The Gifford Gang-Faith, Family and Fertility

Cuteness

2012-01-12T20:35:00.001-05:00

Nolen is 5!

2012-01-12T19:46:00.000-05:00

For some reason 5 is an age that is bittersweet for me. I am so happy that Nolen is healthy and growing but 5 just seems so old! Nolen is no longer a toddler....he is a little boy. He will start school this year. Almost all of his baby fat is gone. Nolen was our baby for almost 4 years and now he is 5!

Nolen is at a very shy age right now. He is definitely a home body which is nothing new. He LOVES Legos. He can sit at the kitchen table for hours and play right by himself with them. I am so glad that he has an imagination. Eric and I decided that he needs some social interaction....so him and Gavin are both taking JiuJitsu. At first he didn't want to do it and would not really participate but after a little ~~bribery~~ encouragement he is doing much better.

Nolen is very loving and sensitive. He will cuddle all day. He very rarely has to be punished because all it takes is one look and he bursts in to tears and says he is sorry.

For his birthday this year all he wanted to do was have a Lego cake and go to Mamaw and Papaw's house. I couldn't go and buy a Lego cake because then Gavin wouldn't be able to have it so I had to make it. Honestly, I just didn't have it in me to spend 4 hours trying to decorate a cake and since he wasn't having a party....I didn't. Ha! I told him that it was made with love even if it is ugly...but my sweet boy said he loved it and he thought is was awesome.

He wanted a Lego cake and he got one.....a cake with Legos on it. They were new Lego's so he was very excited!

{Nolen and his pitiful cake}

{Nolen and his cousin Elliott}

{He was very excited about his new Dino Legos}

{He got cool guys from Old Mamaw}

{Mommy and Daddy got him a real bow! Gavin got one for his birthday and Nolen has been wanting to get out there and practice with them....now he can!}

Christmas Day 2011

2011-12-29T08:00:00.000-05:00

My boys actually slept until about 7:45 which is pretty good for Christmas morning...and for Nolen.

The first presents my boys wanted to open were the ones that my Mom sent back from Florida. They have been shaking them for 2 weeks, Gavin said his sounded like sand and Nolen said his was Legos.

Gavin was wrong....apparently tissue paper with a shirt and money sounds like sand.

Nolen was right....and very happy.

Gavin has been asking for "real tools" so he could help Daddy.

Nolen got boxing gloves and a Bozo punching bag. We are hoping they will take their frustrations out on Bozo instead of each other.

Cohen just wanted to eat....immediately.

Daddy got a hunting umbrella so he can go hunting in the rain....YAY! Now even the rain won't stop him from going hunting.

Gavin got a jacket all the way from the Volcom store in Soho. He loves it!

He threw a fit over this hat when he saw it a few weeks back and I told him that he couldn't have it because it was Christmas time. He was so happy to get it....can you tell?

Nolen and his action links.

Daddy loves his t-shirt that he ordered for himself.

Gavin is helping his baby brother....so sweet.

Puzzles! Nolen loves puzzles!

Cohen didn't care about the presents but he is happy anyways.

Gavin was very happy to see that Nolen got a Wii!

Cohen opened a present!

This is Nolen's reaction to getting jeans.

Gavin and his new skateboard. He was sooo excited!

We had a great Christmas! We are so blessed.

Christmas Eve 2011

2011-12-28T08:00:00.000-05:00

We had a great Christmas Eve! We started it off with an amazing service at OneLife Church. It was the perfect way to start off the evening....remembering what Christmas is really about.

Afterwards, we headed out to Eric's parents house. We had a great dinner, read the Christmas story and opened gifts. The kids had a blast, such a great night!

Daddy and Cohen.

Trouble.

Adorable Elliott.

I said let me take your picture and she put her hand on her hip and gave me her best smile....love her!

Papaw with grandchildren #9 and #10.

The 2 best of about 30 pictures of our family.

Cohen and Caedmon "playing".

Cohen with his name stool....I think he likes it!

Gavin is so cool and grown up ;)

Nolen and Elliott

Nolen opening his present.....I think Gavin likes his gift.

Cohen getting a little help opening his gift.

How sweet is Baby Caedmon?

This is how the kids tell Mamaw thank you for their gifts....she is under there somewhere.

Eric has to make Christmas cookies every Christmas Eve with his Mommy. How sweet?

Cohen in his new pajamas.

Mommy and Cohen...it is past his bedtime.

Gavin and Nolen got to open a present from each other on Christmas Eve.

Gavin is 7!

2011-12-27T08:00:00.000-05:00

Gavin turned 7 this month!

Gavin has changed so much this past year! He used to be so shy....or so we thought--he is NOT shy at all anymore. He is very outgoing and funny....and very loud. I am constantly telling him to use his inside voice and he says he doesn't have one--I am beginning to agree with him.

He is very smart and so far school is pretty easy for him.

Gavin is very in to football and hunting. He is passionate about anything and everything that his Daddy likes. He loves skateboarding and riding his bike...and just being outside in general.
Gavin LOVES sharks. At this point in life, he really wants to be a marine biologist and swim with sharks. Aaaahhh....hopefully he changes his mind about the swimming with sharks part.

He hates homework but he does it right when he gets home from school so he can have the rest of the day to play.

He is still allergic to milk and it actually seems to bother him more now than it used to. We are still praying that he outgrows it soon so we can have a "milk party".

Gavin is an amazing big brother and says that he is ready for me to have another baby. He is praying for a girl so I will have someone to help me clean....so he doesn't have to. He does help some around the house but doesn't do it willingly.

Gavin's role models are his Daddy and Tim Tebow....what better role model is there than Tim Tebow?

We are so blessed every single day by him. He is a self-proclaimed Daddy's boy but he loves his Mama too. He fits perfectly in our family and we love him so very much.

New York City

2011-12-26T17:18:00.001-05:00

Ever since Eric surprised me and took my to New York for my 30th birthday, we have been wanting to go back. I have always wanted to go at Christmas time and since Cohen is a year old and no longer nursing, we decided to go in December. I have never been away from him for more than just a few hours so I was a little apprehensive....but so excited. Let's just be real here--I knew Cohen would be fine, he is very social and loves anyone and everyone. I was worried for myself.

Anyways, we left the house at about 4:30 on Friday morning and Cohen slept horribly all night which is very unusual for him. When the alarm went off and I got up, he woke up and thought it was morning. He was ready to party....and eat breakfast. When Eric and I left, he was screaming in Mamaw's arms which broke my heart. But she fed him and then he went back to sleep and was completely fine the rest of the weekend.

We walked like crazy and I don't care how comfortable you think your shoes or boots are, your feet are going to hurt.

We saw The Highline, Central Park, Times Square, Battery Park, The 911 Memorial, Soho, Chinatown, The Radio City Rockettes, The Lion King and everything and everywhere in between.

We ate amazing food at Carmine's, Fig and Olive, Del Friscos, Roxy Deli and tons of other places.

We had such an amazing time and it was so nice to get away with my husband and good friends. It is good to know that we still have things in common and can have fun that doesn't involve being parents.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T14:06:00.001-05:00

Thanksgiving

2011-12-01T20:46:00.001-05:00

We had a pretty low key Thanksgiving this year, which was so nice. We did not travel but my Dad and StepMom came up from Florida. We went out to Eric's parents and had amazing food and relaxed.

Eric's beloved Miami Dolphins played so we were all ~~required~~ lucky enough to get to wear our Dolphins Gear.

Cohen and his "Old Mamaw" (that is what all the grandkids call her--she is Eric's Grandma).

She loves to feed Cohen and he loves to eat--a match made in heaven!

Sweet Nolie Polie

Daddy carving one of the 3 turkeys

Daddy and Nolen playing

Daddy, Cohen and Nolen

Mommy and a very grouchy and tired baby.

He finally gave up.

When he woke up he was much happier and ready for round 2 of his Thanksgiving feast

My Dad and Cohen

Gavin was very busy the whole day. He informed us that he doesn't need little toys like Nolen, he just needs to be outside with his imagination.

Cades Cove 2011

2011-12-01T08:31:00.001-05:00

My Dad and Elsie came in town for Thanksgiving. We decided to take a drive up to Cade's Cove (or Code's Cave according to Gavin). We went up through Townsend and hit no traffic, which was amazing!

One of our main goals for going was to try and get a family picture for our Christmas card. Although, I got a few of the boys that were good....it was a major FAIL as far as a getting one of all 5 of us. Mainly, because of Eric's hair. He decided to bring his hair stuff and just fix it when we got there. Let's just say....that was not the best idea. Anyways, we used one of our previous family pictures so it worked out.

This little guy was getting a little sick of being in his carseat....and he was not at all impressed with the scenery.

Nolen's smile cracks me up.....his whole face smiles.

Gavin posing....

This cracks me up....Daddy was getting everyone situated.

My boys....how precious are they?

Toothless Gavin

Mommy and Cohen

Big boy standing (walking? not so much)

Papa (my Dad) and the boys

Papa, Mama Elsie and Cohen

Jax Beach

2011-11-15T20:52:00.001-05:00

Eric was in a wedding in Jacksonville this past weekend and so we all went down. Thank God my Mom was able to come over and stay with us and keep the boys so I was able to attend the rehearsal and wedding with Eric. It was so nice to get dressed up and be around adults for a change.

The wedding was beautiful and the bride looked stunning. My husband looked pretty handsome as well. It would have been awesome if I had some pictures of us dressed up.....but I don't.

These are the 3 pictures that were taken on our trip.

How fabulous is this sunrise?

Eric took the kids out on the beach and to a little park.

We ate at the Salt Life Food Shack and it was really good. It is always a little nerve wracking trying new restaurants with Gavin because of his milk allergy. They did a great job and he was able to have grilled mahi and corn on the cob.

We had a great time. It was a quick trip and a lot of time in the car but it was worth it.

Cohen's 1 year pics....

2011-11-08T20:44:00.000-05:00

Have I mentioned that I love pictures of my kids? Can you imagine any better "wall art"? I can't.

A friend of mine, Tiffany who also happens to be an amazing photographer took these 1 year pictures of Cohen.

He could not have been a better model.

Now I have the tough decision of which ones to print. Any suggestions, anyone?

Ninja, Captain Hook and a Baby Shark

2011-11-06T08:21:00.002-05:00

Well.....they days of Eric and I picking and coordinating matching outfits for the boys on Halloween are over. Both Gavin and Nolen had very strong opinions about what they wanted to dress up as. We went over to a friends house this year and went trick-or-treating with 2 other families. The kids had so much fun! They got TONS of candy....which I wish would go away.

Little Captain Hook could not be any cuter!

My Ninja!

I love this picture. Hot husband.....adorable shark baby.

Love that smile.

Gavin looks so grown up to me. This is the only picture I got of him after we left our house. He was way to busy.

Nolen in full costume. He had fun but once his little bag was full....he was over it. He didn't want to go to anymore houses. He said he had enough candy, he was cold and was ready to go home. That boy can whine with the best of them. I think 4 is the age of whining.

The next day I put Cohen's costume back on him and took some pictures.

Little Man standing....he has zero interest in walking but he can stand for as long as he wants.

Love him.

Pumpkin Carving

2011-11-05T21:58:00.000-04:00

Eric and the boys (well mostly just Eric) carved pumpkins. Gavin and Nolen ran around the yard and got more grass stains and holes in their jeans while Eric carved pumpkins.

Gavin and Nolen with their pumpkins

Daddy and two of his boys

Cohen wanted in on the "man" picture

My Big Boy.

2011-10-25T20:53:00.000-04:00

I had a parent/teacher conference with this little toothless cutie's teacher yesterday. It is so interesting to hear about your child from another person's perspective. Eric and I have often wondered if other people get to see the same Gavin that we do. When we are around people that he doesn't know, he always comes across as quiet and shy. We know a very different side of him--a smart, funny, loving and sometimes wild kid.....but we didn't know if others get to see that. Well......we are happy to know that they do!

{Gavin lost his front top tooth last night! So adorable!}

His teacher had nothing but amazing things to say about him. She did say that he was very shy and quiet the first few weeks but that went away once he got used to his environment, teacher and classmates. He is definitely like me in a lot of ways. Eric is comfortable in any situation and just doesn't care what anyone else thinks about him....a quality I wish I had. I am not shy or quiet but when people first meet me they think that I am. It just takes me a little while to warm up.

{today was Hat Day at school}

I knew that he was doing well in school based on his report card that came home on Friday. He had all A's and E's. She said he is a quick learner and very bright.

She said that he is very popular...especially with the little girls. I mean....look at that face? Of course he is! He is definitely not interested in girls yet but she said they all love him. HA!

She also said that he is nice to everyone. This made Eric and I very happy. Every morning when I take him to school I pray for him (my Mom did it every single day from kindergarten until I graduated high school) and I always say "help him to be kind to everyone". It's good to know he is listening.

He definitely makes his Mommy and Daddy so proud.

Ok...I am done bragging for now.

Cohen's Party

2011-10-24T22:28:00.000-04:00

We had Cohen's birthday party on Saturday. Things got off to a rough start. My car was in the shop across town with the birthday banner in it. Gavin had 2 football games and someone blocked Eric's truck in at the field. I didn't have time to put out half of the decorations I had planned to. If it weren't for our family coming and helping, I wouldn't have gotten it done.

You know what though? This little guy didn't care one bit.

He helped open his presents.

My friend Jody made him a few hats for this winter....too cute!

He really enjoyed reading his cards.

Birthday boy.

Cohen and his cousin Caedmon.

Cohen and his scrunchy face.

Checking out his cake...

He did not need any encouragement....he dove right in.

I don't know who that kid is in the background with his mouth open with food in it....but his Mama needs to teach him some manners! Oh wait.....he belongs to me.

This was Cohen after the party.....he was pooped.

seeing double....

2011-10-24T20:47:00.000-04:00

I have said so many times that Nolen is Eric's "mini-me". Today, Eric's Mom brought a picture that she found of Eric. I could not believe it. It is seriously crazy.

The picture is a little blurry.

This is Eric when he was around 5 or 6.

And this is Nolen at age 4.

When I picked up the boys from school today, I showed them the picture. Nolen stared at it for a long time and when I asked him who it was....he said "me". It was almost like he was confused because it looked like him but he didn't remember wearing those clothes and posing for that picture.

Gavin said it was Nolen too. It is crazy how much they look alike. I guess I don't have to wonder what Nolen will look like as he grows up!

Cohen through the months....

2011-10-23T22:07:00.002-04:00

This banner is from Cohen's party.

Here is a close up of each picture. It is crazy how much he changed in just one months time. Right around the 5 month picture is when he really starts to look like "Cohen".

Love my baby.

Family Fun at the Pumpkin Patch!

2011-10-23T21:47:00.002-04:00

When we asked Gavin what he wanted to do for fall break since we weren't going to Florida, he said he wanted to spend the night with Mamaw and Papaw and go to to Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch. That sounded pretty reasonable.....so Thursday night he spent the night with Eric's parents and had a blast and Sunday after church we headed to Oakes Farm!

This little mini Eric melts my heart. That smile and those dimples....he is quite the charmer.

They really do love each other....most of the time.

Gavin being silly.

Mommy and Cohen.

In the corn maze with cotton candy = happy kids

Nolen searching for his pumpkin....it took him about 5 seconds.

It is so funny how different the boys are.

It took Gavin forever, he wanted to find the perfect pumpkin.

Nolen on the other hand, just ran out and claimed the first pumpkin he saw.

Daddy and his boys

Our family.....we are so blessed.

Cohen is 1....say what?

2011-10-18T16:36:00.000-04:00

Cohen is ONE today! I cannot believe it. I know it is so cliche to say.."time flies" but it totally does!

Cohen is a great eater. He will pretty much eat anything I offer him. I think our days of baby food are numbered....he wants whatever we are eating. He is done nursing. Nolen was so attached to nursing and it took forever to wean him. Cohen could care less. I could tell he was starting to get distracted and would only nurse for a minute on each side so I started cutting feedings. I have this fear of him suddenly quitting and me getting Mastitis (which is what happened with Gavin). It has been 2 days since he nursed and he just doesn't care. It is kind of sad....he isn't a baby anymore.

He is very busy! Always in to some sort of trouble. He has almost eaten dog food and has played in the toilet.....twice. It is hard to keep that lid down....just ask Gavin and Nolen. He can climb out of his walker and climbs in to and on top of his toy basket. He can stand for as long as he wants but has zero interest in walking.

He is still in a size 4 diaper and weighs just under 23 lbs. He has definitely slowed down on growing.....and still wears mostly 12-18 month clothes.

He has nothing to do with a pacifier but will not go to sleep without sucking on his elephant. I ordered 2 more of them and I now have a rotation to keep them from getting stinky.

He jibber jabbers....a lot. He will try to say most things I ask him to if he is in the mood. Most words sound nothing like the actual word but at least he is trying.

He is definitely not shy and will go to anyone who will take him. He reaches for everyone....even strangers in the grocery store.

I have to tell a funny story about the birthday boy. One night last week, Gavin and Nolen went to spend the night with Eric's parents and we took Cohen and went to dinner. We went to this little Mexican Restaurant and it is so yummy but the tables are on top of each other. We were sitting really close to a table with 3 younger women at it. Cohen would not quit staring at them. He kept turning around and smiling and waving at them. He was totally flirting with them. There was an empty chair at their table and he kept grabbing it and pulling on it. Eric got on to him a couple of times and he didn't stop, so the 3rd time he smacked his hand and told him "NO". Cohen looked at Eric and then looked at the girls, turned around and gave Eric this look that said, "Daaaaddddd, you totally embarrassed me in front of these pretty girls!!" Then he started crying his pitiful--you hurt my feelings cry. He was so mad at Eric, he kept giving him dirty looks....it was so funny.

Anyways, Cohen has had a great first year of life and we all feel so blessed to have been a part of it. He is just the happiest most lovable little boy. I love him so much!

Stay tuned for pictures of his 1st birthday bash and his 1 year pictures!

Team

2011-10-12T19:56:00.001-04:00

Gavin is in the middle of his 3rd season of flag football. Eric is his Coach and has always taken his "job" very seriously (that may be an understatement). He is a great Coach and the boys learn so much from him. It's no secret though, Daddy does not like to lose. In past seasons, Gavin has not been very passionate about winning. He wanted to play but he would tell Eric, "Daddy, it's not about winning, its about having fun!" A little role reversal going on you think? Gavin just didn't care if they won or how well he did. I think he did it more for Eric than "love of the game".

Well....things have changed. Gavin is serious about football these days. He is always outside "practicing". He gets really upset with himself if he doesn't play as well as he knows he can.
We had planned on going to Florida for Fall Break this year. That meant that Gavin and Eric would miss Saturday's double header. Gavin informed us that we couldn't go to Florida. He said that his team needed him and that he didn't think they could win without him. I was so blown away. My 6 year old is part of a team....and he didn't want to go play on the beach (one of his favorite things ever) because he wants to be here to play with them....win or lose. I am a proud Mama.

The Beach

2011-09-21T06:30:00.000-04:00

Have I mentioned that my kids love the beach? Well, they do......

Eric was hunting in Canada over Labor Day so the boys and I headed to Florida. There was a tropical storm so it wasn't exactly the best beach weather. We only got to go one day and it was cloudy but the boys didn't seem to mind. They had a blast.

Nolen and Ayla....they looove each other!

When we got there, Gavin was pouting because I wouldn't let him bring his I-Pod down to the beach. That lasted about 5 seconds. As soon as his feet touched the sand, he forgot all about it.

Sand does not bother this little guy one bit. When he was a baby, he hated the sand. I am sure I have said it before but you could sit him in a chair and he would not move for hours because he did not want to get sand on any part of him. I would say he got over it.

My big boy....he looks so grown up here!

Nolen being silly.....

Oh Mom, seriously. Can you get me out of this thing? I wanna eat some sand!

Gavin Boogie Boarding

Little toes in the sand.

This was the first time that I sat Cohen in the sand and just let him play. Of course, he had to taste it.....

Want some?

11 Months! + 2 days

2011-09-20T12:14:00.000-04:00

Cohen is 11 months old! I cannot believe that in less than a month we will be celebrating his 1st birthday....crazy!

He is a mess! In.to.every.thing. Gone are the days of cuddling on the couch. He does not like to be contained. If I put him behind the gate, in the walker or the bouncy chair....he throws an awful fit and really shows his little attitude.

If I put him down and let him explore, he is happy as he can be.

Little sample of the attitude....

I thought Cohen was going to be my earliest walker since he crawled and pulled up pretty early. Gavin walked right around his first birthday and Nolen didn't walk until he was 15 months old. However, he doesn't seem to be in any rush. He crawls so fast and if you try to hold his hands and help him walk he just collapses his legs.

Not sure what happened to my pictures but they are not so great this time. It could be the fact that he will not be still so most of them were blurry.

Cohen's new favorite thing to do is climb the stairs. He can go all the way to the top and is so proud of himself. He thinks it is hilarious and giggles the entire way up.

I think he has slowed down a bit on the growth. He is wearing mostly 12-18 month clothes with some

18-24 mixed in and size 4 diapers. He still has 6 teeth.

He is only nursing twice a day now. He nurses when he wakes up in the morning and right before bed at night. He is very busy and is all over the place while nursing....if you know what I mean.

He has taken a huge interest in table food. I think it all started when my Mom fed him waffles on our last trip to Florida. He wants whatever we are eating and loves every thing I have given him.

He continues to be a great sleeper most of the time. He did have a few nights where he woke up several times but fortunately he went back to his 12 hour sleeping stretches.

He really wants to talk. He is constantly blabbering. He still says several words but his favorites right now are "YES!" and "HI!".

He is just the sweetest little ball of energy! We all love him so much!

Cohen's Nursery

2011-08-31T08:05:00.000-04:00

So....I have been meaning to do this for the last 10 months. I wanted to have pictures of Cohen's nursery
and I finally took them.

I love his room. I looooovvveee the wall that Eric painted. Every time I go in there, it is a reminder of how much he MUST love me to do that. The circles on the wall are fabric in little cross stitching hoops (I think that is what they are). It was a VERY cheap project and I think it turned out pretty cute.

The picture over the glider is of me when I was pregnant. The matting around it is signed by all the girls from my shower.

The glider was from Gavin's room. It was a honey wood and had denim cushions on it. We sanded it and painted it black. After deciding that my sewing skills were not up to re-covering the cushions....I found some online and ordered them.

The letters are from my favorite store, Hobby Lobby. I also made the canvas monogram sign. I actually did that just a few weeks before he was born....I thought it turned out really cute.

The picture over Cohen's bed was taken just a few days after he was born. So sweet.

I know I am ridiculous but I totally put his bumpers back in his bed just for these pictures. The thought of him getting his face stuck in them while he is sleeping terrifies me so I took them out when he started sleeping in his crib. He sleeps with NOTHING in his crib except for his little lovie....which he shoves in his mouth...which also makes me nervous. His crib looked so cozy yesterday with all the cushioning in it.....but I just know I couldn't sleep with them in there.

So....I have a question. Do you have bumpers in your 10 month old's crib? At what age do you let them sleep with a blanket? Yes, this is my 3rd child. Yes, I am paranoid.

Where did my pants go?

2011-08-21T13:21:00.000-04:00

I forgot to write about something funny that happened on the cruise....and I want to remember it.
The last night of the cruise, Eric had a really hard time sleeping. He had been in the room sleeping pretty much all day because he had a stomach bug.....so he wasn't really tired. Since he was so restless, I was having a really hard time sleeping. He decided to go for a walk and so I was trying to go to sleep.
All of a sudden I hear Gavin moving around. He climbed out of his bed and slowly got up and walked to the bathroom, fiddled with the door for a few seconds and then walked in the bathroom and closed the door behind him, without turning on the light. Keep in mind that we are in a tiny room with NO windows, there was no natural light, it was completely dark.
I am wondering how he could possibly be going to the bathroom in the dark. I get up and open the bathroom door and turn the light on. There is Gavin, peeing all over the closed toilet lid! It is just rolling off the toilet back on to him and all over the floor. I said, "GAVIN, what are you doing?" and I quickly lift the toilet seat. He continues to pee and says, "I'm going to the bathroom."
His pajama pants were soaked, so after he finished, I got him out some clean underwear and he put them on and got back in the bed.
The next morning when I woke him up to get dressed, he sits up in the bed and says, "Ummmm......where did my pants go?" He doesn't remember anything.

10 Months Old!

2011-08-18T21:41:00.000-04:00

Our photo session did not go so well at first. Cohen has learned that when he gets put in his bed.....most of the time it is to go to sleep. He did not want to sleep.....and he freaked out.

He really wanted out of there.....so we had to change locations!

Cohen is learning so much.....I cannot believe all the new things that he is doing.

He is right around 22 lbs and is wearing 12-18 month clothes and size 4 diapers.

He has started communicating quite a bit. I am just blown away....I think he is a genius! HA!

While we were on the cruise, Aunt Sara taught him to wave and say "HI". He does it all the time, mostly to strangers....he has the cutest wave EVER!

I'm just really gonna brag now and list all the things that he says and does: he says "dada" and "mama" but doesn't relate them to us so I'm not going to count those. He points at my eyes and says "eye", if I ask where my nose is he points at my nose, when I ask him where his mouth is he says "aaahhh" and sticks his finger in his mouth. He also shakes his hand at me and says "nononono" when he gets frustrated or I get on to him. He also waves and says "diedie" which we find hilarious.

He LOVES to have his teeth brushed. He giggles the whole time....not sure why it is so funny but it is to him. He is all over the place and in to everything. He can climb out of his high chair while buckled in with the tray on...crazy kid!

He loves Gavin and Nolen and he wants to play with their stuff so bad. He gets really mad when they take anything from him. He will "tell them off" in his own way.....pretty funny. He is quite the entertainer....repeating any behavior that gets a laugh out of us.

He still sleeps great and naps great. He is just so happy and smart and funny. We cannot imagine life without him.

First Day of School!

2011-08-18T21:10:00.000-04:00

Gavin started school this week. He was not very excited. For about a week before he started he tried every day to talk me in to homeschooling him. He gave me all the reasons that it would be best for both of us. We could sleep later, he could do school in his "comfy's", I wouldn't have to pack his lunch and he could eat at home, he could play with his own toys at recess. They were all good reasons....but he still had to start school bright and early Monday.

I cannot get over how much he has changed since his first day of Kindergarten. He looks so grown up!

August 2010--Gavin's first day of Kindergarten.

First day of 1st grade.

Gavin is such a smart little boy. We are so proud of him.

Nolen started his last first day of Mothers Day Out this week too. Next year this time.....Nolen will be going to Kindergarten! Aaaaahhhhh.....my babies are growing way too fast.

He didn't really want to go either. Ha.....I don't know what is wrong with my kids. It must be because they have so much fun at home with us that they don't want to go back to school!

Once he got there, he had a great day!

We had to fill out a little information sheet and I asked Nolen the questions and wrote his answers. His favorite food is spaghetti, his favorite thing to do at school is play and when he grows up he wants to be like his Daddy (he is well on his way).

Our Vacation--Part 4

2011-08-13T16:00:00.002-04:00

Our last day at port was spent at Cozumel.

We didn't book an excursion at this island. It was the most "city-ish" and we walked around a lot.

The boys in front of Margaritaville.

My little "pirate lover"

Toes on the nose!

We had lunch at a local Mexican restaurant....I think I like our "Mexican" better.

Carley

Devin

Cope, Gavin and Nolen with their "swords"

Later that evening, after we got back to the ship......Eric got a stomach bug. So, our final "at sea" day he spent in our ~~closet~~ room. He did start feeling a little better and managed to come out for dinner.

Sean and Sonda

Cade and Cohen.

(little bully)

My Captains

Nolen and Cohen

Mommy and 2 of her boys

We saw a water spout about 100 yards (I actually have no clue how far it was) off. It was crazy....but it never even rained!

Love this boy!

Daddy and his "mini-me"

Mamaw, Papaw and all 10 of their Grandkids.

Our Wind blown family...

Devin and Cohen

Carley and Cohen

The WHOLE family.....all 18 of us!

Our Vacation--Part 3

2011-08-13T14:00:00.001-04:00

This day was spent in Belize and was by far the roughest day we had. We didn't originally have a excursion booked here but were told when we got on the cruise that where we were going to be in Belize wasn't a safe place to go and explore and that you really needed to have something booked. So....we ran out and booked a 6 hour excursion (2 hours by boat and then the rest on a bus and at the Mayan Ruins). BIG mistake!

I am from Florida and I don't know if I have EVER been that hot in my life. We were on a boat for 2 hours....a boat in the middle of the water (we went up a river?). A boat with ZERO shade in 105 degree scorching heat.

Eric and his brother Sean and their babies (Cohen and Cade-3 months apart)

Daddy and his little guy.

Always happy.....even when he is sweaty and hot.

Once we got to the Mayan Ruins.....it was pretty cool. Eric loves anything having to do with History so he was LOVING it. Other than the mosquitoes eating me alive....it wasn't sooooo bad.

There are stairs that go all the way up this thing.....and of course we had to all go up. So, we got our exercise for the day.....I carried Cohen all the way up and back down. It was miserable!

Family picture from the top....ugh, we were so hot.

This is the excursion that I was referring to when I said, "had we known what we were in for we wouldn't have done it". We could have paid someone $100 (less than $10 per person) to put us in an air conditioned van and drive us to the Mayan Ruins, we could have got out and walked around and then got back in the van and rode back. Instead, we paid someone A LOT of $$$ to sweat, eat gross food and did I mention SWEAT? Not our smartest move.....lesson learned.

Our Vacation--Part 2

2011-08-13T10:04:00.000-04:00

Our second island was Roatan. This was a beautiful island. We had booked a snorkeling excursion and got on a bus as soon as we got off the boat. We rode for about 20 minutes and then had a little walking tour. We got to see tons of iguanas, monkeys and birds. Other than it being REALLY hot it was pretty interesting. The kids really enjoyed seeing all the animals.

Wyatt, Gavin and Copeland

Gavin posing with a black iguana (the black blob behind him)

Posing with the parrot....

Papaw

Cope

Gavin

This monkey was hilarious.....

After our tour, we got on a catamaran and went snorkeling. You had to be at least 6 in order to get off the boat so Debbie, Sonda and I stayed on the boat with Nolen, Elliott, Cohen and Cade. We were so proud of the kids. They were in the water for about an hour and had just a little life vest on and they all did great. Nolen lost a sandal through a hole in the bottom of the boat......so he had to go all the way back to she ship with one sandal on....urgh.

Once we got back to the port, we found this little restaurant and ate. It was so beautiful.....the food wasn't the greatest but the atmosphere made it totally worth it. We were basically sitting on a shaded dock that was out in the water.....it was gorgeous.

That evening we went to dinner with just the adults. It was really nice and the food was amazing.

Gavin and Nolen got to go to the kid care.....which they actually enjoyed. Carley and Devin kept the babies....and we got to enjoy a peaceful dinner.

Our Vacation--Part 1

2011-08-11T22:24:00.001-04:00

Disclaimer: Although it may appear that I am complaining....I am so blessed to be able to take a vacation with our family. My intentions are not to sound unappreciative or ungrateful. I am so thankful for an amazing sister in law who planned all of this and did a fabulous job.

Eric's entire family plus Carley (ie: babysitter extraordinaire) went on a Cruise this year. There were 19 of us total.....that would be 8 adults, 3 teenagers, 6 kids and 2 babies! I don't know if I would call it "relaxing" to go on a cruise with that many kids but it was still fun.
I have two pieces of advice for anyone going on a cruise with lots of children.
1. DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT book any shore excursions ahead of time. We made this mistake....not once but 3 times. We were not aware that you can actually book your excursion while you are at port instead of booking it through your cruise line. It can actually save you money.
There were a few excursions that had we known what we would be doing.....we would not have done it. (More on this later)
2. If you have a family of 4 or more.....being in a VERY small space for a week is ROUGH! Pay the extra money and upgrade your room. Maybe some ships have larger rooms.......but being in a closet with 5 people where you cannot move because of suitcases, pack and plays and people......not fun. Did I mention there was no window? Sorry, the painting on the wall that looks like a scene that you would see out of a window doesn't cut it.
Now I know that you are thinking....."you are on a cruise......you aren't supposed to be hanging out in the room?!" I know that.....but when you have a baby and a husband who LOVES to nap.....it would be nice to escape the 105 degree weather to relax for a bit.

That is all the advice I have for now. On to the good stuff. Our first full day was an "at sea" day.....and I have no pictures of it.

The first port we visited was Costa Maya.

This was definitely our favorite island and favorite excursion.

Our excursion at this island was "Dolphin Encounters". Eric and Gavin got to swim with Dolphins. Nolen, Cohen and I got to get in the water and pet the dolphins. Gavin LOVED it. I think he has a future in marine biology....because he is obsessed with marine animals. We don't have any pictures because we were all in the water at the same time and they wanted $500 for the pictures they took....ummm no thank you.

This little girl......makes us want a girl soooo bad. She is overflowing with personality.

Nolen and Elliott had so much fun playing in these little waterfalls.

This picture makes me laugh. You would never know that these two are brothers.

This was the first island and I am proud to say that Cohen had a good little tan by the end of the trip.

Cohen and Cade playing in the water. I think this is the ONLY picture where Cohen isn't pulling Cade's ear or attacking him in some way. He is such a bullie....not really.

As I was looking through my pictures I realized that I don't have very many of Gavin. Why? Because he was so busy having fun with his cousins that I could not get him to be still for a photo shoot.

My boys!

We had a great time on Costa Maya and while it wasn't the most beautiful island we visited, it was definitely the best day we had. The excursion was great and so fun for the kids and the pool was the perfect place to hang out and cool off.

Three Quarters......

2011-07-21T12:00:00.000-04:00

Cohen is 9 months old!

This is what Cohen's hair looks like just after a bath....when it isn't "fixed"! I think it is hilarious!

Now that he has been sleeping in his bed for over a month.....he isn't very happy to be put in his crib for picture time.

As you can see, Cohen is pulling up and standing. He is starting to "cruise" and as you can see he can now hold on with only one hand. He is quite proud of himself. The second you put him down, he immediately finds something to stand up and hold on to.

He still has 6 teeth, wears size 4 diapers and 12-18 month clothes. He continues to be a dream baby when it comes to sleeping.....he sleeps from about 10:30 at night until 9:30 the next morning IN his crib without waking up! I know.....I know....I am sooo blessed.

This is his new face......he does it all the time. I love it.

He loves pretty much all food. He had a hard time with meat at first but now he will eat anything. He LOVES ice cream.....Daddy has it every.single.night and he gets really excited when he sees him getting it out!

He babbles all the time but isn't really saying anything. He has a little temper and throws a fit and grabs his head when he gets mad. It is so funny.

We all love him so much!

This is the face of a POOP eater!

2011-07-15T16:18:00.000-04:00

This morning Cohen and I got a shower. When we got out I dried him off and sat his clean naked butt on the floor in my bedroom so that I could get dressed. A few minutes later I hear him making a gagging noise. I turn around and there is poop on the floor next to him. He looks up at me and smiles and then I notice that he has a little piece of poop on his bottom lip! O.M.G. My almost 9 month old totally ate his own poop. I looked in his mouth and couldn't see any "leftovers" so I don't know if he actually got any in his mouth or not. He is still not the greatest with his hand to mouth coordination so I'm hoping he didn't actually swallow any--GAG!

I immediately flushed out his mouth with water and then brushed his teeth (I would want my teeth brushed if I had eaten poop).

That sweet, little, innocent, precious face.......is the face of a poop eater!

Family Pictures!

2011-07-13T20:43:00.000-04:00

We had family pictures a few weeks ago. We had not had pictures done with all of us since Cohen was born. With Gavin and Nolen I did so good and got their pictures taken every 3 months for the first year....with Cohen I had not had any done since he was born. If you have ever been to my house or know me very well, you know I LOVE pictures {especially of my kids}.

Our friend Joscelyn took these. She had this great spot downtown and since it was near the railroad tracks we decided to go with a "vintage style" photo shoot. Eric had the idea of suspenders the night before pictures and so I went on a mission. It was a bit chaotic considering I was sewing Cohen's faux suspenders on his onesie about an hour before we had to leave.

I mean, I know I am biased but seriously......could these 3 boys be any more adorable???

I am so proud of my little family. Now, if I can just add a little girl in this mix we will be good to go!

Daddy and his boys!

Nolen was really hammin' it up...he did such a great job!

My big boy!

LOVE these!

Crying over basketball.....

2011-07-06T20:43:00.001-04:00

Not Gavin.....me. I have no idea why. Actually, I do. It was amazing to see my son, my ~~baby~~ big boy so excited to show us what he had learned.
Gavin went to Basketball Camp last week. It was kind of a last minute decision to send him. To be honest, I was really worried about how he would do. Let me just say, the Coaches were amazing. To be able to entertain kids this age for 6 hours a day and them have so much fun that they don't want to leave....they are definitely doing something right. They have a great program and Gavin learned so much.

On Friday they had a little "parents hour" to show us what they had been doing all week.

This was Gavin with his favorite Coach. Coach Wolfe played both basketball and football and Gavin just thought he was so cool. They even had a special handshake.

We were soooo proud of Gavin. He had a great attitude. 6 hours is a long time for a 6 year old to play basketball, every day for 5 days. Gavin loved every second of it.

I think that this was the first time that I saw passion from Gavin about a sport (other than surfing) and it literally brought tears to my eyes. Every time he would do something he would look at his Daddy to make sure that he approved. You could tell that he was proud of himself and what he could do.

And these little guys cheered for their big brother.

Father's Day

2011-06-24T23:01:00.000-04:00

Daddy and his boys on Father's Day. Eric and Nolen look like twins and Gavin and Cohen do too!

My boys are soooo blessed to have Eric as their Daddy......he really is the best!

Mommy and Cohen had to have a picture too!

Such a cutie!

Cohen and his cousin Cade had on matching outfits on Sunday (sort of) and so we really wanted to get a picture of them together.

Things probably would have went better if Cade's Mommy would have been in the room. She was helping with dinner and so myself and several of the other cousins were trying our best.

Love this blue eyed baby boy!

8 Months Old.......

2011-06-22T19:21:00.001-04:00

He is in to everything! He LOVES cords....he knows where every single one is in our living room and the minute you put him down that is the first place he goes. He is still doing his "soldier crawl" but he is very fast. He has been getting up off his stomach and in to the crawling position....rocks back and forth and then goes back to his belly.

He is still wearing size 4 diapers and mostly 12-18 month clothes. He is a big boy. He is solid and his thighs are as big around as Nolen's. He loves to clap and say "yay", is pointing and working on waving. He has 6 teeth (2 on the bottom and 4 on top). Cohen is a biter....shoulders, fingers and other things that provide him nourishment.

The 2 pictures below are to show you that he doesn't smile ALL the time.
This is his "I'm getting annoyed face".

And this is his "seriously, I'm over this" face.

I am proud to announce that Cohen is sleeping in his own bed!! It wasn't really my choice. I kind of got a sign....a very loud, clear sign. Cohen fell out of our bed. It scared me so bad and ~~Eric~~ I decided that it was time.

I took all the bumpers out....am I crazy for doing this? He is 8 months old. Someone please tell me that I am not the only crazy person who can't sleep at night for worrying that my child's face is going to get stuck in the bumpers.

He woke up around 2:30 the first few nights and then slept with me until around 5:30. I nursed him and then put him back in his bed and he slept til around 8:00. The last 3 nights he has slept from about 10:30 until 6:30....nursed and then went back to sleep until around 8:30! He did amazing.....I don't know what I was so worried about!

Cohen continues to be such a joy to our family. The boys refer to him as "precious baby" and "the best baby in the world".

Nolie the Performer!

2011-06-04T20:41:00.002-04:00

Nolen had a performance on his last day of Mother's Day Out. Next year he will be in the 4 year old class....and then it is Kindergarten! Lord, help me!!

As you can hear by Eric and I cracking up in the background....we find these videos hilarious! What is it about kids in a group singing songs that is so funny? Well....it could be Nolen's yawning, or staring at Eric, or it could be the fact that he does the same move the entire song and then all of a sudden realizes that everyone else is doing something else so then he does that for a while. This kid is so funny.....and seriously could not be any cuter!!

A 1st Grader? Really?

2011-06-04T10:04:00.000-04:00

I am not sure how this happened....but I have a 1st grader. Gavin says he wishes he could stay in Kindergarten--and I kind of agree with him! He is growing up too fast!
We LOVED his teacher this year. She was amazing with Gavin and totally put my our minds at ease. At their awards ceremony, every one got an award from Ms. Sherrod. Gavin got "Awesome all the time", which suits him well! He also got zero tardy's...us Gifford's like to be on time.
We are so proud of Gavin. He is such an amazing little boy and so smart. His vocabulary and way of thinking continue to entertain us. He uses big words that he doesn't know what they mean and often pronounces them wrong--which is hilarious. His new phrase is "well, that was awkward" which he often uses totally out of context.

They don't do a regular field day in Kindergarten here but they did do a few team events.

They did a balloon toss, which Gavin and his little partner managed to win even though he never caught the balloon! It just kept bouncing on the ground but never popped.

They did a few others too but tug-of-war was definitely his favorite.

We are looking forward to a great summer! We have been staying up later and sleeping later (thank God)! Gavin has been sleeping until about 9:15 every day and Nolen slept til 8:45 yesterday, which is a miracle!

We have been swimming every day. We are looking forward to a visit from Nanu, Krista and Ayla in a few weeks and a cruise with Eric's family at the end of the summer!

Cohen is 7 Months Old--Ahhhhh!

2011-05-18T15:37:00.001-04:00

Cohen is 7 months old.....before I know it we are going to be celebrating his 1st birthday! I think with each child you have...you realize more how quickly time passes. I look at Gavin and Nolen and I know I was there when they were babies but I have a hard time remembering the little details. I want to remember everything....what he smells like, how soft his skin is, how crazy blue his eyes are, the sound of that sweet little voice.....I could go on and on.

The "mohawk" is back! His hair is coming in sooo fast and it is so blonde.

Cohen is on the move! He is doing the "wounded soldier" crawl. It is so cute...he pulls with his hands clasped together and pushes with his little toes.

He claps and yells "Aaaayyyyyyy" which is adorable. Whenever I clap for him, I always say "yay" and he is totally copying me....clearly a genius! He waves.....at himself. He is completely mesmorized by Gavin and Nolen. Cohen is still the happiest baby on earth.

Cohen is wearing a size 4 diapers and a combination of 6-12 and 12-18 clothes. He is hovering around the 20lb mark. He has big, juicy legs and about 3 chins. He has 2 teeth but by the looks of his gums...I would be willing to bet there will be a few more in the next month.

He is a "biter"......which is not fun. I try to scold him when he does it but it is really hard because he looks at me and smiles....and then I melt.

Beach and an Anniversary

2011-05-17T16:25:00.000-04:00

We made another quick trip Florida for Great Strides for Ayla's Army. Of course we went to the beach a few times. We also celebrated a milestone anniversary--10 YEARS!

Since Cohen was 6 months old this trip, he was able to have sunscreen on.....and actually get out from under the umbrella. I think he likes the beach!

Ayla, Nolen and Gavin had fun looking for "sea creatures".

My boys LOVE the beach. They don't even want to eat when they are there. They are just too busy playing.

Oh how I LOVE those fat legs!

Per the recommendation of Lori (aka expert on all things Destin) we went to Bistro Bijoux for dinner to celebrate our anniversary.

We took Cohen with us and had a great dinner outside. He was an angel baby as usual.

Eric and I have been married for 10 years! We got married when we were practically babies--I was 21 and he was 20. God has strengthened our marriage through the years. I have seen so many times where fertility struggles tear people apart and we have been so blessed....all of our struggles have only brought us closer together. Life has not been perfect but I am so thankful for my husband. I know that we can get through anything together.

Mother's Day

2011-05-11T16:22:00.000-04:00

I had the best Mother's Day. I got the sweetest card from my "babies daddy" and Gavin and Nolen made me stuff--which is pretty much the most treasured gifts a Mother could get. They are often times humorous but always so sweet. I felt really loved and special.

Nolen made me this....it says "I love my mommy because.....she reads to me, she takes me to toys r us, she gives me hugs and she plays with me."

Nolen also made me this.....a few of his facts are wrong (he blames the wrong eye color on Daddy-HA!) but I LOVE it. His drawing of us cracks me up....don't you love my gi-normous hands?

Gavin painted me this rock. He informed me that the 3 blue things are birds, and the orange thing hanging from the tree is a bird feeder.

This book is hilarious......I will tell you what it says since some of his spelling is wrong.

My mom is just like a superhero because she can.....

clean the whole living room all in one day! (HAHA!)

Even when my mom is exhausted she still.....
does nothing! (This is my favorite....at least he knows I am able to relax)

My mom is so smart that she knows....

sewing.

My mom is also as beautiful as....a butterfly and as sweet as...flower.

I love my mom so much because.....she keeps me safe.

There were soooo many years where I did not like Mother's Day. I wanted so badly to be celebrating it as a Mommy and I felt especially sad on this particular day. After several years of fertility treatments, surgeries and disappointments.....we now have 3 amazing little boys. I know that our boys are miracles from God. People who don't know anything about fertility don't realize how much of a miracle conceiving a baby is. Everything has to line up just perfectly and while it happens all the time for a lot of people.....it is so incredibly difficult for others.

This day is so special to me....but at the same time I can go back to those days and remember exactly how I felt and my heart breaks for the people who are feeling the way I did. I don't ever want to forget what that was like. So, while I had a great day this Mother's Day with my full, very loud home, I was also praying for the childless....because I know what that is like too.

The shirt says it all!

2011-05-08T20:54:00.000-04:00

Easter

2011-05-05T20:40:00.000-04:00

We had a great Easter! Our Church did something different this Easter and Eric was a part of it. I will hopefully have the video of it to put on here in the future. I really believe it touched a lot of lives and I was sooo proud of my husband.

We went "'casual" this year. I made Gavin and Nolen's shirts and Cohen's outfit. I was pretty happy about how they turned out.

My three boys....they are getting so big!

Cohen is 6 months old!

2011-04-23T09:24:00.000-04:00

Half.A.Year.Old. Have I mentioned that time is flying? I want it to slow down....but it just won't.

I have a baby and I have baby fever. I want another one. I would probably feel differently if he cried all the time or didn't sleep at night....but he is the sweetest, best little baby.

As you can see, Cohen has some chunky legs! I have actually bought size 4 diapers, even though they don't start until 22lbs. because the size 3 are leaving lines around his legs. Aunt Sonda and I decided that he carries most of his weight in his upper legs, which is why he needs a bigger diaper. HA!

As you can see he has discovered his feet and figured out how to get those fat legs up towards his mouth!

At his 6 month checkup Cohen weighed 19lbs 8.5oz (80th percentile), he was 27.1 inches long (75th percentile). Cohen continues to carry on the tradition of big heads in our family with his head measuring 46.5 cm (>97th percentile)--HA!

Cohen still has 2 teeth....but I am thinking he will be getting a few more very soon. He is starting to sit up on his own....with a little support. Cohen is rolling all over the place, and can pretty much get where he wants to go. He is still fascinated by his brothers and loves for them to play with him. He is an AMAZING sleeper--as I type this, everyone else in the house is up and he is still sleeping (it is 9:15 am).

Cohen is a babbler. His days of going to Church or a movie and sitting quietly (or sleeping) the entire time have come to an end.

He continues to be a complete joy and such a great addition to our family. We cannot imagine our lives without him and are just so thankful for him. I wanted a girl so badly but I cannot imagine Cohen being anyone but him. I wouldn't trade him for anything...not even a girl (but I do still want a girl)!

Pictures, Pictures......and MORE Pictures

2011-04-19T21:59:00.000-04:00

Cohen sporting his new shirt...

Daddy and his boys....

Mommy and her little men....

Cohen....

"Super Babysitter" Carley before prom....she looked gorgeous!

Those big blue eyes melt me daily....

Daddy and Cohen...

Cohen in his outfit that Mommy made him....

Carley and Cohen at the beach

Mommy and Cohen

Papa and Cohen

5 Months Old!

2011-03-25T15:28:00.001-04:00

Cohen is already 5 months old! Time is just f-l-y-i-n-g by....and I hate it and love it; all at the same time. I hate that my little baby is getting so big and not acting so "babyish" anymore but I love watching him learn and do new things.

What has Cohen been up to this past month? Well, let me tell you he has been busy!!!

As far as firsts this month......

*Cohen got his first tooth.....and boy is it sharp!

*He took his first trip to the beach.

*He tried rice cereal.....which he hated! After the first time, I quickly decided to just skip the whole cereal thing and go straight to fruits and vegetables. He is doing much better and seems to like pretty much everything I have given him.

*Took a nap in his own crib for the first time (I know, don't judge).
*Rolls from his front to back AND back to front. He REALLY likes to sleep on his stomach....which makes me really nervous. If I lay him under his play gym, he will roll over to his stomach and go to sleep....so sweet!
*Started saying "mamama".....which I love. Of course, I realize that he is just making sounds but I still love to hear it.
*Grabs at EVERYTHING! He is a hair puller!

His hair is coming back.....and it is soooo blonde. He is our blondest baby at this age for sure!
I don't know Cohen's exact weight because he doesn't have a 5 month appointment. I am guessing he weighs around 18 lbs. He is wearing 6-12 month clothes and size 3 diapers.
He has some CHUNKY legs and we love them! Speaking of chunky legs, he is sooooo ticklish. Pretty much anywhere you tickle, he will laugh but his fat little legs are especially ticklish.
He is still loving his thumb. Every once in a while he will really go to town on his paci but for the most part he would prefer his thumb. It is so adorable but I just don't want him to be 5 and still sucking on his thumb!

Gavin and Nolen say all the time, "Cohen is the best baby in the world"! We are just all completely in love with him. I just feel so blessed to get to be Gavin, Nolen and Cohen's Mommy. They are all different and alike in so many ways. There is never a dull moment around here....and I wouldn't have it any other way!

Little Man......

2011-03-24T17:19:00.000-04:00

in his tie and suspenders (sort of)!

Spring Break 2011!

2011-03-24T17:04:00.000-04:00

Last week was our spring break. Eric had a golf trip planned so I decided to head to Florida with Eric's Mom and the kids. Cohen was an angel baby on the way down.....only making any noise when he was hungry. It took us about 9.5 hours....which is a very LONG trip for us. We usually make it in about 7-8 hours. We were in dead stop traffic 3 different times....it was not fun. Gavin and Nolen said they hate the "Country Alabama" (no offense to any Alabamians) because it is wwwwaaaayyyy too long.

Once we made it, we had a great time.

We went to the beach twice...

got to see one of my niece's play soccer

and another niece win a beauty pageant!

The weather was perfect and the boys had a great time! It was a good spring break. Now, we are looking forward to SUMMER!!!

Popcorn kernels do not belong in our ears Nolen....

2011-03-06T17:46:00.000-05:00

Friday was a beautiful day here. I made the boys some popcorn and let them eat it outside on the back deck. I was folding laundry and Gavin comes inside and says, "Ummm...Mommy we have a problem. Nolen stuck a popcorn kernel in his ear and we can't get it out."
GREAT!!! So, I go out there and look and it is far enough that you can just barely see it. I called Eric and told him what was going on. He says, "well you can try to get it out or wait til I get home and I can try." I went and got the tweezers and tried to get it out but it seemed to be pushing it further in his ear. I was concerned that if I waited until Eric got home, he wouldn't be able to get it out. By then, the Doctors office would be closed and then we would have to go all the way to the hospital on a Friday night. So, I called the Doctors office and they told me to bring him in.
So, off I went with all 3 boys to the Doctors office....because of a popcorn kernel. Did you know that they have special tools just for getting "foreign objects" out of ears, noses and belly buttons? Well, they do. It is a little hook type thing and it lights up. It took Ms. Molly all of about 30 seconds to get it out. She was great (as they always are) and I am pretty sure they all got a good laugh thanks to Nolie.
Of course, Nolen picks the biggest kernel in the bowl, the one that looks like it was about to be popcorn to stick in his ear.

He never cried. He was pretty tough about it. His one and only concern was....."will I have to get a shot?" Come to find out.....Gavin told him to do it. He says he was just joking and didn't think he would actually do it. Well, he did. Big brothers......

Baby Cohen gets dedicated.....

2011-03-06T17:26:00.000-05:00

We got Cohen dedicated on Sunday, February 27th. Honestly, I was more concerned that Gavin or Nolen would run all over the stage or start fighting than I was about Cohen. He is pretty happy and will let anyone hold him so I knew he would behave. Pastor Jeremy dedicated him and as usual he did a great job!

I know this is silly but I worked really hard on our outfits. I didn't want to get up there and all of us clash--HA! So.....I made Cohen's outfit, it was only the second pair of pants I have ever made and I was so happy with the way they turned out. I even made him a burp cloth to match his outfit. So, then I had to make sure that we all had something that coordinated with Cohen's outfit. I know it doesn't really matter but since I don't have a girl....this is just what I have to do!!

It was a great day! Pastor Jeremy has prayed with us so many times for God to give us the desires of our heart....another baby (and He has--3 times)! We are just so blessed and thankful for our boys!

My heart melts......

2011-03-02T23:59:00.002-05:00

When I see this drooling, happy, blue-eyed baby!

Great Strides!

2011-03-02T11:36:00.000-05:00

Well, it is that time of year again. Last year Ayla's Army raised over $10,000 for Cystic Fibrosis research....we want to blow that very impressive number away this year!
My very talented sister put this video together. It is just a few minutes long and is a great way for you to get an idea of what someone with Cystic Fibrosis goes through on a daily basis.

I would LOVE it if you would watch this video and then donate to Great Strides!

Ok....now that you have seen how cute Ayla is.....click below and donate!!! Be a part of finding a cure for Ayla and everyone with Cystic Fibrosis!!!

4 Month Old Chunk of Love!

2011-02-26T14:45:00.000-05:00

Cohen is 4 months old! He is getting so big.....part of me loves watching him grow and part of me is so sad at how fast time is going by. Gone are the days of him just eating and sleeping. He is awake a lot and so alert. He does not necessarily want to be held all the time.....but LOVES to be talked to. He will stare you down just waiting for you to look at him so he can smile at you.

He is drooling like crazy! I think he is teething (Eric says I have been saying that for a month)....he will not keep his hands out of his mouth. Lately, he has been preferring his fist, fingers or thumb over his pacifier. It is soooo cute when he has that little thumb in his mouth and his fingers curled around his nose BUT I cannot take his fingers away....so I am gonna keep giving him the paci.

He does not have the little baby stick legs anymore. His legs are CHUNKY!

He has such a laid back personality. He is the happiest baby. He is very ticklish on his fat legs and under his neck rolls.....we LOVE to hear him giggle so he gets tickled a lot.

At his 4 month well visit, Cohen weighed 16 lbs 7.5 oz (80th percentile). He was 25.5 inches long (70th percentile) and like his Daddy, still has a huge head in the 93rd percentile.

He is still wearing 3-6 months but some of it is pretty snug. He will be moving up very soon. He wears a size 3 diaper.

He is rolling over from his stomach to his back....he does not enjoy tummy time at all.

I guess we are going to start him on solids {sigh}. I don't want to.....but our pediatrician recommended that we go ahead and start. He says that research is now showing that babies who are started on solids around 4 months are less likely to have food allergies. I did not start Gavin or Nolen until 6 months. Gavin has a severe milk allergy and if there is anything that I can do that might prevent Cohen from having to deal with allergies...I will do it. But that doesn't mean that I like it.....anyone heard of this or have an opinion about it?

I've Been Busy!

2011-02-26T14:24:00.000-05:00

My Mom, Sister and Niece came up from Florida for a visit. Since I don't have a girl......I thought it would be fun to make some stuff for Ayla.

I am most proud of this outfit. I had never made pants before. Luckily my Mom had....and she was my supervisor. We basically made them without a pattern and I thought they turned out really cute!

This is Nolen's new smile. I promise, he has eyes in there somewhere. He even has dimples under his eyes!

Gavin.....so grown up!

Miss Ayla in her new outfit! Pretty cute if I do say so myself.

We had a great time. Eric was out of town for his new business venture, Bone Rush. So, it was just us girls and all the kids. We didn't do a lot but had fun just hanging out and laughing. I really miss my family and it is so nice when I get to see them.

I'm pretty sure this guy LOVED all the attention he got. I think he was even more spoiled after they left than he was before.

Nanu and Cohen.

Mommy and Cohen....could he be any cuter? No, he could not.

Krista and I got feather extensions....in case you are wondering what is in my hair. Hers are turquoise....because she is more funky! Right Krista?

Vacation Day Five--Magic Kingdom

2011-02-08T14:00:00.000-05:00

All Nolen talked about the whole trip was going on Pirates of the Caribbean ride and getting some "guys". So....we did what any parent would do and saved Magic Kingdom until the last day to torture him!

Mommy and two of her boys!

Gavin and Nolen in front of the Buzz Lightyear ride.

Daddy was REALLY in to this game. Poor Nolen.....couldn't figure out how to point it. Daddy is just a little bit competitive....um yeah. In his defense, he did help him...a little!

Gavin did pretty well....Mommy did not. It is pretty hard to point, shoot, hold a baby and take pictures.

All my boys on the Jungle Cruise.

My precious blue eyed baby.

We had a great vacation. The boys had a blast and can't wait to go back! I love making memories with my amazing not so little family! I am so blessed.

Vacation Day Three and Four--Epcot

2011-02-08T10:00:00.004-05:00

On day 3 of our vacation....we took a break. We are not as "hardcore" as some Disney go-ers and were definitely happy to have a little break after two very long days of pushing strollers and walking A LOT! We slept in...and went to the Mall at Millenia and ate at the Cheesecake Factory.

And the next day.....we were ready to go! We spent the day at Epcot and then headed back to Hollywood Studios in the evening for Mickey's Fantasmic Show....which was awesome!

Waiting for Turtle Talk with Crush....the boys loved it!

My little Vikings!

Vacation Day Two--Hollywood Studios

2011-02-07T23:00:00.001-05:00

We went to Hollywood Studios on day two of our trip.

This is how the day started. Nolen was not wanting his picture taken. Just a few minutes after this....he was dancing in this video.

The boys LOVED the new Toy Story ride....and so did everyone else that was there. It was the only ride that we waited to ride....the whole trip.

The boys in front of the Muppets...

Watching the Disney Pixar Parade.

Nolen sat on this man's lap so he could have a better view. He is so NOT shy!

With the green Army man...

It started pouring rain at the end of the day....but we were smart and managed to get in the car just before the rain started.

Vacation Day One--Animal Kingdom!

2011-02-07T19:46:00.001-05:00

Part of the boys Christmas present was a trip to Disney. We wanted to go before the spring break chaos and got a great deal.....so off we went! We drove from Knoxville to Lake City and stayed there for the night.

However, we had to make a pit stop in Macon Georgia--where I sat in the car for 2 hours with 3 kids while Eric went to a walk in clinic. He started feeling bad a few days before we left and was afraid that he would be really sick by the time we got to Disney....so we stopped for him to get a prescription.

The boys were so excited and actually thought that the Comfort Suites in Lake City was Disney World....it was REALLY nice.

We stayed at the Animal Kingdom Lodge and saw TONS of animals right off our balcony.

Gavin after riding his very first roller coaster....Expedition Everest! He rode it twice...once with Eric and once with me.

One of the boys favorite rides was Kilimanjaro Safari's. We saw more animals up close than we ever have before. Gavin wanted Eric to take pictures of every single one. This isn't even half of the animals....
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Eric and Nolen playing the drums.

Gavin and Nolen in front of the "Tree of Life"

Nolen watching Nemo

This is Nolen's pouty face....

Me and my boys on the safari ride

Me and Cohen...

He was soooo good....as usual

Look how grown up he looks!!

This is how Nolen shakes his booty!!

2011-02-01T21:35:00.000-05:00

I LOVE this! Eric was riding "Rockin Roller Coaster" at Hollywood Studios and Nolen just couldn't resist...he had to dance. My favorite is how he starts out with just his little legs and then adds the arms....he is soooo cute!

Happy 3 Month Birthday Cohen!

2011-01-19T21:55:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was Cohen's 3 month birthday! Wow....I need him to not grow so fast.

I had a much harder time getting cute pictures of him this time. He kept falling over.....and would not stop looking at his feet.

Cohen wears a size 2 diaper and size 3-6 month clothes.

He doesn't go to the Doctor at 3 months so I am not sure exactly how much he weighs....but I am guessing that it is around 14 lbs.

He seems really long to me. Some of his 3-6 month clothes are short on his legs. Maybe he will have my long legs and Eric's long torso and be super tall!

He is still pretty content and happy most of the time. Especially if you are giving him attention. He LOVES to be talked to.

He is still sleeping through the night! YAY! I was so worried that the whole RSV thing would totally mess his sleep habits up but he had no problems.

I have been wanting to make Cohen another blanket for a while.....and just have not had time. I finally just let the house be a big mess and made it today. I LOVE how it turned out.

Happy 3 month birthday Cohen!

Mommy loves you!

Ummm....you left our baby? In the car?

2011-01-19T08:03:00.000-05:00

We have a routine when it comes to Church. Every Sunday Eric drops me, Gavin and Nolen off under the breezeway (so I can take them to their classes), parks the car and then brings the baby in and gets our seat in the Sanctuary.
This past Sunday we did the usual, except when I got to the Sanctuary....I didn't see Cohen. Eric was just standing there....singing his heart out happy as could be. I said, "Ummm....Eric? Where is the baby?" He looked at me, dropped his head, said "In the car!" and calmly walked out to go get him.
He was only out there for a few minutes....and the doors were locked--not that it makes me feel any better.
He said that he was sleeping and was so quiet that he completely forgot about him. I guess he is still not used to having 3 kids. Luckily, he has me to remind him!

Cohen Giggles!

2011-01-18T08:56:00.001-05:00

A few nights ago, I caught Cohen giggling on video. It isn't with my video camera so its not the best quality video. He is just SO adorable....we are all so in love with him.

A-DOR-ABLE!!

2011-01-13T21:23:00.000-05:00

Those eyes.....

Those lips....

He thinks we are crazy!

But he loves us too!

Nolie Polie is 4 Years Old!!

2011-01-11T12:34:00.000-05:00

Nolen turned 4 on January 8th. We had a very laid back day. After having a baby in October, we decided to take a break from Birthday Parties!
I made him waffles for breakfast and then he wanted pizza for lunch. We went to Pizza Inn because he wanted to go to "the pizza place with the guy", but he didn't eat all that well (I think he was still full from his big breakfast). Then we went and saw Tangled, which we loved. Gavin kept saying it was a girl movie and he didn't want to see it, but he laughed the whole way through and even though he didn't want to admit it....he really liked it.

Then we came home and Nolen wanted "trees" for dinner. He ate an entire head of steamed broccoli!

We had cupcakes and sang to him.

He opened his presents and as long as it has some "guys" in it....he is happy!

Nolen is an amazing little boy! He is so sweet and sensitive. If he gets in trouble, it breaks his heart.....but he still gets in trouble! Whenever you get on to him he will say, "you broke my heart" or "that's not very nice" and it is always followed up with a "but do you still love me?"

He constantly tells us he loves us (literally 20 times a day). He says, "I love you bigger than the oceans, bigger than the skies, bigger than the whole wide world and to the moon and back. Any many hands and boots and feet (and whatever else he thinks of). Then he expects you to repeat it back to him word for word and if you get it wrong, he says "Nope, try again!"

He is ALL about playing. He always has a "guy" in his hands and can play for HOURS by himself. He has an imagination like I have never seen.

He is a great brother. He looks up to Gavin and they play really well together (most of the time) and is just so sweet and gentle with Cohen.

He is such a joy to our family. We are so blessed by him. Even though he isn't the baby around here anymore, he still melts his Mama's heart!

Happy New Year and RSV!

2011-01-05T17:04:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year! Considering that I didn't keep all of my "goals" from last year, I am not going to compile a list. However, I AM GOING to lose this baby weight...that is not only a goal, it is a fact--this is me being positive. I have to. I want to feel good and right now I don't but that is going to change in 2011.
A big part of my problem is my husband. Don't get me wrong I love him but he is no help in this department. He LOVES buffalo wings, eats hot cookies almost every night at 10:30 pm, rarely exercises and has had a 6 pack since he was 10! Where is his sympathy baby weight? Where is his I just turned 30 and gained 10lbs weight? Ok....I am done now.
On another note, we are really bringing in 2011 with a bang.....Cohen has RSV! This is my first experience with RSV and I have never had a newborn (sort of) this sick. Let me tell you, it is heartbreaking. We have been to the Doctor everyday the for the past 3 days and fortunately Cohen's oxygen levels continue to be around 100% and his lungs are clear. Don't get me wrong....little guy is sick, he has a NASTY cough and a super runny nose but it looks like we are going to avoid a hospital stay.
Below is a list of things that our last 3 days have consisted of:

This has been Cohen's best friend for the last few days. It is an electric nasal aspirator....and it plays music. What more could you want than to listen to twinkle little star while getting all the snot sucked out of your head? It has definitely made this process much easier, it works like a vacuum cleaner and Cohen actually seems to enjoy it!!

Breathing Treatments GALORE!

TONS of pumping since Cohen isn't nursing very well.

Humidifier.....speaks for itself.

We definitely have not had any help from this nifty little gadget! I HAD to have this fancy thermometer. It has 3 different attachments (under tongue, under arm and rectal). It also has a little chart on the back that tells you what is considered a fever for each attachment. I just knew this was going to be my new favorite thing....WRONG! I have yet to get an accurate temperature from it. I check it with this and it says 96 degrees and then with the cheap-o one that I have had for 6 years and it says 100.9.....total waste of money!

So.....that is all we have been doing. I have not left the house except to go to the Doctor and have yet to start at the gym--I have been way to busy sucking snot, administering breathing treatments, pumping milk and all that fun stuff!

Happy New Year!

Christmas Day

2010-12-31T14:09:00.000-05:00

Eric and I were both awake before Gavin and Nolen on Christmas morning. It was after 8:00 when Nolen came in our room and he had to wake Gavin up. Crazy....

Before the boys started opening gifts from Santa and us....they opened the gifts that my parents sent them.

They LOVE the Bigfoot Papa and Mama E got them.

I know it sounds crazy.....but they could not be happier with the Sonicare toothbrushes Nanu and Papa got for them. They actually WANT to brush their teeth. I think Gavin has brushed his teeth about 4 times a day since he got this. Mommy got one too....and I LOVE it!

Gavin with his new backpack.

Nolen and his pirate blanket

This is what Baby Cohen did the whole time we opened gifts. BEST BABY EVER!

Daddy got some new bling....a new wedding band (since he lost his while hunting).

Mommy got bling too.....I don't have a picture but I got diamond earrings!!!

Nolen got a Monkey Pillow Pet

Star Wars Legos for Gav

His cool Hooded Button Up (he said he will wear this even though it is a button up because it is Hurley)

Both the boys got Uggs this year. We figured they will get lots of use since Nolen can wear Gavin's in a few years and Cohen will eventually be able to wear them too! They love them.....Nolen did not take them off all day.

It snowed on Christmas. It didn't stick but it was a sort of white Christmas! The day after Christmas we woke up to 3 inches of snow.

Favorite......

2010-12-30T22:09:00.001-05:00

My MOST favorite (early) Christmas present!

Christmas Eve 2010!

2010-12-30T21:44:00.002-05:00

We had a great Christmas Eve!

We went out to eat at one of our favorite restaurants....PF Changs.

You will have to ignore Eric's lazy eyes in all the pictures....he was really not feeling well. He probably felt the worst Christmas Eve but he hung in there.

After dinner, we headed out to Eric's parents house

Our family picture....(I am going to refrain from writing what I think about myself in this picture)

We opened gifts from "Old Mamaw"....

And.....we opened gifts from Mamaw and Papaw

Cohen getting his Christmas jammies on.

The boys both got robes and they LOVE them....they were very excited!

Debbie got Sonda, Sara and I necklaces with our kids names on them. This is mine....I LOVE it!

We had Chocolate Fondue for desert.....a Christmas Eve tradition!

We have several Christmas traditions and this year we added a new one. We let the boys each give the other a gift....and open it on Christmas Eve.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-24T14:46:00.000-05:00

Cohen is 2 months old--already!

2010-12-24T12:10:00.000-05:00

Cohen is SUCH a blessing to us. The boys are completely in love with him. I just feel so thankful for a 3rd healthy baby boy. I wanted a girl SOOO bad and I cannot imagine him being a girl now. He is such a great addition to our family. He really is the sweetest baby. He is so happy and content....not to mention
A-DOR-ABLE!!!

Cohen is a big boy! At his 2 month well baby...he weighed a whopping 12 lbs 8.5 oz. (75th percentile) and was 23.2 inches long (55th percentile). Cohen is following in his Daddy and Brothers footsteps--his head was 41.7 cm (90th percentile).

Cohen wears size 3-6 month clothes and is in a size 1 diaper.

Cohen smiles ALL the time and giggled for the first time on his 2 month birthday--December 18th. He has figured out how to get his hands in his mouth and has sucked his thumb a few times.

Cohen has been sleeping through the night since he was about 6 weeks old. He usually sleeps from about 10:45 at night until 7:45 each morning. He sleeps with Eric and I and cuddles up right next to me. Yes, I have spoiled him and I love it!

Gavin's School Christmas Party

2010-12-24T11:43:00.000-05:00

Gavin had his class party on Monday. Cohen slept in his car seat like the angel that he is the whole time. Gavin has really come out of his shell since he started Kindergarten. I love to watch him with his friends....he is such a joy!

Daddy and Gavin working on a Christmas ornament

Mommy and Gavin

Gavin's class--They decorated kids with toilet paper and made them in to snowmen....it was so cute.

Gavin with his "snowman (girl)"

It was fun but we are sooo happy to have a break from school for a few weeks.

Snow and other stuff.....

2010-12-24T11:30:00.001-05:00

We had our first snow of the year. Snow is cold.....and we are not really prepared. We don't have snow boots, or snow suits. The boys didn't really enjoy it much this time. I didn't even get a picture of Gavin playing in it.

Nolen went out, fell face first in the snow and was done.

This is his "Mommy told me to smile, but I'm really cold and I kind of wanna cry" face.

For those of you needing a Baby Cohen fix....here you go.

Fat and Happy Baby

The boys thought he needed a stuffed animal

LOVE him

All dressed up in his Christmas Sunday outfit

Our boys.....

Gavin and his twin

Our handsome 6 year old!!!

Eric's clone....

Such a proud big brother!

A Trip to Nashville!

2010-12-24T10:58:00.000-05:00

We gave Gavin the choice this year of having a birthday party or going to Nashville and spending the night at the Gaylord. If he chose to go to Nashville he was allowed to take one friend with him. He chose to go to Nashville....and he wanted to take his cousin Wyatt (no surprise there).

Nolen, Wyatt and Gavin at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel

We went to Snow....which was a big pile of very cold snow.....

We saw a few reindeer....

And we went to ICE!

To say it was cold would be a HUGE understatement! They have to keep it around 9 degrees in there to keep the ice from melting. On top of all the clothes that we had on....they hand out huge parkas to wear. It was so cold in there that it literally hurt.

But it was pretty awesome too.....

And did I mention cold???

Gavin is 6!

2010-12-13T15:19:00.000-05:00

I cannot believe that Gavin is 6 years old already! It is crazy to me because I remember SO vividly being "childless" while everyone else was pregnant (or so it seemed). I remember holidays were much too quiet and I wanted soooo badly to have a home that was noisy and busy. Wow....did I get what I asked for! With 2 boys running around and a baby....noisy and busy is an understatement!
Gavin made me a Mommy.....and I hope that he thinks I am a good one. He tells me all the time that I am "the best Mommy in the whole world"--hopefully he still says that 10 years from now.

Gavin had a pretty low key birthday this year.

He got money....which he thinks is pretty cool!

And....he got a new DS and Mario Kart!

Gavin and Daddy!

We went for Pizza at the ONLY restaurant we know of that Gavin can actually eat pizza at. He ate every last bite and LOVED it!

Gavin with his Papaw....

Gavin, you are such a joy to our family! You are soooo smart and funny. We look so forward to watching you grow and turn into the amazing young man that we know you will be. We love you!