Christmas Day

This year we spent Christmas with Vince's family in Texas, we spent Christmas Day at the Beach in Galveston, it was really foggy but it was still warm. Grandpa had to work Christmas morning so we took the kids to the beach to take attention away from the presents till he got home. the kids had a blast.

















We also drove through the city of Galveston to see the effects of hurricane Ike, I couldn't believe how bad some of it still is, boats on the side of the freeway, houses that you couldn't even enter, knocked down trees, piles of garbage everywhere. There were some beach side condo's that were completely abandoned and a mobile home that was sitting in a middle of a field that I'm sure didn't belong there. Seeing it all was so depressing, and all the fog didn't help





Our last day we tried to get a picture of all 7 grandkids, yeah, that was a chore, the kids were not very cooperative but we got one with all of them in it, they may not all look happy but they are all there






We made it home on Sunday morning about 4am, we should have been home alot earlier but our flight was delayed an hour and once we finally landed we sat on the runway for about 30 minutes waiting to get to our gate. we finally get off and wait another 30 minutes for our luggage, get on the shuttle to our car and start to drive home, about 10 minutes later Vince realizes he left his back pack on the shuttle so we have to go back and track it down, it didn't take long but by the time we got back on the freeway it was midnight but Vince still wanted to drive home.

Tuesday night we had Christmas with my family and boy did we get spoiled! Vince got car stuff, I don't remember exactly what, I got a picture of Christ and some books, Chloe got a kid tough digital camera, (that we can not get her to put down) a huge play dough set, and an art easel. My mom also put Chloe's name in a drawing they had at her office to win the worlds most giant stocking, well I guess she's the lucky one in the family cause she won it! and yes it's the biggest stocking EVER! it's so big and it was full of toys! she loved it!

pictures

Poor Chloe has been sick, today I sent her up to her room to take a nap but she decided to do quiet time instead, after a while I went to go check on her and this was how I found her.


The other day we went to the grocery store, Chloe ALWAYS askes for a sticker and the lady gave her 2 and she decided to share with Brayden.


A little tummy time for Brayden on the boppy, after I took this picture he pushed his feet a couple times and toppled over on his face.


Brayden has a wierd way of sleeping sometimes...he loves to have his head hang back so sometimes he'll have his nap on the boppy that way.


And then a picture of the sunset about a week ago, I love sunsets the picture doesn't even do it justice.

halloween fun

Halloween this year was a 3 day event for us...Wednesday night we went to boo at the zoo, by the time we got there though it was getting dark so I think Chloe was a little spooked walking through the dark with a bunch a crazy kids dressed up as ghosts and vampires and all those scary masks, I forgot my camera for that so no pics of that night.Thursday was the Halloween Party with her friends and of course friday was trick-or-treating :) I'm glad she really didn't get that much candy, cause she is always begging for it..This year Chloe was a witch and Brayden was a little monster (that's what we ended up calling him) but we weren't quite sure if it was a dragon or a dinosaur but he sure did look cute. The Halloween party was at our clubhouse, we had lots of yummy food and fun games for the kids, a beanbag toss and a cakewalk. the kids had some great costumes.


On Friday afternoon we carved pumpkins, I don't think I've ever carved a pumpkin before but it was so much fun, we did 3 pumpkins, chloe wanted just a face, so I did half of that one and vince finished it, and I did the spider and web, the little parts of the web and the spider legs were not very fun to carve out, and Vince did the skull and crossbones. Chloe thought that it was fun to put the pieces that were carved out back into the holes in the pumpkin like a puzzle. then decided that all the little pieces of pumpkin were icecream and put it inside her pumpkin and dished us some. she's so silly. but she had fun.

It feels likes its been forever since my last post, 2 kids, and a messy house sure do keep me busy... Brayden is already 2 months, I can't believe it it going by so fast. He had his shots on Wednesday and of course like every other baby he screamed but only for a few minutes than fell asleep. Chloe's already all about seeing her little brother tortured, before we left we explained to Chloe what was going to happen to Brayden, while we were waiting she jumps up and says, "I can't wait to see Brayden get his shots, I'm so excited!" silly girl, I guess she doesn't remember hers, maybe Brayden will laugh at her next time her shots come around. ;) Oh and when he was getting weighed and measured he was flirting with the nurse, he was smiling and cooing at her, she loved it, she had to hold him for a while before she left, then came back in and told the shot nurses, that he was the cutest baby ever! (he weighed 10lbs 10ounces and was 22". only in the 25th percentile so I guess he's a shrimp compared to Chloe, she was always in the 90th)

Chloe still loves having him around, she's always right up in his face trying to make him smile, and when he cries she gets mad and says "mom, he just cried right in my face!" He's such a smiley baby and LOVES being talked to! he's finally starting to lay in his swing for a while and in his bouncer so I can get some cleaning in now. He's been sleeping so good at night, the other night I put him down about 10 and he slept until 5!! nice huh? I dont' think I have any new photos yet, but I'll get some up soon.

just pictures

super fun adventure part 2

While driving up to Mesa Falls we saw a sign for Cave Falls, we had never heard of those falls before and thought maybe on the way home we'd stop by and see those, well...we ended up in Wyoming, we didn't think they were that far, it was really only 20 miles but half of it was a washboard dirt road that got smaller and smaller, but it was pretty. Once we got to Cave Falls Chloe loved it more than Mesa mostly because she was able to throw rocks in the water and see a couple guys fishing, she even planted a "garden" she said it was not vegetables just plants it was really cute.she did not want to go home, but the sun was going down and she was getting really tired. Hopefully we can go back again before the weather gets to cold. **Sorry the pictures don't all have descriptions, but I'm outta time to finish oh well you can see how pretty it was though**
The road to Cave Falls...before the washboard road












The cow that blocked the road...

our super fun adventure...part 1

Last Saturday we decided to take Chloe to Mesa Falls, she loves waterfalls or fountains and thought she would love to see the giant waterfalls,and have some fun with us focusing more on her than Brayden... she had a blast we went to the lower falls first we had never seen that one before, it was pretty far away and Chloe was more interested in the grasshopper she found on the path. so we went to the upper falls where she had alot more fun being closer to the falls and climbing up all the stairs.





the upper falls

















Chloe, Brayden and Daddy










Chloe Brayden and Mommy













the upper falls

he can hear!!

Yay! Brayden passed his hearing test!!! it was taken back on the 2nd and I've forgotten to post. He only failed on his left side, they told me the first time he failed that it happens alot with c-section babies cause alot of the fluid doesn't come out and they'll test him another time and he'll probably pass...well they test him and tell me he failed again and they referr me to a hearing specialist I was nervous thinking he was going to be partially deaf but when we got to the specialist he passed! I had to take a picture of him being tested, mainly so when he's older and taking after his sister(by ignoring us ) I can tell him I know for a fact he can hear :) I was thinking the whole procedure was going to be some form of torture for him but it really wasn't it just kinda looks like it. He slept the entire time (about 45 minutes) and only cried when he pulled the sensor thing off behind his ear then fell right back asleep again.

I also finally got a picture of Brayden sucking his thumb, I got it last night while he was going to sleep, I took it with my camera phone and the flash is really bright so he's squinting, but I think it's cute :)

I got a few minutes so I'll post some pictures of the cutest kids ever :) we have our little monkey sleeping peacefully and then the two hanging out on the princess couch and then Chloe feeding "her baby" a bottle, she really wanted to feed him so I let Chloe help me make a bottle and then she fed him, she only did for a minute or so then she was done, she had fun though and really felt like she was helping out.

Well 2 weeks have gone by and it has gone so fast! the recovery with this c-section was alot better this time,not that the first was bad but I feel like I can do more than before, which is good cause with another kid you kinda have to. Brayden is doing good, we've been to the doctor a few times now, we have to keep getting his weight checked every week cause he lost just over a pound in a week, but slowly he's gaining it back. Chloe is still loving being a big sister, she just doens't like it when he cries, she'll say "shhhhh Brayden I can't hear anything, be queit!" he'll keep crying of course and she'll say " arg, mom he won't stop crying, maybe you should change is diaper/feed him" she'll switch back and forth about what he needs,it's cute. I don't have any pictures to post right now I'm at Apex with Vince watching the UFC fight, Chloe is coloring on the white boards and Brayden is sleeping so I thought I'd write a quick update. I'll post some picutes if I get a chance tomorrow.

Chloe the big sister

Chloe is finally starting to get used to having Brayden around, she finally held him today, she only held him for a minute then he started to cry cause he was hungry but as soon as I took him she asked if she could hold him again. So as soon as I was done feeding him she held him again she loved it if you can't tell by the pictures. She even read him a bedtime story. I'll also add a little video of her playing with him.

the newest addition....

Brayden James Calkins 7lbs 7ounces and 21" Everything went really good. he's really healthy has lots of black hair and he already has a good set of lungs...hopefully he wont be anywhere near as loud as Chloe. we get to go home tomorrow I can't wait!!!!Just thought I'd post a few pictures though while I have a chance, I will write more later.

THURSDAY IS THE BIG DAY!!!!!! WOHOO!!!!!!!!

And I still have NO idea what to name him.

Baby room pictures

So the crib bumper I was making is finally done!!!! Thanks to my good friend Melinda who is a sewing genius, she came over a few nights ago and helped me finish it. I just have a few finishing touches to do in the room like curtains and I'm gonna put a corner shelf above the changing table for the jungle looking sticks that are sitting on the table right now. I'm also waiting to find out what name we'll be using and his name will be up there too painted in a baby blue. I was going to paint the walls, but I'm just to tired now to do it, Vince hates painting just as much as I do so I won't make him do it so they'll just stay white, oh well though, I really don't care that much. And I need to find something to put above the rocker, if I find something. other than that I'm calling it done. Only 15 more days till he comes!!!!!

The other night we were getting Chloe ready for bed, she was in her bathroom brushing her teeth and after I heard the water turn off it got quiet and she never came out, well I went to go see what she was doing and this is what I found.... she had plugged the sink and filled it to the top with soapy water and was up to her shoulders playing in it, then I see her little toothbrush pop out of the water, she said that it needed to be washed. She's so funny!