Field Trip, Markers, & 12 mth Stats

We went on our very first Preschool field trip this week to a pumpkin patch. Mom got very, very lost so we arrived late and missed the hay ride but the kids still got to pick pumpkins, pet the animals and play around.








Aunt Patty stopped by this week with some awesome Halloween treats for the kids (and some yummy homemade cupcakes for mommy and daddy too). The kids had lots of fun coloring the crafts from the goody bags. John decided to help out with the messy markers by drawing on the kids. Thank goodness it washed off.




On Wednesday Nathan had his evaluation for his schooling when he turns three. At that point he will move out of the zero to three Early Intervention program and move into the program run by the school district. According to the psychologist it sounds like Nathan will most likely qualify for preschool 3 times a week. She thinks he would do best in an integrated school where there are mostly children with various needs but also some typical children. There is a lot to figure out between now and January. The school that is in our district only has afternoon openings which runs from Noon until 2:30. It is such a bizarre time since a lot of 3 yr olds still take a nap and it is right in the middle of lunch (the school just provides a snack). There are other schools and other options so we will be taking our time visting some schools and deciding what fits Nathan best and what fits our schedule best.

Riley had her 12 mth check up today. I had all 3 kids with me, we were at the docs for about 1.5 hrs but it went surprisingly well! I am so used to walking in and walking out but I guess with the cold season starting the waiting room was packed.

Riley got measured and weighed. She received 2 vaccines and the 1st part of the flu shot. We decided to hold off on the MMR vaccine for a few more months because Nathan had a bad reaction to it when he was 12 months old. So far there is no indication that Riley is on the spectrum. She is doing fantastic and right on target with everything. She is saying mama, dada, and she points and says juice when she wants a drink.

Height - 31 inches (95th percentile) She is a TALL one!
Weight - 21lbs 2 oz (50th percentile)

Riley's 1st Birthday Party

We had Riley's birthday party over the weekend even though it was a few days early. We are grateful that so many of our friends and family were able to be there to help us celebrate such a joyous occasion. Riley was pretty reserved when it came to smashing the cake, but that was okay with mom since there was less mess.

All three kids loved the balloons

Here is the video of the Happy Birthday song and initial cake smashing

Here is a video of Nathan showing off with his therapist Miss Tina

1st Day of Preschool

Today was Nathan and Reagan's very first day of preschool! I tried to get some pictures before we left but as usual we were running late so I didn't get any good shots.

The kids both did great with transitioning from the car to the preschool. I'm sure it helps that the teacher comes to the car and brings them in the school for you. It seems like the perfect way to avoid the "normal" crying and tantruming that typically occurs when mom leaves. We also have the advantage of Nathan having his therapist with him at school. I'm sure that having Miss Carly there made things a lot easier for both Nathan and Reagan because they are so comfortable around her. It was also a nice plus for me because I got to ask Miss Carly 101 questions about how the first day of preschool went.

So from what I gathered, Nathan helped another little boy clean some toys up, Reagan had some trouble sharing, Both of them did really well when told to sit down for story time, They both ate crackers for a snack but had some trouble adjusting to the non-straw sippy cups, Reagan was upset that she didn't have a back pack, They had fun playing outside on the swing set.

While the twins were at school it was such a wonderful break for me just having Riley. We went to Kohls, Toys R Us and Burger King during those 2 hours. It amazes me how easy things can be when you only have one child to buckle into a car seat.

After school Nathan fell asleep right away and Reagan soon followed. Miss Carly and I took everyone to Target when they woke up. Nathan and Reagan picked out back packs so that they will have them for school on Wednesday. Reagan picked out a Dora back pack and Nathan got Elmo. After Target we stopped at Chick Fil-a. Everyone was having fun in the play area until Riley fell and hit her forehead. She fell onto a ledge near the floor and got this lovely bruise, bump and red line across her head. She was a trooper though and by the time we got back home she was completely back to normal laughing, playing and just being the silly little girl she is. But it looks like she will have a red mark on her forehead for her 1st birthday...poor girl!