Christmas decorations.

Both big boys really enjoyed the Christmas season this year.  They enjoyed the tree in our house, the Christmas lights while driving, the Christmas music, the Christmas specials on TV, the special books we got out and most importantly talking about the Christmas story at home, church and preschool.  I wanted to capture their favorites this year and compare them to future years!

First - Isaiah's favorite Christmas "decoration" from our box of Christmas 'stuff'.  (gotta love Levi in the background putting on a fake smile - I must have said, "say cheese!") 

 Once again the favorite book out of the Christmas batch - I'm not sure what it is about this book but Isaiah has loved it for as long as we've had it.  Isaiah has definitely outgrown Elmo and Levi never really had any interest in him so I was shocked when this was again the favorite! This year Isaiah love, love, loved to say that last five lines as fast as he could (five golden things, four calling monsters, three french friends, two yummy cookies and a red monster up in a tree -- and no I didn't even have to look up the words! haha)

 We got this snow globe as a gift from a friend and Levi thinks it is the most amazing thing EVER. He L.O.V.E.S. to shut off all (and by that I mean any light in the house anywhere) the lights close all the curtains and make anyone who is at home sit and look at this snow globe in the dark (or sort of dark during the day).  This is the only Christmas decoration not put away as I cannot bear to see his reaction when it's missing from the speaker -- I think he's going to have to be the one to put it away! :)

I recorded TONS Christmas specials that were on TV throughout December - Prep & Landing, Frosty the Snowman, Flintstones Christmas, Elf on the Shelf, Pinocchio Christmas, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, A very Pink Christmas, Enchanted Christmas and many more.  A majority of them we started, but never finished as the kids didn't really like them, but a few they loved and watched several times.  We usually watched one Christmas show each night before bed with just the light of the Christmas tree!  The boys really liked Prep & Landing, and Levi loves the Grinch all the time, but their favorite was A very Pink Christmas with the Pink Panther. :)  It was a cute little show with no words and just music but it talked about how we can save up for ourselves or give to others - definitely a good message to talk about with them!

And last but not least, the favorite thing of Christmas by far in our house was listening and dancing to Go Fish Christmas with a Capital C CD.  And to be more specific the songs Capital C and Little Drummer boy.  I think we spent at least 100 hours in the 2 weeks leading upto Christmas listening to these songs - mainly Capital C over and over and over again.  The day Isaiah realized that Capital C was on the CD twice - once with a comedian and once without he about fell over with happiness and he had to tell everyone who came to our house.  We also spent lots of time drumming on things to the song Drummer Boy.  There's nothing like the Go Fish Guys!

We really had a great Christmas Season this year and were blessed with an amazing gift - our little Titus - along with the celebration of the birth of our Savior.  I can't wait for next year to do it all over again!!

happy birthday dad.

Happy Birthday to my dad on December 4!  Did you ever think you'd spend your birthday ...

- blowing out your candles while holding onto your 8 month old granddaughter?

- watching your 3 year old (and 5 year old) grandchildren master games on an Ipad (or any type of computer for that matter)?

-  wrestling with your 5 year old and 8 month old grandchildren?

We had a nice relaxing afternoon at my parents house the first Saturday in December celebrating my dad...what a great way to spend the day! :) 

kindergarten basketball

Isaiah was in the rec center's kindergarten basketball this fall.  Even though he technically isn't in kindergarten he met the age requirement so it worked for him!  (I'm not sure he was supposed to be in, so don't tell the rec center!!).   He LOVED each and every practice and was sad when it was over - it was every Saturday morning from October 29 -  December 10.  He did a really good job listening to his coaches and doing (or at least trying) what they asked of him. I could tell improvement in many of the skills he worked on each practice - especially dribbling.   The kids were each assigned a team and a team color, but they only played short games (like 20 minutes) at the end of the last couple practices.  Isaiah's team named themselves Blue Storm. Levi made it to each of his practices with Mark and I and was a good boy having to sit and watch all the kids having fun playing basketball while he sat and watched.  My sister and her daughters made it to one of his practices and both my parents made it to a couple too - it was nice for Isaiah to have family support!  I'm sure this is the first of many, many seasons of different sports for Isaiah since he seems to love just about every sport he's ever tried... he's already excited about soccer coming up again this spring!  

By the way - he was definitely one of the smaller kids there so it confirmed to me that it was a good choice to have him start kindergarten next year.  

2 weeks.

How can it be that 2 weeks have come and gone since Titus was born?  

At 2 weeks Titus:

* sleeps all the time!  but often only for a few moments if someone isn't holding him :)  I promised myself that the third time's a charm and baby wouldn't be in our bed with us -- but by day 3 - he was in bed with me - haha, who I was I kidding - I like my sleep too much!  He goes down in his own bed (which is set up right next to my side of the bed) after a good feeding around 11pm.  Around 2 every night he wakes up and then is up every 1 1/2 - 2 hours to eat and sometimes makes it back to his bed and other times stays right next to me :)

* eats all the time! He's latched right on from the first try and has been a great eater ever since!  He typically eats every 1 1/2-3 hours.

* is very, very mellow.  Our house is often very noisy with little boys playing, but the noise doesn't phase him a bit.  Levi got a drum set and Isaiah a keyboard for Christmas and he doesn't seem to mind being right next to the loud bangs and sounds that the boys make on them!  He doesn't seem to care who is holding him or what position (most of the time)  -- and he's been in some crazy spots with his big brothers holding him (especially Levi!).

* has had only sponge baths and has hated them, but his belly button cord fell off today so we are ready to give him a real bath!

* hates having his diaper changed and SCREAMS the entire way through, but really does want it changed as he gets a bit fussy when he's (really) wet/dirty.  He is much happier once it's clean!

* seems to like to swing.  We borrowed a swing from a friend (thanks Molly!) and he's swung in it several times and has even taken a few little snoozes in it.  He seems to enjoy it for short periods of time.

* is back up to his birth weight plus some!  He weighed 8lbs 4.7oz when he was born at 1 day old he was 7lbs 10oz and for some reason they didn't weigh him when we left the hospital.  At 11 days old he was 8lbs 3 oz so by 14 days I'm sure he is a bit over his birth weight!

We love, love, love the newest addition to our family and are so thankful that he's here and healthy!!

the announcement!

Another sweet big BIG brother

I just got through nursing Titus and am holding him on my lap while he snoozes with a full belly.  Levi is down for a nap (but probably not sleeping, I'm sure by now he has on a superhero costume and is playing with something).  And Isaiah was to be looking at books in my bed, but after about 45 minutes he knows he can come out -- so he came out and asked to hold the baby.  I gave him the baby and opened up the lap top, but before I got too far, I had to open up a word document and type out the sweet, sweet little song my Isaiah was singing to his 10 day old little brother...

Oh precious Titus
Oh precious Titus

Oh precious Titus I will love you every day

And your toots are so little

And you are oh so little

Oh I love you precious Titus

I love you precious Titus

I’ll love you every day

I’ll love you precious Titus

I’ll love you every day.

[long pause]

Little precious Titus, I’ll love you every day

I love you right now while I’m singing this song.

[ohhh look at this little yawns!]

I love you precious Titus

[oh look, he’s messing with me – oh he has a diaper mess….and he punched me in the face]

I love you precious tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitus

I love you very much

But some people are really bigger like mommy, mommy, or daddy, daddy, dad-dee dad-ee

They are always bigger than us, us us, usssssss

They are always going to be older than us, us, us

[oh look it, he has his eyes open, he’s blinkin’, he’s trying to look at this eyes]

Your eyes are right here, right where your lookin’

That’s what your looking for is your eyes

You’re looking for your eyes and with your eyes to find your eyes

Your’re looking with your eyes to find your eyes

And I can see my eyes right now

Ba dump a dump a dump a dum

(the above part he started singing in the tune of if you’re happy and you know it)

[a long pause and he was talking to me]

Aww  little Titus

I love you like this

I love you like this

I love you Titus

I love you Titus

I love you Titus

[he is the sweetest little thing, oh he is the sweetest little thing.  look at him.  come on you can do it (telling Titus he can sit up).  I bet you'll like it, there you go - you are facing at me.  awww mama look it, he is yawning.  you are so sweet....you are the most precious one in our whole family.]

sweet big brother

I was holding new baby Titus while sitting next to Levi on the couch.  Levi looks up at me with the most innocent eyes and says, "mommy, can we keep him?"

I say, "of course we get to keep him, he's ours!"

"the doctor said we could bring him home and have him?"  he asks.

"yea!"

Levi got the biggest grin on his little face.

What a sweet big brother!