And Baby Makes 5!

The Schniebers are excited to announce that we're expecting Baby #3 in early September! Emma and Lukey are so excited about their new sibling. We told them a few weeks ago and it has been non-stop baby talk ever since - from Emma, not Luke. When we told them, Emma immediately started squealing. Luke looked over and started squealing, too, unless he realized that a blueberry had fallen off his plate and quickly focused his attention on the stray piece of fruit! Its all on video - very cute!

The next day, a Monday, I picked her up from school and her afterschool teacher slyly says, "So, Emma told me some news..." I start laughing and confirm that it was true. As Emma and I are walking out to the car, I ask her how many people she told that I was pregnant. She looks up at me with her cute little curly hair and glasses and said, "A LOT of people, Mom." It was so funny! On that same ride home, I fielded about 20 questions on the baby ranging from "why can't daddys carry babies?" to "if you get sick, does the baby get sick, too?" Emma recommended that we name the baby "Rosie" and Luke likes "Calilou." Both options were nixed immediately!

A few Luke stories:

He's had a runny nose and cough all week. We were all sitting in the living room and I say, "come here, Luke. We need to blow your nose" and he replies, "no, I'm fine."

Luke spends most of his day running around the house, looking for me, yelling "i hold you! I hold you!" I probably hear it about 10 times a day - and that's during the week when he's at school and I'm at work. You can imagine how intense the weekends are. We're working on keeping his pacifier in bed when he's not sleeping. Its been a real effort, especially since he's been sick over the last week. Nevertheless, he's always asking if he can have his "passy." Here's his earlier attempt at negotiation:

Luke: Where's my passy?
Me: In your bed.
Luke: I have it?
Me: Nope, not unless you're ready to go to bed?
Luke: Noooo.
Me: Okay, you'll have to wait for bedtime.
Luke: But I hold it... in my mouth.

Every morning when I wake up Luke, he says the exact same thing: "no wipes." He hates getting his diaper changed in the morning - probably because the wipes are so cold (I don't blame him). But regardless, every morning he tries to negotate a diaper change with any wipes. So, a few nights ago, we were playing Barbie dolls with Emma and all three of us were changing the dolls clothes to go to a "party." As Luke was taking off the dolls' clothes, he would look over at me and say, "No wipes. No wipes." Apparently, he didn't want his Barbie dolls to go through the same painful process!

Then today, I was folding clothes in the laundry room. I had just put a load of clothes in and the washer was sensing the load and slowly filling it up with water. It creates somewhat of a loud noise, but Luke thought it was "too loud" and kept yelling at the washer, "that's too loud in my house. That's too loud in my house!" As you can see, he always repeats his sentences twice. Probably because he has realized that we're usually not listening the first time around!!

Lately, all four of us have been cuddling in bed at night, watching T.V. On Sunday, we were watching one of the awards show and I commented that I really liked one of the stars' hair. It was cut super short - almost like a boy cut - and I said that I wished that I had the courage to cut my hair like that because I really liked her hair. Emma looked over and said, "I like you just the way you are, Mommy!"

Yesterday, Casey most of the day chasing the kids around while pretending to be a monster. It was hilarious for the first few hours and then it got annoying. Luke and Emma would SCREAM whenever he would come near. And not just cute little high-pitched squeals - I'm talking blood-curling screams. I asked Luke and Emma several times that they needed to stop screaming. Finally, Casey joined in and told the kids that they needed to stop screaming or they couldn't play anymore. Emma looks at Casey and says, "Daddy, I was screaming at the top of my lungs when you were chasing me." And Luke adds, "Yeah, Daddy, I screaming at the top of my knees!"

On Tuesday, Emma came home from school and said that an orchestra came to visit school today. She was very excited about the various instruments that she saw - a flute, a clarinet, a cello, percussion, etc. We spent a great deal of time talking about the sounds of the instruments and which ones she liked the best. I wasn't sure if it was the Cincinnati Orchestra who visited, so I asked Emma, "where did the orchestra come from?" and she replied, "I don't know. Probably Ohio. They were already there when got to the auditorium."

In order to remember all of the cute stories or comments that Luke and Emma have been recently, I've started a list so that I can blog them later when I have time. So without further ado, here are a few:

A month ago, Emma came home from school with "borrowed" clothes from school and a plastic baggie that contained her jeans & underwear. She had obviously had an accident. She was totally mortified and didn't really want to talk about it other than to say she just couldn't make it to the bathroom. I've seen this time and time again - Emma gets so engrossed into playing that she doesn't want to step away for even a moment. Then the accident happens. So, I start in on the standard lecture on taking the time to take potty breaks and "listening to your body" when its time to go potty and she responds in a frustrated tone, "my body doesn't talk, mommy."

Thanksgiving this year was extra special because of the new addition to our family, William Matthew Henry (Mike & Erin's little one). Mom prepared a beautiful luncheon and we were incredibly blessed to have all of our family present. Megan was asked to say "grace" prior to eating - which was a prayer set to the music to superman. Emma, not wanting to be shown up by her cousin, decides that she, too, has a prayer for Thanksgiving dinner. I look over confused at Casey who only shrugs. At this point, we have no idea what she is going to say. She steps up on the chair, takes a deep breath and starts in... "I pledge allegiance, to the flag...." Immediately, I look around the room and all of the adult have their heads down and their shoulder are shaking. I turn to look behind me and Erin has her hand on heart with an amused look on her face. It was hilarious. We should probably take an opportunity to teach her the "God is great, God is good" prayer. Classic. Here's a few pictures from Thanksgiving:

The kids were pumped to welcome their new baby cousin into the family and everyone wanted to hold him - including Luke. Everytime I had him on my arms, Luke would come running over shouting, "I hold it! I hold it!" We've told him several times that Matthew is a "him" but I don't think he gets it. Here's Luke holding it:


The Wonder Pets is a favorite show of Emma & Luke and they spend a lot of time singing the theme song which has a line that goes something like "what's gonna work? Teamwork?" The day after Thanksgiving, Casey and I bought a new TV and we were in the basement getting it set up. The box had tons of packing styrofoam and the kids were playing around with it, building towers. All of the sudden, the two of them start singing "what's gonna work? Teamwork!" as they are moving the styrofoam from one side of the room to the other. It was too cute!

In a related story, a few weeks later, Luke couldn't move a big pillow from the couch so Emma came over to help him. Once they moved the pillow, Luke looks over at Emma and says, "that's teamwork, Emma!"

Since we got our new TV in the basement, we finally had taken the time to put up pictures and signs and really make it homey down there. I even bought slipcovers to the couch and chairs. I returned home from class one night and Casey takes me downstairs to show me that Luke had drawn on the new slipcover with a pen. Unbelievable! I had the couch and chairs and not once did he touch them. But once I put on a slipcover, apparently he thought it was time to make his mark. Luckily, I got to them quickly and put them in the wash. The next day, I'm driving with the two of them in my car and Emma casually mentions, "So... I guess you know that Lukey drew on your couch with a pen, right?" I told her that I heard and that Daddy had given Luke a lecture. She pauses and says, "I don't know where he got that pen... guess it must have been when Daddy wasn't watching him!" Way to throw Daddy under the bus, Emma!

Christmas was spent with the entire family in Florida. It was the first time that we had done that since 2005 when Emma was a just a little baby! The kids had a great time swimming, playing with cousins and watching movies. Luke and Emma were angels on the trip down and back which may lead to trips in the future!

Please & Thank You

I haven't had too much experience with toddlers but for a 2 year old, I think that Luke is extremely polite... to the point that its just hilarious! Ever since he was little, whenever we say "thank you" to him, its always in a sing-songy voice... kinda like "THANK you, lu-KEY!" Of course, he now mimics that same song when he thanks us.

Last week, I was saying goodbye to him and asked for kisses on the cheek and he shook his head no. So I kissed him on the cheek anyway. He looks over and says "more kisses mommy" so I kiss him on the cheek again. He says "more kisses mommy" and takes his chubby little finger and points to his lips. So I kiss him on the mouth and he proclaims "THANK you, mom-MEE!" It was hilarious!

When I got him out of bed this morning, his hair was crazy-big. So I say "Lukey, your hair is awfully crazy this morning." He replies, "thank you, mommy!"