first diaper change!

There are two things my husband does not do. He does not give our kids baths and he does not change diapers. It doesn't bother me b/c of the multitude of other things he is always helping me out with. He does the laundry, he irons, he cleans the bathroom, cooks, does the dishes, vacuums, and the list goes on and on. He does everything except baths and diapers. So you can imagine my suprise when Charlotte was 5 weeks old and Ryan announced that he wanted to change a diaper. He made me stand by next to him for "moral support". Of course I had to document this amazing event!!

Smiley Girl!!!!

Internet

A week or so ago I took an unwanted hiatus from the internet. Our modem stopped working and then we had problems with our router. I realized that I got LESS done around here when I didn't have the internet. You would think I could have gotten more done with the extra time. I usually reward myself with facebook and google reader. I tell myself, "If I get this and this done, then I can check my facebook". Without facebook to check and blogs to read, I had no motivation to get things done! So sad. My internet has been back up and running for a week and I am going crazy with my to do list once again!

I can't believe

I can't believe . . .

* I am still wearing maternity clothes

* Charlotte will not take a passy

* I waited too long and now I can not get Gavin into preschool next year.

* I actually had the willpower to stop drinking coke ( I have Charlotte to thank for that one)

* I got mad at my 4 yr. old b/c he took apart a lego car that I worked really hard on. I am so mature!

* I have 20 more lbs. to lose. That is depressing.

* Charlotte slept through the night at 7 weeks when Gavin didn't sleep through until 16 weeks!

Independence

For those of you who know me well, you know that I am one of those moms who does everything for their child. I help Gavin get dressed. I make his bed. I brush his teeth. I take off his coat and shoes etc. Basically whatever he needs, I do it. Well, I did do it until I realized I can't possibly do all that for two children and keep my sanity. Before Charlotte came, I never minded doing all of those things. I was a SAHM with only one child! What else did I have to do with all my time? Well, all of that is quickly changing. I made this chore chart awhile ago ( I may have even posted about it) but we never stuck to it. This time, we have been going strong for a few weeks. I made this massive daily schedule for me and the kids and our lives have become much simpler and much more peaceful because of it. Here is a picture of Gavin putting his smiley face next to his completed chores!

We have started out small. There are two columns on his chart. One for a.m. chores and one for p.m. chores. His a.m. chores consist of getting himself dressed, making his bed, brushing his teeth and going over his Bible verse of the week. His p.m. chores are setting the table, brushing his teeth, picking up all his toys (he's pretty much always done this, though), and going over his Bible verse again. He gets to put a smiley face next to each chore as he completes them (and a sad face if he doesn't) and then he gets a quarter for his piggy bank! He loves it. He is saving up for a "cool toy". He still needs my help a little bit, but slowly I am making him into an independent boy!

Gavin Talk

1. While praying before going to bed Gavin says this,
"Dear Jesus, thank you for the floor so we don't fall into the basement . . ."

2. He whipped this out the other day, "sorry mom, I didn't realize . . ."

3. He actually said this to my sister, "Aunt Kimmie, tickle my butt!"

4. Today he asked me, "When I get bigger, will I be a daddy?" then he followed it up with, "Can I be Charlotte's daddy?"

For the Grandparents

These are some very dull videos of my kids that only a mamma and the grandparents will appreciate. I wont be offended if no one else watches or comments.

This one is just Charlotte

This one is of Gavin and Charlotte.

Don't worry: No babies were harmed in the making of this video (even though it may appear that way).

I don't remember!

We have been trying to teach Gavin not to interrupt when someone is talking. When Ryan comes home from work it seems that Gavin and I are constantly in competition for his attention. I will be in the middle of telling him something and Gavin will butt right in. Yesterday he had to wait "a long time" (about one minute) before we were done talking. When it was his turn he started whining, saying he forgot what he was going to say. Ryan started teasing him and told him to rub his ear to help him remember. He didn't seem to believe him yesterday and just walked away.

Today, he was in the middle of a story and lost his train of thought. He started rubbing his ear. Then he said, "Mom, I am rubbing me ear but it's not working! I can't remember!" I had forgotten about what Ryan told him, but instantly remembered when he said that. He caught me off guard and I started laughing so hard! He looked at me a bit sheepish and said, "That doesn't really work, does it?" I don't think he's ever going to trust Ryan again!

Lego Mania!

About a year ago we started buying Ryan, I mean Gavin, legos. Up until this winter he hasn't played with them too much on his own. He would play with them when Ryan wanted to, but he would just get frustrated when he tried them on his own. Then Ryan would get frustrated when he would spend an hour building something and Gavin would then take 15 seconds to destroy it. This winter he has played with them almost every day. It is pointless to even put them away b/c he just gets them back out half an hour later. It occupies him for hours, literally. He loves them!

Bumbo Baby!

I am running out of places to put Charlotte. She HATES the swing and merely tolerates her bouncy seat. She likes to lay on the floor, but it's so drafty. I hate to put her there. I broke out the bumbo, since she is doing pretty well supporting her head. She likes it. She didn't cry and seemed to enjoy sitting up. This pictures doesn't really show any emotion on her part. You will just have to take my word for it that she liked it.


She really gets mad at her brother sometimes. He is a little overly affectionate at times. He loves to be in her face and kiss her all the time. At times she doesn't mind, but other times, this is her reaction!

Gavin

Gavin is so entertaining these days! He is presently drawing in a notebook and informed me that he was drawing Heaven. He then changed his mind and said that he was drawing Jerusalem. He asked me if we can take an airplane and see if Jesus is there. He wants to see him and say, "Hosanna, blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord." That was his verse in cubbies a few weeks ago and the whole thing made a BIG impression on him. I love it!

31 Ways to Pray for your Children

My cousin has this on her fridge and I loved the idea. Every day of the month you have something different to pray for reguarding your children. I found it online and then copied it into a calendar format.


1 Salvation "Lord, let salvation spring up within my children, that they may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, and with it eternal glory"
Is 45:8, 2 Tim. 2:10

2 Respect (for self, others, authority) "Father, grant that my children may 'show proper respect to everyone,' as your Word commands" (1 Peter 2:17a).

3 Biblical Self-Identity "Help my children develop a strong self-identity that is rooted in the realization that they are 'God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus'" (Ephesians 2:10).

4 Faithfulness "'Let love and faithfulness never leave [my children],' but bind these twin virtues around their necks and write them on the tablet of their hearts" (Prov3:3).

5 Self-Control "Father, help my children not to be like many others around them, but let them be 'alert and self-controlled' in all they do" 1 Thess 5:6

6 Love for God's Word "May my children grow to find your Word 'more precious than gold, than much pure gold; [and] sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb'" (Ps 19:10).

7 Justice "God, help my children to love justice as you do and to 'act justly' in all they do" (Psalm 11:7, Micah 6:8).

8 Mercy "May my children always 'be merciful, as [their] Father is merciful'" (Luke 6:36).

9 Growth in Grace "I pray that they may 'grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ'" 2 Pt. 3:18

10 Love "Grant, Lord, that my children may learn to 'live a life of love,' through the Spirit who dwells in them" Eph 5:2, Gal 5:22

11 Honesty and Integrity "May integrity and honesty be their virtue and their protection" (Psalm 25:21).

12 Courage "May my children always 'Be strong and courageous' in their character and in their actions" (Deut. 31:6).

13 Purity "'Create in [them] a pure heart, O God,' and let their purity of heart be shown in their actions" (Psalm 51:10).

14 Kindness "Lord, may my children 'always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else'" (1 Thessalonians 5:15).

15 Generosity "Grant that my children may 'be generous and willing to share [and so] lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age'" (1 Timothy 6:18-19).

16 Peace and Peacemaking "Father, let my children 'make every effort to do what leads to peace'" (Romans 14:19).

17 Joy "May my children be filled 'with the joy given by the Holy Spirit'" (1 Thessalonians 1:6).

18 Perseverance "Lord, teach my children perseverance in all they do, and help them especially to 'run with perseverance the race marked out for [them]'" (Hebrews 12:1).

19 Humility "God, please cultivate in my children the ability to 'show true humility toward all'" (Titus 3:2).

20 Compassion "Lord, please clothe my children with the virtue of compassion" (Colossians 3:12).

21 Responsibility "Grant that my children may learn responsibility, 'for each one should carry his own load'" (Galatians 6:5).

22 Contentment "Father, teach my children 'the secret of being content in any and every situation. . . . through him who gives [them] strength'" (Philippians 4:12-13).

23 Faith "I pray that faith will find root and grow in my children's hearts, that by faith they may gain what has been promised to them" (Luke 17:5-6, Hebrews 11:1-40).

24 Servant's Heart "God, please help my children develop servant hearts, that they may serve wholeheartedly, 'as to the Lord, and not to men'" (Ephesians 6:7, KJV).

25 Hope "May the God of hope grant that my children may overflow with hope and hopefulness by the power of the Holy Spirit" (Romans 15:13).

26 Industry "Teach my children, Lord, to value work and to work hard at everything they do, 'as working for the Lord, not for men'" (Colossians 3:23).

27 Passion for God "Lord, please instill in my children a soul that 'followeth hard after thee,' a heart that clings passionately to you (Psalm 63:8, KJV).

28 Self-Discipline "Father, I pray that my children may develop self-discipline, that they may acquire 'a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair'" (Proverbs 1:3).

29 Prayerfulness "Grant, Lord, that my children's lives may be marked by prayerfulness, that they may learn to 'pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests'" (Eph. 6:18).

30 Gratitude "Help my children to live lives that are always 'overflowing with thankfulness,' 'always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ' Col 2:7, Eph 5:20

31 Heart for Missions "Lord, please help my children to develop a heart for missions, a desire to see your glory declared among the nations, your marvelous deeds among all peoples" (Psalm 96:3).

Works of God Monday

Today I am praising the Lord for a full five hourse of sleep last night!

Busy Weekend

We had a very fun weekend. The weather was gorgeous on Friday so Ryan suggested we go to the zoo! It was so fun. Gavin was running around like crazy. He was so happy to be out and about. We took our new sit n stand stroller that Gavin LOVES but I don't think he sat in it one time. He was playing the part of tour guide and showing us where all the animals were. It was funny b/c he actually knew where each animal and which path to take. We go to the zoo a lot! Charlotte slept the whole time, of course. I wanted to take her out and get a picture of her and Gavin in the John Deere, but I didn't want to disturb her slumber. I am sure there will be many more photo opps!

On Saturday Charlotte and I went out for our first mommy/daughter shopping trip. We actually just went to Babies R Us to help my friend Tonya register for her baby shower. I counted it as our first (of many) shopping trip! She did great. She was even awake for some of it!

You've got to be kidding me!

My latest Gavin story:



Gavin is like his dad in that he is a pretty picky eater. He does better than Ryan did when he was a kid, but he definitely is still considered picky. One thing he loves are lunchables. Personally, I think that they are so gross. He calls lunchables "ferris snacks" because the frist time he had one was at the 4h fair. The fair had a ferris wheel, so he just started calling them "ferris snacks". Anyway, since he loves the turkey ones, I just bought turkey from the deli thinking he would for sure love it. I used this tip from Jenny and cut the sandwich into a shape. I was SO SURE that he would love it and just eat it right up. Yeah, I thought WRONG! He would not eat it and was whining about it. I told him, it is the same thing as a ferris snack. "If you don't like that, you don't like ferris snacks and I will never buy you one again". They are the SAME THING! So, he started to eat it, grudgingly. By the time he got through the SMALL portion that I gave him, he asked for another piece.





Sometimes he can be quite maddening! But he is oh so cute, as well!

Already?

Charlotte is already a month old. I can't believe that. I'm going to try and snap a picture like this every month to document her growth. I am a 2nd child and have hardly any pictures of me as a baby. I am trying hard to not let that happen to our sweet girl. I don't want her growing up bitter like her mamma. Just kidding, I am pretty much over it. Well, that is until the photos come out at family functions . . . Anyway, here is our girl at 1 month

and of course a few shots with the boy

Charlotte is such a sweet girl and we have, of course, enjoyed her immensely. She is so different from her brother! At her one month check up she weighed 9lbs. 10oz. and was in the 67 percentile for height and weight!

Works of God Monday

Well, I've FINALLY decided to join Jenny and her "works of God Monday" posts! It's about time, right?

I have two this week - well more than just two, but two that I will mention!

1. Since Charlotte has been born, I have been working her Sunday feedings around the preaching portion of our church service so that I don't miss it. Well, I have been missing out on the worship portion and I have missed it so much! As I was driving 20 min. to the the Dr.'s today, I was singing my heart out in worship to our great God. I am so thankful that I can worship Him wherever and whenever. By the time I pulled into the parking lot, my heart was bursting with love and gratitude for my Savior!

2. Praise the Lord for our HEALTHY baby girl! She weighed in at 9lbs. 10 oz. this morning. That's a two (plus) pound weight gain since birth. She has grown out of all her newborn clothes and is definitely filling out the next size!

God is so good to us! What has he been working on in your life?

Gavin says the funniest things!

1. He always refers to people as "humans"

2. A few days ago Gavin told me, "I wanna be just like Jesus!"

3. When he wanted me to do something ( I can't even remember what) for him and I told him I couldn't, he said, "Come on, mom, be strong like daddy!"

4. Yesterday he asked, "Do animals have an imagination?"

5. As I was driving the other day and stuck in some traffic I was huffing and puffing and Gavin asked me, "Are you frustrated, mom?" I said, "YES!" He then replied, "Well, when the cars start moving, it will be over and you will not be frustrated anymore." Thanks Gav, you're such a problem solver. . .

6. Several months ago we had a conversation about creation. He asked me how God created earth. I told him that God just spoke it into existence. Well, since Charlotte has been born we've had some interesting conversations about me nursing her. I told him that that was how God created mommies bodies - to make milk for their babies. Well, after he had time to process this, he asked me: "Mom, can I see God speak the milk into you?" He assumed that when God spoke it, I filled up with milk!

7. While at the store he picked something up and said, "Is this on sale?" Can you tell his mamma is a frugal shopper?

8. His Grandma sent him some money in the mail and I asked Gavin what he wanted to buy with it. This was his reply, "I want one of those guns from Target that are in the toy aisle by the potties." You can tell you spend way too much time at Target when your four year old knows the layout of the store.

Valentines Day post

So, Ryan and I have never really been big on Celebrating V - Day, especially since Gavin was born. We just don't think it's that big of a deal. Well, this year we've been a little distracted with having a baby and all. We were on our way to one of Charlotte's Dr.'s appointments and Ryan and I were just chatting in the car along the way. As we were talking I kept on looking around and seeing all kinds of balloons and people with flowers. I said, "What is going on? I keep seeing all these people with balloons and flowers!" Then we looked at each other and started cracking up when we realized what day it was. I think Ryan and I truly are a match made in heaven!

It's already happening!

One of my biggest fears (for lack of a better word) when Charlotte was born was that Gavin would drift from being a mamma's boy to a daddy's boy. I love my relationship with Gav and how we function and flow together throughout our day. Well, it is already happening. Today he got hurt. It was a minor injury that didn't even require a band aid (although one was administered). I put Charlotte down and immediately came to his rescue to comfort and love on him. Well, he let me hug him for a minute (okay, it was more like three seconds!) before he croaked out, "Where is daddy?" It was such a sad moment for me. Although, I have to say not as sad as I thought it would be. I thought I might cry if something like that ever happened. As it turns out, having a daddy's boy won't be so bad after all. We will survive and I am sure he won't always just want his daddy.

Life with Charlotte

Well, life with two is definitely busier! We are enjoying it, though. My parents are here, which has been wonderful. We could not have survived without them.


Charlotte is doing extremely well. I have never seen a baby like her before. She rarely cries. She eats well, she sleeps well. She is definitely the opposite of her big brother. He was so high maintenance and she is just so laid back. Ryan asked me if I thought something was wrong with her b/c she was so easy! We are so thankful for her and the joy she is already bringing to our family.


Gavin has adjusted extremely well. I have to say, I was super surprised out it. I thought he was going to really resent her and have a hard time. He actually can't get enough of her. He was a little timid when he came to see her in the hospital, but after that, he's been great. When we got home I walked in the door and I was so excited to be home and to see Gavin. All Gav did was look around me and say, "Where's Charlotte?!" He could have cared less that I was home. He was ready to see his sister! When Ryan brought her in from the car, Gavin walked right over to the car seat and tried to take her out and wanted walk around with her. He just thinks he can flop her around like a stuffed animal. It's so funny, but so refreshing. I know he is missing his mamma time, but we are working through it and it helps that Grandma and Papa are here!!!


Daddy is doing well with taking care of everything around here.c He has been entertaining Gavin and taking him and my parents to some museums so I can get some quiet time and some sleep time!
He is smitten with his daughter. He even said, "I'm so glad we had a girl and not another boy!" One of his new favorite phrases is, "How are my girls doing?" It's so cute to see them together. I think she's gonna be a daddy's girl!


I am doing pretty well. Recovery the second time is a little bit rougher. I am wondering where these days are going! Everything seems to be going by so quickly. There doesn't seem to be enough of me to go around. Speaking of which - I am off again to feed the baby!!!

Charlotte's Room

Well, baby's room is pretty much done. I think I've rearranged it about sixty five times. What else is there to do? Here's what you've already seen . . .

Here's the other side of the room - the changing table. I was a little overwhelmed with all the polka dots, so I added some rectangles.

Yesterday I put the finishing touches on, by making this pillow for our snuggle chair.

I can't wait to bring her home and show her around and dress her up in all of these cute clothes!


I had to get a shot with all of the diapers - Thanks Jason and Kate!

Hopefully my next post will be pictures of CHARLOTTE!!

Huh?

Well, we went to Target about a week ago and Ryan picked up a case of Code Red Mt. Dew. When we got home, I put the case in the fridge and opened it up to find this:

I was pretty excited about it. I had a yummy root beer float that night! Have you ever found an unexpected item in your groceries?

Things I've Learned This Week

1. It is close to impossible to explain verb tenses to a new four year old.

2. Scrubbing Bubbles is an AMAZING product - my shower has never looked better and I didn't have to scrub a thing (seriously just spray, wait and wipe!).

3. Shoveling Snow does NOT induce labor - it just makes you very sore and tired.

4. The made up word "snoof" has many possible meanings. You can use it in sentences like,
"This toy is not snoof enough, mom" or "I am feeling snoofy" and even "There is not enough snoof on my shelf"

5. No matter how many chocolate chip pumpkin muffins you make, they will be consumed within days, if not hours.

6. No matter how hard you try, when you are 38 weeks pregnant it is impossible to wash your child's hair and not end up in the tub - this task has now been delegated to Ryan as I have no interest in falling in the bathtub (no matter how clean it is!) . . . again.

7. Decorating, to a four year old means proudly throwing several things on the floor and leaving them there.

and last, but not least . . .

8. Even when it is cold (-15) and snowy (6-8 inches) and everyone else is miserable and complaining, you can still appreciate, love and enjoy winter in all it's glory!

Gavin talk

Gavin is just a hoot to talk to most of the time. Here are some of his most recent quotes.

1. "You're the sweetest girl that I love."

2. "What (which comes out - whuch) you said?"

3. "You gotta be kiddin' me!" - this one almost always leads to a nice long talking to about our attitude.

4. "You're the silliest girl I haven't never seen"

5. His favorite book for awhile was "Are you my mother?" so out of the blue one day he started calling me Bird Mother. He will randomly say, "Thank you, Bird Mother" or "Here you go, Bird Mother." It is so funny and I LOVE IT! We have made it a family affair and now refer to Ryan as Bird Father and Gavin as Bird Brother. I am sure Charlotte will be Bird Sister when she arrives!

6. Gavin has battled some bad colds this season so now he feels the need to tell people, "I am so sick". The other day when he was getting "into trouble" he told me that he couldn't get into trouble because he was "so sick". What a scammer!

Well, that's all I can think of right now. I am sure there are many more funny things he says, though. Hope you enjoyed some laughs! What are some funny things your kids are saying these days?

The To Do List

I've been working hard on my ever growing to do list to get lots done before the baby comes. One thing I really wanted to finish was this blanket for Gavin. He's been asking me for one for awhile. I think I started this one over the summer! I finally finished it this week! Here is my finished product. Now, it's on to the next 10 tasks!

What's for dinner?

Ryan got me this cookbook for Christmas and I LOVE it! It's all about pureeing veggies and sneaking them into your meals. You may think, I don't need to sneak veggies into my kids meals, I just make them eat them! Well, Gavin is actually a good veggie eater. He eats broccoli like a champ and loves every minute of it. Ryan is my non veggie eater! I don't think he quite knew what he was getting himself into when he bought this book! I've got some good veggies into his diet and I don't tell him until after he's eaten it all up! He doesn't mind, as long as he doesn't know what he's eating while he's eating it for the first time! I've been pureeing like crazy and freezing them for future use! This is a book I would definitely recommend!

Congratulations Ryan!

Today Ryan starts his new position with Starbucks! He is now running his very own store! I know he is so excited to finally be in this spot! He has a great store, too. So, if you are ever in the Chicago area stop by the Bucks at State and Lake and say hi to him!

My Awesome Husband!

I just had to post this hilarious picture of Ryan and his brother Jason. Jason never grows facial hair so we were surprised to see him sporting the goatee. Ryan was in the process of shaving his beard and 'stache and they decided to have a little fun with it. I am pretty creeped out by the sight of Ryan with a mustache. But I have to admit, it was pretty hysterical!

Whew!!!

The month of December was so hectic for us! It kind of went by in a blur. The weekend after Thanksgiving my entire family (minus one sister) came out to help celebrate Gavin's 4th birthday. Yes, that's right - my baby boy is four years old! We had fun exploring the city - well as much exploring you can do when it's freezing out and you have four kids under four to tote around.

Right after my family left I came down with the worst cold I have ever had in my life. I do not remember ever feeling that badly before. Of course, my sickness had to linger into the weekend. Ryan's brother Jason, his wife Katie and their son Will came out for a visit. Even though I was sick, we had a fun time with them. We celebrated an early Christmas, went downtown for a bit, drove out to Ryan's grandparents for a visit and pretty much just hung out. We were so sad when it was time for them to leave!

After Jas and Kate left we had a quiet week before Christmas. All of our shopping was done and we didn't really have much to plan for. It was just going to be us this year. We went to church on Christmas Eve and then came home and stayed home for the next few days. It was wonderful. It was a great time for us to relax as a family and spend time playing with Gavin and all of his new toys! I look at it as the calm before the storm - the "storm" being baby coming.

I am at 36 weeks now and am counting down the days. I've been very busy the last week or so cleaning like crazy and cooking and freezing meals. My sciatica is FINALLY gone - that was rough - so I feel more like myself again. I am trekking out to the Dr.'s every week now, which is super annoying.

Well, I guess I am just rambling. I will try and be better about keeping up with this thing! I hate to say it, but facebook is so much easier! But I love my google reader and keeping up with everyone blogs! I am sure I will be posting like crazy once the baby is born!

Hope you all had a great 2008! I am so looking forward to what 2009 brings our family!

Thanksgiving

Our Thanksgiving came and went so quickly! I can hardly believe it is over with already. Ryan's parents came to stay with us over the weekend. We had a wonderful time. I made my first Thanksgiving dinner. I have to say, it was a lot of work but TONS of fun. I really enjoyed doing it. I learned a lot - the most important thing being: never make that much food for five people again. I went a little bit overboard. I guess I just got a little too excited about it all.

After we stuffed ourselves that night we got to open our Christmas presents from Ryan's parents. We aren't going to be able to be with them this year and they wanted to see us open our gifts! I am a huge kid when it comes to opening gifts I was so excited. I think I tore into mine just as fast as Gavin did! My in laws are so generous and give us so much! We loved everything and had fun opening them up. Gavin got a double dose b/c he got to open his Birthday gifts too!

Friday morning Ryan's mom and I woke up at 5:30 to go shopping. It's the first time I've ever gone shopping on black Friday. I am pretty sure I'd do it again. We didn't have that bad of an experience. We just went to Target and got some deals and came home.

Friday night we went to the Lincoln Park Zoo for their "Zoo Lights". It was relatively warm (well, it's alwasy hot to me these days), so it was really nice. The lights were fun and we got to see some animals and Gavin even got a cookie.

Saturday we headed downtown in the a.m. and went to Navy Pier. They Christmas decorations are so festive. I love it! We only spent an hour or so there and then we headed out to Ryan's aunts house for another Thanksgiving feast. There was food and family galore! We always have with with Ryan's cousins and aunts and uncles.

Sunday was the sad day. It was time for Grandma and Grandpa to leave. We headed out to church the same time that they left to go home. Gavin didn't know quite what was going on. When we got to church he looked around and said, "Where's Grandma Sue?" I guess he thougth they were meeting us there!

Overall it was a great Thanksgiving. I was missing my family a lot, but I am taking comfort in the fact that they are all pulling in tomorrow for a nice long weekend visit. I've almost recouped from last weekend and now I get to turn around and do it all over again! It's worth it, though! I love being with our family.

We hope your Thanksgiving was as good as ours!

Baby News:

I just thought I'd give a Charlotte update - I had a dr.'s appointment today and everything looks good. We are at 31 weeks and a few days. Every keeps asking me if I am "sure they got the due date right." I just make big babies! The dr. told me the second one usually increases by a lb. I am not sure if I can handle a 9lb. 12oz. baby! We grow 'em big!