We hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas and that your new year has started out well. We've been busy celebrating the holidays, trying to stay warm, heading back to preschool, attempting the gym, and trying to figure out what's going on with the "rash" on Grant's back.
We spent most of Christmas Eve at Mema & Boppa's house enjoying lunch and relaxing before Christmas eve church service. The kids went to the nursery while the rest of us enjoyed a fabulous service. Unfortunately Grant cried the whole time in the nursery and they didn't page me (I felt awful after picking up my poor snot faced little man after church). As we walked out of the chapel we saw the snow coming down. It's always much more beautiful from the inside...especially when you have to drive 45 minutes home in it with two hungry and cranky kids.
She says she's just loving him here, not trying to strangle him with a choke hold.
Christmas morning we were able to enjoy our own family Christmas with just the four of us before Mema, Boppa, Uncle Wes, & Aunt Janna joined us at 9:00 for presents and brunch. Ava was all over the unwrapping of the gifts this year. Mema & Boppa stayed for dinner and Boppa even had enough energy for horsey rides before heading home.
Ava trying out her new bike. She's been practicing on an "obstacle course" that Nate made for her in the basement.
Nate was back to work the day after Christmas. That's when I took Grant to the Dr. because he had been super cranky, was teething, had a cold, and I noticed a horrible rash on his back on Christmas eve. The Dr. said that it was eczema and that he was just teething. We were to drug him with Ibuprofen every 8 hours and try new Aveeno baby bath and some creams. Well, it didn't get better so back to the pediatrician we went yesterday for a second opinion (since I don't like the Dr. we saw the first time). He confirmed that it's definitely eczema and gave us a bunch of recommendations as well as gave us a prescription cream and told us to give him Zyrtec twice a day. So now I have to give my little guy medicine daily which I absolutely hate. I need to do a bit more investigating on triggers (besides cold weather since we can't control that here in MN). I saw that dairy is a huge trigger, but need to look more into that. Taking away dairy would be a HUGE adjustment for our family!
Anyway, back to Christmas. We left for IA the Friday after Christmas. The drive down went well, good weather and Grant actually slept part of the way. Friday evening Grandma & Grandpa watched the kids so that all of us "older kids" could go bowling. I can't remember the last time that I was together with all of my siblings (and spouses) to do something fun (besides Marc & Sara's wedding). We had a great time (and I felt better after knowing that Grant was no longer crying after I left and had fallen asleep).
Friday afternoon both Grandma Great & Great Grandma came to visit. Yes, that is a large purple goose egg on Great Grandma's head (from when she fell before Christmas).
Saturday morning the kids ventured out in the snow. As you can see, Grant was having a great time (the Ibuprofen was obviously not working)
He did however love riding in the snow tube
A little family photo outside the barn.
And a big family photo inside the barn.
Grandma & Grandpa with the grandkids
My mom, dad, and siblings
Grant giving cousin Jakob a kiss
The kids calling for Santa with their new Santa lanterns...
then what to our wondering eyes should appear, but Santa and Mrs. Clause
It was a miracle that Grant did not cry. He very rarely would let anybody besides me hold him that weekend. However, he seemed content with a jolly old man with a beard that he had never met before.
Ava thought it was hilarious that somebody would give her hawkeye kleenex since she thinks that "hawkeyes stink"
Ava couldn't get enough of her new princess gloves
Dr. Ava checking out cousin Zacky
The Becker family
Below are pictures taken on my phone so they're a little out of order
Making cookies for Santa
This would be the hole in our main floor bathroom wall. We were sitting around enjoying Christmas brunch when all of a sudden we hear "oh no, oh no, oh no". Nate and I go running into the bathroom to find Ava and this. That's right, she was hanging on the towel ring and for some reason they are not made to hold a 42 lb child without ripping off the wall. As of yesterday morning it is now fixed and we did a little education with Ava regarding the proper use of a towel bar/ring.
Grant getting ready for the car trip to IA
Ava buckled in and ready to go to IA.
It was girls vs boys at the bowling alley that night. Yeah, girls did not win.
On our way home Monday morning. A "triple sleep over" with cousins included definitely wears out a little girl.
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