Fawver Christmas Wrap-up

This season has been filled with joy and happiness at the Fawver home. We have experienced so many celebrations...it's hard to remember where to begin!

I suppose we started the Christmas season by introducing "Twinkle" our sweet female Christmas Elf. She was not a Santa spy, but rather a really funny and sneaky friend that hid and pulled some funny pranks on us. Various stunts included hanging Bridgette's panties on the tree, drinking syrup, hiding in the freezer, leading a parade, etc. :) But, although the fun and magic of Twinkle was exciting, Bridgette continually reminded me that Twinkle was "only a toy" and "cannot move on her own." So this begged the question..."How did she do this? She can't move!" I am sure "Santa" will last a really long time in this family.......she already noticed he used the same wrapping paper we have at home. Ah well.
A couple days before Christmas we celebrated with the Marley's at their home with a delicious dinner and some gifts for the kids. Bridgette got a Baby Princess Aurora complete with crib (decorated by Mimi Nina) and Mason played with multiple balls in a basket. It was a fun evening, as always.
Christmas Eve was a particularly jam packed day...we arrived in Newport just in time to see Santa deliver Mimi Kay & Papaw Billy's presents for the kids. They were absolutely mesmerized by his appearance and the waaaay cool gift of a John Deer kids jeep. They loved it!!
After Santa's appearance, we opened the remaining gifts, both to adults and kids, and spent a lively hour stuffing our faces (a common occurrence in my family). After dinner we participated in a White Elephant gift exchange where some hilarious gifts were given. I will take credit for one: When I was in college, my Grandmother Pat entered the tech world with a cell phone. She completed this advancement with a much needed accessory--a cell phone holder---that she made herself out of a sewn wash rag. It was one of the funniest moments ever. We begged her to make us all these special holders, but alas she refused! LOL :) So...back to the gift, I wrapped a sewn wash rag with sparkly letters stating "cell phone" on front. It got lots of laughs.
Some more gifts were a talking toilet paper holder, Angry Birds lip gloss, small candles, talking mistletoe. All so fun.
After our Christmas Eve family celebration, we continued the tradition by going to FUMC Newport for candlelight service. I just love it. :) Our Bailey family was asked to participate as angels and shepherds (or so we were told....) and wound up being the entire nativity scene, complete with Unco (Weston) and Tessa being Joseph and Mary. I was sweating keeping Bridgette and Mason away from Baby Jesus (and nearly got waaaaay too hot....whew). It was a little funny but most of the congregation said it was precious. :)

The next morning, we woke up to look for Santa. Thankfully, I noticed that Santa had forgotten to stuff the stockings (LOL) and quickly did that before the kids awoke. HA. But Bridgette and Mason were incredibly happy and could hardly wait to open all their presents (but they had to, because we were waiting on Mimi Nina and PP Marshall). When they arrived the tornado carnage commenced. We had a wonderful mess with a zillion gifts, including an art easel, basketball goal, plasma cars, several stuffed animals (Hello Kitty...a current fave), trucks, legos, and more.

We had our traditional Christmas morning breakfast (monkey bread) and sang Happy Birthday Jesus! Then we played and played and played!! That afternoon, we went to Grandpa Marty's and GB's for our Bailey Christmas dinner. It was a large event with so much energy and terrific food. We were joined by both my cousins, Kimberly and Katherine and their families (including Baby Emily)! We played a ton with Unco and Aunt Tessa.

Gifts there were books, more trucks, and a Minnie cheerleading outfit. It was very fun too. I acquired a sock monkey that sang and danced during our White Elephant exchange and it may have been our best gift ever! Mason has played it nonstop and danced.
Well....since Christmas has passed, we have just played and been so happy (and a little sad that the fanfare is over). What a magical holiday and wonderful time we had celebrating the birth of our Lord. Spending time with family and those we love is the most important gifts we give.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!!

New York Baby!!

Travis and I went on a trip together to NYC to have some adult-only fun :) We had a terrific trip!
We arrived early Tues morning and walked around different areas of NYC, starting in Greenwich Village, the Fashion District, and ending up in Times Square. We had dinner at Del Friscos at Rockafeller center, and saw the beautiful tree. Dinner was terrific, then we went to see A Christmas Story on Broadway, which was the most unbelievable show I have ever seen. It was absolutely hilarious and engaging with incredible acting and dancing, especially the young cast members. Travis and I were blown away by the musical and definitely recommend it.
The next morning, we went shopping on 5th and then went to the Russian Tea Room and had an authentic Russian meal. Personally I think it has seen better years. Then we visited Trav's Mecca- THE apple store. AMazing. :)
Then we checked off one from our bucket list: biking in Central Park. It wasn't very cold--we had a really good time. We were ready for a nap after haha. We went to dinner in Little Italy at Angelos and it was the best meal we had! It was incredible. Packed full of Italians...loud, boisterous, drunk Italians :).
Our last day we hit up American Natural History Museum and the dinosaur skeletons! :) Really cool exhibits. We went to NY Public Library- possibly the nicest building we went in. Afterwards, we met Trav's cousin Tim for coffee and dessert. It was so nice to meet him and talk to a NY native. :)
We had a tough journey home and were so weary when we finally hit our bed. We missed our kids so terribly much and it was so wonderful to be home with them. It was a terrific trip!

Gonna pick back up...

Yes it has been months since I have blogged, mainly because I could never sit longer than 2 minutes at the computer without a child crying. :)
So, there is so much to talk about. Mainly Mason has grown like a weed and is now 15 months old. He is talking quite a bit and says several distinguishable words. He says "mumay" for mommy, "DAAAA" for Daddy, "sissy" for Bridgette. A few other words- giraffe, food, milkie, wa-wa (water), Nene "Mimi", Paw-paw, truck "vroom vroom", all his animal sounds, please, thank you, Santa, Jesus, pasta, Elmo, and many many others. Our favorite thing is when he sees his Dad he yells DAAAAA. It's so precious.
we just went to Dollywood to see the Christmas lights last night and it was the beginning of a new holiday tradition for us. We just loved being there at night in the cool, brisk weather. We laughed and saw Santa, rode some rides, sipped hot chocolate. It was a little perfect. :) Mimi Nina and Paw-Paw Marshall went with us.
I have really been into establishing some fun family traditions, from Christmas lights and carols, to every day traditions like singing and dancing to fun music while I cook dinner. I love the thought of establishing comfortable routines that our children will look forward to for years to come.
Tomorrow is a special day for our church, it will be our first Happy Birthday Jesus party at the North Knox campus of Faith Promise, and I am just so happy to be a part of it.

We have also joined a spectacular group of people to "do life with" at the church- we feel so blessed to be a part of such a loving church that is reaching out to everyone in Jesus' name.

Going to the zoo

So, Bridgette has been getting bored with the "same ole, same ole", so I have been trying to change it up a little bit. I read online that the zoo has a Sat AM program for tots that features a different animal with some other fun activities. So, Trav and I packed up the little ones and despite the rain showers, trekked it to the zoo. Alas, the website was not updated and there was NO program. HA. So, instead we ran to the wee zoo, an indoor play area for the kids. Bridgette had a blast in the rain! Then she loved the wee zoo. There was a pizza/ice cream play shop, a vet clinic, a tunnel, puppet show, some live animals (more on that in a minute) and a make-your-own-zoo area. We played so much, even Mason enjoyed it all! There were bunnies, naked mole rats, and a ROOSTER! Well, we played UNTIL Bridgette poked her little finger into the rooster cage. Yep, you guessed it...she got a peck. OUCHIE.

Mason 7 months old

A bit late but better than never!
BTW- He'd love to ride a horse that isn't pink...hint hint Aunt Mal ;)
Mason weighs 20 lbs now. He is such a big fella! Eating like a champ of course. We still battle constipation with him, so he is now taking a couple ounces of juice per day, watering down his food, and some other interventions when necessary. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Ah well...
He is still nursing every 2-3 hours all day and night. Not sure if or when that is going to change. :) Bridgette was not nursing as often at this stage, but she was not as big as he is either.
He is eating solids pretty well, although he is not gobbling them up like he used to.
He is getting on all 4's now and launching forward. He scoots and rolls to whatever he wants. He is learning locomotion and THEN my job will really be fun :).
He is getting his first tooth, I can see the swelling and eruption on the bottom front left. Poor fella, but he is doing pretty well with it. Biting everything and just a tad fussy. He is a really a sweet little baby and when he nurses and pats my face or arm, I just melt. I wish he would sleep a little bit better but...can't have it all!

DISNEY and Mal's Wedding!!!

I AM SO EXCITED to blog about this trip! There is so much fun stuff to cover, it may take me two days to finish it all!
To start, I was so apprehensive about this trip, simply because Mason HATES the car. I thought we would be driving with him screaming the vast majority of the way. So, I was meticulous in finding fun things for the kids to do in the car. With a 6 month old, this is tough haha. So, here are a few things I came up with for my 2 year old:
DVDs (of course)
Several NEW books, especially books that tell a longer story
Disney sing a long music (again, of course)
"busy bags"- ziplock bags that contained various items: stickers with stickerbook, pen and pocket calendar (she loves to write in one for some reason), dry erase board and markers or crayons, mini play doh, mini dora characters, mini doll w bottle and change of clothes, and several different snacks. Bridgette is really into miniature things right now.
For Mason:
IPad movies (because he has to face backward for 6 more months)
a large calculator that lights up (a hit)
a night time wall light display (plays music and displays a scene on the wall) We had a TON of fun with this one--we made shadow puppets, made the scene tiny, then really big, etc.
picture board books
a maraca that he could slam against something and make lots of noise
teethers of course.
Tad the singing frog (never leave home without it for roadtrips)
All in all, pretty good planning on my part that equaled ONE (that's right) meltdown by Mason. I am pretty proud haha. Of course I was in charge of entertainment and Travis was in charge of getting us there safely--and he did a terrific job.

Moving on, we broke up the trip into two days each way, spending the night over half way. The first night Bridgette was unhappy in an unfamiliar place. She cried and said she wanted to go home, please. "Where are we? I am scared", etc. Kinda heartbreaking. We tried several different sleeping arrangements during the trip, all of which ended up being mistakes, hahahhaa. I have no idea what would have worked, short of packing several different beds/cribs, etc. Eventually she settled down, but it was a LONG night. We wearily began our second leg of the journey to Orlando.
Nina and Marshall (Trav's Mother and Step father) have a time share condo in Orlando (very nice) that they shared with us for the first two nights there. We stopped there, unloaded, picked them up, then headed straight to Epcot. Bridgette had not napped at this point and was pretty tired, but determined to stay up to see "Disney". She liked the Nemo ride and the 3 Cabelleros (sp?), but mostly just needed a good nap, so we strolled around the world (hehe) and she slept, as did Mason. This is a good time to point out that we took a double stroller (sit and stand that had two seats) and this was very nice, but terrible for napping. UGH. So we carried them a lot when they slept. A learning process.
Anyway, as she had a mini meltdown during dinner due to exhaustion, a German band began to play some polka music. And because I am an awesome polka dancer (right), I grabbed her and took her to the dance floor. The next 20 minutes were the funniest and most light hearted moments--she danced so hard, kept yelling "HEY" with her hands punching the air, and found some "big girls" (4 year olds) to dance near. This was super cute.

On our way out of Epcot (so we think)
we see the Character Spot with Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Donald, Daisy, and Goofy. 45 minute wait. I think NO WAY. Bridgette says PLEASE I want to see Minnie!! So, with Mason asleep in our arms, we wait in the line. The entire time I am thinking that she is going to hide behind my legs once we actually get to see the characters. Boy was I wrong! I will admit that seeing her sprint to Minnie Mouse with her arms wide open, huge smile on her face, then not wanting to leave her, but just staring adoringly at her, was one of the best moments of my whole life. I wanted to laugh and cry at the same time, because it was SO precious. She was so happy and so awe struck that she was actually seeing these characters! She kissed and hugged them ALL! And then asked me where “Pete” was! How funny- she wants to see the villain. It was worth every second of waiting!

On to day 2, Magic Kingdom

I always feel so exhilarated walking into the Magic Kingdom. Travis and I have always loved coming here together and we were especially excited for Bridgette to see Cinderella’s castle. She had been telling us for weeks that she was ready to go and see it! J We finally got there and rode all the rides in Fantasy Land. I think she probably liked Winnie the Pooh best. Then we had lunch at the Crystal Palace with the Pooh characters. I will say this was the biggest hit with the adults. Nina and Marshall and Malerie graciously accompanied us to help with the kids (and enjoy Disney!) and we all agreed that this food was fantastic! Bridgette was very happy to meet the characters, too! We really had a great time. Unfortunately towards the end of the day, rain came and we all got soaked. Then we had a hard time leaving the park, but all in all, a terrific time!!

From Orlando, we headed out to St. Pete to get ready for Malerie’s wedding. Bridgette LOVED the sun and sand. Mason, not so much. The wind was really upsetting him. Needless to say, I didn’t make much showing on the beach L. One of those things you don’t really hear much about is that when you have young kids, vacation isn’t quite as relaxing haha. I did have some MOH duties with Mal anyway, so I had a great time with that. It was really fun having the entire family down at the beach. We had tons of help with the kids. We really missed Granddaddy Reid, though, who was back home recovering from a stroke, and doing much better.

Here is where I am going to talk too much about the cute kids and funny things they did and said. J A precious girl, Allie McNabb, latched on to Bridgette first thing. Allie is about 7 years old and just loves kids. Bridgette felt like she was a “big girl” because Allie was playing with her. Seriously the happiest I have ever seen Bridgette. Keira Thatcher played with them too and all three were the cutest girls!! I told Bridgette that she would be a big girl like them someday and she replied with full sass “We ARE big girls together, Mommy!” Allie cared for Bridgette like a mini Mommy. How cute.

Then there were Robert’s nephews, Cooper and Anderson (ring bearers). Anderson was the older and would just sling his brother wherever he wanted him. Both seemed enamored by Bridgette she was with them! She and Cooper held hands a lot and even kissed!!! Bridgette was the flower girl and went down the aisle pretty well, but stopped halfway and dumped out her flowers…turned over the basket and just shook it. It was hysterical. Anderson tackled Cooper coming down the aisle, because he was starting to veer off. The ceremony was beautiful and very sentimental (as was the reception). The real fun began at the reception. Our Gommy (Margret Smith) turned 90 and they honored her. There was an “Oldest married couple contest” that my Sparks Grandparents won. There was so much fun. I overheard Anderson tell Bridgette, “Cooper has something he wants to ask you!” Then quickly followed up with, “He wants to know if you will dance with him.” How cute is that? She danced the night away, but would NOT dance with any grown ups. Ah- she is getting so sassy J. I had a blast at the reception, and being the great daddy he is, Travis took the kids to the room and let me stay awhile longer.
All in all, a fantastic trip! Lots of memories and laughs. So happy for Malerie and Robert!!! And now, SO GLAD TO BE HOME!

Adventures in snot land

Unfortunately, we have all been sick. BLECH. Bridgette has had the worst of it, with a terrible cough and congestion. Thankfully Mason hasn't been too congested. Of course I have it too. So, needless to say, some sleepless nights followed (not that Mason and I have been sleeping great anyway). My mothering motto: this too shall pass. I have learned that every time something seems to be working really well, it changes (another tooth, a cold, a wrench in the plans so to speak) or vice-versa. The minute I don't think I can bear another sleepless night, Mason gives me a long stretch. Amazing. Have to just thank God for every moment...I KNOW it all passes so quickly. Bridgette has grown into a sweet little girl so quickly. I am cherishing every moment I cuddle sweet baby Mason. :)
Here are your stats:
Mason, 6 months (approx)- 26 3/4 inches, 19.5 pounds.
Yes I know, he is a BIG boy. :) He eats enough haha.
Well now that we have unclogged his pipes, he is a much happier baby. He is eating some breakfast every morning (but I have eliminated the oatmeal/rice cereal), so he is eating a fruit or veggie every AM. He LOVES to eat and he is VERY good at it. I am proud hehe. Travis is VERY proud hehe.
He is sitting up very well without support. He loves certain toys...an alphabet spinner toy, his rainforest jumper, his giraffe teething toy, and anything that Bridgette is playing with of course. He is very likely teething- he is drooling all the time, biting, and fussy sometimes for no reason...Bri got her first at 7 months, so he is close. He is not in love with reading like Bridgette was..he likes interaction. He is VERY observant and watches everything his big sister does. He smiles a lot and I love it. He is sleeping in 3-4 hour intervals and strangely enough, he has started enjoying being swaddled (I use a sleep sack that has a swaddle built-in so no covers near his precious head). He can wiggle his arms out, but falling asleep he wants to be bundled. HUM. Bridgette loved to sleep next to me and cuddle. Not Mason- he wants to nurse then get right back in his own crib.
On to Bridgie-Bridge...
She and I have been doing lots of crafts and activities in the afternoon. She LOVES to be messy--what toddler doesn't? So, we paint, throw glitter around (clean up before Daddy gets home hehe), play in rice, noodles, water, etc. The biggest hits have been a huge tub full of rice that she can sit in and play like sand and a bathtub full of different kinds of noodles. She loved that! I am always looking for other really fun things if you have a suggestion!!
One super cute and funny thing she does- Daddy has an action bible, comic book form, Bri loves to read it, "And Jesus was afraid of the kion, but Mufasa told them to get on the boat with Simba and they lived happily ever after..." and she will stop and ask, "mommy, who's this troll?" Everyone with a beard is a potential troll...I reply with the straightest face "That troll is Moses", etc. Trav n I laugh our heads off.
Her favorite books are "Morris goes to school", "Lady and the Tramp", "Classic Disney Stories" of all varieties.
She still loves the Lion King and sings "Hakuna Matata" all the time. So cute and so funny. Another funny thing-- Mason cries, (even at 4am), Bri will reflexively start singing "Twinkle twinkle little star". She is the BEST big sister. They jump and kick and laugh together. They make me so happy. :)