Snow Day!

Well, it's been one heck of a snow day!

As with basically every other location on the Eastern Seaboard, Clinton got a good dose of snow - 8 - 10"! We've done a whole bunch of nothing all day and just laid around, played some games and the boys went out in the snow for a bit (along with Anna). Naylor did get out with Brian for just a bit and took a look around.

Looks like the guys' pheasant hunt has been cancelled, but we'll be here in Clinton at least another two days due to the weather and being able to get home safely. By all the Facebook reports, looks like we got about the same amount in Apex.

What a beautiful winter wonderland!

Happy 19th Birthday Robert Ashley!

Last night I headed down to Clinton to celebrate 19 years of Robert in our lives. It was a small affair with just the family, with fun and lots of food just the same. I think he had a pretty fun time and did get some great gifts! Then he headed out to celebrate with some friends and I headed back to Apex.

I remember it was a Sunday morning when he was born and the same day as the Naylor Reunion. Ma Ma and Pa Pa took us to the hospital before the reunion so we could meet him and see Mama and Daddy. He was able to come home on Christmas Eve - what a great present for us all!

Now today it's Grandpa Pat's birthday - hope it's a great one!!

Higgins Christmas

Great Grandma Reba, Lalon, Kerri and Naylor (Lalon LOVED Grandma's necklace!)

Kerri, Naylor, Lalon, Grandpa and Great Grandma Reba - 4 generations of Higgins

Lalon with her Great Grandma Reba

Naylor, Grandma T, Lalon and Aunt Kerri

Lalon with Grandpa

Uncle Kevin, Naylor, Aunt Kerri and Lalon goofing around!

Kevin, Kerri, Lalon, Grandma Reba and Brian playing cards - Higgins favorite pastime!

Grandma T, Aunt Kerri and Lalon

Grandpa Pat, Grandma T, Aunt Kerri and even Great Grandma Reba made it up to NC for a really great Christmas visit. Uncle Kevin was able to come for a bit, as well as Aunt Amanda too! We did a whole bunch of nothing, but had the best time doing it! The kids (although both have bad colds) were for the most part on their best behavior and loved playing - especially chase with Grandpa Pat! Naylor was really doing great with everyone's names and in the mornings when we'd come downstairs he'd be calling for Grandpa! That was the name he definitely has down the best - T sounds a little more like 'tease' and Kerri more like 'terris' and Kevin is 'tevin' and Amanda is 'manda', but he's getting there and knows who each person is. Lalon was her usual charming self, doling out smiles the entire visit - she's either going to be a politician or a beauty queen... maybe both!

The kids got some really fun toys which they have not seemed to put down since they opened them, so I'd say they would definitely give the Higgins Clan 4 thumbs up in approval! Both kids got a pillow pet; Naylor a monkey (that he calls hoo-hoo because that's the sound a monkey makes) and Lalon a bee (which she loves to just pet, it's really cute). Naylor also is very fond of his new dump truck - I'm not sure it's left his side more than 20 minutes other than bedtime and Lalon the cutest little purse, which she knew exactly how to play with! It was so cute watching her put on the bracelet and pretend to put on lipstick! A few pics here, but the full documentation of the long weekend is on Facebook if you have time to check them out.

We are off to a great Christmas so far and looking forward to more time with family. Grammy's flight was delayed yesterday, but she should be arriving today as long as the weather and airports cooperate.

Also, a big HAPPY 19th BIRTHDAY to Uncle Robert - hope it's a great one!

Lalon update

Well, she has started the walking process and each day she'll go a little further, a little more often. She's also slowly working on standing herself back up without having to pull up on something, so she's making great strides! Her talking is really coming along too. Some things she just uses the same intonation as when I say it, but others are definitely words used appropriately. Seems like over the past month she's just hit a developmental growth spurt - which is great!

Here are some of her latest words; I know there are more that I'm forgetting at the moment:

• Mama
• cat
• uh-oh
• thank you
• all done
• Da-da (daddy)
• hi
• bye
• go (if you say 1, 2, 3 - then she'll say go!)
• okay
• keys

Fun visit

Our friend Stacy (that lived across the street from us until last Spring) came down for a visit with Luke and Max (who is now 5 months old) this week. On Monday we had an "old school" play date - back in the day (a little over a year ago) it was just 4 boys and 4 moms... we've grown over the past year! And in a just a few months we'll have two more babies - wow! The moms met for brunch yesterday morning and got to catch up without all the kids in tow (just Lalon and Max attended).

It was a fun visit and really cute to see all the kids together again.

Lunch time!

Trying to get a picture of everyone - Naylor was not interested!

Lalon, Naylor, Hayden, Noah, Luke and Max

Lalon, Hayden, Noah, Luke and Max - Naylor had better things to do than get his picture taken!

Walking Lalon!

# 3 update - in our 3rd trimester!

It's been a while since I've mentioned # 3 and since he/she is kicking up a storm right now and not letting me sleep, I figured it's as good of a time as any to give another report.

Last Monday I went to the doctor for another monthly check along with my glucose screening. I haven't received a call from the dr, so no news is good news on the glucose front! Which is awesome because I didn't "pass" the first time with Lalon and had to do it again and thought I would die from the double dose of pure sugar they make you drink!

Also, since I haven't gained any weight to date (lost 4 lbs originally in early, early stages), but have maintained since then - they were really on me to gain some pounds... Luckily (or not?!?) this appointment was the Monday after Thanksgiving and fret not - I had done my due diligence in eating as much pie as possible to pass my homework assignment! Drum roll please.... I officially have now gained 2 lbs - Dr. Mong was pleased. (I gained 32 lbs with Naylor; 16 with Lalon).

Baby # 3 is still measuring right on track and doing everything it should be such as growing, stretching and kicking / hitting me, along with making sure to practice his / her jumping on my bladder.

Tonight I was looking at my list of things to do to prepare for our Christmas visitors as well as things around the house to wrap up prior to # 3 arriving and almost had a mini stroke. I'm now 28 weeks along, which means we're in the 3rd trimester (and starting to feel like it a bit too). I don't feel badly, just everything is a little more labored due to the belly - like bending over and such. The mini stroke occurred once I realized that if this baby is like it's big sister Lalon, we could have a newborn in our house within about 6 weeks - 6 WEEKS!?!?!?! I can't think about that right now, however, I did make a note on my to-do list to start packing the hospital bag and fill out my pre-registration papers for my next dr visit on the 30th.

Another observation, this just began this week... if you go by the old wives tale of heartburn = a head full of hair, as of today, I'd put this baby as having more than Naylor, but less than Lalon. Heartburn just kicked in this week, so Tums are my new best friend, but seriously, if that's the worst thing I have going throughout this whole pregnancy; I'd say I'm more than lucky!

My goal is to keep this little girl / guy in until 37 weeks... everyone cross your fingers and say an extra prayer that we can make it that long! (Lalon was born at 35; Naylor at 36 - full term is 40).

Outing to Marbles

So, I am totally stealing this entry from Meghan's blog, but she had already done the leg work, so what the heck... Thanks Meghan! :)

Since it’s been so cold here lately, our playgroup thought that we’d take the kids to the Children’s Museum for the morning. It was a nice little outing and a great way to keep the kids (and moms:) active.

Noah, Naylor, Lalon and Hayden