Christmas 2009

This was another Christmas of firsts. Alex's first Christmas. Ethan's first Christmas truly understanding Santa Claus. With all the joy that the holidays bring, it was another Christmas that reminded us how truly blessed we are.

We had been gearing up all month on two fronts. Preparing to celebrate the birth of Jesus and preparing to prepare cookies and wait for Santa. We all know what is the most important of those two events however we all also know what is most important to a two year old. Ethan knew the reindeer's names, he had spoken with Santa and put in his order, he had practiced making cookies, customized a plate for Santa, and had a scheduled itinerary (in his mind) of his tasks and the nightly events of Christmas Eve, Santa's visit, and Christmas morning. He was ready. We had two countdown calendars. One traditional advent calendar(countdown to Jesus) and one chocolate treat calendar (countdown to Santa). As the day approached Ethan could hardly focus on anything else. The great distraction was Grandma and Grandpa's arrival.

We were very fortunate to be able to share our celebrations with Grandma and Grandpa Hurford. Grandma Hurford had a bonus celebration this year on December 24. As Alex celebrated his 6 month birthday, Grandma Hurford celebrated her 60th birthday. Fortunately we were able to give Grandma a special day on the 23rd by taking her into the city for a NYC birthday dinner. The 24th had a lot of action.



First off to the doctor. Both boys were sick. Ethan had a raging ear infection and Alex had a viral respiratory issue. Alex was under the weather but Ethan appeared to be perfect- nothing was going to stop his Christmas. We returned home to a day filled with playing and preparing. Ethan had gotten a new teddy bear from school and had a little skit with Grandpa where the little bear would innocently walk down the street and then attack. I think we all perished multiple times. It was hysterical. Next was cookie baking. Sugar cookies with lots and lots of icing. Ethan did it all. Mixing, rolling, cutting, icing. He was a cookie making machine.



After the cookies were assembled on the plate and carrots were placed in a bowl for the reindeer, we started to track Santa on the internet (who knew satellites were that good), and had dinner. Ethan was pretty tired out and went to bed without a fuss knowing that Santa would only come when he was sleeping.

Christmas morning was hysterical. Like any other morning he woke up at the usual time, I think 5:00 or so calling for Momma. I went into his room and he began talking about his dreams and his day... he had forgotten it was Christmas. I began to ask him if he had heard anything last night, he said no. I said, "Not even some reindeer on the roof?" Then came the horrified gasp. He sprung up in bed and shouted, "Oh Momma, I forgot! It's Christmas!" With that he catapulted out of bed. I had to reel him back in to go potty before flying down the stairs to confirm the previous night's visitor.

With a smile from ear to ear he witnessed a glorious sight. As if in slow motion, he scanned the room and took it all in. To be honest I don't think he knew where to begin. Santa went a little overboard, I have to admit.



The sweetest thing about the morning was how meticulous he was about opening everything and examining each new treasure one piece at a time. Every item had to be played with with due diligence before moving on to the next. His favorite gift was his "treasure box" from Santa. He had asked Santa for Emily the train (more Thomas and Friends monopoly items). Buried behind a few other wrapped gifts he found a special little box with a big red ribbon. With a big grin and twitching little fingers, he opened the box to find his prize. Emily! He was literally jumping up and down giggling. It was in that moment alone that I found a new love for Christmas. In those brief snip-its in time when the giggles and smiles etch a permanent memory in you brain and in your heart you realize the miracle of children, the innocence they possess, and the pure happiness they bring to your life. The rest of the morning was just icing on the cake, or should I say frosting on the cookie.





Poor Alex's first Christmas morning was not as joyous. He had his morning bottle and went back to sleep. When the sick little guy woke up later that morning he enjoyed opening a few presents and loved watching and playing with (grabbing) his brother. He slept the better part of the day but being the guy that he is, he was a happy little trooper through it all.



Since Ethan has already started asking when Santa will be back, and if we can have another countdown calendar, I'm sure time will fly by and before we know it we will be gearing up for Christmas 2010.

Holiday Preparations

Traditionally it always seems to be a crazy, yet fun filled month and December 2009 is proving to be no different. Between work craziness and getting ready for Santa we have been busy.

Grandma Hurford visited the first week of December to help with the boys while I was away at training. Thank you Grandma for everything!

Grandma Lucy was able to visit this past week to celebrate Christmas and my birthday. Yes it was the big 3-0. That's all I have to say about that. The boys had a wonderful time with Grandma. Ethan kept Grandma Lucy busy pretending, building a gingerbread train, making crafts, playing trains and cars, and even took Grandma on his "train to the city" to see the "huge Christmas tree" at Rockefeller Center. Thank you Grandma Lucy for all of the memories and everything else.



One of our tasks while Grandma Lucy was in town was to visit Santa. Ethan did very well waiting in line and made friends with the little boy in front of us. Ethan had two goals: 1. Ask for Emily (Thomas the Train Collection) and 2. Take Santa's deposition about the reindeer. When the moment of truth came it appeared as if he had shackles on his legs. Five hundred tiny babysteps forward and we made it the six feet to Santa's lap. Santa was very good about engaging Ethan and getting him to sit on his lap. He appropriately asked what he wanted for Christmas to which Ethan muttered a very quiet, "Emily." Although he had practiced the previous 24 hours his line of questioning with regards to the reindeer, I had to help him by asking what he wanted to know about Santa's reindeer. He asked, "How many are there?" Thank God Santa gave the traditional answer of nine that I had been feeding him. No tears though and he even sat on his lap for the picture. Alex on the other hand slept the entire time. As we were walking away, after Santa had already held him for the sleeping baby picture, he woke up. I begged the manager for one more picture and we slipped back in for a quick shot. Luckily both kids kept their eyes open.

When we got home I showed Ethan the picture to which he responded, "I do not look happy. I do not. I do not." I nearly fell on the floor laughing. Later that day he explained to Patrick exactly what happened and reenacted the face he gave for the pictures. He told Patrick he gave that face on purpose to look sad. Then it hit me! He has a book where the Big Hungry Bear is sad and cries because he has no presents so the little mouse feels sorry for him and gives him a sleigh full of gifts. The little scammer is already trying to work his magic with Santa!


Not the official photo but you get the idea.

The boys are great otherwise! On December 11, Alex started saying "Da-Da". It is the cutest thing ever. He also now says "Ba-Ba" and is reaching out when he wants to be picked up. He is becoming quite the Momma's boy wanting to be held. The poor little guy is still sick and still taking daily breathing treatments as well as sleeping with the crib wedge. The poor kid has been sick since we returned from Michigan in October! He can fully turn himself around on his belly and can inchworm-army crawl across a blanket. Big, strong, cutest baby in the world!

Ethan is Ethan. I have to stop typing all the funny things he says because it happens all day every day. He has his entourage of girlfriends at school. They dance around him during music time, he sits with them at lunch, and most recently I was approached by a mother. Adrianna, his main girlfriend, apparently went home and told her father, "Don't worry Daddy, I have Ethan." To which her father's response was, "Who is this Ethan kid?" I reassured the mother I was as concerned as she was :) Patrick and I have decided an all boys school is definitely in his future. Ethan is super excited for Santa but is even more excited for Florida. It is amazing his recollection of details from our trip last year (when he was 18 months old). He has talked about the hermit crab we found on the rocks and details about the pool that we do not have in pictures. It is quite impressive. He can not wait to do cannonballs in the pool this year with Daddy and has even practiced them on the bed with his life jacket on. 8 days to go!


Patrick and I are so excited for Christmas this year. Alex's first Christmas and Ethan's first year of full comprehension and anticipation of the events. It is going to be a fun week!








Alex's first wrapped present


Big Brother helping out

Black Friday

Happy Belated Thanksgiving to everyone! We had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner shared by our dear friends, the Fino family. Ethan made everyone turkey hats for dinner but when the moment of truth came was the only one not to wear his hat. A very fun and filling day.





Alex turned five months old this week. He has been very sick with bronchiolitis. He started breathing treatments on Tuesday but is not much better. We are watching him closely and just continue to pray this does not get any worse. He is a trooper though. Trying to smile through it all and using all his energy to give us a few belly laughs here and there. I maintain he is the best baby in the world, even when he is sick.





On a more somber note, Grandma Lucy had to put Jackson to sleep last Friday evening. It was a very difficult loss for all of us but in the end not a difficult decision. Jackson had gotten very sick, very quickly and within a weeks time had deteriorated significantly and was suffering. In all the sadness in losing such a dear pet and truly a family member there has been a glimmer of humor. One night shortly after Jackson had passed Ethan and I were saying prayers at bed time and he asked to pray for Jack. As we began to say the "Our Father" our dialogue was this:

Our Father who art in heaven- Ethan: Jack's in heaven!
Hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done,
On Earth as it is in heaven- Ethan: Jack's in heaven!
Give us this day our daily bread- Ethan: Jack likes bread in heaven.
And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us
And lead us not into temptation- Ethan: Jack loves chasin!...

At that point I fell over laughing! Out of the mouths of babes. In all seriousness, we will all miss the gentle giant. Goodbye Sir Jackson of Mocha Night. (He was originally my dog, I named him, and will miss him dearly.)




Otherwise, we are gearing up for Christmas now. Shopping for the kids is nearly complete. We are working on putting up decorations today and tomorrow and are hoping to have Christmas cards ordered by Sunday. We are very excited for this Christmas though because Ethan this year fully understands Santa Claus and can not wait until Christmas!

Paternity Leave=Blogging Leave of Absence

So much has happened since my last post that I feel the only way to catch up is to briefly summarize the last two months and then just post pictures. I know that pictures alone tell most of the story.

Patrick was fortunate enough to take paternity leave for five weeks at the end of September and beginning of October. For three weeks we traveled to Michigan to visit family and friends.

The Drive

On September 16, we began packing the car and quickly realized we had a space dilemma. Off to the trailer store to get a car topper. On September 17, we set off for Michigan in our Tahoe, with car topper, with the boys, both dogs and a sliver of sanity. With a newly learned short cut we were over the George Washington Bridge within 35 minutes. (That is great time considering it can take up to 2 hours or more.) We were excited. Leaving at nap-time was great. We were cruising with two napping kids. But, within the hour Alex needed to eat. No problem. Stop, feed, bathroom, back on the road. Around dinner time we stopped at Old McDonald's in rural Pennsylvania. While Patrick walked and fed the dogs I took the kids in to eat. Here is where the fun begins. Two chicken nuggets in Ethan stands up in the booth and vomits all over the table and bench. Alex in one hand, Ethan at the table, puke everywhere, and all I can do is see Patrick through the window walking the dogs peacefully. Luckily a very nice (despite their Penn State allegiance) elderly couple behind us asked if they could help. The man went to get Patrick. Poor Ethan just wanted to eat his french fries. After washing the booth, changing Ethan, and feeding Alex we were back on the road. At around midnight we stopped at Wendy's to feed Alex. Just as we were pulling in the parking lot Ethan vomits again in the car. No worries, Mom caught it. As we were leaving Wendy's we stopped at the drive through for coffee and a few plastic bags just in case. Call that one Mother's intuition. From 12:30 until we arrived at Grandma and Grandpa Hurford's house at 2:30AM I think he vomited 4-6 times. I sat scrunched with my knees at my chin between the captain's chairs facing the kids from Pennsylvania to Grosse Pointe. Patrick drove all but 3 hours of the drive. Needless to say we were all exhausted upon arrival and poor Ethan had a stomach flu.

Twelve hours in Grosse Pointe and back in the car to Harbor Springs. What were we thinking? The first stop came within 45 minutes to check a stinky diaper which turned out to be gas. The next stop came an hour later for Alex to eat. After that I thought it was clear sailing with two sleeping kids. Wrong again. Ethan started screaming to get out of the car and go home- can you blame him?- and woke Alex up. I managed to get Alex back to sleep and convince Ethan to watch a movie. I put the movie on and Ethan started screaming that it was too bright. In one of my more genius moments I had a solution. Sun glasses. So there we were at midnight with one sleeping baby and a two year old watching Mickey Mouse with sun glasses on. Where was my camera? Thankfully we made it to Harbor Springs just in time for Alex to eat. That was also the time I decided there will be no more car trips in this Hurford family future until all of the children are over 4 years old.

Up North

We had a wonderful first day up North. Ethan loved racing the cars down the track on the stairs with Grandpa, seeing his golf clubs and watching for deer. That night however woke up with a barking cough. Croup. Great. So Ethan and I were up. I took him into the bathroom to breathe in some steam from the shower. I then bundled him up in the early morning hours in a big blanket and took him outside to breathe in the crisp and cool fall air. As I sat in the dark in the big Adirondack rocker with my sick little boy I had a moment of clarity. As I rocked Ethan back to sleep and then continued to rock watching the water of Lake Michigan, listening to the trees, and waiting for the sun to rise on that crisp fall morning, I realized how truly blessed I am in my life. To have such an amazing family and friends and all of the gifts God has given us is truly humbling. To rock my baby in the purest of nature made me realize how grateful I am to be a mother, regardless of the circumstances and challenges that every day can bring. Around sunrise, Ethan woke up and soon we joined the rest of the gang.

Despite having croup Ethan was his typical, hysterical self. We had fun golfing with Grandma and Grandpa and visiting Pond Hill Farm for a hay ride and feeding the animals. The piglets were a favorite as well as the squash launcher. Daddy would launch the squash and the sheep would run into the field to eat the pieces. Ethan was not feeling well that day but continues to talk about it now months later. Ethan also loved throwing rocks into the pond with Daddy and Grandpa. Where did they get all those rocks from? :) Naughty Grandpa and Daddy.

Perhaps the most memorable experience up north was our deer "hunting" escapades. Ethan was enamored with the idea of seeing deer. So, we loaded up the Tahoe and went to find them. We first drove down the road (private road approx 1 mile) to the front of the property and saw around 5 deer. When we got to the end, with a big smile, Ethan says, "That was amazing!" Amazing? Seriously, where does this kid pull this stuff from? The next day we were off again at dusk. I think we saw around 12 deer that evening but the classic moment was at the end of the "hunt". As we would see a deer I would fling Ethan's car door open so he could see them. With the tinted windows he could not see the deer well at dusk and if we rolled the window down it would stop just in line with his visual field. Well, on this last stop the deer were on Alex's side. I unbuckled Ethan and picked him up so he could look out Alex's door. When we were finished I sat him back in his seat and left him unbuckled. We were literally less than 100 yards from the house door, on a private road, so I figured he would be fine for the 10 second drive. As the wheels began to turn Ethan started screaming, "SAFETY FIRST, SAFETY FIRST!" I almost died laughing. He was right. So I buckled him back up for the crawl home.




Grand Rapids

We headed to Grandma Lucy's house on September 23 to stay for the week. We visited with Grandma, Aunt Jenny, Uncle Tim, Granddad, Miss Gina, Aunts and Uncles, Mom and Dad's friends, and Ethan's favorite- Kaylee. Ethan was so excited to see Kaylee. He was napping when she arrived but as he was waking up she entered the room. The second he saw her he jumped out of bed and yelled "KAYLEE!" with the biggest smile and gave her a great big hug. Off they went and were inseparable for the next week.

Alex had his 3 month birthday. Just a big happy baby. Not much else to say. I will throw in that by now he has also had his 4 month bday and is amazing. At four months he is transferring objects between hands, can do a modified army crawl to move off his blanket to get toys, has mastered his exersaucer, loves his jumper, and is already sitting up in a three point stance. He has now started eating cereal, fruits, and veggies but isn't the biggest fan. He would much rather lay back and drink his bottle. Just a laid back kind of guy. He is sleeping through the night with the exception of a 5 am feeding. Big, happy and healthy- perfect.

While in Grand Rapids we were able to have a family picnic with Grandma Lucy's family at Uncle Bob and Aunt Linda's lake. Uncle Bob took us for a few boat rides with the kids. They loved going fast and pretending like the boat was out of gas. We also went to Uncle Ben and Aunt Cindi's house to see the chickens and feed the fish. Ethan was in heaven. Spoiled by going in the cleanest and cutest chicken coop on the planet and hand feeding a million big fish just off the dock. We were able to share in Kaylee's 3rd birthday celebration and we were also able to see Granddad's zoo. Ethan loves going to Granddad's house to see the snakes, lizards, cats, and dogs. Patrick liked playing Wii.






Alex's Baptism

I had brought Ethan's Baptism outfit to pass down to Alex for his big day on October 3. Luckily I tried it on on the 1st. It didn't fit. So on the afternoon of the 1st off I went to get a Baptismal outfit for the big boy. My options were limited. After debating basically my only option with myself I purchased the white baby tuxedo. Yes, a white tuxedo.

On October 3 we headed off to U of D Jesuit for the Baptism of our baby boy. The University of Detroit Jesuit School is where Patrick and Grandpa Hurford went to high school. We were very excited to have the opportunity to have Alex Baptized there. In full white tuxedo tails Alex was baptized and welcomed into the church family. Thank you Uncle Matt and Aunt Shelly for being his God parents.

After having a flat tire in the ghetto on the way home from the Baptism, we had a wonderful gathering visiting with family and friends at Grandma and Grandpa Hurford's house.

That following Tuesday we came home. Home sweet home. Thank you to everyone for the wonderful trip and all of the wonderful memories. A special Thank you to Grandma and Grandpa Hurford and Grandma Lucy for living with us for so long and to Grandma and Grandpa Hurford for watching Emma and Bella for us. We love you all.

Kaylee's Visit (Aunt Jenny too)

It was all about Kaylee and Ethan when Aunt Jenny decided to make the trip to the big city. We had such a wonderful time. Kaylee and Ethan, despite their toddler moments, had an amazing time together. It was so much fun watching the cousins play together. It was also the best to have a drink and some girl chat with my big sis. Can't wait until we can do it again soon.




Halloween

For Halloween this year Ethan decided back in September he wanted to be a puppy. So Ethan was a puppy and Alex was a chunky monkey. On Friday Ethan had a party at school which he was so excited for. Mrs. Haley was over that day sitting for the kids but I returned home to take him to his party. I got his costume on and painted his face. Mrs. Haley said, "Ethan you are so cute." His response, "Actually, I am adorable." Come on now, how funny is that?!

We were fortunate to have the Fino Family join us for Halloween and share in the fun of the evening. It was great to have all the little kids dressed together on such a beautiful night for Trick or Drinking- I mean Treating. Ethan loved trick or treating with the kids but was done when we reached our house half way through the route. Exhausted, we took off his costume and he immediately dumped all of his candy on the kitchen floor to check out his loot. What a fun night.

Pumpkin Carving

Ethan's Pumpkin

Our Chunky Monkey

Halloween 2009

Boys will be Boys

Trick or Treat

Let's see what we got!

Misc.

Just a few stories I don't want to forget:

- We have a dance party before bath and bedtime nearly every night. Daddy decided to bust out the 2Pac for Ethan. Ethan loves it! Great beat, inappropriate lyrics. So one night in the bathtub Ethan belt's out, "Nowhere I go, I see the hoes." And that was that. The "Daddy song" is banned.

- Talking to the dogs one day Ethan turns to me, "Emma's old like Jack (Grandma Lucy's dog) and Bella's two."

- Mom: "Ethan, do you want pork chops for dinner?"
Ethan: "Ugggh, Mom, I'm just sick of pork chops."

- We bought new shoes. Mom: "Ethan do you think they fit?"
Ethan: "They fit perfectly!"

- Mom: "Ethan do you want some dip with your pretzels?"
Ethan: "Actually, that's Hummus."

Oh how the list goes on and on. Now that I am as caught up as I can be I will try to keep up on weekly posts. No guarantees.

Alex is Sitting!

The Boys on Game Day

Alex 3 Month Pictures

Thank God It's Friday

I just knew today would be a memorable day. I just didn't expect the twist!

I woke up this morning feeling great! I even got on the scale and to my surprise, I am officially back to my pre-pregnancy weight. I even fit in my jeans. Memorable day. Then we decided to invest in a new camera for our family that will hopefully be more successful at capturing all our priceless moments in time. Memorable day. And then 7:45 PM rolled around...

So I have Ethan and Alex upstairs, with pajamas on, in my bed to read books by 7:30 PM. I am super excited that this means Ethan will be asleep by 8:00 PM (yeah right). We pick out which books to read, start to eat a snack, and open the first book. Ethan takes a large bite of cereal bar, stands up on the bed, and vomits on my baby blue duvet cover- on the down comforter. In an attempt to get him off the bed the second wave spews out all over the books and poor little Alex who was lying helpless on the bed. He finishes puking all over my floor and bed skirt. The poor kid. He has been vomiting lately and his doctors do not know if it is his food allergies or something else. We are awaiting test results to conclude why. Anyways, I have no idea where to begin! I grabbed the books first. HELLO?! What was I thinking? After Ethan said, "I have puke on me!" I quickly chucked the books and focused on the kids (what good moms do first). I began stripping and washing Ethan and then poor little Alex, who the entire time waited, watching the ceiling fan (what is it with babies and ceiling fans?). I then stripped the bed and took everyone to the basement to try to salvage my duvet- which is what my entire bedroom decor is based upon. With Alex in the baby bjorn and Ethan playing in his playroom I began to scrub. But as I quickly turned while at the sink I nailed poor Alex's head into the dryer vent! While trying to console him with tears streaming down his sweet little face I began to smell something. Yes, Ethan had pooped his pants, which he has not done for months! Poor kid. He's upset, Alex is upset, I'm ready for a margarita! I finally got everyone cleaned up and settled down. We read a vomitless book and Ethan went to bed. Memorable day. But wait...then at 9:30 I hear Ethan on the monitor, run to investigate and take him to the potty. I hear a creaking noise downstairs. I quickly put Ethan back to bed, run downstairs and find Alex falling out of the swing. He had woken up and apparently now can propel himself forward from a reclined position. Alexander the Great! At 10:15 PM both kids are sleeping. Memorable day. And this is also why I drink.

First Day of School

I still do not quite know how time has flown by so quickly that my baby walked out the door today to go to school. With a smile on his face, lunchbox in hand and a pack on his back Ethan marched into preschool today.

He is such an amazing little guy! At two years, four and a half months old, and the youngest kid in the three year old class, he was a superstar going to school! He has been waiting for this day to come for months. We have rehearsed and memorized the schedule, the teachers names, and the rules. We prepped his box with extras and his allergy kit. Finally, Patrick and I surprised him yesterday with a personalized Lightning McQueen backpack and lunchbox.

This morning we woke up to, "Ma----ma!, Da----ddy, I'm waking up! I go to school today!"
He was ready. He had a breakfast fit for any two year old, two cinnamon rolls and a yogurt and was dressed and ready to walk at 8:15. He strapped on his backpack, just like Daddy, and we were on our way. We all walked him to school. When we arrived he jumped out of the stroller, asked for his backpack, gave Daddy a kiss and quickly climbed the stairs to the door. Ethan proudly marched inside saying hello to Ms. Christina and Ms. Rose. After taking of his jacket and hanging it in his locker he immediately sat down and began playing with some dinosaurs. He never looked back once. After talking briefly to his teacher I had to ask him for a kiss and I said goodbye. He said, "Goodbye Momma, you pick me up after nap." And that was that.

As I walked out the door with three crying kids coming in I could do nothing but smile. We are so proud of our strong, brave, and brilliant little guy.

I will pick him up at three and tonight we will celebrate with dinner from Old McDonald's!




Wow! A new backpack!



Ready for school




First day of school breakfast - Don't take my picture Mom!



Daddy and Ethan with their backpacks



Ethan at school

P.S. Alex is doing great! Talking and laughing more by the day. He can also roll over proficiently from either side to his back and from his belly to his back. Still growing like a weed. He is such a good baby. We have truly been blessed with two amazing little guys.