FireTruck Party!

This year we celebrated the boys' birthday party together. Poor Parker's birthday is 2 days before Christmas and since the last two Saturdays in December were Christmas Eve and New Years Eve, I decided that it would be easier to just combine their parties and celebrate the first Saturday in January. They each got to celebrate on their actual birthday (Parker went to Build a Bear and Braden went to Game Time), but it was so much easier to do a combined party. I've been wanting to do a fire truck theme for a while now and the boys were both really excited! Parker did great...until he saw the real fire truck and then he wanted nothing to do with it! Eventually he did warm up to the fire fighter, but never got too close to the fire truck! Braden however was thrilled! He kept telling the firemen that he and his brother were the birthday boys! They got to tour the truck, play with the water hose, and listen to the siren! Then we had fire truck cupcakes and opened presents! It was a great party!

Christmas...A Month Late

This Christmas was super special since it was our first Christmas as a family of five! It was especially sweet because a year ago I never would have imagine us being a family of five and now I can't imagine it being any other way!
As always, our Christmas was super busy, but here are some of the highlights:

Uncle Chad and Aunt Erica came to visit! Christmas morning

Sweet smiley girl (take a look at Park in the background- his favorite gift was his toothbrush and toothpaste!)

Braden got a LeapPad Explorer
Parker's toothbrush and toothpaste and B is checking out Parker's gifts!
Sleepy boy cuddling on the couch Christmas morning
Giving his Agm kisses Chirstmas Eve at Grr and Palapw's house

My handsome boys opening gifts from Mommy and Daddy- a new DVD player, video rocker chairs and new DVDs

Yes, You're Really Five!

This morning after reading his birthday story

I never want to forget this morning with my new FIVE year old first born love!

It started when I heard my name being called just after 5 am. I thought it was Parker, so I just ignored....(not because I ignore Parker, but because he won't go back to sleep if we go into his room). Finally just after 6 , Brad got up and found that it was Braden. I had promised him that I would come see him before I left for work since it is his birthday. When I went into his room our conversation went like this:
Me: Happy Birthday buddy!

B: Am I five already?

Me: Yes you are. You are going to have a great birthday today.

B: I know. Will you read me a book since it's my birthday morning.

Me: (agreeing to read him a book, even though I need to get ready for work so I'm not late) I read Five Little Monkeys and tucked him back in and headed out the door.

B: (in a dreamy, happy voice) Mommy, am I REALLY five today? (as if he can't believe this day is actually here)

Me: Yes, you REALLY are. (as I hold back tears because I can't believe my first little 7lb 3 oz, brown hair, beautiful newborn boy is actually five)

I love you Braden Wright Hoffman!

You're 2!

Dear Parker,

You're 2! Well, ok, you've been 2 for a couple of weeks now, but Mommy's motto these days is better late than never! I can't believe how big you have gotten in the past year! And how much you look more like a toddler than my baby. This has been a very busy and eventful year for you- new house, a surgery, and a new baby sister. But you are one resilient little man, I think you handled each event better than any of the rest of us did!

You have two personalities- super serious or super silly! When you are super serious you walk around with what we affectionately call the "stank eye" and only you do it best! You are also crazy silly and love to giggle, laugh, make silly faces and funny sounds! You are very shy and do not like strangers or the spotlight on you. On the morning of your birthday, Daddy, Braden, Emersyn and I walked into your room to sing "Happy Birthday" and you got so embarrassed by all of the attention that half way through the song you sat down and buried your sweet little face in your blanket, but you were smiling the whole time. You are also the most stubborn child I have EVER met! Once you make your mind up, you do not stop! But you are also the most compassionate child. You love giving hugs and kisses and you can't stand for anyone to be sad. If you think I am sad, you crawl into my lap and give me kisses to make me feel better. You also can't stand for Emersyn to cry and you always run to her and give her a kiss when she is upset.You love your brother and sister so much! You want to do everything that Braden does- color, climb, run, kick and throw balls, build train sets. The two of you are so funny when you are together. You love to chase each other in circles and then run into each other! It makes both of you giggle like crazy! I really worried about how Emersyn's arrival was going to affect you. I thought you would be jealous or too rough with her. I wondered if you would ignore her, but you LOVE her like I didn't think was possible. Whenever you wake up, you go through the house searching for her until you find her and then you plop a big juicy kiss right on top of her head. Since you can't say Emersyn yet you call her Agm (Ah-Gum). It is so sweet and we have all started calling her Agm!
In October of this year, it was determined that you have minimal hearing loss and after evaluations by a SLP and Developmental Specialist they found that you have a 2 month speech delay. They said your cognitive abilities were off the charts which I already knew because you are such a smarty, but they were concerned about your expressive language. This has been very hard for me, because more than anything I don't want you to have to struggle. I want everything to be easy for you and it breaks my heart that you only say 6 words and have not made much progress in talking this year. I want to know your thoughts and I want to hear your wants and needs. But I have absolutely no doubt that you will be talking just as much your big brother in no time. Parker, I love you so very much and I can't wait to see all that this next year holds for you. You are my precious, sweet baby boy and we are so lucky and blessed to have you. I love you.

Love,
Mommy

December Fun

Of course I am behind on my blogging! So many memories we are making and never enough time to record them all. Here is a run down of our December so far...

Pictures with Santa

Cutting down our Chritmas tree

Celebrating with friends

Mr. Turkey Struts Around

During the month of November, Braden walked around singing two songs constantly, Mr. Turkey Struts Around and T-H-I-N-K, Think About the Wonderful Things God Made. He was absoultely precious and we were super delighted to see him get to sing them with his classmates for his school Thanksgiving presentation. They also sang America the Beautiful and led us in The Pledge of Allegiance. After the presentation, we all headed to the fellowship hall to eat vegetable soup and pumpkin pie that the students made.

Halloween 2011

I love Halloween. Not the spooky and scary stuff, but I love what Halloween is to our family: fun with family (great grandparents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins), chili and hotdogs, hay rides, apple cider, candy, and LOTS of laughs!

Braden's Halloween Party

Braden loves his school, loves his class and really loves his teachers this year, which makes me super happy! Since I am still on maternity leave we got to attend Braden's school party as a family. They call it a Let's Pretend Party, instead of Halloween and discourage scary costumes or dressing as witches. All of the kids were really excited and they played a few pumpkin games and then had a snack. Several of the students, including Braden, kept talking to each other about this being the BEST party they have ever had! It was really funny!
Braden loved showing off his little brother!

Parker loved being a Braden's school!

Mater

Friday night was the PERFECT night for carving a pumpkin! The air was crisp and cool, Emersyn actually slept the entire time we worked on the pumpkin, and I swear I could actually smell the scent of apple cider and pumpkin pie. This year my intention was to carve 3 pumpkins, one for each kid, but Braden's choice was Mater from the movie Cars and it kicked my booty, so I stopped after the first. Next year, I'll set my goal to carve two pumpkins! Emersyn can wait a few years to have her own pumpkin! Each year I get stuck cleaning out the pumpkin and Brad usually carves it. This year I was glad to have little helpers that didn't mind scooping out the guts!

Parker was really excited about helping!
The boys played while I carved...it took me a LONG time!