Baby Rollo #2

So, it has again been a while since anything has been posted here.  But we did find out about some big news about 19 weeks ago. . .

Part of me feels bad that we haven't posted things on here like we did when I was pregnant with Gabriel, but this doesn't come from a lack of excitement over the whole thing.  It's just different since we know better what to expect AND because I don't want to take a picture every week of my growing self (which seems much larger than it was at this point last time around).

The beginning of the pregnancy was harder.  I felt much sicker than I did with Gabriel, plus there isn't the opportunity to rest whenever I'm not working like I had last time around (for some reason toddlers don't understand the concept of doing nothing all morning).  Thankfully though I have felt much better the last few weeks and have a little more energy.  

We attempted to explain to Gabriel a couple months ago that another baby was coming.  His response was so cute.  He of course asked where the baby was.  We told him it was in Mommy's tummy.  So, he pulled up my shirt, looked in my belly button and said "Oh.  The baby is sleeping."  He later told me that the baby was in his pocket.  He also lifted up his shirt at church and told some girls that the baby was sleeping in HIS tummy.  Funny boy. 

Thankfully, there is nothing else too exciting to report about this.  The due date is August 28th and we find out if it's a boy or a girl in a little over a week!  

Christmas 2014

Yes, it is the middle of January, so it's time to post some Christmas memories.  Over the Christmas season I actually put a few little things in my phone that I wanted to remember about Gabriel's experience, so I really just want to get them down here so I don't forget that.  So, it will be random, but it's my attempt to remember certain things that were important to me.

It snowed a couple days before Thanksgiving.  He wasn't a big fan of being out in the wet cold.  I don't blame him

Gabriel really enjoyed Christmas this year, as I think it was the first time he could really understand that there was something "different" going on.  He loved the music especially.  He wanted to hear/sing over and over and over again Angels We Have Heard on High (especially the Piano Guys version), Silent Night, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, and sometimes Away in a Manger.  One time he got a little mixed up and wanted me to sing "Jesus loves the Red Nosed Reindeer."  His favorite Christmas album was the Piano Guys Christmas though.  He often wanted to hear "Piano Guys Angels Heard on High," "Number 3," and "Number 6".  He didn't know all the names but he knew what songs he liked the best.

He had fun decorating the tree and also in the weeks after playing with the ornaments.  We tried to only let him have 1 ornament at a time, but sometime he got too excited about them and ended up with a couple

We tried to do some fun holiday things around here.  One night we went to the Inn at Virginia Tech and we looked at all of their decorated trees.  He had a good time running around pointing things out on each tree.  However, amid all of the pretty trees he ran up to a gold pole holding a restaurant menu and proclaimed "It's beautiful!"  Apparently to him that's just as pretty as a decorated and lit up tree.

Ho Ho Ho

One Sunday at church we lit the Advent candle.  As Taylor was reading the passage I was holding Gabriel and lighting the candle.  We don't really light candles in our house (for obvious reasons), so I wasn't really even sure if he knew what a candle was, but when he saw me reaching out to light it he said in a very serious voice, "It's hot! Don't touch it!"  For anyone in church that day I apologize that I don't remember the passage that was read or anything but trying not to laugh loudly.

Cupcake!

Hannah Kate's first birthday was the day before Christmas and Gabriel had so much fun at her party.  He really didn't understand though why all of the cupcakes had to sit on the table and wait to be eaten.  He kept saying "I need a cupcake!".  It was worth the wait.  He also actually sang "Happy Birthday" for the first time and he was still singing "Happy Birthday Hannah Kate" days later.  He randomly sang it again the other day.  It's apparently a great song.

Look at Hannah's presents!

Side note: I may call Hannah Kate "sweetie" too often because now when we Facetime with her Gabriel says "Hi Sweetie!" to her.

Gabriel has hot chocolate for the first time on Christmas Eve while watching "A Muppet Christmas Carol."  He had recently seen an episode of "Bear in the Big Blue House" where they have hot cocoa and seems fascinated.  I guess he didn't realize that cocoa and chocolate were the same thing because he said many times "I drink hot cocoa.  It's chocolate!"

Pop Pop is a funny guy

Every year since Taylor and I have been married we have eaten on Christmas Eve or Christmas at Waffle House.  This year when we told Gabriel that we were going to Waffle House he said "Go Waffles House?  Go Bacons House?  I eat them."

This memory has nothing to do with Christmas in particular but it happened while we were in Atlanta for Christmas.  We were eating at Panda Express (yummy) and Gabriel kept asking us about various animals.  He would say "what does the dog say?" We would respond with, "I don't know Gabriel, what does the dog say?" He would say "Ruff!"  This continued with many different animals and noises.  He finally said "what does the mommy say?"  I was scared as to what would come out of his mouth, but when I said "I don't know, what does the mommy say" he responded with "I love you!"  So sweet and such a relief that he didn't choose one of the less than ideal things that I sometimes say.

Grandma Cheryl!

While I have to say our trip to Atlanta at Christmas was one of the best trips we've had down there as a family, we could have done without Gabriel's first ER visit.  On 12/23 he tripped on a step and minorly bonked his head.  This kid hits his head on a regular basis climbing on things and I was not in the slightest concerned over this one.  However, he threw a major fit afterwards and then fell asleep on me.  When he woke up he proceeded to start with some serious vomiting (I again apologize to John and Sue for their carpet).  We started driving towards the ER and he got so pale and groggy.  He scared us.  Apparently he got a little stomach virus with some bad timing.  Part of me is glad we were in Atlanta though because CHOA is awesome.  They took good care of him and we're so thankful that he was fine by the next day.

I can almost fit this in my mouth

Gabriel thought that opening presents was super fun.  At one point he had been ripping so much paper (opening his presents and other people's who offered to let him help) that he stood up and yelled "more presents!"  He was in a ripping coma it seemed.

You can never go wrong with a book containing Jessie and Woody

I'm so glad that he had a fun time with family and didn't want to come back home (sometimes when we're gone he frequently asks to go back home).  He still talks about seeing everyone, especially the babies.  I have to say though, one of my favorite things of all was when we did my family Christmas he pulled a bell off of Stephanie's Christmas tree and led everyone in singing "Jingle Bells" and "Frosty the Snowman."  He looked so happy and proud of himself.  He's becoming such a sweet big boy.

I love my new kitchen!

Happy Birthday

Happy 2nd Birthday sweet boy!  We aren't going to have cake until tomorrow, but I couldn't let the day go by without posting some of my favorite pictures (it was hard to pick!)

Just Random

 There isn't anything specific that I wanted to write about, but along with a couple other things I wanted to put down a few of the funny things that Gabriel has said recently because I don't want to forget them.  I can't believe that he's about to turn two.  Wow.

Poor Loki.  Just wants a bite.  Gabriel really loves her.  Although he picks up on how we talk to her sometimes.  He often says "Loki STOP.  She's naughty" or (on a nicer note) "Pet the Loki."  He likes to "pet" all kinds of things, like our heads, arms, stache stache (Taylor's mustache), puddle duck (touch and feel book), etc.  He says "pet the _____" and the proceeds to gently touch it.  It's very cute.

I found two of his dinosaurs in the dishwasher yesterday.  In our bathroom I also found a flour sifter with Woody, Buzz, and Jessie inside.  I never thought I'd be ok with such a clutter but what else can you do?

The other day he picked up one of his diapers from Costco that has a tiger printed on it.  I guess he thought that it looked like Gnocchi the cat from Curious George, because he said "Gnocchi Cat! So cute! Give her a kiss.  And a hug."  He then carried the diaper around hugging and kissing it and wanted me to do the same.  He likes to hug and kiss so many random things (the animals in his books, his toys, Loki, his pillow case, and thankfully us too)

A boy in a box

When he hears the train near our house he stops and almost whispers "Train? Hear it?"

He often says, in the high pitched voice, "What happened?" or "Oh no"

When he was at the Children's Museum with Taylor yesterday he found a play guitar and was fiddling with it saying "I play music" 

Boy coloring his legs in a box

Realizing that he can crawl into Loki's crate and then getting stuck (multiple times)

Halloween.  While he didn't have too much fun being at a crowded festival he liked the big slide and watched kids from church perform.

We went to see a Hokie basketball game last week.  Actually, we mostly just watched warm up and then about 15 minutes of the game.  Gabriel mostly sat looking stunned, which was not surprising.  There was a lot going on and he was taking it all in.  He did, at one point, want to go and meet the mascot and "Give the birdie a high five."  He did just that, but a moment after I think he realized how scary that huge bird is up close and he started crying.  Overall I think he had fun, especially since he got popcorn. 

Someone now sleeps without a side rail on his bed.  I was more worried about the transition than I needed to be.  He fell out once while napping (oops), but other than that not much has changed with his sleeping.  He loves to be able to climb in and out and read books in bed.  He loves putting his stuffed animals in and out too.

We picked out this bedding sure that he would love it.  And while he certainly loves the pillow case (he likes to choose between sleeping on Rex and sleeping on Woody/Buzz on the other side), his first reaction was not what I expected.  He examined it very closely and then said "where's Jessie?".  He loves that cowgirl.  All that's required to get him hyper and running laps through the house is to pick up Jessie and say "Yee-haw!" He has may times shouted "Jessie!!!  I love you!!"

So happy and wide awake in the morning (I can't say that I can relate to that)

He still loves to play with his pumpkins from the pumpkin patch, and also some corn that we decorate with.  We're trying to teach him how to "pretend eat" things and I think he's getting the hang of it.  He also really likes pretending to cook and play with food.  I've been saving random containers from stuff in the kitchen for that purpose.  Maybe he can start making me meals soon. . .

Pretending to eat some corn.  He often says "Corney!  I love you!"  I'm not sure if he's referring to corn or something else since he says it very randomly. . .

Making pretend muffins

Getting on the counter and trying to swipe food.  I'm glad that he knows to push a chair up to the counter because he's thinking through steps to accomplish something, but this is not what I'd prefer.  It least it only happened once.

I'm really enjoying seeing him learn how to pretend.  He was building with his blocks the other day and I asked him if he was making Monsters Inc for "Agee" (Mike W).  He then kept building and said that "Agee" was going to work.

Enjoying being outside a few weeks ago because it got SO COLD.  I'm ready for spring

Being silly