Family of Four: 2012

Friday, December 28, 2012

Winter Break

Other parents would agree, staying home with a toddler all day is not an option. In the winter, options are obviously limited, but we've been finding new and fun things to do this last week!

Our outings have included,

-Sky Zone, Toddler Trampoline Time
- Rosedale Mall
- Barnes and Noble
- Eagles Nest indoor playground

- Day at Spirit Mountain, skiing (without kiddo)

Foam pit at Sky Zone

Dawn, Willow, Gavin and I at the trampoline park

Opening his very first workbench!

Playing with Noah's Ark

Day of skiing at Spirit Mountain!

Lego table at Barnes and Noble

Tree fort at Eagles Nest

Busy days!

Hope everyone else is having a great break too!

Monday, December 3, 2012

Tonight we went to see "A day in the life of an elf," at Macy's. I'm never amused when I leave. It's is a very small display and for the effort it takes to wrangle a tot to get there...whatever i'm going to see better be worth it! Tonight it took 5 minutes to walk through and we were done, but I have to admit, if you haven't been there...go once at least (on a week night). The important part is that Gavin liked it. He even got to write a letter to Santa :)

On our way!

Let. Me. Out!

Busy writing Santa a letter

Oh hey, a Christmas picture!

Thanks for smiling, short stack

...what Gavin thought of pictures

Bye bye

Saturday, December 1, 2012

14 Months and Giving Thanks

Today, Gavin is 14 months and the girls are 18 months. In the first picture, Gavin is 6 days old and the girls, 4 months. The three peas are growing up so fast!

He has well over-passed the girls in weight and appetite. The girls are so chatty and love singing, while Gavin is happy being on the go and running circles around the girls. He is in 18 and 24 month clothes. His waist is close to 24 mo, while his legs are about a 12-18 month length. Dilemma! He is also eating anything and everything. His breakfast with Grandma earlier this week was 2 eggs, 2 oatmeal pancakes and a half piece of toast with milk. Sharing my meals out with him is getting harder and harder.

We had my sister and her family, my Mom and Bruce over tonight. It was a full house with lots of laughs and food. I made homemade meat and vegetable lasagna (my fave food!), which turned out well. It was fun to have everyone over.

Girls only

Bruce and Scottie finishing up

Hi Ellie!

Leona, coming through. This tunnel was the hit tonight with all three kids going in at once.

Gavin was not in the mood

Mom and Bruce

Katie and Scottie

Center of attention

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

~Pounds

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Our Village

Driving home from work today (after being there for only 5 minutes), I contemplated whether or not to pull over to throw up or to keep driving home. I wondered if I pulled over on the side of the road, if Mark would come and get me. I knew that tomorrow i'd come to Facebook to see "i'm thankful for..." all over and it made me wonder, what am I really thankful for this year? I'm not thankful that i'm sick, that's for sure. I'm thankful for my "village."

You've all heard the saying, "It takes a village to raise a child," and that couldn't be more accurate. This year especially, I don't know what I would have done without my village.

Our parents, who watch Gavin one day a week, saving us loads in daycare costs. Several times, they have driven us over soup, Gatorade and crackers when we were sick. They have taken Gavin when we needed a night to ourselves. It melts our heart to see how much love they have for our little kiddo.

Our friends, who have driven a long ways to deliver us "get well" baskets, taken Gavin for us, came to visit us when Gavin was in the hospital and we needed you most (also our family who came to visit as well), just "checked in," or called to say hi, taken US out for some adult time, and just "been there." Let's not forget my mommy friends who have answered countless, "is this normal?" questions about having a baby.

My sistrina, for having phone dates with me. It's fun to raise kids at the same time! Also being a trooper and coming to visit Gavin and I in the hospital, when my mom couldn't. She's always got my back.

My husband. I wouldn't survive parenthood...or life, without him. For those of you who don't know, we've been together since I was 14 and he was 15. We go wayyy back, as they say. A few wonderful things this man has done...does up the "sick" couch when i'm sick (blankets, fluffy bed pillows, side table with water, book and crackers), stuck with me through our breastfeeding days (huge time commitment), cleans up dog vomit because I still can't stomach it, still to this day is the get-up-in-the-middle-of-the-night- parent as well as everything else he does.

We've been sick more this year than in the history of us being together and we've needed everyone who has helped, to help. Our Village has been a blessing and I am thankful for everyone who has stuck with us through parenthood, as we muddle our way through it :)