Liam's first stitches

Friday afternoon we received a call from daycare notifying us that Liam had fallen down and probably needed to see the doctor, so we should come over right away. When we got there, we learned that he had fallen down face first, and broke his fall with his sippy cup...causing his bottom teeth to go through his face below his bottom lip. I took him to the urgent care and Chris took Keira home. Liam was a trooper through it all and did great at the doctors office. He ended up with 2 stitches underneath his bottom lip (they said they couldn't do anything for the inside of his mouth, that would heal on its own in a few days). It was a little traumatizing to be in a baby straight jacket (for both me and Liam!) during the procedure....but both the doctor and nurse were very impressed with how he handled the situation, and said he did better than most adults. As soon as we got home, he immediately chased Keira around the house and gobbled up her goldfish. He's a resilient kid and didn't seem to skip a beat!

Snow Day!

Raleigh had it's last significant snowfall in 2004...so it was pretty amazing we got a snow storm with 6 inches our first winter here! I wish I could say the kids loved the snow and wanted to play in it all day, but that sadly was not the case. Of course the dogs loved it and played and romped for hours!

First try outside in the backyard...Liam screamed the whole time.

After the unsuccessful venture in the backyard, we went inside and started taking off all the snow clothes. Liam pointed to his other coat and wanted to put it on. As soon as that was on...he started heading towards the garage. So we decided to go back outside, the front of the house this time, and Liam had a much better time. As long as he stayed on the path Chris made with the snow shovel, he was a happy camper (apparently he wasn't a fan of the snow on his shoes either!).

Different coat (and mom's gloves because his were wet)...Liam finally smiled!

Chris showed Keira how to make a snow angel...which she did not want to do herself! She didn't mind the snow on her feet like Liam, but she was not going to put her whole body in the snow either.

Keira is quite the helper and insisted on helping Chris shovel the driveway! I first gave her a broom which was more her size, but that wasn't enough "like daddy's" so she used the shovel that was bigger than she is!

Regan's Baby Shower

Snips and snails and puppy dog tails...that's what little boys are made of!!

Last weeked we hosted Regan's baby shower at her house in Richmond. It was definitely a team effort by the family, and a good time was had by all! Only 6 more weeks left and Lil' Shriver will be here!

Top Left (Mom, Regan and Me)

Top Right (The Proud Mama to be!!)

Right (The cousins...Me, Regan, Debbie and Jennie)

Durham Museum of Life and Science

(left) checking out the frogs...too bad you can't see them in this photo, they were bright blue!

Last weekend we went to the museum, and the whole family had a great time. We got there when it opened at 10am, and thought the kids would last until lunchtime... but boy, were we wrong! They were still going strong until nearly 3pm, when we dragged them out of there before the no-nap meltdowns began! There's an indoor and and outdoor part - and because it was such a nice day, we got to explore both. The kids had fun on the train, and of course loved the animals (especially the brown bears!). We went through the butterfly exhibit and the insect exhibit. There is an awesome outdoor playground which Liam loved beating on the drums and playing in the huge sandbox. After a brief lunch, we explored the inside of the museum and there was a 6 and under room that they had a blast in. Keira had fun on the climbing wall, and actually got pretty good from going side to side. Her favorite part was the stable area where she could clean and brush the (stuffed) horses. She definitely loves her animals!

I just love this photo of my boys!

Christmas Festivities (click here for more photos)

It was wonderful to be at home for Christmas, especially in our new house! Christmas Eve was a beautiful day, so we spent the morning taking the dogs for a long walk and playing outside in the backyard with the kids. My mom arrived to our house in the early afternoon, and the majority of my Raleigh family (Linda, Keith, Maggie, Sarah, and Bridget) came over for dinner. We had a traditional Swedish smorgasbord for Christmas Eve dinner and ended the evening sitting outside and doing a yankee-swap alcohol exchange.

Christmas morning we woke up and checked out our stockings and opened Santa gifts. Keira was excited to see the boot (soot) footprints that Santa had left in the house, and is starting to understand it all (Liam is still clueless, but will get it next year). We then headed to church, and Regan and Ryan came over in the early afternoon. We had a yummy pork roast for Christmas dinner and opened family gifts. We all got some great stuff for Christmas (thanks everyone!!), and Keira and Liam especially loved their easel from Dini!

The Sunday after Christmas, Dad and Mary came over for our Christmas celebration with them. It was another beautiful day, and we spent the afternoon outside playing with the kids. Chris and my dad put together the picnic table gift for the kids (which they of course sat on as soon as it was ready!). We had a wonderful Christmas, and we hope that all of our friends and family have a happy and healthy New Year!!