Randomness

I haven't picked up my camera all week. Working is really getting in my way of photography. It is dark by the time we get home and I am beat from not getting enough sleep.

Here are some random thoughts:

Addison is really starting to come to life. She is starting to grab toys and bat at them with her fists, so cute! Most nights she wakes up once or twice for a pacifier and goes right back to sleep.

Zack is so proud and protective of her. We go to daycare in the mornings and he tells the teacher and the other kids, this is my baby (sometimes he adds sister). He also doesn't like the other kids to get too close to her. He'll push them away and tell them to stay back. I tell him they can look too, but deep down I think about how great he will be when boys start coming around when they are teenagers. I'm also glad he backs them away because there are way too many germs going around right now. Kids in Zack's class have had croup, pink eye, pneumonia, and bronchitis recently. Luckily he has only had a runny nose.

Every morning when I drop him off he'll ask Mrs. Sheila what they are going to do today and she'll rattle off a list of things. She'll say a game and he'll answer, what game? maybe X, and she'll say ok, we can probably do that. She'll say the gym and Zack asks what do we do in the gym? hula hoops? Sheila - well we did hula hoops last week. I was thinking about the parachute. Zack - thats a good idea and then ride bikes?. I still can't get over how my baby can hold a full conversation with someone.

Yesterday I bought him some boxer briefs, so he wore them to daycare for the first time today. He was so proud of them he kept trying to pull down his jeans and pull up the boxer waste band, so Mrs. Sheila could see his new underwear. Then, he said they are just like daddy's! I was wondering how long it would take him to divulge his father's underwear preference, about 20 seconds. Zack is doing great with potty training, but we aren't accident free yet. We still haven't tackled staying dry while sleeping either.

I had an impromptu parent-teacher conference this morning with Zack's teacher. I asked her if he'll go up to the next class in May, when he turns three and she said more than likely and told me about that teacher and her classroom activities. Mrs. Sheila said he loves class time and just absorbs everything and stares intently. She'll ask questions at the end to see what the kids remember and Zack is always the one to answer. He loves to play games. She'll give them the choice to play a game, do an activity or have free play and he always chooses a game. She also tries to make activities more challenging him and a couple others and Zack always gets the correct answer. She said we are going to hear about him someday. He is going to be something big. I don't know if he'll be a professor or what, but something important.

I just discovered on Saturday as Zack was playing with his fridge phonics toy that he knows some of his letters. He would pick a letter tell me what it is and then put it in the electronic toy.

In other news . . .

On Sunday we booked our first family Disney World vacation! We are going the first week of April and cannot wait! We think Zack is at the perfect age and will LOVE the characters and rides and Addison should be old enough to hang out and not cause too much commotion. We are staying on Disney property for the first time, so we're excited to see what it is all about. Grandma Sharon and Grandpa Jim (Ryan's mom and her fiance) are going with us, so it will be very nice to have their company and two extra bodies to help control the kids. It will also be nice to not have to ride the bigger rides by yourself since someone will have to stay back with the kids.

OSHA Notice

Ryan, always the comedian. Zack REALLY is doing good on the potty despite what the sign says. He has been wearing underwear to daycare all week, but he has had one accident each day. This is still a huge, massive, major improvement over last week. This morning he got out of bed to poop in the toilet. Last week he would have went in his diaper and if I would have caught him in the act he would say, "Leave me alone. I'm not doin' nothin'." Hopefully tomorrow we can put a one on the board.

and just because . . . Miss Addie chillin in her bebe pod.

It Might Be, It Could Be...

I hate to even say anything because I know it will jinx me, but Zack has been doing awesome on the potty this weekend. Normally I set the microwave timer for every 30 minutes and make him go and he'll stay dry. He did awful at daycare last week, so I decided it was time for a new plan, so yesterday morning I told him that he needs to squeeze and not let his potty come out when he feels it coming. Then he needs to stop what he is doing and go to the bathroom and potty. He needs to show the potty who's the boss. Although he says, you're the boss potty, instead of I'm the boss potty.

Well, something clicked because he is going on his own without being told it is time and no timer. He'll close the door behind him and do it himself. This morning I was feeding Addison and he went to the bathroom and he came running out all excited and told me he pottied. Ryan went in about five minutes later and asked who forgot to flush. Zack forgot to mention that he pooped too. Luckily I don't think he had sat down during that five minutes because he never got wiped.

I so hope this is it and he has finally figured it out, but I'm sure there will be some setbacks. I'll keep you posted. I have Monday off for MLK, Jr. Day and I have high hopes of sending him to daycare in underwear on Tuesday.

Here are a couple from yesterday. I was trying to get some pictures for his Valentine's Day cards for daycare. These may work, but hopefully he'll cooperate for me again before it's too late.
Kisses!!
and another one of Addison that I didn't share yesterday.

Three Months Old

I can't believe my baby girl is getting so big. She turned three months old today. We celebrated with a pretty dress and the camera :) Addison still isn't sleeping through the night and it is killling me now that I have to get up for work in the mornings. I am ready for bed by 8:00. Zack was sleeping through the night by the time I returned to work. She is such a happy baby and loves to talk and smile, although she was pretty serious for the camera today.

Here are some pictures that I took this morning.

I think I like this finish more

Addison had enough, but this is the only picture I have where they are both facing the camera.

Happy Birthday Ryno!

Thia is going to be quick. Addie really needs to start sleeping through the night. I am so tired.

Addison on Monday morning before her first day at daycare.


Yesterday was Ryan's birthday. We got some takeout barbecue and celebrated at home. I think Addison was mad because Zack got to open up daddy's presents instead of her. Am I a bad mom for thinking she looks cute when she cries?

I bought a Cold Stone Creamery ice cream cake with cake batter ice cream and red velvet cake. It was so yummy even though there was no chocolate. Ryan is a vanilla guy and I love chocolate. Zack couldn't resist the sprinkles and candles.

Zack blowing out the candles. Notice that Ryan has a different shirt below than he did in the above picture. Addie spit up on him so he took off his shirt and had on a white undershirt. I asked him to put on a decent shirt for pictures and of course he mumbled something negative under his breathe, then he came out of the bedroom with a bright red and blue Hawaiian shirt on. I should have known better! Thankfully he took it off and put on a wardrobe staple Purdue t-shirt.
Happy Birthday Ryan! I love you!!

Bravo Squad

This evening at the Bush household . . .


Ryan: We are going to be Bravo Squad. What's your code name?

Zack: Zachary Ryan Bush

Ryan: No, your code name. A secret name that no one else knows.

Zack: Eye

Ryan: (laughs)

Zack: What's your JACKET name daddy?

Ryan: What, my jacket name?

Zack: Your COAT name.

Ryan: I don't know. What should my code name be?

Zack: Eye

Ryan: Never in the history of code names has someone had such a bad code name, let alone two people in the same squad having the same name. What should my code name be?

Zack: Butt

Ryan: Done and done!


After this transpired, Bravo Squad then proceeded to hide behind the ottoman and assault me with a barrage of rocket fire.

The End

Today is my last day as a stay at home mom. Tomorrow it is back to the real world. The past twelve weeks have gone by like a flash. I don't know if I can let my little girl go though. I was a complete wreck when I left Zack for the first time. Ryan is staying home with the kids tomorrow and Monday they start daycare. Today we went to Addison's in-home daycare and dropped off her things. Zack used to go there and she is wonderful with the babies, which makes going back to work much easier. Zack is returning to the daycare center and I'm sure the girls will keep him busy. I still need to figure out our game plan for getting ready in the morning. I'm sure it will be chaos and we'll be late.

Unfortunately Addison isn't sleeping through the night yet. I have to get up once or twice and she is right back to sleep, so it isn't too bad. I'm still crossing my fingers that she does it by Monday morning. Zack started sleeping through the night right before I returned to work.

On Tuesday Addison had her first soak in the water bath. As you can see from the pictures she kicked back and relaxed.

Time for a Change

I finally got up the nerve to cut my hair. I was really getting tired of wearing it in a ponytail every day so Addison wouldn't pull on it and it is also starting to fall out after the pregnancy. I hate that. It feels so much fresher now.

This was last night after the stylist brushed it out and curled it
and this morning after a shower and letting it air dry. I've got some serious banana curls now.

Build-A-Bear or Two

Yesterday we took the kids to Build-A-Bear. I don't know who has more fun there. us or Zack. He is starting to get quite the collection. This was his third trip in his 2 1/2 years of life. This trip was very important though because Zack put his pacifier inside his new friend. VERY long overdue, but he is officially pacifier free. At least I met one of my two goals for maternity leave. Potty training still needs some work.

Zack kissing his heart before it goes inside his new dog.
Heart in the dog
the dog is coming to life

and he passes the hug test
bye bye pacifier! He is sleeping just fine without it by the way.
now time for Addison's bunny. Zack gives the heart a kiss
and Addison adds a little slobber.

fill'r up!

I think she has Zack's approval.
bath time

Introducing Dunkin the doctor. Fellow Lowellians may pick up on the significance of Dr. Dunkin's name. It was Ryan's idea. Zack wanted to name him Mooch, but he has already named his Webkin dog it. He has been obsessed with the name Mooch since Addison was born and he went with my sister to her in-law's house and met their dog named Mooch.

Making it official

Introducing Wuzzy the bunny. Ryan is the creative one in the family.
getting Wuzzy's birth certificate
Zack and Dunkin
Zack had this part handled.

A big thank you to Uncle George, Aunt Terri, Stevie and Riley for the gift cards.

Happy Anniversary Zackerdoo!!

Today is the one year anniversary of my blog. I had no idea I would enjoy blogging so much and get so much out of it. Sunday will be the one year anniversary of my digital SLR camera. I think I've come a long way in the past year, but still have a lot to learn.

Sorry, I haven't picked up my camera since Christmas, so no new pictures to share. I think I'm depressed because I have to go back to work one week from today. I hate thinking about it and am trying my best to ignore the calender.

Happy New Year!!

We stayed home for New Year's Eve and didn't do much. Alright, so Ryan and I both played on our respective laptops and watched Dick Clark's New Year's Eve and had a couple of beers - exciting!! I fell asleep at about 11:30 in the recliner and woke up with a sore neck at 12:45. Ryan said he woke me up when it was time for the ball to drop, but I don't remember it.

Here are my five favorite pictures that I've taken during 2007, in no particular order.

(minus the shoes)