April Showers

April Highlights

• Adam's birthday #35!
• Gabrielle's birthday #4!
• Carter is 10 months!
• Hosting Easter and Gabrielle's birthday party
• Working in Gabrielle's classroom for the last time this year
• Gabrielle's art work displayed at "Mr. Bumble B's" in downtown Howell
• Opening up the cottage and taking our maiden voyage on the pontoon!

Overall, it was a great month. I got totally spoiled with March's phenomenal weather, so April was such a let down, but I am reminding myself that April's weather was normal... As you will see from the pictures below, there were a lot of smiles to go around. Carter's monthly pictures are so much easier to take than when Gabrielle was a baby. Taking pictures of her was a two person job! He's just a smiley baby. I think I just have him trained to smile when the camera comes out. Oh Carter--poor thing--can't quite crawl yet, but he is making great strides toward his mobility.  He can now pull up and is beginning to cruise around the furniture. He can rotate while sitting, sort of like a butt pivot. He can walk if I hold onto his hands. He can schootch around while on his back. He can also shimmy backwards. Today, as I write this on April 30th, he went from laying to sitting for the first time. However, he just can't seem to lift his tummy off the ground, and so until he can accomplish that feat, crawling just ain't gonna happen! He may not crawl at all because he gets more stable on his feet everyday! Carter likes to eat "real food" (i.e. the same things we eat) and he does a good job of chewing, so when it's possible, he eats whatever we're eating. He knows how to sign "more" now, and he using that sign quite frequently during the day! Carter is totally enamored with Gabrielle. She is now seeing that he gets more and more interactive everyday, and she enjoys making him laugh-not a terribly difficult task! I think she is less annoyed with him because she seems him as an actual person and not just a baby. She shows her love by looking out for his well-being...always pointing out potential choking hazards or other potential baby hazards. I really appreciate it.

Gabrielle just seems old to me now that she is 4! She had a great birthday. She is still really into Disney princesses but also likes My Little Ponies, Strawberry Shortcake, and now Barbie. Adam and I got her a Barbie bike for her birthday, and I am shocked that I don't have a picture of her on it, but I will have one for next month. This month Gabrielle has taken a liking to me blow drying her hair and using the flat iron on it. Her hair is so long now. It's longer than mine! That's pretty impressive considering that in her school picture in October her hair was still by her ears. What else.....Gabrielle's teacher, Mrs. Peckens, stopped me in the parking lot one day to give me an update. She told me that Gabrielle is a really good friend to everyone in her class. That makes me so proud. She also told me that she likes to play with the boys and be a little rough, but knows how to tone it down and still enjoys playing with the girls, too. She's a good girl...having your kids get older really isn't so bad---it's so awesome to see what great people they have become!

Sleeping Beauty on her birthday

Easter Bunny Baby

Gabrielle and her Rapunzel birthday cake

Happy 10 Months, Carter!

Gabrielle showing off her artwork at Mr. Bumble B's

The maiden voyage on the pontoon!

Brotherly/Sisterly love at the cottage



My favorite March-ever!

For years, March has always been in my top 2 for least favorite months for two reasons: 1. the dismal weather and 2. no breaks at school.  So, it is safe to say that March has been extremely pleasant this month due to the fantastic weather and no Quarter 3 to contend with! (Third quarter was always the worst as a teacher--everyone got a little cranky with one another and grades always slipped...)

This month I decided to take another year off from work! I am very happy about this and it was a very easy decision. The plan is to go back to work in the fall of 2013. If I don't, I won't have a job.......     At this point, I am very much staying in the moment and trying to enjoy each day and the simple joys in life such as volunteering at Gabrielle's preschool and watching Carter grow (literally) right before my eyes.

At Carter's 9 month check up, he weighed in at 21 pounds (55th percentile) and was 27.9 inches (33rd percentile). He has a large head...18.6 inches which is the 92nd percentile. There is a very strong "big head" gene on my side of the family. Grandma Sexton said he got his big head from her:):) Carter still doesn't crawl, which is fine with me, because I never lose him. He stays where I put him! I'm sure I don't help him much by carrying him around all day.... I just can't help. He'll learn eventually and then my hands will be very full! He loves eating solid foods such as puffs and bananas.

We had a few more firsts this month.  Carter had his first baby play date. Silly, I know. His friend Chase came over. Chase is two months older and can crawl and walk a little bit. Carter can't yet, but seemed very interested by his friend's mobility. Carter got his first tooth (and second one too) and he seems like an official "big boy" to me. He uses his teeth to eat solid foods (and bite me) so that has been fun for him. He bit me for the first time out of frustration a few days ago. I think I was trying to wipe his face. I must say- it was funny, but I know I won't think that for very long!

Carter and Gabrielle had their first non-relative babysitter!! Talk about awesome. One of my former students had asked if she could babysit when she was in 6th grade. I told her to contact me after she took a babysitting class and was in 8th grade. Sure enough, she contacted me when she met those two criterion. I was impressed with that follow-through! Gabrielle loved her because she played with princesses for two hours...a captive audience! I can only handle that for about 20 minutes....although if someone paid me.....

We went as a family to Splash Village in Frankenmuth for the first time. I told Adam I just needed a change of scenery for a day or so. There was nothing relaxing about the trip, but it was nice to get away from home and work and spend the time together. Gabrielle was terrified of the big bucket that dropped and Carter did not like the temperature of the pools, but other than that, it was great! Gabrielle's favorite things were the lazy river and the "hot pool" and Carter liked the baby jumpers.

Lastly, Adam took Gabrielle to see Disney on Ice! Gabrielle loves, loves, loves Disney princesses, and many other Disney characters, so she was in seventh heaven. They also got great seats, so she could see everything from only a few rows away.

Wow--that's about it, I think. Thank you for reading this. I really do appreciate it.

Wishing you many Easter blessings!
Colleen

9 months!!!

Disney on Ice!

Splash Village @ Frankenmuth

Enjoying the FAB March weather!

February is for the birds!!

It's for the birds because I received 5 bird feeders for my birthday from Adam, Gabrielle, and Carter.  We are all enjoying bird watching!! We have one stuck on the window, and on cold mornings we can see the birds' breath. We have had 10 different kinds of birds thus far. It's pretty fun!

This month was fantastic, really.  We had a few "firsts" this month. Gabrielle is already registered for 4-year-old preschool. She will be going for two full days per week next year. Gabs had her first playdate in which I dropped her off at her friend's house! We went bowling for the first time this month, and we went to the Ceramic Studio for the first time together and painted pottery. Another first was Adam and Gabrielle's first Daddy-Daughter Dance. They danced for two hours straight and came home competely exhausted. See pic below!


Gabrielle had another first that was not so fun. It happened at the dentist.  She was hamming it up in the chair, really just being a delight and a little silly, and unfortunately, she threw up. She was sticking her tongue out as far as it would go, and it just tripped her gag reflex. But here's the real kicker...her appointment was right after preschool, and it just happened to be macaroni and cheese day. The dentist asked her why she didn't chew her lunch.  At this point, I was completely green and had to leave the scene to get some air. I just can't do barf. Not even my own kid's. (And God knows this because every time Gabrielle has thrown up, Adam is always there. He is a PRO.) Luckily Gabrielle wasn't the first child to throw up at the dentist's.  Their little haz-mat crew had it cleaned up in 5 minutes and they even gave Gabrielle a sponge bath. It was fantastic, and I am entirely grateful. Sorry I know this is totally gross............................... Gabs' preschool teacher, however, thought it was HYSTERICAL. Apparently, Gabrielle had 3 helpings of macaroni and cheese.............. Blech.....I am getting mouth sweats now so I need to change the subject.

On to Carter...He tipped the scale this month at 20 pounds. I bought him some new 12 month clothes that didn't fit.  Too tight in the tummy. So I had to return them and buy 18 month clothing. My 8 month old wears 18 month clothing!! Holy cow! He tried eating puffs for the first time this month. For the first week or so, he was convinced I was trying to get him to eat garbage. The second week, he would eat one, and he looked like a little old man trying to eat a T-bone steak without his dentures. It was so funny. By the third week, he could shovel them in pretty quickly. His accuracy for getting them in his mouth had improved dramatically. Now I have to give them to him one at a time otherwise he will put an entire fistful in his mouth.

 Carter also has three new tricks this month. 1. Standing while holding onto the couch, etc. 2. After eating, when the baby food jar is empty, we always say "All done" and he says "all done" too. It's the only time during the day when he'll repeat something that Adam or I say. I will get it on video to prove it! and 3. Carter and I play "So Big" a lot and he holds onto my thumbs and raises his arms when I ask him how big he is. Cool tricks, buddy! He's a sweet, laid back boy. I know he'd be having more fun if he could crawl, but he has his whole life to move around, so I must admit that I love the fact that he is 100% baby. And plus babyproofing and baby gates are so not fun.

Here's a few Gabrielleisms:
Gabrielle looking at an analog clock: "Wow, there's a lot of time on that clock!"

Adam and I were talking about Carter's gums, his lack of teeth, and how cute his tootless grins are.
Gabrielle says, "Police have gums, too."

Gabrielle to mom: "Does our car bloot?"  (She hears me complain about pollution, I guess.)

Gabrielle: "Do we live on a giant ball in space?"
Mom: "Yes, dear, we do."
Gabrielle: (with a very serious tone) "That's funny."


Thanks for reading this month. My posts are getting longer. Probably because I sit on the couch and watch TV while I write this and the computer keeps me warm:)

I hope everyone is healthy and happy. Until next month.....
Colleen

Great start to 2012....

It was a great start to 2012. January is, unfortunately, my least favorite month, and this year it hasn't been so bad. Maybe it's this unusual weather? Maybe it's because I'm not working? I think it's the weather! We stayed busy this month with our usual activities: library on Mondays, preschool on Tuesdays and Thursdays, playgroup on Fridays, some miscellaneous playdates, and Wednesdays are our "flex" days. If we're tired we stay home, if we're not tired we do something fun!
Poor little Carter had 3 doctor's appointments this month. One because he was sick. One was for a "well baby" check and one was at St. Joe's in Ann Arbor for an encephalogram-a.k.a. an ultrasound on his melon. The doc said it grew too quickly, but the test results just proved that he has a very nice melon:) Carter is so funny...When he sees something that excites him--usually something shiny such as a pop or beer can or shiny jewelry--he gets wide-eyed and his hands become little pinchers. Adam has to hide his beer now because it is too much of a distraction! Carter has gotten used to being a baby; he doesn't like to move much and would rather lay on the ground and yell until I pick him up. If I put him on his belly he flips over immediately. That's the extent of his movement. It's okay with me. I only get a baby for a year, so I adore his babyish antics.

Gabrielle has been such a good girl this month. A little less in the "let's-test-mom-for-any-and-all-reasons" department. She seems really interested in the concept of turning 4. ("I don't want to be with the 4-year-olds in preschool. They're big!") She thinks her birthday is looming in the next few weeks. I keep trying to explain that her birthday is in a few months and that there are other holidays that have to happen first. It doesn't matter though...she has already decided that she wants either a Rapunzel or a Maleficent birthday party. Hmmm....Rapunzel or MALEFICENT?!?! (She's the evil queen in Sleeping Beauty.) WHAT?! But here's the real kicker....she wants ME to dress up as Maleficent. I'm not so keen on that idea. When I poopoo her idea, she says, "Mom, you frustrate me." I'm a good sport, but I don't want to wear a Maleficent costume!! I shudder to think of her teenage years.

This month Gabrielle had Dad's Night at preschool. She made a pink rock star guitar and they did some kind of musical performance. I don't really know because I wasn't there! In February Gabrielle and Adam are going to the Daddy/Daughter Dance and he is going to be the helper dad at her co-op preschool. It's pretty sweet. They really enjoy each other's company. He's so caring and patient--she's lucky to have such a great poppy. Sometimes she calls him Adam out in public, and that is just embarrassing. HA!

I hope you had a great start to 2012 as well. Thanks for reading this long post!! Stay happy and healthy! Until next month....

Colleen

Tiana

Happy 7 Months, Carter!

A favorite snack here at the Sulkowski household

 Fun times at home with Carter

The next 3 pics were taken at Houghton Lake

Merry Christmas/Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to all! I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas season and a great start to 2012. We had the best Christmas season ever-full of family and friends and lots of festive events, and we also found some time to just rest and enjoy.

Carter was 6 months old in December.  He weighed in at 18 lbs., 12 oz. (72%) and measured in at 17 3/4 inches (84%).  Unfortunately, on his first Christmas, I had to take him to the after-hours care at our doctor's office because he had a terrible cough that sounding like a barking seal.  He started to cough on the 23rd, he was pretty unhappy on Christmas Eve, and by Christmas Day, I felt the need to take him in. We had to give him breathing treatments every 4 hours, and that seemed to help. He really got a wicked bug though because it seemed to linger longer than normal. Gabrielle had a cough, too, that she had for the longest time, so I have no doubt that he got it from her.  Thankfully, as I write this, both kids are healthy. Carter is loving all the new toys he got for Christmas.  At 6 months old, he loves to explore all of his toys.  He loves new faces and will stare longer at people he has never seen before or people he hasn't seen in awhile.  He also likes to go to new places--even if it's down in the basement or into his room.  I love this baby stage and I try to drink him in on a daily basis. He still has only rolled over (back to front) one time and that was in November, so he is pretty stationary--which is fine by me!! He definitely looks longingly at Gabrielle as she zooms by him...it's easy to see that he wishes he could.  Also, it is so hard eating in front of him. He opens his mouth and chews the air (reminds me of a toothless old lady!) so he really wants to eat solids, but alas, he has no teeth and doesn't yet know how to chew for real.

As far as Gabrielle is concerned, anything "princess" was the hit of the Christmas season. Santa brought Gabs a princess castle for her "rubber dress" dolls and a set of all the Disney princesses.  Aunt Laura and Uncle Drew got her Princess Celestia (she's the ruler of all the My Little Ponies in case you didn't know) which was all she really wanted, and she also got various other beloved princess items from her grandparents and Aunt Bethany and Uncle Anson. SO it looks like a princess bomb went off in the basement. Quite literally, there are princesses strewn everywhere and mixed together, but for the first time, Gabrielle is playing by herself (which makes me want to play with her even more) and giving the dolls voices and coming up with little scenarios that only a 3 1/2 year old can. It's pretty cute, and it warms both my and Adam's heart. And we like that it's in the basement as opposed to strewn about the living room!

Well, that's about all I can think of except to wish you, my reader, a new year filled with health and happiness and fun and all the things that will make this year a great one for you!

Sincerely,
Colleen

Happy 6 Months!!

Gabrielle's Christmas program at preschool

Jumping is hard work!! I have some video footage of him jumping and then falling asleep and then waking up and jumping and then falling asleep. It was so funny!!!!!!!!

My little Spartan!

The pictures of Gabrielle and Carter warm my heart!! Gabrielle doesn't usually like to get too close for fear of getting slobber on her!