Dave, Brody and I set out this weekend to pick out, and cut down our family Christmas tree. The weather was wonderful this year and we spent a long time walking through the farm trying to find the perfect tree. Brody didn't mind looking longer, he thoroughly enjoyed being pulled around in the wagon we would use to cart the tree back to the prep station.
After finding the perfect tree Dave cut it down and placed it in the wagon. Brody is wanting more and more to be just like his Daddy and insisted he help him pull the wagon with the tree back to the front. It took us a lot longer to get back but it was so cute to watch him help his Daddy. We then got our picture with our tree and headed home to decorate it.
When we got home we fed Brody lunch and sent him up for a nap while I decorated the tree with lights. Dave and I reminisced as we put the ornaments on. We left a few non fragile ornaments for Brody to place in the tree, which may have been a mistake since we later tried to tell him he wasn't allowed to touch the tree.
After the tree was all decorated we all made Chocolate Chip cookies, and watched Christmas cartoons. It was such a fun day and loved that we all spent it together making our own Christmas traditions and memories.
Yesterday we celebrated Thanksgiving with my Parents and extended family. We all gathered at my Parents house for a late lunch. We ate so much delicious food. I was in charge of making Mac N cheese and the new recipe I used was phenomenal.
It was great to watch Brody and Sydney play together. They are a little less than a year apart and played pretty well together.
After we ate and cleaned up the kitchen we had cake and ice cream to celebrate Brody turning two. His birthday wasn't actually on Thanksgiving, it was the day after, but he didn't know. Heck he even got to celebrate his Birthday the day before with Sara and her parents (his third set of grandparents).
This year was so different than last years celebration. Brody loved all the attention and was so happy when we sang to him. He just kept looking around from the chair he was standing on with the cutest little smile. It made my heart so happy to see the pure happiness in his face. Dave and I had to help him blow out his candles, which unfortunately we're trick candles. My one mistake of the day was forgetting to bring candles, and the only ones my mom had were trick candles. He was so cute in trying to blow them out, because all he really did was blow his nose over the cake. His cake this year was made by my friend Cheryl and it was so cute. It was one big Mickey face which he adored.
Once we all ate cake and ice cream we watched and helped Brody open his gifts. He enjoyed ripping off the paper and did so much more efficiently than he did with Sara the day before. (Apparently the day before he ripped the paper off in 3 million small pieces and when Sara attempted to help him by ripping off a huge piece he yelled at her "No, No, No" as he put the piece back on the gift.). He got some really great gifts including a TP, a Mickey Mouse bowling set, drums, a push toy, an easel, a few books, a letters toy, a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse playset, and a Mickey Doll that talks when you hug him. He is definitely one loved (spoiled) little boy.
I just can't even believe he is 2! When I get him dressed now he doesn't even have a little baby body. He has little boy legs with scraped and bruises. He understands so much and learns so many new words and phrases each day. He is opinionated and you can not convince him to do anything he doesn't want to do. He is learning generosity, kindness, and giving even though it's often hard for him. He will not let me snuggle him on the couch or anywhere else for that matter. I miss those days so dearly. Dave and I love him so much and look forward to the next year with him although I wish he wouldn't grow up so fast. I miss my baby Brody!!
I have always loved Halloween and was so excited to take Brody trick or treating this year. The night was almost ruined due to illness, and bad weather but luckily everything turned out just fine.
We invited Andrea, Brett, Cole and Graham as well as the Tewes family and Sara over for a potluck trick or treating extravaganza.
Cole did great and understood the purpose of the whole evening right away. He loved going up to each house and getting more candy. Brody on the other hand threw a fit about wearing his costume which luckily (for me) he eventually got over. Going from house to house was lost on him at first and after getting his first sucker he got a little side tracked but he eventually figured it out. All three of the boys looked so cute in their costumes, and the Tewes family definitely trumped us all by having a family themed sports costume.
The night was everything I imagined it to be and I was so happy to finally have a kid of my own to trick or treat with.
Just this week for whatever reason Brody has started adding an "a" at the end of most words. He says Mickey-a, Mommy-a, uhhohh-a, No-a, and a fe others. It's very strange and the only thing we can think of is he is doing it because if the way you say Sar-a. Either way it's funny and cute and I'm sure it won't last long.
On a not so cute note Brody has also become very obsessive about some things. He insist on lights being turned off, all doors being closed, and everything being put back. It sounds great right, but try using the restroom in the dark because he insist you turn out the light. Or laying on the couch and he will gather all your personal items and hurl them at your head because they are yours and you must want them all by your side at all times. The doors all being shut has caused Dave and I to have to change all the heat vents in the house because we were finding that with the doors closed some rooms were getting to 83 degrees while others were freezing. We have been trying to not give into his need to close and turn off everything but it's hard when he looses his mind and cries for what seams like forever over something as simple as the light switch. Hopefully this will not turn into OCD and it is just his way of expressing some independence and decision making at almost 2.
This weekend we moved Brody to a new room in our house and a new Big Boy Bed!! I was nervous and apprehensive about the big move and all the change he would have to endure but overall the process went pretty smooth.
I always tell new parents that they are going to receive so much advice from so many different people and what they really should do is to listen everyone's advice but ultimately do what they think is best for their child in their own way. After this room change experience I realized I was dishing out that tid bit of advice but not following it myself. I asked so many people for advice on how to make this change with him and read so many blogs and when I tried to follow what others said it was horrific and traumatizing for Brody and I. After 28 min of doing it their way I decided to abort that plan and help him make this change the way I thought was best for him. Once I came to my senses all went pretty smooth. Unfortunately those first 28 min of tough love, will stick with me and I'll feel guilty about it forever, even though I am fairly certain Brody doesn't remember it at all. It does however break my heart that for the first time in his life I feel I really did wrong by him and wasn't there for him the way he needed me to be.
On a happier note though It only took two nights of me encouraging him to sleep in his new bed for him to grow to love his new room and new bed. He and I both enjoy our new nighttime routine of snuggling under the covers and reading one or two books. Once our books are read I turn out his light, tuck him in and we begin to whisper " I love you's," and "night night" as we hug and kiss a few times. I then exit his room and he gets comfortable with his benti (blanket) and his water. He sleeps through the night in his room and wakes around 7. I couldn't ask for anything more out of a almost two year old.
We have layed down some rules about him sleeping in his room that seam to be working well. The most important rule is he is not allowed out of his room till 7. I decided that it was completely reasonable for us to set the wake up time and not to let him dictate when we all got up.
We are so proud of our big boy and in celebration of him making this change we went out for ice cream. I just can't believe he is almost two and sleeping in a full size bed and is not in the nursery anymore.
Today we had our anatomy ultrasound for Baby #2. We were both very excited to see our new family member today but also very anxious to get the news that the baby was healthy.
Just like our ultrasound we had with Brody we decided to keep the babies sex a surprise. I will admit this time I did have a harder time not peaking when she was checking the sex this time. I still didn't look and despite most people's disappointment neither of us know. Dave really believes it's a boy for whatever reason and the ultrasound tech made reference to "him" once during the scan. I also kept calling the baby a him, so she may have just been feeding off me. We also got a good picture of the babies bicep which Dave said proves it is a boy based on the size of his muscle.
This baby also proved to be very stubborn and we were unable to get a profile view which is apparently needed to prove the baby has a nasal home and rule out Down's syndrome. So my next appointment is December 1st and they will look again. I hope that stubbornness doesn't foreshadow what is ahead for us when this baby is born.
I was 21 weeks at this appointment and overall feeling pretty well. I still don't have much of a baby bump and am still wearing my regular clothes with some discomfort while sitting on the floor with Brody but that's it. I have gained 3lbs and the baby weighed it at 13 oz. this was right on target and not like Brody where they upped his due date by two weeks. My doctor seamed pleased with how things were progressing, and told us the baby looked great!
