4 Days Until Christmas

The count down is on....Christmas will be here in just a few days. Connor loves counting down the days on our advent calendar! We hadn't had a chance to post since Thanksgiving because of all of the holiday festivities...so here is a quick one. Enjoy the pictures of our December full of all things Christmas! We hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Turkey Time

We had Thanksgiving here at our home again this year....and boy was it a busy busy weekend!!! We had both families here....Jeff's parents (mimi and papa), my mom (oma) and my sister, Katie. We were only missing Jeff's sister, Stephanie and her husband, Rob....which would have made us complete. We still had a full house, and a packed weekend agenda but it was wonderful!
Thursday was a full on cooking marathon...although I began in the days prior with the baking, prepping, etc. Mimi was in charge of the turkey. She makes the best turkeys and her gravy...lets just say that I could drink it ;) it is that good. My mom did her green bean casserole and Katie completed the mashed potatoes. Everything was homemade except for the rolls....we just had too many things needing to be in the oven (yes, I should have gotten that double oven option). So we made it work, and we sure did have a delicious spread of food!! Despite a few snafus...the oven magically shutting itself off and derailing our dinner time a tad...we ate and drank and enjoyed everything! We browsed the shopping ads that evening and planned our next day shopping adventure, while we ate our pie.
So, Friday came early....3am to be exact. Katie insisted we get up super early to snag the Black Friday deals. We shopped until lunch time. We all grabbed lots of good buys...no super terrific deals to mention...but it was still worth going out!
Saturday we went to pick out our Christmas tree. We headed to Latta Plantation and Equestrian center at the referral from a friend who said they do carriage rides, etc. So we thought that sounded like a fun christmas tree experience other than just going to a lot! Connor loved the horses and riding at the front of the carriage. I have to be honest and say that I was a little disappointed in the tree selection. None were small enough for a tiny boys tree and none were big enough for what I like in our living room (yes, I like them tall!)....so we had to settle but they turned out to be pretty little trees. The experience was worth it though...Connor had a ball with the horses! Saturday night we made a big pot of chili with all of the fixins and then Katie, Oma, and I snuck off to see the Twilight movie. (I was totally disappointed, and liked the others much better).
Sunday was another busy but very special day too. Greyson was baptized at First United Methodist Church of Charlotte, the same church Connor was baptized at as well. It was a lovely service. Greyson was on his best behavior despite skipping his morning nap in place of a catnap in the car on the way to the church. His Godparents, Drew and Jessica Bedard, came from Tennessee to share the special day with us too! Just a little explanation, because I found it interesting....Methodists justify infant baptism by the principle of 'prevenient grace', which is divine grace before a human's decision. Methodists believe that an infant baptism is God's promise to the infant that calls that infant to eventually believe in God's Word for salvation. The way our pastor put it....it signifies God’s initiative in the process of salvation, prevenient grace, is the grace that works in our lives before we are aware of it, bringing us to faith. Then when the individual believes in Jesus they will profess their faith before the church, often called confirmation. We are so thrilled to share this spiritual journey with our children!
So, that pretty much wraps up our Turkey weekend....as if it wasn't busy enough ;) It was memorable and unforgettable...here are lots of pics from the weekend....

Boys and their Quilts

Wanted to share these pics of the boys and their quilts. Jeff's Aunt Wanda is an avid and very talented quilter. She makes many quilts every year and donates them to military service people, children, and also cancer patients. She just sent us one for Greyson that is an adorable cowboy/texas theme. It is just perfect and we know he will love it for many years to come! Also in the pictures is Connor's quilt that she made for him when he was born...boys on their special handmade quilts from Aunt Wanda!!! These are priceless gifts!!! Thank you Aunt Wanda!!!

Family Photo Shoot in Blowing Rock

So we finally had our session with Jody G, our beloved photographer since Connor was born. She is magical the way she captures our family and in particular, our boys! I leave the sessions hoping we got at least 1 good one....and when I see the proofs, I am always blown away. I am in love with every picture!!! As far as location....Jody is willing to go to a location or your home. We have had the last few session in our home and I was wanting a change of pace. So we chose one of our favorite NC mountain towns as the scenic backdrop for our session. Blowing Rock holds many memories for us....and Bass Lake, well, it is just a beautiful lake surrounded by trees....and in the fall, these trees are in just about every shade of the rainbow! This was technically Greyson's 6 month pictures (a month late ;) and it is also the pictures we use for our annual holiday card. If you have never been to Blowing Rock, it is a MUST VISIT...so put it on your bucket list!
Above is a flier promoting Jody G with a few from our session. You can also find a sneak peak of our session with many more photos on Jody G's blog here, you might have to scroll down a bit to 10/22/2011:
http://jodygphotography.com/theblog/

Happy Halloween.....I mean, Moooooo and Oooo-Oooo Aaaaa-Aaaaa

What a fun holiday to share with kiddos...considering we haven't dressed up for Halloween in years....probably since college, even though I love a good costume party ;) It sure is more fun seeing your kids enjoy the fun of Halloween. We had been talking to Connor about it for months. Trying to come up with a cute costume idea.....i dabbled with making them a pair of something....or at least coordinating their costumes. Connor decided after much questioning, that he wanted to be Pooh Bear. Mind you, I am not sure the child really knows anything about Pooh Bear. Pooh is definitely not in the round of shows or movies that he watches....he had seen the trailer for the one that was just in the theaters but didn't see the movie. BUT despite all of this....I ordered him a Pooh Bear costume and thought Grey would look adorable as piglet, except that piglet is pink and he would be mistaken for a girl, so we decided on Tigger for him. When the Pooh costume arrived Connor was VERY reluctant to try it on. After a few bribes, nothing that a few m&ms can't solve, we got it on him. He looked like 32 pounds stuffed into a 5 pound bag. Lol....literally it was WAY too small....so I boxed that puppy up and sent it back. So much for the cute idea of coordinating them....I was so over it...saw an email from PB kids about sale costumes and free shipping, so I went on and decided right then, that Connor was going to be a cow. He likes cows....he sees them as we drive home on most days....he can do a really good "mooooo"....so I knew he would be thrilled. Once it arrived we had a replay of the above trying on scenario....so I knew what to expect....at least this one fit! Grey was getting a hand-me-down costume...Connor's first Halloween costume...a monkey. Figures! The child is always in hand-me downs :) So there it was...not nearly as cute and coordinated as I had thought I wanted....but it will be fine and they will never know or care anyways!
So this weekend we had 2 opportunities for dressing up. Our church hosted a Trunk or Treat on Friday night. We looked at this as Connor's practice...since he is new at this whole thing and we saw how trying on costumes went....we weren't sure how wearing it for an extended period of time was going to go. But once he saw Grey in his money suit....Connor was like, Game ON! Let's do this!!!! He was a champ....he rocked his cow outfit and even jingled the cow bell that Mrs. Cindy let us borrow. Trunk or Treat was a success....and Connor was happy to actually get some candy!!!! So Monday night, on Halloween, Connor did great again. Had a ball knocking on peoples doors and saying Trick or Treat. He was such a good big brother, getting 1 piece of candy for Greyson and then 1 piece of candy for Connor! Grey was, as always, a trooper. He didn't mind his little monkey suit. Thankfully it was chilly weather, otherwise these boys would have sweat in their heavy costumes!!
Long story....but hope you enjoyed it. Here are the pics of our Halloween weekend!



And a few short videos....the first 2 are from the Trunk or Treat in the church parking garage and the last is in front of our home.

Hanging with the Highlanders

Jenny, Josh, and Colton Highlander came to the QC for a fall weekend get away. The Highlanders live in Gainesville, FL home of the University of FL and the infamous FL Gators!! Jenny is a friend of mine from college, and also my little sister in Tri Delta! We have always been close, so this was a wonderful weekend that we had been talking about doing forever! Josh and Jeff get along great....probably because they have already bonded over our countless trips to Gainesville during football seasonsll! Colton, their almost 2 year old, and Connor became the best of friends immediately....if they weren't bickering about who's toy was whose :) they were laughing and chasing each other around. They were great, and really enjoyed each other's company. Connor asked for Colton for days after he had gone home. Other than a few snafu's along the way...a missing backpack (Josh, I swear it has to be hidden in this house some where :) and a bunk NC BBQ fest, we navigated nap schedules and peanut free snacks...and had the BEST time!! Since the HIghlanders are getting ready to be a family of 4 too (I'm sure they took notes from us, on what not to do) we were sure happy they made the trek!! Enjoy some pics of their visit!

Fall with Mimi and Papa

Fall is here...and it is absolutely my MOST favorite time to live in North Carolina. Changing leaves, cooler weather, pumpkins, (jeff would interject here and say "college football") and eating chili! Love it!!!
Mimi and Papa came to visit in mid October after their wonderful European cruise, since they had not seen the boys since August. We kept them busy with a long weekends worth of festivities.
The boys always love quality time with them! Enjoy some pictures from their visit!

Greyson's Half Birthday

Well I was waiting to do this post until we got Grey's professional pics done....but we had to put them off so I will post those when they are done!
So here is the lil munchkin at 6 months big! At his check up, the doctor said he was looking great. He weighed in at 17 pounds, 3 ounces which is at the 45th percentile. He was 27.5 inches long, which is in the 75th percentile. And his head circumference was in the 50th percentile. He is definitely NOT taking after his brother who always is in the 90 percentiles.
The doctor also told me he SHOULD be sleeping through the night...so no more shenanigans and after a few nights letting him recover from the shots, I didn't answer his early morning calls for food...and voila, a couple nights later he was sleeping straight through from 7:30-8 pm until 7 am. I am so thankful to finally have full nights sleep after 6 1/2 months!!!! I didn't have to let him "cry it out" it was more of a whine and whimper and when he realized I wasn't coming....he drifted back to sleep.
He is still not sitting up by himself...he sort of teeters and then falls on his side. He hates food almost as much as I hate feeding it to him :) No, he is really getting better, but he is not a chowhound by any means and spits out his food more than he swallows...and the doctor attributes that to his dairy intolerance...which he still has. He wants to grab anything and everything and put it in his mouth. I guess that is pretty typical. He can move himself around on his tummy to reach difference toys...but no crawling yet. Thank goodness! :) He still has his little curly q hair line which I couldn't help but take a picture of...as someday it will be gone from view, covered with hair!
Here are a few pics of my little photo shoot with him....

The End of Summer

Another month has gone by with no blog updates from us. I know...I know....it's not a surprise...so no excuses here, but let me catch you up. We thought September would be a quiet month around the Doehne house, but somehow we have stayed busy! I have been building a network of other stay at home mommies....and this has kept me very busy during the day. A few playdates a week here and there. But one big commitment I have become a part of is called Christian Mothers United (aka CMU). This group meets at our Davidson United Methodist church twice per month, with lots of other fun activities on the side. Again, I am trying to build more relationships around our children since that is what it is all about!
Connor and I took a trip to Columbia, SC to go to the Riverbanks Zoo and meet up with a sorority sister of mine that I haven't seen in over 10 years. We had a great time with Holly and her daughter, Estella. Greyson stayed home with Daddy and had some one on one time with him. This past weekend we all went to Spencer, NC to the transportation museum where they were holding A Day Out With Thomas. Connor had a blast, as he is very much into Thomas the Train right now. We rode on Thomas, we saw Sir Topham Hat, we rode on the Roundabout, and saw lots of other trains big and small. Greyson was a trooper too, always going with the flow. It was quite chilly....one of the first cold snaps of the fall season.
Here are some pics of the last month. Lots of fun things are planned for October, so check back soon!!!

Greyson is 5 Months

Baby Grey is growing like a weed! He turned 5 months and we celebrated by giving him some cereal! Yep...mommy is ready for some full nights sleep. It hasn't help though :( He actually doesn't like the cereal....and it has taken until now, yes, 3 weeks later, to really feel like he is eating any of it. We have tried different things...but what seems to work best, at the moment, is oatmeal with apple juice at a thicker consistency. He has had sweet potatoes and peas....only because we were trying to get him to eat...otherwise we would have waited to introduce these foods. Anyways, he is still a happy baby most of the time. Very easy going. He is generally napping very well, with two naps at 2+ hours each. Now if only we could get that night time down! He is close, very close, and sometimes he will do it, but we are not at a consistent schedule just yet. Here are a few pics of Grey...

1st Annual Doehne-Bedard Labor Day Vaca

There was definitely no laboring on this labor day weekend. We headed over to Asheville for some R&R with our good friends, Drew, Jessica, and baby Evan. The house Jessica rented for us all was big and spacious and perfect!!! There was a horse farm right behind our house, so we got a few pictures of them. We spent our afternoons in downtown Asheville. We spent our nights cooking dinner, watching movies (and football), and playing board games. The boys all played and had fun...Connor had some issues sharing but Evan didn't mind. We wish the weather had been a little cooler and I wish Greyson would have slept a little better...but other than that, no complaints here!! It was a wonderful time with great friends! Can't wait to keep this tradition going as our boys grow up together! Here are a few pics from the weekend!

Families Visit

Both Oma and Inky (or Aunt Katie) visited us in Charlotte in early August. Kate was here with us for over a week....she took care of little Grey probably better than we do :) Really she is great with babies....she has such amazing patience. We didn't do a while lot while they were here....the usual shopping, relaxing, etc. Oma brought Connor his very own bike! He was so excited and rode it for hours!
Then Mimi and Papa came to town to help out with the boys. Jeff was traveling and also, Greyson and I were heading out of town too...so we needed some help with Connor. Connor sure loves his Mimi and Papa, so he was not disappointed to see us go! He had so much fun with them going to Discovery Place and McDonalds and getting showered with lots of fun gifts! Grey and I went down to FL to help move Kate into her dorm at Stetson. OH, the memories I have of that place! It was fun to see all the new things they have done to the campus since I have been gone (10 years....yes, I know, I am old). She moved into my freshman dorm too...which was neat! They had completely redone the bathrooms, and they looks 100 times better than they did. We also had brunch with some TriDeltas...hoping to introduce her to some more people so that she has more friendly faces around campus....as well as getting her known among the DDD girls! Rush is next weekend!! After a few tears and happy goodbyes, mom and I went to the Orlando Ritz Carlton for the night...which was wonderful, as you can imagine. Here are a few pics from this quick trip.


Also some random photos from my iphone:

Random extras from the iphone

Catching Up

I know we have been a little MIA from the blog recently. But we have good reasons...but mainly because our computer crashed and it took them over a week to fix it...and then us awhile to restore it....along with company visiting and out of town trips. SO, here we are back and in full effect. I am going to separate the entires to keep from one BIG HUGE entry....so get ready because here they come!

Greyson is 4 Months

Not too much going on with us...especially in this summer heat! We are sure ready for fall to arrive. We have been trying to find fun things to do while staying cool!! We have our weekly play dates with Emi and Teri. We also had our good friends, the Bedard family, come and visit us from Tennessee. Their little guy Evan, our god son, is growing so fast that pretty soon he will be chasing after Connor...with Greyson not too far behind!

Greyson had his 4 month check up. He weighed in at 15 pounds, 6 ounces (in the 60th%) and measured 25 3/4 inches long (in the 75th%). Doctor said he is doing well!! We might try to gradually start putting dairy back into my diet (and his) since his reflux seems under control. His sleeping is getting better....thankfully! He is going down at 8 and sleeping until 6-7am with 1 (sometimes 2) night feedings. He still wakes up a few more times in the middle of the night, but we let him fuss...he doesn't wail or scream....he just fusses for 15 minutes or so then falls back to sleep. Last night was the first night we put him in his crib totally awake, and he fell asleep on his own!! His napping is decent though....morning nap is always super short, but his afternoon nap is a good 3+ hours. He is also sleeping on his tummy. We know "back is best" but we were desperate...so it is what it is! His neck is strong so we have no worries!
Connor is still into learning colors. Lately he has been obsessed with stop signs, and will spot them all along our drives in the car. He is also getting proficient at some of his favorite books. See the video below of him telling the story of Brown Bear Brown Bear. He is also very much into Mickey Mouse, and the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse tv show. We cannot wait to take him to Disney sometime next year. Potty training is still a no go...we bought all kinds of "cool" underwear with Mickey Mouse and Cars on them, so we talk about them all the time. We also got him to flush the potty...so maybe these things will help stir some more interest!

Enjoy the pics below....I know there are a million of Greyson in his little 4 month sticker...but they were all so good that it was hard for me to narrow down my favs! The last couple pictures on there are of our house. We had some major landscaping done to the outside of the house. It has given it a much needed face lift! Now, the challenge will be to keep all the new greenery alive in this summer heat!! Please ignore the dead grass....next up will be laying sod, but we are going to wait until fall to do that.

Side by Side Comparison

Just thought it would be fun to put 2 pics of the boys at the same age together to compare. So many people think they look alike, and then some think they look different....so I thought this would be a fun way to see them both at the same age. I tried to pick pictures that were similar in pose and face. One thing is for certain....Connor was definitely a CHUNKIER baby. What do you think?

Connor


Greyson


Connor


Greyson

July 4th!

Mimi and Papa were here to spend July 4th with all of us. We spent the 3rd at the Davidson concert on the green. Listening to music and enjoying food with our friends the Schnabels! On the 4th we headed to Birkdale Village where they have a huge kid celebration with pony rides, fire trucks, face painting, splash fountain, and a bicycle parade.
We also went to Zootastic park....well lets just call it a petting zoo. It is a small little operation in Troutman...I bought a groupon for admission, so we thought we would give it a try. It was fun to see Connor with the animals...we were even surprised that he was willing to feed some of them!
Enjoy some of the pictures of the last few weeks....it was hard to pick my favorites...so there are more than usual!

Update on the boys:
Connor is still going to school 3 days per week. They call it camp for the summer. They are doing many fun things including water play every week and the theme for the summer is animals. He is starting to learn his colors. We pick through our crayons and name the colors. He gets orange, black and white every time....and when he doesn't know the color, it is always red! He can count to 30 now...and I think the boy can do his ABCs backwards....just kidding, not really, but he is such a pro he is now spelling things he sees by naming all the letters. Of course he has no clue what it says, but it is a start!
Greyson is doing well....getting more and more on a predictable routine. We are still feeding at night. Sometimes once, sometimes twice. We are napping a good solid afternoon nap in the crib/pack and play every day for about 3-4 hours. Morning and evening he may cat nap but not for very long. His reflux is better, not great, but I think things will change once he begins to eat solid food. He is so much more interactive now. Telling all kinds of stories, grasping toys, and following motion and sounds with his eyes. He loves to get his leg going in his bouncy seat, which in turn bounces the seat up and down. It is so funny to see. I have to post the little video I have of him doing it. He is such a happy and smiley baby 99% of the time. If only we could get him sleeping through the night!!

See the slide show below or click on this link:

Summer 2011

The Boys in Action!

Wanted to share a few videos of the boys.
Connor loves playing the drum (and also likes to say he is playing the violin too...where do kids come up with this stuff, really a violin??)....so here he is jamming on his drum and twirling his drum sticks...



Greyson is quite the little chatterbox these days. But right when you get the camera out, he stops!!! Of course, right? Oh well....here is what we got while he is talking with his Auntie Katie.....



Connor is OBSESSED with his ABCs...and that is putting it mildly. He is quizzing us constantly...so here is in the bathtub with his ABCs...he is even more proficient since shooting this little video, naming all kinds of things that start with the different letters. This video is a little long, just want to warn you....

Florida Trip

Just after Memorial Day we set out on our trip to Florida. This was our first big trip with 2 kids....and we decided to drive. We had a bunch of plans and things along our way, but the main event and destination was Venice for my sister's graduation.
So Tuesday we left the house at 5am. Hoping an early start would allow the boys more time to sleep in the car. That idea went quickly out the window, as both were wide awake. The drive wasn't terribly awful...although mommy had to sit in the back seat between 2 carseats just to make sure both kids were happy. Connor did not sleep the entire 10 hour car ride....but he was a good traveler staying busy with snacks and an ipad. Greyson had his moments...but he did great too!
We arrived in Orlando by mid afternoon, put Connor down for a quick nap and then got ready to go to dinner at our friend's, the McCully's, house. It was great to see them, and their little girl Emma who is just a few weeks older than Connor's. On Wednesday we headed to SeaWorld, where Christine and Emma also met us for a few hours. Connor LOVED SeaWorld (despite a few toddler melt downs and some rainy weather). He especially liked Shamu and the dolphins. We actually got to feed the dolphins too! Greyson was a trooper, sleeping his way through most of SeaWorld.
Thursday we headed on down to Sarasota for my father's veteran's memorial service. It was a small and tasteful event. Only my father's immediate brothers and sisters came. The cemetery provided a nice service and my Uncle Ronnie said a few words of remembrance. They played Taps on the trumpet in his honor, and I was presented with a flag. After the service we went and visited my Aunt Bonnie and spent some time with her. For dinner we spent a quiet night at mom's house and then met up with my friend Erin and her 2 boys for ice cream.
Friday we were able to sneak off to the beach for a hour. Connor had a sudden aversion to sand....so he spent most of that hour on the blanket or being held. He did not want to go in the water either. I think had we had more time, he would have warmed up to it and would have been splashing and playing just as he did last summer at the beach. Friday night was Katie's graduation. She had a pre-commencement ceremony dinner at a Japanese steakhouse. All her friends and family were there to celebrate with her. After that we went and snapped a few pictures of her with her nephews because they were not going to attend the graduation ceremony. It started late and it was just not the place to have 2 young kids. So Jeff stayed with them. Katie did her thing, and graduated from VENICE HIGH SCHOOL...and will attend Stetson in the fall. We are all so proud of her and excited about her future years at Jeff and I's alma mater!
Saturday we headed back to Orlando with a few stops in Tampa. We visited Tammy and Derek and baby Dylan. He is just 6 weeks younger than Greyson. We also met up with Katie and Brett and their little Grace, who is 9 months. So many friends having babies! It is wonderful!! I just wish we lived closer so that we could really spend time with them all!
Once we got back to Orlando we headed to Katie's graduation party that Dad, Andrea, and Uncle Scott had planned for her. A pool party and good food was a great way to spend our last night in Florida with family! We got up early Sunday and headed right back here to the CLT. It was a whirlwind of a trip....and honestly, we were tired by the time we got home....but it was well worth it. And we certainly got to do everything we had set out to do...for the most part! Connor and Greyson were so adaptable...both had their schedules turned upside down and inside out, but they just went with the flow and as long as they got a little nap her or there, they were fine!
That was our main trip for the summer...and as I told all our family down there...we wouldn't be seeing them for Christmas, as the Doehne family will be staying home in NC for the first Christmas ever. So not sure when we will head down again...may not be until sometime in 2012...but we'll see.
We have a lot of pictures to share...so enjoy!!!

The last of Spring...

GREYSON had his 2 month doctor's appointment a week or 2 ago, he measured in at 23 inches long, which is in the 50th percentile. His head was also in the 50 percentile at 41 cm. He weighed 12 pounds, which was in the 75th percentile.
He is doing really well! He is a very happy baby.....except for the evening hour of fussiness :) He likes to be swaddled at night to sleep, and takes a paci, although, not as often as his brother did. He loves to watch Connor....and Connor loves to give Greyson hugs or point out the animal that might be on Greyson's onesie that day.
Here are some more pics of them.





Connor is very much into the alphabet. He loves to say it over and over again...as well as identify letters anywhere he sees them. Here is is doing his alphabets in the bath tub.


Greyson enjoying his bath time too!


We went to the Davidson Concert in the park the other night with the Schnabel family. Here are some pics from the evening. We had a picnic dinner and the kids had a blast dancing to the band of Oz!






We are heading to Florida this week to celebrate my sister's graduation from high school. While down there we have a lot of fun things planned...pictures to follow when we return! Until then, HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY EVERYONE!!!

Mother's Day

I think Mother's Day has become my favorite holiday!! Maybe it is because my husband makes me feel so special for being a mother to our children. Yesterday was such a treat! The gift giving began at 11pm on Saturday night...I went to bed for the first full night sleep I have had since giving birth to Greyson. This little gift began the year I had Connor....Jeff taking all night duties while I restfully recharged my batteries in the guest bedroom :) We went to church followed by brunch. After a family nap hour...we went to the Lazy 5 Ranch to do the drive through animal safari. What a wonderful day!!!
I also couldn't help but share these picture.....I still think they look pretty alike.

Connor as a baby on mother's day 2 years


Greyson in the same outfit (sans sweater vest...too hot) this mother's day




The boys after brunch

Photo Session

Wanted to share a few pictures from our most recent photo session....greyson's newborn pics. Thank you to the always amazing photographer, Jody G! Enjoy!!