Fall Time Fun!

We have been crazy busy the last few days squeezing in all the fall fun we possibly can! We picked pumpkins and went to an awesome berry farm. Both were super fun!

I have been going to the same family-owned pumpkin patch for years and I love it! They are so sweet and the pumpkins are cheap and fantastic and you get to ride a hayride to the patch! Luka and Eloise adored the hay ride and Luka really enjoyed looking through all the pumpkins. We ended up with four regular pumpkins and one tiny one! The kids painted theirs today and LOVED it! Luka even FINGER painted his which is amazing since he is scared of getting his hands dirty.

We also went to the berry farm with some friends of ours. Luka has suddenly become fearless and did EVERYTHING! He rode a barrel train ride, climbed a massive hay stack, bounced in a bounce house, and insisted on riding the BIG horse and not the pony. It was so fun for him and me! Eloise was happy to just be along for the ride! 

We also went to a birthday party at Pump It Up! this weekend that was SO FUN! Luka was so incredibly well behaved, despite it being way past his bedtime! He played nicely, climbed everything fearlessly, played WITHOUT needing me by his side (first time ever!). He even did the huge obstacle course! When arriving at the large climbing wall (approx 7 feet high), Luka said he was scared and wanted to get out. I told him I would get him out if he really wanted and he thought on it a moment then decided to try! I was so proud of him. He climbed all the way to the top! GO LUKA!

We have a TON more fun activities coming up this week and I can't wait!!

PS Eloise is EIGHT months old today! Maybe an update on her later this week!

-Kacy

Happy 3 Year Anniversary!

This past Wednesday, October 16, marked THREE YEARS since William and I got married. I seriously cannot believe that three years have passed. It feels like just yesterday! 

William and I met in middle school. He was dating my best friend, Katy, (who is still my best friend) and when they broke up, he took me on a date to make her jealous. He had a long, ugly mullet and was really weird. I have no idea why I agreed. Regardless, he ignored me after that one awkward date. My poor little 12-year-old heart.

Fast forward to senior year in high school, Katy and I were in most of the same classes (and still best friends). She was still friends with William and the three of us were in math together. We all sat at the same table and, to be honest, William got on my nerves. We were constantly fighting and he always pushed my buttons on purpose. He had ditched the mullet though, which was a plus. But nothing else about him appealed to me. Katy wanted to set us up and by some sort of magic, it eventually worked. William had a crush on me and I eventually went out with him to shut Katy up. It turned out to be the best decision I ever made. 

We immediately hit it off on a deep level. He understood me and from the beginning, I felt I could tell him anything. We went out once before we made it official. We were saying "I love you's" from day one. It just worked. It was just perfect. Embarrassingly fast, but real. We even looked at engagement rings on a date right after getting together. We made plans for after high school to stay a couple during college and I had a sort-of promise ring after being official for a month (I still wear this ring, always). We may have gotten married while I was pregnant, but this was no way a factor in our decision. We just loved each other and wanted to be together forever from the start. He proposed to me and we got married on our six month anniversary. Our wedding was exactly what I had wanted since I was a little girl and watched my mom's friend get married in the same place. We had a blast with our close family and friends and I always treasure that memory.

He is just my perfect match. We don't have to try. Our relationship isn't hard or something we work on. It just...works. All by itself. We love each other and are true to each other in mind, body, and heart 100% of the time. He is my soul mate. 

This is our third anniversary and the second he has been away for. One day, we will get to celebrate together. Each and every other day of the year is just as special to me as I get to call him mine. I really am lucky. How many people get to be with their soul mate more years than they aren't? I know that will happen with us. Only 3 years down and forever to go.

Our Senior Prom

Our Wedding

I love you, William!

-Kacy

My Favorite Things About Luka.

Luka is what you would call a "spirited" or "high needs" kid. He always has been from the moment he was born. Spirited children are a classification of kids identified by these characteristics: intense, hyperactive, draining, feeds frequently, demanding, awakens frequently, unsatisfied, unpredictable, super-sensitive, can't put baby down, not a self-soother, and separation sensitive. You may think these sound like any baby or toddler, but TRUST ME, it is completely different. A spirited child is just the entire definition of intense and draining. Sometimes, its not even five minutes after Luka is awake that I am ready for bed time. He takes all my attention and energy and patience from the moment he wakes up until he falls asleep at night. And it can be super hard to deal with, especially alone. However, because of the last characteristic (separation sensitive), I have only left Luka for more than a single errand twice in his life. He is 2 1/2 years old. It is hard to find people who understand Luka and what he needs. I get uncomfortable leaving him with anyone because of all of his very intense behaviors. And on top of all this, he has a LOT of sensory issues as well. As in, he does NOT want to be touched by most people. Me? He refuses to leave my lap 3/4 of every day. He constantly begs for hugs, for me to lie on top of him, or for me to rub his head. But others? He isn't digging it. After five days here, he finally let my mom hug him. Which is another issue with letting people care for him. Everyone wants the cute toddler hugs and high fives and such, but Luka gets colossally upset when he is touched against his will, even by me. Its not something he should "get over" either. He shouldn't have to hug or kiss or high five or hold the hand of anyone he doesn't want to, just like any other human being. BUT that is a hard concept for many people to grasp.

Because of all this extra spirit Luka has, in addition to an infant, a deployed husband, moving, and general life stress...I am BEAT and pretty much exhausted of patience most days. With Luka being such a whirlwind and so...Luka...he tends to get the brunt of my frustrations. I admit: though I try my best, sometimes I forget he is a person and needs to be listened to just like any one else. I lose my temper with him more often lately because I just don't have an outlet at this point. And that is not fair. He deserves to be heard and have needs met and have things explained to him if he doesn't understand (i.e. why you can't hug the dog around his neck or have 6 pop tarts for lunch). So, the other day I decided to have a day just for him. He skipped his nap and we went to the zoo instead. It was practically empty, so I let him run amuck. He led the way (running) the entire time. Luka tried to catch peacocks, helped push Eloise in the stroller, and splashed in puddles to his hearts content. Luka chased me all the way out of the zoo when it was time to go. I allowed him to pick a toy at the gift shop (he chose a flashlight that projects images of animals) and we even got McDonald's for dinner (and he ate the whole meal...for the first time in his life). It was such an awesome time and he was so happy to have a day for him, as all the days lately have been for cleaning and packing and planning and Eloise fussing, etc etc. I forgot how AWESOME he can be, you know? Eloise went to bed early and I let Luka stay up and finish a movie he was watching and he just laid in my lap and told me he loved me. At bed time, he got into his PJs and into bed with no fussing or fighting. Luka felt important and noticed and had his attention quota filled. All of it made me realize that, yeah, things are super hard for ME, but they are also super hard for HIM. I mean, I know this logically, but when I am upset also it is hard to remember. Think about it. In ONE YEAR Luka has...had his dad leave, gotten a little sister, got his dad back, moved halfway across the country, had his dad leave again, and now is moving...again. He is a real trooper and deserves more days all about him.

Today was not such a good day for him. He laid on the floor of the post office and wouldn't move, he refused to eat anything and had a tantrum over being hungry, he screamed when it was time to come home from a play date...Luka had a MAJOR case of the "Mondays." So while I spent most of the day counting the hours til bedtime and being generally annoyed, once Eloise went to bed and he crawled into my lap, I decided to think of my top ten favorite things about Luka to try and shake off all my negative feelings. Here it goes:

My Favorite Things About Luka

1. The way he LOVES his sister more than anyone else and tells her all the time and insists on kissing her before each nap and bedtime.

2. His big, cheesy smile and his too-loud laugh.

3. His compassion. He constantly asks "You okay, Mommy?" and "Why crying?" if Eloise, me, or even a random baby in a store is sporting some tears on their cheeks. He instantly gives a hug, pats your back, and finds you a tissue.

4. His love of books. He could read books all day long.

5. How much he loves to help out. If I ask him to grab me some baby wipes or turn the lights off, he jumps up and yells "sure!' it is awesome.

6. His memory. He remembers EVERYTHING. 

7. How well he listens 90% of the time (he is 2, he can't ALWAYS listen).

8. The way he sings in the car. It is to die for.

9. His love of going on walks or generally being outside. It is so fun to take him to places where he has lots of space to run and get messy.

10. His hugs. Though sometimes excessive, tight, and never-ending, I wouldn't give them up for anything.

-Kacy

Eloise's First Word

Eloise has been babbling a lot lately. Lots of squealing sounds, mamamamas, and dadadadadadas. However, you can't count anything as a baby's first word (unless you want to, of course. your baby=your rules) until they understand the word and use it correctly (i.e. saying "mamamamamamama" to her books doesn't equal her saying "mama"). So, up until yesterday, Eloise had not said her first word.

William and I have always joked about doing secret tactics to get our kids to say our names first. We both failed with Luka as his first word was "ball," so there was a lot of competition over who would "win" with Eloise. Here is a hint: the whole "daddy's girl" thing is real.

Despite knowing her daddy through Skype for most of her life, Eloise's first real word is "Dada." Yesterday, we were skyping with William and I held Eloise up to see William as always. She hadn't been babbling beforehand or anything, just quietly playing. I told her to say hi once she could see William's face on the screen and she cracked a big smile and said clear as day "Dada!" Not "dadadadada." Not babbling afterwards. No ifs, ands, or buts. Eloise looked at her  daddy and said "Dada." 

I would be lying if I said I didn't tear up a smidge. This sweet baby girl who has only been with her dad in person for a total of three months of her life, just knows in her heart that he is her daddy and it is so very clear how much she loves him. So maybe I didn't "win" this one, but that's okay. I think William deserved this first word anyway. Despite the distance, he goes out of his way to be an amazing dad to both of our sweeties. Besides, we want a bunch of kids. Mama is bound to win one first word war, right?

-Kacy