Countdown to Christmas

It was a busy month, preparing for Christmas, and continuing to juggle the 3 kids and their needs. But we enjoyed our last month of Mommy not being back at work and looked forward to a fun 2 weeks together at the end of the month (Daddy gets lots of time off for Christmas, so Mommy takes off too!).

Christmas activities...the boys each got a Lego Advent/Christmas countdown calendar this year...Matthew has been looking for an excuse to get one of these for years! His boys are finally into Legos and that's all the green light he needed! The boys enjoyed opening a box and building a new object each day - Drew was much more enthusiastic about it, racing to the box first thing in the morning. Noah had to be reminded most of the time, usually by Drew! Drew's was Star Wars themed (because nothing says Jesus is the Reason for the Season more than Star Wars Legos) and Noah's was more city themed. They both were looking forward to some special pieces...Drew wanted some of the characters, Noah wanted the robber! Oh Noah! We enjoyed seeing the Benbrook Christmas Fireworks again from the Middle School field (to avoid the crowd, noise and chaos!) with some of our friends. Noah was the brunt of some big boy bullying by Drew and friend Seth, but he handled it pretty well all things considered...one day he's going to be big enough to put a stop to it himself!

This is Noah being mesmerized by the changing colors of the TV while we listened to Christmas music when decorating...

Christmas decorating took several days to get it all complete, but we all loved the end result...lots of festive decorations! The boys loved turning as many of the singing animals on at once of course. And we've had a "My First Christmas" toy set since Drew was born with 6 small krinkly toys in them - Santa, tree, candy cane, gingerbread, reindeer and snowman. So what I loved this year is the boys really like the Disney Prep and Landing shows (really cute!) and it's about the elves that help Santa get all the toys delivered...they have all these cool spy-like toys they use to check that everyone is sleeping, etc. Well, they are all shaped like Christmas objects and so Drew used the baby toys as his Elf/spy toys - it was awesome and cute and hilarious!

We enjoyed the Christmas Cantata at church...well, the boys did. Kate was incredibly upset that morning and was un-soothed by eating and just wanted to sleep...all morning! It was a very off day for her, so Mommy and Kate didn't hear the Cantata this year! The boys had their Christmas programs this month too of course, and sadly, were on the same night at the exact same time! So Daddy went with Drew, and Mommy and Kate went with Noah. Both boys did great! We each recorded the programs so we could share them with the other later that night. Drew was all smiles and sang every word proudly! Noah did great, dressed as a sheep with his classmates, waved as soon as he got on stage and sang along with most of the song, but was also very distracted by his costume that had gotten catty-wompus (of course!) and was a bit distracted! But we were proud parents - such cute boys!

Another big day involved picking Drew up early from school and taking all 3 kids to see Santa. The boys did a good job, no hesitation at all. Drew asked for Legos and Noah asked for letters...! Santa looked up at me with that one, I just shrugged my shoulders, and Santa told him he couldn't make any promises, but would do his best! HA! We later figured out Noah wanted the art easel with the magnetic letters back from the closet that had been put away to make room for all the Christmas decorations! Hilarious! He just wanted his magnet letters back that he already had! :) The boys played on the mall playground until it was time to go meet Daddy at ToysRUs for the boys to pick out toys for each other for Christmas. This is always so much of a better idea in my head than it turns out...they just want to pick things out for themselves - the opposite concept we are trying to impart. So, it was a hectic afternoon and was forever long, but we all survived another year of that! Whew!

Drew woke up early one morning before school and turned the light on in the boys' room right away, which really made Noah mad that morning. So without hesitation, he ran, pulled out a light saber and started attacking Drew! We won't tell them until they are older, but both Mommy and Daddy thought it was hilarious! In general, the boys had a hard time playing well together this month...maybe the excitement and selfishness of Christmas presents, Mommy and Daddy being pre-occupied, or maybe just being boys and brothers, but it was a rough month!

Both boys had dentist appointments this month and both did great. However, Noah had 2 cavities so we had to go back for fillings. Well, he did pretty good, but when it came down to it, he wasn't having it, so he just got some temporary fillings put in, but apparently that's pretty good for his age to tolerate. So now we get to floss more...sigh! Another task at bedtime!

Noah is starting to show a little more interest in potty training this month, though still a very parent led activity for the most part...he just won't own it as his responsibility. If we take him enough, he could stay dry (and does at school!), but at home, there's no initiation from him at all, and to be honest, we are just too occupied with everything else we are juggling, we are too tired to remember all the time!

One Sunday this month Mommy was in the back of the church rocking Kate to sleep. And not too surprisingly, Noah wanted to be where Mommy was. So he joined us in the back, Kate fell asleep, but she's pretty picky about not letting me stop bouncing or sit and still stay asleep, so we stayed in the back. Noah did ok initially and then realized the freedom he had and the limited range Mommy had while holding a sleeping Kate. So he was hiding and running around, and then it came time for communion and all Mommy had was a whisper to get him to come, and ended up wrangling him with her feet, 'nudging' him in the right direction. Mommy got lots of grins and looks as well as comments after the service...hey, you do what you gotta do, right?!

A house in our neighborhood had an inflatable dinosaur that had a present in his mouth and it was Noah's absolute favorite this year. He talked about the dinosaur almost every day and wanted to know if it was awake (blown up and lit) or asleep (deflated). Whenever it got dark, he would remember and ask if the dinosaur was awake and once or twice begged to see it so much that Daddy took him in the car to drive down 3 blocks to see it before going to bed!

Noah being unsupervised momentarily with a stamper apparently leads to stamp attacks on himself!

Drew had a special treat this month, invited to a sleepover at cousin Taron and Kirby's house with cousin Luke! Man, were they excited! They had such a fun time watching movies, playing games (including Just Dance on the Wii - awesome!) and just hanging out together. They apparently got next to no sleep and were zonked by the time they got home, but had so much fun! Noah was sad he didn't get to go, but was easily distracted by a movie night/sleepover with Mommy - which just means we get to watch a movie together in Mommy's bed before going to sleep in our own beds!

Kate is growing strong and starting to move around a bit more. She's still such a happy little girl and is just a light in our lives. Her naps are coming along and she's just now starting to stretch out her feedings a LITTLE bit more, but keeping Mommy busy with short naps and lots of feedings during the day. She's a good little sleeper at night mostly, sleeping 8-10 hours, which is great. Her bedtime is still on the late side, around 9:30/10, so that means she's waking up around 6-8am, which is awesome! We are up by then anyways usually thanks to our early riser Drew! Evenings are still a bit fussy, but overall we are seeing that improve. Even Daddy is noticing it and enjoying the evenings more now! :) She is pretty content to just go along with most things...tagging along for errands, brother's dentist appointments and such. She continues to LOVE being outside, and we try to get out when we can.

New things she is learning this month...she's really starting to figure out and enjoy pushing through her legs. One evening she was happy to do 'squats' in Daddy's lap while Mommy spent a good amount of time in the kitchen! She is starting to squirm and move around a bit more in bed, always turning clockwise! She is making more and more noises and sounds, and we just love it! She keeps sticking out her tongue all the time, and it seems like it's getting longer, LOL! Our neighbors say it's because she just has too much tongue! Hehehe! She is starting to bring things to her mouth and explore in that way, so we are really driving home with the boys the importance of what is around her! She is starting to grab at and track toys close to her now, so she's definitely liking her play gym more, which is fun for us as well. She also has what I call her "Titanic pose"...when I'm walking around the house while holding her, lots of times she'll arch her back just a little bit, both arms out wide and just look out - it's so silly, but mostly because it reminds me of that ridiculous movie. :) Oh, and she's started being able to grab at hair - mostly hers at this point. It's funny watch because she'll pull her own hair and not be real happy about it, mostly looks concerned, but she keeps doing it because, well, she's a baby. But kind of funny too.

She still likes anything related to taking clothes off it seems...changing clothes, changing a diaper and LOVES her baths! She kicks so much in her baths that we've had to change locations for those. She was kicking and arching alot in the baby tub, so we know take baths on a small baby bath frame that sits in Mommy's BIG tub filled with just enough water for her to splash. She loves it, and it's much better, except on Mommy's back, but that's ok. A silly thing a Mommy notices...mostly because it's during bedtime hours...she loves getting her PJs zipped up! For whatever reason, the sound of that always catches her attention and makes her smile so big! Sometimes when she gets on her changing table, she shakes her head side to side real fast too, like she's excited, it's so cute! It's these little things that make me love being the Mommy - sharing these moments that no one else get to see! :)

November Travels

Well, after hearing about it for 3 years, we finally made it to Nashville for Thanksgiving! Since I'm not in the running for "wife of the year", I made it official and flew to Nashville with Kate and Kevin and left Matthew to drive with the boys, meeting Grandpa and Nana in Texarkana to drive the rest of the way with them! Despite the incredibly early flight, Kate did amazing and Kevin and I learned a few things about flying with an infant. She nursed through security, which Kevin loved of course, and slept almost the whole flight! In all honesty, I still think it was the best choice to not have to stop every 2 or so hours to feed Kate, but it still seems harsh a little bit...oh well! We all made it safely, though the drive for the family was longer than anticipated, running into quite a bit of traffic and such, but made it safe late Tuesday none the less!

It didn't take long and the infamous "Meat Snacks" were out and we were ready to go!

We had such a great time with everyone...Erin came in Tuesday as well, Sara and Gary as well as Michelle and friends arrived on Wednesday, and the activity didn't stop! The boys had a blast running all over the house, outside and playing with the different toys and harassing the dogs! If I have one complaint about the York's house, it is that it was so hard to keep up with the boys - too many places for them to hide, that by the time I found one, I had lost the other! :)

There was lots of activity in the kitchen of course on Wednesday, and the big boys were busy with the never ending project of creating the mantel...it will be beautifully finished one day! They made great progress and are paying attention to every detail! The little boys enjoyed more time playing soccer and the access to endless iPad usage! But then there was time for fun and relaxing as well...I love the sequence of these photos of the men on the couch...so much love there!

Noah was very particular about who got to sit where and how it affected his seating...this was the one he wanted and no one else was allowed! Stinker!

 Evening crash...this wasn't even after the big Thanksgiving meal...just so much food, entertaining and excitement, they just crashed!

Aunt Sally was particularly insistent and making sure Kate was happy being held in her arms! Kate protested (as usual) when away from Mommy, but that didn't phase Sally, and by the end of it, Kate had succumbed to Sally's will and love! :)

Sweet little Kate on Thanksgiving!

People were ready to party!

Noah was excited that yet another dog joined the party when Emily arrived...these two little stinkers were kindred spirits from the time they met...as if they knew the other was a kindred trouble maker. Noah and Stanzi did have a bit of a showdown at one point, and phased Noah for a bit, Stanzi is for sure the dog he remembers the most!

The whole time we were there, Noah was just go, go, go! By the time we sat down for dinner on Thanksgiving, he passed out! Literally, this, I believe, is the only time any of my children have fallen asleep while eating...he did the total head bob and eye roll, and then would pop out of it. He gave in and rested on Mommy (yes, I'm also nursing Kate too!), and he got the quickest power nap in the history of mankind and woke up crazier than before!

We loved getting to see some of our loved family members....and had fun with selfies and photo bombs!

Sweet Sara and Kevin, worn out from the days' festivities!

The day after Thanksgiving started a whole new set of activities...getting ready for Christmas! The whole crew set out for a nice walk on a beautiful, chilly morning to check on the local Christmas tree selection, and then carried on to the nearby lake!

There was Christmas decorating and more playing outside, cute photo ops, and food of course!

Friday night was pizza night...and it was DELICIOUS! It inspired Matthew to consider the idea of a pizza oven once again...at some point not so soon!

Saturday was the day to return...we were all up early again and while I'm sure they didn't like being up that early, I'm sure the York family was happy to get our chaos out of their house! :) Kate did awesome on the flight back again and the others made great time making it back to Texas. Nana didn't feel well, so the boys watched movies the whole way home, and only stopped twice! Neither took naps on the way home, and Drew zonked out, practically mid sentence, right before dinner from the long day! We had a WONDERFUL time, but so good to be home!

Now, to take a turn...while we were in Nashville, we had horrible news that my Uncle Mark Wessling had passed away after a second battle with Leukemia. The Yorks are actually good friends with the Wesslings from their time together in St. Louis way back when, so it was odd, yet nice, to be with them when we found out the news. So Kate and I returned to Fort Worth with luggage full of laundry to unpack and repack, go grocery shopping and get ready for a trip to Miami. The boys stayed behind in Fort Worth, giving Mommy and Kate more flexibility on when we could fly and how long we could stay. It also just didn't seem appropriate for the boys to go. So Kate and I got back home Saturday around 11am and left again Sunday at 5am! This time we were on our own at the airport, and I was so thankful to already have had some experience in what worked and what didn't. God was good and Kate did amazing again, despite yet another very early flight!

We were greeted by Aunt Gloria, Cari and Veronica at the airport and swiftly taken to see Grandma and Grandpa, and then on to Ruth's house to see the Wesslings. These grandparents truly are GREAT! All three enjoyed some sweet cuddling time together, and Grandpa just lit up anytime Kate came near! So sweet to see that interaction! We spent the afternoon at Gloria's, then over to see Candi and her family and new home! That night we went back to the Wesslings (the week's gathering spot) for dinner. Despite getting only a few short little naps, Kate was pretty resilient for the day!

We took advantage of not having anywhere we HAD to be on Monday and let Kate just sleep away as long as she needed! Then we spent the afternoon at Grandma and Grandpa's house, and enjoyed a calm day with the 4 of us. We enjoyed a wonderful Florida afternoon and got some time outside, which Kate loved of course. Then the rest of the family came over for dinner. Grandpa, Nana and Uncle Kevin got in late Monday night, but we didn't get to see them until Tuesday afternoon.

Tuesday, we enjoyed some girl time during the day with cousin Candi. It feels a little guilty to have enjoyed ourselves due to the circumstances, but it's so rare we get together, it was fun to catch up!

Tuesday evening was the funeral service and it was very lovely and fitting to celebrate Uncle Mark's life. It was great to see old pictures, friends, family (John, Sally & Erin York were able to come, and Sally got some good Kate loving in again! She nicknamed her 'Lizzy' because of her lizard-like tongue!) and hear some favorite stories. Being that he was the Pastor, the church was packed to the brim, with an overflow room as well. Kate was a champ and slept amazing in the Moby wrap, nursed, laid awake calmly on the bench, changed her diaper and then back in the Moby wrap for another nap (standing and bouncing in the side aisle of course) through the service. We were essentially trapped in the front rows, as there were people lining the walls, it would have been way too disruptive to leave at any point. She didn't really make too much noise until right as the service was ending and it was 'open mic' time...at which point we escaped to the now-deserted balcony. The family then returned to Ruth's house. We had been at the church for 5 hours and poor Kate was up past her bedtime and just exhausted. She had a bit of a rough time getting to sleep (Mommy forgot to bring the Miracle Blanket!) and she easily kicked out of the swaddle Mommy attempted, but this is how I found her when it was time to go to Candi's house...sweet girl was so tired!

But she slept great again that night and was up and at it for more the next day. The family all gathered back at Ruth's house for lunch and then most of the group decided to head to the beach.

We had to be back in time to get Kevin on his flight, but oh, it was wonderful to see the ocean again! Such a beautiful day for it, lots of wind and the water was cold, but oh so beautiful...it was good for the soul to soak it in for a little bit!

We went back to Ruth's for dinner and the talented cousin Aaron took a few shots of Kate and I with his amazing photography skills...this will be a memorable photo for lots of different reasons! Thank you Aaron!

Wednesday night we got some delicious and authentic churros to cap off the trip. Thursday morning we hung at Candi's, and then rushed to say goodbye to Grandparents and Wesslings. We thought we had more time, but we cut it way too close! I barely made the flight! I was too late to print my ticket at the kiosk because the flight was already in final status or something I've never heard of before. The attendant initially was not in the mood to be helpful, but somewhere between leaving me and going to find her supervisor, God changed her heart and she became my advocate, convincing the supervisor to override it and then sprinted with me to security, where she helped me skip EVERYONE in line in order to make the flight! Where ever she is, I'm an in debt to her and so very grateful!

Kate did amazing on the flight back...we had a whole row to ourselves, so that was fantastic! She ate, slept and played and hardly fussed at all! We made it back home safe and sound with no plans to go anywhere again anytime soon! While we love to see family and travel, traveling with kids is exhausting, so don't take that the wrong way - we loved seeing everyone, I'm just glad to be back home and resume the un-normal, but normal to us, life again for awhile!