update about her more often. Harper is growing and changing so much each day, but she is growing up so fast too.My baby is 2 years and 5 months old. THAT'S ALMOST TWO AND A HALF.
-She can count like crazy, but is starting to learn actual numbers. She can always point out "3" which just so happens to be my favorite number :)
-Has known the alphabet for awhile but now recognizes "k, o, l, and a"
-Full conversations all the time, our doctors office staff (and everyone else..) is amazed by her.
-Knows red means stop and green means go while driving.
-Can draw great circles and "faces" with eyes, mouths, nose, ears, hair. Some have no nose and some have no ears, but it still amazes me.

Likes:
Kie-kie and Nunu
Parks
Harper
Helping with anything (Laundry/vacuum/cooking/Harper)
Barbies
Puzzles and mazes
Weddings
Her "brand new shoes"
Making "paths" with anything
Friends
Reading with Mommy and commenting on every page
Hiding under the covers
Singing and dancing
Coloring
Magic wands
Cowboys and pirates
TV: Special Agent Oso, Dora, UmiZoomi and of course Spongebob
Food: Noodles, rice, candy/chocolate/treats, Spaghettio's with meatballs, Broccoli
Music: Matisyahu, Coldplay, Guns N RosesDoesn't Like:
Having her picture taken, usually
Being yelled at
Being woken up
Having her hair brushed
Music: County
Food: Everything else

Some of my Favorite Quotes/Moments from the Last Few Months:
6/18 - She got her baby doll and tried sitting her up on her bed but she kept falling back. She started reading her a book, and after every page shed hold the baby up and show her the pages then set her back down.

There was a baby boy at Maddies bridal shower and Alikah asks, "Is that my brother?"

7/11 - Alikah just woke up and came out and goes, "I sleep good. Ill be out in a little bit." And I was like, "Okay, what are you getting? She goes, "I need medicine." And I was like, "Aww uh oh why?" and she goes,
"I just need medicine. Because my owwie bleeding. And I need a kiss."

7/16 - I was in the bathroom getting ready and Harper was in his boppy on the floor. Alikah woke up and sat down right next to him then kissed him and said, "Hi Buddy"

7/21 - She keeps pushing her hair out of her face and saying, "Go away go away!"

7/23 - "HARRRPERRR..hes so cuteee!"

8/15 - Me: Why is crying? Can he talk to you?
Alikah: Mmhmm
Me: Whats he saying?
Alikah: He say....tarter sauce.
Alikah: And.....bad words.
Me: Hes saying bad words??!?
Alikah: Papa Katt tickle me all day!

8/22 - Spencer turned a movie off and she cried, I told her to be quiet because I was watching a show. Spencer put her to bed and I went in 15 minutes later to say goodnight and she said, "Hi mama...I was just crying before...because my feelings made me sad...but Im happy now"

8/31 - Alikah: I have a heart inside.
Me: Yep.
Alikah: Remember? I love you with alllll my heart.
Me: AWWWW!!
Alikah: yes I do.

9/2 - Me: ughhhhh
Alikah: what?
Me: I cant make any cd's
Alikah: It's okay. You can make a-b-c-ds....

9/12 - I was putting on mascara in my bedroom and Harper was crying in his swing in the living room. Alikah was like "MAMA I HELP YOU!!" When I went to look and was standing by him feeding him.
He stopped crying and she goes "Now he all better. He stop crying."
And then she tried to show him a picture she drew and he started crying and she goes "Whoops I have to feed him!!"

This girl means the world to me. I still cant believe she is mine. Sometimes I think that I need her more than she needs me.
I got this from Casey and its perfect.
"You are an eternally optimistic piece of my heart walking around on the outside of my body. To remind me that even on my worst days, I have something to live for."

The 4th

Parade! We stayed for an hour..


..then left and went to my parents to swim. It was too hot. I borrowed a suit from Heather and went in too. I was told no swimming in pools or lakes for 6 weeks but HA!




After we went to the fair. Alikah loved it. She was fearless, I was so happy that she went on the rides. This one was fast - she held on tight and had a completely serious face the whole ride, but she didnt want to get off. She stayed in her seat and we gave the guy more tickets :)


She went on the carousel (twice, once with each of us), a turtle ride, a small "roller coaster" and in a bounce house! She wouldnt go near the bounce house at our big June 25th party but of course she crawled right in at the fair.


The ferris wheel was the last thing we did. I hate ferris wheels. All I saw was the "Do Not Rock The Seats" sign in front of us. I panicked every time Alikah wiggled, it looks kinda like I was hugging her here but I was probably just trying to hold her still lol. I was definitely more scared than she was.

The little kid swing ride wasnt running but the fair was set up around the park that I wrote about in May that we loved, so Alikah went on the regular swings for awhile.

Spencer fell asleep around 9 but Harper and I watched the fireworks from our balcony at 10.


Today is cleaning, SVU, cuddling and relaxing.

Harper Lorne Katt

Harper Lorne Katt
June 21st, 2011
7:40 PM
6 pounds 4 ounces
19 inches

Proud

Circles, all by herself!
A mad face; she drew the ears first, then the eyes, then the mouth.
:)