The Walder family: January 2014

Friday, January 17, 2014

Gannon, 1 month

Okay kid, you are growing up WAY too fast on me.

ONE MONTH! 1/12/13

I feel like just yesterday you were born, and here we are now - over a month, a couple inches, and 2 1/2 pounds later...

I am trying to savor every moment of your newness before it's gone. We tend to look back and miss those things... the tiny baby, the cuddling, the sleepiness, the innocent preciousness (is that a word?) of a newborn...as I do, too, already. But truth-be-told...there is something to "miss" and long for in each stage of growing up. But for each thing I love about you now, I look forward to another new thing about you growing up. I hope I'm making sense... I loved you as a newborn, I love you even more at one month, and look forward to getting to know even more of your personality with each day that passes <3

So, "little" G...

1 month:

*9.6lbs

*you nurse every 30 minutes to 3 hours...hence the 9.6 pounds :)

*you SMILED your first real smile at exactly one month

*you are still a super snuggler - would love to be held all.day.long. if possible

*if you are awake, you want to nurse. and nothing more...

*you fuss 99% of the time you are awake if not nursing. true story.

*the eat. sleep. poop. thing still holds true for you right now.

*you love your mama the most. you are okay with others as long as mom isn't around ;)

*you love pat-a-cake (that's what makes you smile)

*you have the most amazing dimple in your right cheek when you smile. i can't wait to see more of it.

*you tolerate all your big brother grady's sloppy kisses. and the way he talks baby talk to you, hehe.

*you HATE sleeping in your bassinet. you'd much prefer sleeping snuggled with mom all day and night, but that's not safe, so I get up and down with you 100 times a night trying to get you to sleep on your back in your bassinet...sometimes we have to settle for the bouncer chair. although, you are learning and adjusting-thank you :)

*you've gone from sleeping in 2 hours stretches at night to 3-5 hour stretches

*you are SO sweet & SO loved! <3

xoxo, Mom

5 weeks

grandma and her little loves

My mom came to visit this last week. It's funny how we live so much closer to her now, but now she's in AZ for the winter, so I still don't see her all that often. This is the first time she's been to visit since Gannon has been born, so she got to meet her newest grand-baby.
We all loved having her - especially Grady, who loves the non-stop attention :) They painted, built planes and trains, made cake pops and other treats, baked and cooked. Grady of course tried many things he never would with me (why is it that kids always eat so much better for other people!?). He was also super excited to show her around his preschool classroom!
We are trying to talk her and my step-dad into buying a place in/near Watertown, too...if they ever get tired of Spearfish anyway ;)
Anyway, I hardly had my camera out all week unfortunately, but these are a few favorites that I did take.

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

back yard sledding adventure

Confession: the kids have never been sledding (ahh!)...until today!

We've been wanting to take them out all year, but it's been SOOOOO cold! I know it's like nothing for some of you mid-westers to go out in sub-zero temps and be adventurous - but that's just not me. I've only been back in SD less than a year...gotta break me in easy to this crazy weather ;)

We actually haven't even got a lot of snow this year, but what we have got has stuck around for good. And then, we finally got a decent day. It was about 30 degrees (but still windy as hell - my face was stinging cold. however, the boys didn't seem to mind one bit). What is it about kids? They don't care how cold it is - they just don't care...I went to pick Grady up from preschool last week & asked before I left if they'd be going outside so I could leave his boots and snow pants if needed - they said no. So, I come to pick him up and he's sliding down an ice hill in ZERO degree weather. 0. Aghhh.

Anyway. So we went sledding. Finally. In our backyard (which is awesome sledding for the kids - we use the empty neighbors lot as well which is a bit more steep). They had a blast! Grady wanted to go over and over. Drew went a couple times but decided to call it quits when he wiped out...haven't figured out how to teach him to hold on yet :( But he had just as much fun watching Grady slide down again and again. It made me smile just to watch them smile and giggle :)

And Grady and Jon built "Frosty" the snowman - which Grady keeps asking when he will melt. I informed him he'd probably stick around all winter ;) Or at least until March..

Now, we wait for another "decent" day to hit the hills again :)

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Gannon's baby shower

My mother-in-laws were sweet enough to host a family baby shower for Gannon and I a couple weeks ago. Having our third child (and third boy at that), I feel very lucky and loved to have been given another shower. It was just perfect! And it made it very special for Gannon to have a few things of his own :) Being the third boy, you get ALL hand-me-downs...well just about anyway ;) And not knowing baby's sex ahead of time, I didn't buy anything before he was born. But now we have a nice supply of clothes - just for him. And since he was born in December, it's a completely different season than the other boys...so he will be getting many new clothes in the future as well.

Thank you to all who were able to come - it meant so much to us!