tummy time

our mid-day

after lunch, before we pick up kai...precious little ones

record-breaking diaper change

went through FIVE diapers while changing J's diaper today...that's $1.80.

nina's favorite project

Nina's still wrapping presents for everybody. This time Kai was the lucky recipient - he usually is.

sad day for Kai

His best friend, William, left for Texas today. :-(

cousins

Taken just before Nina crashed to the ground and got a good goose egg on the back of her head.
ALL of the deschutters came over last night! It was so much fun. The kids played outside, Sara gave Jules some good auntie cuddles, and we ate some amazing Thai food.

Kai

The beautifully wrapped gift from Nina, and Kai opening it. The boys watching the Saints lose, boo hoo hoo. Kai holds Julian whenever he can. Gives him up readily, however, when he poops or cries.

Nina

This girl can really entertain herself - give her some tape, stickers, scissors, and tissue paper (nevermind, she'll find it herself) and she's busy for hours. Saturday night she wrapped many "presents", and Kai was the lucky recipient of the old toy or magazine many times. We really had to coach him to play along. The egg carton was one of her gifts. I'm grateful that she keeps so busy on her own, but she leaves a trail of debris wherever she goes. The last pics - watching Rio...again. The kids love that movie, as do we. The music is great. We should have bought it a long time ago though, the movie has cost us at least $25 so far.

Ginger

I should be getting back to work...thankfully Michigan still tolerates me, although I wouldn't mind being ignored for a few more months. But instead of working I'm posting pictures of Ginger. He's still an easy, sleepy babe. He's got some big cheeks. He's awake more often, and alert. He is so close to smiling at us. He's trying to lift his head and just yesterday started really using his leg muscles trying to push up on my lap. Sometimes Kai and Nina are able to soothe him when he cries by singing twinkle, twinkle - nina does it in a really high voice that cracks me up. He sat on my lap, sleeping through an entire movie the other night. He tends to sleep for a good bit in the late afternoon/early evening, he's awake and a bit fussy (for him, which is nothing really) through Kai and Nina bedtime, the he goes to sleep when I do. Wakes up to eat a few times in the night. Kai wakes up at 6 and holds him for quite awhile and gently wakes Ginger up. It's a sweet time.

On the way to school Nina, in a very cute, roundabout way, using language that is so unique to this little girl, Nina asked if we could make lemonade when she got home. And we did. And drank it outside on a beautiful 70+ degree January day. Julian joined us.

bedtime

Tummy time - he just lays there! Nina and I put together tibo's swing. I think this girl will be a carpenter, she loves tools so much. And bedtime, which can be quite chaotic depending on Julian's mood. But there are nights when the baby lays quietly and peacefully between kai and one of us. Kai wants to cuddle with J all night. And in the morning holding J is the first thing he wants to do. No more asking for tv in the morn, they are entertained by Jules.

hee haw

nina sporting my heehaw overalls, ready to go to the market!

Julian

Julian loves the sling...especially when I support his head, which I'm not doing in this picture but it mellowed him out anyway. Sara, do I have it on right? Looking up at me from the sling. Wrapped up in the lovie Meecie knit for him. And outfitted in an adorable outfit from Europe, thanks to Sara and Matt!

karate practice

Kai and Nate practice karate while Julian sleeps and Nina crawls around like a cat.

the kid leaves us speechless

A message from Nina to Meecie

today

From today: Julian checks out the hand that is nearly always - including when he wriggled out of me - by his face. Nina modeling yet again, this time the outfit from deschutters and shoes from Aunt Nancy. She wants to wear them all the time.

xmas with deschutters

The evening started when Sara brought out paper guitars for the three kids. Nina may have rocked out the hardest. We were treated to an abundance of presents from Meecie and Fud and from each other. We ate Thai for dinner and we all crashed pretty hard fairly early. Pictures: Nina modeling the sweater from GG: she loves the color. Julian the way he spent most of the night. The kids with their guitars. Nina modeling again! This time her new bucky badger shirt and beloved stool. Our tree - one of my favorites ever, with lights perfectly strung by Meecie and our collection of special ornaments. And Matt, Nina and Tibo mimicking baby expressions.