Opps, it's been a while.

I haven't posted anything in a while and I apologize. Things have been busy around here. Brian is out of town this week until Sat. snowboarding with Lindsay, Jeff, Fay, Wayne & some of Lindsay's friends. I am hoping that I don't go into early labor. Doesn't sound too fair that he is out having fun while I am at home preparing for the baby and keeping up with Gabriella 37 weeks pregnant, but what can I do. He will owe me once we have two kids. I am going to the doctor once a week now for check-ups. Last week they did an additional ultrasound because he has been measuring above average and they were right. The ultrasound tech said that Brayden, already weighed about 7lbs. On average in the last month babies gain anywhere from 1/2 lb to 1 lb a week. At that rate I could possibly have an 11 lb baby if I go to a full 40 weeks. I plan to not have that big of a baby, so at next week's check-up I am scheduling to be induced.


Gabriella is great. Almost 2 1/2 years old. She is a little girl now and not my baby. She says the funniest things and can hold good conversations. She has been talking to Brian on the phone every night and she asks him "Are you in Colorado? and Are you playing with friends?" She also tells him without my guidance "I miss you Daddy", which melts my heart. With this growing up she is testing us all the time to see what she can get away with. I am constantly trying to think of ways to get her to do things that she doesn't want to do without me bribing her or her pitching a fit. Choices seem to work very well for her. It is amazing how manipulative children can be.

I don't have any new pics, the camera is out in CO with Brian.

1st Hair Cut

We finally did it! We had Gabriella's hair cut (trimmed) for the first time. It was starting to get stringy and knotty. My baby isn't a baby anymore. :-(

I wanted to wait as long a possible but decided it was time. I was worried about how she would react. She doesn't like things on her head and I was afraid of a major meltdown. We went to Snip-Its after church on Sunday. That place is awesome... computers/videos at each hair station. Bright colors and sounds everywhere. Very kid friendly.

Mrs. Kim did a fabulous job. She didn't take too much and she made Gabriella's curls more fuller.

Christmas

Wow...what a wonderful Christmas/holiday season we had. We were able to spend time with Brian's side of the family and celebrate his Granny's 80th birthday. Coming from a relatively small family it is so nice to be surrounded by a big family. I loving watching all the younger grand and great-grandchildren interacting with each other and I think they came out of the party with some awesome loot.






Then on Christmas Eve we spent then evening with mine, Brian's & Jeff's (Lindsay's husband) parents at Jeff's parent's house. It was a delicious meal and a great time. It was really nice to have all three families together. We got back pretty late and was rushing around to make sure everything was ready for Santa to make a visit at our house.

Santa was very good to us this year, especially Gabriella. In he morning she came to our room to wake us up and she missed what Santa had brought her. But when she walked into the living room her eyes first saw the "Little People" Nativity Set and Gabriella yelled out "Look! It is baby Jesus". This year was so memorable and special because she really enjoyed Christmas but there was so much that at one point she asked to stop opening presents. It also was influenced by her being sick. She developed a cough and fever on Christmas Eve and by the next week, she had two ear infections (our first) and bronchitis/walking pneumonia, where she had to use an inhaler to treat her wheezing. Let's just say I questioned my mothering skills and intuition and felt so badly that my little girl was so sick.



"The Stockings were hung on the Chimney with care"





"Look! it is baby Jesus!!!"



Later, Christmas evening we went to Cici & Papa's house with them and Grandma for a lite meal and of course more presents.