Friday, November 30, 2012

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Hams













I believe we have learned what the camera is. . .

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

A Sweater for Gray

I've been working on this sweater for my babes since before they were even in my belly. I picked green because it could work for a boy or a girl. I finished it last week and just in time! It fits perfectly. What an amazing feeling. I am so proud of it. It took forever, but the little diamond pattern just makes me so happy. And the little pointy hood.

And I wasn't going to make another sweater, but we're doing family pictures over Thanksgiving break and clearly Nash needs one too. All I have left on it are the sleeves. Hopefully I finish it in time! [Not a diamond patterned one, no hood, and it's a much quicker pattern. But oh it suits him.]

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Trick or Treat

We had our annual Halloween party the weekend before Halloween. We always have such a fun time, but I am always sad we are so limited by space! I wish we could've invited so many more people, but we were PACKED as it was. We got all ready and I had to feed the judges before everyone got there. I love this picture. We have made a point to add the boys to our family. Yes, our lives have changed a lot since their arrival, but we don't use them as an excuse to be lame. Which I like. In fact, we do MORE fun things because of them. 


Luna and Neville made an appearance. For those of you who were wondering, yes, they do get married.


A quarter and a gumball machine. SO CUTE. Tori drew that quarter on the drive over. Luckily they had pretty bad traffic on the way over so she had time to finish it. Not so luckily, they were stopped on the freeway for a couple hours on the way home too. :(


Joey, Natalie and their adorable Bumble Bee


Charlie Brown and Lucy made an appearance as well.


The witch and her ninja.


The Hulk and his buddy the Ninja


This is what happened when I asked them for another pose. I blame Todd. Too hot to handle, gentlemen. lol


The boys sat in their high chairs and judged the competition for a bit and then got a little rowdy and joined the games. Meaning they needed to be held and played with.



We play the same game every year. Trick or Treat. There is a bowl full of strips of paper that either say Treat or have a trick you have to do. Luna performing the scarecrow.


Doug with his poisoned bottle.


Death by Chocolate


The Mad Dog


Smashing Pumpkins. Tori seriously owned this game. Hilarious


Ding Dong the Witch is Dead.



Loser had to cackle like a witch. :) Well done Lincoln!


The Grim Reaper. Whipped Cream and Butter Knife shaving. We LOVED having so many kids over for these games! They were such good sports about everything!


Ghost Buster


The Mummy


Smashing Pumpkins take 2. Lori has the worst gag reflex ever. That would be ONE marshmallow in her mouth. To her credit, they were HUGE pumpkin shaped mallows. lol


Cam as the scarecrow.


Ogre painting. Pistachio pudding in your toes. Yum. :)


The fastest ding dong the witch is dead, EVER.


And I actually don't remember who won.


Beautiful miss Jenna getting in on the action.


OK this was hilarious. Nate and Ashlee bobbed for apples first [not sure where all those pictures went. :(] and Matt sat on the couch the whole time talking about how he was so glad it wasn't him doing it and making fun of them. Guess what he drew next? Bobbing for Apples. Ah, karma! The deal was you had to find the apple that had a quarter in it. [Secret: the quarter weighs down one side and keeps the apple from turning upright so you can't grab it by the stem] Matt cheated and put a quarter from Todd's costume in an apple and grabbed it with his mouth.


So the next time he went down, we doused him with water bottles. lol.


Lori was so great. As soon as she figured out the quarter was still int he bucket, she made sure she got it. Better luck next time Matt!


Joey and Jenna with the Ghost Buster. Oh she was so cute! I love seeing a dad with his little girl.


And then things got a little crazy. oh my gosh these pictures crack me up. Cam [Adam Levine] took his tattoos off and put them over his face.


I haven't laughed this hard in a long time.


We had SO much fun. I can't thank everyone enough for coming and being up for playing with us crazy Calls! I'm so grateful to have such good friends here in Texas.

Friday, November 16, 2012

Flaunt your Fella

Today I was sent a supposedly "funny" link to a post entitled "husband shaming" where all these women have submitted photos of something their husbands have done that is dumb or shameful or whatnot. It's no wonder the media keeps portraying the "stupid husband syndrome." Obviously it sells! And what's even worse is the disrespect for the husbands is horrible. If Cam got together with a bunch of his friends and started talking about all the little things I do that drive him absolutely nuts or all of my faults I would be heartbroken. Even if they were small enough to just let them roll off my back, do you really think that's helpful to your marriage? [Or your relationship? for the non-marrieds :)] The comments section turned into a complain-a-thon. It's a dangerous thing to complain about your spouse in a public setting. You get validation for all the little things that rub you the wrong way. And then all of a sudden the little things turn into big things and you have forgotten all the little things that used to be big things that you loved about them. So here is my feeble attempt at remedying the situation at least on a small scale.

At the beginning of our relationship, Cameron could do no wrong. Neither could I. We both walked on water in the others' eyes. And I'm bringing that back. Because I believe that husbands go unappreciated all the time. And I also believe in "if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all." BUT, it shouldn't be that hard to find something nice to say.

And I know that any time I post something about Cameron and people comment on it in a positive way, he can't help but feel good. So write up a quick "just because" post about something your man does or did and we'll make it a party! Comment here and leave your link and then go comment on 3 other posts that are below OR just tell us something great about your man in the comments and we'll have a brag-a-thon instead of a complain-a-thon. Hopefully, we'll have some happy and appreciated men this weekend!


Call Me Kristin - Flaunt Your Fella

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

This is the VOICE! [ba duh duh duhhhhh]

8 Months Old

I am really starting to love these monthly updates. I feel like once the details are recorded, my heart is OK to move on to the next milestone because I can come back and re-live the stages whenever I want. I did, however, catch a slight smell that reminded me of the NICU the other morning when I was cuddling Gray after feeding him and my heart broke just a little bit. And then he gave me a huge slobbery kiss on the cheek and I remembered that I wouldn't trade this time for anything. Not even to have brand new Nash and brand new Gray again.


My boys love me. I know that. But, oh they love their dad. Dad is a hero around here. His lap is the best seat in the house.



These boys are QUICK. I still have to take one out of the tub at a time, so I drain the tub, wrap one up, lay him on the rug, and go get whoever is still in the cold, empty tub. And regardless of who is on the rug, they are naked and thrilled about it by the time I turn back around with their towel nowhere in sight.



See that mischievous smile on Gray's face? Yeah, it's showing up more and more these days. And it just makes me so excited. I LOVE the mischief that comes with boys. [I hope I remember that when they make me want to rip my hair out sometime down the road.]



And it makes me even more happy that they will ALWAYS have a partner in crime. Brothers are the best. And these two are major fans of each other.



Gray is so beautiful to me. He has his daddy's eyes and nose. And I kiss them constantly. He is a doll.



This was my first attempt at shooting in manual mode with the remote control. I am just giddy about it! I feel like I can be in more pictures with the boys. It takes a lot of planning and a lot of tries, but then you get the one that really captures a feeling and it's perfect. I love Gray's hair and his little content grin in this one. We look out their bedroom window at the big green tree outside or the train as it goes by in the mornings. It is the best.



I keep thinking the boys need haircuts [around their ears especially! It's getting a little scruffy...] until I see a picture like this. Oh my handsome dude.



I've been taking the boys down to the Chiropractic clinic at Parker University every week for the past month. It has made such a difference! I am a huge advocate for adjusting from birth. There are two interns there that are specializing in pediatric chiropractic. They are the absolute best. The boys were having a hard time with constipation. I had changed their diet and pumped the fluids and nothing was changing. I mentioned this to the interns, they gave a quick adjustment and ever since, there is no sign of constipation at all. I just love how much chiropractic can do. I feel like it is so non-invasive and I love that I am not putting harmful chemicals into my babes' bodies.



And when they get adjusted, they can play HARD because we will work out all the kinks later. They love playtime with Dad. He is working so hard lately. We live for the times he gets home before the boys go to bed. And the weekends. He balances everything better than anyone I know. It's so impressive to me. And it makes me so happy that the boys look forward to their time with him and really make the most of it! They get so giggly when he's around!



Nash consistently scooches himself right underneath the couch. He doesn't like it under there. Hasn't figure out how to avoid it. Poor kiddo. But I think it's hilarious. haha.



Every time we put Nash in the stroller, he puts his fist in the air. And keeps it there for the duration of the ride. It's so funny! I think he looks so handsome here. I love his dark hair and light eyes. He is such a lady killer!



We finally put the boys in the shopping cart after a friend of mine [Cam's cousin] sent me the most adorable picture of her little boy in a shopping cart. I couldn't believe they were big enough for that! But oh we stopped traffic.



The fastest way to get everybody clean for church is a shower with Dad. The boys are so animated! They love the water. And love the naked. I think all babies love that.



beautiful, beautiful Nash.



CHEESE!



Gray has been chewing on anything and everything trying to get his teeth through. No luck so far. He sits up really well though. He is SO strong.



I give the boys some finger foods to practice with at every meal. They are getting better and better! Gray picks up the food and smooshes it into his mouth with the rest of his hand and gets the food in there 100% of the time now. Nash is working on pinching the food with his thumb and index finger and does a pretty great job of it. He probably makes it into his mouth about 70% of the time. I love watching them figure things out! It is so fun to see their minds working.



This is what I wake up to every day. Regardless of where I put them down to bed, they end up right against the side of the crib that borders the other crib. And they almost always wake up happy. It is so fun! The sadness comes when I pick one up out of the crib to nurse him. I try to switch off, but a lot of the time I just pick up the one who isn't quite as happy as the other. And for the next 10 minutes, I sing our morning song roundup. It consists of a few originals. "Wake up, wake up, wake up I said! It's time to get out of your bed. The day is here! It's so much fun to wake each morning with the sun!" followed by "When you wake up be happy! Be happy when you're awake! When you wake up be happy! It's gonna be a good day! When the sun is up start smiling! It's easy if you can. 'Cause I love my Gray Baby! I love my Nash Man!" And then we sing the cougar fight song. A few times through this and it's time to nurse the other one. I have really noticed a major change in myself from singing first thing in the morning. I am happier when we do this. I am a better mom. I love it.



OH that belly. :) [Nash]



OH those legs! [Gray]



We have been working on not hitting our brothers. It is a hard thing.



Sesame Street is on Netflix. The boys watch maybe 5 minutes of it before they are done and on their bellies playing with something else, BUT it gets me a shower! And they love the songs. It was so fun for me to see them enjoy that part of it. I felt a little part of my mom-dream fulfilled. Which sounds a little silly, but my mom let us watch Sesame Street all growing up and it is one of my fondest childhood memories. My siblings and I still adore a lot of the classics. And so many clips from Sesame Street still crack me up. I loved seeing Nash and Gray love something I loved when I was their age too.



We are vain. We have discovered ourselves in the mirror. And it is the best thing ever. They get so giddy when their reflection is staring back at them.



We watched the election. The boys couldn't handle the tension.



Nash gave us his best analysis and prediction, which was that Romney would get the most votes but lose the election. Smartie pants.



Daddy taught them all about Nutella on Toast. We pretty much just think anything Dad does is the best.



The boys are wearing 12 month old jammies now. They look so grown up to me! Ah! Especially that last picture. My friend Karen sent them to us right before the boys got here and I remember thinking that they would NEVER fit something that big! They do. And at 8 months no less. Oh they grow up so fast! I love their hair in this picture too. Such handsome gents.



I have no idea where this wolf hat came from, but seriously? Seriously. I die. Look at that face! Cam takes one of the boys running with him after he gets home from school every day. It is such a treat. They are always so proud of themselves when they get back for getting such fun time with Dad. It makes me melt.



The longer Nash's hair gets, the crazier it gets. He has my dad's hair. Fine and thick. And it has a mind of its own. Especially after bedtime or naps. :)



I told a friend the other day that "I swear infertility is the best thing that's ever happened to me." And I should probably explain. I feel like every little thing in my life is a blessing [that pertains to the boys.] I have bad days too. Don't get me wrong. But seriously, I think everything is SO fun now! We are planning what to put in the boys' stockings and what to get them for their birthday coming up and it just makes me giddy. I LOVE IT. I love them. I love making them happy. They are my whole world. And my world rocks.
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