Jacob Andrew and William Colin: August 2014

Hello Friends and Family,

Greetings from lovely Leavenworth, Kansas - our new "home" for a year! It's been a busy (almost) three months since I last posted, but I hope I can catch up.

Jake's hernia surgery in May went well. We were blessed with excellent care at OU Children's - especially since our dear friend, Ann-Shannon, was a nurse there and came to sit with us during surgery. Jake's surgeon was a friend's husband, so we knew he was in good hands. Our little man was quite the riot before and after surgery. He informed the nurse that he "would not wear that yellow dress (surgery gown)" because he was wearing his Rumble shirt. Due to that spirited outburst, he was treated to an extra dose of meds before he was even put under. We saw a glimpse into his college future after the meds took effect and he was stumbling around like a little intoxicated toddler. I noticed that he was wearing his Rumble shirt when I went to post op to sit with him. Apparently, Jake won that battle. Thunder Up! Jake did well during surgery and recovered quite quickly. He's a hard kid to keep down.

Mr. Jake turned 3 on June 18 and celebrated as the MVP at his Thunder birthday party. We enjoyed a family party complete with Thunder gear, living room basketball, and of course food! Thank you to everyone who came and made his special day fun.

Our move from OK to KS was fairly smooth. GM and GP helped tremendously with the kids while Oma came and helped clean the house before we left (and has continued to help us keep it up to our realtor's standards). Our beautiful home is still for sale and we are so hoping that a new family makes it their house soon. Anyone want to move to Lawton??? The drive was easy (even with a nursing baby and a 3 year old wearing underwear with an unpredictable bladder). Thank goodness it is only 5/6 hours from OKC and we made it with just two stops. The biggest lesson I learned was the ins and outs of dry ice to transport breast milk to the new freezer. GM and GP followed with load number two.

We are enjoying our new house. It's a split level ranch style home that we are renting. We have a beautiful raised deck overlooking our backyard with a nice hill perfect for wearing out kids and dogs. Our neighbors on both sides are great - lots of dogs for Jake and the pups to play with. Our other favorite feature is the finished basement - a bedroom, playroom, and bathroom. Perfect for Matt to study in, the kids to play in, and guests to visit! Who wants to come play???

Matt has completed his Master's Degree from OU! He worked so hard while he was at Sill and while he was on leave here to finish before he started CGSC and he did it. Way to go, Matt! I do plan to finish reading his thesis at some point but it doesn't seem to flow off the tongue like the Dr. Seuss books I read to the boys. Matt has started the CGSC course and seems to like it so far. I've been busy planning fall events for Team RWB and starting to get ready for registration to open for the OKC Memorial Marathon. The boys and I are exploring activities on and off post (parks, story time, wiggle workshop, etc.) Jake starts part day preschool on post after Labor Day. He'll go Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:15-11:15. I'm sure he will love it and Will will appreciate some one-on-one time with Mommy. Our big boy also starts soccer in September.

Jake:

Jake is a busy, active, crazy boy as usual! He loves movies, books, and shows that he can act out. Pretend play has become more prevalent and he possesses a fantastic imagination! He is quite the singer and likes to belt out his favorites from the toilet. Speaking of toilet - Jake is completely potty trained when he's awake. He still wears a pull up for nap and night time, but otherwise, he's doing great! He loves to flush and give detailed descriptions about what his poops look like ("Mommy, that one looks like a zucchini noodle!") I like to encourage his creativity and his enjoyment of potty usage. I think I will have many great stories to share about our oldest as he begins his fall activities. Jake has an energy and curiosity that are contagious and exhausting. Amidst his sessions of bouncing off the wall, he always makes time for a quiet snuggle, hug, kiss, and an "I love you." Such a sweet boy.

Will:

Will is the sweetest, most loving, little trouble maker! Whether he is stealing his brother's snacks in the car or trying to knock over the DVD collection, there is a look of sheer delight in his face. He is right on the verge of crawling but in no hurry because he seems to be able to scoot, roll, and grunt his way to whatever object (or dog or brother) that he desires to play with. Today, I witnessed him scoot up behind Jake (who was sitting on the floor), put his hands onto his big brother's shoulders, and take him down to the floor with one push. Both boys laughed hysterically although I know that Jake won't always find this so funny. Will babbles loudly to compete with Jake's private concerts. He says, "mama" and "dada" and can blow a killer raspberry. Will's favorite pastime is eating. Starting at 7 months old, Will has been able to feed himself with his hands and has been eating table food (along with baby food) since 8 months old. He loves pretty much everything he can shove into his mouth, including moving inventory stickers, packing tape, dog food, and leaves. Will is also trying to pull up and has made it to standing on his knees.

Here are a few pictures from the past couple of months. We are looking forward to our time here in Kansas - it's been good to us so far!

Shanda