Libs

Our little Libby continues to be a lil ray of sunshine!  She has the ability to make you smile and happy...she has no idea how happy she makes everyone.  She will be 16 months in 3 months!  She has really started to make the transition from baby to toddler.  She is a very curious, very very busy toddler who is into everything!!!  She is starting to talk...and is our lil bilingual baby!  She understands polish from her sitter who mostly speaks polish to her and uses some polish words (tak for yes is a main one) but also understands English perfectly and uses lots of words.  Some words are:  bravo, hat, shoes, baba (bottle), baba (sounds different in a weird way is book), cheese, dada, mama, Bella (her sitter), tatin (Caitlin), love you, thank you...and I'm sure there is more!!!

The 3rd child is so fun because I don't "chart" everything like I did with the other 2 because I know how different every kid develops!  She is her own lil person!

We think she has some allergies so we are hoping to get her in to an allergist soon, but have started some allergy medicine which is helping with her never-ending runny nose!

Libby has the craziest mullet ever!  I really want to cut it but Rob really doesn't...so I'm trying to appreciate it because it's the only time in her life that a mullet is acceptable!  She also had the biggest, cutest baby belly ever!  I'm pretty sure I never thought a belly was cute until I saw hers!  I can't wait for her to rock a bikini all summer!!!

Libby is the biggest Daddy's girl that ever existed!!!  When she hears the garage, she goes crazy getting to the gate as fast as she can and screaming for Dada!  If he's in his chair, she makes me get her a bottle (parent fail...we still let her drink out of a bottle...might be bad parenting but I can't let that darn bottle go cause she's my baby) and brings it to daddy's chair for him to hold her.  I do not even exist if Daddy's around...and I'm totally ok with it because it's heart warming!

She is still using the potty and I'm sure I could potty train her, but I'm not in a huge hurry...maybe this summer!!   Speaking if summer, I can't wait to do some classes with her this summer.  Libs and I do a library class and it's funny to see how shy she is in big groups when her sisters aren't there...but such a ham when she's with her family!

Libby Lou, Libs, Libs-a-Saurus, Libby Frances...we love you!!!

At mommy's staff vs student bball game

1st time facing forward in a car seat...but only for 1 day!  She's back to facing back as long as she can!

Valentines Day at Monkey Joes with her cousin Leigh!  BFF

Watching Daddy and her sisters sled

I love how she sleeps!

Who doesn't love a bath picture?

Family game night

Making herself cozy

Libs

Our little Libby continues to be a lil ray of sunshine!  She has the ability to make you smile and happy...she has no idea how happy she makes everyone.  She will be 16 months in 3 months!  She has really started to make the transition from baby to toddler.  She is a very curious, very very busy toddler who is into everything!!!  She is starting to talk...and is our lil bilingual baby!  She understands polish from her sitter who mostly speaks polish to her and uses some polish words (tak for yes is a main one) but also understands English perfectly and uses lots of words.  Some words are:  bravo, hat, shoes, baba (bottle), baba (sounds different in a weird way is book), cheese, dada, mama, Bella (her sitter), tatin (Caitlin), love you, thank you...and I'm sure there is more!!!

The 3rd child is so fun because I don't "chart" everything like I did with the other 2 because I know how different every kid develops!  She is her own lil person!

We think she has some allergies so we are hoping to get her in to an allergist soon, but have started some allergy medicine which is helping with her never-ending runny nose!

Libby has the craziest mullet ever!  I really want to cut it but Rob really doesn't...so I'm trying to appreciate it because it's the only time in her life that a mullet is acceptable!  She also had the biggest, cutest baby belly ever!  I'm pretty sure I never thought a belly was cute until I saw hers!  I can't wait for her to rock a bikini all summer!!!

Libby is the biggest Daddy's girl that ever existed!!!  When she hears the garage, she goes crazy getting to the gate as fast as she can and screaming for Dada!  If he's in his chair, she makes me get her a bottle (parent fail...we still let her drink out of a bottle...might be bad parenting but I can't let that darn bottle go cause she's my baby) and brings it to daddy's chair for him to hold her.  I do not even exist if Daddy's around...and I'm totally ok with it because it's heart warming!

She is still using the potty and I'm sure I could potty train her, but I'm not in a huge hurry...maybe this summer!!   Speaking if summer, I can't wait to do some classes with her this summer.  Libs and I do a library class and it's funny to see how shy she is in big groups when her sisters aren't there...but such a ham when she's with her family!

Libby Lou, Libs, Libs-a-Saurus, Libby Frances...we love you!!!

At mommy's staff vs student bball game

1st time facing forward in a car seat...but only for 1 day!  She's back to facing back as long as she can!

Valentines Day at Monkey Joes with her cousin Leigh!  BFF

Watching Daddy and her sisters sled

I love how she sleeps!

Who doesn't love a bath picture?

Family game night

Making herself cozy

Caitlin

Ahhh...our Caitlin bug.  What can I say about her???  She is full of personality!  She is very self-confident!  She knows what she likes and doesn't waiver!!!  It has been a fun year being her teacher and I feel very blessed to get to watch her learn, grow, and develop her 1st real friendships.  That being said, it's also time for her to have a new teacher who isn't her mom!!!  But I sure will miss her next year...luckily she is right next door! :)

Caitlin played basketball this winter and LOVED it, but she really loves everything she does!  The girl has passion!  She is also in a dance class and is really excited about her performance because it's Grandpa's favorite song, "Fly Me To The Moon.". She is also in swim lessons and is a really good diver!

Caitlin has just started speech again.  She did 2 hours of speech a week until she turned 3, then got put in the school systems speech program which was a huge letdown.  Now, our school doesn't have speech since its private, so Rob and I had to find a private speech place.  We found a great pediatric place about 30 mins from our house, so Rob leaves work early once a week and takes her.  She just started but they are great and are back to treating the "apraxia" which was what the 1st speech teacher did when she made so much progress.  Funny side story, she asked her speech teacher to call her Kate.  We always thought that might be her nickname, but apparently she already is using it!

This summer she wants to start Irish dancing which she has wanted to do since she was little, so I think we will give it a try!!

She is a great big sis to Libs and an even better lil sis to Abigail!  She really looks up to her, but also is pretty good about understanding Abigail gets to do more sometimes because she's older.  We hope Irish dancing will be a thing that is special and unique about Caitlin because we worry all the time about her feeling like "the middle child" which neither of us are, but we get warnings from Nana and Aunt Julie! ;). I really don't think there is anything we can do because no matter what, she will be the middle child.  We just treat them all the same...and also key them know that everything in our house isn't always "fair" but it will always be the "best for them".

Here are some pictures of our sweet, rambunctious, sometimes very sensitive, always funny Caitlin Bug.

At dance class...2 years later she still loves the "pose".

Show and Tell at school

A valentines day project at school

The awards at the end of basketball

Ash Wednesday at school.  She really wanted a picture of herself! ;)

Basketball wearing her jersey she asked grandma and grandpa to bring back from Spain...and she literally has worn once a week for almost a year now!  She knows what she likes!

Mommys little helper

What used to be a chore is now one of my favorite times of the day.  Libby lives to help me put the dishes away!  She's really too smart for her own good...she knows what goes where and what stuff to hand to mommy.  And she names everything!  She also gives herself a standing ovation (clapping and saying "bravo") after everything she puts away!!! Nothing makes me smile more than when I find a bowl mixed with the pots and pans 'cause I know Libs put it there!!!  This little girl makes me just plain happy!!!  Even doing dishes!

Catholic Schools Week Celebration

What's New with Abigail?

I thought I'd take a minute to update on each kid.  First up is Abigail.

Abigail is loving Kindergarten!  She is a little sponge.  It's amazing the things she's picking up. We officially have a reader.  She gets a leveled book in her classroom and she's one of the top readers in her class.  Not to brag...but I have to brag about my kids!  She's reading at about a 2nd grade level.  I give her teacher so much credit...she has her students loving to read.  She actually has her students loving all things "school".  Abigail has had a great year so far! In fact, this is the Valentine we got from her on Valentine's Day:

(Dear Mom and Dad, I love you because you take me the swimming pool.  You make my favorite dip.  I like that you brought me to this school.  Love, Abigail Wennerstrom)

 

 

Abigail is still in dance, which goes until May.  She picked theatrical jazz this year and is performing a number from Newsies for her show in May.  She's not loving dance so I'm thinking we may have reached our end of the line as far as dance goes with her (fingers crossed).  She also started cheernastics (cheerleading and gymnastics) and likes it.  However, what she really wants to do is take piano lessons and singing lessons, so we (and by we, I mean me) are looking into piano lessons or singing lessons this summer.  Our town does a musical every summer so I think we are going to let her audition for that too. She is also in swimming lessons right now which she loves because they are taught by her music/gym teacher so she thinks that's pretty cool!

 

Abigail has lost 2 teeth, but has 1 or 2 more beginning to wiggle.  That's a topic of conversation at dinner every night.  We know how many teeth EVERYONE in her class has lost!

 

Here are a few recent pictures of Abigail (that I happen to have on my computer since I'm at work):

 

Swim Lessons

Spending Valentine's Day at Monkey Joe with Lucy and Leigh

At the Llama Llama performance at our library

Dancing on our new gift from Uncle Al and Auntie Gam

 

 

 



Celebrating the bride to be!

A few weeks ago, we had a day to celebrate my lil sis...the bride-to-be!  We started the afternoon by going bridesmaid dress shopping!  We found awesome dresses and the best part is everyone designs their own!  Then we wanted to celebrate my sis!  We started off with drinks and apps at the Four Seasons!  Then, we headed to the Signature Room at the top of the Hancock!  Believe it or not, I've never been there even though I have lived here for 35 years!  It was an awesome way to celebrate Kate!  We ended the night with a fun dinner at Quartino's!  The time you are a "bride-to-be" is so short...I hope we get lots more days like this in the next 9 months!!!!  Oh, and the last picture is classic "Muskovich" sisters!  Get a few drinks in us and we decide we should repierce Kate's ears before her wedding...while at the Signature Room!!!  Shenanigans like that are my favorite....sisters are really too much fun!  Cheers, Kate!!!!