General life happenings:
I was struggling with that overall stress called life work balance :) So, I've gone back to just dabbling in my career and instead am taking on more of a stay at home mom role. 6 weeks in and it's working out better for everyone!
Zachary Miller-Hogg turned 21!!! in January and sadly left us shortly there after. The Hogglets enjoyed their late night pub trip to help him with his first pint (yeah, right). But sippy cups in hand, they toasted to his health. He's moved back up to the Buford area of GA (45 min north), and our basement is once again an empty guest room for grandparents and visitors alike. We're all going to work at visiting, and hopefully keep the close relationship they have with their big brother going.
We spent the morning with him this morning and they squealed with delight when he got in the car.
Darren continues to travel a lot, but we had the luxury of 2 weeks straight home during Christmas!!! And he and I are looking forward to an adults only vacation in March.
We spend Christmas & Birthday's with Grandma and Grandpa McGuire, and Grandpa even let us go out for New Years Eve!
And now.... onto the Hogglets!!!!
They LOVED Halloween this year. As my little bumblebees, they headed out in the neighborhood with our good friend Kate and Erik as assistants and photographers. By house #2 they had it down, presenting their pumpkins to get filled up with treats!
Thanksgiving took us to Uncle Jim's house in Nashville where we met up with my sister Ellen and her family, Grandma and Grandpa McGuire, Uncle Jim, Aunt Paula, Paula's mom Flo, and Aunt Grace. Lots of family time, and Jim and Paula mangaged to survive 5 kids under age 4 toddling around their house.
We were home for Christmas and hosted their 2nd Boxing Day birthday at home on the 26th. Lots of special friends made it, including one of our fabulous NICU nurses Kathy, who made me cry just by walking through the door!
January began my limited schedule and so we spend our days at music class, toddlercize a the YMCA, play dates with friends, and just being silly around the house. Their primary mode of transport while out and about is a 3 seat radio flyer wagon.... (with seatbelts and cup holders).
Our 2 year pediatrician appointment was in mid January, and I dragged Zachary along to be an extra set of hands. The miracle of lollipops came in handy as we slowly trucked along on getting a shot. We've changed to a smaller, local practice and after our first visit, I was extremely impressed! After age 2, they are no longer on the baby scale.... so my neurotic ounce counting is over :)
Mac:
Weight: 23 pounds
Height: 2 foot, 10 inches
Clothes: He's generally in the 18-24 month range for pants - but is super lean so they have to be skinny waisted! He's an 18 month on tops and eeking into 24. They've all just moved up to size 5 diapers. Size 5 shoes.
Mac continues to remain mommy's little boy. He ends his day by requesting more and more goodnight kisses and when we are out and about, he prefers for me to carry him while the girls walk with us.
He is all boy when it comes to gross motor skills. He is rocking a two foot jump and loves to throw (overhanded with good aim), catch (sometimes successfully), and kicks. Darren is already imagining the pro football (soccer) career.... Balls, Dogs, and Keys remain his favorite objects, and he can carry a little trinket around for hours. Sometimes his trinket is a bracelet or a special ribbon, but more often its a stick, small tool, or cooking utensil.
His language continues to grow daily and while he has the fewest words, there are more than I can easily count. He often starts the running games at home.... These days they run around the house in circles saying "mooo mooo" and pretending to be cows.
His love of water continues and he asks multiple times a day to play in the kitchen or bathroom sink. Pouring, straining, or just letting it run over his fingers.
He has an obsession with Dora and can stare lovingly at her TV show for hours if we allowed it. He has zero interest in potty training and enjoys pouring his cheerios all over the floor...
Paisley:
Weight: 19 pounds
Height: 2 feet, 7.5 inches
Clothes: She's just breaking out of the 12 month clothes, although still has a few outfits that fit her. She's been a size 3 shoe forever, and is in a size 5 diaper because I refuse to buy multiple sizes!
Paisley continues to be our tiny dynamo. She's deceivingly small, so people are a little shocked when she does things... until I tell them that she's actually 2. She has a super smile, and covers her mouth when she giggles these days. She's the big talker of the group right now, easily putting sentences together and commenting all the time.
She continues to have her ups and downs with sleep, but we are in the midst of a big push to sleep through the night in preparation for Grandparents week. As she goes down at night, she stands up with both hands and asks for a "cuddle" followed by grabbing my cheeks to pull me in for a kiss.
She's the most attached to her "baby" and will carry it around and take care of it at times, giving it kisses and drinks. I am constantly amazed by her independent absorption of language. She has started saying "sorry, excuse me and please" - which leads me to believe I must have decent manners that I model as she picks them up. She loves to comment when things are "silly" or "sad" and I recently found her practicing her faces in the mirror. She's the creator of games with Catherine, gesturing and convincing her to be her baby as she tends to her or to pretend to take a nap on the floor together. When Catherine wakes in the morning (generally a good 30 min later than the others) she asks if she can hold her and we sit in the chair with me holding Paisley and Paisley giving Catherine a cuddle.
Paisley is determined to participate in anything that I do and refuses to stand aside as we/I do the dishes, cook the eggs, use the microwave, get dressed.... The mini me is always underfoot. She's generally the most emotional and expresses her sadness, madness, or happiness with emphasis. She can do her cut out ABC puzzle and loves to have things in "twos". Two bars, two cookies, two eggs.
She'll count to two and is the most interested in that "idea" of counting.
She's less rigid with her collecting that she used to be, and I'm having a hard time remembering her being upset as her bro/sis take an item. She has mastered both trade and share although in her vocabulary they both mean "I want what you have". She's also really good at saying "my mommy" when her brother and sister try and creep into her cuddle time.
Helping mama with the diaper backpack and her bear.
Catherine:
Weight: 20 pounds
Length: 2 foot, 9.75 inches
Clothing: She's wearing mostly 18 month clothing, but they're a little shorter than they should be, and she could probably wear a 12 month waist. She's in the size 5 diapers but they almost go around her twice.
Catherine loves to cuddle and first thing in the morning needs a good dose of lap sitting before she's ready to meet the world. She remains our best sleeper taking an extra 30 min on both nap and wake up usually. She grabs her corner of her monkey blanket and sucks her thumb and sits in peace :)
Darren commented that her appetite for play is insatiable. If there is a game she is really enjoying, she's never the one to stop it. It is usually me or Darren saying "all done" while she still requests "more more more".
She enjoys being part of the action, and is aware if I try to "sneak away" she will always check in. However, if she's out and about she's the first to participate. She loves walking with her hand held and will drag me all over the house if I let her.
She's long and lanky and has a good 2" on reaching ability from the other two. She still tends to be on the fancier side and likes wearing her multiple tutus around the house while picking up jewelry and wearing some form of a bracelet. She's mastered the ability to take a necklace and wrap and twist it around her wrist to form a series of "bangles".
She loves to run circles around the house and will persist until she figures out how to climb. She's the quick learner for a new puzzle or shape sorter, and will remember where things are supposed to go and put them back in their places :)
She's got an impish streak and will run towards her bedroom at bedtime, and then quickly deviate into mine until I come and catch her. She likes to test the rules, but also knows when it's time to stop. She's independently started using the training potty for pee pee whenever we have "naked" time around the house - much to our surprise and excitement! All she needed was a super great high 5 after the first time and she hasn't had an accident since.
All together now:
A group favorite game is playing cows at the end of the night where they run laps around the house all saying "mooo mooo". Outside and playgrounds continue to be favorites, and they recently got scooters which they are on their way toward mastering!
They love wrestling on mommy's bed, and digging through the shoe box to try things on.
It's gotten so much easier to load them up and head out as we've turned their car seats forward. Their receptive language skills make life smoother as I can just say "We're going to mama's car, you need to put on your shoes and coats!" And off they trot in a little line and climb in the side of the van.
That's all I can think of for today :) Hope all is well with you! And we just keep on trucking!
