Christmas Post #2

well, I was hoping to finish up the Christmas pictures in January, but that didn't happen.
oh well.
i don't think anyone is surprised : )

i think we covered everything leading up to Christmas
lots to do when you have little kids!

Pictures with Santa
2 very excited kids when i told them where we were going.
to the mall to see santa!



reese agreed to stand next to him, but there was no way she was going to sit on his lap.
and i really didn't want santa to hold harrison, so he stayed in the stroller.


Gingerbread Houses





Letters to Santa
thanks grandma barb for helping the kids make those!



Toy & Joy
trip to aaron's firestation to donate toys.
i was worried they would have a hard time letting go of the toys (literally) but they did great.



Cookies for Santa
reese was my helper, the boys weren't too interested in making them unless they got to eat them.
i reminded them of the little red hen, but i don't think they cared.
but they were good decorators.


mmmm.....lots of licked fingers and gobs of sprinkles.
lucky santa!




Christmas Eve gifts
normally we do pajamas, but this year we decided to give them robes.
everyone got their favorite characters:
reese = hello kitty
griffin = mario
maddox = lego star wars




Santa's entrance
griffin was a little concerned that angus would bark at Santa and he would leave.
...so he told angus the rules.
santa is a good guy.
don't eat his cookies.
don't spill the milk.
and the carrot is for rudolph!



and then he checked the fireplace to make sure all was clear!

Phew! i think we did it all!

Christmas Post #1

i have a ton of Christmas pictures, so i'll start from the beginning.

the tree.

i think this is our 2nd year buying a tree from Zurbrugg Farms off germantown road, and i love it.
we will definitely make this a tradition.


 


reese was excited to find a tree that was just her size.
and of course, maddox measuring to see if that was really true or not.
lets just say he likes things to be accurate.



found our tree...
a great big 8 ft ish douglas fir.
i do love a noble, but the big bushy oregon trees are just as nice in my opinion.

i have also found that the douglas fir trees are more forgiving when small children are decorating.

aaron dragging the tree to the road.
and judging by that look, i think i was supposed to be helping.
but hey, i was holding a baby and a camera.
someone needs to document these moments.
besides, i don't decorate the back of the tree.
so no big deal if there are a few broken limbs, right?





i think this was the highlight of the trip for the kids.
riding in the back of dad's truck 20ft up the path to find our tree and take it home.
we learned our lesson last year after trying to lift and tie a 10ft tree to the top of the expedition.
this year, shorter tree....back of the truck.
MUCH easier.  worth the extra gas to take 2 cars for sure.

i'm pretty sure maddox said "ahhh, this is the life" as he sprawled out and made himself comfortable.
and then i'm pretty sure he told me he was just going to "bask" in the sun for a little bit : )




and here we have some nice teamwork on display.
the "before kids" me would have placed every ornament equally spaced and dispersed.
probably spend 3 days on just the tree. okay, maybe not that long,
but, the truth is, with kids, it would stay like that for like 5 minutes so why bother.
i just told the kids to go for it, and they did a great job.
and i did a great job just letting it be.
I just told myself, look away,     look away....  its fine : )




reese really liked the "girl" ornaments.
i found a whole stash of pink & purple ornaments in her room stuffed behind some toys where mom was NOT supposed to find them.
also included were the singing snowman and musical santa claus ornaments.
it was so funny, i should have taken a picture.

i think being the only girl, she is very possessive of her "girl" toys.
if it's pink, it's hers. and if it's purple, it's hers. and if it's blue. it's NOT hers.

She is also very possessive i mean protective of "her" baby too.
harrison loved having his bed by the tree so he could stare at the lights

(not sure he loved having a binky forced in his mouth by a 3 year old though)



see. you can't even tell that 1/2 the ornaments are just wedged in.
totally kid friendly!

2 month update

i can't believe this little guy is 2 months already.
here is a little update with some recent pictures and a list of his favorites



reese

he loves his big sister.
and she LOVES him.









bath time

a break from all the noise.
just him in his tubby in a heated bathroom.
all by himself, no loud kids or big barking dog.
what could be better?




smiles

this picture was taken at 6 weeks, i think it's his first smile on camera.



Christmas.

santa brought him some rattles and squeaky toys that he found in our attic : )
reese reminded me many, many times that harrison needed toys from santa too.



binky

a cruel trick we play on babies.
we make them learn to love it and then rip it away on his 2nd birthday ; )




fisher price rock & play sleeper

(i think i love this more than him, but this thing is awesome)
he sleeps *most* of the time in here.
one of the few baby items i purchased this time around, but worth every penny.
wish i had this for the other 3 kids.




halo swaddle sleep sack

another new baby item and again, wish i had one of these for the others.
this thing has some serious super power velcro.
fly away arms have no chance against the halo.



dr visits

actually, i don't think he likes these anymore.
he got his first round of vaccinations last week.
yes, he cried... a lot.
and no, reese did not cry for him.
i think she was a little happy that it was him and not her this time.

but she did try to cheer him up and told him he would get a sticker if he was good.

2 month weigh-in

12 lbs 5 oz

60% height, 60% weight & 60% head

no wonder he doesn't look like his brothers and sister.

he's proportioned! 

and MY favorite thing about this baby... 

he loves to be held

i am really going to miss this age, especially those chubby fingers.

i don't ever want to forget these moments.

a happy, sleepy baby that just wants to be cuddled.

first haircut

so i finally did it. i took reese to get her hair cut.

she was a little nervous, but once she got past the first cut, she was good. 

 

thank you molly! you did a great job!

   

we didn't cut too much off, just wanted to clean it up a bit.

it was looking a little scraggly and picture day was coming up, so i decided it was time.

i think i had a harder time that reese! 

and my favorite, in the elevator after we finished christmas card pictures at sears.
she looks so grown up!

meet harrison

i think this is about 3 hours before Harrison arrived. 11 days late, we were both ready!




8lbs 6oz - Harrison Lloyd Randall!












harrison arrived on 11.5.11 at 2:06pm.
after trying just about every trick in the book to get my labor started on its own, i ended up being scheduled to be induced. i checked in to the hospital at 7am. i really did not want any pitocin, so instead, i asked if they could just break my water and see what will happen. well, the dr. broke my water at 10am and 4 hours later, harrison arrived. I think a combination of being very late and no epidural made a very quick (and painful!) delivery! but he's perfect, and in the end, everything worked out the way i wanted.