2013 Year in Review

January
*Davin started crawling.
*We finally got a Macbook!

February
*Brenna spent a week with her grandmas while J, Dav, and I went to DC.  Davin and I hung around the hotel, visited the Smithsonian, hung out with Merritt for a day, and had some dinner dates with Daddy.
*We celebrated Valentine's Day at PF Changs in DC.
*We celebrated my birthday by driving home from DC to pick up Brenna.  We stopped to see Sheri, Leah, and Justin on the way.
*Davin finally started tolerating baby food.

March
*Brenna turned THREE and we celebrated with a Candyland party.
*Brenna started her first season of soccer at the Y.
*We celebrated Easter at Pine Mountain.
*I got a belated birthday gift - both my diplomas professionally framed!


April
*Davin, Brenna, and I spent a week in Bristol.
*Maggie turned SEVEN!
*Brenna had her first of many swimming lessons.
*I started a hardcore diet and exercise regime.


May
*I celebrated my first Mother's Day as a mother of two!
*We spent over a week at the beach.  We were there from Saturday-Tuesday with the Bashams and Wednesday-Sunday with my mom, Mal, Josh, and Brady.
*J got to spend the first day of vacation fixing the starter on our car - which died literally 5 minutes or less after we parked at the beach condo.
*We had extended family pictures made on vacation.
*Davin learned to walk!
*Davin started eating like a crazy person!

June
*Davin turned ONE and we celebrated with a Mr. Potato Head party.
*We spent Father's Day in Virginia - we went to The Freedom Center and hung out with the Bashams.
*We had a playdate with Jude and Leah (and Lisa and Sheri) in Dublin, VA.
*We went to Sara and Steven Malik's wedding in Radford, VA.
*We attended an Abel family reunion in Abingdon, VA.
*The kids and I had lots of park trips, visits to the Y, and lots and lots of outdoor play time.

July
*I was a reader in Ashley and Curtis Bumgardner's wedding in Emory, VA.
*We went to the Ripley's Aquarium in Gatlinburg with Donna, Jayla, Brad, Mom, Mal, Josh, and Brady.
*Sheri and Leah came to visit us for a few days.
*We celebrated our 5th anniversary at the NC Zoo with Brenna and Davin.
*I weaned Davin.
*Davin dropped his morning nap AND finally moved to his own room.
*Brenna did swimming lessons most of the summer.

August
*Brenna and Davin spent a weekend with Neena and Pa Bill.  J and I got a date night in downtown Hickory.
*I spent 2 days in Asheville with Christy and Lora - with lots of shopping, catching up, eating, and a Biltmore tour!
*Brenna had her first dentist appointment.
*NO MORE PACI FOR BREN!!!
*Brenna moved to a big girl twin bed.
*Davin had another ear infection.
*We celebrated Brady's 2nd birthday in Bristol.

September
*Brenna started preschool.
*We went to Justin and Brandie Huelsman's (I know I spelled that wrong) wedding here in NC.
*The Hainrihars moved to Missouri.  :(
*We went to a family reunion for Jonathan's family on Pine Mountain.
*Brenna started her second season of soccer at the Y.
*We met up with Brandan and Rachel in Winston Salem for a Sister Hazel concert.  Jonathan's dad was here and watched the kids.

October
*My mom came to visit.  Jonathan and I spent the day in Blacksburg with Darin and Lyndsie to watch the Hokies defeat UNC.
*I chopped off my hair.
*Jonathan and I went to Nashville, TN for Alana and Jason Hilkin's wedding.  The kids stayed with my mom.
*We went to Dollywood with Donna, Jayla, Brad, Mom, Mal, Josh, and Brady.
*We finally purchased our house in Newton, NC.
*We went apple picking.
*We went back to the balloon festival in Statesville, NC.
*Brenna had her first field trip - to Red Wolf Pumpkin farm.  The rest of us tagged along.
*We trick-or-treated around our neighborhood.  Brenna was a swimmer and Davin was a fish.
*I threw a baby shower for Lauren Bliss and Baby Shane.
*J worked 12 hours on his birthday. :(

November
*Neena and Pa Bill kept the kids for a weekend.  Jonathan and I spent the day at Ikea and had dinner in Charlotte with my cousins.
*Brenna and I went to the Renaissance festival near Charlotte with Sissy.
*Brenna and I went to see Willy Wonka by a local theater group.
*I cooked a full Thanksgiving meal for Jonathan's dad.
*We spent Thanksgiving with my family and 2 days afterwards with Jonathan's family in VA.


December
*Brenna started basketball at the Y.
*We cut down a Christmas tree in Vale, NC.  It was a little bigger than we anticipated - but gorgeous!
*We visited Santa at the mall.  Bren did great - Dav was terrified.
*We hosted a Pajamas and Pancakes party for a few of Bren's friends.
*Jonathan took Brenna on a date to dinner and to see Peter Pan downtown.
*Jonathan, Davin, and I joined Brenna at school for a Chic-fil-a feast.
*Brenna enjoyed Polar Express day in her pjs at school.
*I made a million signs for people!
*We hosted a Minute to Win It Christmas party for our life group friends.
*We took homemade treats to our neighbors, postal workers, garbage men, firemen, and police officers.
*Santa came on Dec 21 - such fun!
*We went to the Hickory parade downtown.
*We went to Troutman, NC to see Christmas lights - We ended up seeing a random bunch of lights, a baby tiger and a baby kangaroo, and 3 live tigers.  Most random night ever!
*We spent 2 days with J's family, then 3 days with my family, then 1 day with J's dad and stepmom.  We finally made it home on Dec 29!

Santa 2013

 Santa's gifts this year

 Bren's dollhouse, scooter, and plasma car

Davin's tractor, Tonka truck, and plasma car

Santa stuck with his 3 gift tradition this year (but threw in one extra mutual gift!).  Brenna received a dollhouse, a scooter (one of her big wishes!) and a plasma car.  Davin received a (used) John Deere ride-on tractor and attached wagon, a big Tonka truck, and a plasma car.  After all gifts were opened - we surprised them with Santa's last gift - a Little Tikes 7 foot trampoline (jump-a-bean according to Bren).  It was a huge hit.  I am hoping for lots of warm weather to enjoy all these new wheels!  

33Before33 - #20 - Nursing

I knew that I wanted to make it until at least he was at least a year old to wean Davin.  Nursing Davin was overall easier than nursing Brenna because I never had to go to work.  I rarely had to pump (woohoo!!) and he was a pretty quick eater.  We had a bit of a struggle when he was really young before my milk was completely in - similar to the struggle we had with Brenna.  I supplemented her a tad during her first month because she wasn't gaining weight quick enough (and lost a tad too much) but I was determined not to have to do that with Davin.  After we got going, it was pretty smooth sailing.  I struggled through mastitis (on vacation.  at the beach.) and yeast issues (during Valentine's Day.  and my birthday.) and we still kept it up!  He acted like he had a magnet to me for many months - and I'm pretty sure it was because he knew Mommy=food!!  We dropped down to one feeding a day for awhile and I knew he was ready to drop that.  I, on the other hand, had a hard time because I knew it was probably the last time I would nurse a baby.  On July 27, when he was about 13.5 months old, I nursed him for the last time.  He never missed a beat and it was good ending to that nursing relationship.  I am proud of myself that I was able to nurse both of my babies past a year.  Score one for Mommy!

The Lesson I Didn't Mean to Teach

Today I taught Brenna a lesson I didn't even mean to.  Oh, don't get me wrong.  Today was already prepped to be a day of learning for her.  We had baked lots of yummy treats, packaged them up, and were going to head out to take them to some Fire Stations, Police Stations, Post Offices, etc.  But this morning just wasn't going my way.  The brownies weren't setting up quick enough. The vinyl for the signs I was making got eaten by my machine.  Then it cut crooked.  Then it peeled off wrong.  So, in an effort to get out the door at a reasonable time - I decided to stick the brownie in the freezer for just a few minutes so the candy cane things in the middle wouldn't be runny.  So I opened the freezer door.....which prompted Brenna's lunch box to fall, knocking the plate (and all the yumminess) out of my hand.  It was the last straw.  I know I muttered something like "This cannot be happening" and then it hit me.  She was watching.  So even though everything inside me wanted to just lay down on the floor, cry, and eat some brownies while I was down there...I didn't.  I told her that "accidents happen" and we just picked them up.  I even let her eat one.  And she kept coming hugging me saying, "I am sorry they all fell Mommy."  She was being compassionate when she knew I needed it - but hopefully she saw from me that life happens.  Sometimes it is messy, but getting mad and frustrated just makes it worse.

So yeah, we took some goodies to some public servants today.  We even got an up-close look at a fire truck.  But the lesson for the day wasn't about serving others.  It doesn't happen all that often - but today I am proud of what my daughter saw in me.

One and a Half!!

Dear Davin,

You are officially closer to being two than to being one.  That is incredibly hard for me to fathom.  Your second year is absolutely flying by!  You are really turning into a toddler and losing a lot of your baby traits - which is hard to handle for this mommy.  You are lots and lots of fun and keep us laughing, so we are trying to just enjoy this stage before it, too, passes.

One of the biggest recent changes is your vocabulary.  You are trying a lot more to use words to communicate with us - which is sometimes successful and sometimes total gibberish.  Some of the words you say the most are - Memo (Elmo), hat (you point at your hat rack and yell HAT! every morning when I get you out of your crib), shoe, owshy (outside), Ma (or Ma-ma - both Maggie), Daddy, Mommy, Bremma, Neena, Nanie, Gama (Grandma), mo (more), peese (please), bye bye (You say bye-bye anytime I say "I love you" ha!), choo choo, book, baby (You like to point at the canvases of you and Bren on the wall), ca (cracker), and Hi (to anyone who looks your way, complete with a wave!)  Oh, and NO!  You have mastered it - and use it often when we ask you something that you aren't too happy about.  You love to dance and will dance on command if I hold your hands or tell you to "shake your booty".  You also like to clap and say "yay" anytime you hear clapping.  You are more interested in TV if it's on - especially PBS type shows (oh, and Home Alone.  You were a big fan!).

You cut your first top molar earlier this week (around December 10) and I hope that's the reason you haven't been sleeping as well.  You have had several shorter naps this week (1 hour - whereas you usually sleep at least 3 - and up to 4.5!)  You are harder to get down at night and wake up a few times for a paci or some back-patting.  Speaking of - last night was a milestone.  Daddy went in to rock you to sleep and you actually said "Mommy".  I have no idea if you really were asking for me - but I rocked you and enjoyed it!  I love rocking you for your naps, too.  You just get so comfy in my arms and I know these days are going by too quickly.  You still are attached like crazy to Daddy - but you are coming back around to being Mommy's buddy again too.

You and Brenna play together a lot - and argue a lot too.  You are learning quickly to not let her bully you around - and she isn't taking to kindly to it.  She is really sweet with you a lot of the times - but she sure doesn't like for you to have something she wants or if you are getting too much attention.  I really hope the fussing will slow down and you guys will become even better friends over the next few months.  We do still enjoy the days that she is at school - it gives you more one-on-one time with me and it's a blast!  We've been running lots of errands lately and people always comment on how cute you are.  And I agree!!

You are eating about the same - but will eat deli meat again, yay!  You love cheese, yogurt, fruit, bread, corn, green beans, crackers, and any sweet treat you can get your hands on.  You prefer juice over milk or water - but we trick you and water it way down when you do get it.  You are still wearing mostly 12-18 month clothes with some 18-24 shirts in there.

You LOVE iPads and iPhones.  It's so funny to see you go toward them if they are in your line of sight.  We are going to have our hands full between you and your sister and monitoring screen time.  It's too cute when you pile up on our laps and lay back to see something on the screen though.

We went and cut down a Christmas tree and so far you haven't messed with it too much - and even the presents haven't gotten too messed up so far.  I am looking SO forward to Christmas celebrations with you and Bren this year - you are both going to have so much fun.  We also had a Pancakes and Pajamas party here last week - and you were super clingy to me until you found some other moms who were willing to feed you some more yummy food.

You make every day a good one.  I love you so much Spud!
Love, Mommy