Happy Birthday Bridget and much more!

Our baby girl has turned 1!!!!

Yesterday we had a birthday party for our little Bridgy. All of her close friends and family were here to help her celebrate her big day. We ate brownies and played. She did a great job seeing as she barely had an afternoon nap that day! John and I cannot believe its been a whole year since this beautiful girl came into our lives! Big brother Jack had a fun time playing with his friends and stealing potato chips behind my back! Bridget got so many wonderful gifts...she now has her own dolls to play with and bears and pony's etc...

Tonight is the first night of Hanukkah and we are getting ready for 8 wonderful nights of the kids opening gifts and lighting the menorah. Jack has learned alot about Hanukkah at school. He loves spinning dreidels and even has a hat he made with a candle from a menorah on it.

Jack is LOVING school. Its such a great place for him. Its a small class and the teachers are wonderful. He has learned so much just in the few months that he has been there. I can't wait to see what new things he will learn! He can now count to 20 and sing his ABC's. He is also saying much bigger sentences and saying the funniest things like" Daddy needs a shower"!!!

John is on winter vacation and is so happy to relax( as much as you can with 2 small children!)

We have a packed week ahead of us; starting with Bridget's birthday, then Hanukkah, then Christmas, our anniversary and then New Years!!! It'll be fun here at the Schoultz house this week!

Halloween!

Happy Halloween everyone!

I know its been a while since we've updated this blog, but as you can imagine...life is pretty hectic here at the Schoultz house!

Jack is LOVING preschool...he is excited to go every time now...he walks right in and could care less if I'm there or not! He loves is new friends, especially Lindsay, who he calls "Windsy"!

Every Friday they have a Shabbat service for the toddlers and he gets so excited now, and runs around saying"Shabbat, Shabbat!" Bridget enjoys the service too....she is mesmerized by all the people and music.

Bridget started crawling 1 week ago, so life as we know it has now become more complicated! Jack is still getting used to Bridget crawling towards him...most of the time he says"No Bridget" and runs away! He is being a very good Big Brother by sharing his toys and making sure Bridgy has something to play with.

Tonight was Halloween, and Jack LOVED Trick or Treating! He went to every house on the block saying "trick or treat" and "thank you" after he got his candy. The church on the corner had a Halloween festival that is free to the public, so we went and played some games and Jack went on his first ride every, the swings. We have a video of him, and he was so excited. He wanted to ride again! I think John and I were more nervous than he was!

Jack dressed up as a scarecrow and Bridget was a ladybug. Grammy and I had to coax Jack into his costume with lollipops, but it was well worth the sugar rush because he looked adorable. And Bridget was the most content little ladybug there ever was!

John and I are doing great. We are getting ready to attempt a drive to Schenectady for Thanksgiving and since we have NEVER taken a road trip with children...it should be FUN!

Pop go the Wiggles!

Ok, so I took Jack to go see the Wiggles live in concert last night and it was amazing. He sat with his jaw hanging open for the first 30 min of the show...then decided to go up to the stage and dance like a roadie! I think I was more starstruck then he was at first. I was laughing the whole time watching him get so excited. My friend Sara had a good time watching my butt go back and forth in front of the stage as I chased Jack from side to side!Check out the videos and pics!

Blueberries and Martha Stewart

Hello everyone!

We all went blueberry picking this weekend and Jack absolutely loved it. He crouched under every bush and ate all the blueberries he found! Bridget and John went off together to get their own and I was trying to make sure Jack didn't eat all the berries on the bushes! Grammy and Papa showed up a little while later and joined in on the fun!

Bridget has started saying" dada" and can feed herself crackers. She is also sitting up on her own. She loves her veggies and is gaining good weight. She weighed 21 pounds last week! She is so fun to be around, she is always smiling and laughing.

Jack is really loving both John and I being home. He has started to randomly give hugs out of the blue and always yells " Surprise" whenever you walk in a room( he says aprise!) He has taken a liking to Blues Clues and sings all the songs along with the show! We recently bought tickets to go see the Wiggles live in concert next month, so that will be exciting for him!

I got in this weird homemaker craze and decided to re-do our living room. I made a slip cover from a sheet set( I know, who would have thunk it!?!?!?) and painted the front door red. I also re did the playroom, getting rid of alot of toys and adding some carpet. I'm now looking for my next project..... I think it will be repainting the living room since Jack decided to be Picasso and draw a mural on the wall( see the pic)
Life here is great, but the summer is going by too fast, I'm getting used to having John here!

Hope everyone is well!

Its been a while

Its been a while since I've updated our blog, but its been quite busy around the Schoultz house!

Jack turned 2 on May 29 and Grandma Debbie and Bubbe( Gwen) came down for the festivities. Jack had a blast with all of his friends and his new swing set that daddy nicely fixed up for him. I cannot believe my little boy is 2...its seems like yesterday that I was holding him and rocking him to sleep( or maybe that's just because I do that with Bridget now! I guess that's what happens when you have children close together, they kinda mesh!)

Jack has finally taken a liking to his little sister. When he hers her over the monitor he say" Bridget? I get it!) They also take baths together now and Jack has his own conversations with her. He'll say "Bridget...blah blah blah swing...blah blah blah ball..." And yesterday I got a video of him kissing her...so cute!

Bridget is growing so fast! She weighs almost 18 pounds now( can you believe it!?!?) She is eating baby food and really likes her veggies! She prefers peas and carrots over fruit any day!

Uncle Jason came down for a visit and Jack had a blast with him and the dinosaur he gave him. Our friend Guy came for a visit as well and Jack LOVED the Spiderman Mr. Potato head he gave him!

John is done with school for the summer and is own a rafting trip with the school right now but will be home late tonight. It will be nice having him around during the summer. Its much easier with one parent per one child!

The weather here is great, sometimes a little hot but I can't complain. OK, see you at the next posting!

Here are some pics from our Passover Seder and some cute pics of the kiddos! Bridget looks like she is about to go churn some butter!!

Also, there is a video of Jack on huge sugar high that is hysterical!

April Showers!

Well the sun is shining here in Greensboro, but its been deceiving because its been a little chilly here! Though we've had some days of 70's today it was quite chilly. Bridget is getting so big and smiling and cooing all the time. She actually laughed at me the other day but it was only for a fleeting moment. She is really into me now, and John is convinced she hates him, which is ridiculous! I have an unfair advantage, I'm with her all the time.

Jack is really getting into music, he likes for us to play his toy guitar and he'll bang on the drums or play his piano and sometimes pretend to sing into a microphone! We have started implementing "time-out" and he has become a pro at it! He is in time out at least once a day! He is just trying so hard to communicate what he wants and doesn't have the vocab yet.

Bridget slept from 11:00 p.m. until 5:00 A.m. the other night and we didn't know what to do with ourselves! But that didn't last! She was just giving us a taste of what we COULD have! Jack is really into Mickey Mouse now and the Wiggles. Whenever he gets upset that's the first thing he asks for and sometimes he gets so upset he combines the 2 and calls them the "Miggles"!

John is hard at work at school counting the days until summer. He may be going to Belize this summer through a program with the NC Museum of Natural Sciences. I unfortunately am pretty sure I broke my toe this weekend, I hit it pretty hard on the corner of the wall, heard a crack and now the whole thing is bruised and was swollen. I took pictures to show my mom and my mother in law the tragedy of my toe! It really does hurt!

Ok, off to catch some ZZZ's before Bridgy wakes up!

March Madness

Well, it feels like Spring is really here, even though our winter was very mild. The birds are out and I've started gardening.

Bridget is growing so fast! She is in the 97% for weight and the 70% for height. She grew almost 3 inches! She went from the 50% to the 97% in weight, so she is eating well! She is starting to coo and smile a whole bunch.

Jack is having some major issues with sleeping, but the pediatrician said its normal for his age and it will pass. G-d I hope so, Bridget is sleeping better than he is right now!

Jack is really starting to talk, the other day he said" want french fries" and told me he wanted a hot dog for lunch! Granted he calls it a "hot gog" but I'm not being picky right now!

He is starting to repeat anything you say, so we have a curse jar, where anytime one of us swears we have to put a quarter in the jar. He should be set for college with our potty mouths! I'm starting to read up on potty training and I'm scared out of my mind! He's not quite ready yet, but I have a little potty ready for him. Yesterday was a breakthrough with Jack, he went all day and night with no bottle! And never cried for it. I'm hoping this is permanent.

John has Spring Break next week, so I'm looking forward to having him home. My Valentines day gift from him, was a day without the kids, so I may take him up on that next week. I may take an Ambien and just sleep!

I've been bringing Jack to this program at the Temple called Tot Shabbot. Its a little Shabbot service for children under 5. Its only 15 mins or so and the Rabbi plays the guitar and all the children dance and sing. He loves it. The only problem is , its right around when he is winding down for the day, so getting him to sleep is a challenge afterwards!

I'm thinking of doing a yard sale this weekend, so that's my project for the week!

March is here!

I cannot believe that it is March already...I have 2 and 1/2 months before my baby boy turns 2!!!! Jack is doing so great...he is learning a new word everyday and using them constantly. He is really starting to communicate with us now. He does have his funny way of saying some things though. For example, a triangle is a "triandle" and a square is a "quare"! He is so much fun. He gets so goofy sometimes and just makes me laugh. Bridget is really starting to develop. She is tracking things now with her eyes and trying to touch things in front of her face. She also smiles at you now! I actually caught a smile on camera...they are like whale sightings...they come and go so fast! The other day Dan said that Bridget is really turning into an infant and is no longer a newborn, and made me so sad! Now I know why people just keep having kids! Its hard to believe she is only 9 weeks old.

John is directing the school play this week, so things have been crazy at work for him, but tonight he is at a hockey game relaxing!

I went to a consignment sale this morning and got such good deals! That was the highlight of my day, and really I was excited!

Here is a video of Bridget playing with her play gym and some current pictures of the kids! One is of the first picture of Bridget smiling and the other is Jack playing with his friend Benjamin.

Feb Fun

The weather is still nice here in NC...it snowed on Thursday but was 62 on Friday! Talk about global warming!

Bridget has her 2 month checkup next week and I'm partially sad that she is already 2 months old...is that weird?!

Jack is sick with a NASTY cold/cough and we can't give him anyting for it besides some Motrin so the whole Schoultz household is suffering along with him until he gets over it. The poor kids smells like Vicks VaporRub all the time!

I should be off to a consignment sale soon and I'm looking forward to it!

Hey everyone! Well its February here and it was 74 degrees today! I'm not complaining at all!

Attached are some current pictures of the family.The one with all three of us was on my birthday. The middle one is Jack being a little garden knome. We came back from running some errands and he would not come inside and when I looked to see where he was, this is where I found him! The third is our baby Bridget with her Uncle Dan. She always sits so contently with him. He must bring out her inner Zen!

Life is good at the Schoultz house. I think Jack is getting used to being home with me and just me! I try and keep him occupied, and I'm making a mental list of things to buy at an upcoming consignment sale to have for him to use like an art easel etc..

My friend Elizabeth had an idea about homeschooling our kids together with other children and it sparked my interest...right now we might just try for a playgroup, but its an interesting idea.

I'm so tired right now I actually feel drunk, who needs to drink, just have two kids in diapers!

Oy vey!

Well, its been quite a few weeks with our dogs. Unfortunately 3 weeks ago they got into a dog fight with the 3 chiuauas behind us when the wooden fence back their broke. Also unfortunately the 3 chiuauas did not make it. The fence is not ours and is in very bad shape. Both us and our neighbors tried to do some patchwork here and there. Those 3 dogs were always very nasty and barked and growled all the time. Our other neighbor actually got bitten by one of them. Well, needless to say the police were called and animal control. Both officials said they thought it was just an unfortunate incident that occurred because the fence broke. Well last week we get a letter from the people behind us asking for compensation for the 3 dogs( which we were going to do anyway) property damage, emotional distress and loss of wages. What?!?! I understand the compensation for 3 dogs, we know we are liable for them. It was awful what happened, John and I both know that, but their dogs were nasty little dogs and I guess Darwin's survival of the fittest cam into play when the fence broke. We called our homeowners insurance and they are trying to settle with them. I have a feeling this will not be easy. THEN, this week we get a letter from animal control citing our dogs as viscous/dangerous and they may be put down. Now we were told at the time that this would not happen because of the circumstances of the event. If we didn't appeal it we had to turn our doggies over to the shelter in 24 hours. Of course we appealed it because Milo and Lilly or NOT viscous by any means. So we met with animal control on Thursday and told them our side if the story and showed them pictures of the decrepit neighbors fence and pictures of all the broken fence pieces in our yard( how did it get there if our dogs broke through to their side?) Nobody saw what happened, so we proved to them that this was not necessarily an unprovoked attack of 3 dogs, there were mitigating circumstances. So yesterday they called and said that Milo and Lilly had been downgraded to a "public nuisance" and we just had to put up a new area of fencing around the neighbors crappy fence. We were going to do that anyway! So now our doggies won't be put down thank g-d but we are still dealing with the neighbors and what they want to be compensated for.

On a lighter note.....Jack and Bridget are doing great. Bridget is so beautiful...everyday she gets more beautiful and Jack is such a ham. He has his moments, but overall he is such a sweetheart. Now if you say that Bridget is sleeping he goes" shh"( with his middle finger, but hey its a start!)

Big Changes in the Schoultz House!

Happy( belated) New Year everyone!

Alot has happened since our last post!

On December 20, 2007 our beautiful baby girl was born. Bridget Grace Schoultz was born at 11:00 via an unfortunate emergency c-section. ( Her name was originally Ella Grace, but it didn't seem to fit her when I saw her the next day!)She was so close to coming out on her own and mommy was pushing as hard as can be, but her heartrate dropped too low and the rushed me off to get her out safe. She was totally fine when she emerged, which was amazing. She was 7 pounds 13 ounces and 20 1/4 inches long. She also had some eating issues like Jack did so she is also on Soy formula. She was pretty jaundice when she came home so she had to have that Bili Light( the ultra blue light) on her for12 or so hours to lower her levels. She looked like a glow worm!

She has been gaining weight and eating great. Bridget is much different than Jack...she only cries when she is having a diaper change and sometimes when she is hungry...Besides that she is content to be swaddled and loved. She is not too keen on bath time, but I'm sure her big brother will get her liking them soon.

Speaking of Jack, he is doing great. It has been a hard adjustment for him, but overall he is doing good. He tends to ignore Bridget most of the time and does NOT like it when she cries. When she starts to cry, Jack cries/yells louder. He has also started throwing some nice tantrums, but that will pass. If you ask him to be gentle with Bridget he will pat her head and he'll give her a kiss if you ask him too. He has started giving her the pacifier too.

I am recovering well from the c section. It was rough for a while and at times still is. I haven't decided yet what is harder to heal from, a vaginal or c section...they both definitely have their pros and cons!

I am also adjusting to being at home with 2 babies. Luckily I have some good friends like Kelly, Elizabeth and Di to talk to.

Grandma Debbie came for 5 days to help and visit and that was great. Jack LOVED going for walks and building with Lego's with Grandma Debbie.

Grandma Karen and Grandpa Thom have been great helps. They helped clean the house before Baby Bridget was born and are a huge help with Jack. So is Uncle Dan....whenever we need some help putting Jack to sleep etc..Uncle Dan works his magic!

Unfortunately John and Dan got food poisoning this week, so we had some sickies at home too. FYI- don't get the grilled chicken sandwich from KFC!

Uncle Jason is coming to visit next week, Jack will have a blast with him I'm sure!

The jury is still out on who Bridget looks like, but regardless she beautiful!

I'm learning many things as a mom, but most recently its that I'm not a hairdresser. I cut Jack's hair 2 weeks ago and it looks like Edward Scissorhands got a hold of him. Luckily its too early on in his life to scar him!

We hope everyone is great and I'll write more soon!