Mrs. Brown Can Moo...

It's been 4 months.

2010-12-28T16:15:00.004-06:00

It has been 4 months since we welcomed our beautiful baby girls into this world. It's been 4 months since we said goodbye to our beautiful Ella. I still cant believe that it's been that long. We should've had a house full of kids..instead I have 2 angels at home, and 2 angels watching over me and mine. Ugh...I knew dealing with their deaths would be hard, but everytime the 28th rolls around, it knocks me in the gut, again and again. It also doesnt help that I am still healing physically from it. Every now and then, I get up and get a burning pain in my abdomin. I'm told its normal. I just wish I was back to normal.

short update..

2010-08-20T21:58:00.003-05:00

So, yeah, like my last post says, I'm a total slacker. At least I have an excuse! I'm a mommy, and I'm pregnant. That and we didnt have internet for a while. Dont really know why, though.

So, I am 25wks pregnant now. I am also HUGE! I'm measuring about 8 weeks ahead. Babies are doing great! Moving around like there is no tomorrow, and making their presence known. And, we found out (over a month ago...*cringe* sorry!!) that we're having GIRLS! I'm super excited! We are naming them Baby A: Cynthia Paige and Baby B: Gabriella Catherine. I want to call them Thia and Ella, but knowing my family the way I do, they will have about 10 other nicknames, too. At least my family loves them already! As soon as I have 10 more minutes to rub together, I will post some ultrasound pictures. Or I'll just wait til my 28 week appointment, and put up new ones. Or I'll do both.

Gavin is doing really well with his therapies. He's back to sleeping in his bed, and even has gone to bed on his own for the last few weeks. Yay! He's talking more, and interacting more, but I'm still seeing how far behind he is on some things. Like, today, at a website I visit, a mother posted a picture that her newly turned 2yo drew. It was a distinctive smiley face complete with ear. Gavin can tell me that he is drawing it, but it ends up looking exactly like whatever Lena tries to draw. It makes me sad, but I know that if we keep working on it, he will get it.

Lena is still fat. She still likes to eat. She's finally walking, so that's good. She is ALL girl. She likes to "help" me pick out clothes for her. She sits still so I can put her hair in pigtails. She even lets me paint her toenails! Then she points to them and tells me "Preeey!!". And, yes, they are pretty, even though they are VERY small. LOL. We got her a diaper bag for her babies a few days ago, and she likes to put her baby in it and walk around with it. She took it to Gavin's therapy appointment on Thursday, and was so happy to show it off. She likes to carry it and scream, loudly, "My BAAAABBBBBYYY!!!!". Again, she's too cute.

We are still waiting to move. We were supposed to have a house August 17th, but when Russell went to sign for the keys, they informed us that they had tried to get ahold of Russ the week before, and when they couldnt (after only one voicemail, and no phone calls to me) they gave our house to someone else. So, now, we have to wait until sometime in early Sept. In the meantime, I'm still sharing a room with Gavin. Which means, great, another routine change once we move. Not looking forward to that.

Otherwise, we are doing ok. Looking for a cheap van, waiting for a house and taking care of the babies. Both air and non-air breathing babies.

And this post turned out a little longer than I anticipated. Oh well!

Wow...been a while..

2010-05-16T10:38:00.003-05:00

So apparently, I'm a total slacker when it comes to posting. Sorry. Not a whole lot going on here, just PREGNANT AGAIN! LOL...we're having more babies, and this time I mean babies. I'm pregnant with twins! Oh man, how am I going to deal with twins, and 2 toddlers??? I'll figure it out. I'm due 12/2, so send lots of good vibes my way!

On another note, Lena finally learned to crawl, and now she's cruising the furniture, and trying to stand by herself. I am a very bad blogger, since I missed doing a post about her birthday. She's ONE now! Oh man...my baby's growing up! We had a party for her the day before her actual birthday, that was fun. We had it at my friend Katies house (since it's soo much bigger than mine). Lena loved her cake, got it all over her face. She got lots of clothes for her birthday, including a beautiful homemade dress from her Mawmo. Lena now weighs in at 22lbs, and her thighs are still as chunky as ever! I will post pictures soon, I promise.

Gavin is making leaps and bounds going to speech therapy. He goes to speech and occupation therapies once a week. Behavorial-wise, he's not doing much different, except he is now sharing better, but only part of the time. Speech-wise, we can actually understand a bunch more of what he's saying. It's great. There are times when he still gets frustrated because we dont understand what he is trying to tell us, but we're learning with him. My mom is going to send us some sign language dvds so hopefully that'll help. He's also starting to hide when his ears hurt, since he hates going to the dr soo much! I took him in for pink eye, and unexplained fever, and it turns out his fever was because he had flaming red ear drums. Didnt show us at all that they were even bothering him. He's way too smart!

We are finally going to move! We have been living in a 2 bedroom house for all of our married life, and we are finally going to be in a house that will fit our family! With all the problems Gavin has, he cant share a room with his sister, so we got put on the waiting list for a 3 bedroom. But, then we found out about the twins, so they put us on the list for a 4 bedroom! It's awesome! Dont know when we're moving, hopefully it's soon, so we have time to get it together before I probably end up on bedrest. That, and I want my baby sisters to come stay with us for a bit, but they cant come til we have a better house, since at this point we dont have anywhere to put them. Right now, Gavin and Russell sleep in the living room (gavin is afraid of something in his room, and wont sleep there), Lena sleeps in the "master bedroom" and I'm sleeping on the guest bed in Gavin's room. It's a rough situation.

Anyway, I'll try to post some pictures soon...I'm soo tired all the time that I feel like doing exactly NOTHING every day. It doesnt work that way, but I wish it did!

The many faces of Lena

2009-11-17T13:42:00.005-06:00

Ok, I know..I'm a HUGE slacker. Forgive me, I've been dealing with a lot. Lena's teething, Gavin's bleeding from his ear, and I'm not sleeping. It's all loads of fun.

Ok, so about the title. I had to take pictures of Lena, to try to get a head shot. A woman I know needed a model for a porject she's doing, and when the clients showed her what they were looking for, she thought of Lena. So, fresh from a nap, I took some pictures. In a span of about 5 minutes, she gave me a variety of faces. All cute, of course. And, the great news from that, is my friends clients REALLY loved her, so she is now their logo! Yay for my beautiful baby!!! Enjoy!

I'm not looking!

MMMM tasty fingers!

WHAAAAAAAAAAAA?

Big Smiles!

pictures I promised!

2009-08-27T15:01:00.008-05:00

So I promised pictures. Oh, and Lena had an ear check yesterday and she's up 1 lb. She now weighs 16lb 3oz. 1 pound is a lot for a baby. So, she's getting fatter!

Gavin likes to wear Lena's headbands. Daddy's not the fan Gavin is, but I remind daddy not to worry since the headbands almost never match his outfit.

Dancing with Auntie Molly. He's very good at it.

Posing, while dancing. I love that he sees the camera and hams it up.

Giving Lena a ride. It was truly funny.

Lena loved having her big brother push her, and he did such a great job of making faces, just like mommy does.

One of the shirts from Miss Loretta (does anyone know why we call her "Miss" when she was married?). He was not too happy with me for taking a picture and not letting him do it.

Lena in one of the outfits Miss Loretta got for her. Let it be known, that she is sitting by herself in all of the following pictures. Daddy's just there for mommy's sake.

I love the surprised face.

Such a happy girl. She has teeth, you just cant see them.

One picture of her sitting by herself...that you can tell she is. She's getting so big!

There ya go folks! Enjoy!

quick update

2009-08-24T13:23:00.003-05:00

Sorry...it's been a while. No pictures today, though. We (meaning me, gavin and lena) went to DC for Kevins wedding at the end of July. It was a lot of fun, even though Gavin learned how to climb out of the pack and play. That meant putting him back in every night when I went to bed. Lena was also teething, so that was no fun. After DC, my mom, dad, and sisters came down to Savannah and stayed with us for a bit. Dad left after a day (back to work and all that) and the rest stayed for a few days before moving on with their trip. After they left, Lena went to her 4 month appt, where we found out she's long, and heavy. She also had her first ear infection (double, of course).

So, here's Lena's stats. She's 5 months now. She's got 2 teeth (had them before her appt). She's 26 inches long, and 15 lbs 5 oz in weight. She rolls only if she wants to, loves to rock when she's sitting on my lap (not really rocking, more like throwing herself around). She sleeps through the night when it's convienent for her, or she's not teething. She loves nursing, hates cereal. She's trying to sit on her own, and can for about 2 minutes until she starts to sway. She does pretty well at keeping herself up though. She loves to be held. I put her down, and no kidding she screams until I pick her up..then she smiles and laughs like it was all a joke on me. When she does let me put her down and stay down, she moves in circles and backwards, then gets mad because whatever she's looking at and wants gets further away. I, of course, laugh and tell her that if she just went forward, then she could get the toy. She doesnt listen.

On to Gavin. He'll be 2 in about 2 1/2 weeks. I'm not sure how tall he is, but I know he's almost 26 pounds. He's regressing in his speech, so we've been seeing an ENT for that. His tubes are fine, but they're doing a hearing test the day before his birthday. We'll see how that goes. We might have to do speech therapy with him (though that wouldnt suprise me, since both his parents had to do that too). He is way too smart for his own good. He "brushes" his teeth any time anyone says anything about going into the bathroom. "I tee? I tee?" is his usual statement. He sits in the big boy chair at the big person table, and thinks he's the first. He knows where to go when we go for a walk, he knows his friend's house. He knows what he wants, and he's not afraid to try and tell us what it is. Of course, when we dont understand, he's really not afraid of trying to get it himself.

Other than that, there's not a whole lot else that's new. I have promised my mom some pictures of the kids (they got clothes from Miss Loretta, and Gavin looks handsome with his new haircut). Those will have to wait til Gavin gets up from his nap.

pictures for Molly to steal

2009-07-11T20:57:00.009-05:00

Molly told me to put up pictures that she could steal, so here they are. They are from the weekend of the fourth, and from a little earlier than that.

All smiles for mommy and the camera!

Eating a fruit twist (I thought of you, Cath, when he was eating that).

Pretty Colleen (Ca-een) holding a pretty Lena!

Yumm...fruit snacks!

TRACE ADKINS! HECK YA!

We really weren't as close as it looks like we were...I just have a really good camera.

All partied out...or as Russ said, "This is what happens when you drink too much!"

A sleepy Lena, with a happy daddy.

Lena and Gavin's first bath together. Gavin just LOVES it.

More bath time. I believe he was showing her his awesome bath crayon.

Explaining something to her. Just like big brothers are supposed to.

Gavin watching Lena talk to a turtle (see next picture). Again, I think he was trying to explain something to her about it.

Lena had a very in-depth conversation with the turtle that day. She was telling him all about how mommy was mean and made her be on the floor, and that her big brother is the bestest big brother ever..and some other things that I didn't catch.

movies

2009-07-10T13:42:00.004-05:00

I love old movies. I've been watching them a lot lately. On AMC, TCM, anywhere I can find them. I guess it's a good thing that while I was in New York for Robs wedding, mom had me go through all her VHS's (since we have a combo dvd/vhs player). There were a ton of old movies that she had taped off tv, and some she bought. I've watched (so far): Cheaper by the Dozen, Bells on Their Toes, Showboat, and Life With Father. Interesting things about these movies. I've been watching them since I was little, but it's amazing what you notice when you haven't watched them for a while. For instance, in Cheaper by the Dozen (from here on out it will be CD) they got the birth order right. Janie was the 11th child, Robert the baby. However in Bells on Their Toes (BTT), they are showing Janie's graduation from college. Mrs. Gilbreth is reminiscing about life after Mr. Gilbreth died (that happened at the end of CD). She mentions that she cant believe her baby is graduating. The whole rest of the movie Janie's the baby, and Robert is older than her. Also, during BTT In the scenes where they show all the kids, there are only 11 kids. 6 boys, 5 girls. Very odd. I know they mention in CD that they had 4 girls first and then a boy. In BTT I don't know what the order is, only that 11 is a boy and 12 is a girl.

Next order of business. In Life with Father (LF) the second son (John) is the same boy that Earnestine (BTT) got engaged to after the summer at Nantucket. He was in LF first, so he looks much younger and much smaller (he definitely bulked up before BTT). Also, I didn't know Elizabeth Taylor was in LF...not until I saw it in the credits. However, while watching it, I hit myself over the head since I saw her and realized that I was being stupid. I recognize her. She was very young (the movie was made in 1947). Also, how weird is it that the father goes to an employment agency to find a new maid. He walks into a room to find it filled with women. I think that's odd, having all those women sit around waiting for employment. All together. Clarence SR plays a song on the piano that the older kids sing on the beach in Nantucket during BTT.

Now, about Showboat (SB). While watching SB, I realized the amount of influence that slave music played in that movie. There was a lot of gospel type music and lots of soulful music. Very beautiful. Also, while watching it, I wondered...was it worse (in the 1890's) to be half black, or a bastard? Julie (the leading lady on the ship during the first part of the movie) was the daughter of a black woman and a white man. So, that being said, she was half black. But, chances are she was also a bastard, since the races very rarely married one another. There lies my problem...which was worse? I guess being a half black bastard was probably the worst, but out of the two which was? (I would like to state for the record, that I personally don't think either is wrong, but there was a stigma that followed such persons in that time period).

Now on to Gavin. The DVD player is acting up. So, we've been watching the kid tapes that I got from mom. He LOVES Disney movies. So far we've watched Old Yeller, Hercules, 101 Dalmatians (the live version), and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. He loves "helping" me pick out a movie. I'll ask him if he wants to watch a movie, and he'll run over to the bookcase where all the dvd's are and point and talk..almost like he's trying to figure out which one to watch. When I go to the closet where the tapes are, he follows me and points til I get the one he wants to watch. Then he takes it and runs to the entertainment center. When it starts, he gets his blanket, wraps up in it, and puts his head on the arm of the couch. He's soo cute. He also dances to the music.

Anyway, there will be another post (hopefully tomorrow) with pictures of the Trace Adkins concert we went to on the 3rd, Gavin and Lena's first bath together, and Lena talking to a turtle.

pictures

2009-05-06T13:39:00.008-05:00

Just a bunch of pictures.

This is what happens when you wake up at 6...you crash by 11...on the couch!

How cute is that diaper clad butt?

Surprise!

Big smiles! How can you be mad at that face (even if it was taken at 12:30am when she should have been sleeping)?

He loves her soo much!

He loves to hold her.

He loves to hold her hands.

Just too cute.

After we took the mattress out of the crib.

He didnt quite make it to bed that night.

I feel like I should do a chalk outline, maybe put up some caution tape.

After his first haircut.

During his first haircut.

Funny story. We took the kids to the doctor today. Gavin needed his 18mo shots, and we needed to get acid reflux stuff for Lena. While we were there, I noticed a bump on Lena's thumb, and it looked like it had a piece of hair in it. So, I asked the doctor. She looked at it, and kinda messed with it a bit. Lena, naturally, starts crying. Gavin, seeing that his precious baby sister is crying and in distress, starts SCREAMING. I mean all out histerics. Tears and snot rolling down his face, pointing at his poor baby sister. I was holding Lena, looking at Gavin telling him it was ok, the doctor isnt hurting her! I promise! Now, I know Gavin loves his sister (as above photos show). I guess I didnt realize how MUCH he loves her until today. He really was very upset that the mean doctor was making her cry. He's better, and so is she (from that at least).

a week of firsts

2009-04-23T12:38:00.003-05:00

It was a week of firsts around here. Monday, I decided I would give Gavin his first haircut. His hair was starting to look ragged along his neck, so it was time. He did awesome! It took a minute or two to figure out what I could give him so he would sit still. Goldfish? No. A comb (which he loves, since he "brushes" his own hair). No. A notebook and pen? Only the best for my boy! Haha. He started getting a little ansy towards the end, so the left side by his ear doesnt look nearly as nice as the right or the back, but oh well. After the haircut, Gavin had his bath, where he played with his bath crayons. We made the right choice on those, let me tell you. Anyway, for some reason, Gavin didnt want to go to bed that night. So, Russ puts him down, and he screams. More screaming. Still more screaming. Screaming just got louder (not in a hurt way, but in a "i just moved closer to you" way). Russ and I jump off the couch. By the time we got to his door, we heard the sound of the door stopper twanging on the other side of the door. My reaction? "Oh no...please tell me he didnt just climb out of his crib". He did. He got a little bruise under his eye, and he busted his lip. I still cant figure out how he got out of the crib while screaming, and we never heard him. Didnt hear him fall, or anything. So, we pulled the mattress out of his crib and put it on the floor. I have pictures of that first night after he fell asleep, and it looks like a crime scene photo. I havent uploaded them, but I will post them as soon as I do.

Oh, and Gavin now climbs the living room furniture, and the folding chairs. Oh, and today, he decided he wanted on the coffee table, so he stood on one of his ride on toys (that has a steering wheel) to achieve that goal. I've got my hands full with that one.

Now, onto Lena. Tuesday, my one-month old baby rolled over. Rolled over! At one month! She's not supposed to do that yet! Then, on Wednesday, she smiled at me when I was talking to her. She's going to be an early bloomer, I guess. When she's Gavins age, it's going to be bad.

I'm almost afraid of what's next. Who's going to do what new next? Will Lena sit at 2 months and crawl at 3? I mean, seriously. Cut mommy some slack, would you guys? Dont do everything in the same week, next time, at least.

I got it!

2009-04-20T13:00:00.006-05:00

So, while doing some unpacking yesterday, my wonderful wonderful husband found the cord that goes from the camera to the computer. So, I uploaded all the software I needed, and here we are! I finally got the vidoes on the computer! Yay! So here we go, I finally have the one of Gavin that I promised Joni however long ago. It's kinda long, but it's worth the watch. Oh, and the part that Lena is in, that's my arm, not something else. Enjoy!

videos

2009-04-18T14:00:00.003-05:00

Ok, so I told Joni I would post a video of Gavin talking. I finally got the video, but I cant figure out how to get it off the SD card onto the computer. And, I cant fing the cord that goes from camera to computer. I have no idea where the movers packed it (as with most of the household items, like baby moniter reciever). They werent very good. Not going to go there..unpleasant subject. Anyway, anyone got any ideas?

Easter weekend

2009-04-13T10:27:00.009-05:00

So, Kevin and Celeste came down for Easter this year. I got to meet Celeste, and I absolutely LOVE her! She's perfect for Kevin...balances him out very nicely. Anyway, we got to hang out with them, and go to Tybee Island, and whatnot. They went to church with me, where we found out that the priest at Hunter's church is from Rochester originally. His first assignment when he became a priest was at Sacred Heart. After church, we had Easter lunch (so Kevin and Celeste could hit the road back to DC), and Steve and Colleen joined us for that. It was a lot of fun. Lots of talking and lots of laughter!

Ok, so not technically the weekend, but still a very cute picture of a clearer-faced baby.

Gavin REALLY wanted to play with the toys that were over there, and Celeste kept thwarting him!

But, it's ok...he found a hole instead (it even had WATER in it! How exciting!).

Kevin and Celeste being themselves...very cute..

Since I failed miserably at getting a picture of Lena at the beach the first time she was there, I made sure I got one the second trip. Do you know how many dirty looks I got while sitting there? It's like people expect that since I had a baby, I should be holed up in the house with said baby. Ugh!

Easter morning. Gavin's first Easter basket. Notice his hand grabbing it? He knew it was for him...and knew it contained goodies. The eggs each had some M&M's in them, and then obviously those crayons are for drawing in the tub.

He was showing Celeste what he got...and it was a handy place to put the basket where it would be at his level.

He's just too cute in this one, so I posted it.

A "Family Picture" before Kevin and Celeste left.

Celeste will be a very good mommy one day.

The kids with their uncle and future auntie!

Kevin! Get a room (in a few months)!

Trying out his Easter present! He LOVED them...so much, in fact, that he threw a tantrum when daddy tried to get him out. So, we'll get him all dirty again today so he can play with them again. He'll like that.

She looks so good in brown.

The Carters dress that I bought on sale. It was her Easter outfit.

Colleen (looking pregnant, not that you can tell in this picture) in the first shirt that I bought when I was pregnant with Gavin. It looks really good on her.

Sorry for the blur on some of the pictures. I couldnt figure out what it was until I looked at the lens of the camera and realized someone had left a finger smudge on it. After I cleaned it, the pictures were nicer. Lena's not quite so zitty these days...it seems to be clearing up nicely. She's being a booger about sleep, though. Some nights she sleeps for 6 hours at a time (around midnight til 6) and then there are nights like last night where she was up for a while, didnt want to sleep, and then woke up every 3 hours. Sigh...the joys of babyhood. It's ok, though, Russ is still off today so I have help. Tomorrow I will be on my own during the day (HELP!). I will make it, I hope.

kids pics!

2009-04-10T15:20:00.008-05:00

I would like to start this blog off by saying, I've lost 25 of the 30 pounds I put on with this pregnancy. How awesome is that??? I lost 20 of that in about 2 weeks, and then this past week I lost the other 5. Yay! If I keep losing like this, I will be down to my Wii Fit goal by my 6 week checkup (that means I have to lose another 15 pounds in 3 weeks....). After that, it's another 15 or 20 til I'm down to where I was when I got married. Oh happy days!

Anyway, I told my sister I would post more pics of the wonderful Lena, and I told my mom that I would post pics from the baptism. So, in addition to a few other pics, here they are.

Gavin looking adorable, as always. In case anyones interested, the chair behind Gavin is part of my new set. I LOVE it.

He loves to stick his tongue out. And I love to make him do it.

Trying to get him to smile. It didnt succeed, obviously.

Lena, wearing one of her new outfits (Carters was having a huge sale, and we got that at 60% off).

Lena and her daddy.

After the baptism, in front of our house. With boxes...oh well.

With the priest that did the baptism. Gavin was not too happy to be held...he wanted to explore! Lena slept through the whole thing!

Most of the females there. We are missing a Molly, however.

Found her! She was at Tybee Island!

Gavin wasnt too thrilled with the water that trip...oh well.

Laura (who has a very cute bathing suit this year) chasing after Gavin (who also looks adorable in his bathing attire).

Molly and her cute bathing suit.

Just one pic of Lena's first bath...she actually didnt cry. Not that that has stopped her from crying during all her other baths...or pooing in them, either.

I will try to keep putting up updated pics, but be happy with these for now....please? I'm tired of being yelled at. There...I said it. Stop yelling at me!!!!

lena pictures!

2009-04-06T18:31:00.003-05:00

So, I have internet (finally!) and now I can post all the pics that I want of a certain little boy and girl. Especially since I'm being nagged to get some up of Lena. She's 8lbs, 4oz as of Thursday of last week. She's doing really well (she gained a pound in a little over a week from just mommy's high octane milk). She got baptized today, and I will post some of those pics as soon as I upload them to the computer. Anyway, here are some pics.

Her super cute long little feet.

A very cute sleeping smile. I wonder what she was dreaming about.

Just a cute shot of sleeping.

Gavin's first time "holding" Lena.

Smooshed face sleeping on daddy!

Speaking of Gavin, he's doing great with her! When she was first home, he hated seeing me nursing her. He wanted on my lap, and was trying anything to get there. He even tried to pull her leg to get her off. Now, he pets her head, and holds her hand. He even gets her pacifier and blankets for her. He uses her blankets to "wipe" her head, and it's super cute! So, right now he's doing well. I just hope this trend continues, since Auntie Molly and Auntie Laura arent here to entertain him anymore (they left this afternoon). Anyway, I'll get some pics up from her first bath and her baptism soon!

IT'S A GIRL!

2009-03-23T16:29:00.006-05:00

So, I had the baby and IT'S A GIRL! Her name is Magdalena Rose, and she was 7lbs 11oz and 19 1/2 in long. She was born at 10:14pm after only 6 pushes. I will do the rest of the story (which is funny and longish) later. I'm still hurting to sit for too long.

Magdalena Rose

A mommy/daughter moment

Umm..sorry...forgot to tell you, she was born March 21, 2009.

umm....sorry?

2009-03-15T18:38:00.004-05:00

It's been a while since I updated...sorry about that. A lot has happened. Russ' grandfather died, went to that funeral. Went to visit Joni in Indianapolis (and Cath was there too...major reason for visit). My grandfather died. Went to that funeral. Gavin got tubes in his ears (he is doing AWESOME now!). He is really talking a lot, has new words and phrases every day, and hasn't gotten sick since the surgery. How awesome is that?

Anyway, a little over a week from his surgery we left Ft. Campbell for good (til the next time we get stationed there) and headed for Louisiana. We were there for almost a week, and then ventured on to Georgia. We have since been dealing with getting me OB appointments, getting housing, finding out we weren't going to be staying at Stewart like the said, but going to Hunter (which is in Savannah, so it's ok). Dealing with more housing (at this point I was 36ish weeks pregnant). Fortunately, we have wonderful friends who are stationed at Stewart who let us stay with them for the month we were homeless, but now that we have our own place again, it's soo nice to be settling (especially since it seems I'm nesting right about now). We got our house a week and a half ago, and our stuff wed. So, we are doing some unpacking (mom told me not to do too much, she would help with unpacking and organizing when she gets here on Fri). We bought new furniture, which will arrive on Fri, also.

We have gone to the beach 3 times in the last 2 weeks, and Gavin loves the sand. The water, you ask? He has to get used to it before he likes it. At first he's only wants someone to hold him so he can watch the water going over their feet. He laughs like crazy. After a bit, you can put his feet in the water, and he deals with it. Then, it's all about splashing in the tide. Very cute! I have some pics that I need to upload, but I just haven't had time. I will, eventually.

So, now I am 38 weeks and some odd days pregnant, and feeling every minute of it. My pelvis and hips hurt so bad that I have to have help getting out of bed (thank you, my wonderful husband for being that help), getting out of certain positions on the couch (which I officially hate), and it hurts so bad that walking is becoming a problem. I have gotten false labor contractions, so many Braxton Hicks that I cant even count them anymore, along with other aches and pains I will not mention. My feet, ankles and fingers are swelling badly (which might have more to do with the location we are living in, and the temp than anything else, though, don't get me wrong, the pregnancy definitely is helping). I want this baby OUT! I want to know what I'm having, and I want to hold my newborn and smell it, and nurse it, and yes, even hear it cry. Mom told me I have to wait til at least Sat before I can have it though. We do have other plans in place in case it's before that.

To finish up, I have a cute (short) story. When we first got to our friends house, Russ went to go give Gavin a bath. He was having none of it. New bathroom, new tub, all that. So, in order for him to get clean, Mommy had to sit on the toilet. Gavin became happy. He's just playing in the water (with toys and a certain body part) when he looks at me, points to his belly button and says "look at the baby!" clear as day. I loved it! I always ask him where the baby is, and he knows it's in mommy's belly, so he touches it. And, just now, as I'm typing that story, he sees the infant seat and shouts "BABY!". I said yes, it's for the baby! And he repeats me! He is fascinated babies. He sees one and shouts it out. It's very cute, really!

Ok..so this post turned out a little longer than intended...I just meant it to be a "hello, I'm alive, baby still isn't here, thanks!" post, and it didn't happen that way..sorry.

baby bumps!

2008-12-20T21:27:00.003-06:00

So, I'm 26 weeks and 1 day. And, I feel huge. Again, I know I will only get bigger, but it's still weird.

Russell decided to get artistic while taking this picture. Actually, it was because he was talking to our friend Lee (who is the baby's Godfather!!!). But I like how it turned out.

My big old belly! And, you cant tell in this picture, but I'm sick! So, I think I look pretty dang good! And, my eyes look amazing!

pics

2008-12-19T12:05:00.004-06:00

Just some pics. Not the food from Thanksgiving, but I will get to that, I promise.

How Gavin fell asleep during his nap yesterday. Too funny.

It was really hard to get this pic, since he was facing the wall. But, it worked!
Looking all GQ and whatnot. He's such a cute boy!

Again, how cute is he????

Ugh...I didnt realize how funny my face looks...oh well. BTW, this pic, and the one above, are my Christmas cards this year.

Gavin and his daddy. Cuz they are too cute together. Sigh, my heart melts when I look at them together.

His other really cute outfit. He looks so preppy in it, but oh-so-cute!

Ok, more later!

Warning: Cute Alert

2008-12-17T11:46:00.003-06:00

So, Gavin plays find the belly. Mostly with me and him, but sometimes with daddy, too. He has an odd fascination with my belly. My belly button is popping some, so he likes to poke that.

Anyway, last night, he was playing find the belly with me. I was laying on the couch, on my side. He lifts up my shirt, and starts poking my belly. The baby didn't like that too much, so it kicked. Hard. I took Gavin's hand and put it over the spot. He pushed down a little, and the baby kicked again! Gavin looks at me, his eyes twinkling, smiles a huge smile, and starts laughing hysterically. He then looks at me again, takes his hand off the belly, and thinks for a minute. He put BOTH hands on my belly, and lo and behold, the baby kicked again. There go the twinkling eyes, huge smile, and laughing. He got a huge hit out of it! He realized, that while mommy's belly has always been cooler than his own, it's even MORE cool now, since it MOVES too. He cracks me up. I really wish I had a camera within arms reach, too. I would have LOVED to get a picture of his face. It really was priceless.

I'm trying to talk to him about babies. I'll point out baby's on TV, in pictures, really anywhere we are. I also tell him that there's a baby in mommy's belly. I know he doesn't get it, and he really wont until after the baby is born, but I like to feel I'm doing something about it.

Also, on the cute factor, he's wearing the CUTEST outfit ever today. It's just a pair of jeans, a turtleneck and a sweater, but on him??? Oh man. I could eat him alive! I really could! And on Monday, a friend came over and took some pictures for us to use as our Christmas cards. He looks very GQ (that's all daddy saying that) in his black/white/grey pants, white button-down shirt with black stripes, and black 3 button jacket. He really is too cute for words! I'll get pictures up as soon as I can...I promise!

serious updates....

2008-12-11T11:26:00.004-06:00

So, it's been a while since I updated...so much has been happening, that I just couldn't find time. Thanksgiving was great! Everyone was here, and it was so much fun to watch Gavin and Miles interact with each other. The food was great (I do have pictures of the food, but that will have to wait for another post). It was a lot of fun, except for Miles getting sick. He also passed on his cold to Gavin, who decided, after learning his cousin had an ear infection, to take it one step further. He decided that a double ear infection wasn't enough. No, he needed to go and develop PNEUMONIA!!! Geez...and then, on top of that, he got dehydrated from not eating or drinking a whole lot of anything for a week. What a wonderful week that was. We found out Friday about the ear infections, and Monday we spent (on Russell's day off, too) the WHOLE day in the EC. Gavin got poked 3 times by those sharp poky things, and wasn't too happy when he saw people in scrubs. Oh, and he had to have an x-ray, and mommy couldn't even be there with him. Sigh...oh the injustice. But, he is feeling better now, after being on more amoxicillan, and seems to be regaining some of his spunk. He's been running around, hiding things, and being more himself (than he has been since the Monday after Thanksgiving). Anyway, here are some pictures of things..

Obviously, that's me. That was done on Sat, when I was 24 weeks, 1 day. Now, I am almost 25 weeks. Anyway, I'm HUGE! I know I'll get bigger, but still....it's crazy. Oh, and that's our lovely fake tree behind me. The bottom 1/3 of it is devoid of ornaments, and they are scattered all over the floor.
This is from Thanksgiving. Mandy said something about wanting to get a toy box so it could eat her son, too. Good thing I have one, and they were here! He wasn't happy about it. So, I took the picture fast and Mandy soothed Miles' frayed nerves.

Miles and Gavin, trying very hard to NOT look like they are playing together. They did, though.

This was taken, actually, Monday. We were getting ready to head out for my Dr's appt, and Gavin just looked so darn cute with the mittens and hat. Of course, we left my appt and went to the EC (they didn't have any openings in his clinic for an appt) and stayed there til 4. My appt was at 9:40am. It was a long day with no food or water in my pregnant belly.

This is the best picture Russ took of the outside of the house. He had just finished putting up the lights, and they look so pretty! The picture doesn't do them justice. Of course, he also forgot to turn on the lights in the wreath, but oh well.

I have more pictures from Thanksgiving, but again, that will be another post. Hopefully I'll post it before Christmas. Haha.

another long/great week

2008-11-23T17:05:00.006-06:00

So, finally got the fabric for my new shirt. And, I LOVE the fabric. I had to order the fabric for the main part of my shirt, and then once it came, I went and bought the fabric for the contrast and underlay piece. I think the shirt came out great! I had a few rough patches, but this is the biggest piece that I have made without the constant help from Mom. OH, and I'm also 22 weeks now! Yay!

This is the front...I do kind of look like I have an extra chin, though.

The side, and my big ol' belly. I'm wearing it with my black leggings.
Ok, so this isnt from this week, but it's still cute. Gavin was eating homemade chicken noodle soup. We had discovered he LOVED it the night before. He also discovered, that he really liked flinging food...I do believe there was chicken on the wall behind the high chair.

Another shot of chicken noodle boy. He was in SUCH a good mood that day!

So, this week is Thanksgiving. Mike and Mandy are coming up Wed night, and Mom, Dad and The Girls will be here Tues. I'm soo excited! I actually made the shirt for Thanksgiving. You know, give me something to wear that day that I can wear to church and whatnot. Ok, enough rambling now. Later!

What a week....

2008-11-08T20:57:00.004-06:00

So, it has been quite a week. Gavin has learned to climb up onto things, and is very happy about it. My friend April came back up here, since her hubby is going to be back from his deployment next week. My belly seems to have gotten huge. Oh, and I'm 20 weeks now!!! I'm halfway through this pregnancy!! Yay!!

Here is my belly at 20 weeks. Looks big, doesnt it? Someone at church told me I look further along than I am, and she doesnt see me going past March 15th. I'm ok with that.

Gavin is very pleased with himself. He climbed, all by hisself, onto the suitcases. He's been attempting that for a really long time (since we got home from Indiana..I know, I'm bad). That face is also almost his anime face. But, I had to take 4 pics to get this one. He finally decided to pose.
Yup...on the suitcase again. He was certainly proud of himself.

He also discovered a love of rocking. He tried climing onto the chair, it didnt work, so daddy put him on the chair. He loved it!

I'm also getting ready for family at Thanksgiving. I'm soo excited, since Mom, Dad, Molly, Laura, Mike, Mandy and Miles will all be here. YAY! And, Miles is walking now, so things will be fun, watching Gavin and Miles play fairly with eachother. Woot!

Ultrasound!

2008-11-01T11:16:00.004-05:00

So, today I had my "real" ultrasound. Of course, it hurt, cuz I had to pee very badly, but that's ok. The baby was not cooperative at all, it was curled up into a ball. It's ok, though. That does mean, that if Russ had been there (he had to stay home and watch Gavin) that he wouldn't have been able to find out what we were having. Though, it did make it difficult for the tech to get the pics and measurements of all the organs that she needed. She let me go pee, and that was the only way that she was able to get a pic of the heart. With all 4 chambers. Anyway, here are the pics!

This is the baby's back...you can kinda see that its legs are pulled forward.

One profile picture. Again, if you look, you can see that baby's legs are crossed. You might actually be able to see the bones, and where they are crossed.
Baby moved its hand a little! I think it's saluting daddy, even though he wasn't there.

Baby has REALLY moved in this picture...lol. Legs have moved slightly, and it looks like the baby is either trying to suck it's thumb, or maybe it's just tired. Either way, it is a very very cute picture of my baby!

I have an appointment on Monday, so hopefully by then the midwife will have the ultrasound results there. She said we're supposed to go over them together, so she can see how the baby is doing, and make any adjustments to the due date (which I will fight tooth and nail). I'm just glad I was able to see the baby again. Yay!

It's a....

2008-10-24T13:57:00.003-05:00

BABY! Haha...gotcha, didnt I? Well, at least it's only one baby. There are only 2 pictures, because they ended up rescheduling my ultrasound. Apparently, the OIC (Officer in Charge) doesnt like to do ultrasounds before 19 weeks. I'm only 18 weeks. But, since I had filled my bladder nice and full, the tech showed me some pity and showed me the baby anyway. She also printed up pics, even though she wasnt supposed to. It was soo nice to see the baby, see the heartbeat. So, we rescheduled it for Nov 1...I'll be 19 weeks and 1 day! Ha so take that!

I love this..you can see it's face, and both of it's hands were by the head. Legs are up by the body. I just keep looking at this picture in awe, cuz this being is INSIDE me. WOW!

The baby is saluting daddy! It's an odd angle of it's face, but oh well...if you look really hard, you might be able to see the second arm up there, too.

pictures of Gavin

2008-10-19T13:43:00.003-05:00

As promised, here are the newest pictures of Gavin and his 550 cord toys. Or really, toy. That is the turtle that he got for his birthday, that he loves, and the cord that makes it by far his favorite toy.

Isnt he cute? I just love watching him walk...especially when he's soo happy about what he's doing, as he is here.

The noose that Russell put around the turtle's neck. I dont know exactly why he did it, but i know it's funny. He also has a handle on it, but I dont think you can see it on any of the pictures I put up here.
See the joy he has? I love that boy!
This was after his nap that morning. He was just laying in the corner of the crib with his feet hanging out, using his blanket as a pillow, when I went to get him up. So, of course, I snuck back out and got the camera. I wasnt able to capture that exact picture as I saw him the first time, but this is still good. He was so happy to see me!
He's just too cute.

I look preggers!

2008-10-18T14:14:00.003-05:00

So, when I got home from visiting Joni, everyone told me I had just "popped" since I was gone. I actually looked pregnant! (one person told me I didnt look fat anymore...gee thanks!). I also got to borrow 2 maternity dresses from Joni, which I've already put to use wearing to church. I figured since I was already dressing up for church tonight, I might as well put some pics of how pregnant I look now. Keep in mind I'm only 17 weeks pregnant right now.

This is the faux wrap dress, I believe it's Liz Lange...which, if you know, is from Target. I like it. I also like how my belly protrudes from it..lol

Fortunately my face hasnt regained it's puffiness like I had with Gavin. At least not yet. I guess I need to give it time.
I have some really cute pictures of Gavin, so I'll probably post those tomorrow. Again, they show his love of pulling his toys around.

visit with Joni

2008-10-12T08:33:00.007-05:00

Right now, Russ is off with Gavin buying something, I think donuts, so I thought it would be the perfect time to blog about my visit with Joni, and her kids. I went up on a Friday, and we went to a park. We ended up not staying for too long, since Betsy got a headache from this plastic headband she was wearing. So, we went home, got the kids to bed, and watched "Dreamgirls" and ate popcorn with m&m's. Gavin didn't want to sleep too well that night, so I slept on the couch (I was supposed to sleep in the room with him). Umm...I dont really remember everything we did, it was a long busy week. I know on Sat, we went to watch a free showing of "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything", and then went to the dedication of a playground at the mall. As Joni mentioned in her blog, Gavin, and Betsy and Amy got their caricatures done. It was fun. It was also Gavin's first movie, and he lasted a good 15-20 mins before he just wanted to eat or walk. Sunday I went to church with Joni, but Gavin was cranky, so we spent most of Sacrament Meeting in the Mothers Lounge. Then Gavin and I went home, where we both took naps. I don't remember much else about Sunday, except I'm pretty sure I colored and highlighted Joni's hair.

Monday thru Thurs, I watched the kids during the day. They are a handful. It was definitely hard, watching 4 kids and being pregnant. They didn't always do what I wanted them to do. We did have some nice moments. Tuesday, Gavin and I took Betsy to her dance class. She wanted to pay more attention to us, then to her teacher. Which ended up meaning I had to stay away from the windows, but Gavin, being Gavin, wanted to walk. So it worked out well. I watched shows with Joni, and pigged out. It was fun. Friday, Joni worked a half day, and then we all took Besty to school. We went to Steak-n-Shake, and then Hobby Lobby. I drooled over patterns and Christmas decorations. Definitely need to go back there. We got home just in time to get Betsy off the bus. We had dinner, and then Joni, the babies and I went to Motherhood Maternity where I bought a new pair of pants, a denim skirt of my own, and black leggings (which I STILL need to shorten). We then went to Target to get some necessities. Joni kept watching the time, which I think is funny, cuz she had a tutoring session at 9 that night. 9...for a 3rd grader...it was waayy late for that. Oh well. Sat was General Conference for their church, so we lounged and ate. I do believe I cut off the tail on Joni's hair that night, too. I think we did something else, but I cant remember. Then I left on Sunday, and drove home.

Here are all the kids together on the couch that was my bed (it's a futon, so it folds down). Gavin was being contrary.

Amy sitting pretty all by herself. I was glad I got to witness her learning to balance herself while sitting. It was cool. Part of Sat night was cutting the back off Joni's hair, and cleaning our pores. It was a fun girly night, and it makes me appreciate my sister (all of them, but at that moment, Joni) even more. I had a ton of fun. We laughed a lot.
Porter got to wear his Buzz Lightyear costume because he was a big boy and pooped in the potty. Gotta love bribery! Gavin discovered a love for pulling things by strings while we were there. So, Gavin and Betsy were playing together and pulling backpacks by the adjuster strap. They had fun doing it. Russell has now added 550 cord to Gavin's favorite toys so he can pull them around the house. Gavin is happy about that.
I don't know exactly what happened to get them to both be on the floor on the backpacks, but I know they were both laughing. So, I took the picture (don't ask questions, just snap away!), and the look of joy on Gavin's face made me post it.
Porter wanted me to take a picture of him, so he did a somersault. It was actually quite good, but I just got the part where he looks like he's standing on his head.
One of the rare times that Gavin sat nicely next to Amy. He was very jealous of her, since she was getting attention from me. There was one time when they both decided they wanted milk at the same time, so I held them both and held Gavin's milk for him, while Betsy stood over me and held Amy's milk. It makes me wonder how Gavin with react when the new baby comes.

P.S. Speaking of the baby, I have started to feel it move, cant wait til Russell can. The midwife said she's voting for a girl, based on the heartbeat, or something. I have an ultrasound on the 23rd, and I cant wait to see the baby! No, I'm not finding out what I'm having, it's going to be a surprise. The other day, I felt the baby's back, when it pressed up against the wall of my uterus. That was cool! Hey, and I have a bone to pick with those of you who have had more than 1 kid...no one told me it would hurt to be PREGNANT with your second. I have heard that the after affects of birth hurt worse the more kids you have, but no one said that pregnancy hurt. Geez...at least now I know. Thanks guys! lol

Gavins new sweater

2008-10-11T16:00:00.004-05:00

Gavin got his birthday present from his Maw Maw today...so of course I have to post it.

This is the back...it was hard to get a good pic of the front of him...he's in a really bad mood!

Here is the only decent picture of the front. He was slightly happier than before.
The colors are almost retro/vintage Packers colors. Very nice. They look awesome on Gavin. I love the sweater, and I cant wait for it to cool down enough to put him in it!

HELP HELP I'M BEING EATEN!

2008-09-25T16:57:00.003-05:00

The other day, I was sitting on the couch watching Gavin play. I happened to turn away for a minute, and then I hear a *thud* and then a squeal. I look up, and saw this:

No, his feet are not on the floor....too bad I didnt think to do a video, his little feet were kicking in the air, and he was not happy. Being the great mother that I am, my first thought was, 'ooohhhh! I need to take some pictures of this and post them!' Not something like, I should get him out of there. So, yeah, his new toybox was trying to eat him the other day. It was very amusing.

poor baby

2008-09-23T10:38:00.003-05:00

So, yesterday Gavin was playing peek-a-boo with me, using the curtains to hide. He's laughing one minute, screaming and grabbing his eye the next. I figured he probably got some cat fur in it, or poked himself. So, I put him down for his nap, where he has a hard time going to sleep. When he wakes up (after only 45 mins) he was screaming worse than before his nap. I kept him from rubbing his eyes, hoping that it would get better. It didnt. He just wanted to be held, and walked. So, I call the advice nurse at hs clinic, and get put on hold for almost 45 mins!! When I finally talked to someone, I just had to leave a message. Fortunately, the advice nurse called me back relatively fast. She said that she was going to make me an appt for tomorrow (today) but she could hear Gavin screaming in the background. So, she advised me to take him to the ER, because it sounded like he might have something in it. So, we go to the ER (and got seen the fastest EVER) and they do the dye in his eye, to see if theres a scratch. Imagine my surprise when it showed not a scratch, but more a GOUGE. Gavin had taken a rectangular section off his cornea when he was playing peek-a-boo. Only my son would do something like that. But, poor baby! No wonder his eye was hurting! So, we got ointment to put on his eye, that would help soothe it, but also help prevent any infection to occur in his eye. The ER doc said that his eye should be healed in a day or so, since he's a baby and babies tend to heal faster than adults. Yeah, that's good....it takes 2 of us to put the ointment in, and we have to do it 3 times a day. We only have to do the ointment for about 3 days, so hopefully I wont have to do it at Joni's house. That would be interesting.

Anyway, Gavin's feeling somewhat better this morning. Although, he did fall and hit that same eye on the couch, so now he'll have a bruise there. Sigh. My poor baby. All I can think now, is "of course it's MY child who does something like hurt himself playing one of the calmest games babies can play. Of course!". Only Gavin.

check out my new riiiiide.....

2008-09-20T16:09:00.003-05:00

So, the Jeep was finally on it's last legs. Russell and I talked a lot about getting a new car, but didn't think we would be able to. Fortunately, God smiled on us, and we were able to. So, here is our new ride. It's a Black 2003 Chevy Trailblazer, extended. It's got leather seats, which Russell says is good, since it makes it easier to clean up with kids. It's got 3rd row seating, so hopefully we can keep using it for a while. You know, that just depends on how our luck holds out with this car.

So, this is the outside...nothing fancy.

Front seats, the angle's not very good, but we have good leg room, and a cd player. I guess that's all that really counts...lol
Back..with 3rd row folded down. When it is, we have a HUGE trunk area. Lots of room there. Even when they are up, there is enough room for the stroller. That's all that really matters, right?
And, Russell took this picture for all you guys. It's the engine, obviously. I believe it's a V-6.

So, that's the car. Like I said, it's nothing fancy, but it's a bit newer than the Jeep was, and we have a warranty on it. We traded the Jeep in, got 1500 for it, and used that for the down payment. It worked out well. We actually bought it yesterday, but we were at the dealership so late that the tag guys left. Oh well, we picked it up this morning and saw our salesman. He said we were good luck cuz he sold us one yesterday, and he was selling another car this morning. We also found out, that if we get people to go to the dealership and buy a car, if they say Russell Brown sent us, we get a check. It's not a lot of money, but that's ok. Anything will help us. Ok...enough of my rambling. My little boy has a diaper rash and he's crying. Daddy's changing his diaper. Better go comfort him.

party: part 2

2008-09-13T11:29:00.003-05:00

So, part 2 of my party posts are the adults that were there. Well, besides me. There aren't too many pictures of me in there. Anywho, here are the women.

Crystal Eagan: mother of 2, and preggers with her 3rd. She was one of the 3 pregnant women there. She is about 6 weeks behind me. She is in Russell's unit.

Michelle Gaul: wife of John Gaul, who is in Russell's unit, and is the head armorer. Michelle is also preggers. She is the second of he 3 pregnant women. I'm the third. Michelle is due first, though.
Melissa Munoz: wife of Agustin Munoz, who is in Russell's unit, and works with him in the Arm's Room. She is also a mother to two.
Nicole Maxfield: wife of Dustin Maxfield, in Russell's unit. She is a mother of two, also. All the other mothers each have a boy and a girl. She provided the party with the makings for a fabulous cheese dip, and now Robbie's addicted. This would be one of our two SOB's. This is Sarge. He wasnt too thrilled with all the people, or the fact that the kids kept putting Gavin's party hat on him. He just wanted to hide.
Ahh...and now for the men. Ok..I managed to get most of the guys into one picture (much easier than getting all the women...since most of them had kids to tend to).

From left to right: Robbie Blinn, obviously my brother. Russell Brown, obviously my hubby. Matt Gray (or Grey...I can never remember how to spell his last name) who is in Russell's unit and spends quite a lot of time here. He likes our food. Agustin Munoz, armorer and another man in Russ' unit. John Gaul, head armorer and another of Russ' fellow soldiers.

Russell and John...they had a company cookout that day and John got VERY burned. Russ didnt have to go, since he was supposed to have a 4 day pass this week and it got revoked. John let him go early most of the week.
Dustin Maxfield, another fellow soldier, and former Reservesman. And, obviously John.
Number 2 of the 2 SOB's. This one is Major. He didnt mind the kids, he actually played with them. And, he didnt mind the fact that they kept putting Gavins hat on him. He just sat there and chilled. He's good like that.
So, those are the adults, and the cats, of the party. Tomorrow, or maybe later today, I'll do the kids. There were 6 of them, not including Gavin.

PARRRTTEEEYYYYY!

2008-09-12T21:55:00.006-05:00

So, tonight we had the birthday party for our little one year old boy. It ended up being a roaring success. We had a good number of people show up (that's a whole different post). 3 families with 2 kids each came, so the kids all played together. It was fun.

Gavin, wearing his oh-so-stylish hat and bib, with the banner that matched on his highchair. This was before dinner, so his high chair is nice and clean.

The cake that I make and decorated myself. Woot! I did a good job! And, I managed to write in cursive with frosting!

Getting his first taste of cake. He took the blue frosting off the cake, and it turned his lips blue. He really liked the frosting.

Enjoying his cake. At one point, he took the cake with both hands and shoved it into his mouth. It was the funniest thing I've ever seen.

His presents. From left to right. He got a block sorter, has different shaped that fit into the top. A bath toy that is a shark that can open and close it's mouth (with some help) and it can swallow two fish (that are also squirter toys). One of those doodle things for little kids...you fill the little pen thing with water, and they can draw on the board. Russ enjoyed it. A very cute sweatsuit. It's blue and brown, and it has a shirt that comes with it. 5 books...yes...5! Gavin was in HEAVEN when he opened all those books. He almost didn't want to rip any more paper! He got 4 Sandra Boyton books (Snoozers, Birthday Monsters, and Let's Dance, Little Pookie from Maw Maw, Uncle Robbie, and his fiancee Laura, and The Going to Bed Book from mommy and daddy) and he got a touch and feel peekaboo book. And, last but not least, he got a turtle that counts and tells you shape, and also plays music. He liked that too.

And, we sang to him. I don't really know how he felt about it. One of the guys started singing it, and Gavin freaked out..but then he stopped so I could turn on the camera. When it came time to sing it for real, I think he handled it quite well.

dont blink...

2008-09-11T12:06:00.004-05:00

because this...

turns into this, all too fast.

To my sweet baby (or not so much baby) boy on his first birthday.
You have made my life wonderful. You are a joy to watch grow up. Just slow down a bit, will you? This year has gone by waayy too fast. Just last year, you were so tiny, and so helpless, and now look at you! You can feed yourself, you can walk, you can run, and no one told you to grow up.
I blame this on my mother. If she had been able to keep her kids from growing too fast, I would too. So, mom, or maw maw, it's your fault that Gavin is now 1, and it's your fault that he's growing too fast. Thanks..lol
Gavin, I love you more than you will ever know. You will always be my baby boy. Be strong. Be good. And, always, love unconditionally, as I love you.
Love, your momma.

So, I say, HAPPY BIRTHDAY GAVIN!

dang...I was tagged.

2008-09-06T12:26:00.003-05:00

I was tagged by not just one person, but TWO! So, here you go Mom and Mandy! Here are six things you either knew about me or didnt.

1) I hate grape flavored things. Food, candy, and drinks. All of it makes me want to vomit. The only thing that I like that tastes like grapes are actual grapes.

2) When I have avocado's in the house, I like to make guacamole (did I spell that right?). It makes it last longer, and then I can eat it anytime.

3) I am not a morning person. Or a night owl. Or really an anytime person. Right now, if I could sleep all day, I would. As it is now, I take naps in the afternoon. But, if I could sleep for 24 hours a day, I would do alright.

4) I'm wrestling with my brain. I want a girl this time, and I want to know now. But, I still want my baby to be a surprise. What to do, what to do? I think I've figured it out.

5) I love love love romance novels. I love romantic comedies. I love tv shows that have to do with romance in any form.

6) I dont think there are six things that are unknown about me. Everyone pretty much knows everything. I dont try to hide things. lol

So, there you have it. I dont know anyone that I can tag, but there's mine. So, enjoy these tidbits. haha

more..better...newer...

2008-09-02T11:54:00.005-05:00

And, for you Celeste, here is the picture with kleenex shoved up Kevins nose.

Heres the video of Gavin walking that's normal. You know, he's not walking up the wall? And, I'm not bribing him...lol

pics

2008-08-28T17:22:00.003-05:00

Kevin reading to Gavin

The outskirts of the waterpark on post.
In the waterpark...dont you love his bathing shorts?
Swing time! He pushed him til he just about about fell asleep in the swing.

Gavin walks!

2008-08-28T17:16:00.006-05:00

Yes, so that is Gavin walking...which he does ALL the time now. He seems to have just picked it up like it was nothing! He was tentative for a while, and then yesterday he decided that was the way to get around. I cant believe it! He's not even 1 yet! Sigh. Oh well....I guess I knew this was coming. He's been trying for a while. Anyway, sorry for the poorish quality..it was hard to get him to do it for the camera. Yes, we bribed him. That is a tortilla chip he is going after.

PS...sorry it's sideways, I will try to get one that's upright. Doesnt it kinda look like he's walking on the wall?

Kevin

2008-08-23T15:00:00.004-05:00

So, Kevin came to visit earlier this week. Gavin took to him right away...well, after he took him from mommy (who is very mean) and let him walk. Then Gavin liked him. Anyway, he was here from verry very late Sunday to verry very early Thursday. On Monday, we went grocery shopping. As our luck would have it, we were looking for kleenex, when the power in the Commisary went out. Fortunately for us, we were done shopping, and the cash registers were still working, for the time being. When we got home and put the groceries away, we went out for dinner with my neighbor, Candy, and her daughter Mia (who is a very cute 3). We went to a Mexican restaurant called Casa Blanca. It was good food, and great company. Tuesday, we went to the museum on post. Kevin says he liked it, and I know I did. I would go to the museum every week if I could. It's a great place, and there are lots of interesting things to see...even if you see them repeatedly. I cant remember what else we did Tuesday...oh well. Wednesday, we didnt do a whole lot...we went to the playground, and Kevin took Gavin in the waterpark. Gavin enjoyed that. He also pushed Gavin for a very long time in the swings...until Gavin was on the verge of sleep. Again, cant remember what else we did Wed, but again, oh well. I got up at 2:30 to drive Kevin to the airport in Nashville on thursday morning. It was an uneventful drive.

So, Russell was at WLC, if you remember, for 15 days. He graduated Friday. It was nice, but I forgot my camera. I was in a rush to get out of the house. Oops. He's home now, and he got a 4 day pass that he will use the week of Gavins birthday (I cant believe it's only a few weeks away!!). I guess this coming week, he's going to a school to become a combatants instructor...or something. I'm not sure what that all entails. Hmm....

I have a few pictures of when Kevin was here, and as soon as I put them on the computer, I will put the on my blog. The ones I have are cute.

just pictures

2008-08-10T11:49:00.003-05:00

I finally found the cable that connects my camara to the computer, so I decided to post some of the pictures that I found there.

This one was on Father's Day. To honor Russ' first dads day, we went fishing.

He's all snug in his crib...and he did that himself. I left him with his regular blanket, and he covered himself with that one.

Look how short he is!! I love looking at Russ walking with Gavin, and the joy Gavin gets when he's walking with daddy!

He's helping daddy pack for WLC. Only, I think he hindered more than helped. Oh well, daddy didnt mind!

He picked out a movie he wants to watch! Great! I love that movie too!

2 years

2008-08-04T12:34:00.005-05:00

Wow...it's been 2 years since I got married. So much has happened since then. We got married, my husband of 1 week went back to Iraq. He came home. We moved me from NY to NC. Moved into our first place. Found out I was pregnant. Russ went Active Army, so we moved to KY. Moved into second place. Celebrated our first anniversary. Had our wonderful baby boy, Gavin. Moved into our third place. Found out I was pregnant again. And today's the second anniversary. It's been a long hard road, but we've made it this far. I love my wonderful husband more every day. Although, he likes to say "whatever" to THAT statement. I really do love him...even if some days he drives me crazy. Though, I don't think I'm much better. I know with the hormones raging through my body right now, he probably wants to kill me 99% of the time. But he loves me, so he wouldn't. Not that I would blame him in the least if he did. I am a hormonal mess.

But again, wow...how time flies when your having fun!

OMG OMG OMG

2008-07-30T20:58:00.003-05:00

Gavin walked last night. Honest-to-goodness, by himself, walked! He was standing at the corner of our hallway, and he looked at me and laughed. Then he just lets go of the wall, and takes 6 or 7 steps towards me...laughing the whole time! (I was on my couch, about 12 feet away). He did it one other time by himself last night, but then he decided (since we were trying to document it) that he didnt want to do it anymore. All day today he wanted to walk, but the moment I tried to get him to let go of my finger, he just looked at me and sat. He knew... Sometimes I get the feeling that he walks when I'm not looking, but he knows I want him to do it on his own, so he doesnt let me see.

I gotta tell you, though...it hurts my ever swelling uterus to have to bend, ever so slightly, at the waist. Every expert in every book, or any doctor I've ever seen, have all said to bend at the knees when you bend. I would like to see one of them try to bend at the knees when they walk with a not-so-sturdy 10 1/2 month old. Then they can tell me to bend at the knees when I bend...it's virtually impossible to do. And, as I said before, it hurts.

I had an appointment the other day..but it turned out that it was pretty much an appt to fill out paperwork, establish my due date (March 27) and make another appt for my real first appt. I had to have 5 vials of blood drawn, though. It sucked.

walkies..

2008-07-27T17:57:00.004-05:00

Gavin is learning to walk. He likes to hold onto one finger and walk with me around the house. But when that doesnt work, I have to take him in the stroller for a walk. This is what happened today. So, being that it's only 5 something when we decided to go, I thought I should put Gavin's hat and sunglasses on him. HE FINALLY LEFT THEM ON! It made me soo happy.

Look how cute he is with them on! He was all about not letting me get a picture of him wearing them. And, the only way I could get him to keep them on was putting them on under the hat.

Sigh...Gavin likes to fall...and climb. That's not usually a good thing when it happens one right after the other. Then he gets clingy with no way to comfort him. He just wants to cry, or whine..whichever works better at that moment for him.

I have a dr. appt tomorrow! My first one! Yay!

Ok...it's official

2008-07-26T12:43:00.003-05:00

I'm pregnant. And those of you who already figured it out, congrats! I dropped hints, of course. But, yesterday I went and had a final blood test done, and my levels have jumped...from 3.2 to 402.1. Huge jump, huh? So, I'm only about 5 weeks...but that's enough to make me tired, hungry and sick to my stomach, not necessarily in that order.

In other news, Russ is back from the field, and Gavin is soo excited. He just hasnt wanted to let daddy out of his sight at all yet. And the first thing he did when he saw Russ, was pull his shirt down and pull out his "shineys" (dog tags). I guess he missed those. You know how the experts all say, that with babies, especially Gavins age, they dont know object permanence? Gavin does. None of this "out of sight, out of mind" crap. Gavin knows where his toys are, all the time. He knows where they go when they are put away, and he knows when something isnt seen, to look for it. He has actually gotten quite mad at Russ when he forgets to put on his tags after a shower or something. He still looks, though.

Sorry, no pictures today.

It's been a long week...

2008-07-24T22:15:00.003-05:00

...and it's not even over yet. Like I said before, Russ is out in the field. So, Gavin is all outta sorts since he hasnt seen daddy since, Sunday night? He was a pill today...it wasnt fun. He would scream for me to pick him up, and the second I did, he would scream for me to put him down. Baby logic....doesnt make sense. So then, in one of the rare moments when he decided to play, he fell. Not once, not twice, but three times. And all three times he hit a different part of his head on the coffee table...different parts. The first time, he caught his forehead on one of the few corners (Im still not sure how that worked out, but that's Gavin for you). The second time, he did some weird spin thing, and got the back of his head on the bottom. And the third time, he caught his eye on the handle for the drawer. So, he's got a bruise in the middle of his forehead, and quite possibly the back of his head. But the worst part is he's got the HUGE purple bruise in his eyebrow, and a cut under his eye. Ok, so it's not that big, and I'm probably just being dramatic, but it was a horrible moment for me. I couldnt stop him from falling, I could only watch in slow motion as it happened. And then there was no consoling him afterwards...he just wanted to cry. Not that I blame him, so did I. I feel that if I let some stranger look at him long enough, they'll think I'm abusing the poor boy. If you look, you can kinda see the bruise on his forehead. Man...it was a heck of a day. The only time he was happy, we werent in the house. That'll teach me.

On the plus side, Russ comes home sometime tomorrow. He said before 5. I hope it's really early. And, I have to go to the hospital for some lab work, the nurse said the results should be in in about 2 hours. So, hopefully things will go well. Again, more on the later..possibly tomorrow

I have joined the blog revolution...

2008-07-21T11:29:00.000-05:00

So, Joni has a blog, Mom has a blog, and Mandy just got one...so I figure, why not? This way mom will always know what's going on with ALL her grandkids, and so can all the other family members I never talk to. So, I will fill you in on the happenings in the Brown household.
Russell is off doing a field exercise, he wont be back til friday. This is going to be a long week for me and the Gavman. Once he's home from that, he'll be around for a few weeks, and then it's off to WLC (warrior leadership course, where you go to learn how to be an NCO). He'll be gone for 15 days there. Oh well.

I am doing well...feeling a bit sick...but that's ok. It'll go away soon enough. More on that later.

Gavin is HUGE! He's 10 1/2 months now, he's got 6 teeth, and is just a bundle of energy. He keeps me on my toes. He's walking, holding onto just one of my hands, as opposed to both. He's climbing up walls and lifting himself clear off the ground using the stereo. He loves to fly...as you will see in the pictures. He's a creature of habit (which is frustrating at times...he knows when he's supposed to be down for a nap, and makes a fuss if you dont comply). He loves his solid foods...he's a meat boy. Loves hot dogs and sausages and the like. Its fun to watch him eat, he likes to screach at me when his tray is empty and there is still food on his plate. He knows...he just knows. He plays catch, and has quite an arm on him. He's been known to throw his paccy clear across my living room, into the dining room. Crazy. Monkey. Boy.

I feel that I should tell you, that since I dont reliably have internet, I wont update consistantly. I'm hoping to remedy that soon, though.