Birthday Boys

Grandma's Boy

Birthday Boy

Birthdays are only complete with icing all over the face!

Chase and Jaycee anxiously awaiting for everyone to sing "Happy Birthday" and dig into the cake.

Gabe having a ball hanging with Dexter

Chase opened his birthday gifts outside and tried on his new helmet.

I realize this is only my second blog post of the year thanks to an extremely hectic end to winter and stressful beginning to spring. However, no matter how crazy life gets, I couldn’t miss this opportunity to wish my baby boy Gabriel a Happy 1st Birthday today and also wish Chase a Happy 4th Birthday for tomorrow. Tim and I spent today with our parents, my grandmother, sisters, four nieces, and one nephew celebrating our sons’ birthdays with a Spiderman themed birthday party here at our house. I must say it was nice being able to combine both boys’ birthday celebrations into one party even though some may frown upon this approach—but, hey, their birthdays are just one day apart and at this age they don’t mind. It sure made things easier on us. It was a little chilly outside, but the kids still had a ball running around. I think the biggest hit of the day was them playing in our boat in the driveway.


Our “baby” is rapidly evolving into a toddler—kind of a bittersweet moment for me to witness as I know this is the last baby Tim and I plan on having. Gabriel isn’t walking yet, but he’s so close! He can stand on his own for a few seconds at a time and he zips around the house with his walker. He has another bottom tooth that just popped in since the last blog posting and there appear to be several more teeth right about to break through the surface of that little smile. Our little guy is passionate about food (totally opposite from Chase) and is enjoying trying out different table foods—so far, the winner is cheese balls; not the healthiest choice by far, but he makes up for it with the various fruits and vegetables he eats. He’s also transitioning from formula to whole milk. I won’t have the latest measurements on him until later this week at his 1-year check-up, but I know he’s gotten longer and heavier. He’s already in 18-month clothing and size 4 diapers. Since the weather has warmed up, he enjoys swinging on our neighbor’s swing-set and going for strolls and wagon rides. His favorite thing to do is to take random toys or objects and scoot them across the floor—sounds simple, but it keeps him entertained for quite some time. So much for all of those baby toys! Overall, we have a very healthy and happy 1-year old.

Our other “baby” turns a whopping 4 years old tomorrow. He is quite the chatterbox these days. There is never a dull moment with him. He was punching numbers in the home phone the other day and I asked him what he was doing; his response: “Mom, I’m busy checking my email.” I’m either laughing at him or calling his name most of the time. Guess what one of Gabe’s first words is? “Chase!” Only, he pronounces it “Days!” Gabe has heard me call after his brother so many times that he often calls for him. Chase most definitely lives up to his name as he stays on the go all of the time. His two speeds are on and off—there’s hardly a medium. If he’s not running around outside, riding on his John Deere Gator, or trying to master riding the bike he got for Christmas, he’s inside banging on drums or wanting to bake sugar cookies. We stay busy, for sure! Chase and I were able to go to the circus this past Friday with his school. His favorite part of the show was watching a girl get shot from a canon. I love his laughter and excitement in doing just the daily routine in life; the circus was fun, but just being silly around the house is equally fun. It’s hard to believe he’s almost done with the K3 school year at FOEC. We’ve already enrolled him to continue at FOEC for the K4 school year and he’s also going to attend summer activities there in the months to come.

Working full time (and overtime every now and then) and raising our two little tornadoes doesn’t give us time to do much else, but Tim and I are beyond blessed to be parents to our two birthday boys. Thanks to our family for sharing another birthday with us. And, if you’re reading this, I thank you for taking the time to keep up with our adventures.

Winter Wonders

Bath time!

Gabe's favorite seat: waiting on food!

Chase, Daddy, and their Mini Snowman

Snow Dusting in our Backyard

9 Months Old and Ready for Church!

"Spiderman" and His Sidekick Gabe

We’re well into 2013 and over halfway through winter. I have to admit this has been a hard year so far. I always find this time of year to be dreary with the cold weather and short days. I’ve personally experienced a lot of spiritual warfare over the past couple of months—I won’t go into great detail with personal issues because I like to keep the tone of this blog positive. I’ll just leave it at I’m looking forward to better days ahead and thankful to see God at work in my life. One thing is for sure, every Christian experiences seasons of hardship in their life; although it’s often hard to understand why we go through these painful times, we have to trust that God is molding us into better people through these encounters. With that said, I open this blog post with the theme that I’m trying to turn my winter woes into spring joys.


Even though raising two boys isn’t a cakewalk, it keeps Tim and me laughing (when we’re not pulling our hair out) and helps keep our focus optimistic. Gabriel is growing incredibly fast—is it just me or does it seem like the second child grows up quicker? Gabe is 9 ½ months old and not only crawling all over the house, but he’s pulling up on his own. The baby gates are being put to use, but that still doesn’t stop him from getting into mischief. He’s exploring everything and can be brazen at times, which means we have to watch him like a hawk to prevent him from getting hurt (doesn’t always work, but we try). He still has his hearty appetite, but crawling and constant activities keep him long and lean. He weighed in at just over 19 pounds at his 9 month check-up, which puts him in the lower percentile for weight, but he’s just the opposite for height (much like Chase). There are two new additions to his dimply grin: both upper front teeth. I was up at 5 in the morning today thanks to those two little rascals cutting the surface. Some blondish shade of hair is starting to grow—looks darker on the sides and lighter on the top. His eyes are a dark shade of blue and look to have a touch of gray and hazel; without good lighting it’s hard to tell they’re blue, but they are. Mornings often come too soon with him (teething may be to blame), and it’s easy to tell when he’s ready to take a nap or turn in for the night because he starts sucking his thumb.

Chase is still as rambunctious as ever, but I’m proud of him for learning so much in school. He’s had wonderful reports from his teacher. Mrs. Urquhart describes Chase as a very outgoing, fun-loving kid. His vocabulary has expanded and he talks so much more clearly now. He still has the same infectious smile, but behind that smile are habits that still need to be corrected. I know some people leave out anything negative about their kids and act like they’re angels, but I prefer to keep it real. Chase’s biggest challenges right now are: not wanting to share toys with Gabe and retaliating by hitting or pushing; interrupting Tim and me when we try to talk; stalling for bedtime and not cooperating in the mornings; not always using manners. None of this is out of the ordinary for a 3 year old, but we’re still trying to nip these bad habits in the bud and discipline accordingly. Overall, he’s still an “awesome” kid (he uses the word “awesome” to describe his favorite things). And, everything is still all about Spiderman in Chase’s world. He likes to wear his Spiderman costume (the one from Halloween and another one he got for Christmas) and pretend he’s conquering all of the bad guys in the world. I’d like to thank my sister for getting him a Spiderman drum for Christmas (sarcasm intended). On the flip side of his boyish hobbies, he still enjoys baking cookies and cupcakes with me—especially the part when he gets to use the sprinkles!

Tim and I are still struggling to figure out the perfect balance between work, spending time with the kids and time with just the two of us, keeping up with the house, cars, etc. We also had sickness mixed in with the daily grind to make it even more challenging during January. I had a nasty sinus infection and bronchitis and the kids had something similar. We’re attending a seminar at church on Wednesday nights called “Real Marriage,” and we’ve learned many “dos” and “don’ts” from a biblical perspective, but I’ll be the first to admit that consistently putting these principals into practice is easier said than done. As Valentine’s Day approaches, my personal goal is to try to show others the same love that God shows me everyday; that’s unconditional love for imperfect people—after all, I’m one of those imperfect people too! Thank God for loving us in spite of our flaws!  Happy Valentine's Day!

Christmas Blessings

Gabe's 1st Thanksgiving

Gabe's 1st Christmas

Picking out a Christmas tree

Worn out from Christmas fun

Posing by our tree after getting home from church on Christmas Eve

Before the STC Christmas Party

Merry Christmas Eve! Can you believe Christmas is here? This has by far been the fastest year of my life! This time last year I was pregnant on Christmas and here we are a year later with Gabriel just turning 8 months old on the first day of winter, Dec. 21st. Chase is definitely an independent 3 year old this year, whereas this time last year he was still somewhat of a baby himself. Both boys have had an exciting past month meeting new milestones and gearing up for the holidays as this is Gabe’s 1st Christmas and Chase’s 4th.


I’m especially excited for Chase this year as this is the first time he really understands Christmas. We have tried to stress the true meaning of Christmas (Jesus is the reason for the season), but I have to admit it’s been fun using Santa as bribery for him to behave. Both boys got to see Santa in early December. This was the first year Chase didn’t cry or have a puzzled look on his face. In fact, he actually ran up to Santa’s lap with excitement and told him all about wanting Spiderman and a fire truck for Christmas. Gabe didn’t cry either, which was relieving after waiting in line for about an hour to see Santa at Bass Pro Shop. “Santa” called our house about a week before Christmas to remind Chase to be good since Chase has been a little on the testy side that week (thanks, Papa Breeden!). We’ve been watching Christmas movies, wrapping presents, and baking cookies all month, so I’d say we’re ready for the big day. Last but not least, Chase has been pretty good these past few days thanks to “Santa’s” gentle reminder.

Gabriel’s bottom front two teeth finally broke through; the first one surfacing the week of Thanksgiving and the second one just a couple weeks ago. I’m sure there are more right behind the first two since he’s been a Christmas goat gnawing on every thing in sight and drooling profusely. Between the teething and suffering from a cold, Gabe has had a few fussy nights and days, but he’s pushing through. He’s also crawling now; well, it’s more of a military crawl, but he’s on the move for sure! He still has a hearty appetite when it comes to his stage 2 baby foods and formula and he even tried mashed potatoes over Thanksgiving. For Christmas, he’ll be ecstatic to get a hold of wrapping paper and most likely try to eat that too.

As for Tim and I, we’ve been busy wrapping up the work year and juggling the kids, family, and friends. Thankfully, I get a week off from work along with Chase being out of school until January 2nd to catch somewhat of a break (although there is never really a true break with Chase and Gabe around—don’t take that derogatively). Chase concluded the year with a Christmas program at Faith Outreach Education Center where he got to sing several Christmas songs with his class. His teachers enjoy having him in school and had good remarks to share about him (sigh of relief for parents to hear). Tim and I were able to break free one night to go to his Christmas party for STC. We went to the Christmas Eve service at church with Tim’s parents and sat with “Pam Pam” (my mom) and Grandma Anderson while we were there. It was a service to lift our spirits after having a somewhat of a rough day with the kids being fussy. Christmas Day will be spent with my family, and the 26th with Tim’s; with that said, we’ll have had three days of Christmas fun by the time it’s all said and done! Unfortunately, Tim doesn’t get as much time off from work for the holidays as I do, but we’re going to try to make the most of the days off we have together. And, for that matter, we’re going to try to make the best of every circumstance and every day that God gives us as we conclude another year and enjoy another Christmas together. May Jesus be the true reason behind your Christmas season and carry you into the New Year with His abounding love and grace.

Thankful for More Fall Memories

Posing Pumpkin

Cutest Spiderman Ever!

Chase's fake smile and Gabe distracted

Chase and Daddy getting ready to go trick or treating.  They came back with a wagon full of candy.

Chase in his "awesome" Spiderman costume (he's been using the word "awesome" a lot lately)

...kind of looks like an artist in this picture with the tilted hat

The Orioles didn't make it to the World Series this year, but they still have the cutest fan!

Here we are halfway through November! Fall is definitely here with vibrant colored leaves, cooler temperatures, and shorter days. We ended October with a “spooktacular” Halloween. Chase went trick-or-treating as Spiderman with Tim while I stayed home with my little pumpkin and handed out candy to the 50 or 60 trick-or-treaters we had in our neighborhood. Funny story from Tim and Chase trick-or-treating: Chase goes up to a house; rings the door bell, and Tim prompts him, “What do you say, Chase?” Instead of saying “trick or treat,” he says, “I have to go potty.” Since they were already halfway around the block, the neighbor was nice enough to let him use the bathroom. So, Tim had to peel Chase’s Spiderman costume off of him so he could take care of business. Funny thing is that this scenario happened several times while they were trick-or-treating. I guess the excitement of Halloween made Chase have to use the bathroom frequently, so he left his own “treats” behind. Thank God we live in a safe neighborhood where we have good neighbors!


Gabe is only a few days shy of turning 7 months old. He is about 18 pounds now and in the 97th percentile for height. He had several immunizations in October; thankfully, he took them like a champ with little crying. He’s sitting up now and almost crawling. Chase is Gabe’s favorite comedian and his eyes stayed glued to his big brother’s every action. Gabe is ticklish and there’s nothing better in the world than hearing that sweet little laugh. He’s definitely a thumb-sucker, and Chase will take his thumb out of his mouth and tell him, “no,” as if he shouldn’t be sucking his thumb. Keep in mind, this time last year we were finally getting Chase away from his pacifier habit, so I find it especially funny to see him act as though his baby brother is committing a crime in sucking his thumb.

Gabe is still sleeping from about 7 until 5:30 on most nights. Of course, I try to make that 5:30 stretch out as long as possible on the weekends. Chase sleeps from about 7:30 to 6, and he had a few nights where he woke up frightened saying that monsters were in his bed. Perhaps all of the Halloween hype got to him. We’ve also had bouts of horrible colds in our family which have caused interrupted nights of sleep with coughing. Chase and Gabe have had runny noses, sore throats, and the occasional fever. Chase had a check-up today with Dr. Baust; even though it was supposed to just be a check-up, it turned into a sick visit with a fever of 101.7. Fortunately, he tested negative for strep and the flu and the doctor confirmed it’s just a nasty cold/virus. He goes back the week after Thanksgiving for a flu shot. In spite of him not feeling well, he was still deemed healthy otherwise with him weighing in at 34 pounds putting him in the 50th percentile for weight and measuring about 3 feet tall putting him in the 75th percentile for height. He had a “finger prick” that indicated a normal count for white blood cells even though he has a cold. All in all, both boys are healthy with the exception of the common colds.

Still no teeth, but it shouldn’t be too much longer for Gabe with the amount of drooling and gnawing going on. Up to this point, he’s tried a variety of Stage 1 and 2 fruits and vegetables. Breastfeeding officially came to its end this month—Gabe got his last few ounces on November 1st and I reluctantly retired after my body just wasn’t producing enough milk to make it worthwhile even after pumping and taking supplements (trust me, I tried just about EVERYTHING to keep it going). However, I can proudly say I breastfed both of my sons for 6 months each, for a total of a full year of nursing in my lifetime, which isn’t bad for a mom who works full time. And, on another positive note, the transition to formula was a gradual and fairly easy process with both boys.

We made it through all of the busy October weekends and enjoyed spending time with family. We also made it through Hurricane Sandy which barely touched us (can’t say the same for those north of us, unfortunately). Last but not least, we made it through Election Day and I’ll be the first to admit that I’m sadly disappointed in our nation—not just because the candidate I voted for didn’t win, but because we continue to compromise our Christian beliefs and veer away from the principles on which this country was initially founded. My hope lies in knowing that Jesus Christ is The King of Kings and the one and only true ruler of this world. Even when things seem so out of control in our own country, I praise the Lord that He’s still in control and has a master plan.

On to happier thoughts, now we have the joy of the holidays rapidly approaching. Thanksgiving will be at our house for the first time ever with my side of the family this year. Instead of posting the cliché thankful posts on Facebook daily (not that I’m criticizing those who do), I’ll just sum up the entire month by saying I’m beyond blessed to have my beautiful family that I talk about in this blog and those who care enough to read of the Breeden adventures. I’m thankful for our jobs. I’m thankful to live in a country where I can exercise so many freedoms, especially the freedom to openly worship Jesus Christ; I can’t thank enough those who currently serve, those who have served, and those who have died protecting the freedoms of our country. Most of all, I’m thankful I have Christ as my Savior; without Him, I am nothing; but with Him all things are possible (Phil. 4:13). Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

2012 Early Fall Memories

Our Two Little Pumpkins: Chase 3 1/2 years old; Gabe 6 months old

Chase loving Daddy

Love this little guy!

Precious beyond words!

Gabe is enjoying looking at the floor!

One Blessed Family

Again, we're blessed!

My head is spinning just as the fall leaves are in the wind as I try to recap the past month. Gabe will be 6 months old this weekend; that’s right, he's already half a year old with my whole heart wrapped around his little finger. Chase continues to do well in the big brother mode with the occasional spell of jealousy still popping out every now and then. Both boys and Tim have battled colds the past few weeks, but all in all, everyone is holding down the Breeden fort.


I had an enjoyable end to September by taking a few days off from work, which entailed trimming off 3 inches of my hair (that was a big deal to me even though most couldn’t tell I had done it afterwards), shampooing my downstairs carpet (which has already been soiled since then), meeting up with a good friend for a walk and lunch, and spending one on one time with Chase by taking him to see Disney on Ice with his school. Tim and I were off on Columbus Day and went to the gun range with my dad to pop off a few rounds followed by lunch at the Olive Garden with just the two of us while my grandmother and mom watched the boys. Funny how we spend our alone time shooting guns; aren’t we such a romantic couple? We also picked out tile for renovating our master bathroom. Thanks to Trident Home Repairs, we’re already enjoying new Dura ceramic flooring downstairs. So, needless to say, the past few weeks have been super busy with home improvements, work, juggling the boys, etc.

Gabriel is weighing in at over 17 pounds, eating stage 1 baby food now, and transitioning into size 3 diapers and 9 month clothing. I’m enjoying my remaining days of nursing him since I know my milk supply continues to decrease and will probably be at its end soon. I can honestly say I gave it my best effort between pumping like crazy, taking herbal supplements, drinking mother’s tea, and nursing him as much as possible when I’m not at work, so there’s not much more that I can do other than accept the fact that it’s just coming to an end. Goodbye D cups—it was nice knowing you. Although I’ll miss being in a bigger bra size, I’m happy to be down a few pounds less than I was before I got pregnant. Back to Gabe, when not chowing down on breast milk, formula, or baby food, he’s a very active baby. If you lay him on the floor, he’ll roll across the room; and, he’s never in the same position I initially have him in when I place him in his crib at nights. He’s sleeping through most nights, 7:30-5. On the other hand, Chase isn’t napping anymore which makes him one tired boy after a long morning of school and playing hard at my grandma’s house all afternoon. We’ve had many ornery days with him when he gets extremely tired and testy.

As we’re halfway through October now, we’ve already celebrated Jaycee’s 2nd birthday and we have three more birthday parties to carry us through the month: Bella’s and Emily’s this weekend followed by Kenden’s the next. Then, we have Halloween to anticipate. Chase is super excited to dress up as Spiderman this year. We picked out 5 pumpkins this year—I highly doubt we’ll carve all 5, but they still make nice decorations not carved for after Halloween. Last but not least, we got portraits done at Sear’s—something I wanted to do for a long time! More pictures to come for Halloween and the remaining fall festivities!

Last Days of Summer

Breeden Boys Vegging Out (for any Super Safety Moms: yes, I know there was a recall on the Bumbo seat, and it was only placed on the couch long enough to get this picture)

Think we have a thumb sucker on our hands!

Look, Mom, I'm in the hamper!

4 1/2 months old and cheesing!

Our balcony view of the beach from the condo we stayed in over Labor Day weekend

As summer is winding down to its official end and fall is well on its way, I can reflect on the past month and a half since the last blog update and honestly say we made the most of summer considering our circumstances. Needless to say, life with a 3 year old and 4 month old isn't always glitz and glam, which means I didn't spend many weekends relaxing at the beach or pool. However, I still got to get out and enjoy all that summer has to offer, and that alone is a feat all in itself with Chase and Gabe involved. I guess my point here is that everything you do in life with kids is a huge responsibility and takes a lot of effort. Relaxation time for the adults is replaced with chasing after little ones, changing diapers, incorporating naps and feedings, etc. BUT (and I use all caps for emphasis here), it’s a huge blessing to experience this kind of hectic life; and, even though it makes me a little batty at times, I wouldn’t trade it for the world (at least not on most days, ha, ha).


We got to squeeze in two trips to OBX in August; one with the kids and one without. I’m sure you can guess which one was more relaxing. The not-so-relaxing trip was still lots of fun over Labor Day weekend as Chase got to spend hours on the Kill Devil Hills beach, play in the pool, and be best pals with his cousin Kenden. Although we all had colds (yes, Gabe got his first cold) Labor Day weekend, we still made the most of our last summer hurrah down at the beach.

Chase started K3 at Faith Outreach Education Center the last week in August. He is already well on his way to learning numbers, letters, shapes, colors, Bible stories, and praise songs. He’s had positive remarks from his teacher so far, and we’re so proud of him! He’s also become such a good big brother to Gabriel. He asked me just the other day if I had another baby brother growing—reason being is because he thinks Gabriel came from a freckle on my belly and he saw a freckle on my leg and thought it was another baby brother growing (tell me that isn’t funny).

Gabe had his 4 month check-up on August 24th, which entailed another round of immunizations (not fun). Good news is that he’s a healthy baby, right in the average range for weight and height. He weighed in at 15 pounds, 4 oz last month and has undoubtedly put on several more ounces (maybe even pounds) since then. I’m still nursing him, but I introduced formula and rice cereal to him the past month to better help fulfill his hearty appetite. He’s completely rolling over from his back to stomach now and vice versa. I’m also positive he’s in the early teething phases since he’s drooling like crazy and gnawing on everything in sight. We’ve had a few sleepless nights over the past month due to the cold he had and most likely due to teething as well, but we’re working our way back to a better sleeping pattern from about 8-5 on most nights. At almost 5 months old, Gabe’s favorite thing to do is…well, just to be held. He’s not big on swinging, playing on his playmat, jumping in his Sassy, or doing much of anything for spans longer than 5 minutes. I think we have him just a tad on the spoiled side, but we’ll only have one chance to spoil him at this stage in life.

As for Tim and I, we reached our 11th anniversary on August 25th. We were able to spend one night down in OBX as Tim’s parents watched the boys for us. We enjoyed our one night getaway, but knew we couldn’t stay too long due to the demands of work, obligations at home, and me still nursing Gabriel (it gets a little cumbersome having to pump every few hours when you’re on vacation). Tim still does all he can to help out with Chase even if it means just taking him to the park for a few hours in the afternoon so that I can focus my energy on solely on Gabe. However, I still try to have one-on-one Mommy-time with Chase by putting him to bed on some nights—his favorite thing is for me to do shadow puppets right before he goes to bed. He loves the “hockadile” (crocodile) shadow puppet. We’re excited to “chomp” our way into another month and share more adventures as we all grow.

Jolly July

All American Baby

Love this picture of both boys smiling (courtesy of Tim's camera phone)

Whenever I try to get a picture with both boys and me, this is how it turns out.

Gabriel was enjoying his playmat until his brother joined in...and Chase with his mischievous grin.

Chase's first time "holding" Gabriel....Gabe was a little uneasy about the whole experience of "big brother" holding him.

July is quite the birthday month in our home. I just turned 31 years old on July 20th. We headed out to one of our favorite restaurants, Captain Chuckamuck’s, for my birthday with my parents. Chase loves going there just to stand on the pier and throw rocks in the water.  Tim turns 33 on the 25th (tomorrow). And, last but not least, Gabriel just hit his 3 month old birthday on the 21st. The best way I can describe my life right now would be Kenny Chesney’s song, “Don’t Blink;” time is going by entirely too fast. However, getting older isn’t necessarily a bad thing even though our society puts such a negative connotation on the aging process. Not that I was ever a shallow person when it came to physical attributes, but I used to think I wasn’t looking my best if my hair wasn’t kept platinum blond; if I didn’t have the perfect tan; if I didn’t weigh around 120 pounds (although I have to admit I was thrilled to get back in the 120’s this month since I had been in the 130’s post-Gabriel); etc. And, Tim can certainly attest to the fact that I was insecure if there was another attractive woman within viewing distance. The platinum hair is long gone as is the golden tan—I’m embracing a healthier, more natural look; but more importantly, I’m comfortable with the woman God has molded me to be at age 31. Sure, I still have the occasional insecure moment (all women do—if they say they don’t, they’re lying!); and, I still like to pamper myself every now and then; but, I’m trying to be more focused on what matters more in life from a godly perspective. All things beautiful from a worldly view will eventually pass; “The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the Word of our God stands forever.” –Isaiah 40:8. This whole blog has been about what’s really important to me: God and family. Sadly enough, I don’t always express this point enough around my family when I get so wrapped up in the daily stresses of life. With that said, I’m trying to do better at appreciating the inner beauty God has instilled in me and to allow that glow to radiate to others regardless of what challenges I may be facing. I’m praying I can make the most of my 30’s as my family grows.


The month of July has been a busy one. We kicked it off by celebrating Independence Day with fireworks in downtown Smithfield on July 3rd; Tim let off some of our own fireworks in our backyard on the 4th; Chase was apprehensive at first, but he ended up loving the fireworks. We’ve had several visits to the Smithfield Swim Club pool that we became members of this summer. Chase is still far from being a swimmer, but Tim is diligently working with him. Tim also had a part in coaching the Smithfield Swim Club’s Dolphins at the tail end of their swim season. Tim has always been a phenomenal swimmer and it’s exciting to see him coach little ones, especially when it will be our own two boys getting involved in these kinds of activities in just a few years.
Chase has been a little testy at times, but he’s full of personality and always coming up with things to crack us up. It’s always funny how Chase is high energy and into every toy in the house, but when it comes time to clean up his toys we usually get a response like, “I (I’m) too tired to clean up toys.” On my birthday morning I asked him if he wanted to sing “Happy Birthday” to me and he said he was too tired then as well. Just the other night I was reading him a few stories from his children’s Bible before bedtime. He was still wound up even after me reading him stories and he wouldn’t stop talking. I kept telling him it was time to be quiet and go to sleep. His response: “Jesus wants me to talk.” What a stinker!

Gabriel’s little personality is also starting to show. This past month has been a huge milestone with him smiling more and fussing less. He still battles gas and acid reflux, but the Zantac seems to be helping. Dr. Baust was very happy with the progress he’s made between month 2 and 3. He seems to be a much happier baby after feedings and he weighed in at a whopping (drum roll, please) 13 pounds, 14 oz on Monday—that’s just a few ounces shy of a 2 pound weight gain in just a month’s time. I’m so thankful to see my little man growing! That little gummy smile surrounded by dimples can melt anyone’s heart! He’s cooing and discovering all his voice can do right now—music to a mother’s ears. He’s also making good eye contact and recognizing faces. He’s (thankfully) getting in a good sleep routine: we wrap up the evening with a bath around 7 (he still loves bath-time). I nurse him to sleep around 8 and put him in his crib (yes, he’s in his crib now!). He wakes up for a nighttime feeding somewhere around 2 or 3 on most nights. I nurse him back to sleep and then we wake up for good around 6 on the weekdays. Well, I’m actually up at 5 to get myself ready for the day, but I wake Gabe and Chase up around 6. Weekends are a treat when I don’t have to wake up at 5!

Chase has done great as a potty trained little boy. We still keep pull-ups on him over night to prevent me from changing sheets frequently (even though he’s made it without accidents in the middle of the night before), but he’s done well in big boy underwear during the day. Gabriel, on the other hand, has graduated to size 2 diapers and is busting out of some of his 3-month clothing. It won’t be long until I’ll be digging out his 6 month outfits. His appetite has increased to taking in 4-5 oz with each feeding, whereas before he was only drinking around 3-4 oz at a time. My grandmother is enjoying watching Gabriel during the day; her face lights up every morning when I drop him off on the way to work. Chase is still going to the summer preschool activities once or twice a week. He’ll start K3 at the end of August.

Tim and I will also reach our 11th anniversary at the end of August. We actually had a rare date night this month as Tim’s parents came to our house for a few hours to watch the boys so that we could grab dinner at Japan Samurai and walk the mall together. It was a much needed date night and we hope to have more of those between now and the next blog posting. Happy 33rd Birthday to Tim! None of the content of this blog would be possible without him. If you’re reading this, Tim, I love you! (This is a true test to see if you actually read the blog, ha, ha!)