And We're Back!

Ok, I am way behind, so expect random pictures being thrown together to make up a blog posting.  Fun stuff has happened and we have been busy.  Thanksgiving last week was a blast, we ate way too much and were able to celebrate over 2 days.  Thursday was spent with the Larson family and Friday with the Heine family.  Didn't take as many pics as I had hoped to, but here are a few.

No kid table yet, so Reegan got to eat with the rest of us!

Followed by Thanksgiving crafts with Cousin Dalton

Family photo minus the littlest one.  He decided to take a 3 hour nap and miss most of the Friday Festivities.

Our big man is getting even bigger.  5 months old now.  Where has time gone?  Such a sweet thing and so handsome.  So long as he can see what is going on around him he is happy.  Does not like to lay down, especially when its time for a nap, and only wants to sit or stand.

Talks all the time.  Reegan was never very vocal (well until toddlerhood anyways), this kid laughs out loud and loves to hear his own voice.  I love it too. 

Gavin loves to play in his exersaucer and just begun using the doorway jumper. 

He is starting to fill his bed out nicely!  No food yet though, only milk.  I think we'll start baby cereal and veggies next month, maybe for Christmas.  How nice are we :)

A squirmer, doesn't want to sit still for long.

Gavin is quite a drooler as well.  His hands or some other object are always in his mouth.  This guy is going to keep me on my toes, Reegan never put things in her mouth as a baby.  This sticker barely made it through the photo shoot, Gavin decided he had enough and pulled it off.  Then proceeded to crumple it up and try to eat it.  Even at 17+ pounds, he still thinks he's starving.

He is amazing.  Gavin has been the perfect addition to our family and we are so thankful for him.  He is patient, smiley, and so good natured.  I love him to peices and still can't believe that my little family is mine.   

Hello!

Hello there!  Did anyone give up on me since its been a couple of weeks?  Unfortunately Blogger has been telling me that we used up all of our picture space and now it wants us to pay, literally.  This does not work for me, so we're trying some different options to work around it.  We also got a new computer while braving Black Friday and need to get that all up and running as well.  So, for now were just waiting, I had hoped December would be a slow month, but we're already booked solid.  Pictures will come soon, I think we're getting close to finding a new solution.  If you have ideas let me know!    

Little Man

We went to the doctor this week and this little man is growing perfect.  He seems so old and so much like a new baby all at the same time.  He is the perfect fit in our family and has found his place nicely.  

At 4 months and 1 week, Gavin weighs 16 pounds, 10 ounces.  Much to my surprise that is only the 72%ile.  He is 26 inches tall, 88%ile and his head is 11%ile. 

Gavin now has 2 teeth and more may be poking their way in.  He drools all the time and constantly has his hands or some toy in his mouth.  We have not started on baby cereal, I was hoping to wait until 6 months, but were taking it week by week since Gavin is aware of food and watches us like a hawk while we eat.

He is the one of the happiest babies I know.  We had a rough week or so at the beginning but after learning his cues, he is the best.  Loves to go to bed early, usually 6:45 he becomes fussy and is ready to eat and goes to sleep right after.  This also means that he wakes up around 7:00.  Reegan likes to sleep until 8 or 8:30 usually therefore Gavin and I have some good alone time in the morning (aka he stares at me while I eat my breakfast :)  He is SO ticklish and laughs and talks all day long.

Reegan likes to help with caring for Gavin, wants to hold him, give him his pacifier, gives him his toys to chew on and she talks to him.  Melts my heart.  My favorite part of every day is seeing them together, seeing their relationship grow.  His patience with her is amazing.  Recently Reegan told me that she would give Gavin a bottle and that she wanted to carry his carseat to the car.  Sister is growing up!

Halloween

I am well aware that as Reegan approaches 3 years old, she is going to start having memories that hopefully she will remember forever.  So, I am currently using any excuse I can find to make great memories.  I love seeing the excitment on her face when we tell her what the plan is for the "special activity".  I love the wide-eyed smirk she makes when the words: craft, paint, or pretty picture are used.  

 Last year we used markers on the pumpkin, but this year we decided to paint.  Finger paint that is.

 We used tape on the pumpkin to make a face and then had Reegan paint all over it.  When the paint was dry we removed the tape to show off the face.  I think it turned out so cute!

 It started getting a little cold, so pumpkin number 2 was decorated with a paint brush and paint.  I love making mental memories but I don't love visual reminders of "that one time I was crazy and let the kid use her body to paint, indoors..."  So, we kept it a little neater this round.

 How about them Wildcats, huh?

 Our amazing daycare does a parade on Halloween every year for the parents.  The kids get their costumes on and show off.  This shy girl was not very happy that I wouldn't walk with her. 

 This man didn't care about the parade.

 All better, she realized this was fun!

 Still didn't care and thought the party was a little boring.  He would rather be sucking on his fists and drooling, because that's all he does these days. 

 The princess and the frog! 

 Trick-or-treat.  Last year we went to a couple houses on our street but this year we did the real thing.  Reegan loved it and did such a good job saying "trick or treat" and "thank you".  We had to end the night a few houses early because her bucket was heavy and almost full! 

 Checking out her loot.  Luckily for me, this little one likes sharing with her mama! 

3 & 4 Months

I'm a little behind, again.  We took Gavin's 3 month photos on time, but forgot to post them. I realized this past week that we forgot, but it was almost 4 month time, so here they both are. 

 

We go to the doctor in another week and a half and I am so looking forward to hearing his weight and current percentiles.  This is one big boy!

 

3 months    



4 months!

Practicing his modeling.

Gavin is becoming quite the little man now.  He seems so much older than 4 months and honestly, I am kinda sad about this.  He has his 2 lower teeth and is drooling buckets.  Just like Reegan when she was a baby, he loves to stand and look around, jump in our laps, and generally be moving.  He started rolling from front-to-back and back-to-front at 3 1/2 months, but doesn't do it very often.  He keeps us on our toes.      

The biggest thing is a couple days before his 4 month "birthday" he started sitting up!  Well, kinda.  He's more like a tripod and can only old it for a few minutes at a time, but he loves it!

Life is good! October has been a whirlwind and I can't believe its almost over.  

Apple Orchard

Fall has arrived!  In fact, there have been some cold days, today being one!  We started what I hope will be yearly tradition of hitting up the apple orchard.  It was exactly what I hoped it would be.  Now, I'm trying to prove a certain someone wrong when he said "there's no way your going to use all 18lbs of apples".  I have made apple butter, an apple pie, and 6 individual freezer apple pies.  That, however, only used 1/2 of the apples, so I'm now searching for more things to make.

  

We were excited for Reegan to get to pick apples off the trees and we were really hoping she would enjoy herself.  Before heading out to pick, they let us taste-test the different varieties of apples.

Gavin was along for the ride too

Reegan wanted Daddy's help to reach some of the apples way up high.

Stopped for a second for a family photo

We went with the Frenchs and Ellie, Tristan and Reegan had a blast running around together in the trees!

 

It was such a great day!



Family Photos

I've been working on scrapbooks lately and have been going through photos from the last few years.  It has been bittersweet to see what a tiny baby Reegan started as and now as she's changing once again from toddler into child.  I also can't believe Gavin is almost 4 months and seems to be changing daily.  I'm so afraid I'm going to forget these moments and every time someone reminds me that kids grow up so fast and how their babies are grown, I want to cry a little.  I know, because I'm living it now.  I'm trying to create memories that will stick with all of us forever so I never forget the early days.  This has brought on the yearly family photos.  Honestly, I would love to do this two times a year while the kids are young and changing so much, but we'll see what the future holds. 

Here are our fall family photos.  This one is my favorite!  My kids are beautiful!

 

I now have more pages to add to the scrapbook while I cry softly to myself about how they're getting so big. 

(FYI - pictures were taken by Willow Brandt Photography who was recommended to us by our photo-taking friend Allison.  Check them both out!)