Thank you Santa

We had a fabulous Christmas, quiet at home with just the five of us. We must have been good, because Santa sure was good to us this year.

Caitlyn was exhausted after all the festivities...

Aidan mastered his new Leapster within an hour. He can even play it upside down now...

Aidan's Gingerbread House

6 Months Old!

I can't beleive Caitlyn is six months old already! She still hasn't been home for as long as she was in the hospital, but we are getting close.

At six months, she weighs 12 pounds, 4 ounces and is almost ready to come off the oxygen. Her high-risk doctor said that would probably happen at her next appointment, which is in January!

Gotta Love Marshmallows

Now that the weather is cold, we've been making a lot of hot chocolate. Of course, the boys' favorite part is the marshmallows...

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1st Snow!

After church, we all bundled up and went outside to enjoy the snow. A snowman was built, a hill was sled, snow angels were made, and a driveway was shoveled.

The day after Thanksgiving

It is a tradition at our house to decorate for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving. We put on Christmas music and burn Christmas-scented candles. We put up the tree, stockings, and all other decor around the house while we sip on eggnog. And it's the first night we turn on the lights outside.

And she is baptised...

Our good friends Kim and Tom drove up from Illinois to partake in the baptism and be Caitlyn's Godparents. Brian's dad (an episcopal minister) also took part in the ceremony. We had a wonderful service at the Coralville United Methodist Church and joined family back home for lunch and cake.

I made the cake, my first time using fondant frosting. It was a lot of fun, but I used too much pink coloring and what was supposed to be a pastel pink cake turned out to be a hot pink cake. Oh well.

Leaving Comments

Okay...I changed my setting so anyone can leave a comment now :) So please do!

Conferences

We had our first parent-teacher conference EVER Monday night, and it went really well. I took a bunch of pictures to show what Aidan's pre-k classroom looks like. His teacher, Mrs. Vahle, said that he is doing really well and is a pleasure to have in her class. She said he does need to work on self-control when answering questions. He really likes to answer all the questions, and he's been doing better at raising his hand, but now he needs to remember to stay in his seat while raising his hand. I thought that was pretty funny, and I wish I had the opportunity to watch Aidan in action. She also said he has an amazing memory. When they all gather in the foyer at the beginning of the day during dropoff, and it's approaching 8:30am, Aidan can tell her which students are still missing. He can also remember the first and last names of all the artists they've been learning in art class, and they only meet once a week!

Here is Aidan's locker (the one with the red mat):

His desk:

Go Hawkeyes!

Brian took Aidan to the last football game of the year at Kinnick. They had a great time- watching the game and eating LOTS of food. Plus, the Hawkeyes won! Aidan was all bundled up in two pairs of pants and his snow suit!

Brian and Aidan on the bus to Kinnick from the parking lot:




Hawkeyes won!

Potty Training

We're not quite there yet. Alex is terrified of the toilet. But he is constantly taking his pants and diaper off. I've taught Aidan to yell "ALEX IS TAKING HIS DIAPER OFF" as soon as he starts to, so that I can avoid all accidents.

He wants to wear underwear, but he doesn't want to use the potty. What should I do?

Caitlyn is 5 months old (last Saturday)!

She is really doing well. She sleeps through the night! All the way until 6:30, eats without waking up and then doesn't get up again until 9! Now if I could just get the boys to do that :)
She is a very easy baby...doesn't cry much and really well tempered. She just fell asleep on the couch next to me without me doing anything. vote for the picture you like best...I want to get one enlargment for our house.
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Chicago

Brian had a conference in Chicago earlier this week, so we decided to make a mini-vacation out of it. The weather was cold, but we bundled up and braved the elements. We really didn't do much, as it's very difficult with three small children. But I did get some shopping in.

The tall building on the left is where Brian used to work when we lived in Chicago. This is a view from us looking into the "bean" at Grant Park.

Happy Halloween!

We had such great weather this Halloween...75 and sunny! We didn't have to wear coats or bundle up underneath our costumes for a change :)

Aidan was Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and very excited about it. He got a big smile on his face anytime anyone would ask what he was going to be this year. He originally wanted to be Spiderman, but changed his mind a couple weeks before the 31st.

Alex was also very excited about being a cowboy. But when it came down to it, he didn't want to wear much of his costume. We tried to get a good picture with the hat, but didn't have much luck. And there was no way we were going to get the chaps on him. He had a blast trick-or-treating. He would go up to every house and say "trick-or-treat" way before he got to the door. Then he would take his time deciding on a piece of candy, changing his mind several times. At the beginning, he would take one piece of candy from one house, and deposit it at the next house. I guess he thought he had to keep trading pieces.

Caitlyn was a pea (in a pod), but several people thought she was a caterpillar (on a leaf). I guess it could go either way. I did sew this costume myself (and Alex's too).

Election Day is around the corner...

Election day is almost here and the 2008 campaign is nearing an end. Thank you to those that have voted early and to everyone that has passed the word of Brian's campaign along to friends and colleagues. We are now in the home stretch and every vote counts!
To celebrate the end of the campaign and the beginning of a new democracy, we are going to gather at the Vine in Coralville on election night. Anyone and everyone is welcome – Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians, Greens and the independents in all of us! The festivities will begin around 6PM and last until everyone leaves or they kick us out.
In these last days, remember to keep spreading the word about the campaign and directing people to the website: www.brianwhite2008.com. Thank you!

What: Election Party – Brian White 2008

Where: The Vine (on the Coralville strip)

When: 6PM …Who: Family event – all ages welcome

Stuck inside...

We are pretty much stuck in the house all winter, because we can't risk getting Caitlyn sick. We can't go anywhere where there are other kids, and we can't have other kids over to our house. So I am bored! Her high-risk doctor told us that she has a 50% chance of being hospitalized because of RSV or Flu this season.

So...I am now trying to think of lots of indoor activities I can do with a 2 year old and a 4 year old. If you have any ideas please let me know!!!

Yesterday, we made pumpkin bread in our pajamas :)

9 pounds, 10 ounces

Everyone probably remembers this picture of Caitlyn. It was the day after she was born, and she has Brian's wedding band around her foot.

Well, here she is at over 9 pounds, the same size Alex was when he was born. Her feet are still small, but much bigger than before. The ring now fits over her toe!

Top 5 Things I Hate to Admit

Okay, I was tagged by Molly a LONG time ago. But at least I'm getting around to it!

1. I have not worn my wedding/engagement rings for a year now. Mostly because they didn't fit while I was pregnant, but also because I'm lazy. I finally decided to put them on today.

2. I pile the dished up all day long, and then let Brian come home and do them. He's such a sweetheart!

3. I hate talking on the phone and emailing. Don't ask me why.

4. If my kids are watching TV in the car when we arrive home, and I need to get something done quickly I'll leave them in there with the doors open so I can get it done. Usually it's putting the groceries away.

5. I eat a lot of junk food, and I never exercise. I'm going to start exercising this week.

That's it...and I'm not going to tag anyone else, because I hate being tagged.

Google Reader

If you don't already have Google Reader...you should get it. It's a lot like Outlook Express, where you can tell right away if you have new emails, except it's for blogs and it lets you know right away when someone updates their blog. Just enter all of your friends' blogs and you no longer have to jump from blog to blog to see who's updated.

http://www.google.com/reader

It's Been a While

Sorry...things have been pretty crazy around here. Along with Caitlyn coming home, we've had our share of regular bloody noses and one trip to the emergency room. I will try to be better at posting more often.

Caitlyn is up to 8 pounds, 11.5 ounces!


Here is one of the bloody noses from the month...


I never even had time to take a picture of Aidan's forehead, but he sliced it open pretty good by jumping off the couch and hitting his head on the play kitchen. I had to call on the neighbors to come over and watch Caitlyn and Alex while I took Aidan to the emergency room on a Sunday. Brian wasn't home, which is just my luck. Thank God for great neighbors!

Here's Aidan at the UI Homecoming Parade. He had a lot of fun handing out candy for the Brian White campaign.

Day 100: She's Home!

After 100 days in the NICU, Caitlyn is finally home! Aidan just told me "I love my Caitlyn", and can hardly keep his hands off of her. We are all so happy to have her home. Now we have 3 kids ages 4 and under, and it is crazy!

Caitlyn came home on oxygen, and we have to take it along with us wherever we go. Here are the oxygen tanks we have in our house. They gave us smaller, more portable ones for travel.

Thank you everyone for your continued prayers. We are so blessed with great family and friends!

Lots of Pics & The Big Game

I had a fun morning with Caitlyn today. She looked so cute, so I just kept taking pictures. She is back to 7 pounds, even. I think the extra weight last week must have been IV fluids and swelling.

This is Caitlyn getting her hearing exam. She passed in both ears!

Two of Caitlyn's favorite nurses!

Caitlyn's view of the Iowa vs. Iowa State game:

Caitlyn geared up in her Hawkeye jersey: