Happy Thanksgiving!

Nancy and Dan hosted Thanksgiving festivities at their house, as per tradition.  Every other year, Stuart and Erin celebrate with us, as well as Dan's brother Tom, his wife Clem, Todd's cousin Mike and his kids and cousin Amy, her soon-to-be husband and their son.  I love the big Thanksgiving years, because the house is full of kiddos and hub-bub and laughter.  We all gathered around noon, ate around 1:30, watched the Lions game, and enjoyed the beautiful sunny day.

Erin and Stuart hanging out with Natalie.

Amy and Avery.  Avery was really, really excited that there was a baby here, and stuck close to whoever was holding Natalie.  It was really cute! :)

Me and my sweet boy (with a mouthful of crackers)

Carving the turkey.

Kaden and Alex playing with cars and trains.  Nathan spent a lot of time in here too.  The three boys paid attention to what the others were doing, but played by themselves, right next to each other.

Brothers

I either get "cheese" face or big surprised eyes when I take pics of Nathan these days.  This was the most natural expression with eye contact that I was able to manage.  I so appreciate digital photography where I can take lots and lots of photos!

Grandma Nancy and her sweet Nathan--these two are such good buddies!

Papa snuggling Natalie so that Todd and I could eat dinner, with Avery keeping vigil close by.

The feast!

After we ate, the kids went outside to burn off some energy.

Nathan was having a little trouble sharing his ball.

Post ball playing and hiking with Uncle Stu, Nathan ate TWO pieces of pumpkin pie!

Nancy and Clem

Chuck and Amy

Tom and Mike watching football.  Avery took a break from watching Natalie to read a book with Erin.

As is my annual tradition, I made sure to get some family photos. And now there are four of us!

Two Months Old

Sunday marked Natalie's two month birthday, and she had her two month check-up at the pediatrician today.  It's amazing how much she has changed in the last month.  She's much more aware of the world, focusing on people, able to track objects with her eyes, and smiling!  I just love her squinty, gummy grin.  One of the reasons I love it so much is that in the last few weeks, when Natalie's been awake, if she's not eating she is CRABBY!  We have heard lots and lots of crying during the last few weeks.  Natalie's lungs are definitely healthy.  It has been frustrating for all four of us.  Natalie is clearly frustrated and unhappy, because she's crying even when all the normal baby stuff (not sleepy, not hungry, dry diaper, not too hot/cold) has been addressed and seems to be overwhelmed by the world.  I'm frustrated because all she wants to do is nurse, and when she's just comfort nursing rather than eating, it's not comfortable for me.  Plus it makes it hard for me to pay attention to and take care of Nathan.  Todd is frustrated because Natalie only wants Mommy, and he can't soothe her.  Nathan is frustrated because he is constantly waiting for our attention while we address Natalie's needs.

Luckily I got some wise advice from Hillary, who dealt with a very fussy stage when Graham was a newborn, and she introduced us to the rocking and shushing method of soothing Natalie to sleep.  She also told me that the Eat, Activity, Sleep routine had worked well for Graham.  I've started paying attention to this rhythm with Natalie too.  We also moved her from being swaddled in a blanket, which she's now strong enough to bust out of to a swaddle sack, which has resulted in a more happily swaddled girl.  So all of these tips and tricks seem to be working a lot of the time, which has made everyone a lot happier!  Thank goodness for friends who are willing to share their wisdom!

Just in the last few days Natalie is staying awake and happy for some longer stretches of time, and really loves to wave her arms, kick her legs, coo and smile.  She loves to be held sitting up so that she can see what her big brother is doing.  I have faith that as she continues to be more comfortable managing all of the new things she's noticing in the world, as we continue to get to know her and her different cues, and as we figure out a routine, that sweet, smiley, cooing girl will make longer and longer appearances!

She got a clean bill of health at her appointment today, and recovered quickly from the drama of her first vaccinations (thank goodness for breastfeeding!).  Here are her latest stats:

Head Circumference: 15 1/4" (45th percentile)
Length: 22" (35th percentile)
Weight: 10lb 14oz (50th percentile)

She has grown so much!  She's now in mostly 3 month clothes, with some 0-3 still.  She still has tons of hair, but has reached the stage where it's starting to fall out where she rests her head against the mattress.  Here are some pictures of our baby girl!  I have yet to get an in-focus photo of a full-on grin, but there are some half-smiles in this series.

This is an expression we see a lot. :)

This is an expression I hope to see more of!

Meeting Brynn Elizabeth!

The lovely Brynn Elizabeth made her appearance in the world on November 9th, sharing a birthday with her mama!  We were so excited when Dan and Annalee invited us over to come and meet her on Saturday.  Nathan wasn't too interested in the idea of meeting another baby, but he was super excited to see Miles and play with his toys!  Natalie didn't voice an opinion, but I'm pretty sure she was really happy about finally meeting her partner in crime. :)  

All of the Appledorns seem to be settling in nicely.  Big brother Miles even brought Brynn a book to read while Mommy was feeding her.  What a sweetie!  The boys had fun playing cars and trucks (with some minor territory disputes that were easily resolved).  Todd, Dan, Annalee and I traded the baby girls back and forth and enjoyed getting caught up over pizza.  

It's amazing what a difference the first seven weeks of life makes--I couldn't believe how tiny Brynn seemed, and just how much Natalie has grown!!

Brynn, we love you already, and are so happy that we will get to spend many years of holidays, vacations, and plain old hanging out with you!

Sweet little Brynn Elizabeth.

The last time Lulu and Pepper were photographed together over Labor Day weekend.

They're here!  Lulu and Pepper have become Brynn and Natalie!  Don't they look like they're best friends already?? :)  And check out how big Natalie looks!  Ack, my baby's getting so big already!

Uncle Toddy gets some snuggles

The boys had no interest in the babies, and why would they when there are cars to play with!

Baby Brynn

Visit from Florence and Basil

Florence and Basil came to town on Friday to attend a wedding.  Lucky for us they stayed the night and came over on Saturday morning to spend some time with us.  This was Basil's first opportunity to meet his great-granddaughter!  Even though she was a little fussy, he declared her a keeper. :)

 Florence and Natalie had some snuggle time too.

Nathan was thrilled that we got a little bit of snow this week.  That is the beauty of toddlers--they are super excited about the winter, which makes it easier for me to be excited too. :)  As soon as all the grandparents arrived on Saturday morning, Nathan informed Papa that the two of them were going to spend some time outside playing in the snow.  So bossy. :)  Papa agreed, and the two of them had a fabulous time playing outside (although I'm pretty sure that Papa wished he had worn a warmer coat!).

Eating snowballs makes for a cold tongue!