Santa 2012

We made our annual trip to see Santa this year with the cousins.  Gavin and Griffin were not so sure and both took turns pulling Santa's beard.  Ellie didn't say anything to him, but she didn't cry this year!  It was fun to have all the Cassity cousins together to see Santa.

Cute Girls

 I just love these pictures and this fun girl!

 

Happy Birthday Uncle D

We were able to head up to Layton to spend time with Patrick's family for Uncle Derrick's birthday.  We had a great time and were able to go bowling.  

 Ellie's first time bowling.  She had fun and luckily had bumpers and a little thing to roll the bowl down.  One time she wanted to do it without the help and we were a bit worried that the ball wouldn't make it to the end.  But she was super excited!

 We played some arcade games after pizza and bowling

 Sporting all the tickets we won!

 Grandpa Cassity shooting hoops

 

 Hope you have a wonderful birthday Uncle D!

Ellie 2 and a Half

 Ellie is growing up so fast and is 2 years 6 months now. 

 Crazy how time flies!  She is such a little cutie and has so much personality.

  Here are a few things that she is doing lately.

• She talks and talks and talks.  She will tells stories and loves to hear stories of when she was little.  Patrick tells her stories each night before bed of her or of when he was younger.  She is fascinated with it and will repeat the stories later on or ask for certain stories each night.
• She is really good at finding matching items places.  The other day she brought be two toys that were both green and said they were the same color.  She points out shirts or things in books etc.  July 2012
• Ellie loves milk mustaches.  It is one way we can get her to drink milk lately.  She things its hilarious to have a mustache and will even show us water/juice etc mustaches.
• Ellie has always been a great sleeper but since Gavin came she had a really hard time for awhile there.  She was waking up between 2-6 times each night and crying or coming into our room.  I think this will get better with time.  September 2012
• She still loves to help my cook, especially muffins or cookies.  Here she is in her cute apron making ginger bread cookies with me.  December 4, 2012

• She is potty trained!  I really think she was ready much earlier, before she turned 2 even, but with moving a new baby coming we held her off.  She was potty trained in August for a few weeks and then shortly after Gavin was born she was having more accidents and I just couldn't handle it at the time, so I put her in diapers for a few weeks and then she wanted to again and never looked back.  We have only had a handful of accidents and she even wakes up at night with a dry pull up.  I can't quite give pull ups up at night yet....soon though.   We stopped pull ups for naps on October 8, 2012
• I love all the things you say.  You have made up a word, poot.  Not sure where it came from and it doesn't mean anything really.  You love to come up to us and say you have a secret to tell us.  Then you will whisper, "poot" in our ears.  You laugh and laugh. 
• Ellie has a little mermaid that she LOVES to play with in the bath.  She has to make sure to wash Ariel and make sure she is clean.  Then they play make believe like crazy!  Her imagination is so awesome!
• Here she is pretending again.  She really is very creative.  She is using the side of  a little crib as a ladder for her toys to climb onto her bed.  November 30, 2012

• Ellie is really great at helping around the house.  She cleans up toys great and her new thing lately is helping to set the table.  I love how everything is lined up on the edge.  Such a good little helper.  November 26, 2012

• She is still and has always been a crazy sleeper.  Here she is sleeping with the blankie on her head. November 28, 2012  

• Naps have been super hard lately.  She just doesn't want to sleep and if she does finally fall asleep, she doesn't want to go to bed till super late.  She has also become scared of "quiet time" and screams at the top her lungs(she really seems scared)  until you come back to get her.  I've been debating stopping naps completely since she is up so late(in her bed laying awake), the only thing is that then she is so tired and often falls asleep around 5:30pm or is super ornery.  Dilemmas...Here she is asleep on her chair.  She's so cute!  December 3, 2012

We sure love having Ellie and the joy that she brings to our family.  She is so fun and funny and kind to everyone!  Love you Ellie!

3 Months-Gavin

 Time is flying by.  Gavin is 3 months old now and growing like crazy.  He is such a happy smiley boy and sure brings a lot of happiness to our house.  We love having him and seeing him grow.  Here are some things he does now.

• Grabbing onto toys.  Gavin will focus really hard on items and reach out and grab it.  He has a play mat that he will reach up and grab the toys and make the music play.  He will also grab onto a rattle that you hold in front of him.  He is so observant and really focuses. Nov 27, 2012

• He loves mirrors.  There is a mirror on his play mat that he really likes and smiles when he sees himself in the mirror.
• He still falls asleep anywhere.  I think it is funny that babies can just get tired and zonk.  So cute in his lion jammies. November 20, 2012
  
• Gavin has awesome hair.  I just love to play with it and make it stick up all over.  Here he is sporting a mohawk. November 1, 2012
  
• He likes to sleep on pillows....just like Ellie did:) Nov 16, 2012  

• He wiggles and moves all the time.  He likes to be laying down and just moving.  He will roll to each side and almost over, but not quite.  He also likes to lift his legs up as high as he can and throw them down really hard.  He loves to do this in the middle of the night...it freaked me out the first time because I wondered what had fallen...
• He loves taking baths...but hates getting out of them.  He will kick his legs like crazy.  Ellie really likes having him in there with her too.  Nov 17, 2012  

• Gavin has a huge smile and smiles at most people when they look at him.  He likes singing and will smile when I sing to him.  Nov 20, 2012
  
• We have been trying out the Bumbo.  He is not a fan!  He will curl up and suck on the middle part or lean to the side.  Nov 15, 2012 
  
  Nov 20, 2012
  
• He is laughing tons.  He is very ticklish and laughs when he is flubbered.  He also loves the anticipation.  He will start to giggle before you even tickle him...just with putting your hand close or getting close to flubber.  Nov 28, 2012

• He loves it when Ellie is around.  He watches everything she does and giggles at her.  It is great because she loves him a lot too and likes to play with him and have him grab her hand or hair and she especially loves it when he laughs at her. Nov 2, 2012

• Gavin is getting really good and kicking his legs up in there air and turning while staying on his back.  He amazes me that he can move around a little like this.  He really likes to do this and get his feet/legs around the play mat sides...then he gets stuck:)  November 28, 2012
  

• Gavin loves to suck on his hands or pretty much anything or anyone that comes close to his mouth.  He drools a lot and still spits up quite a bit too.

• Gavin eats every 3 hours.  I try to have him on a schedule starting between 7-8am each morning.  He goes to bed between 7-8pm and then is up around 3am.  A lot of nights he will go until 5am which is awesome 

This and That with Ellie

Ellie loves to 'help' when we are packing to go anywhere...or when we are unpacking.  It is her favorite place to play:)  She really likes to play in suitcases when they are completely empty too.  She cracks me up every time I try to pack. November 17, 2012

Ellie tried powdered donuts the other night.  I always think it is fun when she tries something new.  Especially when it is  a little messy.  She thinks it's pretty funny to see it all over her face too. November 20, 2012

Lately Ellie has been sneaking in to my moms room to sleep at night.  I think this is happening because Gavin joined our family:)  I wouldn't mind if is wasn't every night and keeping my mom up.  Plus Ellie has been not quite as happy.  So, we have been checking on her when we hear her up to try to help her stay in her bed or come and get us if she needs something.  Patrick when in tonight to check on her and couldn't find her.  Every time this happens for a split second you kind of panic wondering where she is or if something has happened to her.  Then you realize that you need to look around.  

 

We found her like this.  It is good that he didn't accidentally step on her when he went in.  It was amazing to me that she fell asleep on the floor, because she hardly ever falls asleep like this.  If she gets out of bed she always makes it back to her bed or to our bed...or with my mom.  She is so funny and must have been extra tired.  I love her so much!  November 27, 2012

Happy Thanksgiving! Pinterest Recipes and Mint Platter

This year we were able to head up to the Madsen's for Thanksgiving.  We had a really great time!  Ellie loves being able to play with Cameron, Connor and Colton and it is great to spend time with family.  Thanks for hosting Liz!  I forgot my camera:( but I did take a couple of pictures of the yummy desserts we tried.  

Gingerbread Cheesecake Bites

Macaroon Kiss Cookies

I saw this awesome platter last year and finally got around to making it.  It was super easy and I think it turned out cute.  It is however a bit sticky, but really fun to try.

We also make yummy personal Salted Caramel Apple Pies(I would leave the caramel out, it hardened a bit too much)

Sock Monkey Love

I recently learned that Patrick loved sock monkey's growing up.  His Aunt Jocelyn gave us the cutest little sock monkey and sock monkey outfit for Gavin and it really meant a lot to Patrick since he remembers playing with sock monkey's with her growing up.  I had to take a few pics of him because seriously he looks so stinkin' cute in the little outfit!  November 24, 2012

I love how his little foot it up in this one!

Thanks Aunt Joselyn

Have You Ever Heard of Dislocating Your Elbow!?!

Last night while Ellie was wrestling with Patrick, her left arm made a pop noise.  Ellie was so upset and crying like crazy.  Since it was Thanksgiving, and almost 10pm...We tried to appease her and hope that nothing was serious.  We gave her ice to put on.  She kept saying that her wrist was hurting so we were being really careful with it.  She finally went to sleep holding her wrist but would whimper whenever she moved around in the night:(  Patrick felt terrible.  The next morning when it was still hurting, we decided we'd better take her in.  They got us in to see Dr Arnold and he knew exactly what was wrong.  Her elbow was dislocated!  I didn't even know that could happen.  He said that it would hurt to put it back in place but would instantly feel better.  She cried a bit, but not bad and then he told her she could have 5 suckers but only if she would grab them with her left hand.  She apprehensively moved her arm and found out it didn't hurt.  It was amazing.  I think we are going to switch to Dr Arnold for our normal pediatrician.  I am so glad it wasn't broken or anything and was  a quick fix!  I learn something new every day!

Leaf Turkey's

November 19, 2012

A while ago Ellie and I went on a walk and gathered lots of different colors and sizes of leaves.  I had a project in mind and didn't want to wait too long and have them all dead.  I am so glad we found so many fun colors so we could make our leaf turkey's.  Ellie even chose where each leaf should go and glued them down!

I really enjoy doing art/craft projects with her and she seems to enjoy it too.  It is fun to see her imagination as she creates things and it helps our days go much better too!

Lighting of Riverwoods

November 16, 2012

We decided it would be fun to go to the lighting of Riverwoods this year to help us start to get in the Christmas spirit!  

It was a lot of fun and Ellie loved seeing all of the lights. 

 We got a free cupcake and walked around the shops.  Ellie especially loved Blickenstaff's toy store!  

There were lots of ice sculptures and tons of lights!  

We are so excited for Christmas this year.  I think it is going to be so much fun with Ellie because she is really started to understand more and is so excited for Santa to come!

 

Gavin stayed home with Grandma and Grandpa Brown and had a much better and warmer time for him:)  I love those cute pursed lips!