Trick Or Treat...

...this Mommy is beat! 

Wow, what a night with Superman, Rapunzel, and a newborn.  

Basically, we made it to the end of our driveway and Superman was gone.  Rapunzel tried her hardest to keep up.  Daddy was somewhere in the middle.  And I pushed the stroller with Lucy only to make it to our stop sign before she was wiped out.  

I hardly saw my little trick or treaters.  Every neighbor stopped to gush over Lucy on her debut night out of the house.  And there was no way Superman was waiting on that. And there was no way Rapunzel was letting him out of her sight.

So, a few houses, a couple pictures, and a stolen bucket of candy off our front porch later...I am beat!  And yes, I am infuriated about my halloween bucket.  Rotten little teenagers {that's a fair assumption, right?}

I vow to redeem my halloween experience next year.

This is one of three pictures that I got of my costumed kiddos before they were goners.  A smart Mommy knows to always snap those sweet dress up pictures before Halloween night.

After my three picture quota, Superman was off to his first house.  I'm pretty sure he was checking out his cape in this picture.  He marveled at the way it flew up when he ran...so great!

This is the view I had of Jack for my short stint outside...a blur.  Gotta say, I loved it!  That is a busy boy...as he should be.

And here comes Rapunzel pulling up the rear.  It's tough work being a princess with 10 lbs of tuille under your dress.  Add 5 lbs worth of hair and well, it's plain to see why she was taking her darling time.

And look how lovely my Lucy is.  No wonder everyone wanted a little piece of her.  I did have this tinge of guilt earlier in the month about not getting her a costume.  I'm happy to say, I don't regret it a bit.  She was outside on Halloween night a total of 40 minutes.  It would have been a complete waste.  Good thing for the cutesie tee.

Decisions, decisions.  I was just happy that they stopped long enough for me to get the signature "trick or treat" picture.

Both kiddos happily returned home with full bags {and completely exhausted}.  Now...who's going to eat all of that candy?  Let the rationing begin.

Hello Halloween

Well, hello Halloween!  We've been doing a lot of prep work for your upcoming visit here at the Cibula house.

The countdown is on.  Three more days...and we have spent the last week getting all revved up for the big day.

We started Monday with costume day at music class.  Maggie was all about wearing her homemade princess dress for the first time.  But, nothing was more important to her than sitting next to Cinderella {aka Eliza Kate} every chance she got.

Thanks to Erica for sharing these pictures with me.  If you thought I was good at taking my camera everywhere, you should see her.  That Mommy has got me beat--she is incredible.

Later in the week Grandma brought over the kid's costumes for final fittings and to add the last minute details {Rapunzel still needed her hair and Superman requested an additional symbol for his cape}.

Growing up in my house there was no such thing as a store bought costume.  I can actually remember wanting one of those plastic suits with the stiff mask so bad when I was little. Remember those? They came in a box.  I was dying for Strawberry Shortcake.  My Mom would have nothing of it and I couldn't understand why.  Well, now I do.

There is nothing like a costume made from scratch.  I just love that Grandma can sew.  And boy has she been sewing.  If we spent the last week preparing for Halloween at our house, Grandma spent the last month.  We love you for it Grandma!

Look how great everyone looks...

Maggie is obviously Rapunzel.  And if you only could have been around as she made this decision...it was very memorable.

It started in late August when grandma started taking Halloween requests.  Maggie declared "I want to be a bad ghost".  Hmmm....we all thought.  Where did she get that from?  Well, the "bad ghost" continued on into September.  So finally I asked her, "what does the bad ghost look like?".  And she answered, in true Maggie fashion, "it has polka dots and...a tutu...and...a crown".   Hmmm again.

So Grandma had a brillant idea, take her to the fabric store and hopefully she will change her mind.  We all went {it was September so I was super exhausted} and after nearly three hours we had been through a pink fairy request, then a Belle request, and finally Rapunzel.  Rapunzel had Maggie at the hair.  One look is all it took and Maggie wanted the...hair.

So here she is in all her Rapunzel glory...

{my Mom said if Maggie ever asks her to make her wedding dress, she is going to say she "already did", this thing was layer after layer and lace lace lace}

So Jack was easy, in the sense that he didn't have an initial odd request.  And we didn't have to take him to the fabric store to smolder that request.

He wanted to be Superman hands down.  But...he was very particular about the details.  Hence the request for the additional symbol on his back.  And the other things like red boots {not shoes}, big muscles, and a yellow belt.  Check, check, and check.

It took him maybe four minutes of having the costume on to get into full character.  How awesome is this...

By Saturday evening we were ready for our annual visit to Trunk or Treat at Maggie's pre-school.  This is usually a favorite Halloween event for us.  But, this year it was freeeeeee-zing!

As for the kids, they had lots of fun and filled up their bags {which is all they really cared about anyway}.

Lucy even joined us.  She was in awe of the craziness.  It was almost as if she was begging for more kids to come up and put their face in her stroller.  And all I could think was...yikes, don't touch her!

While my Mom and I chitter chattered the evening away, Lu was snug and warm.  Little content Lucy...

So, the Mommies could no longer handle the dropping temps.  We bribed our kids out of there with glow sticks and pizza.  Some serious club action going on on the Mellow Mushroom porch.  Those kiddos were  beyond wiiiiiiir-ed.

We slowed down on Sunday.  After a morning of church and brunch, we carved pumpkins and even made chocolate pumpkin bread muffins.  For a brief moment I actually felt very accomplished {which is a rarity these days}.  Unfortunately, it didn't last long.  It only took one look at my "to do" list.  Oh yea, allllll that too.

But, it was great while it lasted.  We set up shop in the kitchen because it was still super cold outside.  Jack joined us for about 6 minutes, then he saw the "toy ad" in the newspaper that I had sprawled across the counter.  It was over after that.

He sat on the floor with a blue crayon circling everything he wanted for Christmas {which was basically anything that wasn't pink}.

The dirty work was then left up to me, Maggie, and Daddy.  Lucy napped through the whole event.

But, don't think that Jack didn't have a {very strong} opinion about our Jack-O-Lantern's face.  And don't think that he didn't want to jump in on the celebration of our completed work {candy and pictures}.  Oh yes, by then his crayon was dwindled down to a stub, so he was available to join us...conveniently.  Good thing I love him so much;)

Next up is actual Halloween night.  Looks like we are ready around here!  How about you?

Soccer Superstars

Soccer season is over.

It was an interesting one.  We'll just leave it at that.

But, what was meant to be accomplished was.

Jack got some exercise.  He experienced the art of working on a team.  We all got to enjoy this beautiful Fall weather outdoors.  And Maggie made some fabulous sideline friends that she played with  every practice and every game.

So as the last week approached, I told Jack to start thinking of what he wanted to do for exercise/sports this Winter.  His choices...tennis and karate.

So it looks we are hitting the courts starting November.  And then the gym starting December.  I had to stagger start dates for my organizational sanity. {and for the hopes that Lu will be sleeping by then and I will in turn be coherent again}

But, this post is about soccer, so let's return to the field.

Jack's team name this season were the Superstars.  The best name we have gotten to date {with any of our sports}.  And perfectly ideal for Jack...he is a giant superhero fan so he made a quick connection.  Although he was very bummed with the generic soccer tee we were given for game days.  I think he was hoping for something a little more "powerful".

Daddy help coach Jack's team.  That was probably Jack's favorite part of it all.  I don't know if I can say the same for the other party involved.  But, we all know how hard it can be to "teach" your own child.  I must have given that speech a hundred times to parents when I was in the classroom.  It's just a harder concept to grasp when you are the actual parent.

Either way it will be an experience neither Jack or Daddy will ever regret.  And maybe one day we can all look back and laugh at it.

Jack started the season a little timid.  But, when we got him in the comfort of his own backyard he was a dribbling and kicking Superstar.  He certainly loved dribbling his soccer ball down the looong sidewalk, through the grass, and onto the field on practice and game days.

On our final game day, the team celebrated with doughnuts, medals, and certificates.  Coach John even gave each player a little closing positive comment {which I know can be a challenge}.  Wonderfully encouraging, just as a coach should be.

So long soccer.  May the Superstars live on...

I Love Lucy: 2 Months

Lucy is two months old today.  And I can officially declare Lucy... an "angel" baby.  I love that I can say that without my fingers crossed and every hair on my head crossed.  *exhale*

In just a short two months, Lucy has brought abundant joy to my life.  I can't deny that I have had moments of thinking, "wow, three is really tough" or "how in the world am I going to do this...and do it well?", or my favorite, "am I going to be this dumb, forgetful, and unorganized for my remaining years on this planet?".

Then I look at her.

Sweet, soft, lovely, little Lu and none of it matters anymore.  She is just so perfectly content.  And if she can be that content in this chaos, surely I can to.  Amazing how God gives you each child to teach you something new.  I love the fact that Lucy is only two months old and I am already learning from her. {imagine what she will teach me when she's a teenager or actually let's not}.

So, needless to say, the past month has been a growing experience for all of us.  Pretty much across the board.  And as I grow as a mommy, Lucy continues to grow physically.  Just take a look at her stats...

Height      23.5 inches      90th%
Weight     11 lbs 12 oz     80th %

I adore my growing babies and could seriously eat up her yummy rolls.  But, that is not all that is delish about Lu at two months.  This is what life is like with a two month old angel...

Eat

My Lucy continues to be a great eater {obviously}.  She nurses seven times a day.  The first five are about three hours apart starting at our 7:30-8:00 a.m. wake time.  Number six is the dream feed.  I am slowly moving that up in hopes of deleting it from her day.  I started moving it up by thirty minutes at seven weeks old.  Currently at eight weeks old, she is taking her dream feed at 9:30.  Nine weeks, I'll move it to 9:00, then ten weeks to 8:30 and so on.  The goal is to have it match up with a 7:30 bedtime by twelve weeks old.

I've never done this before so we will see how it goes.  My other babies didn't take a dream feed, we did a cluster instead.  I know how to wean off of that, so again this is new to me.  I'm hoping my plan goes accordingly.  I'll keep you posted.  {or take any suggestions}

Of course with nursing I'm never really sure how many ounces are consumed.  But, I do know when I giver her a bottle she takes a good 5-6 oz.  Another baby who never used the short bottles.  In addition, she has become much more efficient in the skill of nursing.  Currently a feed only takes about 15 minutes.  I'm liking that.

Lucy is still a fabulous burper and spitter.  Although, I can say the spitting is lessening.  She definitely still has at least one wardrobe change a day, but some days I am able to avoid the change {good thing because nothing fits}.  I call her my "fashionista" baby.  I secretly think she does it so she can try on another outfit and listen to me ooh and goo over how precious she looks.  And her laundry basket?  Well, basically it's overflowing with bibs, burp cloths and jammies  just about every four days.

If she is not burping or spitting {so lady like, huh?}, she is hiccuping.  I had this same issue of hiccups with Maggie, so I knew the immediate solution.  I love Mommy's Bliss Gripe Water, so much so, that I think I could be the spokeswoman.  It really works.  No matter what anyone says, I can't imagine hiccups not bothering a baby.  I certainly wouldn't enjoy having them all day long.  Because of that, I choose to treat them.  Not to mention,  gripe water is great for other tummy issues.

Activity

This is where the fun progress has taken place.  Lucy has really woken up in the past month.  She is much more alert and all of the craziness going on around her doesn't seem to phase her a bit.  As a matter of fact, she seems to like it.

To avoid getting her way too overstimulated, I try to only reserve the wake time after her 4:30 feeding for sibling interaction.  And now that she has her evening catnap in place, Lucy often joins us for the tail end of dinner.  Add a bath with Maggie, and trust me, she is getting plenty of time with Jack and Maggie in her face and all around her.

Some of Lucy's favorite activities are walks in the stroller {or anything outdoors}.  She is loving this weather.  She likes tummy time, which I can not believe...Maggie despised it.  She is also very intrigued by lights and anything that alternates light and dark.  Like her crib slats and the plantation shutters.  And she likes being pulled up into siting and standing positions while I tell her how strong she is.

I introduced the playmate last week and she fell in love with that light up singing star just like the other two kids did.  Something about that thing gets my babies kicking and flailing.

But, nothing gets her smiling more than Mommy right in her face speaking praises over her.  I basically just ooh and goo over her while listing a string of compliments to her..."Lucy is so beautiful, Lucy is so strong, Lucy is so smart, Lucy is so kind", and so on and so on.  She eats it up.  As do I.

During these little bouts of praise Lucy tries her hardest to talk to me.  I get a few coos, but mostly big wide open smiles.  I can't wait for the baby babble to pick up...my fave!  I'll soak in the gummy smile in the mean time though.

Right now she is averaging about 45 minutes of awake time {including her feeding} before she gives me her "I'm tired" yawn.  Then it's off to...

Sleep

So if the activity was the "fun" progress, sleep has been the "fun"ctional progress in her second month of life.  Meaning my functioning ability is slowly returning.  Slowly.

I started seeing some significant progress with her night time sleep at the end of her 7th week.  She was taking a 9:30 dream feed and made it until 6:30 a.m one night.  I was thrilled...but, of course I didn't sleep a wink that night because I just had to check 22 times to make sure she was still breathing.  Of course, she was breathing, and of course, the next night when I relaxed she reverted back to 3:30 a.m.  Figures.

But, somewhere in her 8th week she began consistently giving me between 7-10 hours.  Most nights I can count on something between the 8-9 mark.  Progress.

I checked back on Jack and Maggie's  newborn notes and Lucy is EXACTLY where Maggie was at this point.  And Maggie started giving me 12 hours in the middle of her 10th week.  So here's hoping.

As for daytime naps, not much has changed.  We have the same wind down ritual...the 3 S's...swaddle...set the stage {curtains, sound machine, lights}...and sit.  She continues to give me a good 1 1/2 to 2 hour nap before waking for her next feeding.

She does wake on occasion during her naps.  The majority of the time she puts herself right back to sleep after a few mantra cries.  If it continues for more than 5-10 minutes, I know she needs some help.  So a little patting usually does the trick.

If we could make progress in any category this is the one I was hoping for.  Basically, I plead with pray to God every night for "longer stretches of sleep for Lucy and Mommy".  It seems he is listening.

Dear Lucy

In case I have forgotten to tell you lately...Lucy, I love you!  Actually, I adore you.  You are absolutely precious to me and perfect in every way.  Your demeanor is heaven sent.  Your big blue eyes melt my heart.  And your grin lights up my day.

Thank you for coming into this family and not even wincing when things get a little crazy.  We are all still trying to figure this out.  But, I can assure you, there is no other baby we would rather do it for than angelic you.

All our love Lucy Goosey.  You are the cherry on top of the Cibula Sundae.

Little Patch, Big Patch, & Up North Patch

We have done some serious Pumpkin Patch visiting this past week.  I guess that's what happens when you have three kids on three different schedules.

So how to accommodate all three and still get those patch visits in?  Well, it went something like this...

First up was the "little patch".  This was the visit designed for our lovely Lucy.  We didn't want to stray too far from home with the wee one so we pumpkin purchased just down the road.  The big kids amused me by getting dressed up in their pumpkin suits, posing for pictures with Lu and making sure this visit was all about our newest addition.

This officially goes down as Lucy's first patch visit.  Love it!

Then we did the "big patch".  This was an all day Saturday event at a real farm and it was geared towards Jack and Maggie.  The big kids absolutely had a blast.  This is what they had been looking forward to since our little tease just a few days before.

This time we let Lucy stay home and enjoy naps in the comfort of her own crib, but boy did I miss her.  I had a moment of selfish Mommy when I debated...take her with us because I really want to be with her or let her get the sleep she deserves?  Logic won out on that one.  {and the fact that I'm really ready to get her sleeping through the night}

And finally we did the "up north patch".  This was a playdate of sorts for my only child who is on the "not in big school and not a newborn" schedule...my Maggie.  Who said being in the middle was tough?  If you ask me, "Maggie in the Middle" is getting the good end of the deal these days.

Okay, so on to the patches...{but, I must warn you...this post if very picture heavy, rightfully so after 3 visits, don't you agree?}

Little Patch

I think it only fitting that we start the "little patch" pictures with my littlest pumpkin.  

This is the first time I've had a baby this young at the Pumpkin Patch trying to take pictures.  Hmmm...the challenges.  The best I could think to do was this.  The other option was to lay her in the dirt with giant orange balls.  {Love her too much for that.}

And although this patch visit was all about Lucy, I couldn't let Jack and Maggie get off scot free.  They had to endure a few solo pumpkin pictures too.  Which they graciously did.

Then I sent them out into the Great Pumpkin Maze {where they each declared "I won" all 36 times they went through it} and I...

...focused on my little Lucy.  I can't decide what she enjoyed more...all the orange or the amazing breeze.  The evening was absolute perfection {minus the glaring sun}.  Each time the wind blew through her little wispy hairs she perked right up.  And it was the kind of perk that says "oooh this is nice" in a newborn kind of way.

Because I feel like I know Lucy pretty well by now, I can honestly say she enjoyed every minute of this outing.  She was in complete awe with all her senses in full use.  Newborns are pretty incredible little creatures {if only they came out sleeping through the night}.

Regardless it was a fabulous first time visit for my littlest one.  And only because I can't let the moment pass to use this cliche...she was by far the cutest pumpkin in the patch.

Maggie took a brief hiatus from the maze to bring Lucy her very own pumpkin.  After all, that is why I told the kids we were going to the little patch...to get Lucy a pumpkin.  Jack and Maggie each took the mission of finding their little sister the perfect pumpkin very seriously.

Lucy was able to enjoy the sun and wind in her face from the comfort of Daddy's arms too.  Again, our little one was completely content while soaking it all in.

And this is what a family picture with three kids at the little patch looks like.  A bit hectic, but so worth it.  The only mistake I made was waiting until departure time to do this.  You would think I would have learned after Lucy's newborn session...family photo first...or forget it.

Big Patch

Okay, get ready for some fun.  This was a fab Saturday.  Only thing missing was Lucy.  Other than that  no complaints from me.  Be prepared to add this to your list of favorite farms.

After much research, I decided our family would try heading South for the annual Pumpkin Patch/Farm  visit.  Seems counter intuitive, doesn't it?  But, we needed pumpkins, a kid friendly maze {per Jack's request} and animals {because I know thats what makes Mags happy}.  

The only farm I could find that fit the whole bill was Southern Belle Farm.  It had everything we were looking for and so much more {and I mean soooo much more}.  And the best part?  It was only 40 minutes south of town.  Much better than some of the hour, hour and a half away farms north of the city that I was considering.

The farm was great and the weather was even better.  {don't let my kids attire fool you-I bundled them up when we got out of the car and for some reason neither one of them would part with their layers-even when the temps hit the 70s...who knows?}.

So here they are.  The big kids hitting Southern Belle Farm. {I can't believe my Mags is in the "big kid" category now}

We started our farm visit with goat feeding...

... and cow watching.  Old Belle is right over that fence and she was doing some serious moooooing.

Then we hit the attractions of the farm.  This was seriously like an amusement park, only down home country style.

This was the "corn cannon".  That good ol' boy in the camo hat there loaded the cannon with corn cobs.  Then Jack shot them out at moving targets.  This was great fun for Jack until the cannon jerked back and hit him in the mouth.  A bloody mouth, a bottle of water, and several napkins later, I am praying his tooth is okay.  It was loose by evening and according to his dentist's x-rays at his last visit...this is not the tooth that should be going first...yikes!

How great are these pedal go carts?  I even got in on the action.  I wouldn't mind having one of these at home...they are actually pretty fast and don't stop too easily either.  Dangerously fun.

Of course, there always has to be some sort of bounce attraction.  This was the bounce pillow.  Jack followed this with the cow bounce house.  Jack never turns down a good jump.  Somehow, Maggie always opts out of the bouncies...in time I'm sure.

But these bouncies were right up her alley, especially since she could ride with Mommy.  Pony races for the whole family {even Grandma}.

And ever since Lucy's birth, my hair belongs on "Hair Gone Wild".  Seriously, what is it about having a baby that does crazy things to your hair...or is it just me?

After pony races, Jack gave the duck races a try.  Pretty clever apparatus, huh?

Geez, we were having so much fun we almost forgot to visit the pumpkin patch.  A REAL pumpkin patch that is. After a quick lesson on the growing cycle of a pumpkin, my kiddos took a rest for some patch pictures.

We made it quick because there was still so much to do.  My little navigators checked out the map to determine what was next.

And it was the Cow Train.  Grandma joined Jack and Maggie in the car behind them.  After one bumpy ride around the farm and Jack was ready for his anticipated visit to the corn maze.

There were three mazes of varying difficulty {one of the reasons this farm appealed to me in my research-I did not want to spend my entire day hanging out in corn stalks}.  Anyway, we chose  #1 {beginner level}.  Jack was our self declared leader.

Off we went and out we came.

The last activity of the day was chosen by Maggie...pumpkin painting.  Between these mini pumpkins and the ones from the Fall Festival, can you imagine what my porch looks like now?  There is no shortage of pumpkins at the Cibula house.

But before we could leave this fab farm, Jack and Maggie chose our Halloween carving pumpkin.  We got this one from the pre-picked crop.  And I have to say I was very proud of the way my kiddos worked together to compromise on one family pumpkin.

Okay, so what did you think?  Pretty great, huh?  And that was only what I took pictures of {imagine if I had got a shot of that Piggie Race}!  Definitely a new Cibula family tradition.

Up North Patch

Monday we headed up North for a Pumpkin Patch Playgroup organized by Erica.  {we missed the Miccas who came down with Strep the morning of-get well soon friends!} .  But, our little group of seven had a nice time regardless.  Again perfect weather, add great company, pumpkins, and a dirty farm dog and it was an ideal Fall day.

We started with a hayride and lots of pictures.  Our tractor driver was more than willing to appease these Mommies with lots of photos.  He actually offered before we even got a chance to ask.  I bet those big ol' bulky cameras hanging around our bodies were a tip off...the "mom"arrazi at it's best.

Maggie faked a nice smile for the group picture and then did her new tongue trick for her mommy and me photo.  Lately a camera equals this tongue trick. Lucky me, huh?

The hayride took us out to the pastures and dropped us off with ponies, mini pumpkins, large pumpkins, and this photo op.  I swear Maggie isn't that anti-social.  She really does adore Eliza Kate, Ansley, and Landon.  I'm thinking maybe Landon had just gotten up when I snapped this pic...hmmm.

And although Maggie loved her friends, she was really ready for that picture to be over with so she could make off with part of the display.

We all hiked over to the patch {after Maggie begrudgingly returned the floral arrangement}.

The farmers said we could each "have a little pumpkin and could purchase a large pumpkin".  Well, seeing as how the Cibula porch is over run with pumpkins, I opted out of the purchase.

And Maggie?  Well, where do I begin?  She insisted on a "clean pumpkin".  Kind of hard to find outside...in the dirt...on a farm...in the middle of a patch.  We searched and searched.  And each time Maggie declared, "I not want that pumpkin, it's dirty".  She finally found one that semi-interested her.  Erica let us borrow a wipe to "clean it" {check her out scrubbing it below}.  And when it didn't become spotless, Maggie grumpily threw the mini pumpkin down and said, "it still dirty".

So I gave up...and so did she.

Then we went and had a picnic lunch.  And this is when these two girls got the giggles.  Music to my ears.

After chasing Macy, the muddy farm dog, we all headed over to the tractor and playground.  Maggie drove Eliza Kate to the "princess show" and the "farm".  Way too adorable.

And then I drove my Mags home from her last Pumpkin Patch visit of the season {in our car though, not on the tractor}.  This mommy is seriously pumpkined out.

Happy Fall to All!