Who's Who?

Katie, Andrew and Lucas all wore this outfit within the first few weeks of life.  

Can you tell who is who?

Lucas Months: Two Months Old

Lucas turned Two Months Old on January 10th.  He had his well baby doctors appointment the day before and he weighed 13 lbs.  He was 7 lbs. 6 oz at birth and they like them to double their weight by Four Months. He is already there!  This put him at the 75th percentile for weight.  He was 23 3/4 in tall which put him at the 50th percentile for height. He is our rolly polly baby.  Something we never had before.  Katie wasn't 13 lbs until she was Four Months old.  Lucas has already moved into a #2 diaper and is wearing 3-6 month clothes!

Here are some highlights from the past month:

• Started smiling a few days after Christmas (6 weeks) and since then smiles at anyone who talks to him. He especially likes when Katie sings to him.
• He hates having a poopie diaper.  He cries until you lay him on the changing pad. He knows you are going to fix the situation.
• You can hold your head up when being held over someones shoulder and turn it side to side to see and  hear things.  His head is a little floppy still but getting stronger every day.
• Very good at tracking people coming into the room or talking
• Hates wearing hats and socks.  I have to remember to take hats off in the car of he moves his head back and forth so much to try to get it off and it is always goes over his eyes.  He panics likes his drowning! does not like it!!!
• Cooing a lot.  You can talk to him and he "talks" back. Sounds like: ooo, hi, ah
• Trying to bat at toys.  Stares at them like he is trying to jedi mind change them.  He cant reach them nor does he have control of his arms and hands!
• Sleeping schedules is a little random but most nights he has a long stretch (about 4-5 hours) and goes down between 9-10pm.  After that, the stretches are 3 hours if I am lucky.  Usually after the long stretch, it can be 1-2 hour stretches - they kill me!
• He feeds every 3 hours.  You can set a watch to him!
• We are learning his cries.  1) Poopey 2) Tired 3) Overstimulated by brother and sister
• He is great baby. 

Luc

Mt Snow, Vermont

Mt.Snow, West Dover Vermont

The kids tried skiing for the first time last weekend.  It was a success!

We wanted to put them in a lesson but because it was MLK weekend it was only full day ski school - 8:45-4:30pm.  There was no way either of them would last.  It was  -6 degrees Fahrenheit and with the windchill I don't even know the temperature!  It was COLD COLD COLD.  Andrew hates the cold - hates cold swimming pools/oceans and lasts about 30 minutes sledding.   Katie is a little tougher when it comes to the cold, but not by much.   So Ned put on skis on and got a lift ticket. I decided just to help out where I could and did not get skis.  I have not skied in about 8 years or more. We did the tiniest hill (if you can even call it that) and then once they could do that by themselves we went to the next tiniest.  Both had a "magic carpet" lift - think conveyor belt. Ned skied next to them. I ran next to them. It was a lot of fun!

Andrew was a little whiny.  Mostly due to the face that he wanted to go on the big hill but partly because of the cold  We skied for about an hour and half (much longer that we thought they would last) and then went to the lodge for lunch and, of course, hot cocoa!  Ned got in one run by himself, but didn't really want to do more due to the wind and COLD!

This was Katie's first run by herself. And, if you know Katie, she likes to do things right.  A little bit of perfectionist in her... Anyway, she was NOT happy that "this girl did not know what she was doing and crashed into her."  (direct quote from the expert skier, of course)  She did not get hurt. There were tears, but more due to her pride.  She recovered quickly and her next run was every better.  

It is funny though...

This was typical Andrew.  Liked it but whined.

 The conveyor belt 

Big Sister

Christmas 2011

Christmas 2011

 Andrew, Lucas and Katie

 In their Christmas Best after church

 Family picture

 Santa made it to New Hampshire

 The stockings were hung by the Entertainment Center with care...

 Wow says Andrew

 A tennis racket!

 Andrew opening a gift for Lucas since he is too small to open gifts

 Andrew had to try his tennis racket out

 Mommy and her boys

 Lucas got a tee shirt that says "I enjoy boobies" 

Katie and Andrew thought it was SO funny

 Being silly in their matching PJs

 Lucas had matching PJs too

 Lucas met Uncle Dino for the first time. He's a natural.  

Getting practice for his bundle of joy due in May!

 Grammy, Grumps and Andrew

 Lucas met Aunt Jeanne too for the first time.  

 Breaking the gingerbread houses on Christmas. 

We have to save them for Santa to see and then after that we smash 'em!

Gingerbread House #2

Pre-Christmas Prep

Getting ready for Christmas, I think, is half the fun. 

Grammy and Katie at Old Sturbridge Village in Maasachusettes.  Ned met his Mom and Dad there and brought his mom back so she could come a few days early for Katie's birthday celebration.  It is about half way between our house and theirs.  Sturbridge has a nice Christmas brunch and Santa was there.

Katie sat on Santa's lap. Andrew did not.

 Katie, Grammy and Andrew

 Grammy and Grumps' holiday picture for their Christmas card

Decorating the tree

A rare picture with me and the kids

Auntie Meg and Audrey visited.  Making cookies!

Tasting the batter. The best part!

Flour child

Silly flour child

Oh Christmas Tree

Last year we have a wonderful experience cutting down our tree. There was a little tree farm a few blocks from our house in Maastricht. It was snowing, we selected our tree, a man cut it down with a chainsaw and off we went.  Bliss...

This year a friend told us about a tree farm about 20 minutes north of here.  There was a tractor ride and all! I imagined the experience we had last year and was very excited.  We left Lucas with my in-laws and off we went...

Well, this year it was about 20 degrees and the kids did NOT enjoy their experience.  

Tractor ride, All smiles

Isnt the scenery beautiful?  

And this is how it ended...

The kids were screaming and crying. I left Ned in search of the tractor to take us back to the car.   Told him to just pick a #$%% tree and we would meet him back at the car.

Looks like next year we may be back to picking out our tree in the parking lot....

'Tis the Season

For the last few years we have tried to teach our children that Christmas is the season for giving.  Katie used to go to the Dollar Store and purchase gifts for her loved ones. This year she and Andrew graduated to Target in which Ned and I "guided" their buying. I got slippers, a CD and a book from the kids.  Ned got a tee shirt and flashlight key chain. I asked Lucas, too young to shop, for 4 hours of consecutive sleep. After a couple weeks of very bad sleeping, I realized this was not going to happen. So, instead, I asked him for a smile.  I really gummy smile. Not one of those silly little grins while he is sleeping.

Well, I got BOTH.  Lucas had his first smile Tuesday December 27 and has since been full of smiles and last night he slept a little over four hours in a row.  

A couple days late, but who's counting. Thanks for my Christmas gifts Lucas!

PS - still trying to capture a smile on camera but things are a little busy with Katie and Andrew home for school vacation.

Katie turned SIX on December 9th

Happy birthday to our inquisitive, slightly bossy, beautiful girl! 

 Birthday morning opening a lego gift from Andrew.  

At school she had cupcakes and singing followed by a trip to Chuck E Cheese with Grammy.

 Breakfast in bed with scones from Starbucks (a fav of hers) and then a croissant shaped in a number six.

Off to a good start for her birthday morning...

 Presents!  Can't open them until dinner time!  Killing her.

 

 Per request - birthday dinner.  Lobster!  Good thing we live close to Maine.

 Birthday cake #2 - Friday December 9th with Daddy, Mommy. Andrew, Lucas and Grammy

 Birthday cake #3 - from scratch chocolate cake in the shape of a ladybug. Made 100% by  Daddy!  

 WOW! And delicious!

Friends party. A wonderful mix of great kids. 

Friends from birth, friends from the neighborhood and friends from school!  18 children in all.