A Cow Says MOOOOOOO!!!!

What is living on a farm without some cows? Granted, they aren't our cows, but we still get to enjoy their presence! We also help keep an eye on them for their real owner who keeps them for more of a hobby than a business. Every night we walk down past the cows to the end of the lane to get the mail, and the cows are usually just coming in from pasture to greet us. There are lots of little calves that are just as curious as a little boy. Gavyn will walk right up to a big cow and they will stare at each other for quite some time. Belle also likes to get in on the action, but she likes to act big and tough around the cows. She will get up real close, and as soon as the cow moves she will jump back. She has always been my little chicken :). The cows are so fun to watch and interact with. The calves will walk right up to the fence where Gavyn is and it's almost like they are communicating in some way. 

Next year we will have chickens and possibly a couple outside cats to help manage the mice. I've always wanted to live on a farm...and providing these experiences for my children are priceless!

Gavyn and Belle off to see the cows

Here he comes

Belle being aloof

Look at all the calves!

Getting close

Hey babies!

My girl

This has nothing to do with cows, besides being able to see on in the background. Its just a cute picture. 

In the Country!

The Monticello house update! We are now very well settled in our little house in Monticello. While there is still plenty of work to be done, it is certainly starting to look like a home. We are getting pictures hung and curtains made and breaking in the furniture. We are also starting to make lots of memories!

John couldn't be happier now that the new bridge has opened. He can ride his bike to work and back every day through the forest and over the river. Throw in that he loves his job and I have a very happy husband! He can even join me for lunch some days. Gavyn and I will sometimes drop by his office on our way to take a walk through the gardens. It will be especially handy once the deer hunt starts because all he will have to do is step outside to help a hunter instead of driving 45 minutes on a weekend. I'm looking forward to seeing a lot more of him this fall than I am used to! Good thing too, since I don't think Baby G is going to wait until the hunt is over to make his or her appearance :).

Gavyn is LOVING country living. This kid was made for wide open spaces. He loves wandering the big yard, pushing his little mower around, and going for adventures in the park. He also loves the cows that are on the property next to us. The little calves are curious just like him and will come right up to the fence to check us out! Every night we walk to the end of the lane to get the mail and we get to watch the sunset over the prairie. At night, we hear the coyotes howl and revel in the quiet serenity of the openness around us. The stars are brighter, the air is fresher, and the little boys are dirty...just how they should be!

We still head into the Champaign area certain days for visits with friends or for Gavyn's gymnastics classes. He is getting used to the ride and will actually climb into his car seat when I tell him its time to go to gymnastics. Give him a good book or a tractor and he is very good at entertaining himself.

I am personally enjoying my last months with my little boy before he gets a little brother or sister. We spend a lot of time reading, doing crafts, and having adventures outside. I am starting to think about planting tulip bulbs and structuring the garden. I know I have high hopes for actually having time to manage these kinds of things in the spring but I'm pretty determined! I have lots of help and my motivation is the fresh produce I'll be able to feed my family as well as fresh eggs from our chickens! I think Gavyn will get a big kick out of that!

Here are some updated pictures of the inside of the house. I wish the lighting were better because the house gets so much great light but I couldn't quite capture it...maybe I should try when it isn't raining outside :).

The dresser in Gavyn's room/the nursery.

Baby's side

Gavyn's side

Living room

With curtains open - I still need to get ropes so we can tie them aside

Kitchen

Family room

Kolton's bedroom - this is about as clean as it gets.

Little travels

While I will always complain about not having family nearby, there are certain advantages to having them in different places too, and that is because we get to see and do new things! We went to several places within a few hours of home and had many adventures. 

Before Gavyn and I headed up North, the 4 of us: John, Me, Gavyn, and Kolton, went to Chicago for a couple days. The first day there the boys went to a Cubs game while Gavyn and I went to the Lincoln Park Zoo. Its so nice to do these things on a weekday when you don't have to worry about too big of crowds. 

Watching a seal show

A big Silverback just inches away

This Polar Bear put on quite a show for us!

While there are no elephants at the Lincoln Park Zoo, this is still the animal Gavyn wanted from the gift shop. He now sleeps with him every night!

The next day we headed to the North Avenue beach, which is just a few blocks away from where we were staying. We are very fortunate that my Aunt and Uncle own a condo just a couple blocks off Lake Shore Drive in Old Town. Its a great place to stay! We went early to the beach so we had lots of space to begin with. The boys were a bit hesitant to go in the water but had a blast. I think we left with a good amount of sand in Gavyn's swimming diaper. 

Big Lake!

The boys ready to get in!

My little beach babe

John and Gavyn covered Kolton with sand - sure was fun busting out!

We also got to spend an afternoon with my good friend Vicki and her son Zack. As Zack and Gavyn get older and the age gap gets to be less of an issue, I think they are becoming very good buddies! They had fun playing together and trying to run from their Mommies!

Playing in a field

Yes, water must be played in

Aww

In mid-August we went to Chillicothe to visit John's brother Doug and his family. Their orchard, Tanners, had a peach festival that was a lot of fun, especially since the kids got to play in the playground for free! It was a nice weekend to relax with family. 

Stand by the ruler!

Cousins lining up

This was a big hit, as you can imagine

Playing with Daddy on the pirate ship

Grandma helping Gavyn maneuver the tractor

Feeding goats!

I look forward to more little adventures right around our home base. I've learned that while travelling is fun, it's also important to take advantage of everything that is right where you are. 

Baby Update!

I have so many topics to write about, and I'm sure a lot of you are thinking that you've already seen the pictures on facebook, but I have to blog about our next little family member. This little one seems to be growing fast! I know they say the second one feels bigger faster, and boy they weren't kidding! He or she is very acrobatic and big brother Gavyn gets a big kick out of feeling and watching the movements. I think he does understand that there is indeed a baby in there, but the idea that the baby is going to come OUT is kind of a hard concept to grasp! 

This pregnancy is starting to become a lot different than Gavyn's, and not just because of the size of my belly. With Gavyn, my energy came back around 15 weeks, but this time my energy is still sapped at the end of the day. I have more food aversions, but less heartburn, thank goodness! I seem to be carrying lower and am already getting the nerve pain I got with Gavyn starting at 28 weeks. Everything seems to be about 3 or 4 weeks ahead of Gavyn's pregnancy. 

Here is the latest belly shot at 25 weeks. All the books and online sources say that this week my uterus is the size of a soccer ball. I don't doubt it!

Since Baby G seems to always be moving and kicking, there are plenty of opportunities for Gavyn to feel him or her move. Its very exciting for both of us!

He also seems to think that he can hear the baby. I'm pretty sure he is just hearing my stomach rumbling, but I don't see any harm in letting him think what he wants :). 

Here are some photos from our 20 week ultrasound. No exciting gender reveal, but I have my suspicions!

I think he or she has Daddy's deep-set eyes, and is already so beautiful. 

I love being pregnant. I can't wait to deliver this baby. The whole experience is just so magical and I feel so lucky to be given these opportunities to bring life, love, and growth into our lives. As I write this, Gavyn and John are playing in the living room and Gavyn is just laughing away. Every step in their development and personality is a new favorite time of my life as well. I don't think I'll ever look at my children and my heart won't squeeze with joy. 

Just about 3 more months to go!

Back to Blogging

As a lot of you know, Gavyn and I went on vacation for a few weeks, and after that we were moved into our new house in Monticello with no internet, so it has been a while since I have been able to blog! I am still not able to upload pictures with the type of internet we have, so that will have to wait until I can get to a library with wireless internet. So it may take me a while to get them written, but I love sharing the experiences, joys, and stories of our family. I have a lot of catching up to do, so I think I'll split them all up. 

I'll start with our vacation! 

Here is Gavyn checking out the lake the day after we arrived at Black Duck. I think we spent about 40% of our time on the dock...swimming, playing, and throwing rocks into the water. I can't describe the way it makes me feel to see him enjoying this place that is so special to me. I once stood at the end of this dock and looked out into the water in my diaper. I hope his children can do the same. 

Gavyn wasn't so sure about his floaty devise at first, but after a while he was able to sit back and enjoy being in the water! However, he had much more fun running off the end of the dock and jumping into my waiting arms. The weather and the water was perfect the whole time. 

This isn't something we only do on vacation, but we did a LOT of it this vacation. Gavyn helped me cook, bake, and eat! He is an excellent taste-tester and is very good at dumping things into a bowl or pot :). 

This was Gavyn's favorite rock while we were up there. It was the perfect place to sit with his feet in the water, or to reach down and splash, or to swivel his stick. 

Gavyn turned 18 months while we were in Minnesota. It is odd that now I can stop talking in months and start saying "A year and a half". He has gone through a major growth spurt this past month and while he is still just over 22 pounds, he is over 32" long! He is talking, running, climbing, and being such a little BOY! He loves tractors, trucks, boats and airplanes. He also loves animals - especially elephants. Oh and bugs...and dirt...and all things little boys are made of :)

We did a lot of adventuring this trip. We went for walks, fed chipmunks, and visited neighbors. We picked berries and flowers. Gavyn learned that picking a raspberry is a delicate thing. You have to be gentle, yet still pull hard enough, all while not getting pricked by the thorns. He mastered it. 

As I've mentioned, if you have a problem with little bottoms, you should stop reading my blog. There was lots of beloved naked time on vacation. There is nothing more beautiful to me than this little body. It is so perfect. 

This is how Gavyn spent his mornings - eating cheerios and drinking milk in front of the picture window looking out at the lake. Its the way I prefer to wake up too. 

This little guy was a frequent visitor towards the end of our trip. He was after food, of course, and was very bold! We think it was because he seemed very young. Gavyn really enjoyed seeing him and I'm so glad to have a place where bears come into our front yard. 

The last week of our vacation Nana and Papa and Uncle Tommy came up. Here we are at Vermillion Falls - a beautiful waterfall that ends in a perfect place for a toddler to get wet in pools of water. Naturally, he went back to the car naked :). 

My Mom said she got incredibly intense deja-vu watching this scene. Gavyn was helping uncle Tom build a fire, and stuck a stick into the fire to watch the end light up and then smoke. Uncle Tommy used to do the same thing when he was little. Yes, he is only wearing one shoe. This was his choice. 

He may be interested in the fire, but not so much as to not want to sit and cuddle in Mama's lap. 

After Nana and Papa left, the three of us went to the sandy beach and a boat ride. There is something about this place that makes people of all ages feel care-free. There is nothing like getting down to basics and enjoying the sand between your toes. 

There are far more pictures on facebook, of course. Its always hard to leave a place you are so attached to, but I have comfort in knowing it will be there so long as I live. My children are going to make so many memories there. I think we made a good start!