Boys Will Be Boys

Wow, time does fly! Gavin is already 4.5 weeks old! He's getting so big now! Like his brother two years ago, big boy Gavin is wearing 3-6 month clothes. Take a look at the sequence of these shots of the boys; pay close attention to the position of their heads/eyes/facial expressions. Are these guys brothers or what?!

Christmas in New England

Though we are sad that we won't be coming home for Christmas, we are so excited that Oma & Opa will be joining us! YEAH! They'll arrive to the airport Christmas late morning. Ella asked if they'd be waiting under the tree with the rest of the presents. I truly wonder what she pictured when she asked this. Anyway, dear family and friends, since you won't be joining us this year, we thought we'd post some pics of our tree, etc. Wish you could all be here!

Hello Snow!

Last Sunday was our first big snowfall. Ella, Gray and Daddy had a blast playing outside making a snow man (aka "Fraaahhstee" as Gray says), and sledding in our backyard. The kids also enjoyed what Ella calls, a snow sandwich; ahh, the simple pleasure that snow brings; I just hope that the snow sandwich was white and not yellow (icky). Thanks to Aunt Christina for Gray's snow suit that arrived just one day before the snowfall! We love you so much dear friend!

December Fun

Ahhh...December. It's so wonderful to have Gavin out & about and to be a family of five in this festive month! The kids are enjoying their little brother and each other as well. Ella loves to snuggle Gavin, but just announced that "he's too young and little for me, so I'm going to have to marry Gray, beeeeecauuse He's my Prince Charming, and he really loves his sister Ella". Gotta love three year olds! Below are some recent pics.

Family time

Ella and Gray love their new little brother. Ella especially loves to cuddle her "new little baby". It's so much fun to see the children grow and interact with one another. This is a joyous and crazy busy time for us. It's surreal to think that we have a 3 year old, a two year old and a 5 day old. Yikes!

Welcome baby Gavin Jerold Dueck

It was 5:45 am on Sunday, November 8th when I woke up with intense contractions 4 minutes apart. I knew that this could possibly be the day. In fact, I prayed hard for this little guy to come asap, but not on Gray's birthday (I really hoped that the boys could each have their own special day). GOD IS SO AMAZING! I was able to have a nice enjoyable morning (got to shower AND have breakfast with the kids!). It was so comforting and such a blessing to have my folks here (they arrived Friday night to celebrate Gray's birthday) while Jeff & I were able to go to the hospital. Ok, so where was I? Oh yes, we arrived at the hospital around 7:30 am. My labor was quick and as smooth as could be. God really blessed us beyond our wildest imagination (and you know how wild my imagination can be!). Seriously, we are SO GRATEFUL! Gavin was born just 3 hours later at 10:26 am. He weighed 8 pounds, 7 ounces and was 20 3/4 inches long (yep, I cook 'em big). Welcome to your new family, sweet Gavin! So excited that you're finally here! We love you!

Gray turns TWO

Wow. What a weekend. On Saturday November 7th, our now big boy Grayson turned TWO! We were so grateful to have Papa & Grandma join us for the celebration weekend. Oh, and did I mention that Gray's b-day marked the last day of my pregnancy with baby #3? Yep. Our little Gavin arrived the next morning on his official due date! Way to be on time big guy! Gray really enjoyed his birthday cake, presents and his time with his Papa & Grandma. What a memorable time for us all!

Trick or Treat '09

On Saturday night we took the kids around to a few houses for Halloween this year (Jeff & the kids walked while I waddled like a large pregnant duck-beast). Gray and Ella were both knights in shining armor (Ella was Joan of Arc, of course). I do have to say, though they were the cutest little knights, I am so glad for spooky Halloween to be over with! After trick-or-treating the kids enjoyed picking through their bags and enjoying a treat before bed. And yes, Mommy & Daddy enjoyed some of their treats before bed as well.

Child's Play

The other day Gray had his buddy, Carter, over to play. It's amazing how much they love playing trains together! Who knew what a hit Thomas the Train would be!
Ella loves to play too. She even has her own girl trains, "Lady" and "Emily". Too cute.

Pomegranates, Anyone?

On Friday the kids and I enjoyed dissecting a pomegranate together. The kids LOVED to eat the juicy seeds. I had hopes of serving the delectable, little seedy fruit with dinner, but Ella & Gray had other plans. While Gray got Ella a spoon, Ella climbed up onto the bar stool and served both herself and her brother healthy spoonfuls of their new favorite treat. When I told her that we needed to save some for dinner, she said, "But Mommy, they are so good for us and we're getting powerful". Yes indeed, mighty little one; yes indeed.

Apple Picking

On Columbus Day we went apple picking with great friends. It was soooooo beautiful! And so much fun. After our apple adventures, we all went back to our house for some homemade chili, apple pie (Bethany made the pie from the apples we picked) and some seasonal Octoberfest that the guys enjoyed. Such a great time! Happy harvest!