Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Tidbits
Hmmm...quick post.
One-handed post.
A few updates.
-Mom & Steve finally got power on Tuesday afternoon. Yesterday. Lights on after 11 days. They are THRILLED!!
-Kimberly's family still has none.
They are starting to show signs of hostility :)
-Dean is getting HUGE...really, really big.
I have a feeling that all of my logic for picking out clothes in advance for the appropriate season is going to be for not.
- Ava had her "half" birthday. She is officially 3.5
We took her out to dinner to celebrate. Silly, I know, but it's a tradition. No gifts, no fuss, just dinner and the acknowledgement. She wears her new label with pride.
- Dean has been congested at night and it is keeping us awake because he can't breathe easily. He sounds fine during the day. I took him to the Dr and she said his lungs were "crystal clear." Hopefully it will pass soon. We're sleepy. Ava was never congested as a baby so I never had to deal with that little nose-suction-bulb thing.
Not a load of fun.
- SMILES!! We are getting more and more smiles these days!
Baby smiles are the best. I'm spotting baby dimples too!
- Fall is here. Welcome. I love Fall.
Can't wait to see all the beautiful leaves in all their glory.
- Somehow I've gotten backed up on email and phone calls again. Ridiculous, I know. As you can see from my posting frequency, my hands are full. Happily full, but full all the same.
One-handed post.
A few updates.
-Mom & Steve finally got power on Tuesday afternoon. Yesterday. Lights on after 11 days. They are THRILLED!!
-Kimberly's family still has none.
They are starting to show signs of hostility :)
-Dean is getting HUGE...really, really big.
I have a feeling that all of my logic for picking out clothes in advance for the appropriate season is going to be for not.
- Ava had her "half" birthday. She is officially 3.5
We took her out to dinner to celebrate. Silly, I know, but it's a tradition. No gifts, no fuss, just dinner and the acknowledgement. She wears her new label with pride.
- Dean has been congested at night and it is keeping us awake because he can't breathe easily. He sounds fine during the day. I took him to the Dr and she said his lungs were "crystal clear." Hopefully it will pass soon. We're sleepy. Ava was never congested as a baby so I never had to deal with that little nose-suction-bulb thing.
Not a load of fun.
- SMILES!! We are getting more and more smiles these days!
Baby smiles are the best. I'm spotting baby dimples too!
- Fall is here. Welcome. I love Fall.
Can't wait to see all the beautiful leaves in all their glory.
- Somehow I've gotten backed up on email and phone calls again. Ridiculous, I know. As you can see from my posting frequency, my hands are full. Happily full, but full all the same.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
IKE Update
I thought I would post an update on how my family is doing in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike. Thank you to everyone for your thoughts, prayers, phone calls and concern.Overall, things are good.
Luckily Kingwood didn't sustain major flooding. Unbelievable really, considering a regular Texas-sized thunderstorm has been known to cause flooding. Granted, Kingwood is a mess! Kingwood is known as "The Livable Forest." There are soaring pine trees everywhere. As you might imagine- limbs, debris and trees(along with their root systems) litter the streets.
The worst thing for my family is that the power has been out since Friday night. My sister & her family have a generator, so they are able to keep the fridge running and a few small things. Unfortunately, the generator takes about 5 gallons of gas a day to run...and guess what, no gas anywhere. No ice or water. No street lights, no traffic lights.
Mom & Steve aren't so lucky. They have no generator so they are running to Kimberly's house to get a bit of ice now and then. Again, thank goodness the streets are somewhat passable and aren't too flooded.The first few days were a bit like camping. Mom & Steve cooked with pots on the grill and also have plenty of dry goods and water. Lots of candles, flashlights, card games, books, radio, etc. My Mom said that once it gets dark outside, the nights seem so long.
Mom & Steve left for Colorado this morning, a trip that has been scheduled for months. They may even extend their stay if the power doesn't return before they do. The news is still reporting that it could be 2 weeks before the power is turned back on.
The grocery stores are beginning to open up, but they will only let 20 people in at a time and the shelves have not been restocked. No ice, no water. Luckily they are able to shower with hot water and flush the toilets. Mom & Steve have also had a land-line telephone from the beginning so I have been able to keep in touch with them that way, which has been a relief. Kimberly just got her land-line up and running today, so that's good, especially seeing that Mom & Steve are gone now.
So, that's the update. Overall, they are pretty lucky. Our thoughts continue to be with them and those families who weren't so lucky. Here's a video I found on You Tube of Kingwood, TX after Hurricane Ike: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_JTe1TFeGw
Luckily Kingwood didn't sustain major flooding. Unbelievable really, considering a regular Texas-sized thunderstorm has been known to cause flooding. Granted, Kingwood is a mess! Kingwood is known as "The Livable Forest." There are soaring pine trees everywhere. As you might imagine- limbs, debris and trees(along with their root systems) litter the streets.
The worst thing for my family is that the power has been out since Friday night. My sister & her family have a generator, so they are able to keep the fridge running and a few small things. Unfortunately, the generator takes about 5 gallons of gas a day to run...and guess what, no gas anywhere. No ice or water. No street lights, no traffic lights.
Mom & Steve aren't so lucky. They have no generator so they are running to Kimberly's house to get a bit of ice now and then. Again, thank goodness the streets are somewhat passable and aren't too flooded.The first few days were a bit like camping. Mom & Steve cooked with pots on the grill and also have plenty of dry goods and water. Lots of candles, flashlights, card games, books, radio, etc. My Mom said that once it gets dark outside, the nights seem so long.
Mom & Steve left for Colorado this morning, a trip that has been scheduled for months. They may even extend their stay if the power doesn't return before they do. The news is still reporting that it could be 2 weeks before the power is turned back on.
The grocery stores are beginning to open up, but they will only let 20 people in at a time and the shelves have not been restocked. No ice, no water. Luckily they are able to shower with hot water and flush the toilets. Mom & Steve have also had a land-line telephone from the beginning so I have been able to keep in touch with them that way, which has been a relief. Kimberly just got her land-line up and running today, so that's good, especially seeing that Mom & Steve are gone now.
So, that's the update. Overall, they are pretty lucky. Our thoughts continue to be with them and those families who weren't so lucky. Here's a video I found on You Tube of Kingwood, TX after Hurricane Ike: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_JTe1TFeGw
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
4 Weeks!
It's been 4 weeks since our little man arrived! Hard to believe!Dean is doing great. He has officially grown out of the newborn diapers and we opened our first pack of #1's. He's also grown out of most of his "newborn" clothes, he's just too long for them. We are on to 0-3 month and 3 month clothes.
I'm so glad that the whole circumcision situation is behind us. And for everyone who told me that changing a boys diaper was easier than changing a girls....I must respectfully disagree :)
Mr. Dean is starting to add a few more baby noises to his repertoire and he really enjoys his tummy time. He is smiling much more often these days (accidentally, I know)...but it is so cute that we can't wait to see an intentional one.
Big Sissy Ava adores her baby brother and so far it seems that she can't get enough. She continues to reference our "next baby" and I am trying to deter that conversation as much a possible. She does tell me that she misses my big belly.
Again, I must respectfully disagree :)
Happy Birthday Aunt Kimmie!
Happy Birthday Aunt Kimmie!We love you and miss you soooo much!
xo Janis, Chet, Ava & Baby Dean
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Happy Bday Anna Banana
I took Ava to Libby Lu today to celebrate Anna's 4th birthday. It was our first trip to Libby Lu and the girls were so cute getting all made up. Hair, dress-up, nails, accessories, dancing....good ole girly fun! Happy Birthday Anna, we had fun celebrating your special day with you!
Friday, September 12, 2008
TX on my mind...
I can't seem to distract myself from the news coverage of Hurricane Ike. It is supposed to make landfall at 1:00 am Sat. My entire immediate family is directly in it's path. Northeast Houston, more specifically Kingwood. Galveston is their closest beach, which is likely where the eye of the storm will hit. The news is reporting "catastrophic loss" and "certain death to those who don't heed evacuations." It's a bit frightening. I've spoken to my sister and mother who are prepared for a week of no power. No power in 95 degree, humid weather. Their local news is projecting the eye to go right through Kingwood. Flooding is a major concern as well.I pray that they are spared the worst of the storm and that no tornadoes come anywhere near them. We're thinking of you here in NY and we love you all! xoxoxo
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Friday, September 5, 2008
First Day
Today was Ava's first day back at Nursery School. She will go MWF mornings this year. She was excited to see her old teachers and some of her friends from last year. We stopped at one of our little neighborhood parks on the way home...my first "park stop" with 2 children in tow. I know Fall is right around the corner but it sure doesn't feel like it out there. Who knew it would be 90 degrees in September!
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Two and Two
Has it really been 2 weeks since our little man was born? Funny how it seems like the whole world stops when you have a brand new baby. Regular daily routines are unrecognizable and suddenly many things that used to seem important, don't anymore. I'm still trying to catch up with emails and phone calls and such.
Dean had his two week Dr appt today. Here are the little man's stats:
Length- 22 inches (90th percentile)
Weight- 8 lb 6 oz (50th percentile)
Head- 14 inches (25th percentile)
I can't believe he grew 2 inches in 2 weeks!! He is starting to outgrow some of his little outfits already! My, oh my, they really do change so fast! He is still sleeping great at night...knock on wood! He often goes for 5 hour stretches at night, and has even gone 5.5. Doc says his weight is great, so let him sleep....uh, yeah, thanks...I was planning on it! :)
Ava starts back up at Nursery School on Friday and will go MWF mornings. She also starts back up ballet class on Saturday, so she is very excited about that. Things are starting to simmer down a bit over here in Graziano Land...it feels pretty nice.
(See slideshow below with pics from Dean's first 2 weeks at home)
Dean had his two week Dr appt today. Here are the little man's stats:
Length- 22 inches (90th percentile)
Weight- 8 lb 6 oz (50th percentile)
Head- 14 inches (25th percentile)
I can't believe he grew 2 inches in 2 weeks!! He is starting to outgrow some of his little outfits already! My, oh my, they really do change so fast! He is still sleeping great at night...knock on wood! He often goes for 5 hour stretches at night, and has even gone 5.5. Doc says his weight is great, so let him sleep....uh, yeah, thanks...I was planning on it! :)
Ava starts back up at Nursery School on Friday and will go MWF mornings. She also starts back up ballet class on Saturday, so she is very excited about that. Things are starting to simmer down a bit over here in Graziano Land...it feels pretty nice.
(See slideshow below with pics from Dean's first 2 weeks at home)
Monday, September 1, 2008
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Happy Birthday Gram
We want to wish Gram a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!Today we went out to lunch to celebrate Gram's birthday. It was our first restaurant experience as a "Party of 4", along with Papa, Gram, Nana & Uncle Tony. Everything went really well. Of course Dean wanted to eat right along with everyone else, just when the food came out...ha. We went for Mexican and we even snapped some silly pics of Gram wearing the big sombrero hat. Since she might not want those particular pics on the blog, I'll post this one instead :)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRAM! WE LOVE YOU!!
xoxoxo Chet, Janis, Ava Grace & Dean Douglas
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
