November 2012

Again I wasn't very good at documenting things this month. Obviously I haven't gotten any better at documenting things either since I'm having to back an entire year to catch up. Maybe I will get better, maybe I won't.  But for now I'm happy with the attempts to catch up.

In terms of Gus, he CAN roll over.  But he won't.  He has done it several times but absolutely detests being on his tummy.  He started eating solids this month and LOVES food.  He has baby oatmeal with a tiny bit of apple sauce or baby apple juice and he just goes nuts for it.  He has gotten even more giggly and just seems to always have a big dimply smile ready for you.  He has also started getting rather fond of his Daddy.  When he hears his Daddy's voice his attention is immediately drawn to it and he starts looking around the room for him.  Grace is...well she's crazy with him, but for the most part he doesn't seem to mind too much.  She tries very hard to make him laugh and she usually succeeds, but his giggles also frequently turn into cries because she just gets too rough.  He can sit up with just a little bit of help and doesn't really enjoy being made to snuggle anymore. :( so sad!!!

Grace is doing really well in Pre-School and she also finds funny ways to try and get our attention.  She loves Fancy Nancy books and this video is one night at dinner.  She was just a hoot.  I have caught her walk by some men in our ward and tell them with a big smile that they look "quite dapper" and then run off giggling.  She loves her "fancy" words. :)

This was a video I got of Gus giggling.  Yes, I look nasty, and yes, the beginning is slow, but if you skip forward a bit he starts giggling and smiling so so cute!!!

 Love his little face so much! I am constantly having to refrain from just eating him.  I love his big beautiful eyes, his soft squishy cheeks and his perfect nose and smile.  When I'm nursing him, he'll just stare up at me with his eyes wide open like he is looking into my soul and I just want to melt! I love him so much. But, look at this face.  Who wouldn't love this??!

 One day during the month the weather was really nice and so we decided to pack some snacks and go for a walk to the park to play.  Half way to the park the clouds started to look ominous but we kept going.  About 5 minutes into playing it started to rain.  About 6 minutes into playing it started to pour.  One more minute and we basically felt like we were in a bath tub we were getting SOAKED.  We threw Grace in the stroller, tried to cover it, but failed, hid Gus under my sweater and bolted for home, laughing hysterically that our pants, shirts and hair were dripping and Grace was crying her little eyes out that this was "seriously no fun!".  Topher and I disagreed and thought it was rather a hoot.

Grace's Pre-school had a fun Thanksgiving Feast and she had a blast.  We made her a shirt with "indian" symbols on it.  We found leaves from outside and traced them, then put her and Gus' hand prints on it and basically just let Grace go to town on it.  I had been so proud of myself for letting her do what she wanted with it and not insisting it be done a certain way.  Then we got to the feast and it was SO OBVIOUS that all the other parents had basically done the shirts for their kids.  They were cut and tied and had pony beads and intricate patterns and designs...and Grace's was huge still because we hadn't cut or tied anything and looked like we had smeared paint covered sponges all over it. :( Luckily she didn't seem to notice too much.  

Mom and Sam were supposed to come for Thanksgiving and then they got rear ended in Provo the day before their trip was supposed to commence.  I had planned on having a full house and had a 20 lb. turkey so I started putting my name on every list they passed around at church to feed people...missionaries, single sailors, anyone that needed food.  Two days or so before Thanksgiving I was slated to have about 14 people to feed...and they all basically didn't pan out.  Somehow, we still managed to feed 1 sailor, a family from Topher's work and some neighbor friends and it was still fun.  However, I don't think I need to do it quite the same way next year.  :/ I didn't love having random children in my house that I had never met before along with their parents whom I had never met and who after about an hour it was very obvious our parenting styles were....opposites. :) But, I was glad we had mouths to feed and I actually had a BLAST making all the food.  I had Emily type up a plan for me of what food I would prepare what day in advanced of Thanksgiving.  So I had 3 different pies, green bean casserole, rolls, a turkey, mashed potatoes, home made cranberry sauce, stuffing, and mandarin orange jello salad.  It was SO SO yummy.  Needless to say, I was very pleased with myself.  And very grateful to a sister that got me organized and told me what to do and when. :)

After Thanksgiving I did a Reindeer Run at the very end of the month and that was a lot of fun for me. It was a run that went through the really pretty and historic parts of Downtown Charleston and everyone was dressed up really fun.  Everyone had their dogs dressed up as reindeers and there was fun Christmas music playing loud throughout the streets.  

Topher had brought the kids and taken them to a little park while I ran and then he had them meet up with me at the end.  Grace was so cute when she saw me and she ran up to finish the race with me.  

I just love this picture of Grace.  She looks so beautiful.  Those moments when she is really lost in playing and being so imaginative and you catch that natural, beautiful smile.  OH. I just love it. 

She had collected a bunch of sticks and then very lovingly given them to me while I was running.  Not perhaps the most helpful thing, but she is cute. :)

Anyway, that was November for us!