Surprise!

My brother and his family are here!!! They came home for Christmas and landed in Chicago Tuesday afternoon. It was supposed to be a surprise for us girls, but we kind of ruined it. Apparently mom and dad have known for a month and a half that Nic was coming home, but weren't supposed to tell us. He wanted to surprise us. So for the past few months, mom's been talking about Nic, Ingrid, and the kids coming home, but we (me and my sisters) didn't think it would really happen. So we began to get worried that they wouldn't be able to make it and then mom would be heartbroken for Christmas. Over Thanksgiving we talked and decided that we needed to ask Nic for sure what their plans were so mom could be prepared if they couldn't make it. So I e-mailed Nic. A few days later he called me and told me that they were coming home. I was so excited! I didn't tell the girls because I wanted them to be surprised. They love surprises. Tuesday night Calvin put Aubrey to bed and told her that there was going to be a surprise for her the next day. The next morning she got right up and asked me if her surprise was inside or outside. When I told her that it could be either, she was confused - she thought her surprise was snow. Then she asked me if the surprise was at school or at home. When I told her it could be either, she was really confused. I told her that she'd just have to wait until after school to see her surprise and that she'd never guess in a million years what it was. She went to school. After lunch, Chloe looked out the window and told me that someone was here. When I asked her who it was, she said it was Grandpa and Grandma Timm. She went to the door to open it and there stood Nic and Elora. She looked at me and I asked her who it was. She said Uncle Nic. The rest of the family came in and it was so fun visiting with them. The boys have gotten so big and Elora is a doll. Nic and Ingrid looked great too. :) The kids played in the basement for a while. Maximus asked about Aubrey. My plan was to take Maximus with me to pick her up and have her be surprised. So he and Nic went with me to school. We stood outside the door where she comes out (in the wind and rain) and waited for her. Nic and Maximus kind of hid their faces and she came out. When I pointed at Maximus and told her that there was her surprise, she just looked at me with this look like "I know who they are but how can they possibly be here!". We've always told her that she wouldn't see Maximus again until they were seven. She almost looked like she was going to cry and then she went and gave Maximus a hug. It was so sweet! I about cried. After we got home, the two of them were inseparable. They played games together, just the two of them. Then they played in the basement. After supper they played upstairs and made pictures together. It was so sweet to see them getting along so well. Ingrid and I discussed how they are the perfect age to play together. They are old enough, yet not too old that they don't want to play together because they are different genders. Chloe and Colton didn't do too much playing together, but they are younger and don't have the bond that Aubrey and Maximus seem to have from spending time together since they were little. I can't even begin to describe how happy and excited I am to have them here for a little while. I didn't realize how much I missed them until they walked through those doors. Christmas is going to be so great!!

Aubrey and her "surprise"

As soon as their coats were off, they went and found some games to play.

Playing a fishing game

Grandma reading to Chloe and Colton

Christmas Tree

For the past several years we have gotten our Christmas tree on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. This way we have plenty of time to enjoy it before Christmas is over and it has to come down. This year the Saturday after Thanksgiving was wet and cold and Calvin was working, so we didn't get a tree that weekend. I was a little bummed, but figured that we'd get one the following weekend so it would work out. My parents moved the following Saturday and with all the busyness of that, we didn't get a tree that weekend either. I even went to Big R to get a pre-cut one, but they were all sold out. I was really bummed, and Calvin almost got me to agree to get an artificial tree, but I'm just not ready for that yet. I love going as a family to find the perfect tree and then coming home and decorating it. So, I made him promise to go the next Sunday, no matter what the weather was like. We ended up going last Sunday and found a tree that fits in the basement perfectly. The girls had fun walking through all of the trees and helping us decide which one to get. Then we came home and I put lights on it. After Aubrey got home from school the next day, we put ornaments on it. We've been enjoying it ever since. :)



Update in Pictures

We celebrated Calvin's 32nd birthday in November.

Daddy and Coye on the computer on Thanksgiving.

Gabe and Coye - almost 8 months and almost 7 months respectively

Coye can now sit up all by himself!

The girls painted and made their own earring holders.

The finished product

What great balance he has!

Seven Months!

Last week Coye turned seven months old. Again I ask, where has the time gone? He is growing so quickly and changing so much. He's learned a lot in the past month and is quickly developing his own little personality. He's such a joy and delight and is never lacking for attention, especially when his sisters are around. :)

Here's what he is up to now:

• He started solids and while he wasn't so sure about them at first, he likes most of them now. His favorite is brown rice. He eats brown rice, acorn squash, and sweet potatoes.
• He figured out how to roll from his back to his stomach and is quite quick at it now. He can also go from his stomach to his back but doesn't do it as frequently.
• He can sit up. He loves to be upright and be able to see what's going on around him. He's got great balance and only falls over occasionally.
• He sits up in the bath tub too and loves splashing water everywhere.
• He says da-da all the time. I've been trying to teach him to say ma-ma, but he hasn't yet.:)
• He is still a happy baby and loves to laugh and giggle.
• He is very ticklish and will erupt with giggles when you nibble on his belly.
• His hair is really starting to come in, although it's pretty light so it doesn't seem like he has as much.

Rice is yummy?

When we went for Coye's six month well check, the doctor said it was time to start solids. While I was aware of this, I wasn't really looking forward to it - the mess, the extra time, none of it sounded very fun. Plus, after talking to one of my friends, I also realized that it's yet another sign that my baby is growing and getting bigger....something I don't want to acknowledge. But I know it's best for him, so we started. Before Coye was born, two of my friends went together and bought me the baby bullet baby food making system. In it was a recipe for brown rice cereal that you could make yourself. I made the girls' baby food, but I hadn't ever tried making them rice cereal. To be honest, it had never occurred to me that I could make that too. I thought that I'd give it a try. I'm all about making my own baby food. Just ask my husband. One shelf of our freezer is completely dedicated to food that I've made for Coye already. I just love the idea of knowing exactly what he's eating - no fillers or extras. Anyways, I used the baby bullet to grind up the rice. It worked amazingly well. I dumped in a 1/2 cup of brown rice and it ground it up to a powder that was the consistency of flour. I then added water and cooked it. It turned out a lot like Cream of Wheat, this boxed cereal that I used to eat as a kid. I tried some and thought it was pretty good. I kept some out for Coye to eat later that evening and froze the rest in ice cube trays. After he woke up from his evening nap, I sat him in the high chair and got his food ready. I just used a little bit of the rice and added some breastmilk - I probably added too much - it was pretty runny. The first bite he wasn't quite sure of...nor the second or third for that matter. He definitely didn't gobble it up, but he didn't fuss or cry either. Most of it ran out of his mouth, but I think some managed to go down. The girls were definitely more excited about him eating than he was. :) I've kept up with it and have fed him the past two days at lunch time. He still isn't too sure about it. He tries to push it out with his tongue, and yesterday he gagged on it (it was a little thicker). Eventually though, I'm sure he'll get the hang of it. I'm even starting to get used to the idea. :)

Before cereal - I'm sure he's wondering what is going on. I had just gotten the high chair down earlier that day and he hadn't ever sat in it before.

After cereal - he had some all over his face.

Six Months

Six months old! We're halfway through the first year. Incredible! Coye went to the doctor last Friday. He now weighs 15 lbs. 15 oz. and is 27 1/4" long. He dropped some on his weight curve, so the pediatrician said it's time to start solids, which I knew, but wasn't really ready for. It's just so messy and time consuming. But he needs to start. He also doesn't roll over yet (he used to but hasn't consistenly for a while), so the doctor gave us some exercises to work on building up his upper body strength. When he lays on his tummy he tends to put his arms out and back rather than in front of him, so we're working on it. He continues to be a joy in our lives. He's such a good baby. His sisters dote on him and fight over who gets to talk to him. Here's some thing he's doing right now:

• He loves to smile and laugh at almost anyone, though he is getting to be a bit of a mama's boy.
• He likes to be around people - he'll usually cry if you leave him alone in a room.
• Everything goes in his mouth and he loves to chew and suck on things.
• He's started sitting up as long as he's supported.
• His favorite book is Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. For some reason, he loves it when I read this to him.
• His favorite thing to do is lay under his play mat.
• He loves to be held, although he's not much of a cuddler.
• He naps three times a day but still doesn't sleep through the night.

Movie Night

A few weeks ago I promised the girls we could have a movie night some Friday when we weren't busy. They were so excited to sit down and watch "Tangled" and eat popcorn. Calvin even made it in to watch with us. The movie was very cute, although the girls thought some of the parts were scary. Their favorite part was the end when everything turned out happy.