Life has been a little crazy, but we are enjoying it!  Here's what we've been up too...

Tanner (5) months:  Scoots to toys closes to him, and loves to roll around and play on his tummy.  the Jumper is his favorite (and my lifesaver for about 30min each day), and he likes to get up on his knees, but no crawling yet.  He has a smile for anyone and everyone until 4:30 rolls around, then there isn't one thing that can make him happy.  He thinks Brady is the funniest thing alive.  We are working in him sitting up.  And he is getting his first tooth!

 Brady (22 months):  Crazy as ever!  He is always moving and coming up with random objects to play with and trying to figure anything and everything out.  He likes playing with Tanner occasionally and says "hi" to anyone or anything (yes, random objects and appliances). Some of his favorite words are: working, sneeze, cookie and any other word that is more "difficult to say he will probably say it for you.  Favorite song : "Tinkle Tinkle little star"

Loved playing in the first snow!  He ate any snow he could get his hands on for days!

Figured out how to hang ornaments all by himself... and manged to break all of  the ones he was allowed to play with.

Charisse:  I am on my home run stretch of working for 3 months part-time to cover for a girl on maternity leave.  I love that I have been able to help people out as a PTA, but I also miss being with the boys more than the afternoon.  It's been a little crazy.  In my spare time I've been working on some canvas artwork for my bathroom.  All it is is aluminum foil, modge podge, and canvas.

Will:  November he started his new job as an Apprentice Power Lineman.  I admit, this is the job we have been looking for, but it's been a pretty rocky start.  He travels to Iowa to work for technically 4 days, then is home for 3 days...but there are a couple of projects that have been really behind so they have been traveling to the boarder of Iowa and Wisconsin, and parts of NE so he is gone for more like 2weeks at a time.  He loves the work and the people he works with.  We are crossing our fingers that they will be back on their "original" job, and home his "scheduled" times so we can see him more.  

We had a great Thanksgiving with my parents and are looking forward to spending time together for Christmas!  I am so blessed to have these boys in my life.  Although it's been a rough two months, I am grateful for the blessings I have received and know that as I have faith things will all work out, the RIGHT way in the end.  

Usually they are smiling...but never when I need them too.  Whenever I need something to entertain both boys, I make something.  Makes the house smell great, but not so great for the slimming tummy!

Updates

What we've been up to...

Will:  Still working :)  Someone has to make us money :)  I say We (but really it's all Will) started to gut our downstairs bathroom, move electrical and water, and are just getting ready to put it back together.  We...He is putting a tub in, making the room bigger by moving the wall (so the tub fits), floor, ceiling, pretty much everything.  He keeps busy working with the scouts too.







Charisse:  I've been keeping very busy.  I started Insanity Workouts this week... I am determined to get back to my old clothes!  I took a part-time job as a PTA for a company 2-4 hours a day while their PTA went on Maternity leave (my mom is AMAZING to watch the boys for me!).  I have been trying to catch up on scrap-booking for the year.  LOVE being a mom of two boys...even though at times I might not act like it lol

Brady:  Is just as busy as every.  He is starting to talk in Russian (at least that's what it sounds like)... He copies our words pretty well, but now has full blown conversations with himself or us about who knows what.  I am so excited for him to start saying sentences!  He still LOVES being outside!  It is so fun to watch him learn.  The other day I was getting Tanner out of the car and I hear Brady go "SSSSSSSSS.ssssssssssssss.Sssssssssss"  I look over at him and he is pointing to an earth worm... we have only gone over snake a couple of times.  He LOVES our I Spy books and that's pretty much where he has been learning most of his random words.  He is starting to point out the objects now too!  It's so much fun!

He loves to  give us cheesy smiles!  He does really well with Tanner too.  It was so cute! The other day I heard Brady growling from the other room.  I checked in there really quick cuz Tanner was in there playing on the floor, and I see this...

My sister made Tanner some small tag animals and Brady was holding the dino in front of his face growling!  I LOVE IT!!!  We can tell Brady to go talk to  Tanner and he'll go "Hieeeee!"  It's been fun..

Tanner:  This guy grows so fast!  He is starting to thin out his chubs but still has a tire.  He occasionally rolls from tummy to back, but a few days ago he actually rolled back to his tummy again!  He's only done it once, but I can peek at him grunting in the other room for like 10min and he is just trying to get back on his tummy again.  Its really funny!  He loves playing on his tummy had has started to scoot too (though he doesn't know it).  Its funny because He'll scoot close to a toy, then get tired and put his head down, on the toy, and get mad like "where did this come from?"

Tanner has smiles for everyone!

These three boys are the BEST things ever!!!

Camping!

A couple of weeks ago...

We went camping!  This was the first time we have been with kids... and we decided it make it fun by jumping straight in with both kids!  It went well... considering...  lol.  I completely forgot to take the pack n play for Brady to sleep in, but luckily I decided to throw in Tanner's rocker at last minute.  That was a LIFE saver!  We went to Two rivers after Will got off work.  Brady LOVED running around free, and Tanner really likes the outdoors.  We decided to let Brady play till he wiped out, which was around 9.  Then Brady had fun jumping off and on our air mattress...Will finally got him calmed down and asleep around 9:30.  We had a really rowdy  family reunion going on across from us who were up till partying... and luckily Brady only woke up a couple of times.  Forgetting the Pack N Play was a blessing in disguise because Brady would pop up out of nowhere and I could just pat him back to lay down and cover him up without getting out of bed.  Tanner ended up sleeping with us most of the night.  The next morning we made breakfast, packed up and left.  We probably would have stayed a little later but the mosquitoes were eating us alive!  They were CRAZY!!!

We learned camping is A LOT different in NE then Arizona.

Pros:
Only bugs we have to worry about are mosquitoes, and it is super grassy
There is always wood.
Camping is a 30min drive max away

Con:
Plan on it to be wet...from the rain or dew, make sure you have a canopy and Tent to keep things dry (which we did!  AMAZING!!!)
There might be wood, but it's probably wet.
Camping is more expensive cuz we can't just go anywhere, we have to go to a campground and pay or a site.

Kent Tryon Family Reunion 2014

We just got back from a family reunion with my siblings in Panora Iowa.  For being in the middle of Iowa, it was a BLAST!  (Probably because of the company).  It was the first time in 6 years that all of us siblings have been together.  We for 3 out of the 6 days we had everyone one the family there except one brother in law (I think that's pretty good for living in 2 states!)
Here are some of the highlights:

Wednesday:  boys went shooting, and we drove up to Panora
Thursday:  Everyone except me and my boys went on a  1 1/2 hr train ride.  Brady, Tanner and I chilled and enjoyed the quite and watched a movie.  We were so GLAD When everyone else got back! Will drove up after work.

I usually don't let Brady have his blanket and pacifier after nap time, but it had been a LONG day.  He loved just singing to himself walking around with the blanket on his head...weird kid.

Friday:  The older "adults" without kids went to test out the Middle Raccoon river for 2 miles of Canoeing.  The others went to the beach.  Will and Brady had fun skipping rocks while Tanner and I liked watching everyone.  Lots of games in the evening. We hit the "water park" in the afternoon.  It was FREEZING so we didn't last long.  Brady was shivering the whole time but didn't want out for about 20min.  Will and Tanner enjoyed the non-cold water on the bench.  I went for a bike ride with my cousin around the neighborhood.  It was so pretty and really fun cruzing down the hills, not so much going up them.  2 hours later went for a ride with my dad.  Not as fun...Dad has been biking to the bus stop for work for x number of years, up and down Nebraska hills, and he rides FAST! So after jello legs from no workouts for the past 6 months and biking hills, and biking again 2 hours later, Man was I S...L...O...W...  but it was still fun, but very painful.

Saturday:  The kids went on the 2 mile canoe trip in the morning.  We went with Camilla and Dan to a "Historic Village"  It was closed so we had fun walking around the outside.  We hit the "water park" again.  Weather was warmer and Brady started to warm up to the kids waterfalls and fountains, letting go of Wills hand off and on.  I was able to test out the water slides which were AWESOME!

Love my boys!

Sunday:  Most went to church.  Tanner and I chilled and took a nap. Family pictures (don't have any yet)  Lots more GAMES!  Will went home :(

Monday: I was able to go on a canoe trip along with others who wanted to go again.  This time we did a 3mi route which was more of the "Tryon" route.  We were able to lift our canoes over a dam of fallen logs and wade through chest deep water and quick sand.  It was actually pretty and the weather was perfect! Went to the water park again.  It was warm weather and the water was perfect!  Brady LOVED playing in everything and didn't want to hold on to me at all!

Tuesday: Went on a short hike around a lake.  I hung back with feeding Tanner while the others walked around about 30-45 min.  It was gorgeous!  Started packing up stuff in the afternoon and played outside.

Wednesday:  Drove home.

Thursday: some family was still in town so we went to the new playground by my sisters house.  I LOVED it!  Oh, and Brady did too :)

Tanner 1 Month!

Time has flown by so fast!  I can't believe Tanner is a whole month old!  He is defiantly bigger then Brady was at this time.  Things Tanner has been up to:

*Grown out of new born clothes
*Awake for longer periods of time and fights going to sleep
*He LOVES being held to go to sleep!
*He either grunts when he isn't sleeping good, or has a really high piched soft snore when he is sleeping really good
*Loves mommy.  When ever I'm not holding him, and I am talking, he will always turn his head towards me
*makes the cutest "O" face
*We have been working on "soft" touch when Brady touches Tanners belly, Tanner usually smiles when he does this
*Smiles more
*Still good with nursing and a quick eater
*He is a Mamas boy (though I am working on it not becoming extreme)
*He LOVES tummy time and usually falls asleep for his best naps of the day during it.

Tanner New Born Pictures

The other day Mom and I had fun taking pictures of Tanner.  He was pretty good!  We didn't get many open eye shots though :)  Thanks to my great friend who helped me edit them!

I know it's only been a week, but everything about these two boys are totally different!  I think Brady looks more like a Merrill with my personality, and Tanner looks more like a Tryon with Wills personality.  

Tanner at one week

Brady at tone week

New Born Tips- Bath Time

I figured I should start typing up the tips I have learned with having a new born a second time.

Bath Time. You aren't supposed to give them a regular bath for 7-10 days because of the umbilical cord and circumcision. Only sponge baths! I swear, sponge baths are TORTURE for both infant and parents. It's difficult to keep the water the right temp, keep from getting peed on, wipe down infant, soap up infant, then wipe down again, while infant is crying because “hello, it's cold! I don’t care how warm the water is you are using, it's still cold when you leave the area.” I mean, even if you use warm water, it's STILL cold because baby isn't covered in it. So...this is my tip learned the second time around.

1. Usually I place a thick folded up towel in the bottom of the tub anyways so it's softer and warmer. This time... (I did not get doctor approval, so do this at your own risk) I poured warm water enough to soak the towel and leave a few puddles on top. This allows baby to at least stay partially warm on the bottom side without getting umbilical/circumcision regions wet.

2. I usually have a dry rag over circumcision to keep from getting sprayed (I do this with diaper changes too). I started using wipes but they are so cold it increases risk of getting sprayed.

3. I then have a pitcher of plenty of warm water at the right temperature and multiple rags. This allows me to place warm rags over chest and legs while sponging infant up and still keeping them warm without having to keep the water running.

Baby was SO MUCH happier! No tears from baby or parents for putting them through the torture again! ALSO, baby was quite enough to not wake up brother from nap! Wahoo!