Mohawks and Honeybuns

We are having so much fun already in 2012.

Leah, Luke and I, had a fun adventure the first week in January as Sefton was down in Miami for five whole days. I managed well and actually learned ways to make life a little easier on all of us after he returned. We do out best to keep the TV on minimally, and with all of the toys the kids received from generous family members, and Santa, they have a lot to distract them. Now, this does not mean that I can avoid the conversation on the way home from school where Leah asks if we can watch Diego. (Her talking is quite constant, and I guess my mom would point out, pay back is a b#&%$. )

Sefton brought home a fun snack from the Orange Bowl this year, and Leah had the opportunity to eat her first Honeybun. It is funny to watch her eat sugar, because it is like it hits her blood stream almost instantly. She flys off of the kitchen chair and literally starts tearing around the house. Never less, she is a child, and snacks and treats all need to be in moderation.

This second picture of Leah is from her 80's day at school just before New Years. She is wearing leg warmers She is laying down in the elevator, which I told her we can't do when other people are around or they will think we are weird, but we are on our way to her second floor classroom. For some reason she has been unwilling to have her hair up in pony tails, so we take what we can get, and the headband keeps her hair out of her eyes.

Luke is having a ball, and turns 9 months at the end of this month. In the last 3 weeks he has started crawling, all but slowly. He makes this funny motion where he is on his belly and puts his butt in the air and walks his feet towards his hands, its like he really wants to walk instead. I know that it will not be long and the two of them will be chasing each other around my house, with Daisy not far behind.

These last pictures did not impress Sefton. He thought it was sick that I would put gel in my baby's hair... I think its adorable. :) I've said all along that I would have a piggy tailed little girl and a preppy little mohawk boy... well mission accomplished.

One last thing, when it turns to January in South Carolina, I can't help but look forward to spring even though, winter seems to have just begun. Time in the back yard with Leah's new Nerf football will make this summer and spring full of fun. I hope this finds you as happy and healthy as we are.

All ready for Christmas

The Ipock's are all ready for Christmas... well almost. :)

The tree is up, the house is decorated, all presents are bought, and cookies are made. I think that's everything, and now we wait in anticipation.

As we all hoped Luke's surgery went off without a hitch. You can see how absolutely aweful he felt prior to the surgery in this picture. He is so very close to crawling, I would bet it will happen in the next week. His legs are so strong, and he loves his big sister so much, I would expect him to be walking behind her not long after. I swear these pictures are not posed, the child is just always smiling. We were at the Dr today for a re-check (dry as a bone!) and he was fine as long as he was talking with staff. He may be mine, he is a bit of a ham-bone.

Leah is having a great time preparing for Christmas. She met Santa at the mall on Friday with the rest of her class. She had let him know that she would like Dora M&Ms and Dora pants. (She wanted a Dora shirt too, until I reminded her that she already had one, and now that is off the list.) You can tell it really takes a lot to make the child happy. She had her Christmas program on Thursday, and was dressed like a RED stocking. The pretty dress here was under the actual stocking.

I hope this finds you all making time for relaxation this holiday season. The time around the tree with Sefton, late after the kids are in bed, are some of my favorite times of the year. With this Christmas I am sure the season will bring a whole new view of favorites.

We miss and love you all.

All bundled up and ready for tubes. :(

So the winter season is upon the Southerners... it normally hits us the week after Thanksgiving. My leaves come down all in one dump the week before Thanksgiving, I spend Thanksgiving week raking them up, then the next week it's time to start decorating. The temperatures here are a mild 55-65, but when we leave for school in the morning it is usually in the 40's. With all of that being said, Luke is still sick. He has had one ear infection after another since mid October. In seven weeks, we are on our third (two doubles and a single.) I am not sure that the antibiotics ever took, the poor fella is still holding his ear today, and he has been on medicine already for 7 days.

We were referred to our local Ear Nose and Throat Doctor last Thursday, and after one look in his ears she was ready to do surgery. TUBES for us. Now you know Sefton and I are a bit on the relaxed side in regards to medical intervention, and I was a little nervous about this until I myself met with the Dr. She was so sure after she looked, and now after seeing him not getting better on this last round, I too know that it's the right thing to do. Funny though, you'd never even know that he is sick. He laughs and smiles all day, and when he gets hungry he let's us know. When that happens Leah usually runs over to him and starts singing at the top of her lungs, normally row row row your boat, or wheels on the bus, to try and make him stop. Most of the time it works, sometimes however if you call between 5 and 8, you'll catch a bit of that scene.

The big day is tomorrow, so I will let you all know how it goes, but I expect it all to go off with out a hitch. They say the procedure takes just 15 minutes, and don't worry his little lungs are as good as new after our NICU experience.

I've included below a little picture of the little ones all bundled up. Thanks to Nama, they have lots of handmade mittens and hats.

Love to all,

The Ipocks

Stages

NOW I understand why so many people tell me that their 30's were some of the best years of their lives. The kids are so much fun right now. I'm not sure if it is their ages, or the fact that I don't have school deadlines breathing down my neck, nor a current construction project in our home, but we are having a blast together. Now, don't get me wrong, I truly never knew how hard, and crazy, and loud, and overwhelming being a parent would be, but the special moments just seem to make all of that melt away when you look back on a Monday morning.

Sefton is currently working his 9-5 shift. I admit it is my favorite as we feel, almost normal, although we are giving up our weekends to football. Having him home at night for dinner and baths, is such a blessing. We have sort of a dance that we do in the kitchen trying to accomplish all that needs to be done in a night. There are times when Luke has seen his bottle, and is crying and Leah is laying on the floor in a tantrum asking for grapes, all while something yummy is cooking on the stove and I think... how the heck do I do this by myself, then I remember that I do it with Sefton with a smile, and a partner, and a drink... by myself it's sometimes just a drink and a furrowed brow.

Leah is moving out of her mommy stage, and starting to play a bit more. She has never been a big "toy kid", but I think that is starting to change. She has started to dress up her dollies, and her self. Most of the time she likes to put on all of the dress-up clothes, one on top of the other. She has a great sense of humor, and loves to laugh.

Luke on the other hand is growing and changing so fast. At just over six months he is sitting up all on his own, and still gets bored easily. We constantly need to change his surroundings. At his six month appt, the Dr. suggested putting a sippy cup in front of him (I admit I was like seriously, Leah didn't drink out of one until she was like 10 months old.) You can see she was right, he was all over it. He, just like Leah is such a happy baby, and this picture is what he looks like when he is not sleeping.

It is so cool to see them changing every day. Sometimes I feel like I'm getting to know them, then they do something totally unexpected. Until the next unexpected thing....

Rockstars in Training

So it seems that I am the mother to two "Rockstars in Training." I am not sure if it is the combination of Sefton's and my love for music, the nine guitars sitting around the house, or their own little souls that came with music already in them, but both of my kids I am convinced are "Rockstars in Training." Now I am talking about more then just the fact that at 18 months I was convinced that Leah could dance to a beat, or that at 3 I'm pretty sure she can follow me in singing a scale, I am talking about an ingrained sense of style and self.

You all see for your self, tell me that this isn't the beginning of something big... also note the two brownies in bed with her. Passed right out! My kid is too cool. The fluffy turtle pillow, the sunglasses, what a life of luxury.

And this little guy. He may not be able to dance on his own, and understandably his style is probably more mine then his own, but look at that face. Can't you see him standing behind a bass guitar, just chilling.

Regardless of what they become I'll love them no matter what... but a parent can dream right?

Mommys in Charge.

Welcome back to all of you who have missed checking in on the Ipock household.

There have been a few changes since you last saw us, so let me refresh those of you who've been away. Since Leah's 2nd Birthday (the last post) Daddy built a quarter of a house, Mommy got pregnant, had an emergency C Section, and a baby named Luke Marshall, who then spent two weeks in the NICU recovering from a bit of rough start. Well, our little Luke is six months old and Leah is now just over 3, and we are getting our hands back around our world, so I wanted to take the opportunity to get you all looped back into our daily activities of fun and adventure.

Our family and friends are all such big parts of who Sefton and I have become, both as individuals and as a couple that we never want to take for granted sharing both our children with you, and you all with our children. Thank you for your comments, your love and support, and just your curiosity.

My goal is to update this blog at least every few weeks with lots of pictures and videos if I learn how to do them. :)

To give you a little indication of where we are coming from the picture above is literally the first time Sefton has held both kids at the same time. He loved every moment of his first "free" weekend with us. Not having the building of a room hanging over his head, we are really enjoying every moment together. I am taking on the primary responsibility of keeping you all up to date as Sefton is responsible for almost everything we have going on, including homework, and I feel it's my turn to just step up and take on a new role. (He has become an amazing cook at our house and his spaghetti makes mine look like tomato water.) It is only fair.

Just to give you a family update, Leah is going through a mommy stage, and has an insatiable desire to be touching me, or hanging on me, or loving on me. I'm not sure if it's her age, or maybe she's come to realize that we can't give Luke back. (Not that she is not incredibly kind to him, singing and tickling, it is so fantastic to watch.) Luke on the other hand is great coming on six months next week, at 17 lbs. He is currently suffering from a respiratory illness, but we expect him back at school by Thursday. Sefton is loving every minute of being a day Daddy while Luke is out sick, spending his days cooking dinner, feeding, changing and loving on little Luke all by himself.

Thank you for visiting, and until the next post, we love you all.

The big girl

Leah turned 2 last week and for some strange reason that means she is a big girl. The last two years seem like they went by in the blink of an eye and the past few months have gone by even quicker. Her development, both mentally and physically, has skyrocketed and her understanding of the world seems to expand more everyday.

The big girl transformation has come with a few adjustments on our part. We rearranged her room to make it less of a nursery. Gone are the changing table and mobile. In is the play kitchen. The baby toys are packed away in the attic as is the baby monitor. We are trading in rattles for crayons. The car seat has been replaced with a booster chair. We count to ten and say the alphabet. We sing together.

In our foyer is a picture I took of Leah the day she was born. She entered this world with what we call skidmarks; little abrasions on her head from the trauma of birth. Now her face gets marks from falling down while chasing Daisy through the backyard.

Two years old. I fear that the next time I blink I will be walking her down the aisle.

-Sefton