Friday, January 27, 2012

Winter 2011

Lately I have had NO motivation to get my blogging done! I seem to always fill my little free time that I do have with other things besides getting a post finished! So this post is a snapshot of our month of December, and the time we spent together making memories as a growing family!

I love holiday traditions! Every year, on the first Saturday in December, all of Matt's family, cousins and his Aunt's & Uncle's head out first thing in the morning to Farmer Brown's tree farm to find the perfect Christmas tree! It was absolutely freezing outside, so we tried to find the best tree we could, as fast as possible!



 Uncle Matt, Matthew, Caleb & Landon trying to find the perfect tree!

We finally found it! Daddy cut it down, we strapped it to the top of our Explorer, and we went to go have hot chocolate and stand around a warm fire!

 After you cut down your tree, you have to drive down a gravel path, where you get to the main parking lot to have cocoa and a fire. So instead of buckling Matthew back into his carseat, we let him sit with us. Actually, he wanted nothing to do with me, but was fascinated with Daddy driving. I think this picture is hilarious! We seriously were driving maybe 5-10 mph...I promise...even though the picture looks as if Matthew is zooming down the road at 60!

 One of the blessings of Matt being a teacher is Winter break! We had Daddy home for over 2 weeks! I have so much flexibility with my job as well, that I only had to work 2 nights during that time! We cherished all the fun memories and relaxing days we got to spend together as a family! 

 One afternoon we ate lunch at The Cabbage Patch resturant in downtown Snohomish. It was delicious!

 Matthew LOVED spending every day with his Daddy.
I don't think I heard another word come from Matthew's mouth besides "Dada!"
I love to see how much Matthew loves his Daddy, and what a good Daddy Matt is to his baby boy!


 We spent lazy days at home....

 and did alot of Christmas shopping together!

 Matthew loved his Christmas tree! He liked to look at it, and play with a few of the ornaments, but we never had a problem with him getting into the tree too much! We were plesantly surprised, considering what a busy boy he is!

 Baby's First Christmas!

 Fascinated with Christmas lights!

 Matthew and Daddy doing dishes one morning...Matthew thought he was being a big helper!

Christmas was so special this year! Not only did we get to celebrate Matthew's first Christmas, we also found out on Christmas Eve that we are expecting a BABY GIRL, due May 1st! We couldn't be more thrilled, and are in awe of the way that God has blessed our family in unexpected ways!

We had our anatomy ultrasound the beginning of December, but instead of finding out what we were having at our appointment, we had the tech write down the gender, and seal it in an envelope! We then began the daunting task of leaving the envelope unopened on our bookshelf for almost 3 weeks! The first couple of days were kind of agonizing, but we got so busy with the Christmas season that time seemed to fly!

On December 21st, we headed to Nordstrom and picked out matching baby boy and baby girl outfits. We left the sweet lady at Nordstrom with both outfits, our credit card, and the sealed envelope! We finished up our Christmas shopping, while they opened the envelope, and wrapped the outfit that matched the gender of baby we were having! We were so excited for Christmas Eve to arrive to find out if Matthew is going to have a baby brother or sister!

We were so excited to open the gift on Christmas Eve morning and find a PINK outfit! It's a GIRL!!
  

 Such a memorable way for us to start off Christmas Eve!
 After we found out that Matthew is going to have a little sister, Daddy read the Christmas story from the bible! We then headed over to my parents house for Christmas Eve day, and to share our exciting news 
with them! Grammy and Grandpa were thrilled! We made them open the gift too!
 

 Could this kid get any cuter??

 All of the Engel family & cousins came over to my parents house to celebrate Christmas!
 We had an amazing cookie bar/exchange!!

 Christmas Eve night, we always go over to Matt's parents house to celebrate Christmas with his brothers and sisters! We started the night off by having Grandma Sherry open the gift to find out she was having another Granddaughter! After having so many boys around, Grandma and Papa were very excited to find out it was a girl! Amy, my sister in law, and one of my very best friends, is also having a girl! We are due within days of eachother! I'm so excited to be able to share this special time with her and our baby girls!!!

We ate our traditional and very yummy dinner of grilled ham and cheese sandwhiches, and then opened presents! Matthew loves his new bus...he especially likes to dance to the music that it plays!

 I love this picture of Joshua! He couldn't figure out why someone would pull his pants up so high! Ha!

On Christmas morning, my parents, Bami, and Aunt Susan & Uncle Bruce came over for breakfast.
Matthew also got to open up his stocking. He was excited to see what "Santa" brought him!


 After breakfast, we got all dressed up and went to church! It was different getting dressed up and going to church on Christmas day, but what a better way to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, then starting the morning worshipping Him, and reflecting on the true meaning of Christmas!!

 After church, we came back to Grammy and Grandpa's house to open presents!

 Matthew absolutely LOVED his car from Grammy and Grandpa! Such a spoiled loved little boy!

Matthew was playing Peek-a-boo with the wrapping paper!



Christmas evening we went over to Matt's aunt's house and continued the celebration with his family....but I forgot to take any pictures! We had such a wonderful Christmas, rejoicing in birth of Christ, spending time with family, enjoying yummy food, and celebrating Matthew's first Christmas!

Later that week, we went bowling with my parents!

Matthew & Grandpa

Hott.Stuff.


Matthew's first trip to the bowling alley!

Matt & I celebrated our 4 year wedding anniversary on December 29th. I am so blessed to be married to my best friend, a man who loves the Lord and his family with his whole heart! Matthew had a sleepover with his Grandpa & Grammy while we enjoyed a night of shopping, a movie, & dinner at our favorite...Cheesecake Factory!! Of course we had our all time favorite appetizer, Avacado Eggrolls....delicious! We also loved sleeping in, having a quiet morning together, and a white chocolate mocha from Starbucks!


On New Years Eve, we had some friends and family over to our house to celebrate 2011, and ring in 2012!
Matthew was asleep long before midnight, so he officially slept through his first New Years!
We celebrated New Years with the kids, East coast style at 9:00pm so they could go to bed!

Kissing Mom at "Midnight"


This was the look I got when I asked Joshua to smile!

The rest of the night we spent laughing and playing games!




Happy New Year!



Thursday, January 5, 2012

10 months

Matthew Jay you are 10 months old!
What have you been up to these days??

Weight: 19 pounds (40th percentile....you are SO busy that you burn about every calorie you take in!)
Length: 28.5 inches (60th percentile)
Head Circumference: I can't remember, but it's big and in the 95th percentile!

Grandma Sherry says that Daddy was a skinny boy like you...and had a big head too!

You are saying "dada!" This is defiantly your new favorite word, because you love to say it all.the.time! You say it when you see or want Daddy. But you also say it when he's gone, when we are at the grocery store, when we are looking at pictures, or walking down the stairs in the morning! It melts my heart to see how much you love your Daddy!

Lately, you have been such a Daddy's boy!
You get so excited when he comes home from work, and love to follow him around the house!

You started standing on your own!

You visited your Uncle Adam and Aunt Willow in Colorado to celebrate your First Thanksgiving!
While we were in Colorado, Uncle Adam taught you how to use your fingers (you use the back of your hand), and move it over your lips saying bbbbb! So cute!

You have always been such a smiley baby, and had such an infectious smile. Lately, you have a new smile where instead of just smiling with your mouth, you wrinkle up your entire face, and give a big cheesy grin!

You have discovered the stairs, and love to climb them. Thank goodness for baby gates! You get SO excited and giddy when we pretend to chase you up the stairs, and you try to climb them just as fast as you can.

As a baby, we always used to run the vacuum around you or when you were napping, and it never bothered you....until a few weeks ago! All of a sudden you have become scared of the vacuum and loud noises! One day Daddy was vacuuming our bonus room while you were eating lunch. He even closed the door so it wouldn't be loud. But, as soon as the vacuum turned on, you got a quivery chin, and started to cry until Daddy was all done....we couldn't help but laugh!

You love to play peek-a-boo! You will hold just about anything up over your face while we say "Where's Matthew?" Then you get a kick out of yourself when you pull it down and we say "Peek-a-Boo!".
We end up doing this over and over again!

I always planned on breastfeeding until you were 1 year old. However, just after 9 months old, I lost my milk supply, and had to start supplementing with formula. I cried the whole way through giving you your first formula bottle. Ha! To my surprise, you absolutely LOVE taking a bottle. I thought the taste of formula might be hard to get used to, but you love it! I was still producing milk, so I was planning on nursing you morning and night, but supplementing with formula during the day. However, after doing this for a week or so, you completely gave up nursing, had absolutely no interest in it, and only wanted bottles! I never thought that weaning you would be so easy! So we are officially finished breastfeeding, and even though I didn't nurse for a full year, I am so proud that I was able to do it for 9 months!
You now take 3-4, 6 ounce bottles during the day, and are one happy little boy!

We got your first Christmas Tree and are preparing for Christmas!

You are absolutely fascinated with opening the kitchen cabinets, and exploring and removing whatever is inside! I think it's officially time for some locks!

We have learned through experience that we have to keep the bathroom door closed too! You also love the toilet and pulling toilet paper off the roll! One day you snuck off, and I found you in the bathroom with a big pile of toilet paper on the ground, dangling you fingers in the toilet, while playing with the water! GROSS!

I'm constantly amazed at how much you learn from just watching us day to day! We never taught you, but you obviously saw Mommy and Daddy do it enough, that you learned how to hold a cell phone up to the side of your head! We usually don't let you have our cell phones, but one day you found mine on the floor. I looked at you and realized that you were really holding it up like you were trying to talk on it! Now all we have to do is say "Say Hello!" and you put a cell phone, remote control, toy car...whatever is in your hand, up to your ear to "talk!" Too cute!

You learned how to give the best high fives!

Daddy taught you what a monkey says! You make the funniest "aahh" sound when we ask you what a monkey says.

Matthew Jay, I can hardly believe that your FIRST birthday is right around the corner. You are the absolute joy of our lives, and I couldn't be more blessed to be called your Mommy!