Below Freezing Outside!

Are you cold? Well here in Idaho we are below freezing! When your boogers feel like rocks in your nose because they froze instantly when you stepped out the front door, you know it has to be cold...too cold! Here is how mommy dresses Tavin and Katie in attempt to keep them warm! As you can see, Katie doesn't much appreciate her marshmallow-like outfit:)

Best Buds

Tavin can't seem to get enough of his sister. And Katie absolutely loves him! She lays so still so she can focus on him and listen to his voice. I know they new each other in heaven. While Katie lays on her activity mat or sits in her bouncer, Tavin loves to talk to her, tell her she is cute, tell her about stuffed animals and toys we have for her, show her how things work, and asks her to watch him do things like throw his ball or practice his jumping. He even tries to change her diaper sometimes! I love his tender heart and hope he never grows out of his compassion and sensitivity toward others. I hope these two only grow closer as Katie gets older.

Santa's Coming to Town

So here are some of the things that we have done while getting ready for Christmas:

Our church Christmas party-just before Santa was supposed to arrive, the power went out. Supposedly something blew up in the Rocky Mountain Power Co. building and no power while they fixed it for about 3 hours. So, Santa by flashlights and lanterns. We were so excited though because last year Tavin cried at the sight of Santa but this year-he screamed with joy SANA SANA and clapped his hands. We waited in line-hoping he would still have the same enthusiasm once it was our turn. And to our delight he did, he sat right on Santa's lap and talked to him about where his "horses" were (reindeer). We even got a picture. He was sooo happy about the chocolate penguin he got from Santa-he ate it in the dark-once we got home. It was good that I couldn't see the chocolate dripping down his shirt:)

Here is the Snowman hat my mom bought him for the Holidays! So fun-he wears it around the house and while watching Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer, and Cau's Christmas Movie. (I have now seen each of these movies about 10 times). More festive hats to come....

It is December 20th and our tree is up-but not decorated. We debated whether to decorate it at all-since we will be leaving to visit Family on Wednesday:) We are going to set up the remote control train we got though! Tavin's gonna love it.

Now to pack...oh man....

Just A reminder to All

Today I explored a little on the blog: adailyscoop.blogspot.com. The Author of this blog had a daughter around one and a half years old who tragically fell into their backyard spa this past June. She was in critical condition at the hospital and died 2 days after. The blog she writes is to help her cope with all her emotions. I couldn't help but wipe away a few tears as I read about this mother and the hole that is left in her heart from a child who has moved on to the next world without her. I am so grateful for my 2 children and have been reminded again that I need to cherish every day with them. Who knows what tomorrow will bring, and above all, I want my children to know I love them.

She also shared her unwavering testimony of God that she has gained as a Member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I too want to add my testimony that God lives and that he knows us personally. He feels our pain and brings comfort and peace to us in exactly the way we need it. I am so grateful to know that families are FOREVER and that we can all be reunited with loved ones that have passed on before us again. This mother will be reunited with her daughter once again in heaven and until that day, Camille is being very well taken care of by a loving and all knowing Heavenly Father. I know this to be absolutely true.

Check out the website-she is a beauiful writer and have some really inspiring thoughts

Thanksgiving

We went to Utah for a whole week to be with my family for Thanksgiving. It was so fun! Here are some things we did:

*Saw "New Moon" with my mom and sister-Chrissy. I liked it better than Twilight actually.
*Took Tavin and Katie to play at the Carl's Junior play place with Aunt Krisha, Aidan, and Ethan
*Had Yummy Thanksgiving Dinner with My family, Grandparents, and Cousins
*Took Family pictures-this was quite the challenge-getting all the kids to look at the same time!
*Black Friday Shopping with my sisters Krisha and Karey and my dad-it was sooo fun and we found everything we were looking for-even though we had to hold on to the toys at Toys R Us for dear life-people can get pretty nasty when it comes to toys!
*Took my mom out for dinner to the melting pot-so good!
*Left overs:)

Daniel got his share of fun as well-he ate at the new "In and Out" in Draper-the lines were crazy! They had to wait for about a half hour inside but the drive thru line was at least an hour long!
He also went to see "Old Dogs" with all the boys
And he got his video game playing in as well

Smiles and Giggles

This is Katie's favorite position to be in when we put her to sleep-hold her underneath her arms and bounce her up and down gently. Funny huh!

Update on our Katie bug: Katie is quite the drama queen already. She has a fake cough as well as s fake cry at 2 months! These are what she uses when she wants us to pay attention to her or when she wants us to feel bad for her:) She is now smiling and cooing and I love it! She stays awake longer now and Tavin joins in when I talk and play with her. She can be crying and as soon as Tavin starts talking to her-lays down beside her-she stops and listens. She loves her big brother. Today I cuddled her in my arms while she was sleeping...so still and peaceful. I know when she smiles in her sleep she is dreaming about Heaven and where she used to live-probably wishing she was there again-but I am so glad she is here on earth with me!

A Laugh: The other day, Daniel and I got to laughing because she had a massive blow out! She eats a ton, and thus, she poops a ton. This one was so bad that it went all the way up her back. I didn't want to attempt taking it off of her so....we came up with a plan just to cut her out of the onesie with scissors. Oh the fun of parenthood.

The definition of Sacrifice-if you want to learn what that word really means, have children. I think that Heavenly Father intends on children being helpless when they first come to earth so that we can build a bond with them through sacrificing everything for them. Don't get me wrong, the rewards are just as abundant. Their smiles, their giggles, their cuddling, and expressions of love-make it all worth it. The things that are worth the most are the things you give the most for.

The Culprits

Culprit One

Culprit Two

So last night was a sleepless night for Daniel and I....why you ask?

I think it was a Conspiracy actually. I heard Tavin whispering to Katie yesterday...and I thought it was sweet....then when we went into town to run errands, I looked in the mirror to see why Tavin was making weird noises. Evidently he was working on his new cry. It comes from the very back of his throat- kind of like a goose with a bad cold.

Anyway-The night started when culprit number one: Katie wouldn't go to sleep. Don't let her cute little smile fool you. I didn't get finished with her until 1am. And then, at 3:30am I awoke to Tavin's new screaming and him telling us he was sad. He was convinced that it was time to get up already and would not go back to sleep! So Dan put on a movie for him. Of course this all couldn't have gone on without Katie waking up. Luckily she fed and went to bed again. 5:30am rolls around and Tavin starts calling Dan to put on another movie. Yes, the kid is still awake...8am Katie is up and ready to eat again. When I went to check on Tavin, I found him like this:) Oh and he had to have those cherios that are all over the couch next to him.

Compliments of Daddy

So here is Tavin's new hat-can you tell what it is? Yes, a diaper-don't worry it's a clean one. Both Tavin and Dan got a big kick out of this one. Leave it to Dan to think up something like this for Entertainment and laughs:) Tavin looks cute even with a diaper on his head! Not many people can pull that one off.

Katie's Big Blues/and Head of Red

What was Katie up to while we were celebrating Tavin's Birthday...here she is with her big blue eyes, chubby cheeks, double chin, and ever darkening Red hair-taking it all in on the couch. Right after this picture, she had a huge blow out and we had to change her clothes:)

Part 2 of Tavin's 2nd Birthday

Tavin Turned 2 yesterday and he loved his new cars dish set! Especially the big boy cup as you can see. He did pretty good with it-spilled a couple times when he got too excited. He also got a marble set that He and daddy put together, and a shopping kart with boxed food to push around the kitchen. We went to Artic Circle to the play place there. Tavin had a great time playing with Dad and mom-especially in the tunnel. He has been singing happy birthday to himself all day today:) What can I say about this special little boy...he is my sunshine...he makes me happy when skies are gray....he will never know how much I love him...please don't ever take my sunshine away. My children are one of the biggest reasons my life is worth living, along with my Husband of course:)

Comment of the Day

While Dan was changing Katies Diaper:

Daniel: Katie has moved up in the world-she no longer has chicken legs....they are more like old lady legs now."

Whatever that means:)

Katie Bug-One Month Old

Just a little update on my sweet Katie Girl-She LOVES to eat and is a good sleeper. My favorite thing about her is that she loves to snuggle! Daniel probably won't admit it but he likes this quality too-he will lay her on his chest and in seconds she will have found her spot and be sound asleep. Katie can hold her head up for a few seconds and is a very strong little girl. She also is starting to follow us with her head and eyes as we move around. She smiles in her sleep all the time and I am just waiting for the day when she smiles up at me. Her hair is turning more red in color and we suspect that she will have blue eyes-right now they are a gray color. She really likes the sound of water, so when I take showers, she sits quietly in her chair.

Tavin is such a good brother. When he hears her cry, he rushes to where she is and says, "No be sad-it's OK," and kisses her.

Birthday Celebrations

While visiting family in UT, we celebrated Tavin and my birthday. My birthday is actually today but Tavin's is on the 17th of this month. We wanted him to be able to celebrate it with his cousins. Unfortunately, Tavin got sick so things didn't go as planned-it was still nice to be with family though. I made Elmo cupcakes for the kids and got masks for them to wear. To my family: thanks for all the fun and thoughtful gifts for both Tavin and I!

I had a great birthday-the highlight was a night out with my husband. He took me to a restaurant in Salt Lake City called the Melting Pot. It was very relaxing and a lot of fun! We had a 4 course meal all based on fondue cooking.

We ordered:

Asparagus and Artichoke Cheese Fondue that we dipped:veggies, bread, and apples in

Ceasar salad that came with caramelized pine nuts

Steak, chicken, shrimp, sausage, and ravioli that we cooked in a citrus kind of fondue-eaten with an assortment of dipping sauces

CHOCOLATE AND PEANUT BUTTER fondue that we dipped bananas, strawberries, rice crispies, pound cake, marshmallows, brownies, and cheese cake in!

We were so full afterwards. Thank you Dan I loved it and I love you! I know the bill was probably hard to swallow, but you did a good job of pretending it wasn't:) You make me feel very special.

He also surprised me with my FAVORITE perfume called Kenneth Cole Reaction. The first time he gave it to me was for a wedding gift the night before we got married. The bottle lasted for 2 and a half years and for the last couple months I have missed it. It is my "special occasion" perfume:)

I also got very nice gifts, cards, emails-from family and friends! Much needed clothes, a pedicure, a magazine subscription to "All You"-great magazine by the way-spending money, and much appreciated baby care from my sisters and parents! I am so thankful for me family whom I love so very much!

A special thank you to my mom...when Tavin got sick-she scooped him up and let him sleep with her all night. They got a total of 3 hours of sleep due to his wheezing, rough breathing, and earache. The couple times I checked on them, he was safely snuggled up to her.

Halloween Tradition

Now that my sisters and I have kids of our own, we have started a tradition of coming together at our parent's house for a Halloween party and trick or treating. All the cousins get to go out together, then, we come back and have chili that my mom makes,witches' brew (homemade Root Beer), and lots of candy!I think that is all Tavin had to eat that day...one day won't hurt right! My grandparents have come for the past 3 years and my grandpa walks around with us while my grandmas stay in and watch the younger kids who can't go out in the cold (this year it was Katie). This year, my mom and sister had a costume picked out for Dan:) Of course Dan didn't let them down! I thought the bell bottom pants made his legs look good.

Trunk or Treating Fun!

Tonight we had our first trunk or treating ward party with Tavin and Katie. Katie slept through most of it, but Tavin made out like a bandit with lots of candy. As I took him around, he wasn't sure at first about the people handing out the candy-but his worries went away when his bucket started to fill with candy. He got a big smile on his face half way through and started to get into saying trick or treat and thank you to everyone. Of course his favorite were the M&Ms! Thanks Auntie Krisha for the costume-it was a hit. He didn't want to take it off when we got home. We had to assure him he could put it back on at Grandma's house. We thought he made a cute giraffe but you would have been surprised at some of the things people thought he was...a horse, a cow, a zebra...come on people have you ever been to the zoo? It was fun watching Tavin run around with the other kids afterward! I LOVE HIS WALKING.

Katie's Bath Time

Every baby needs a first bath picture-here is Katie's! She is so fun. It took forever to get that bow out! She is a little piggy and at 11 days old-already reached her birth wait again. I am so happy she eats well.

Pumpkins

Goofy Frankenstein

Digging out the Gooey Icky stuff

The Chosen Pumpkin

Coming out of the patch successful

Going in to find the perfect one

We went to a small local pumpkin patch to get Tavin a pumpkin this year. Grandpa was able to come with us too! Tavin helped daddy scoop out the pumpkins (the whole time he kept repeating ICKY, YUCKY) and then he got to draw on his pumpkin with markers (permanent-I know I was taking a real risk, but we kept everything under control). He smiled and laughed the whole time. It was fun to see him a little more aware this year of what we were doing since he is older now. Less than a month before he turns 2! Daniel and I carved a goofy Frankenstein out of our pumpkin. The quality of the pumpkin wasn't very good so next year I think we will try a different patch. But we had fun! Sorry the pictures are in backward order. Oh well:)

A Week Old

Daniel's mom came to visit for the weekend (Tavin was in his glory with 2 grandmas to spoil and play with him) and she has a talent/hobby with photography. Here is our first couple attempts at capturing our Katie girl at one week old. She still is such a precious and wonderful baby. I couldn't have asked for a better one. Oh and my mother-in-law also made the headband she is wearing our of tights. So creative! Thanks Grandma Marlene. And a special thank you to my mom, I she is amazing and made this birth so easy for me my first week. She truly is wonder woman-doing laundry, dishes, yummy meals and treats, cleaning, and playing with Tavin! She even made our bed-Daniel was wondering why it was made:)

Tavin's New PJS

My mom bought Tavin these new PJs that he LOVES! He didn't want to take them off to put on his clothes for the day. He is very into cars.

Pretty Little Katie

This is the very first dress we've put Katie in. She is so fun!

Three Days Old

Katie has a very proud big brother who gives her lots of love! She is such a good girl and has been a joy to have in our house. I haven't felt this happy for a while (considering I don't have someone kicking on my organs from the inside anymore) and I am so grateful that recovery is going Very well (thanks for your advice Krisha, it really helped!) Here are some more pictures from the hospital and the first days at home.

It Was A Race!

I've now experienced the 2 extremes of giving birth! Tavin was a 14 hour labor that started in the middle of the night and I had an epidural. Saturday I had Katie-my contractions started at 3:30pm and she was born after a very cayotic scene at 6:30pm without an Epidural! NOT BY CHOICE! When my contractions started they weren't very strong and so I took a nap:) Then I awoke in uncomfortable aches and so I took a shower. After I got out of the shower, Dan started counting for me to see how long the contractions were and how far apart. They were only 3 minutes apart so off we went, the people we had lined up to watch Tavin weren't home so Tavin got to come to the hospital. We had to walk to the maternity ward and on the way, my water broke-embarrassing I know:) Then I couldn't walk anymore-had to stand against the wall, trying not to look suspicious, while they got a wheel chair. By the time the nurse got me in the room and in bed, I was dilated to an 8 and ready to push. No more Epidural for me. And then, there was the 4 nurses, the screaming down the hall for the doctor to hurry, and them trying to get me to not push. ARE YOU CRAZY! Katie was going to come whether they wanted her to or not. So, as the nurses were discussing what to do, the doc. runs in. By then I am screaming for them to just get hr out Please! I have never felt pain like that in my life and never will choose to again! My whole body was shaking and tingly, and the nurses seemed to be in another world-I could here them but couldn't communicate at that point. I am sure that I was on the verge of fainting and my body almost not functioning. As soon as the doc. cut me, she slipped out. Thank goodness, cause I couldn't push, I was so tired. Not even time for an IV. And, even through all that, I am grateful for the beautiful baby girl. I woke up this morning and was so excited to see her next to me in her bassinett. And, as for the name change, she just looked like a Katie:)

Katie Lynn Bauman

She came into this world at 6:3o PM on Saturday, October 10. She was 7 pounds 11 ounces and measured 18.5 inches.

She's a Comin'

We had our Thirty-Eight week check-up today and the doctor checked my dialation for the first time. Well guess what-I am 4cm dialated and 75% e-faced! She really wants out man! And I am OK with it:) So the doctor just said let him know if my water breaks-and now we wait..... Blogs aren't any fun without pictures, so here is one of Tavin in the sink playing with dish soap bubbles and a cup:)

Update And Fun Toes

So -just a little update on how things are going. Daniel (being the good husband that he is) got me a pedicure certificate. The girl wrote on my toes for me: "It's a girl." Cute and fun huh! It felt so good too. I am due any time between the 16th and the 20th of October and am getting very anxious and uncomfortable. We are hoping Avenley will come sooner than later cause we want to recover as much as we can before Halloween. I want Tavin to be able to go and be with his cousins. He is going to be a dragon this year and just wait until u see him in the costume. When he tried it on for me-his smile was so big:) Anyone have any suggestions on somewhat clean ways for 2 year olds to decorate their own pumpkin? (yes he will be 2 in a month!)

Also, Tavin is walking by himself now-not all the time but about half the time and man are we happy! I almost cried this week watching him cause I have been so worried about it. Everyone that told me he would do it in his own time (whether you believed it or were just trying to make me feel better) you were right:)

Canning Apples and Apples And More Apples

So this is what we did this weekend, canning apples and nothing else! It took from about 9am to 9pm with 4 of us, 3 giant boxes of apples, and 3 children-plus one on the way. We now own an apple tree-well we have had it ever since moving into our house, but last year the tree didn't produce very much. This year we had it pruned in the summer and man do we have a butt load of apples! So, we have really only picked half of what there is right now, we hope to give away a bunch and to make apple cider with some. Right now we have 50 jars of apples sauce, apple butter, and apple pie filling. So don't worry if we need to use food storage any time soon-we won't die-we have apples! Let us know if you want some:)

HATS HATS AND MORE HATS

Sorry there is so many but I couldn't choose which to post-trust me though-it is worth it to scroll to the end! I just love this little boy!

I finally got some pictures of some of Tavin's hat collection. You can't help but smile! We can do this for hours. Enjoy (Thanks Grandma Karen for adding to our collection.)