Easter 2012

Easter was a lot of fun this year.  It was kicked off by the biggest Easter party I have ever been to.  Thrown by a family in our church, they had raw egg tosses, raw egg volleyball, raw egg drop competitions, tug of war, sack races, a big easter egg hunt, etc.  It was HUGE and fun.  Unfortunately the only pics I have to share at this moment are the boys trying to send a new fashion trend - baskets for hats.

 Easter morning brought way too much candy, and another easter egg hunt.  We tried to talk the kids out of it, but they wouldn't budge. So we re-hid the eggs they got yesterday at the party.

 We didn't dye eggs until the afternoon and it was a lot more fun now that the older kids are more creative and self driven.  Phinn was a serious thinker during this activity too.

 The finished product turned out pretty great  Hilde set the stage for the photo, notice how the egg on top has her name on it?  I see advertising in her future.

Four Months Old

What is that you say, there is no way Freya is already 4 months old?  I know, I know, but SHE IS.  Here are the statistics:  24 3/4" long (60%), 16" head circumference (50%) and 13 pounds 6 ounces (60%).  She is altogether a pretty happy baby.  She has found her voice and often gettings into screaming matches with Phinn.  She can laugh really loudly and loves it when her siblings entertain her.  She is discovering her hands and drooling everywhere, we may have teeth on their way.  She is not sleeping as well now, mostly due to being sick.  She has had a bad cold she just can't kick.  She loves to be held, snuggled, and talked to.  She is working really hard on rolling over back to front, but she isn't quit there yet.  What a cutie!

Three Months Old!

This little girl turned 3 months old on March 1st.  I can hardly believe it.  The proof is in the cheeks, yes, she is starting to fill out.  Little rolls of yummy chubby baby are coming to her thighs, cheeks and belly.  I love this stage.  Freya just found her hands. You can sometimes hear her loudly munching away at them.  She is rolling onto her side, but not all the way over onto her tummy.  She is laughing and smiling more and more and has fallen into more of a routine.  After about 6 weeks of trying to get her a bottle every single day, she finally drank a grand total of 2 ounces the night before I took her to daycare.  I was worried about her, but she was a champ.  There is only one other infant in her class so she is getting a lot of attention.  Plus, not to be biased, but she is by far the cutest infant in the room.  Her bond with Enoch is continuing to deepen.  With Dave in England for a few weeks, E has stepped up to help out with her.  He sings to her, talks to her, does eskimo kisses with her, and she loves it.  I can't wait to see them grow closer over the years.  Here are some pictures from her three month milestone.

Grandma and Grandpa Come to Town

 My parents came to visit us the first full weekend in January.  I love it when they come.  The kids were thrilled and grandma had the magic touch with Freya.  Honestly, they were talking to each other and generally enjoying each others company.  They were only here for a few days, but we did get a chance to go for a walk in the trails behind our house, visit the Udvar-Hazy Air & Space Museum and play in the one snow "storm" we have had this year. 

Happy Valentine's

Valentine's Day is something that Dave and I don't really celebrate.  We mark the start of us as a couple on February 20th, so that day has real meaning for us.  We typically express heartfelt love to each other then and leave Valentine's to everyone else.  However, having kids changing things, everything really.  You are no longer in charge of which holidays you will choose to celebrate.  The hype for Valentine's wasn't huge, but it was in the air. Cards to make, candy to eat, pink/red to wear.... you get the idea.  Since I was home, I thought that his was my chance to do something special for the kids.  I decided that I would try out a new cake recipe and made a white chocolate cake with strawberry buttercream frosting in the shape of a heart.  Dave found some awesome Valentine's cards based on Downton Abbey that he printed out and hid around the house for me - it was a total and complete surprise, score one for Dave.  He also bought me some beautiful bouquets of roses the day before.  We had an awesome "hand-me-down" onesie for Freya that was perfect.  All in all, it was a great day.  Love was all around.

2 Months

It seems like every time I wake up Freya has grown some more.  She is already two months old.  At her two month check-up she measured in at exactly 11 pounds (75th percentile) and 22 1/2 inches long (50th percentile).  She is now putting on weight at a faster clip and the cheeks are starting to show it.  She found her hands the day before her check-up and now happily sucks on them when she gets a chance.  She makes that loud sucking noise that both surprises you and makes you giggle.  She is smiling more and more and even giggles herself from time to time. It is mostly the sharp intake of breath with her arms and legs waving frantically while her eyes sparkle.  Phinn is warming up to her these days and even asks to hold her or gives her kisses.  Her special bond with Enoch is continuing to grow as he is the first to ask to hold her and the last to want to let her go.  Hilde loves to show her off.  She is starting to settle into more of a routine.  She is refusing to take a bottle - but that will have to change soon as I have to go back to work in 2 weeks!  We love her, and here are some pictures to help you love her as well:

A Tale of Two Stories

Here are two stories that Enoch wrote during Language Arts and brought home from school this week (spelling is his):

Story 1:
Ther onec lived a planet. It looked like a monster.  But it wasint.  It shoots comits.  It hit an orange planet.  It was damiged.  It was a war.  And they lived happily ever after.  The end.

Story 2:
There onec lived a girl named Freya.  She found a big egg.  She saw it crack.  She yeled MoM.  Mom came and looked at the egg.  I cracked open!  Inside was a t-rex.  They toock him home and named him bitter.  And they lived haply ever after.  The end.

I love these little glimpses into what is in his head.