Keeping Tabs: January 2012

As Christmas crept upon us, we made the best of our situation (living in Italy, 2 friends, and no family). We made our feast like usual (ham, vegetables, rolls, fudge, and strawberry cheese cake..YUM!) and invited our friends over. That morning we opened our gifts and Gracie was overly excited. Gavin just kinda hung out, nursed and looked around..so much for a first Christmas, huh? Next year will consider it his actual "first" Christmas. We'll just say he was the gift this year, and what a wonderful gift he was! :) Our friends showed up and we ate, then sat around and talked, watched a movie, & us girls beat the boys in a game of Monopoly! Overall it was very enjoyable. But after the day concluded we got to talking..were in Italy..who gets to live in Italy, much less be here on Christmas?! So weve come up with a tradition for the next 3 Christmas'. Instead of spending hundreds on gifts, why not save that money and travel while we can? We'll probably do one gift each and a stocking but thats it.

A few days before Christmas, my uncle (who is 28yrs retired military and still contracts for them) and his wife came to Italy to travel. While they were they got to be the first family members to personally meet Gavin! It was funny, because they were the last to meet Gracie. I cooked supper and they spent the afternoon with us. We talked and they drooled over Gavin! It was so nice to have that family help, and boy do I miss it!

For Gavin, we are still successfully breastfeeding, cloth diapering, and baby wearing (Chance done it for the first time yesterday!!). For the past few nights he hasnt slept good after his 4/5am feed, but overall he lets us get plenty of sleep! & Gracie, oh my, she melts my heart! She has turned into the most loving big sister like I knew she'd eventually be! I can but cant wait for them to play together, run together, and fight together! This is such a dream that Ive waited a long time for!! Im so thankful we were blessed again.

Who doesn't love a fussy picture?

At his one month check-up..do you see mother hen watching over her bubba? :)

Milk-coma

And guess who turned 2 1/2 years last Tuesday?! Our little, big girl! & guess who turned ONE month Friday?! Yep, that sweet bundle of joy I just blogged about. Time is surely flying. "Time needs a ticket for speeding!"

Gracie's stats are:

-31 1/2 pounds

-36 inches

Gracie newest things are:

-Talking! Her speech has gotten so much better. But is it awful that I want her to still have that baby lisp? Her saying "thats purdy good" or "sowy momma, I not mean too" or "my name's Gray-gray" is so cute, and I will miss it.
-Counting! Thanks to Elmo, were up to 15! 2 1/2 years old and counting to 15? She is so very smart!
-She has becomed very attached to Elmo & Mickey Mouse.
-She loves to help me wash dishes now, and might I say..shes quite the "rinser".

-She loves to bark at dogs! Yes, I said bark..even though it sounds more like a howling. Our neighbors dogs bark all the time, and now shes gotten to where she barks back! Its so cute!

-Shes become quite motherly to her baby dolls. She puts them in the swing, car seat, and stroller. One day I even caught her look down her shirt as I was nursing Gavin. I knew what she was thinking about but she mustve changed her mind when she seen nothing there!
-She loves to play the Kinect with me. I have the new Dance Central 2 and then just the regular Adventures game that comes with the Kinect, and she gets down with me!

-Singing! Ah, to hear her little, sweet voice sing melts my heart and puts the biggest smile on my face!

As for Gavin, his stats are:

-9 pounds

-21 inches

Gavin's newest things are:

-SMILING (his first smile was at 1 month 3 days) :)

and then your regular everyday, new baby stuff..eat, sleep, poop, and maybe stay awake and "play" a little.

Now for the 2 1/2 year and 1 month pictures! Remember, Im no photographer but I try! :)