The Swayne Diaries

Christmas 2011

2012-01-03T11:07:00.005-06:00

This year Christmas was NOT what we planned. Starting on Friday (the 23rd) Lukas was diagnosed with RSV. This wasn't really a shock to us because he gets it every year, but the timing was awful (although better now than in February). Saturday (the 24th) due to Lukas and Corina both having fevers, we had to miss out on seeing my extended family at my grandmother's house. Lukas also developed an ear infection on Saturday, so we had to get medicine through the on-call doctor since even the after hours doctors were closed. Sunday (the 25th) we had our family Christmas in the morning, and Mimi and Papa came over that evening for Christmas dinner. That night we noticed that Corina's right ear drum had likely ruptured. Monday (the 26th) we had Christmas with Mema, Grandad, Aunt Ashley, and Uncle Ryan. Between opening presents in the morning and dinner that evening, we took Corina to the Acute Kids (the after hours pediatric doctor). They confirmed that her ear drum had ruptured and she had a double ear infection (fourth one in three months) and likely the beginnings of RSV. Tuesday (the 27th) Lukas' breathing got gradually worse until that night he started coughing with every inhalation, and complained that he couldn't breathe. Scared us badly, a lot because he looked so scared. He went off to the ER, but was thankfully fine by the time he arrived (after treatments at home and in the car). The ER doctor was less than helpful, and Eric (who took him) left very frustrated. Wednesday (the 28th) we took everyone to the doctor to be checked for various things. At that point Lukas had turned the corner, and was starting to get better. Corina was still at the beginning of her round of RSV, so was expected to get worse before better. Thursday (the 29th) Corina ran a fairly high fever all day until it finally maxed out at 104. That was her worst night, and she started getting better (RSV-wise) the next day. By Saturday (the 30th) it was clear that Corina's ears were not feeling better, so we went back to Acute Kids to check it out and get new antibiotics. Monday (the 2nd) was Corina's appointment with the ENT. He recommended that she get tubes (which we expected), and so that surgery is scheduled for January 27th. Through this whole mess Eric and I were also not feeling fantastic since we likely had the same RSV virus from the kids. Thankfully as of Tuesday (the 3rd) everyone is mostly better (I'm still working on it), and went back to normal routines.

Even with two kids with fevers, two kids with RSV, two kids with ear infections, and two parents also under the weather, we had a nice Christmas. Some pictures from all of our celebrations. While Lukas doesn't look horribly excited in most of these (due to being the sickest at that time), he really was.

Christmas at Bass Pro

2012-01-03T10:45:00.004-06:00

For the past several years, we've gone to see Santa at Bass Pro and enjoy all the fun holiday stuff they have. We learned last year that it's best to do this on the weekdays because the weekends are SO crowded. And while they have a fantastic system in place for seeing Santa, it's nice to do the rest of the stuff without the waiting lines. While there we saw Santa (which was a big hit until we actually walked up to him, and then both kids balked a bit), rode the reindeer carousel a couple times, saw the fish (no special holiday fish though), drove model trains, drove model cars, shot nerf type guns and crossbows, colored, and looked at all the fun decorations.

While not the best picture, this one pretty much displays everyone's sentiments about the process. Corina didn't cry, but she also wasn't terribly excited about being put on a strangers lap. Lukas decided he didn't want to sit with Santa, but agreed to stand beside him. And Santa was just trying to get a smile, a look, anything out of Corina.

Riding the reindeer carousel!

While Lukas drove trains and cars and shot nerf guns, Corina colored.

You can see in his face, "Mom, I'm only doing this because you made me. I'd much rather be over there driving the model train."

He was trying so hard not to smile because he knew I was standing there taking his picture.

Mommy and kids.

Daddy and kids.

Lukas' Christmas Program

2012-01-03T10:33:00.004-06:00

Here's my first of several "catch up" posts.

Butterfly School's Christmas Program was December 15, 2011. Corina's age group does not participate yet because they're so small. The pre-k classes were dressed as angels (girls) and shepherds (boys). Needless to say they were adorable. When Lukas got up on the stage, he found me but couldn't locate Daddy (who was in the front with the camera). Through the first three songs all he did was stand there, look around and ask where Eric was. There was a nice added line of "Where's Daddy?" throughout most of the program. Thankfully he did finally spot Eric as they were setting up for the fourth and final song (with the 3's classes), so he did actually sing the last one. I didn't get much with my little camera, and the video camera videos have to be formatted (and I don't know how to do that) before they can be put up online. So here's a few pictures that I got.

Cutest shepherd ever!

Mommy, Daddy and Lukas after his performance.

A bit of the last song...Feliz Navidad.

Recent Pictures

2011-12-11T19:27:00.004-06:00

Trip to the Dallas Zoo 11-23-11

Lukas' favorite place in the whole zoo.

Getting ready for Christmas

Making Pumpkin Bread

19 & 20 Months

2011-12-10T16:00:00.002-06:00

I realized I never posted Corina's monthly reports for the past couple months. Here's a short summary since it's almost time for her 21 month post.

Corina at 20 months:
- weighs about 26 lbs
- is about 33 in tall (I think)
- is now talking in full sentences, and most of the time she's understandable.
- is very independent minded. This results in quite a few fits and moments of resistance.
- is still an extremely picky eater.
- loves school! She is very sad the day that Lukas gets to go, but she doesn't.
- loves to read, sing, dance, play with Lukas, play outside, play games (although her version of a game is drastically different from an actual game), help anyone that appears to need it, and play mommy and doctor with her babies.
- loves her Mommy, Daddy, and Lukas more and more every day.

Over the past 3 months Corina has had croup twice and three ear infections. The joys of being in school for the first time, right? If her trend continues (which I'm hoping the current one she has is the last), I'm afraid we might be looking into tubes for her. Thankfully we have a fantastic ENT if we end up needing to look into this option.

I'll have to add pictures later since I need to get them off my camera.

Halloween 2011

2011-10-31T21:31:00.005-05:00

For Halloween this year, Lukas chose to be Iron Man, and Corina was a fairy. This years celebrations included Fall Festival at Webb Chapel Church of Christ, Trunk or Treat at Singing Oaks Church of Christ, and our family Halloween party at home. Pictures from SOCC T or T will have to come later since I haven't gotten them from Aunt Ashley who acted as the kids personal photographer.

Family Party: This year's family party included making cookies, making crafts, a jack-o-lantern pizza, cheesy bread, and watching various Halloween themed cartoons. Needless to say we had a lot of fun!

Conversations with Lukas

2011-10-11T21:27:00.002-05:00

As most of you know, Lukas can provide some interesting insight to things we never thought about. He is also not afraid of sharing his opinions with anyone. Over the past couple of months, I've written down some of the conversations (or parts of conversations) that have proved the most interesting. Enjoy!

Lukas: "Corina, do you know why laser beams aren't scary?"
Corina: "Why?" (or at least a sound that sounded like why)
Lukas: "Because they're just lasers."
Corina: "Wow!"

This was heard after passing a WinStar Casino billboard.
Lukas (to Corina): "If we go there, we can be made of cash. I want to be made of cash, so then Mommy could just get cash from me."

Lukas: "Corina, do you know what a legend is?"
Corina: "What?"
Lukas: "It's a made up story from a long time ago."

Lukas: "Sometimes you need to get on the ground and curl up. When you make your back round, you'll be safe."
Mommy: "What are you protecting yourself from?"
Lukas: "Oh you just do it for fun."

Mommy: "I need more hugs."
Lukas: "Mommy, you shouldn't be greedy."
Mommy: "Mommies are allowed to be greedy with hugs because we can never get enough."
Lukas: "Oh Mommy." (said with a huge resigned type of sigh)

We were having a conversation about the meaning of the word pale.
Lukas: "Grandad's hair is pale. It lost all it's color."

Lukas: "When I make friends, I just go ask people their name. Sometimes I remember, and sometimes I don't."

Lukas: "Giraffes live in the savannah because it's big. The south pole is big enough for giraffes too, but it's too cold." (I have no idea where this comment came from. It was completely out of the blue for me.)

Pumpkin Patch 2011

2011-10-08T16:49:00.006-05:00

We went to The Flower Mound Pumpkin Patch today (10-8-11). It was very windy and dusty because of the dry ground, but we had so much fun.

Lukas and his friend, Joshua, that we ran into while we were there.

Corina thought climbing through the pumpkins was so much fun!

Riding the hayride.

Giving Baby Bop a hug.

He loved the cutouts with a face hole.

Corina trying to pick up a pumpkin that probably weighed almost as much as she does. And she tried really hard!

Lukas had more success at picking up pumpkins.

We came home with one large pumpkin, one small pumpkin, and two mini-pumpkins.

4.5 Years Old

2011-10-08T15:54:00.004-05:00

Lukas is getting so big! He is 4.5 going on 15 with his attitude and brain power. I'm trying to hold on as tightly as I can to this last year before kindergarten.

Lukas at 4.5 years:
- weighs about 33lbs.
- is about 43 inches tall.
- amazes me at his strength for being such a string bean.
- is such a BOY! There's no other words to describe it than that when he manages to find dirt everywhere (even when the other kids are being clean), thinks everything involves running and action at full force, and enjoys some rather gross things.
- constantly amazes us and everyone else with how smart he is. He understands and applies concepts that are hard to understand as an adult much less a 4 yr old. I am constantly wracking my brain to find ways to explain things. So far I can usually come up with answers, but I know the day is quickly coming in which I will have to research before I can adequately answer his questions.
- loves to learn. If he doesn't know it, you'd better believe in about 5 min he will, and he has no problem asking the nearest person to answer his questions. I have seen many complete strangers looking utterly lost that this 4 year old is asking them the question in the first place, and then at a loss as to what to do about explaining.
- gets frustrated when things don't come easy because so much does. These are usually activities that involve fine motor skills.
- would be ecstatic if everything involved a version of the computer (actual computers, smart phones, etc).
- enjoys music, dinosaurs, cars, animals, books, mysteries, art, exploring, games, and being outside.
- is still very much an asthmatic. We did a med trial over the summer (when he has the least flare-ups) to wean him down and determine what meds he could stop taking. His daily meds are Rhinocort, Dulera (twice daily), and Singulair. We got him down to Dulera only once a day and Singulair. But when we tried stopping the Dulera altogether (still taking the Singulair), he flared up and lost his energy. Now that school has started he's back on full doses of everything.
- likes to watch documentaries, anything about dinosaurs (documentary or kid show), Magic School Bus, Veggie Tales, Backyardigans, Scooby Doo (although not the scary ones), and Saturday morning cartoons (in which it's sadly hard to find stuff appropriate for him).
- has discovered (and really likes) super heros. We've had many conversations about fantasy super heros, and how anyone can be a super hero in one way or another. I'm actually amazed he knows as many fantasy super heros as he does because he doesn't watch the shows with them.
- is currently testing his boundaries like never before. He is the ultimate negotiator and tries constantly to make everything go his way (to the point of his punishment sometimes).
- is extremely social. He knows everyone and everyone knows him. Watching him at school is so funny as he has a word for everyone he sees.
- loves being an older brother! He really enjoys the fact that right now Corina absolutely dotes on him and will usually comply with whatever he says. He does get really upset if she doesn't want to play with him, and he's also so concerned when she's sick or upset.
- is such a ham, and loves being in the spotlight.
- loves his Mommy and Daddy more and more every day!

18 Months Old!

2011-10-08T15:08:00.004-05:00

Corina's life so far seems to have FLOWN by! I really can't believe my "baby" is 18 months old...even though she sometimes acts like she's 3.

Corina at 18 months:
- weighs 23.6 lbs.
- is 32.5 inches tall.
- has more words than I can keep up with in her vocabulary. She is currently using one word "sentences".
- has almost as many facial expressions as words, and these are used on a daily basis to convey thoughts and emotions better than any true sentence could.
- loves to color! She also really likes other people to color with her.
- is extremely demanding and persistent when she wants something.
- enjoys watching The Wiggles, Barney, Sesame Street, Veggie Tales, Backyardigans, and Yo Gabba Gabba. Her absolute favorite is The Wiggles.
- likes to play tea party, babies, cooking, music, and pretty much any other game Lukas is involved in.
- really enjoys reading, and has started to "tell" the story herself.
- goes to school two days a week and LOVES it!
- is an extremely picky eater. She will eat grilled cheese, PB&J, goldfish, fruit, fruit leather, soy yogurt, mac and cheese, refried beans, any cheese filled pasta, eggs, pizza, and assorted snack foods.
- is very independent, but not afraid to ask for (ok, demand) help when she needs it.
- is very opinionated, and not afraid to tell you what she thinks of your actions. The other day she even told one of her teachers to be quiet when she started reading along with her second teacher. I guess in her mind only one person can read a book.
- enjoys cuddling, but on her terms of course. Whereas Lukas verbally tells you "I love you" throughout the day, she will give out hugs (and sometimes super long cuddles).
- LOVES Lukas!! I absolutely love watching the two of them play together. As with anyone, they have their differences, but the moments of them walking around holding hands or playing so smoothly together are far greater. When I pick her up from school, she will run with the biggest smile on her face to help pick up 'ooKUS'.
- loves her Mommy and Daddy more and more every day!

Family Vacation 2011

2011-10-02T18:35:00.005-05:00

This year for our family vacation, we decided to visit San Antonio, TX...mainly for the purpose of going to Sea World. We left Sept 15th and returned Sept 18th. The short version of this summary is: It was a BLAST!! We splurged on our hotel room, and booked a 2 bedroom suite (complete with kitchen and living room). It was completely worth the extra expense (which wasn't even that much). When we arrived on Thursday, we checked in and went to eat at the Riverwalk. Can't say that was the smartest choice because we were all tired and cranky from the drive. Friday we headed out to Sea World. When we pulled into the entrance, you'd have thought Lukas had been given the moon he was so excited. Other than Christmas, I've never seen him glow with delight the way he did. We arrived in time to hear the Star Spangled Banner played before they opened the park. The first thing we did was go see and feed the dolphins. After that we headed over to the kids area to see a Sesame Street show, ride the carousel, and let Lukas ride his first roller coaster. Then it was lunch time, and time to book it over to see the Shamu show. I couldn't get pictures of the kids faces as they watched due to keeping Corina from going down to see Shamu even closer, but lets just say they both LOVED every minute of it. After that we walked over to see a show Mommy and Daddy wanted to see. The kids enjoyed bits of this one, but were really done with sitting still. Then we saw penguins, sea lions, the souvenir shop, sharks, and the dolphins one last time. By the time we left everyone was EXHAUSTED, but we got everything out of Sea World that we could have (in one day that is) so we were happy. For dinner, we went to one of Eric and my favorite restraunts....La Fonda on Main. Saturday we woke up to rain. After it stopped we headed out to the San Antonio Zoo. This trip was fun, but it was so hot and muggy outside (in addition to still being kind of tired from Sea World) that we didn't stay very long. We made sure and rode the train before we left, but then headed back to the hotel for lunch and rest. That evening we went to The Market for shopping and dinner. That ended up being more fun than I expected because Lukas really enjoyed looking at all the stuff. When we woke up Sunday, we were glad it was "going home day". The kids were wild, cranky, and ready for their own house. On the way back, we stopped in at The Aquerena Center in San Marcos for a glass bottom boat ride. Lukas loved it, but Corina hated it. It ended up being a long 30 minutes. We were all very glad when we finally pulled into our driveway that evening. Small side note to mention that Lukas was on breathing treatments (and inhaler while out) the entire weekend due to an asthma flare. Poor kid does not tend to do well in extreme humidity.

For chasing around two kids, we actually managed to get quite a few pictures. Here's some of the batch.

Ready to go on vacation!!

Sea World!

Some nice lady offered to take our picture. While the picture itself is horrible, at least it documents that we were all there.

San Antonio Zoo!

The fog is due to the humidity fogging up the camera. Didn't realize or I'd have wiped it clean.

First Day of School

2011-09-06T11:07:00.003-05:00

Today (9-6-11) was the first day of school. Both kids are attending Butterfly School this year. Lukas is in Pre-K this year, and in Ms. Karen's class. He is very excited for school to start again. When I dropped him off, he went straight in and barely said bye. True Lukas style. Corina is in the Toddler class this year with Ms. Carrie and Ms. LaRae. She really enjoyed playing with all the toys at Meet the Teacher, and is ready to stay all day. When I dropped her off, she thought about crying because several other kids were, but went off to play as soon as I turned around to sign her in.

Cuddling with Daddy after getting dressed.

He was ready to go this morning! He didn't even complain when I gave him his clothes and told him to get dressed.

Amazingly no one complained about taking pictures this morning. They just stood there saying "cheese" over and over.

She went straight to playing after being dropped off.

17 Months

2011-09-06T10:42:00.004-05:00

Corina at 17 months:
- weighs about 23 lbs.
- is running (toddler run of course).
- is talking up a storm. I haven't even been able to keep up with all the new words in her vocabulary. She is also getting pretty understandable to people other than Mommy or Daddy.
- enjoys playing with Lukas, baby dolls, Little People, music instruments, drawing, reading books, being outside, swimming, and pretend cooking.
- has become VERY picky about food. She only has a short list of things that she'll eat all the time, and another small list that she'll sometimes eat. Bananas, PB&J, yogurt, grapes, mac and cheese, and tortellini are some that she'll eat anytime. Pizza, deli meat (only one brand), apples, cheese, and other pastas are some that she'll eat some of the time.
- has a definite opinion about most everything.
- loves accessories. She has bracelets, bows, rings, shoes, necklaces, etc that she wears and plays with regularly.
- has discovered that going to the nursery, bible class, or with babysitter are all very fun. She used to complain for a few min when dropped off, but no longer. Now she runs in ready to play.
- likes to hold a fork or a spoon, but has no desire to actually eat with it.
- loves animals. She's still not too sure about actually touching most of them, but she loves to watch and talk about them.
- loves her Mommy, Daddy, and Brother more and more every day!!

She loves to put on shoes, no matter who's they are.

Reading with Daddy and Lukas.

She's watching an elephant.

A Picture Catch-up Post

2011-08-20T21:51:00.005-05:00

I've been horrible lately at getting things posted to the blog. So, here's a few pictures from the last month or so.

Corina LOVES shoes, and if it'll stay on her little foot, she'll wear it regardless of who's shoe it actually is.

Storytime!

The next couple are videos of Corina dancing. They don't really do her dancing justice since most of the time I point the camera at her, she stops. But here's a small taste of the dancing that she does constantly during the day.

Corina was trying to figure out how to shake her leg properly. By the time I actually recorded it, she was doing it. However just before this video, she'd put her leg in the air and shake her head instead of her leg. I was practically on the floor laughing because she looked so funny (and cute!).

Swim Lessons 2011

2011-08-20T21:25:00.004-05:00

Here's a few pictures/videos from Lukas and Corina's swim lessons. The lessons were July 24 - August 4.

Lukas puts a ton of effort into swimming, but is hard pressed to actually go anywhere. This video was taken during "safety day", and he kept flipping over (accidentally) in his life jacket.

C loved swimming as long as she was on her tummy. This video was taken during her "safety day", and she HATED the life jacket.

Surprise!

2011-07-21T14:53:00.002-05:00

We're expecting Baby Swayne #3 early February 2012!

July 4, 2011

2011-07-21T14:43:00.004-05:00

We had a relaxing family day on the Fourth. Here's some of what we did...

Color and Paint

Play outside.
And only Lukas could make that hat look cool. :)

Play in the water.

Grill hamburgers. Yummy!

15 Months!

2011-06-30T14:14:00.002-05:00

Corina at 15 months:
- weighs 21 lbs 12 oz.
- is 31 inches long.
- is walking everywhere, and trying to run at times.
- is as verbal as Lukas, but doesn't always get the chance to speak.
- has about 12 consistent words (if I've gotten them all) in her vocabulary. She says Mommy (Ma), Daddy (Daaee), brother (buh), ball (boh), cat (ca), paci (aaee), more (mo & she signs this one), done (duh & and she signs this one), hi (ha with a wave), bye (beh with a wave), that (dah), Barney (Bah), and signs please. If you tell her a word, she will often repeat it. And due to her emphatic nature, she has no trouble getting her meaning across.
- knows the following body parts: nose, ears, head, tummy, mouth, hands, and feet.
- is fairly social, but not quite as much as Lukas. If she cries at all when dropped off in the nursery, it doesn't last long. She will often wave and say hi to people when we're out and about, but if they try to talk to her, she clams up.
- has become a pretty picky eater. She will not eat veggies, fruits are hit or miss, no meat beyond a test bite, water by itself, and cereal is no longer a desired option. She does like bananas, cantelope, pasta, PBJ sandwhiches, grilled cheese sandwhiches, yogurt, any kind of cracker snack, apple juice, and milk.
- has 6 teeth, and working heavily on getting her molars in.
- has been discharged (for the second time) from her GI. We have worked her off the thickener, and she's doing well. We've been weaning down her Prevacid, and time will tell how successful that is.
- loves to read, draw, play with Lukas doing whatever he's doing (which is fun for Lukas, but can also get annoying), be outside, watch Wiggles and Barney, sing, and dance.
- loves animals, but prefers them to be at a distance most of the time.
- loves her Mommy, Daddy, and Brother more and more everyday!!

Family Day

2011-06-10T12:55:00.004-05:00

Last Saturday (6-4-11) we decided a family day was in order. First we went to the Aquarium at Fair Park, and then had a picnic out there. After the picnic, we came home for naps because that evening we went to Zoobilee at the Dallas Zoo. At the end of the day we were all exhausted, but we had so much fun!

The Aquarium...everyone was moving around too much to get a ton of pictures.

Walking around Fair Park.

Zoobilee!

Last Day of School 2011

2011-05-28T21:30:00.004-05:00

I'm very sad to see the 2010-2011 school year come to a close because next year Lukas will be in Pre-K next year for his last year in preschool. He is growing up so fast!! This year he learned to write his letters. Most of them he still needs tracing guidance with, but the ones in his name he can write. That being said, he can write his name. It doesn't mean he will because he often gets bored or distracted after writing 'Lu' and sometimes the 'k' is legible, but he CAN do it and that's what matters. He got to go to Spanish specials this year, so he now uses some Spanish words interchangeably with English . If you ask him, he's an expert in Spanish. He has learned even more how to play with friends, even when he doesn't agree. The biggest change has been simply in his attitude. He's always been independent, but now he's independent, confident, and just generally grown up. He's smart, imaginative, sweet, and has a huge desire to learn everything. I'm excited about what he's going to learn next year, even though it will be his last year in preschool. I'm going to love every minute of it!

First Day of School - September 7, 2010

Last Day of School - May 19, 2011

Scarborough Faire 2011

2011-05-28T20:03:00.006-05:00

We went to Scarborough Faire today (5-28-11). It was hot (high of 98 degrees), windy (wind advisory in place), and exhausting. BUT we all had a BLAST!! We shopped, ate, rode some rides, listened to good music, walked a ton, found shade and resting benches where we could, and talked about everything.

Here we go...

Lukas got a dragon hat and a dragon shield.

C and Papa

"It's windy, Mama!"

Hunting dragons.

Lunchtime...whew, and were we hungry.

L and Mimi waiting to get L's face painted.

He wanted a spider on a web.

Looks pretty cool!

While L got his face painted, C went and found someone to talk to.

L stealing Daddy's italian ice.

C stealing Papa's italian ice.

He found this really big tree chair that he thought was AMAZING!

EXHAUSTED after a day of FUN!

Endoscopy

2011-05-23T08:56:00.004-05:00

Corina had her endoscopy last Wednesday (5-18-11). We had to arrive at Children's at Legacy (in Plano) at 6:00am. This meant waking up at 4:00am, so we could leave by 5:00am. A quick shout out to the Allens who were awesome to take Lukas in at 5:00am, so we could get to the hospital. Thanks guys!! It was brutal, and took the rest of the week for all of us to recover simply from the early morning. When we got there (at the same time most of the hospital staff was arriving) they checked us in and took us up to the OR where they do day procedures. Corina played for while, and then we went back. After talking to the check-in nurse, the anesthesiologist, the PA, another nurse to give Corina her 'giggle juice', and finally our GI, it was time to send her back. We waited probably about half an hour or so before talking to the doctor. He told us that everything looked normal (WHEW!!!), and would confirm with biopsies results in about a week. We even got a copy of the pictures to keep. After waiting another 15 or so minutes, we finally got to go back to see her. She was waking up, and it was kind of hard. She was arching around, and generally unhappy. Nothing terrible, but still hard to see her so upset. After she drank enough liquid, they removed the IV and we were able to go home. She stayed up the rest of the morning until she'd had lunch, and then crashed soon after. She slept for four hours, and woke up in a MUCH better mood. She was still unstable though, and proceeded to crash into everything (resulting in a couple of bruises and lots of crying). Needless to say she went to bed early, and we were glad for it.

Playing before:

Getting Ready:

Watching the Wiggles...

Unstable, but happy!

We got the biospy results on Friday, and they were normal. Yay!! GI is putting Corina on Periactin (no idea if I've spelled that right) to try to help relax her stomach muscles to help with the reflux. We'll see if this helps. So far it's made her kind of zombie-like. :( I'm hoping she'll get used to it after a few days.

Corina's First Haircut

2011-05-14T14:27:00.003-05:00

Corina got her first haircut today (5-14-11) at Cool Cuts for Kids in Flower Mound. While she has a lot of hair, it's grown in a bit odd since it's mostly on top. So we took her in to get it out of her eyes and shape it up a bit.

All ready for a haircut!

Both kids getting haircuts at the same time. :)

Kailee, the stylist, did a great job.

The finished product. Isn't she cute?! She was talking about it, so that's why the odd expression.

Pledge of Allegiance

2011-05-11T17:00:00.000-05:00

Lukas has been able to say the pledge for about a year now, but he finally let me video him. :)

Muffins and Walking

2011-05-10T12:26:00.003-05:00

Last Thursday (5-5-11), Butterfly School held Muffins with Mom. Eric was able to stay home with Corina, so I Lukas and I could have this special time together.

Me and my sweet boy before we left. We had a lot of fun!

On Monday (5-9-11), Corina decided that she could walk more than 2 or 3 steps at a time. She spent a lot of the day practicing walking around, so I was able to catch her on video. :)

I LOVE My Kids!

2011-05-06T08:38:00.003-05:00

A lot has been going on recently, so I wanted to write down some things I love about my amazing children.

I love:
- the way they absolutely adore each other.
- Lukas' jokes that make NO sense whatsoever.
- the conversations Lukas and I have. They range from simple questions about why things are the way they are to in depth spiritual conversations. Each and every one is precious because of his desire to learn and grow.
- the sweet hugs and cuddle times I get from both kids.
- how absolutely adorable they both are!
- the way Corina selects what she wants to do, and then selects who she wants to do it with.
- listening to the amazing (and usually extremely loud) music that my kids make both together and separately. The singing, musical instruments, dancing, etc that takes place when it's 'music time' (which is pretty much all the time) is great.
- watching them learn and grow. Watching 'the wheels turn' as they process information is always a unique experience.
- watching them play together. Watching Lukas teach Corina about how the world works is often hilarious because she usually is not doing exactly what he'd like her to, but they somehow work it out to play.

There's so much more in those tiny every day moments when they just make me smile. Thank you God for these two blessings!

13 Months

2011-05-05T15:11:00.002-05:00

Corina at 13 months:
- weighs 19lbs 14 oz.
- is 29.8 inches tall....Thank you to the GI doctor for doing such accurate measurements for me.
- took her first official steps April 14th, her Aunt Ashley's birthday.
- is cruising everywhere, and gets brave enough to take a few steps not holding on to anything every now and then.
- is GIRLY! She loves shoes (and wants them on her feet if she finds them), clothes (she has a definite opinion about a lot of the things she wears), fixing her hair (I don't know why I bother some days because she's already trying to redo it), and jewelry (especially bracelets).
- new words: done (duh), brother (bruh), Lovey (uhvie...although, you have to listen really closely to hear that one)
- new signs: please
- is showing her persistence in new ways in learning to walk. She will practice the same movement over and over until she gets it right, and will sometimes do this for more than 5 min at a time.
- loves to sing. If you start singing, she will often join in.
- has a temper and is very strong-willed.
- is very social, but has a shy side especially when meeting new people.
- is a cuddlebug. She loves to sit and cuddle especially if you'll read her books while doing it.
- must have a continuous musical playlist in her head because she dances and grooves even when there is no music.
- loves her brother! If she could, she would do everything just like him.
- loves her Mommy and Daddy more and more every day!

Easter 2011

2011-05-03T09:19:00.004-05:00

A little late, but I didn't want to forget about it.

This was BEFORE church. They were so worn out from celebrating Lukas' and Ashley's birthday's the day before.

About a minute after I took the previous picture, she fell asleep.

He sat up so he wouldn't fall asleep.

We are so blessed by family. When we can, we try to have a lunch all together. A big lunch will include the 'original' Smith family with all extended families from marriage. We've had more than 15 (avg about 13 or 14) people at the table before...it's fantastic!

The Swaynes

Are we still the Smiths? Or are we now the Smith/Swayne/Browns?

He was SO handsome in his tie, but he wouldn't stand still for a really good picture. Oh well, thus the life of a 4 year old boy.

So much easier to take a picture of a one year old girl!

The kids and all their Easter loot. They got baskets from Mommy and Daddy, baskets from Mema and Grandad, and bunnies from Mimi and Papa!

Reflux Update

2011-04-28T22:11:00.002-05:00

We saw Corina's GI doctor today (4-28-11) to get a new plan now that she's over a year and still needing thickener, meds, and having flare-ups. He scheduled her for an endoscopy (May 18) to test for esophageal allergies. If this comes back positive he will treat with a localized steroid for her esophagus and/or (not completely clear on if it's both or one or the other) MAJOR dietary restrictions. He only mentioned part of the list of foods she would be unable to eat, and I was already wondering what she would be able to eat. If the test comes back negative, he'll have to rethink the meds she's currently on and exactly what step to take next. Needless to say prayers would be appreciated because this is going to be a process either way.

Just because she's cute....

Spring Program

2011-04-28T21:46:00.003-05:00

Butterfly School had their spring program tonight (4-28-11) entitled "Jesus In Springtime". The kids all did great, but of course Lukas was the best! He was such a ham!!

Lukas is in the front row, 2nd kid from the right in a yellow shirt.

"Jesus Loves Me"...And yes, Lukas does stick his hand down his pants.

"God Is Love"...Sorry this one cuts off before the song is over, but my battery died. :(

4 Years Old

2011-04-25T19:34:00.005-05:00

I am still in disbelief that Lukas is 4 years old. I mean, how has it possibly been 4 years already?! As hard to believe as it is, he also makes it hard to believe he's only 4 at times. I mean, there's no doubt about it, the kid is brilliant. I just hope as he grows that I can keep up with him as much as I need to.

Lukas at 4 years old:
- weighs 31.6 lbs - This was the first well check that he only took off his shoes, his clothes were included in the weight measurement.
- is 41 inches tall.
- tested perfect hearing on his hearing screen and 20/30 on his vision screen.
- has an outlandish, huge, and amazing imagination. He can spin you a story so intricate that it feels real...if it weren't for the dragons, dinosaurs, knights, etc that are usually the main characters.
- grasps abstract concepts like heaven, family relations, family members he's never met or seen (because they're dead), and more that I can't think of right now but blow me away when he discusses.
- asks incessant questions, but is never wrong about facts (in his mind anyway) after the initial question. And he often isn't, but if he is he will not listen (to me anyway) to correction.
- is SUPER strong-willed. This will serve him well during his life, however it also presents a big problem as far as discipline is concerned. We are just lucky that in general he wants to do the right thing because when he doesn't there is no consequence (that we've found yet anyway) to make him amend his ways.
- loves technology, to discover how things work, to learn, dinosaurs, dragons, knights, cars, books, to play with his friends, to be outside, and his space station toys.
- loves God with all his heart! He enjoys reading his Bible every night, going to Bible class, going to Children's Church, reading books about the Bible stories, singing Bible songs, and discussing spiritual matters that often leave me in tears over his precious love for our Savior.
- knows his phonics. He can sound out a word so well that you'd think he was actually saying it, but he's not quite to putting it together and reading it yet. Although he's got to be sight-word reading quite a bit of stuff because he is able to tell us what stuff says sometimes and all that's there to look at is the word.
- will tell you he's a Spanish 'expert' because he is learning Spanish in school. ;)
- can write his name, but getting him to take the time to do it is another matter.
- loves his sister completely, but is also trying to figure out how to love her but not always like her. Being the older brother, he's having to learn to deal with the little sister wanting to always play with him even he (very much) doesn't want to play with her.
- loves his Mommy and Daddy always!!!

Some pictures from our family celebration.

Stroll for Epilepsy 2011

2011-04-10T19:44:00.004-05:00

We were able to participate in the Stroll for Epilepsy at the Dallas Zoo for the second year, this year. We strolled with our good friends the Wages and the Benfers, and had a blast supporting a great cause.

Paizlee and Corina enjoyed riding in the wagon together. They discussed their purple bracelets, pacis, lovies, and the various things we passed that they had an opinion on.

Kaleb, Maddie, and Lukas had a ball together. They saw all the animals, conquered rocks, mastered the playground, discussed hurt feelings, found things that no adult would ever find, and led us on a grand adventure.

Chillin' with her drink and some cheerios.

Lukas was so happy that the goat ate his hay. :)

Recent Pictures and a Video

2011-04-07T13:52:00.004-05:00

Reading

Future rock star!

"Hi Mommy! I got up all by myself!"

Coloring

Corina is teaching Lukas how to share her dollhouse.

Showing off his dance moves.

LOVES his new guitar!

Corina has some dance moves of her own, but when she doesn't like the song she goes over to try to change it.

12 Months Old!

2011-04-03T16:52:00.004-05:00

This year has gone so unbelievably fast! I almost feel as if I've missed some of it along the way because there is just no way my baby can be a year old already! But alas the truth stares me in the face each time I look at her and she demonstrates just how old she is. It's a bittersweet feeling because I love watching her grow and learn, but I also know that she is the last so it's hard to let some of the sweet baby moments go.

Corina at 12 months:
- weighs 18 lbs 10 oz (She's gained exactly 10 lbs since birth)
- is 29 1/4 in tall
- says: Mama and Dada
- signs: more, all done, "I want you or that", bye-bye, no
- LOVES to sit in the rocking chair.
- is a very intent reader. The feely books and flap books are still her favorite, but she'll also listen to ones without for a while.
- is cruising furniture.
- is walking holding on to your hands. She knows she can get there faster crawling though, so she doesn't do the much.
- can climb stairs.
- will do what she wants to do even if she has to wait until you're not looking to do it.
- has started to throw small tantrums if she doesn't get her way. (Hate this stage because she is too little to reason all with, but so persistent that she will hardly redirect. Therefore, there are unfortunately times with a lot of crying.)
- is only eating table food.
- drinks soy milk because cow's milk did not set very well. Her reflux flared horribly and she got a huge diaper rash that spread to her tummy and chest.
- likes to put things in other things, and then take it out. She'll do this over and over.
- still loves all forms of music.
- still dances and grooves ALL the time. :)
- is learning to draw with a crayon. It's most fun when Lukas is doing it too.....but isn't most everything right now?!
- likes being outside.
- enjoys playing with little people, animals, books, anything musical, her new play kitchen, her tea set, anything Lukas has that looks cool (especially that he doesn't want her have), and balls.
- still needs her liquids thickened.
- loves her Mommy, Daddy, and Brother more and more every day!!

Corina Grace 1 year ago....

It's amazing how much she's changed!

Playing peek-a-boo...one of her favorite games.

Such a big girl, drinking out of a sippy cup!

Oh sweet girl, we love you so much!! You are amazing, and we are so blessed by you!

Happy Birthday Corina!

2011-03-27T22:03:00.003-05:00

My sweet girl is ONE today! Happy 1st Birthday Corina!

Eating waffles for breakfast.

Awake after afternoon nap.

She loves the rocking chair.

Big smiles!

11 Months

2011-03-08T09:17:00.004-06:00

As amazing and crazy as it is, Corina's first year is way too quickly coming to an end. She is certainly developing her own personality, which usually comes out the most when Lukas isn't around. She is showing some pretty big indications to be as much a mini me, as Lukas is a mini Eric. Her reflux has been getting better, and she has been discharged from her gastro doctor unless she doesn't meet certain requirements after she's a year and "fully upright" most of the time. Yay!!

Corina at 11 months:
- weighs about 18 lbs
- is "talking" more. She is beginning to babble sentences instead of syllables.
- will sign the milk, more, and bye-bye.
- will say Dada, Mama (although not near like she says Dada), and Bru (brother - and this one she hardly ever says).
- is pulling to standing on everything
- has a definite opinion about how things should be done, and if they are not done that way she'll let you know.
- LOVES to read. She brings books over all the time to read, and already has some favorites.
- has rhythm. She dances, claps, and even sometimes sings with music whenever she hears it (on beat too!).
- likes to play with any musical instrument. The current favorites are the drum and xylophone, but she also enjoys the clapper, tambourine, whistle, piano, and any others she can easily manipulate.
- enjoys playing animals, tea party, dinosaurs, blocks, cars, and roll the ball as well right now.
- really, really loves playing with Lukas. A fact which Lukas is starting to get annoyed with. Lukas still loves her to distraction, but not so much when she's trying to play with his toys. Then she has become 'enemy of the state' number one! The complaining version of "Mommy" that says "she's in my way" has now joined the things I hear daily.
- is not so fond of weird textures. She loves being outside, but this dead, poky grass is not so cool. She hated the snow!
- is VERY persistent. If she wants to do or have something, she will not be redirected easily.
- has started to enjoy table food. She's still eating mostly baby food, but is having table food also during most meals.
- is absolutely amazing in every way!!
- loves her Mommy, Daddy, and Brother more and more every day!!!!

Drinking from her sippy cup. Please excuse Lukas in the background...we were getting ready for bed.

Standing and plotting her next move.

Recent Pictures

2011-03-07T13:21:00.004-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T20:47:00.003-06:00

For Valentine's Day this year Lukas got to pick where we ate for lunch and was Mommy's lunch date. Yes, Corina was with us, so it the effect wasn't completely mastered but we enjoyed ourselves nonetheless. Later we went to Daddy's office to give him his valentine cards and pick him up for dinner. We all went to the mall to eat and play a bit. Lukas got to ride the carousel, play at Barnes and Noble, and eat a cookie. The night, while not extravagant, was fun.

Can you feel the love?!

His shirt is the Beetles "All You Need Is Love". We thought it fit him perfectly.

LOVE that smile!

Outside Daddy's office...with the rocks.

Lukas takes his carousel riding very seriously. He has named this horse 'Horsey' (I know not very original, but he's 3), and he's now ridden it two different trips to the carousel.

All in all it was a GREAT day! I love my family!! I'm so glad to be so blessed!

Lukas' Experiment

2011-02-10T19:08:00.002-06:00

I noticed Lukas had dug a bouncy ball out and was running back and forth between the carpet in the playroom and the tile bouncing it. I asked him what he was doing. He replied that he was finding the elasticity. I then asked him what he discovered. He said that on the carpet it had no elasticity, but on the tile it had lots of elasticity. He also demonstrated his findings. I was stunned for a few reasons 1) my 3 year old watched a Sid the Science Kid a few weeks ago about elasticity and remembered enough about it to apply it to an experiment, 2) he came up with the experiment, conducted it, and then explained his findings very clearly, and 3) he did it all by himself! This kid continues to amaze me with the way his mind works.

I asked him to repeat his experiment so I could video it.

Snow Days

2011-02-01T19:34:00.005-06:00

We had our first snow day of the season January 9, 2011. Thankfully this was right before everyone got sick with RSV, so we were able to completely enjoy it. Lukas had the BEST time having snowball fights with Daddy. I got some great video that is currently being worked on to be able to post, so I'll get that done when it's finished. Corina had her first encounter with snow, and did NOT understand what all the fuss was about.

We had our second snow day today (February 1, 2011). With the bitter cold that came with this snow day, it was mostly spent inside by the fire or in the playroom. We did venture out for about 10 minutes. Lukas, not surprisingly, had a blast. Although he did slip on the ice, since it was about an inch thick in places under the snow. Corina only lasted 5 minutes, and absolutely hated it. Oh well, maybe as she gets older it'll get more fun. With a temperature of about 17 and wind chill of about -1 most of the day (due to 25-30 mph winds), there was NO way we were staying outside longer. The fun and exciting part of our day started first thing when we discovered that one of the automatic doors on our van had opened sometime during the night. It made a huge mess, but thankfully nothing was ruined.

9/10 Months Old

2011-01-31T08:48:00.005-06:00

I realized I never wrote Corina's 9 month post, so here it is with her 10 month post. January was a rough month for her because she was sick 3 out of 4 weeks. Lukas came down with RSV (most likely anyway...he was never tested), and joyfully past it on to her. She started getting sick Jan 12, and tested positive on the 14th. At first it looked as if it was going to be a super mild case, with just lots of snot and coughing. January 19th, though, she started having the breathing trouble. Thankfully we were able to keep her out of the hospital, but had a couple scary moments at home. Definitely not something I care to repeat. Then on the 25th she got sick again (barely over the RSV), and was diagnosed with the flu on the 28th. The flu wasn't terribly awful, but sitting in the doctor's office listening to the possibilities of what to watch for as emergency signs was. Thankfully the worst part of the flu was the fever (got up to 103) for a couple days. She did have some breathing trouble with, but not near as bad as with RSV. Now that we're at the end of January and I've spent almost half the month at the doctor, I'm ready for February and healthy kids.

Corina at 9 months:
- 16 lbs 9 oz
- 27.5 inches
- is very social (she waves and smiles at everyone)
- is pulling up to her knees
- loves toys that shake, music, and everything Lukas has
- does not like baby food meat (not that I blame her), but loves all the fruits and veggies
- according to her 9 month well visit is very high in problem solving and communicating (although most of hers is nonverbal), and average in motor skills
- loves her Mommy, Daddy, and Brother more and more everyday!

Corina at 10 months:
- about 17 lbs
- about 27.5 inches
- knows and uses the words Mama and Dada properly. Since she rarely "talks", keeping count of her words has been harder than it was with Lukas (who "talked" nonstop...and still does). I think she is also using 'baba' for bottle and 'buh' for Brother.
- is becoming a very good pointer. If she wants something she'll point at it.
- communicates everything. She doesn't "talk" a ton, but her nonverbal cues fill in the blanks. She's very expressive.
- waves bye
- loves music! When she hears music, especially music with a beat, she dances and grooves to the beat (and yes, she's usually with the beat).
- wants to do everything Lukas is doing. Lukas is now constantly requesting (or whining and complaining) that she stop, be moved, or just simply leave him alone.
- loves yogurt. She gets to eat it most every morning for breakfast.
- is still working on finger foods. She was getting pretty good at eating table foods at the beginning of January, but getting so sick for so long has completely thrown off her eating habits.
- has no interest in a sippy cup. She can pick it up and use it, but shivers and coughs each time she gets any water/juice in her mouth. At this point, I'm not sure if it's a reflux thing or an opinion thing.
- despite being so sick and having abnormal eating habits to change everything....we think her reflux is getting better.
- is so happy and cheerful when she feels good. She loves to clap, laugh, sing, dance, play, and explore.
- loves her Mommy, Daddy, and Brother more and more everyday!!

A Conversation with Lukas

2011-01-20T17:10:00.002-06:00

I have a list of things I need to find time to blog about, but I wanted to get this one written down before I forgot because it was an amazing conversation.

In the car is usually where Lukas decides to ask the most complicated questions that usually leave me digging in the through the far corners of my brain to find the answers. Then once I've found the answer, finding a way to explain it to the 3.5 year old that wants the real answer is always a trick. This particular conversation, however, started with leaves and had me almost in tears by the end of it.

Lukas: "Mommy, why are some leaves still green?"
Me: "Because they stay green all winter. They're called Evergreen trees."
L: "What are the ones without leaves called?"
M: "I can't remember, I'll have to look it up." (yes, I have since remembered that they are deciduous trees)
L: "Mommy, I want to climb those trees." (we were driving past trees by the lake)
M: (adding only the part that's relevant) "I used to climb trees at my Mema and Grandad's house."
**side note to say that we had to take time to straighten out that it was my grandparents not his.
L:"I want to go climb the trees at your grandparents house."
M:"Well, you can't, Sweetheart. They don't live here anymore."
L:"Where do they live?"
M:"They've died and gone to heaven to live with God."
L:"When will they come back?"
M:"They won't. One day we'll go to heaven to live with God too. We'll see them then."
L:"But when will they come back to life? Jesus did."
M:"Jesus was one special person. He was the Son of God, and he's the only special person that will ever come back to life.
L: (after thinking and processing) "I want to go see Jesus."

Oh yes, by the end of this one I was almost crying. Amazing how simple it is.

New Years Zoo

2011-01-01T08:49:00.007-06:00

We went to the zoo to celebrate New Year's Eve this year. This of course meant nothing but a zoo trip to Lukas, but that's ok. It was a beautiful sunny, chilly, and windy day. We were so glad to be outdoors even though the wind made it quite chilly at times. An added bonus was the lack of crowd. There seemed to be hardly anyone there, so it was very peaceful.

Lukas ready with the map, and Corina just ready.

We made it to Predator Rock to watch the lions show off their behaviors. It was pretty neat, and Lukas got a front row seat.

Lukas had a question at the end, so they waited until he got a turn to ask it (which was another cool thing about the zoo not being crowded).

Daddy and Lukas playing in the jeep.

Corina's expression most of the day. The "why are we out here in the chilly wind" look.

having a blast playing outside

Mommy and Corina watching the elephants.

This picture was supposed to have two kids, but one wouldn't get in it. So only Corina gets to be with the elephant fountain.

This is what Lukas was doing...

Mommy and her crazy blessings.

He HAD to drink out of EVERY fountain.

Lukas and the chameleon had a very long staring contest. The chameleon climbed down from a top branch to get more on his eye level and kept reaching to the glass to try to touch him. It was really neat.

Corina fell asleep in the reptile house. I can't say I blame her because if there's a part I'd miss, it's the snakes.

As always, Lukas ended the trip riding the triceratops on the carousel.

Daddy and his awesome playmates.

Reflux Update

2010-12-17T14:54:00.002-06:00

Today (12-17-10) we took Corina to Dr. Russo, a GI doctor. The appointment went well. He saw none of the "red" flags that would cause him to worry and act immediately. He is sending us to a speech therapist for a swallow study, and also ordered an upper GI done. After he gets the results of these tests and is able to see what's going on inside her body, he'll be able to better make a treatment plan. We'll go back in six weeks so he can put it all together.

Christmas Program

2010-12-16T17:08:00.003-06:00

For the first time, Lukas performed in the Riverside Butterfly School Christmas Program. He was such a HAM! He was on the end of the row so he had a huge wide open space to work in, and boy did he work it. He sang, danced, lifted up his shirt (luckily he's only 3), sat down, turned around, hugged on the girl next to him, etc. Oh and towards the end of the program he left the stage to visit with Eric, who was recording, before being told to go finish the song. It was the PERFECT 3 year old performance!! And no worries, we videoed it.

Here's my terrible picture since I had to use the flash to get one remotely in focus. Lukas is in the red and black plaid shirt on the top right end. :)

Lukas, Mimi, and Corina.

The Swaynes

8 Months Old

2010-12-12T22:05:00.006-06:00

I've gotten behind in my posting, so this one (and several others) is a bit late.

Corina at 8 months:
- weighs about 16.5 lbs
- is about 28.5 inches tall. (the wiggly baby on a measuring tape...may not be accurate)
- waves at you if you wave to her. It takes her a bit to process sometimes that it's time to wave, so just be patient and she'll get there. Once she starts though, she'll wave for the next 5 minutes.
- is now clapping. :)
- wants whatever Lukas is playing with. Playtime is getting interesting.
- is speed crawling.
- is pulling up to her knees.
- finds everything you don't want her to have (no matter how well you thought you put it away).
- politely cleans off all table surfaces within reach.
- chews on everything.
- still only has 2 teeth. She is hard at work on a couple more, and her doctor said that all (like 8) the top ones are coming down (just not ready to pop through).
- is slowly starting to babble. Dare I hope that she won't talk quite as much as Lukas?
- still has major reflux issues.
- eats great! She currently can eat sweet potatoes, white potatoes, peas, green beans, spinach, squash, avacado, carrots, tofu, zucchini, turkey, chicken, banana, pears, apples, peaches, mango, apricots, puffs snacks, yogurt melts, and cheerios.
- loves her Mommy, Daddy, and Brother more and more every day!

Santa 2010

2010-12-03T20:45:00.004-06:00

Tonight (12-3-10) we went to Bass Pro to visit Santa and enjoy their holiday activities. We had a blast, and to top it off there was hardly anyone there. We didn't have to wait in line for anything, and Lukas actually got to play with the remote control cars and train instead of watching the crowd play.

Great picture with Santa. Corina tolerated it, and Lukas even smiled.

Concentrating very hard to drive the remote control car.

Riding the carousel for the first time. Standing beside it she kept pointing at it, so we decided to try it. She had lots of fun!

Lukas, of course, loved his carousel ride. He was sad the reindeer didn't go up and down, but very excited to actually get to ride a reindeer.

Coloring.

Corina while Lukas was coloring.

Mommy's last photo attempt before we left.

Family Day

2010-11-24T14:43:00.005-06:00

Traditionally we try to use the Wednesday before Thanksgiving as a family day before the Thanksgiving festivities begin. The past 2 years this has been disrupted by Lukas being sick. Thankfully this year we got all the sickness out of the way last week, so we were good to go for a fun day. We decided to go to the Children's Aquarium at Fair Park since we are Dallas Zoo members and can get in for free. They've redone the whole thing, and it's nice. In Lukas' opinion the coolest part was "sting ray bay" where you get to pet the sting rays. It's not huge, so don't plan an all day affair out of it, but it works well for something short and sweet. After the aquarium we walked around Fair Park a bit. I had no idea there was more down there than just a couple museums, the music hall, and the state fair once a year. It's actually quite pretty. We then tackled lunch at Fudruckers and came home for naps.

Showing off his souvenir.

Love...

2010-11-24T14:41:00.002-06:00

Teeth

2010-11-22T14:43:00.003-06:00

Corina has teeth! Her first tooth came in November 8th. It was the one on the bottom, middle left. We're unsure exactly when her second tooth officially broke through, but it wasn't more than 3 or 4 days later. It was the bottom, middle right one.

According to the doctor, as of November 22nd she is working very hard to get both top middle teeth through, as well as the two bottom teeth on either side of the two middle teeth she already has.

Teething has brought with it ear trouble for her (just like Lukas). If she gets another flat tympanogram, we'll be seeing the ENT about possible tubes. It's not the worst thing in the world, but I was hoping to avoid it.

Stomach Bug 2010

2010-11-16T16:56:00.003-06:00

The stomach bug hit the Swayne house hard this year.

It started with Corina.

Then moved on to Eric. Then found it's way to Lukas, and he got hit the hardest.

For Lukas, day 1 went pretty well. He didn't feel great, but not awful.

By day 2 he was dehydrated, lethargic, and completely unlike himself.

The doctor sent us to the Flower Mound ER. If you live near here and need an ER, go here. They are connected to Medical Center Lewisville, so if you need a hospital they'll send you.

Lukas received 3 rounds of IV fluids, IV Zofran plus a prescription, 4 popsicles (although he only ate 2 whole ones, and a bite out of the other 2), and juice. He got rock star treatment since he was (I think anyway) the only one there.

Getting his fluids.

A weak smile for a popsicle.

He'll go back to the doctor tomorrow to be re-evaluated, and hopefully he'll be back to his normal self in a couple days.

3.5 Years Old

2010-11-05T15:23:00.004-05:00

I thought it was time to include some of the things Lukas has accomplished since I did his 3 year old post.

Lukas at 3.5 years:
- weighs about 29 lbs
- is about 39.5 in tall
- can navigate his computer games mostly without anyone's help.
- is reading at some level slightly beyond word recognition. If he tries to read (sound it out) he can't do it, but if he just looks at it (small words of course) then he's reading them.
- asks some really complicated conceptual questions, but understands and applies the answers.
- is potty trained while awake, but still working on at night.
- has a mind of his own. He will lead the pack or follow the leader just so long as he's having fun.
- is a negotiator. He has a reason for every action, and will tell you exactly why something needs to happen a certain way. Example of a recent coversation: Lukas: "Daddy, can I watch tv when we get home?" Eric: "No. When we get home, it's time to take a nap." Lukas (without missing a beat): "I want to sleep in my pajamas." Eric: "Okay. If you're still awake when we get home, we'll put on your pajamas." Lukas: "So, while I'm putting on my pajamas, I can watch tv?" We both nearly fell over laughing because the logic of his argument came so natural, and it was a pretty good one too.
- can (and does) talk to anything and everything. He never stops unless he's sick or asleep.
- is absolutely amazing with Corina. He loves her so much, at least until she tries to play with his toys. At that point, he tells me she needs to go in her excersaucer or jumper.
- is learning Spanish at school, and will now use the Spanish words interchangeably with the English ones.
- has the largest imagination! It is so fun to watch him play as he creates worlds and stories for his dinosaurs, knights, dragons, puppets, etc.
- has seemingly found his daily asthma medicine. In September, he was started on Dulera and it has made a huge difference. After starting it (and getting over a cold right after starting it) he went 3 weeks without needing Albuterol (the rescue med). To those that do not know him very well, this is quite possibly the first time this has ever happened. I'm now seriously praying that the good fortune of the first month on the medicine continues because he asthma hasn't ever been this controlled.
- is simply amazing! At the risk of sounding like an over-generous parent, he does things everyday that are just amazing. Things I didn't know he could do. He understands things that I had no idea he would get. He says things that make you think. Example of that came the other day when he told me "Mommy, God put the joy deep in our hearts. We need to keep it there." For him it was a completely random comment, but for me it was a deep profound moment.
- loves his Mommy, Daddy, and sister more and more every day!!

Lukas singing "Twinkle Twinkle".

7 Months Old

2010-11-03T11:25:00.004-05:00

Corina turning 7 months snuck up on me. All of the sudden I looked at the date and wow, she was 7 months old. Usually I watch the dates closer than that to see it coming. Oh well, we've been really busy!

Corina at 7 months old:
- weighs about 16 lbs.
- is between 26.5 and 27 inches long. My oh-so-accurate measurement with a wiggly baby and measure tape.
- is true crawling (10-18-10) everywhere...and getting rather fast at it.
- is pulling up to her knees.
- will wave at you sometimes.
- laughs at more and more things, and the better she feels the more she laughs.
- provided she feels good, is still the most laid back baby in the world.
- observes everything.
- likes technology as much as Lukas.
- enjoys reading books.
- is still battling reflux, but we've got it mostly under control.
- loves watching and playing with Lukas. She thinks he is hilarious and amazing. I wonder how long that will last....I hope a while.
- loves Mommy and Daddy more and more every day!

Vacation 2010

2010-10-23T20:46:00.005-05:00

This year's family vacation was taken in the Houston area. We decided to save money on a hotel by staying at my parents house. That would also give us the flexibility to use a kitchen to cook a few meals and clean Corina's bottles, and also give a home base with room to spread out. All in all a good set up when everyone needs naps, and early bedtimes. And that's not even to mention the extra help Mema and Grandad provide so Mommy and Daddy aren't entirely worn out at the end of the trip. Eric and I were even able to spend one night away in Kemah for an added bonus.

Thursday (10-7-10)
Activities: Eric and I went to Kemah and stayed at the Boardwalk Inn. We ate amazing food, rode the train (as seen in our picture), and enjoyed kidless company.

Friday (10-8-10)
Activities: Mommy and Daddy come back from Kemah. Go to park where Mommy gets EATEN UP by mosquitos. Eat a yummy pizza dinner at Grimaldi's Pizzeria.

Saturday (10-9-10)
Activites: We visited 7 Acre Wood farm. While there Lukas was able to ride a train, pet animals in a petting zoo, play on a playground, ride a pony, scout a pumpkin patch, and play with finger puppets. After naptime Lukas and Mema made cookies, and we relaxed.

Sunday (10-10-10)
Activites: We went to the Houston Zoo. We were able to see the very cool dinosaur exhibit as well as all the other animals. We then finished the day off with a train ride through Herman Park. The day was perfect! Exhausting, but perfect.

Lukas

2010-10-22T09:26:00.003-05:00

Do you ever get those glimpses into your kids future that just kind of frighten you? Lukas has given us these glimpses since early on, and now they are nearly every day. The kid is brilliant. I don't say this out of parent bias (I mean, I am of course), but it's just true. He remembers EVERYTHING! If you have to repeat it to him most likely he analyzed the information upon receiving it, found it to be not currently useful or beneficial, and therefore discarded it. This doesn't happen often though. Anything he's heard or seen is a possible topic for conversation for months later. This has us constantly racking our brains trying to figure out where he's heard or seen something. And when he asks questions he wants the real answer, not some easy short answer. This of course brings on major mental gymnastics on our part to find ways to explain what he wants to know in ways he can understand (I mean he is only 3.5), and then of course also brings out even more questions that half the time end up in me saying "I don't know how to explain that". He understands concepts that I would never expect a 3 year old to grasp, and then he turns around and applies them. From a parental point of view it is amazing and scary at times. I feel a bit at a loss as to how to teach him anything because he seems to grasp everything (which of course is not true). I know all kids can do this, but his out of the blue questions make me think about things I haven't thought about in years. I'm so grateful he is able to go to preschool because there they can help keep up with his avid need for knowledge. As a mom with two kids to keep up with I can only do so much.

I pray that God continues to show us how to help him put his mind to work because without focus I know he'll be bored and unmotivated. I am amazed by him daily (even on the days I'd like to give him away). His future is something I can't imagine, but I know he'll be genius at whatever he puts his mind to. I love my little man more than I could have ever dreamed possible!

Getting Places

2010-10-12T16:07:00.003-05:00

I tried to post a video about a month ago when she first started her semi-crawl, but the one I filmed was too long. After that I just never remembered to get another good one shot when Lukas wasn't running around interrupting her playing. I did today, and she's even closer to real crawling now. As of today (10-12-10) she is also picking up her hands independently (I think she does it in the video) while on her hands and knees. When she tries to move them forward in a crawling manner, however, she usually face plants like she has been.

Enjoy!

Picture Fun

2010-10-06T12:29:00.005-05:00

Just a few pictures of what we've been up to lately.

Crafts

Building

Painting

Smiling

More Smiling

Playing with Aunt Ashley

He got his face painted like a Tiger at CiCi's one night.

Viewing a HUGE grasshopper.

Making banana bread with Mommy.

Showing Corina how the tools work.

"Crawling" around. As soon as she starts moving her arms, she'll have a full crawl together.

Playing with Mel Mel.

Helping Lukas play his game.

Zoo Time

2010-10-02T16:50:00.006-05:00

Now that we have a membership to the Dallas Zoo, going is much simpler. We don't feel bad if we don't stay very long, and it's simply cheaper. Today (10-2-10) was a perfect day to visit. The majority of the time we were there the temperature was in the 70's, and the sun was shining. Like I said...perfect! Lukas had a blast (as always), and got to ride a pony, the monorail, and the carousel. He really to ride everything but the camel, and I wasn't about to pay $5 so he could. They aren't that exciting. Corina had lots of fun being outside in the beautiful weather.

And by the end of such an awesome day, everyone was EXHAUSTED!

6 Months Old!

2010-09-30T12:30:00.004-05:00

Corina at 6 months:
- weighs 15 lbs 10 oz.
- is 27 inches long (a tall skinny girl)
- can move around very effectively. (She is not technically crawling, but it's as close as she can get)
- can sit unassisted (not just tripod, but straight up also)
- reaches and tries to grab everything.
- loves to laugh and smile.
- is babbling, but she is usually only talkative when it's quiet around her (when Lukas is not around).
- loves her jumper. She will bounce and dance all around in it with a huge smile on her face.
- eats 5 4oz bottles a day, and 3 cereals a day (although she gets to start fruits and veggies tonight).
- is still struggling with reflux, but giving her smaller bottles (along with meds and thickener) has helped.
- is getting better at putting her own paci in her mouth.
- loves Lukas to distraction! She always wants to be where he is and doing what he's doing. So far this is the only think Lukas doesn't appreciate about her (and he's going to find out that this is only the beginning).
- loves her Mommy and Daddy more and more every day!!!

She is always on the move!

An Honest Talk About Reflux

2010-09-23T09:44:00.002-05:00

First of all, I HATE REFLUX. Corina has been dealing with reflux probably since birth, but it really started to increase in intensity (and so got diagnosed at reflux) between 3 and 4 months of age. She is the happiest baby unless her reflux is acting up. Sadly the amount of time that her reflux is acting has become a majority of the time.

Her currently management plan is:
- Prevacid - 1/2 a pill twice a day
- nectar thickened bottles
- staying upright as much as possible (which is hard because since she knows she can "crawl" around, that's what she wants to do)
- changing her eating schedule from 4 60z bottles to 5 or 6 3-4 oz bottles (not sure how this will work since she set her own eating schedule, and I'm not sure she'll be happy with us messing with it)

If changing her eating schedule doesn't work we will most likely be going to the GI doctor.

I am exhausted! I am worn out more mentally and emotionally than physically since I do get to sleep at night. I realized how much so when in the past week or so I really can't even handle the small "I need my diaper changed" type of cries. Thankfully she does not scream all day, every day. However, she will scream and cry out of pain in the late afternoon/evening every day, and about once a week to ten days she'll have one awful day where she screams the majority of the day.

Eric and I have commented to each other how we can see sleep training issues possibly coming up in the future. She is beginning to associate being put in bed with pain because her reflux always flares in bed no matter the precautions we've done beforehand. So this also means that while she can self-sooth when she's feeling good, when she's not we rock her completely to sleep before putting her in bed. None of this is unfixable if it truly becomes an issue, but we'll just have to figure out how to deal with it.

I'm so glad school has started for Lukas because there are so many times that I just feel guilty about completely ignoring him to take care of Corina. He doesn't get it (and I don't expect him to). All he knows is Corina is crying...again. I'm so glad he loves her so much because if he didn't he could easily start to resent her due to how much of my attention she takes and how much she cries.

I am grateful that aside from the reflux, she is the happiest and most laid back baby in the world. She is adorable, smart, and utterly amazing. I cannot wait to see where her life will take her! So for now, lets just try to beat this horrible thing called reflux.

Five Months Old!

2010-09-08T13:16:00.006-05:00

Corina at 5 months:
- is about 15 lbs
- can sit tripod style (8-20-10), and can sit normal if she has the energy to balance herself (although it doesn't last long before she falls over)
- gets up on her hands and knees (8-26-10) and rocks back and forth (8-28-10)
-will lunge across the floor to get to stuff (8-27-10)
-is very conversational. Now that C is "talking" too, our house is getting even louder. She still has quite a ways to go to catch up with Lukas, though.
- loves her flower rattle, her baby doll, and her plastic line book.
- is a paci girl. It took her a while to decide if she truly wanted it or not, but now that she's teething the decision's been made.
- is definitely teething, but it's not bothering her too bad thankfully.
- is beginning to reach for you as you come to pick her up.
- loves to stand.
- has a very easy eating schedule. She eats 2 tbsp cereal and a bottle at wake up, a bottle at noonish, a bottle in the 4:00 hour, and 2 tbsp cereal and a bottle in the 6:00 hour.
- is still on Previcid for reflux.
-is amazingly the most laid back baby I've ever seen. Unless she's in pain from the reflux, she hardly ever cries.
- loves her Mommy, Daddy, and big brother more and more every day!

First Day of School

2010-09-07T12:14:00.003-05:00

Lukas started back to preschool today (9-7-10). He is in Ms. Rosa's 3 year old's class. At Butterfly School the Toddlers and Two's are downstairs, and the Three's and Four's (Pre-K) are upstairs. It was weird to now be climbing the stairs (or taking the elevator when Corina's in her stroller) because it is saying (yet again) that Lukas is growing up. He is going to have so much fun this year, and will be adding Spanish, Art, and P.E. to the list of specials he gets to go to. This year will be challenge in some ways because they no longer nap at school. He will be exhausted from a full day of running around, and will hopefully come home and nap.

Bedhead combined with the desire for "spikey hair" makes an interesting look when he needs a haircut. Ready for school, though!

Ms. Rosa and Lukas already hard at work.

This Week...

2010-08-06T19:35:00.006-05:00

This past week has been it's own special version of crazy. It's not been any one thing in particular, but rather all the little things that have added up. So by today (Friday), I'm DONE! I'll be honest there were a lot of cute moments (and I'll post pictures of those), but most of the other moments were just snowballed crazy.

We started Corina on rice cereal this past Saturday (7-31), and as the days wore on we could tell something was just not right about it. By Tuesday her reflux (or at least what I assume was reflux) had increased again to being closer to actually vomiting than she'd ever been before. Mind you, in the two weeks since she'd started on the Prevacid, her reflux had been TONS better. So on Wednesday (8-4) put a call into the pediatrician's office to find out what to do. Thankfully the advice was simply switch to oatmeal. We did, and she hasn't had any more trouble. So I don't know what it is about rice cereal that doesn't agree with C's system, but I'm not trying it again to find out.

Also on Wednesday Lukas ended up going into the pediatrician for a headache he'd had for several days over his left eye. The result of that appointment is now an appointment with the pediatric ophthalmologist in early September. That result also had Mommy complaining for about a day that the poor kid can't catch a break between the helmet, constant upper respiratory infections, severe asthma, and now maybe glasses! I mean Eric and I both knew that our poor kids didn't stand a chance since every member of the extended family (and beyond) has needed glasses at some point (although most before leaving high school). We were, however, hoping that we wouldn't need to be having this appointment quite so early.

By today (Friday) Eric and I are both exhausted and I'm sick since every night this week, one child or the other has been up and down all night. I am glad that I took pictures to remind me of all the fun we had this week because I'm simply too tired to remember it at this point.

When she just needs a break from all the noise and stimulation that Lukas brings, she gets to play in her crib with her ladybugs for a while.

Corina was having so much fun splashing in the bathtub, I had to try to get it on video. It's a bit dark because there's not much "natural light" in the bathroom.

The picture is dark because I was trying to capture the really cool light up effect that the sword does. I kind of caught it.

They're working on a model catapult.

We're playing Vikings. It was even more fun when Daddy got involved and it became a huge war of epic proportions.

This picture is mainly for Paul and Jennifer. I looked over to find him playing his computer games with his cave hat on. :) Thank you so much!! He loves it!

On Sunday (Aug 1) we said the official goodbye to some of our best friends, the Wages as they move to Abilene to begin a new chapter in their lives. As much as we will miss them, we are also very excited for the new opportunities awaiting them.

I love this picture because it is so representative of their friendship.

Rachel definitely got a better picture of the four of them, but this is the best one I got.

Paizlee and Corina. Sweet new friends.

An Update on the Parents

2010-08-06T19:04:00.002-05:00

I rarely post about Eric and I because the kids are the ones that do all the changing. Eric and I realized a while ago that for the most part we've reached the "boring" stage of lives. We're fairly status quo in our daily lives. A few fun things have happened recently though, so here's a quick update.

Eric and I celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary this past June 28th. It's amazing to think that we've now been married 7 years. We've had Ember (the first cat we adopted) for 6 years, and Melody (the second cat we adopted) for 4 1/2 years. Added to the fact that we have two kids, it's simply amazing. We are truly blessed to still deeply love each other as we do, even after time and life have occurred for 7 years.

Eric started a new job at Rockfish Interactive in mid-July. This new opportunity completely fell in our laps, and happened so fast there was no other way to explain it than to praise God! After being there for a few weeks he is loving it, and we are all feeling blessed by the drastic slow down in pace this change has brought. It's fantastic to actually be able to see him when he gets home instead of simply watching him work more from home after the work day.

After two years teaching the toddlers two days a week, I'm now a full time stay-at-home mom since Corina is not old enough to attend the preschool Lukas attends. This year will show me if I love it or need that part time job back.

Rice Cereal

2010-07-31T10:38:00.003-05:00

We tried rice cereal for the first time this morning (7-31-10). Corina didn't have a huge opinion one way or the other, she just kind of tolerated it.

Prepped and ready to eat some cereal!

Daddy started, and then Mommy finished.

Yummy! By the end she was getting ready for her bottle though.

A Few Random Things

2010-07-31T09:42:00.003-05:00

We recently moved Corina's bath stuff from our bathroom into the kids bathroom. Hanging up their towels on the same rack was simply adorable.

Corina has been simply adorable!

Lukas has been very busy! Most days you can either find him at his craft table or the computer playing games at sesamestreet.org.

I finally got Corina rolling around on video. It took several takes and Lukas being busy playing games (that's the noise in the background), but I finally got it!

4 Months Old!

2010-07-28T15:07:00.004-05:00

Corina is 4 months old! I thought time flew by when Lukas' first year, but now that there are two to keep up with all I have to do is blink and the whole month is gone. It makes me sad in lots of ways because it feels like I don't get to treasure what she's doing as long. As soon as she learn one new skill, she also seems to have learned 5 more in the following week.

Corina at 4 months:
- is 13lbs 13oz
- 25 3/4 inches
- smiles huge smiles at everything and everyone.
- laughs all the time for Daddy, and sometimes for Mommy.
- enjoys watching Brother talk and play around the room, until he gets too loud and then it's a little scary.
- is very laid back. Only reflux, being tired or hungry make her upset.
- grabs at everything. She likes playing with her toys, jewelry, books, and anything else that catches her eye. Since she's starting to put it all in her mouth, she only needs to play with baby toys.
- sleeps on her tummy.
- sleeps at night for 10-12 hours. Lately this has been a little skewed because she's been waking herself up rolling over or because she's been refluxing at night. When she does wake up, she usually wants a bottle to go back to sleep since she's realized that she's hungry.
- is now on Prevacid for reflux. She's only been on it a week (since 7-21), but it has already drastically reduced the amount of spit-up....and crying....and pouty faces....and general sadness that tiny, adorable baby girl simply should NOT have to endure.
- loves her feet. When she's sitting up, she likes to watch them from above. When she's laying down, she likes to hold on to them and watch them from down below. Feet are simply very interesting!
- can roll over from her tummy to her back.
- can roll over from her back to her tummy. The little stinker has yet to let anyone see the actually rolling, only the completed change in position.
- is beginning to intentionally verbalize. She's putting so much effort into making her mouth make and 'oo' sound or an 'ah' sound, and it' so CUTE!
- loves her Mommy, Daddy, and Brother more and more every day!!!

She loves her mirror! That other baby is very entertaining!

I tried for smiles, but the hands tasted too good.

Lukas and Daddy were reading "The Lion King", and Corina was reading "Winnie the Pooh".

She was really tired, so that's why she keeps rubbing her face into the blanket. Poor baby all she wanted to do was go to bed, and Mommy made her play for the video camera.

Medieval Times

2010-07-24T21:22:00.004-05:00

We took our third trip to Medieval Times tonight (7-24-10). We all had fun, but Lukas had a BLAST! He cheered wildly and had a running commentary during the whole thing. He was as much a part of the show this year as an audience member could be. It was hilarious to watch him!

Locked in on the action!

We cheered for the green knight (as designated by our green crowns), who is actually the "bad guy" in this story. He's at the back of the procession.

Corina watched and enjoyed (as much as an almost 4 month old can) a good portion of the show. A few loud bits startled her, and thus resulted in some serious wailing.

So happy!!

Water Safety Day

2010-07-21T20:55:00.003-05:00

Today (7-21-10) was 'water safety day' in swim lessons. They brought out the swim vests, and practiced basic water safety. I think the main point was to make them swim on their own using the float vests. I've gotta say it was probably the cutest swim class with Lukas kicking his legs for all he's worth to be able to swim around. Near the end of class they even got to go swim in the big lap pool. Class is usually held in the shallower leisure pool, so this was a treat.

Lukas' class...Emma, Lukas, and Simon. Emma and Simon are both 4, so Lukas is doing really good to keep up with them.

Goofing off while waiting for their turn to swim.

Lukas is swimming!

Lukas swimming by himself!

This video is very similar to the first one, but it's closer so you can see how fast his legs are moving to make himself go.

Dallas Zoo

2010-07-16T19:12:00.006-05:00

Today (7-16-10) we went to the Dallas Zoo to use our membership for the first time. Other than the temperature being about 100 degrees, the day was great! We bought our refillable drink bottle first thing, and just kept it full.

Lukas ready to go with his very cool sunglasses on!!

Corina ready to go!

Daddy and his kids!

Mommy and her kids!

Corina contemplating the waterfall.

Watching the elephant eat.

Too hot for walking, but Daddy's shoulders work great!

Happy we finally went in some air conditioning.

Doing what they do best....play with computers.

WORN OUT!!

Riding the elephant.

If I could have been out of this picture I would have been, but Mommy hands are needed for Corina to ride the elephant too.

We were envying the penguins swimming pool about now.

Worn out, and too hot!

Lukas is in the middle of the windshield driving.

Lukas driving Daddy....that's scary!

Swim Lessons #1

2010-07-13T20:47:00.003-05:00

Lukas started swim lessons yesterday at the Denton Natatorium. Getting him signed up for the lessons was a fiasco in and of itself that took over a month. Needless to say, when I finally got him signed up, I was ecstatic. He is taking the 3-4 year old class that works on all the different elements of swimming. He is one of 3 students (2 boys and a girl) in his class, and his instructor's name is Lidia.

Lukas Swimming:

3 Months Old

2010-07-01T22:41:00.003-05:00

I can't believe it, but Corina is already 3 months old! Time is passing way too fast! She's able to do so many new things now.

Corina at 3 months:
- weighs about 13 lbs 5 oz
- is about 24.5 inches long (my own measurement)
- gives out smiles to most everyone who smiles at her.
- laughs occasionally and most often at Daddy (started on 6-19-10)
- started rolling over, but often get so frustrated trying to roll over that she can't. (first rolled over 6-29-10)
- is now reaching for things. Get ready world, the baby hands are coming!
- thinks mirrors are very interesting.
- loves reading her "crinkle"books
- hasn't decided if she's a "paci girl" or not. She usually wants the paci when she's sleepy, but not any other time.
- loves her brother to distraction! She will watch him and smile huge smiles.
- eats 4-5 6 oz bottles daily
- sleeps 10-12 hours at night and likes to take 4-5 hours worth of naps during the day (not all at once of course)
- is extremely laid back unless she has gas or is overstimulated and tired.
- loves Mommy and Daddy more and more every day!!

Morning Activities

2010-07-01T13:35:00.000-05:00

Last week I wanted to record Corina playing on her blanket. In her video you will hear Lukas making so much noise trying to get my attention. I am ignoring him, so I can focus on not shaking the camera. However because I'm ignoring him, he doesn't stop. At one point he does ask to be in the video too, which is the sole purpose of the second video. He needed to have a video of him as well, so he chose to sing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star".

Corina's Video

Lukas' Video

Potty Training Bootcamp

2010-06-22T08:35:00.004-05:00

Father's Day weekend we decided to get serious about potty training. So we packed up the pull ups and diapers (except at nap and bedtime), and picked out some cool "big boy" underwear. We got out the sticker chart and prizes and were set to go. Friday he went to the bathroom about every 30 min, since he wasn't used to having to hold it at all. He went through all 6 pairs of his underwear due to accidents, and by the end of the day I was EXHAUSTED. Saturday he went to the bathroom about every hour. He still went through all his underwear due to accidents. Sunday went about the same as Saturday, but he had fewer accidents! Monday he had even fewer accidents, Tuesday he only had one, and Wednesday on he hasn't had any!

Poop had it's own crazy story. Saturday and Sunday the poop went in his underwear, so Monday I was determined to get him to poop in the potty. On and off all day I read books to him on the potty for as long as I could keep him on the toilet. At one point Corina needed a bottle, so in an effort to keep Lukas on the toilet I put my computer on the floor in front of him with a movie on. That worked for about a minute, and then he was off and gone. After Corina had eaten her bottle and fallen asleep (I was still holding her), Lukas came running up to me holding his bottom and said, "Mommy, I have to POOP!" I told him to potty while jumping up to put Corina down. As I pass Lukas just standing in the bathroom naked I tell him to get on the toilet, and he says, "I CAN'T!" (about as sad as he could...I think he was trying so hard to hold it in that he couldn't move anymore). At that point I run to C's room to unceremoniously dump her in her bed (somehow she stays asleep), run back into the bathroom to put L on the toilet, run back into C's room to put on her blanket and close her door, and go back in to read books with L. As I sit down beside him on the edge of the bathtub I almost burst out laughing because I've never been (and will only be once again...with C) this excited about poop ever! Needless to say, he did his business and hasn't had issues with it since. He actually really performs it since it usually ends in "tada! my poop!"

Since I'm getting this post finished almost 2 weeks after we did our bootcamp, I'm happy to report that Lukas is doing fantastically well! He tells us when he needs to go, and holds it until we get there. And this was tested greatly on the road trip we took. We even put him in a pull up, just to save ourselves the trouble of a bunch of wet clothes in case we couldn't get somewhere safe to stop in time. But he always held it!! He's even been keeping his pull up dry at naptime, so he's about to start wearing underwear to bed at naptime. His bedtime diaper is even getting drier, so we're even making progress at night! He is amazing!

Showing off the new "big boy" underwear!

Daddy and Lukas building a model train.

Mommy and Lukas building a castle.

Corina smiling. She just kind of hung out during this whole crazy potty training thing.

Daddy being silly while Corina sleeps. She'll know better next time.

Outdoor Fun!

2010-06-11T11:52:00.006-05:00

Summer is here! Most mornings Lukas ends up outside for at least an hour. He somehow manages to want to come back inside about 10:30 everyday. I don't know if he instinctively knows that Dinosaur Train on PBS or what. Anyway, when it's not too sunny Corina and I join Lukas outside. I'm hoping to get Corina a little baby tent, so she can enjoy the outside without being in the sun.

I undid her hat straps because her hat kept moving since she was so wiggly because of the wind.

He's showing her a flower.

Saturday we set up his pool for the first time!

He is playing with a dinosaur on the faucet.

Dallas World Aquarium

2010-06-06T22:24:00.004-05:00

We celebrated Memorial Day (May 31) this year by visiting the Dallas World Aquarium. It was Corina's first trip to the aquarium. I can't say she loved it, since being only 2 months old she really didn't care. However she did enjoy all the different colors and sounds. Lukas, of course, enjoyed everything. At one point he heard music that sounded to him like a whale, and that put him on a whale hunt. I was afraid about 5 minutes into the trip that he wasn't going to even try to enjoy the aquarium because he was sitting in the stroller (he refused to walk because the stroller was quicker) determined to find the whale. Thankfully he decided that all the other animals and fish were worth seeing, especially since there is no whale at the aquarium. The alligators might have been his favorite part of the trip, but to know for sure you'd have to ask him since his answer changes every 5 minutes.

Papa, Mimi, Lukas, and Corina ready to visit the aquarium.

Family picture with some pretty plants.

What more could a "geek in training" ask for than touchscreens?!

Corina wanted to be held most of the time so she could SEE!

He's pointing out the large lizard in there.

Looking and listening is exhausting!

The Swayne boys are looking at fish.

Lukas found a book and a chair in the gift shop. Who needs to buy it when you can read it right there?!

2 Months Old!

2010-05-27T12:22:00.004-05:00

Corina is TWO months old already! She has added an aspect to our lives we didn't know was missing, but now couldn't live without. Lukas is an amazing big brother. He won't let anyone even pretend to take her away. He is very protective. When Lukas talks she turns her head until she finds him, even if she's turning her head halfway behind her. I'm so glad they love each other so much!

Corina at 2 months:
- weighs 11 lbs 6 oz
- is 23 1/4 in tall
- is tracking really well
- smiles at more and more people/things. Currently the monkey on her bouncy seat is hilarious because she always smiles and stares at it when she's sitting there.
- sleeps 8-10 hours at night. Only rarely does she wake up in the middle of the night to eat.
- is now formula fed. She eats about 6-8 4 oz bottles in a day.
- coos and makes other fun noises all the time. She's pretty noisy already, so that has me a bit worried for when she actually starts to talk.
- can lift her head and shoulders off the floor for short bits of time.
- has a death grip on things that come into her grasp. Watch out if you have long hair or long earrings...it hurts! And no delicate necklaces.
- loves her bouncy seat and the floor to watch the fan, but she will tolerate her swing...sometimes.
- isn't a huge fan of her carseat. Car trips are usually filled with crying if she's not asleep.
- loves Mommy, Daddy, and big Brother more and more every day!!

Adorable baby girl!

showing off those smiles

lifting her head

Brother and Sister

Lukas in his fort.

Corina's First Trip

2010-05-25T14:00:00.006-05:00

This past weekend (5/20 - 5/23) we went to visit Mema and Grandad in Houston. We had so much fun!

Grandad and Corina

Corina is watching the playplace at the mall. So much to see!

Lukas striking a pose at the playplace.

Mema and her favorite kids.

C and L dressed up for Sunday church. These are their Easter outfits, although only L actually wore it on Easter.

the Swaynes

"Danger, Danger Will Robinson!" Ok, so this is probably only funny to us.

Mema and Grandad with their favorite kids.

Mommy and her favorite daughter.

a picture we don't often get...us.

Daddy and Lukas playing dinosaurs at Cheesecake Factory.

One day he'll realize that he's only getting the whipped cream part of the cheesecake, but until then whipped cream with sprinkles is his dessert.

Mema and Corina

The boys walking by the waterway.

Daddy getting smiles out of his daughter.

Cute Overload

2010-05-13T11:54:00.005-05:00

Corina started smiling this past Sunday (Mother's Day, 5-9-10)! Since then I've been able to catch a few on camera.

Sorry this is a bit dark. Natural light doesn't go very far at night.

Mother's Day 2010

I have the best kids in the world!

Corina also started sitting in the bumbo seat.

Lukas had to try it out as well. Sadly he likes it so much, that we finally had to put consequences on him sitting in it.

Tackling Daddy is one of the best games!

Comparison

2010-05-10T10:45:00.005-05:00

I'm amazed at how much Lukas and Corina look alike.

Lukas

Corina

Lukas

Corina

Lukas

Corina

Monster Faces

2010-05-03T16:49:00.003-05:00

I won't pretend to understand, but Lukas told me he was making monster faces when I took these pictures. If these are his monster faces, he's bound to be the cutest monster ever!

I don't think this one was still a monster face, but he sure is cute.

I couldn't make a post without including a picture of her. She's dressed up for church.

Pictures and Videos

2010-04-30T13:23:00.004-05:00

Since I didn't attach any pictures to their development update posts, here they are.

Reading his dinosaur book.

Daddy and Lukas playing his new Ni Hao Ki Lan Wii game.

This picture would have made a lot more sense if I could have taken it without the flash. So deciding between seeing Lukas in the picture and the picture on the wall, I voted for the cute kid. He's playing with his View Master projector.

playing dinosaurs

Sleeping on our bed is sometimes the only way I'll get a nap.

She's getting so strong.

Gazing intently at something.

Watching her mobile for the first time. She thought it was fantastic.

Lukas is washing his cars in his car wash.

Corina raising her head.

1 Month Old!

2010-04-28T22:14:00.002-05:00

Corina celebrated her 1 month birthday this past Tuesday (April 27th). I think I always say this, but I can't believe a month has gone by already. We are still adjusting to being a family of four. I won't say it's easy, but it is such a blessed feeling to have TWO amazing children.

Corina at 1 month:
- weighs 9lbs 10oz
- is breastfed....which is an accomplishment for me because I was unable to breastfeed Lukas.
- eats every 2-3 hours during the day
- sleeps 6-8 hours at night. Since Lukas was such a great sleeper, I keep waiting for her to not sleep well. I am keeping my fingers crossed, though, that she'll keep this up.
- has at least 30 minutes of awake time after each feeding.
- likes to look at contrast light and dark and lines. Lights are fascinating right now, but as long as it's a contrast she'll study it.
- studies what she looks at. She doesn't just gaze at things, she looks at and studies them.
- knows Mommy, Daddy, and Lukas' voices.
- will turn her head toward sounds. She especially likes to find and look at Lukas when he's talking.
- can hold her head up for about 15 seconds at a time.
- has some hilarious expressions.
- is unfortunately very gassy. Aside from being hungry, this is about the only thing that makes her wail.
- loves her Mommy, Daddy, and Brother every day!

Celebrating

2010-04-26T09:09:00.006-05:00

We celebrated Lukas' 3rd birthday with a trip to the mall on his birthday to do all the fun things we don't usually do. So he was treated to a carousel ride, riding several coin rides, and eating a very yummy lunch. We took a few phone pictures, so the quality is not very good.

This past Saturday (April 24, 2010) we had his party. He received some fantastic gifts! We had planned his party for a local park, but when we got there to set up realized that park was being used for a walk or fundraiser of some sort. There was no parking, and the park itself was packed. So we quickly changed plans to have it at the elementary school playground near our house. The kids had a blast!

Here's only a tiny (and I mean tiny, Ashley went a bit crazy with the camera) sampling of photos from Lukas' dinosaur themed party. If you attended you were photographed.

Friends: Olivia, Joshua, Kaleb, and Lukas

Brontosaurus birthday cupcake cake. It was yummy!

Kaleb, Lukas, and Joshua trying to blow out the candles. Since it was in the back of the van (due to lack of a table) it was kind of hard for them to blow out.

The boys eating cupcakes and drinking lemonade.

Corina and Paizlee hanging out at the party.

Afternoon Activities

2010-04-21T16:05:00.003-05:00

The past couple of afternoons our activities have been:

breathing treatments for Lukas,

and sleeping for Corina.

3 Years Old!

2010-04-19T14:38:00.004-05:00

Lukas at 3 years old:
- weighs 27.4 lbs
- is 38 inches tall
- enjoys playing with friends, dinosaurs, school, games (or at least his version of them), science, cars, books (especially the cd read along kind that he can "read" himself), playing outside, playing on the computer, and his favorite tv shows.
- knows the routine for everything he does, and wants to be in charge of it.
- is very curious. We have some wild and crazy discussions while trying to explain the things he asks about (which is pretty much everything).
- is have listening difficulties both at home and at school. He's definitely entered the "I don't care what you say, I'm doing it my way" stage.
- knows all his phonics. He's beginning to sound out words, especially if someone directs what letter to sound out next in a word.
- seems to know everything. I feel like I haven't taught him any of the concrete things he knows. He only seems to need Mommy and Daddy explanations to understand concepts.
- can name and describe half a dozen or more dinosaurs.
- is currently working to add cutting and gluing responsibly to his list of accomplishments.
- has an amazing imagination. Listen to him long enough, and you'll hear some very interesting things. :)
- is an amazing big brother!
- loves his Mommy and Daddy more and more every day!

Bluebonnet Pictures 2010

2010-04-14T20:27:00.004-05:00

This year we found a huge field of bluebonnets across from Eric's office to take pictures in. Thankfully (even with a uncooperative almost 3 year old) we got good ones of everyone.

Amazingly the best picture of Lukas was when he tripped and fell, then started laughing about it.

He was so ready for her to be out of his lap, but he cooperated enough to give her a sweet kiss.

It was so sunny that no matter how we placed her, there were shadows.

Playing with Friends

2010-04-09T08:40:00.004-05:00

Kaleb and Lukas playing cars.

Addison, Alex, and Lukas on the playground after school.

Corina and Paizlee hanging out.

We are all so blessed by our many friendships! We thank each and every one of our friends for being exactly who you are!

Easter 2010

2010-04-05T23:48:00.006-05:00

Aren't they cute?!

My little model!

So pretty!

He is waiting for his surprises (his Easter baskets).

Swayne family of FOUR!

This is the routine Lukas went through during his egg hunt.

Amazing!

2010-04-03T21:29:00.007-05:00

I have got to be the most blessed woman in the world! I have two amazing children who are healthy (well Lukas tries to be at least), beautiful/handsome, and perfect!! I simply cannot believe that God blessed me so much twice. Lukas is an amazing big brother. He is certainly in the "I need attention" phase of Corina being born, but he is so sweet and gentle with her. I can't wait to see how their relationship develops over the years. I hope that one day Corina loves and appreciates her big brother the same way he loves her.

Lukas holding Corina for the first time by himself.

He is playing cars with her.

Reading her a book.

He is showing her his wind up alligator.

Lukas being silly. (Sorry about the odd orientation, but it uploaded funny.)

Corina at one week old.