Ayden is a good big brother

Tonight Ayden came and sat next to me while I was holding Dillon. He wanted to hold the baby. I sat Ayden with his legs spread out in front of him and put Dillon between them. Ayden sat drinking his chocolate milk with one hand while patting Dillon with the other.
If Brooklyn or I tried to take Dillon Ayden would say, "No, mine baby".
Then Dillon started to fuss and Ayden said, "S'okay. Sssh", while he patted Dillon's shoulder and kissed his head. It was so sweet. I tried to get some of it on video but Ayden refuses to perform. Oh well. We got a cute shot.

Here is just a random shot of Dillon all bundled up. We are getting good naps out of him when he's wrapped up in his carseat. I guess he likes how snug it feels. I don't know, but he looks awfully cute.

Christmas Part II - Christmas Day

I'm mostly just going to post pictures because they tell the story well. Santa visited and brought the kids all they asked for. After we raided the stockings we got ready to go to Bobby's parents. It was a gorgeous day, a nice drive and a great lunch. Everyone had a wonderful time.

Ayden eating some chocolate out of his stocking.
Bobby, half asleep, watching the kids go crazy with the stockings.
Grandma and Poppy gave Dillon a Santa suit for the occasion. Isn't he sweet?
Brooklyn with easy bake oven treats and Seth's new Star Wars book.
Brooklyn got a bike. She's growing so fast. I'm nervous about the independence that it means.
Caleb likes to play Battleship so he got an electronic one from Santa.
Seth has been asking for a guitar for so long! Watch out world, he's coming!
Ayden loves his new kitchen!

Brooklyn and Seth dig in to Grandma's treats with their two cousins.Caleb tries out the divinity.
The tree was gorgeous!

Poppy and Ayden are best buds. Ayden loves to play with him.
Brooklyn loves having another girl to play with.Bobby sitting back with Ayden...
Grandma taking a chance to cuddle with Dillon. He slept most of the time we were there. Why won't he do that at home? LOL

Christmas Part I - Twas the Night Before Christmas...

When all through the house
Every creature was stirring
Especially my spouse.

The children were dressed
in Christmas pajamas
that were sent to them
from their Papas and Grammas.

When out in the yard
There arose such a clatter
We sprang to the porch to see
What was the matter.

When what to our knowing eyes
should appear?
But the neighborhood teens
With fireworks, oh dear.

We hurried inside amidst
presents galore!
We stared with wide eyes,
What a site to adore.

We ripped through paper and
ribbons so quickly
We said thank you and moved on
To the next gift quite quickly.

Then on to dinner, what luck,
it was ready to eat.
We spoke and we pondered of
what made Christmas so neat.

Presents are wonderful,
Yes this is true.
But the real meaning of Christmas
Seems known by so few.

We spoke of celebrating Christ
And his birth
A miracle that helps us realize
What we are worth.

So this Christmas a wish
As Santa takes flight,
Merry Christmas to all
And to all a good night.

Now some pictures...

One Month!

Dillon was exactly one month old yesterday. Of course he didn't go to the doctor so I don't have his precise weight and height and all but when I took him at 3 weeks he was over nine pounds and about 22 inches long. Big boy! He seems to be putting on some fat but mostly he is getting longer! He will stay awake and alert for about two hours at a time now and seems to take two very long naps. We are trying to get a routine down. We have some bad days here and there. He, like Ayden, loves to be held. I need to look into a swing for him because he loves the rocking motion. He will give us a huge grin when we talk to him now and he gurgled a bit today as he smiled. I love this stage as difficult as it can seem sometimes. I am stealing an idea off of two other blogs and taking a picture of Dillon each month in the same spot with the same item to show a comparison. We've chosen, well Bobby's chosen, a Titans cap. I think this first one turned out cute, then he 'waved' to everyone.
On a different note Caleb has been such a big help. Brooklyn is my usual helper but she has been so busy lately and Caleb has totally pitched in. He does not even wait for me to ask him to help. He has been asking, "What can I do to help out?" He's held Dillon, fed Dillon, played with Ayden, taken Ayden outside, fixed soup for himself and Seth and numerous other 'chores'. Wow, what a responsible kid!
Oh I just thought this was so cute. We put Dillon in his bouncy seat while we ate dinner. What a great location for him, he couldn't stop staring at the tree. Bobby ran to get the camera. He is so cute.

One pimpin' baby and thanks Grammy

This outfit was worn by Bobby and his brother, Eric. When Ayden was born Bobby's mother brought it for him to wear. There is a picture somewhere of Ayden in it. Now it's Dillon's turn. He had a good day today and I don't know if it was because Bobby was here to help me, if it was the cool polyester outfit with a butterfly collar or if it was due to giving him bottle for his morning and afternoon feeding.

Brooklyn called Grammy tonight and found out that we should be expecting a package. We checked by the front door and sure enough there it was. She sent the kids the cutest thing to count down the 12 days of Christmas! I don't know if she came up with it on her own or if she found it in a magazine but it's adorable. There is a hug and a kiss for each day and a big kiss for Christmas day! They love them.
Just a close up so you can see how it looks. So cute, thanks Grammy!

I spoke too soon...

I knew this would happen. I posted that Dillon was a mellow baby. Big mistake. Oh well. He is not what I would call colicky - not at all. He is just a bit fussy and rather gassy it seems. Not only that but I think he's going to have to take a bottle as my body just doesn't seem to be producing enough milk for him. I'm rather sad about that but I don't want Dillon to always be so hungry and he was. It's probably due to the fact that between feeding the two baby boys all day, I rarely take the time to eat. Or, at least, I don't eat much. Dillon likes to be held quite a bit, so when he naps I'm trying to give Ayden my full attention. It's been rather draining. Not to mention that Dillon wakes up to eat about an hour and a half before Ayden wakes up so I don't get to go back to sleep after that feeding and I'm wiped out. How did I ever do this before with a toddler and a newborn? LOL I guess I was just younger. Oh well. Dillon is such a blessing and a joy in our home. We are so happy he is here no matter how much he wants to be held. Who can blame him? He likes a good cuddle and honestly, no one minds giving him what he wants.

Pictures of all the kids

As I shooed all the kids out the door to play I realized that I've been neglectful in getting pictures of them. I guess we get caught up in taking pictures of Dillon and we don't always get pictures of the older kids, unless they're with Dillon. LOL So, what better time to get some shots then when they are out having fun. Today was perfect for playing outside because it actually isn't cold today. Finally! It's been in the lower 40's for two weeks now. By the time the kids finish their homework it is close to sunset and getting too nippy. I have to bribe them to take Ayden out with them but really, with three of them it isn't too bad if they take turns watching him. They don't agree. Especially Brooklyn because she is usually the one that gets stuck with him. I did include some pics of Dillon too but I can't help it! He's so cute and this age just doesn't last.

Seth - guaranteed to poop out first. He is the first one out when I say they can play and the first one to run back inside saying he's tired or cold or bored.
Caleb showing off on his skateboard. They like the driveway better because those stones are bumpy, but they have to keep Ayden off the driveway.

Ah Brooklyn. You may ask, does she ever not pose? The answer is no. No, she is always, always in pose mode. Always.
I just had to include this one because it's such a classic 'Ayden face'. He's always like this! Believe it or not, he wasn't even grumpy when I took this. He was pushing the bike and I told him to get on it. I guess that's why I got this look. This is the bike he bought with the birthday money from Grandma and Papa in Houston.

Do you think that is Ayden's coat? LOL He grabs whichever jacket he sees first. Silly kid.



Ah Dillon... what a cutie huh? He really is smiling here. It's not gas. We were talking to him and tickling his chin. He is very ticklish. Poor chapped cheeks and chin though. That's cleared up. That is from Thanksgiving whereas the one just above is from last week so it's more recent. He already seems so big. He's going to his 2 week check up a week late, Thursday, because I forgot to call for an appointment. Bad mom, I know. Here he is in his usual state... sleeping.

Caleb turns 9!

Caleb,
You were born early, early in the morning on Dec. 2, 1999. When Bina saw you she said, "he looks all boy", and you sure are! Your first baby sitter nicknamed you Mr. Personality because you had a huge smile that just lit up your face and changed it completely. You had a rough start and got very sick when you were just three weeks old. It really scared everyone, but you got better quickly and have been so healthy ever since. You were a friendly toddler that went up to everyone with your arms up to be held. You loved to play with your sister and watch Blue's Clues. Now you're getting so big and into things like football and trading cards. I can't believe how quickly it's all gone by. You are so smart and ask such good questions. You like to learn and share with others. I admire how kind you are to your friends and your brother. We love you so much and are so glad you are part of our family.
Love,
Mom and Pop

Wow, poor Caleb. Having a birthday right after Thanksgiving and just before Christmas usually means that he gets a bit 'lost in the shuffle'. He's the first birthday I've been late with. Not only that but we can't find the power cord to our scanner so I don't get to do his slide show. I feel so bad about that. But we did celebrate.

We went to Chuck E Cheese on Monday night. That is where Caleb picked for his birthday dinner. He asked to invite a friend so at the last minute he called a friend from school whose dad was able to bring him over to meet us. They ate pizza and played, of course, so I didn't really even see them! Silly me forgot the camera. I'll add that to my list of bad mommy moments.

Caleb's actual birthday was Tuesday. He requested meatloaf but our oven is on the fritz so he requested spaghetti. That I can do! We got him a cake and I decorated it and we all enjoyed a good dinner. Then we let him stay up late to watch a movie. He seemed very happy with the way the day turned out. I felt a bit bad about it and wished I had been able to hit on more of his wants but overall, it turned out well. We got him a remote control VW bug - it's on big wheels and looks cool. He really likes it. We also gave him some money to add to what he already has. We've told him to wait to spend it though until after Christmas. I hope he does.

Here are some photos from the day:


I love that there is a pediegg right by his cake. Yay. LOL


Blow out the candles and get your spankings!!


Enjoying dinners and our sodas!


Slurp it up Caleb


Pop and Ayden


Seth drinking more soda than eating spaghetti!



Brooklyn's big bite!