Bye Bye 2013!

Bye 2013!  It's been a great year.  Full of highs and lows, but 2013 brought us our little "baby Luke" and we couldn't be happier for that!  It's hard for us to imagine what life was like before Luke came along.  He helps complete our little family.  The year brought challenges and adjustments as we went from a family of 3 to 4, but we really had a wonderful year.

Here are some of our highlights:

• Luke arrived in February! :)
• Meredith became a big sister.
• Meredith moved to a big bed (and bedroom), leaving Luke to use her old crib.
• I hit the big 3-0!
• Meredith got her first professional haircut.
• Meredith is potty trained (with the exception of some naps and nighttime).
• Meredith now has all of her baby teeth.
• Luke has 4 teeth!
• We took the kids on a few short/mini-vacation trips:  Fon du Lac Farm Park in East Peoria and Curtis Apple Orchard in Champaign.
• Luke ended the year by beginning to finally crawl on 12/13, then began pulling up on Christmas morning (on top of one of his gifts).
• The Prentice's have entered the 21st century.  Yes, that's right...we purchased smart phones about a month ago.  It was a sign when both of my parents got one and knew more about them than I did.

I looked back at my blog post from this time last year and I can see that Chad and I didn't fully stick to our new year's resolutions.  I wanted to eliminate soda completely from my diet.  I now drink tea everyday to get my caffeine fix, but will occasionally have Sprite when eating out or very rarely Mountain Dew.  Not too shabby for a soda-lover like myself.  Chad wanted to read more and run more.  We are getting rid of Direct TV at the beginning of the year (both as cost-savings and as a way to break a bad habit of watching too much), so maybe he will read more this year.

I can't wait to see all that 2014 has in store for our family.

Potty Training Update

I guess it's about time I give an update on how Meredith is doing with her potty training.  This will also help serve as a reminder for me when I train Luke in the future :)  I started the process back in July (refer to my prior post here) and I think things are really sinking in now.  It's been a long few months!  I tried to do a one-day method and it was a total failure.  People have told me that when they are ready to be potty trained, you will know.  Boy, were they right!  After several months of keeping her in a diaper, yet still taking her to the potty all throughout the day, I was totally exhausted!  I knew I had to keep her in panties and deal with some accidents in order for her to really understand, but I was still reluctant.  I didn't want to deal with the mess!  She seemed to do okay with poops on the potty, but wasn't consistent at all with pees and would tell me right after she went (or sometimes we would just discover the mess).  I finally went out and bought some training pants, which was essentially plastic panties that you put over her panties that is supposed to contain the mess.  Well, it definitely helped but certainly didn't contain the mess.  I lost my temper so much with Meredith with all the accidents she had and have so many regrets with how I acted towards her during this time.  I am a work in progress with my patience, that's for sure!  Ironically, once Chad and I started praying about it, the better she did.

About two weeks ago was when things really clicked for Meredith.  Chad was in the bathroom downstairs and Meredith apparently needed to get in and potty.  She didn't make it in time and there was a small mess right outside the bathroom door.  She felt really bad, almost in tears, about it.  This was when we think it clicked - she never used to get that upset about having an accident before (she would tell us she was sorry, but it wasn't very heartfelt) and never would be close to the bathroom door when it happened.  It's almost as if she was telling us, "I was trying to get to the bathroom and I'm so sorry that I had an accident."  From that moment on, she has been doing great!  We still have accidents here and there, but nothing like before.  I still need to remind her to go potty, but she does often initiate it.  Right around this time, she also started staying dry for her naps and at nighttime.  I would say that 5 out of 7 nights during the week she is completely dry after 12-13 hours.  Amazing!  Ironically, we just got Luke sleeping through the night and then Meredith calls out to us at all hours of the night (anywhere from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m.) telling us she has to potty.  We are still trying to figure out how to handle that - do we teach her to go in the middle of the night with little to no lighting and getting up and down off a tall bed herself or just have her go in her diaper?  She does pretty well with the logistics (getting up on the potty herself, wiping, etc.), but still struggles with getting certain pants on and off.  One day, both kids will sleep through the night at the same time :)

One thing that helped us was getting rid of her little potty chair.  I bought a toilet training seat and just have her step up to it.  It's less messy and I think it empowers her too.  She wants to be just like mommy and daddy.

I really have never figured out a good reward system.  For a while, I was using her library books as a reward.  If she had a good day, she could read her books.  If she had an accident, they were taken away for the day.  What seemed to help was when I made up a potty chart that gave her a reward after "x" number of potties.  After 7 successful pees on the potty, she would get a reward.  These rewards consisted of Dollar Tree items such as Winnie the Pooh matching cards, Sesame Street books, coloring books, etc.  It was a real hit!  I would take away one sticker for every accident she had.  For poops in the potty, I would give her a little piece of chocolate (I bought a bag of chocolates that you put in chocolate chip cookies).  This method seemed to work pretty good.  I found that as she got better, she was getting rewards every few days.  I wanted to stretch out the rewards, so I eventually only gave her stickers when she told me she had to go and she went in and finished the process from start to finish with little to no help from me.  As you can see, she eventually got stickers for this and I let her put them wherever she wanted to on the chart.  Because of this, she never asks for rewards anymore, so I simply give her a sticker when she potties and she either puts it on her shirt or on the chart.  I still give her chocolate for poops, but eventually need to phase this out too or else she will have a mouth full of cavities at her first dentist visit next year.

All of the stickers she can choose from!

I am just now getting to the point of letting her go out in public in panties.  This past Sunday she asked if she could go to church in panties and we said yes.  She stayed dry!  I'm not sure when we will be brave enough to let her go all night without a diaper.  We still have a ways to go on this whole process, but I feel like the worst is behind us (for now!).

Haircut

So, this is what 4 inches looks like.  I keep thinking I want to get an entirely new hairstyle, maybe shorter with bangs, but I always go back to the same ole thing....just getting a few inches cut off and no bangs.  Maybe one day I'll be more adventurous :)

Since Luke's been here, the chances of me straightening my hair are slim to none.  Maybe once a month if I'm lucky.  Since it's naturally wavy, I usually just gel or mousse it and I'm good to go.  I just can't find the time to blow dry it and then straighten it, especially with our hectic mornings.  So, I was really surprised when I straightened it yesterday and saw how long it really was!

Before

After

Halloween Time

We had a great Halloween with both kiddos!  Luke reminded us of how Meredith was that first year - very unaware of what was going on.  I took the kids to the library in the morning, then we went to the mall and around our neighborhood later that evening.  By far, the most fun was walking around the neighborhood.  Thankfully, the rain held off just long enough for us to hit most houses on our street.  It was so fun to see Meredith knock on the door and say trick or treat.  She, of course, wanted to grab lots of candy when the neighbors just handed her the bucket and let her choose.  Our next door neighbor was so sweet and in addition to candy, gave Meredith a puzzle and Luke a football.  So kind!

I planned to have them go as Pebbles and Bam-Bam, but I never got the costumes made and it probably would have been too chilly in Illinois to make it work.  Here are some pictures of our little owl and tigger:

You can even see Tigger's tail in this picture :)

Luke was finished at this point.

A little blurry, but this was taken at the mall.  Luke was so tired!

Trip to the Apple Orchard

Late last month we planned to take a "mini vacation" to see my brother in Carbondale.  We strive to take a vacation (however big or small) each year with the kids.  Last year we went to Wisconsin and Minnesota, but we wanted to do something on a much smaller scale this time.  It's a good way to also let us unwind and make sure Chad takes vacation from work, since it's so hard to get in the Monday through Friday routine and never feel like you can miss a meeting.  Our plans were to go to Flora for the Halloween parade/Fall festival and then head to Carbondale and spend time with my brother while also allowing the kids to "swim" at a hotel.  Well, after two really rough nights of sleep for Luke in Flora, we decided that all four of us trying to sleep in a hotel room may just make us crazy....okay, may make mommy crazy!

So, instead we stopped off at Curtis Orchard in Champaign on the way back home and had a blast!  I'm really happy we didn't end up in Carbondale because we may have missed out on this impromptu experience.

Meredith entertaining herself on the drive down to Flora.

Chad's handiwork at getting a picture of Luke while we're driving (he is directly behind Chad in the passenger seat, rear facing).

The kids with Great-Grandma Reed.  I found it creepy that I don't know who's hands are on Meredith in this picture!

Hanging out with Great-Grandma Perry.

Luke and Grandma Perry at the parade.

Meredith with Great-Aunt Carolyn and Casey.  She LOVED that dog!

Luke getting a sink bath.

Our little piggy.

Meredith looked at this picture and said, "Mom's a cow; I'm a pig".  Gee, thanks!

We weren't sure how she would do riding a pony, since she tends to scare pretty easy, but she loved it!

My big girl!

This chair is just the right size for Chad :)

We decided to splurge (I would never spend that much for apples) and pick our own apples to take home.  To say Meredith was crazy excited would be an understatement.

Showing off her apple.

Good thing Daddy is tall!

She was fearless walking over the apples on the ground.

Now we have apples for homemade apple sauce and apple pie!

Luke was indifferent to the experience! :)

They're a Growin'

Luke and Meredith posing at Rader Farms Pumpkin Patch.  Luke looks almost as big as Meredith here.

What an explosive change has happened over the past month or so.  The kids are growing up FAST right before our very eyes.  Since I'm with them 24/7, you would think that I might not notice the changes quite so much as someone that only sees them every so often.  Just the opposite is true.  Meredith is constantly amazing us with her new vocabulary and the start of imaginative play she has begun with her dolls/stuffed animals.  Luke is growing like a weed and though he's not crawling yet (he doesn't even show a desire to), he is getting tall and beginning to babble like crazy.  Here are some random updates for both kids:

Meredith
Did I mention she is talking like crazy?  Well, she is.  Today while making supper, I had to tell her to stop talking for a minute.  I couldn't think straight!!!!  Here are some funnies that she has said to us recently:

• Chad was putting Meredith to bed recently and she told him she wanted to hold Jesus.  He told her that she could hold Him in her heart.  She then said, "I love Jesus so much" and "All my friends love Jesus, too."

• During a drive in the minivan, I heard her say from the backseat, "Move out of the way."  I asked her who she was talking to and she said, "The other cars."  Also, when I occasionally honk at another car or say something under my breath, she always asks me what's wrong.  She is definitely a sponge!

• Yesterday I overheard her tell her doll to "Be quiet and go to sleep."  Wonder where she got that from (she will often take an hour to fall asleep because she just keeps talking)!

• She is really into a Bible Storybook that I received at my baby shower.  It has rhyming Bible stories and she is fascinated by it.  We hear her talk about Jonah and Nineveh (that's a really funny word to hear her say) and she tells us she likes Goliath (we keep telling her he is the bad guy).  Her favorite story is "The Lost Boy" about when Jesus stays behind in the temple.

Mommy and Meredith after one of her stories before naptime.  

We have been more aggressive with potty training.  For at least 6-7 weeks now, I have been keeping her in a diaper, but still taking her to the potty.  It didn't work as well as I hoped, so last week we put her in panties, with the exception of sleep times and church.  We've had a lot of accidents, but I think we are making progress.  This week, she went two days completely dry and even woke up from a 3 1/2 hour nap DRY!  However, this is with me reminding her and taking her to the potty.  She still needs to be able to tell me she needs to go.  It's still a long road ahead, but God is teaching me a lot about patience through this entire progress.

Here's an action shot of Meredith running through the house in her panties.  This is how she has been dressed a lot over the past week.

Recently, Meredith has really gotten into playing "mommy" to her dolls.  She also asks, without any prompting, to feed Luke a bottle.  He's not too sure about it.

At Rader Farms this year, Meredith was a pro with riding the "train".  Last year, she screamed during the ride.

What a little ham!

Luke

He is growing up way too fast!  He will be 8 months next week.  Seems impossible.  Over the past month, he has gotten his two bottom teeth.  It's amazing how I keep comparing him and Meredith.  It's so hard not to.  She was 8 months before she got a tooth, so he has her beat in that category.  However, looking back at videos of Meredith at his age, shows that she was quicker to begin crawling and exploring.  He is usually pretty content just sitting up playing with the toys within his reach.  I've tried placing toys further away in hopes that he will learn to crawl, but if he can't reach it he just doesn't worry about it or gets fussy.  He's not a fan of tummy time, so that's probably part of it.  He has been taking longer naps (finally more than 30 minutes) for me and even begun occasionally sleeping all throughout the night because he has discovered how to sleep on his belly.  Finally!  

This week he has begun to roll like crazy.  If you place him on his back, he will just roll around on the floor to get things.  It's funny to watch!  He also loves bathtime and recently learned how to splash....enough to get the bathroom floor wet!  Chad and I were talking about the kids' personalities - we're thinking Meredith is more like Chad was as a kid, being very bubbly and social butterfly, whereas Luke is a bit more like I was as a kid, very reserved and quiet.  It will be interesting to see how Luke's personality develops.

He didn't actually pull himself up here, but he is learning to balance on his legs.

This is typical Luke.  Sitting up straight as a board, chewing on something!

Mommy and her little man.

Since I can't put bows in his hair, I was trying a new hairstyle on him.  

He has started to self feed, things like puffs and toast.  He also is doing fairly well with a sippy cup.

Us

The main update for Chad and me is that we have joined a small group at church.  The group consists of four other couples, three of which we already knew.  We have wanted to be in a small group for quite sometime, but have never found a good fit because of the kids' schedules.  It's nice, because we have a few hours on Sunday with a babysitter to watch the kids, allowing time for us to grow with others in Christ.

Baby Dedication

This past weekend, we dedicated Luke at our church.  We took an oath before everyone there that we would raise Luke in a Christ-centered home and church, thereby dedicating his life to the Lord.  It will be so amazing to see what our children will become in Christ one day.  In the meantime, it's such a good reminder for us to remember that we're not just taking care of our children's physical needs (food, clothing, shelter), but we are to be their guide in their spiritual walk as well.  Definitely puts a new perspective on my journey as a stay-at-home mom.  Well, that's probably another post in and of itself.

Here's some pictures from that day:

Chances of both kids looking at the camera at the same time:  Zero!

Luke loved the waterfall behind us...this is what most of the pictures looked like, just seeing the back of his head.  I don't blame him though, it was pretty!

Yay!  A keeper picture.

With Grandma and Grandpa Perry

With Grandma and Grandpa Prentice

With Pastor Mike Baker

The Prentice Family

Fon du Lac Farm Park

For Labor Day, we really wanted to get out of the house and take the kids to a pumpkin patch or apple orchard.  But, as Chad was looking online, he came across a park in East Peoria called Fon du Lac Farm Park.  It was geared towards kids and had animals to see and feed and other attractions.  We decided to give it a go and we are so glad we did.  It was a really fun day and we will definitely be going back again!

Getting ready to go in...boy was the sun bright!

We bought an ice cream cone with animal food that could be fed to any animal on the property.  It was really fun, but didn't last long since we were really generous with the ducks.

Such a beautiful view of one of the ponds.

Did I mention it was very kid friendly?  They had a nice little walking trail that I could EASILY push the stroller on, unlike a local pumpkin patch that shall remain nameless :)

Spending some Daddy/Daughter time together.  I love this picture!

She's on a mission!

The goat ate the last of our food...literally!

By this point, they were really tired.

Once again...super kid friendly place.  Just in case your kid was bored with seeing every kind of farm animal imaginable, they could also play at this park too.

Just chillin'

We stopped off to get some ice cream at the park restaurant and Meredith made herself at home at this picnic table that was just her size.

Milking a cow (fake, of course).

Hanging out with Mommy.

It looks like she's choking him, but he really enjoyed it.  I promise!

Daddy is such a sport.  They climbed to the top of a barn and came down this slide (which looks like a silo).  Not sure the slide was made for a 6'3" man.

Petting the bunny.

This is one of my favorite memories of Luke.  We decided to let him try and pet the bunny and he let out a squeal once he touched it, then started laughing out loud (captured in this picture).