Christmas Tree Tradition

 
I just love Christmas time, as it is a time to celebrate traditions new and old!  A time for Brett and I to remember back to our childhood and decide what traditions to continue with our kids and what traditions we want to make new for our children.

One of my favorite memories as a child is all 6 of us hoping in our big station wagon and going to pick out our Christmas tree!  We always had a fresh tree but we just went to the tree farm and picked one that was already cut down for us.  I love the smell of pine in my home and I love the imperfection of a real christmas tree!  Its fun to look and see which one looks perfect and would be perfect for our space year to year.

Since I was pregnant with Ayden we started going out to Kris Kringle and cutting down our own fresh tree!  They have lots of fun things to do while you are there.  Most years we go out quickly on a week night after we are done with work.  This doesn't leave much time for the extra fun or else its too cold to enjoy the fire.  This year was different!  It was about 40 degrees and a great afternoon!  We headed out and the kids were able to run around from tree to tree!  They were hiding the jumping out at us, throwing snow balls and just having fun!  Brett and I a little more serious about finding a tree while the kids just enjoyed the open area and fresh air!  Its so funny how hard it is to find the right tree when you are in the middle of a hundreds of them!  Then you find the best one and walk away and can't remember which one it was.

Once we found the perfect tree we got it tagged and headed in for some fun!  Santa was there and Amaya sat on his lap and Ayden stood next to him and told him all about his love of sports.  Ahnie wasn't so sure so she just waved and kept her distance.  We got hot apple cider and a cookie (which the dog ate from Ahnie) then we headed out to the big fire and roasted marshmallows for a yummy s'more (which the dog also ate from Ahnie).  We ran into our friends the Pauli's while we were there.  They live is a house that has really tall ceilings so they got a HUGE tree!  It was funny to watch them shake it!  haha

It was a great afternoon and so fun!  We got the tree home, put up the lights and decorated the tree!  The kids loved looking at all the ornaments!  Our tree is very far from being featured in any magazine but I love it because we picked it out, decorated it together and get to sit by it each night and read our Christmas stories!  It is like each of us, far from perfect but fits so wonderfully in our family!

Holiday Hoopla on Main!

I just LOVE this time of year and I love the fun things we have to do in our community.  One of my favorite things to do is go downtown for Holiday Hoopla the Friday after thanksgiving.  We don't play up Santa very much in our family (the world has done a pretty go job at it this year though) but this night reminds me of how magical the Christmas season can be.  Its a fun night!  Christmas carols sung by live bands and the chipmunks then Santa comes to town a different way each year.  Once he is here he climbs in his sleigh with Mrs. Claus and they drive down Main St.  over the bridge, light the Hoopla Christmas tree and then their are fireworks to end the night.  Ayden and Ahnie were very excited but sadly by the time we got down Main St. Ayden was asleep in the stroller.  Ahnie was all smiles and thought it was a pretty cool night just a little cold!

Ahnie and Mommy

Daddy and Ayden

Mya and Mommy

Fireworks and the Tree!

Santa in his sleigh

Our Sleepy Boy

Amaya at 3 Months

Amaya turned 3 months old on Oct. 3rd.  She is starting to smile more and is finding her voice.  She likes to coo at her animal friends in the bouncy seat and on our play mat.  She is quite the 3rd child!  She is very laid back and can usually wait for most things.  But, when it gets quiet and the house starts to settle down I think it might be her favorite time, cuddle time!  We love this cuddle time together!  It seems weather I have fed her for the last time or not she finds herself cuddling with either mommy or daddy.  For her sake if we laid her down in bed her sister would probably wake her up any way.  I love this time because in our day it is one of the few times I can have just her!

By 3 months old she had started to stretch her feedings to 3.5 hours.  So her schedule looks something like this:  7 am eat, play until she naps at 8:30.  10:30 eat play until she naps again at 12:30, eat at 2 and play until she takes a final nap around 4.  5:30 eat and stay awake and play until you are tired then I feed you until you fall asleep.  Then we usually get to cuddle until about 9 or 9:30 and you let me lay you down and you finish your night in your bed!  You sleep through the night and often even sleep in until 8 on the weekend!  Seriously what baby does that?!?!  You are amazing Amaya and I often look at you in ahh that you are ours!  She fits into our family perfectly and I can't wait to see her personality mold into the girl you are meant to be!

Amaya is holding on to her dark hair for now.  I think it is becoming a little brownish red and it just keeps getting longer!  It has thinned a little in the back but everything else is staying as of now!  That is always every ones first comment when they see you.

Amaya is in a great schedule at daycare!  She spends Monday morning with her grandparents, Tuesday and Thursday with Kristen and all the fun kids at her house and then Weds. and Friday with her Daddy at home.  I love the schedule we have and I love that my kids get an opportunity to be with each of these people while I am at work!  It makes going to work most days much easier!!!

Amaya has not rolled over yet but she love to roll to her side.  Often times she sleeps like this.

Bros

I asked Ayden what his favorite part of the day was today and he said play Bros at school.  I had to ask what this was and he said like house but only bros.  His best buddies at school all pretended to be brothers and play together.  He then said that he wanted a real bro.  I asked like you mean another baby in my tummy?  And he said yes!  I will pray to God for it tonight.  And sure enough at the dinner table he asked God for a baby bro.

Oh boy!  I need to get used to my 3 before we even start thinking about that...

2 Months Old!

Amaya turned 2 months old on Sept. 3rd.  These past two months have flown by and we are finding our new normal!  This month was full of firsts.  She started smiling and cooing.  She loves to be on her changing table and will always smile and coo at the wall.  This might be her favorite place in the house!

Amaya also started sleeping in her room when she was 5 weeks old.  She has been a rockstar at night! At the end of her 2nd month she is sleeping through the night till 6 am.  Brett, Amaya and I took a weekend trip up to Duluth for my class reunion and those were the first nights that she slept until 5am both nights!  She must have known Mommy was out late and needed her sleep!  In Duluth she met many of my close high school friends and we stayed with the 3 boys I babysat.  They were like my own kids growing up and I have know their family for 20 years now!  It melted my heart to see each one snuggle with my own baby!  Their family watched Amaya so Brett and I could enjoy the class reunion.  I knew they were in good hands and Jodi owed me :)  Amaya was also a very good traveler!  She was patient to eat when we were finding ok places to stop and nurse.  She was a champ!

This month Amaya also started to get a little more personality.  Right at the end of her 2nd month she would wake up happy and Ahnie loves to crawl in her crib.  Amaya will give her big smiles when she does this.  She has started to like her new floor mat and even her bouncy seat some days.  She even pulled the lion ring (a big milestone in the Williams and Hoffert households).  Tummy time has gotten much better and she now can lift her head up to a 90 degree angle.

Amaya started to fit into her 6 month clothes and is now in size 2 diapers.  I forgot to schedule her 2 month check up at her last apt so we will not see Dr. VanSickle until the end of the month :(  I think she is around 13 lbs but we will see when we go to our apt.  She eats every 3 hours and takes bottles very well.  She will eat anywhere from 4-5 oz if she is having a bottle and nurses for around 20 minutes.

Amaya is such a fun addition to our family and I love to see her grow.  This month I also had to go back to work.  This has been a harder transition that it was with Ahnie.  Ahnie was 4 months old when I had to go back and Amaya was only 6 weeks.  This has caused me to hold her a little longer and love that cuddle time when the two big kids are in bed!  I hope that that saying "You can't spoil a baby" is true.

Tate holding Amaya

Josh holding Amaya

Kale holding Amaya

Ayden's 4th Birthday Party

Ayden turned 4 on July 27th.  I still can't believe my baby is 4 years old!  This summer (just like summers past) he has been obsessed with Baseball!  He LOVES to spend time at the field with his dad weather it is at practice, helping him with the field, playing in the cages or hanging out with the baseball players.  Many days you can find him out in the yard playing his baseball games!  We have games "scheduled" every day and most days we have more than one game!  Ayden also was able to start T-ball this year.  After sitting at his first game I thought to myself, what better birthday party for my little guy than to just invite friends to a baseball field to play baseball!Well once I realized that I would have a 2 week old at his party we would go easy this year!

Home Run!

We had his birthday this year a week early because Brett was still planning on going on Caravan which left on his actual birthday.  We invited some friends out to the tiger baseball field and we played a game of tball!  Everyone had a blast including the dads and grandpas!  We then had some fruit cups cake and ice cream and opened presents.  When the party was over we headed home with both sets of grandparents and Ayden's cousin Jake from Wisconsin!  At our house we ordered pizza and Ayden opened his present from us....a new bike!!  After dinner and when all the guests left we headed up to the high school to practice riding our new bike!  Everyday he gets more and more comfortable at riding!!

Kyler's big hit!

It was a great birthday party!  Most  years the grandmas are stuck in the kitchen and I am running around making sure everything is going well.  This year everyone was able to play and visit with each other.  There was absolutely nothing to take care of and we were just able to enjoy everyone coming together to celebrate our little mans birthday!  By far the best birthday and I will be continuing the tradition of easy birthday parties!

JoJo and Ahnie

JoJo running for home!

Norah all ready to play!

Cake time!

Opening Presents

Kyler autographing the ball!

Brett had all his friends sign his baseball!

Jake playing 1st base!

Tiger baseball players and coaches!  Thanks guys!!!

Amaya is 1 month old

Our sweet little girlie, Amaya turned 1 month old on August 3rd.  Her first month went very smoothly and she has been a very easy baby.  She goes with the flow and fits the 3rd child well.  She is oh so cuddly and also is good at sleeping just about anywhere!

At one month old she was waking up usually 2 times a night and would do a 5 hour stretch and a 4 hour stretch.  She slept in our room the whole first month.  I really grew to love the mid night feedings because I could relax and it was just us!  Something that is very far a few between when you have 3 kids 4 and under!

Amaya passed her birth weight and was 8 lbs 14 oz at her 2 week check up and a week later we got her weighed again and she had gain almost a full pound!  She was 9 lbs 13 oz.  Just like her brother and sister!  She is in 3  month clothes and wearing size 1 diapers.

She is on a good 3 hour schedule and typically can stay awake for a short time after each feeding.  The later it gets in the day the more sleepy she gets and by evening she spends most of her time sleeping.

Amaya likes her swing, and laying on the floor.  She also likes to sit in her bouncy seat while I shower (its about the only time she likes to sit in there but she loves the dark/light contrasts in our basement bathroom).  I love it because I can actually get a decent shower and she just looks around happy as can be.

Ayden and Ahnie have loved on her from the moment they met her!  At about 3 weeks old Ahnie started to realize that Amaya was here to stay and started saying things like "Mommy you not hold Amaya, you hold me?"  if I would ever hold Ahnie.  That is when we started taking Ahnie on some special trips to the store or a few dates by herself!  She never once took it out on Amaya but we could see that she needed some special time too.


 Amaya, you have fit right into our family!  We all love to give you kisses!  Ahnie loves to tell everyone she sees that she has a baby sissy and her favorite thing to do it hold you!  Ayden loves to hold you too!  Usually in the morning he will ask to hold you and he will cuddle you for a while!  You are soo sweet and both your mommy and daddy love your cuddles as well!  Everyone that meets you comments on your beautiful, full head of hair!  We wonder if you will keep it.  We are excited to see you grow and change in the next months.  Love, Mommy

Amaya Kay Williams

Amaya Kay was born on Weds. July 3rd at 2:43 in the afternoon.  She weighed 8lbs 5.6 oz and was 21 inches long!

Amaya, along with all of my labors, was a scheduled induction.  Our day started out with an early alarm so I could shower and get ready then we took the kids over to Brett's parents house.  We arrived at the hospital at 7:30 and got checked in and met our nurse Brenda.  Typically an induction starts with Patocin but I have never needed it so I talked with my doctor at my last appointment about it and she was fine with my plan of having my water broke first and see how it goes.  When we got to the hospital both Brenda and the Dr. on call, Dr. Gerardi, were happy to go that route.  I really felt like I was listened to and I really appreciated that!

I was at a 3 when I checked in and they broke my water at 8:20. Brett and I were able to walk the halls for a few hours.  I had never done that with either of my other labors.  It was nice to not be stuck in the bed the whole time!  Around 10:30 or 11 we decided to get put on the list for the epidural and good thing because we had to wait a while as I was #3 out of 5 in labor and all wanting epidurals!  Once the epidural was given now it was just time to sit and relax and wait...  The nurse and Dr. left us alone quite a bit and didn't really check me much during the morning.  Finally, around 1:30 I was at an 8.  She said it would probably be in the next two hours (by this point in the morning Ahnie and Ayden were both born so I was like 2 hours?!).  About 20 minutes later she came in quickly and said she was going to check me again.  I was kind of surprised because they hadn't really checked me to much and she told me 2 hours so she did and I was at a 10 and ready to go.  They called Dr. Lapinski in and all the other nurses that were going to help out.  I started pushing around 2:15.  I would say I had to work pretty hard for her!  Towards the end of pushing I was not feeling good and didn't know how much longer I could go for.  Brenda, told me I got really pale and she knew I wasn't doing very good.  Luckily Amaya came after a couple more pushes!  Brenda quickly ran and got me something to drink and the hospital comes around with warm cookies at 2:30 each day so I had a cookie right away!  That made me feel much better and I was ready to meet my little girl!

After I felt better and they were done checking Amaya and I we called the grandparents to share the news and sent pictures to the Aunts and Uncles!  My parents were able to come meet Amaya right away and Brett's parents had the kids in the pool so they came shortly after.

Both Ayden and Ahnie were excited to meet their sister but they came and made sure I was ok first!  They have been so great with her since the minute they met her!  It has been so fun to see their excitement for her and love for her grow!

Here are some pictures from our stay at the hospital.  We got a new camera the day before she was born so Brett spent the whole time figuring it all out!