R.I.P. my dear Aunt Kath

Early Christmas Eve morning, my dad received a phone call that his oldest sister, my aunt Kath and Godmother, had passed away unexpectedly due to septic shock from a bacterial infection. She was an amazing woman who loved everyone and who we loved dearly. She will be greatly missed, but I find comfort in knowing she's an angel in heaven watching over all of us.

Merry Christmas!

Santa surprised us this year with a train set and art easel for William, and books and clothing for Matthew. William was over the moon excited to play with all of his new toys. We enjoyed delicious home-made cinnamon rolls, which are sure to become a Christmas morning tradition! Then, it was off to Nana's for Christmas dinner which was so so good!

Christmas Eve!

Christmas Eve was spent at Boomie & Papa's house. There was lots of good food and presents. It's so great to be able to celebrate with family!

Uncle Ry-Ry

William was so excited for Uncle Ry-Ry to come visit! He had so much fun playing with him and can't wait to spend more time with him!

Daddy & His Boys!

Thumbs Up!

Love William's version of 2 thumbs up!

Brothers!

William loves his MeeMoo and has started asking that Matthew be in his crib with him after he wakes up, or next to him when he's watching TV. This just melts my heart and hope they continue to be best buddies!

3 Months Old!

Yes, as unbelievable as it is, our not-so-little Matthew is 3 months old! We couldn't ask for a sweeter, more easy going baby. His only fussy times are when he has gas issues (mainly in the evening around 7), when he's hungry, about to poop, or is tired.

He loves sucking on his thumb, fingers, or hand and we're hoping this isn't a sign of teething. Matthew is also very talkative and recognizes Mommy, Daddy, and big brother William's voices. He has a smile that lights up the room and has started laughing...we love it!

We are already in size 3 diapers and almost out of 3-6 month clothes! We don't have a set nap schedule yet, but will be working on that soon. We know he will nap in the morning, around 9, and then again around noon, and take a cat nap around 7. And most nights, we are now sleeping through the night, from 8:30-6:30, or getting up only once at about 3:30.

Visit with Santa!

With Nana's help, the boys went to visit Santa at Nordstroms. You never know what to expect at this age, but William absolutely loved Santa, shouting "hi" and waving. He sat very still on Santa's lap, took direction from the photographer who told him to hold his hands, and was very talkative to Santa when the photos were done. William asked for a "choo choo," told him Merry Christmas, thank you, and see you next year. Matthew just sat there the whole time, like a little angel. This was one proud Mama, that is for sure!

Mr. Cool!

Lately, Matthew has started swinging with one hand behind his head, obviously trying to be Mr. Cool.

Building a Gingerbread House!

We purchased our Gingerbread House kit at Costco and were excited to decorate it with William. Our house was preassembled, which was nice, and showed exactly where the icing for the windows, door, and roof should be placed. All that needed to be done was placing the candy, which Jon and I determined we are not very creative. We pretty much followed the photo on the box. And the whole time Jon and I were piping our icing and placing our gumdrops and other candy, William was content sticking his finger in a pool of icing we had made for him and licking the icing off his finger. After each lick, he would proclaim "MMMmmm" and then ask for "More pease."

Christmas Tree Decorating!

William was so excited to see our Christmas tree be brought in and set up. As soon as the tree was placed in its base, William ran over to Matthew and excitedly proclaimed "MeeMoo, MeeMoo, big tree, big tree MeeMoo, look!"

Deciding that our tree needed multi-color lights, I braved Home Depot with the two boys. William enjoyed the trip, saying "hi" to everyone, was sure to tell one man that there were "big trucks" in the parking lot, helped carry the boxes and pay for them. Once home, he then helped string the lights on the tree and has demanded the lights (or hot as he calls them) be on at all times.

Decorating the tree was also very exciting and he couldn't get enough of all the different ornaments. And thankfully, he knows that once the ornaments are on the tree, that is where they are to stay.

William's 2 Year Photo Shoot!

Apple Cup 2011!

Our house was representing the Crimson & Gray!

Happy Thanksgiving!

This year, we celebrated Thanksgiving at our house with Nana, Grandpa, Auntie Ellen, Kaare, Uncle Pat, and Uncle Keith. Earlier in the day we skyped with Boomie, Papa, and Uncle Ryan. William loved it! The food was delicious, bird perfectly cooked, and really, it couldn't have gone any smoother.

TWO MONTHS

Weight: 14 lbs (95%+)

Length: 23.75 inches (75%-90%)

Matthew is 2 months old and showing no signs of slowing down. In fact, Dr. Shifrin informed us that Matthew was very "advanced" for his age and would be hitting his developmental milestones early.

He is all smiles these days and holds cooing conversations with anyone who will coo back. Our sleep is getting better and we really don't have any complaints. We go to bed around 8:30, get up around 3, and again at 6:30. Of course, sleeping through the night would be nice, and we know that will come soon enough.

Matthew, we are blessed to have you as a part of our family. You're our MeeMoo and we love you!

BROTHERS

I have tried and tried to get a good photo of William and Matthew. Most times, William is too busy goofing around trying to get Matthew to smile at him, which he's very good at. Brothers have an amazing bond that just seems to happen naturally. Here are some moments I was able to catch on camera.

Mr. Smiles

These days, Matthew is full of smiles that make you want to melt.

Daddy's Shoes...

Are big shoes to fill. But, William does a good job trying.

The Michelin Man!

Our little chunka monka is growing like none other! Just look at those rolls!

Our Big 2 Year Old!

On Halloween, our baby turned 2! It's hard to believe, as it still feels like yesterday we naively went to the hospital 5 1/2 weeks before William's due date only to be told, he's coming! We have enjoyed every minute of these last 2 years, even the nights of little sleep. It is truly a gift to be able to see the world through William's eyes.

On car trips, we are constantly on the lookout for any big trucks, buses, fire trucks, police cars, worker men, you name it. This boy absolutely loves all things trucks! He also loves reading and is starting to string together short sentences. He's a big help around the house when it comes to cleaning. William's house cleaning jobs include sweeping and dusting. We're still working on the whole picking up toys and books. He helps get together his meals, pushes his highchair to the table and gets his bib out. William also helps with Matthew, making sure Matthew's blanket is on and throwing away any dirty diapers. When it's time for us to go, William helps get everyone's shoes.

For nap time, we usually get about 2-3 hours of sleep out of William. And, we've reached a point where William can put himself down for his naps himself! There are still some days when he needs to be rocked to sleep, but what a relief it is that this is now a rarity.

We have encountered some fit throwing, but know this is only a stage and hugely due to frustration in not being able to communicate what he wants. We just hope the phase passes quickly!

We are so excited though for this year and watching the excitement in William with each new thing he learns! We love you!!!

Matthew's 1 Month Check-Up

Weight: 11 lbs 15 oz (95%)

Height: 22.5" (50%-75%)

2 Year Check-Up

Weight: 30 lbs (75%-90%)

Height: 35.5" (75%-90%)

Calling All Worker Men!

William's "Worker Man" Birthday was a success! He had so much fun dressing up as a "worker man," seeing all his favorite people, playing with his cousins, and of course, eating his cupcake! This kid, who is a very clean eater and gets upset if there is even a drop of water on his tray, went to town on his cupcake!