What we've been up to

Now that I'm back at work, it's much more difficult for me to keep up with posting, but I'm going to do my best to keep up with it as much as possible.  So here's what we have all been up to...
Dad
Brandon has been really busy with work. He has a new position and has basically been doing his new job plus his old job since the beginning of August. He is finally starting to transition into just his new job so things for him should slow down a little bit. He thinks he is really going to enjoy his new position (he is managing and in charge of everything related to the downtown underground power system). He won't have to travel as much, but he will have to work some weekends and week nights.
Mom
I have been back at work about a month now and the transition has gone pretty smoothly for the most part. I am switching my hours at work to a 36 hour a week schedule to give us a little more flexibility. I will still be full time, but will be able to leave early a few days a week to pick up the boys and will be able to go in a little later so that I can drop them off each morning. I think just having those few hours a week of flexibility will really help with making everything a little more manageable. I do miss the boys during the day, but have enjoyed getting back into the swing of things with work. I love everyone I work with so it has been great to see everyone again! We are also really busy so it does make the day go by really quickly. I have also been doing Weight Watchers online for the past 8 weeks. I decided I needed some help to get rid of the rest of the baby weight. I have lost 18 lbs so far and am doing my best to stick with it.
Grant
Grant has moved to Ms. Crystal's 3 year old class at school and he really loves it. He has been doing great and adjusting well to everything. He really loves having Colton at school with him:) He is starting a computer class at school this month and is continuing to do his gymnastics/tumbling class. He loves music day, which is every Friday, all of the arts and crafts and playing outside on the playground. He also starts soccer with the YMCA today and will have games/practice every Monday and Saturday for the next 5 weeks. He is really excited about soccer and I really hope it goes well! He had an ear infection a couple of weeks ago and he is finally over that. He is learning to be more gentle around his baby brother and is really sweet with him most of the time:)
Colton
He is continuing to grow and is even moving towards 6 months clothes. He has adjusted so well to daycare and really seems to like his teachers, Ms. Dorothy and Ms. Charlotte. He loves watching the older kids and gets lots of attention from everyone. He is still sleeping and eating well and on Thursday night, rolled over for the first time. He rolls better from his back to his tummy, but is starting to learn to push himself over too when he is on his tummy. He has even started rolling over to his side and sleeping that way now.  He really loves grabbing and reaching for toys and sucks on his hands all of the time! He loves watching his brother and anyone that is wearing a ball cap. He also loves swinging on the front porch and both he and Grant love the one-on-one time they get during the week with MaMaw.

So yes, our life is pretty busy and crazy right now, but somehow it all really seems like everything is just as it is meant to be.

Really tired after spending all of his energy learning to roll over:)

3 months!

Colton reached the 3 month mark on Saturday and he is really growing! I feel like he has grown a ton since 2 months! He is probably getting close to 14 lbs now. He is wearing 3 months clothes and size 2 diapers. He still eats 5 1/2-6 ozs every 3 hours during the day and is consistently sleeping all night! That has been great since I am now back at work so I hope he keeps that up! He's starting to get a little bit more on a nap routine at daycare but still isn't very consistent with that yet.

He smiles and "talks" a lot now and can even laugh out loud. He loves sucking on his hands and is still a huge fan of his pacifier. He can grab and hold rattles now and loves playing with those interlocking rings.

He is getting more and more interactive and loves watching Grant as well as the older kids at daycare play. He is the youngest one at daycare right now so he is getting lots of love and attention from everyone!

He is doing great holding his head up and pushing up on his tummy. He's always been a strong little baby! He is still very laid back and easy going and so far is much more calm than his big brother:)

He is the perfect addition to our family and has really made our family feel complete.

Look at these sweet brothers!

Lots of changes...but we are all surviving!

I went back to work last Thursday and we have been busy, busy, busy! It's definitely going to take some time and adjustment to get used to our new routine and schedule! MaMaw came to stay with Colton last Thursday and Friday and then he started daycare on Monday. Grant was so excited to have Colton going to school with him, but there were lots of tears from me on the way there on Monday morning. I am very happy to say that Colton is adjusting very well. He is usually smiling and watching the other kids when I leave him each morning so that makes it easier. His teachers have said that he is doing really well and Grant gets to go in and visit him a few times during the day:) MaMaw is going to come once a week and rotate keeping Grant or Colton for the day and MiMi is also going to start coming some during the week so that will give them some one-on-one time during the week too which will be great.

Brandon's work schedule has changed so I am taking them each morning and going in to work later and Brandon is picking them up. Getting used to the new schedule, getting myself and the boys out the door by 7:15, and Brandon getting off work on time to pick them up hasn't been the easiest task and we are still working on making the schedule work. There are also so many chores to do in the evenings now (washing bottles, making dinner, doing laundry, getting everything ready for the next day, bath time and bed time x2) but we are still trying to spend as much quality time with the boys as possible. I have been really busy at work so that does help the day go by more quickly and it keeps me from thinking about how Colton is doing all day. I have to say that it has been great to see everyone at work again, but it has been just as difficult to leave Colton as it was to leave Grant.

I do feel so fortunate though to have such a great place for both of them to go each day and family available to help us out. Ultimately I know they are both fine...playing, learning and growing all day long.

Monday morning about to leave for his first day at daycare

Grant couldn't be more excited to have Colton at school with him!

Happy Birthday GiGi!

Last Sunday we were all really excited to celebrate GiGi's 80th Birthday!!

Loving cousins:) (Not the easiest pic to get!)

Am I seriously suppose to leave this sweet face?

That is the question I have been asking myself all week. Today is my last day before I have to enter the working world again:( I really can't believe it has already been 12 weeks! Colton has really grown so much and is developing the cutest little personality. He smiles, laughs and "talks" to me all of the time now when I smile and talk to him. I have really enjoyed all of my bonding time with Colton this summer and all of the special activities that we have been able to do with Grant.

It definitely isn't any easier to go back to work the second time even though I know Colton will be just fine. I mean I even have some proof this time...everything has worked out fine with Grant! I worry about missing out on things and figuring out a routine for taking care of 2 kids with 2 working parents, but I know people do it everyday including our own parents so I know it is possible. We are so fortunate to have the help of our families, which definitely helps in making it all possible! MaMaw is coming to stay with Colton for the rest of this week and then he will start daycare on Monday. I know he is going to have a great time here with MaMaw just like Grant does and ultimately I know he will be fine at daycare. He's going to love watching the other kids and he will be the youngest baby there for now so I know he will get lots of love and attention. Colton is a pretty easy going baby and is very kissable, loveable and hugable!

Brandon and I have had to switch our work hours around because of Brandon's new position at work so I will be dropping off and he will be picking up. I know Monday morning will probably have lots of tears for me and is going to be much more difficult for me than Colton. Grant is so excited that Colton will be going to his school and it does make me happy that Colton will see a familiar face. Colton has also been visiting daycare everyday since he was 1 week old when we pick up Grant so everyone there has been watching him grow each day! I know in no time, he will get used to everyone and will love it there just like Grant does.

Colton and I have spent this last week with lots of quality time together. We went to visit MiMi and GiGi on Monday and have just been hanging out at home together and playing for the past 2 days. Grant has gone to school and has done lots of fun activities so far this week including gymnastics class (where he learned to do a handstand using the wall to prop up his legs!), bible stories, craft day and he got to take a favorite outside toy to play with today. He took his scooter and was very excited about that. We've had lots of fun playing together and going on walks as a family in the afternoon and evenings this week so it has been a great last few days of freedom before I have to go back to work.

My sweet baby

A few iPhone pics...

Learning new tricks

 Mommy loves you so much!

A day at the beach at the lake

On Friday, we took a family trip to Lake Lure for the day. MiMi came with us and we met Aunt Kelli, Uncle Heath and Hannah there. Colton spent the day with MaMaw since it was going to be a little too hot for him. It was my first time being away from Colton for most of the day and he had a really good day with MaMaw. It was good to have a little bit of practice with that since I have to go back to work this week, which I'm sure is going to be much harder for me than for him!

They have a nice beach area at Lake Lure with a big swim area, water pad and water slides. We thought it would be a fun way for Grant to get to spend some time at the beach since we aren't going on our yearly beach trip this year and he always has so much fun playing with Hannah.

We really had a fun day. Grant loved playing in the sand and Hannah is like a little fish in the water. We also had a birthday party for Brandon and Brandon and I actually got to relax a little.

We drove up to Chimney Rock for dinner and went for a short walk on the river before coming back home. It really was a nice day trip!

Happy Birthday Dad/Uncle Brandon!

Grant really enjoyed playing in the sand.

The mountains were beautiful. 

We ate dinner outside overlooking the river.

These two have lots of fun together!

Taking a short walk by the river.

Grant wanted to take this one last picture before we left. This is where he wanted to take it...check out the nice curtain behind him:)

The Airplane Museum!

So Grant has really been into airplanes lately and I've been wanting to do something special just for him so on Sunday we went to the Carolinas Aviation Museum in Charlotte. MiMi kept Colton so that we could just focus on Grant for the afternoon. It was a huge airplane hanger that was filled with different airplanes and helicopters, some of which you could sit it. They also had a huge exhibit about the Miracle on the Hudson, which was really neat to see. Grant did think the airplanes were cool and really enjoyed it for about the first 30 mins and then he was ready to go buy one of the toy airplanes we saw in the gift shop when we came in...it's difficult to have a long attention span at 3:) We did have a fun afternoon and I think Grant's favorite thing was getting 2 new toy airplanes!

Sitting in a Cessna airplane

The US Airways Airbus A320 that landed on the Hudson River

Checking out the cockpit on a Boeing

Learning about a Phantom fighter jet

Landing gear on a Boeing 747