Krusemark Christmas

The weather delayed our original Christmas plans, so this past weekend we headed down to Madison, SD for our delayed Christmas with the Krusemarks! Cary was able to take Friday off so we started out right before lunch (made a stop at Buffalo Tap..yum yum) and were on our way! Steph and Stacy had just finished the basement so we were the first to try it out! We had great food, family and accommodations!

G and I with Grandma Sis, she is honestly one of the sweetest ladies in the world and adores her grandchildren and great-grandchildren!

My Baby is looking so BIG!

We started Saturday out with a delicious lunch and then it was time for presents. Nobody was left unspoiled.

G is a present expert by now!
Reading a new book with Daddy
He got a lot of great new toys! The project this weekend is to clean out the toy room, we are running out of room.
A tool chest just like Daddy...complete with safety goggles
Steph made Grandma Sis a photo brag book from all of us, the grandchildren were excited to see themselves in the book!

After presents it was time for cake...and then we did a birthday celebration! 5 of the 6 grandchildren had a birthday to celebrate! The kids all played really well together, and had a fun seeing each other.

Sunday we got in the car for the LONG (5+hour) ride home! We sure wish they would all move closer.

What We've Been Up To!

We've been keeping busy at the Krusemark's! Our little man continues to make us laugh, challenge, and amaze us every day! He's really into colors these days, and is getting pretty good at identifying what colors things are. He's also getting to be quite a talker, he pretty much talks non-stop all day and night :) It is nice that for the most part he can tell us what he needs and wants...favorite word being TREAT! We started a music class last week with Liam and Kristi...Gavin loves to play the instruments, especially shaking the eggies! This week we got to play with the parachute and he thought that was pretty fun too!


Yesterday we met Heidi and Spencer at the Giggle Factory in Hudson and the boys spent the morning playing, while the moms talked. It was great because the boys could run around and we didn't have to chase them (well not too much)! Apparently I was too busy talking to take more than 2 pictures!

Is that Linus?

I had to go to New Orleans for work for a couple days, so the boys hung out while I was gone! I took this picture of my little "Linus" before I left!

Gavin loves the computer!

He's now tall enough to get in every drawer in the house...he especially loves this one with the kitchen utensils. He also likes to watch and see what we are cooking. Are we going to have a chef on our hands? I just know Grandma Ceal is smiling down on this picture!

If only this meant he was ready to be potty trained! He got the changing pad out of the diaper bag, laid it down and here's how we found him!

Gavin has taken residence in our Big Tubby! More room for him to swim and splash around :)

Baby Update:

Monday I had my 16 week doctor appointment and everything is looking good! After a month of Christmas festivities (read a lot of good food), I was a little nervous to weigh in! He wasn't concerned, so I figured I shouldn't be either! The babies heartbeat was in the 150's, and although I'm not feeling movement yet we could hear kicking on the doppler! We also scheduled the 20 week ultrasound for February! This seems crazy that not too long and I'll be 1/2 way done. I guess time goes a lot faster when you have someone else keeping you busy.

I'm continuing to feel really good, I'm definitely getting bigger faster and have had a few comments from people at work like: You are starting to fill out nicely and You are going to be HUGE by the end! Gee thanks, as if I didn't know that already!

I'm still guessing GIRL...I have been craving lots of candy (not chocolate...the most recent obsession was cherry valentine hearts, my great SIL Steph had a whole bowl waiting for me when we arrived on Friday) and cucumbers and tomatoes!

Overall while I certainly don't love being pregnant, but I can't complain either!

Gavin's Going to be a Big Brother!

We are very excited to announce that Gavin is going to be a big brother in July 2010! Of course we are very happy...but also a little bit nervous! Gavin has been a pretty easy baby and little boy...and we are hoping we aren't testing fate with #2! Oh well, no turning back now!

Here are a few answers to some of the common questions that we get!

1. Are we going to find out if it's a boy or a girl? No...we loved being surprised with Gavin, and unless the ultrasound tech slips, we will remain surprised with this one too!

2. Are we hoping for one or the other? Obviously we will be totally happy either way! I have been feeling different than with Gavin so I think it is a girl, but Cary is hoping for a boy because he thinks if it is a girl he might have to get a part time job at Baby Gap just to pay for the clothes! In all honestly we do love having a little boy and have tubs and tubs full of little boy clothes so we will be happy with whatever this little person will be!

3. How am I feeling? Overall I'm feeling pretty good now, I had quite a bit of nausea at the beginning, but never threw up! I have already started to pop out, which was much faster than with Gavin...and I'm predicting that I'll look like a giant beach ball by the time summer comes around! It was also a lot different dealing with the exhaustion this time, when I was pregnant with Gavin I could come home and sleep after work...these days that doesn't happen! I do catch naps when I can, and I'm thankful to be only working 3 days a week now!

4. What is Gavin's reaction? Gavin will say Big Brother when prompted and will point to my bell (or his) when asked where the baby is. Of course beyond that he doesn't really get it. I'm sure it will be pretty clear when the baby comes home...and doesn't leave! I guess we've got 6 months to prepare him!

We brought Gavin to our 12 week appointment when we got to hear the heartbeat, he and I had been to his doctor earlier in the day to get his flu booster so he thought they were hurting me too. Needless to say he didn't like to see Mommy on the table and cried in Daddy's arms most of the time :( He'll be staying home from now on!

Gavin is 2!

On Monday our little man turned 2! I can't hardly believe it...but I swear he gets more fun by the day! Since the weather cancelled our original Christmas plans, we decided to do a Christmas birthday combo celebration! Rob, Peg and family along with Grandma B and Gram came over in the afternoon for some snacks and presents!

Dan, Kristi and Liam then joined us for the birthday celebration...

Gavin got a new hot wheel from Dan and Kristi...for now it is still in the box, but he loves to climb up on it, yell "watch me" and then jump off! I don't think Dan and Kristi realized how much fun the box alone would be! Now we just have to wait for some nice weather so he can get outside and ride it!

Matthew striking a pose with the snowman...what a ham!

Ella was so sweet to share her new Biddy Baby with Gavin.

So seriously studying his new train

Matthew close by to help with the next present...and notice the school bus in his right hand, wouldn't want to put that down. Gavin did pretty well opening presents, but he wanted to play with everything once he opened them instead of moving to the next present! Totally understandable!

We got Gavin a drum...maybe I should say I did! He is quite a little musician

He put on quite a concert...the drum has since been put away, and will probably come back out in the spring when we can play it outside

After presents it was time for cupcakes! Elmo cupcakes are so yummy!

Turning 2 means a trip to the doctor!

He has realized that the doctor's office = pain. He started crying as soon as we walked in. He didn't end up getting any shots this time, but did get his finger pricked. ( you would have thought they were cutting off his finger). Here he is showing me his band aid. The nurse let him pick out a sticker...he picked My Little Pony.

The doctor thought he looked perfect, just what every parent wants to hear! We don't go back for a well visit until he's 3! Seems so long from now, so we talked about moving him to a big boy bed and preparing him for a sibling! Yikes :) He weighed in at 25 pounds 9 ounces (25th %) and was 34 inches tall (50%)! He also passed the autism screening with flying colors...whew!

Best part of the doctor's visit for G...a sucker!


We ventured to Eau Claire for New Year's Eve...we had a good night celebrating with friend's and their kids, but I failed to take pictures other than this one of Spencer and Gavin coloring with the new colors Finley got him for his birthday!

Happy New Year's to everyone...may 2010 treat you very well!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas was pretty fun at our house this year! Gavin loved our tree, Santa Clause, presents and the lights! While the weather threw a wrench in our plans...it did allow us to enjoy some quiet family days at home!

G loved the touching the ornaments on our tree! By the end of the season, most of our ornaments were on the top 1/3 of the tree! We ventured out to church on Christmas Eve, and then had a quiet dinner at home of crab legs and potatoes...yum yum! Gavin didn't get the whole Santa thing...but he did make Reindeer Food at daycare this week and we made sure to sprinkle it outside so the reindeer would find us!

After Gavin went to bed, Cary and I spent 2.5+ hours putting Gavin's present together....

Seeing the look on his face was worth every minute we spent putting it together! He loves his new choo choo train!

He also got a memory game and loves to make "matches"!

Santa brought Gavin a Matchbox airplane and truck...they were a huge HIT! I don't think he put them down all day...except when he was playing with his train! He even went to bed with them.

By the afternoon we were all going a little stir crazy, so we bundled up and went outside to play!

G did pretty well and lasted quite awhile, but he did have a hard time when he would fall over because he couldn't get back up! The weather was perfect for making a snowman...here he is! Gavin was quite adamant that he have a carrot nose...

Our poor snowman lost an eye, which then froze into the snow! He's now our pirate snowman, and when you ask Gavin he will tell you the snowman says arghhhhhhhhhh

On the 18th of December Cary and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary! Gavin spent the evening entertaining Kristi and Dan, while Cary and I went out for dinner at Manny's in MSP. We had a great meal, complete with a HUGE dessert!

What could cause a little boy to lay on the floor like this?

Having to share his toys! The Plumb family was in town for Christmas and came up to play with us on Sunday! Annika and Gavin are 3 months apart, and actually play pretty well together...but man is it hard to share your toys at your own house!

We sure wish that they lived closer so we could play more often!

Hope you all had a Very Merry Christmas!