Smith Family Snapshots

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Family Round Up - Fall 2014

Our family has had a nice fall season. We've got to enjoy some fun things too!

We visited Mt. Playmore and G had lots of fun going up in the maze with each of us. I must say - I think this place is super cool!

D and I went to a concert at a local amitheatre for One Republic and it was an awesome date : )

Tulsa Trip

The boys and I visited Tulsa this fall and had great fun going to a museum with cousins and Grandma, Papa John and Great Grandma Mary.

During this trip Grandma and Papa John gave the boys matching outfits. Gavinator is in-love with his red outfit and has worn it almost every single day for the last two months. This is not an exaggeration!

Jackson was with us, but I missed getting pics of him : (

Treats after G and cousins went to the movies. Our first theatre experience!

sweet babes

This picture was taken right before we loaded up and started our drive back home. It was early in the morning, and Gavin was in a great mood ; ) (note to self: take family pictures earlier in the trip next time)

Fall Fun

We've enjoyed making some pumpkin treats and crafts!

We visited Sweet Berry Farms and enjoyed it!

We dressed up as a construction family for Halloween this year ; )

Flu Season

In November our family came down with the flu. Bah humbug!

C stayed immune to it, and D had it the worst. On the upsode we enjoyed lots of quarintined family bonding ; )

Call it sickness induced craziness but I decided to put together a photo opp of our boys - being better than the sum of their parts : )

Thanksgiving

We stayed in Austin and enjoyed a low key family Thanksgiving. David made an excellent turkey and we did some easy side dishes and instead I focused on baking lots of different pies. It was deliciousness for days and days!

C enjoyed sweet potatoes! His first food!

Gran, Grandad and Anna visited Austin

In November we were treated to a visit from the Smiths.

David baking his world famous pizza and Leslie baking her world famous apple pie!

G loves his Aunt Anna! She treated him to reading almost every single book he has! And probably read Byron Barton books multiple times ; )

Gavin, lately

Double G plays with his legos and trains every day. And builds everything from fire houses, to towers, to coffee shops!

Gavinator eats at least 1 apple each day... some days he has 3.

G is up to shenanigans a lot these days. He is a big fan of climbing up to the cookie jar.

--- Overheard ---

* When D leaves for work G says, "Bye Sweetheart"

* Mommy, can I have gator juice (gatorade)

*hang-burger (hamburger)

* Aunt Stefi (Stephanie)

* when asked what he would like to eat "just fru fries" (french fries)

* Fav color: green, Fav food: spinach (or so he says)
* I do it. I do it. (to do something by himself)
* What are we doing tomorrow? (asked every night at bed time)
* That a good idea. OR I no like that idea.

--- New Favorite ---
Taking apart things to see how they work.
It all started with learning to reassemble the nose frida.

Monday, December 1, 2014

Corbin :: 6 months

Corbin is 6 months old (on November 7)!

loves checking out the toys in his bouncer and watching mommy cook in the kitchen.

smiles all the time, but especially when sitting up and playing with toys.

movement: He arches his back all.the.time. to get a better view of G, to try to get out of his car seat, to scoot to a toy he wants.

more movement: he is sitting up unassisted and starting to rock back and forth on his knees (with his tummy semi-lifted)

sleep: C loves to sleep on his belly with his face down on his mattress.

routine

He goes to bed around 7 most nights, but is waking when he gets stuck in a corner of his crib, needs a pacifier or to eat around 4am. I will start phase 2 of sleep training, to hopefully knock out the 4 am, at 6 months old. (this update is what he was doing at 5 months old, just until he turned 6 months)

This has been a good but a long month for me with the return on middle of the night wakings. The silver lining is that Corbin started going to bed earlier in the night so I have had added time to get work done in the evenings. While there can be a certain charm to middle of the night cuddles, I'm hoping C adjusts to sleeping fully through the night over the course of this upcoming month.

personality

Corbin continues to be relaxed. He is quick to offer a smile and twinkling eyes. This month seemed like a major growth spurt for him and he has settled into more routine. One of his defining characteristics to me is that he is easy going, but also that he is unpredictable. He is quickly upset by things and can cry louder, faster than I remember with G. But, also on the plus side is that he has started to enjoy cuddling more over the last month and we love that!

dislikes being overtired or missing his morning nap

differences

I don't like the idea of comparing the boys -but- was thinking this month about slight, albeit insignificant, differences in their babyhood that I wanted to remember.

* C likes to be held differently. Either upright or facing out. It is rare that he will snuggle laying across my chest horizontally. It did start this month, but it was a new development.

* C is built lean and with a smaller head : )

* G looks like a combination of David and my dad. We think C looks more like me and D's dad.

* C arches his back and stretches out his neck to see things. He seems to also reach for more things and have a greater interest in toys at a younger age.

* C will jump/lunge out of my lap. He is definitely a bouncing baby boy.

* Corbin naps very well but night time sleep has been inconsistent and required more training. This is the exact opposite of G -- G was not much of a napper at a young age but was consistently a great night time sleeper.

* Corbin has never seemed interested in watching ceiling fans. Gav loved fans!

* Corbin loves to be undressed and get a new diaper, but dislikes getting new clothes put on. Again, this is in exact opposite preferences from Gavin as a babe.

* C sucks his thumb and likes pacifiers.

* C co-slept occasionally with me during nap time as a tiny dude. And I loooooved it.

* C giggles when held high in the air or even tossed up a little bit. Both things have always been very disconcerting to Gav.

* C likes to head-butt people... it's part of his lunging forward tendency.

--- Gavin's Thoughts on Corbin ---
* G thinks C spits a lot (it's actually drooling). I often find G running to fetch a burp cloth and prop it under C.

* G thinks C prefers Twinkle Twinkle Little Star to all other songs

* G thinks C wants to eat popcorn and apples

* G says that C sometimes gets out of his crib at night and gets into G's bed to sleep.

* Gavin adores Corbin, and the feeling is mutual. The way they look and smile at each other is precious. Corbin is infatuated with watching Gavin and seeing what big brother is up to. Gavin likewise, is often asking me what Corbin is doing, or where he is and has asked to help me feed C as we've started C on oatmeal just recently.

* Gav imitates C as much as C watches and smiles at G. I'm looking forward to seeing signs of both boys learning from each other and growing in brotherhood.

Cousin Camp :: August 2014

So this post is from late summer - but better late than never ; )

The boys and I joined my sister and her kiddos in DFW this summer for a sisters and cousin's staycation at my sister's home. It was a fabulously fun time and I hope it can be an annual tradition!

Day 1 - arrive at camp & take a 2 adult/6 kid shopping trip to get groceries

11 pm - Steph and I decide to go ahead and make tie dye shirts for the kiddos

Day 2 - BIG DAY
We planned outdoor water games for Outdoor Palooza followed by a Cousins' Birthday Party to honor all of the little's birthdays this year. (Best.Day.Ever.)