Fun in Nashville

We had lots of fun while we were in Nashville for Kathryn's wedding. We left a day early to "spread out" the driving time. It worked out great because we had time to do some fun things in addition to all of the wedding activities.

One morning we went to the Opryland hotel and looked at the Christmas decorations. It's always fun to see! We went on the boat ride thru the hotel and the boys loved it!




We also went to the ICE exhibit. This is quite a site - everything is carved from ice. This year's theme was the Grinch. You put on these huge blue coats because it's freezing in the exhibit - of course it has to be, to keep the ice sculptures from melting. :) The sculptures are huge. The Grinch exhibit was very fun and whimsical. They color the ice, too, as you can see from the pics.

This picture is of Wilson going down the ice slide! He was trying to convince Andrew to do it. He went first, but Andrew never went. I thought the one of Wilson sliding was worthy of posting!


At the end of the exhibit is a carving of the nativity. It's worth going to the exhibit just to see this - Beautiful!


This is just a cute picture of Forrest playing in the hotel room.


We took the boys on a stroll downtown one day. We were staying downtown so we enjoyed walking down to the river and seeing some sights. Really just being out and about in a big city is fun for Andrew - and for us!

And have I ever mentioned how much we love our double stroller? WE LOVE IT! There are so many times we have said that we don't know what we would have done without it. It's a Baby Trend, jogging stroller. I highly recommend it.




I wish that I had some pictures of the day that Wilson took Andrew and Forrest BY HIMSELF to the Oprymills Mall. Yes, he did it all on his own! He said they had a great time. I think they spent the majority of the time in Bass Pro Shop... by the way if you have a little one, Bass Pro Shop is definitely a fun place to take them. There is so much to see - great, free entertainment! Of course, Wilson enjoyed it as much as the boys did and he even bought Andrew a cute, new coat. I was so proud of them for fending for themselves for the day so I could spend time with the girls! I think he was pretty proud too. He said he got lots of comments from other shoppers about how good he was doing. :)

It was a great weekend. We love Nashville!

Outside Time

My last post tonight...
A couple of cute pictures that Wilson took of Andrew. You can see that Wilson dressed Andrew this day, too. :)

7 months old & Brothers

Forrest is 7 months old! In the last month he has become so much more mobile! He can definitely get around and manages to scoot over, pick up, and put in his mouth whatever he sees and wants! Last weekend we were in Nashville for Kathryn's wedding (pics to come). I'd put Forrest in the middle of the hotel room floor - where I thought he was far enough away from what he shouldn't be playing with. Before I knew it, he'd have somehow gotten to the shoes, the trash can, Wilson's computer cords, etc... At that point it was more of a process for him to get stuff. In the last day or so, he's starting to actually crawl a little on hands and knees. It's about to get really busy over here!

Forrest also has his 4 top teeth now - that makes 6 in all! His hair is growing nice and thick. He's super fun and sweet as he's always been. He's eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and he's on a great schedule for eating and napping - very predictable which is oh, so nice. Of course, it will probably change tomorrow since I've said that! :) Probably the most fun thing to have watched in the last month is how Forrest and Andrew have begun interacting more. They are so, so cute together. They giggle and laugh at each other - by the way, they laugh the same way - it's hilarious! Is this true of all siblings?!? They are having lots of fun together and it's just been too cute to see.

Here are a few pictures I took of the boys looking at books before bedtime the other night...

MSU v. Kentucky

We took the boys to the MSU v. Kentucky game. Andrew went to one game last year, and this was the first (& only) one they made it to this year. Even though the Dawgs didn't win, we had fun tailgating for Bubby's birthday and enjoyed our visit to campus. Here are a few pictures from the day...

Ready for the game!

Andrew loves "Izzy" and "Unc Dawg"

Helping Bubby open his birthday present, an electric train

Forrest playing in the pack n' play - he was so good, as always!

One tired boy... He was asleep before we left campus!

Pullin' Up!

Forrest is pulling up! This started a couple of weeks ago. He's also scooting around. Before we know it, he'll be on the go. I can hardly believe it!

Happy Birthday, Wilson!

Wilson celebrated his 30th birthday on October 22nd! We had a lot of fun celebrating with family and friends throughout the week. His birthday was on a Wednesday so he got lots of birthday wishes at church and some of the youth even decorated his office - very fun!! I am so sorry to be so late posting about such a big day. Wilson is a loving, dedicated husband and father. The boys and I are so very blessed to have him leading and caring for our family. Every afternoon we look forward to that time when Wilson walks in the door from work. It's always so fun to have a couple of hours to spend together as a family. Andrew and Forrest adore him... and I do, too! Love you babe!

Trick-or-Treat

Our boys are definitely TREATS!! We had a lot of fun dressing up this year. It was the first year for Andrew to go trick-or-treating. We read books and talked about it the past couple of weeks so when tonight rolled around, he was ready! He loved going to our neighbors' homes saying "trick-or-treat" and putting candy in his jack-o-lantern. Forrest enjoyed riding along for the fun. He loves anything that he does with Andrew. Yes... they are definitely TREATS!!

little brown bear

little train engineer

Wagon-ridin' and trick-or-treatin'!

Peek-a-boo

This video was taken a couple of weeks ago. I know it's not the best angle and I tried to move during the filming to get a better view. It's still so cute and fun to see the boys interacting with each other. They are really having fun together. Forrest laughs and laughs at Andrew. At the end of this video, you see a little mischievous Andrew! :)

Our Biggest Bobo yet...

We've had our fair share of bobos and with 2 boys, I know there will be many more to come. This, however, is our biggest bobo so far. Andrew fell at May-May and Bubby's house Thursday afternoon. As Wilson says, it's a "busted face" - as opposed to a busted lip. His little upper lip was swollen out past his nose. :( When my parents brought him home, we had to fight back the tears. He looked miserable. I know it must have hurt so bad. It's a mixture of bruises and scratches on the outside and inside (of his mouth). He did tear the tissue that connects the upper lip to the gum but our friend, Nathan Beavers (who is a ped. dentist), looked at it and said he'd be fine - no stitches needed. I think he was lucky not to have any missing teeth or a broken nose! He's been very brave and tough about it and we are very proud of him. I decided to post about it since there will probably be some pictures I'll be posting where you'll be able to see it. Now you won't be looking and wondering what happened - boy, we've sure gotten our fair share of looks lately!

Pumpkin Patch

We went to the Pumpkin Patch again this year and had a great time! We met the Beavers there and the boys enjoyed being there together. We suffered a little after the fact because of the hay and allergies but I think the boys would still say it was worth it. :)

Andrew and John Keil were so excited!

The 4 boys! I tried to get one of all the boys looking at the camera but it just didn't happen. From left to right - Forrest - 6 months, Andrew - 2, John Keil - 4, Ross Harden - 3 months

The family - fun to have a picture of us! :)

Forrest and I before the hay ride!

Andrew loved picking his pumpkin! Whew, it was heavy!

Forrest

We are in love with our boys! Forrest is such a joy. He has a way of always bringing a smile to my face and joy to my heart. He is a gift, and I'm thankful to the Lord each day for the precious boys He has given to Wilson and me.

The 6 months since he was born have gone by so quickly. I'm one of those sentimental ones that actually wishes that my babies could stay little for longer. It is even easier for me to want that for Forrest because he is just so sweet and happy.

He is doing great. As I mentioned in an earlier post, his 6 month's measurements show he is growing well. :) He's also sitting on his own. He's at that great stage where he'll sit in his crib or on the floor and play by himself. In the past week, he's starting to want to pull up in his crib. Tonight, May-May was over at the house and he pulled up onto his knees in the crib. Time to lower the mattress! He loves to play with toys and gets upset when I take a toy away. I think he must feel like he's a big boy (I guess he gets that from watching his big brother) because when he's not sitting, he wants to be standing in your lap. He thinks he's way too big to need to lay down - like to get a new diaper! :)

He rolls back and forth from front to back and will try to get on his hands and knees, but he hasn't quite mastered that yet. I think that his favorite thing to do is to jump in his "jump and go". He LOVES it! I keep trying to get a video of him jumping but every time I pull out the camera, he just wants to smile at me. I love it. :)

He has a good bit of light brown hair. And I think his coloring is going to be fairer than Andrew's. He cut his 2 bottom middle teeth the week before he was 6 months and he's working on the top 4 now. Poor guy has a constant wet shirt because of all the drool! And he always has something in his mouth!

A few pics taken around his 6 month b-day...





It's been fun to see the boys interacting more. They are definitely boys! Already tumbling and wrestling - how do they know to do this???

Andrew was leaning over on top of Forrest, but Forrest knows how to fight back... pulling a little hair. :) He knows he got him, too. Look at that smile!

I love this... Andrew helping give Forrest his juice one night during dinner.

Sitting and playing on the floor by Dada. (Wilson is at his desk behind them.)

Andrew

Still setting the curve!

Well, Forrest is not technically 6 months old until tomorrow, but I took him today for his 6-month check-up. He is doing great and growing so big! I really feel in shock about him being 6 months old already. I don't know whether it's because we traveled so much this summer or because of all the "bumps in the road" we've had with the boys' health - but it just doesn't seem possible that this little bundle (or should i say big bundle) has been with us for 6 months. The time has flown by!

Before I get too sentimental or start saying all he's up to (I'll save that for his actual "6 months" post), I'll give the stats for my little man. He weighs 22 lbs 6 oz (greater than 100%) and is 28 inches long (100%). He's following the same growth curve that we've charted at our past doctor's visits, so the doctor thinks he'll probably stay big. Andrew might have a bigger little brother one day! It looks like it runs in the family - it's true of his daddy and his Uncle David.

Funny thing... today I realized that Andrew and Forrest were wearing the same size diaper! And it fit both of them! It's so crazy to me to think that a 6 month-old and a 25 month-old could wear the same size diaper. Andrew normally wears a 5 but a 4 does fit... and 3's fit Forrest best but he can wear a 4. Maybe I should just buy 4's in bulk and split between the two of them! :)

This picture was taken tonight at the dinner table. Wilson fed Forrest while I finished dinner. We began eating and let Forrest sit in his high chair at the table with us. I noticed that Forrest was quiet and that his eyes were looking a little heavy. In a few minutes time, we realized he was asleep! He took about a 30 minute nap while we ate and cleaned up. He must have been tuckered out from his day!

The Fair

We had the most fun at the fair last week! It was Andrew's first time and he loved taking it all in. Our first stop was the big yellow slide. He told us he wanted to slide. As he and Wilson climbed the steps, I wondered if he'd change his mind at the top. But he didn't - what a big boy! He loved it - see the post below.

Next, Andrew and I rode the trucks. They were a little jerky - after that, I didn't think I could do anymore rides :). It was fun riding with Andrew though.


On to the bumblebees... Wilson and Andrew rode this and had fun. Up until this point, Forrest had been asleep but when he awoke he watched the bees circle around.


We parked the stroller and all rode the ferris wheel together!

Forrest and me

Wilson and Andrew

We had a great night. We walked thru the petting zoo which Andrew was not too fond of! Enjoyed eating some yummy food - chicken on a stick and a funnel cake. Andrew played a little game & won a prize. He chose a sword... how does he even know what a sword is?? Wilson says its just a boy thing! We even walked thru the Trademart and looked at the antique cars. Forrest was content in the stroller the entire time - he loved riding and watching everything going on. He and Andrew both had a lot of fun. This last picture was taken as we were leaving - 2 tired boys!

The Big Yellow Slide

At the top - it took awhile to climb all those stairs!!

Halfway down - all smiles and a little belly showing!

The bottom - Andrew had a stunned look on his face - like "How did we get to the bottom so quick?" He immediately began saying "again, again" to Wilson. He loved the slide!