2009

2009 - I can honestly say that this year has been the best year ever!  I am more in love with my husband then I have ever been.  I am loving my job as mommy!  I got to spend some special time being mommy to just Zeke, we visited just about every park there is in the Littleton area, we swam at the pool every day that we couldn't be at the park.  In April I got to meet the newest addition to the Kulow family, Malachi who was born on April 29th.  Being a mommy of two was hard at first but a few weeks in we all adjusted - Michael only had to go without homemade dinner from me for about two months.  The summer was spent at the pool with two little guys.  In August my dad and sister got to meet the newest to join the family, it was great to see them!  In September Zeke started preschool and has loved every day of it!  Zeke's vocabulary has increased so much in the last three months, Michael's request for mommy translations has diminished almost completely.  Ki is growing in leaps and bounds!  Ki starting sitting by himself in October and started crawling the beginning of December.  Now here we are, the last day of the year and he is pulling himself up on everything and taking steps while holding on to stuff. 
The Kulow family is ready for 2010!  We eagerly await what the Lord has in store for us in the year to come.

Big Boys in Training

When we left San Diego Zeke would upon our request go to bed and lay down for his naps and bed time.  When we moved out here to CO, I became a stay at home mom, and felt like my job was to spend every minute with Zeke.  I would lay down with him for his nap time and I would read books until he fell asleep.  After three books if he had not fallen asleep I would lay next to him rubbing his back until dream land came.  When I found out I was pregnant with Ki I felt like I had to continue spending that special nap and bed time with Zeke because I didn't know what life would be like with two little ones. 
With all that said in the last two weeks I have been having both boys lay down on their own to take naps and go to bed.  It has been a little more of a struggle with Ki, however Zeke has taken to it really well.  We do lunch time around noon and after lunch Zeke can play for fifteen minutes and then he needs to go upstairs, go potty and then lay down on his bed.  I will give him a kiss and then he falls asleep on his own.  He has been taking two hour naps, which before I would only get an hour if I was lucky!  Ki has been falling asleep on his own at night time really well, actually too well if you ask Michael, because Ki goes to bed at seven, Michael would like a little more time with him.  Nap times for Ki are a little rougher - he still takes two naps a day.  The first nap is usually around 9 or 9:30 and lasts for about forty minutes.  The second nap is around 1 or 1:30 and lasts for an hour maybe a little more. 
I have to say I am very proud of the boys though in their quick learning that they need to fall asleep on their own!  I am also happy because it has allowed me a little more down time.  I actually get to eat lunch and have a little time to myself in the middle of the day, which all moms know that sometimes naps are more for ourselves then for our children! ; -)

Productive last two days.

Yesterday I got the cleaning bug and went through the pantry threw out some old food.  Went to Target and got some snap ware and put away some of the pantry food that was in bags from Sunflower Market in them.  Got all the Christmas decorations picked up and boxed up.  Today I decided to tackle the laundry.  I got all the laundry done and put away - that is a big thing for me, usually the clothes sit down in the basement on my folding tables; also known as the tops of the washer, dryer and the ironing board.  Both the boys got a lot of clothes for Christmas and so I needed to wash all their new clothes.  Being that there were so many new clothes I had to go through all the old clothes and pack up the outgrown ones.  While I was in the mood I went through the boxed clothes from Zeke that were to be passed down to Ki, and organized and washed them.  The some of the clothes that have seen better days through hand-me downs from friends I took a bag of clothes to the Goodwill.  I cleaned out my truck and put in Zeke's new booster seat and then moved Zeke's old car seat over for Ki to now use.  I got dinner made and then cleaned up from that, got the boys bathed, Ki in bed and now Zeke is watching a movie while I sit here. 
Phew - that just about tired me out typing it all... or maybe it is that I am tired from my day.  I think it might be also that I woke up at three this morning because Ki woke up, he went back to bed and I could not for the life of me switch my brain off!  This morning when Michael got up I bombarded him with all of my night time thoughts, which were a ton!  I started off thinking about Mothers & More, then MOPS, then the boys room, my truck, having another child or not, selling the baby stuff if we are done having babies, our vacations... March to San Diego, July to Utah, and August to Arizona... like I said my mind would not shut off!
Well, now I am hoping that my mind will shut off.  I am off to have a glass of milk and some chocolate chip cookies!

OCD and Proud of it

Michael very nicely made Ki some cereal this morning while I was getting beds made and Zeke changed and ready for the day.  Zeke and I came down stairs and Michael in his absent mindedness of getting food to Ki, forgot to close the cupboard doors.  I noticed it but thought oh well, at least Michael helped get Ki some food while I was taking care of Zeke.  Zeke, on the other hand said,"Mom, dad leave open."  His eye brows furrowed and his hands on his hips.  I said, "It is okay Zeke, when I am done feeding Ki I will close them."  Zeke then proceeded to call down to Michael to come and close the left open cupboards.  I smiled and noted... Zeke really is my child! : )

Wake Up Call

This morning I was awoken by Ki crying in his crib at 7:20am.  I went to his room to get him out and after getting him out of bed to change his diaper and feed him, I walked into Zeke's room to check on him.  Zeke was not in his room.  A little panic ran through my chest as I wondered where he was.  A glance down stairs assured me.  Zeke had gotten up was eating an apple, that he climbed up on the counter to get himself. And was sitting very quietly on the living room floor eating and trying to figure out one of his Christmas games that we got him... Lighting McQueen Tic Tac Toe.  I thought about getting upset with him for coming down stairs by himself and climbing on my counters, however he chose an apple to eat when there was plenty of other things that he could have gotten that were not as healthy.  My little Mr. Independent!