Household Update

So I took Brody to his 18 month check up last week so I figured it was time to actually post instead of just saying I would.  So here's a semi quick update on the Hales' Household:

Kayla: 3 years + 2 months

Height: About 5-6 inches taller than Brody I think (however his measurement was likely off...see below) so I'm guessing around 3' 4".

Weight: Hovering around 30 pounds and not eating that well lately...she's still a peanut.

Likes: Frozen, movies, coloring, writing her letters and numbers, "reading" (a.k.a. reciting books she's memorized), Mommy, her friends "Sydney and Sara" which she states every time something starts with the letter "s", asking what every word starts with, writing words we help her spell, singing any song she can remember especially songs from Frozen and the Sound of Music, airplanes, baby dolls, Barbies, the swings

Dislikes: Sometimes Daddy (and Mommy), listening to directions, sitting down on chairs/couches, standing still, being dropped off a school, when you don't give her hugs and kisses when she wants them, when you try to give her hugs and kisses when she doesn't, trying new things (food, the dentist, swim lessons, etc...)

This kid has been a breeze so far, but the 3's are turning out to be no fun.  Everyone is right, three year olds ARE assholes.

Brody: 18.5 months

Height: 34" although this is probably wrong as he was ridiculously fussy and he is insanely strong therefore impossible to straighten out enough to measure accurately.

Weight: 26 pounds 10 ounces (my hefty boy)

Likes: Mommy, Daddy to put him to bed (ALLELUIA), music/singing/dancing, swinging, slides, running, climbing, jumping on anything and everything, being obstinate, his tiger/paci, giving hugs and kisses, cars, things that move, balls, food, milk, technology (don't even THINK about taking the phone or the note away from him), movies especially ones with music, blowing his nose, reading especially Brown Bear and Hippopposites, bathtime

Dislikes: sometimes waking up from naps/bed, getting in the car, sitting down, being told what to do, getting his diaper changed, everything noted above under "likes" at certain times, being hungry, going to bed

Overall, he's a really happy kid.  But when he's not, it's like the exorcist.  God help me.

Mom and Dad Hales: 364 and 379 months respectively

Height: 5'9" (on the roster), 6'4"

Weight: decreasing since starting to use our fitbits and eating out less.  Back to meal planning

Likes: Our kids (most of the time), each other (most of the time), our jobs (most of the time)
           Mom: yoga, photography, reading, tv, movies, volleyball, alone time in the shower (that can be construed as dirty but it's definitely not)
           Dad: relaxing, the time after this kids go to bed, figuring out/fixing house situations without anyone else's help (backup sump pump anyone), watching sports when he has the chance

Dislikes: our debt (all of the time), when our kids don't sleep (all of the time)

Basically we are all doing great.  We've made it through the winter without any serious sickness (at least for the kids) and have come out of this Polar Vortex alive.

I've slowed down on my photography.  I still love it, but it's not at the top of my want to do list anymore.  I still want to take photos of my kids but it's not as important to me that they are "good" anymore.  I love yoga and am hoping to pursue that in the future as it's up my ally and it relates to my job.  I love my job and am starting to work a few more hours a week to help us start paying down our debt.  We are reading/read Dave Ramsey's book and we are on the bandwagon.  We have a plan and are "gazelle intense" to pay off some of this stuff so we can live a bit better and easier.  Overall, we are great.  I am going to try to get back to posting, just know that pictures may not always be involved at this point.  It takes to much time and effort to take/edit a ton of photos.

I'm going to try to update on our progress with Dave Ramsey's plan, our meal planning and I've been contemplating a every Monday post "The Happenings at the Hales'" with some weekly iphone photo updates and meal ideas.  Anyways, sorry for the radio silence...again.

Happy Monday!

Special Connections

Anyone with kids notice that they have a special connection with a member of your family early on?  I realize that some of this may be who they see the most, but even beyond that I see something special with Brody and my dad.

Honestly, I'm not even sure how to describe it.  My dad is a pretty awesome guy, but he's a lot of business and only a little bit of fun. Well, I guess he is a lot of fun too, but he comes off as all business, not something kids warm up to really quickly.  But Brody loves him.  He is not shy at first when he sees him (which is usually is with people).  He gets excited and says "Papa" when I mention my dad.  I think if I lined a bunch of people up in chairs, Brody would run to my dad to have him pick him up.  I've been noticing this subtly recently, and then I captured some of these photos on Christmas Eve that kind of solidified it for me.  I mean, I think my dad was just sitting there minding his own business despite the semi craziness around him and Brody was kinda fussy because it was nap time or close to it.  So he just grabbed his pacifier, his tiger lovey and went right to my dad.

And then this happened when we went to visit my dad at his new office.  (This happened BEFORE my dad got back to his BRAND NEW office/desk from his meeting.) He climbed up there himself.

Anyways, I love seeing my kids have connections with my family and Justin's family, because family is so important to me.  Every time, my heart grows 2 sizes I swear.