November 2011

 November has been a roller coaster for our family. We have enjoyed some of the greatest moments with the kids, but on the other hand it has been probably the hardest month as being parents so far. Brock has been colicky, and cries all the time unless he is being held. Bryce and Isaac are learning more and more everyday. That includes good and bad things. Bryce is developing his own little personality and it's amazing to see how much he picks up for the people he is surround by. He can be sweet as pie and then other times he is very short tempered and has one naughty mouth on him. Bryan and I have realized this is just "another stage", but it has been exhausting for us. We are "trying" to teach him how to be nice and well mannered, but boy oh boy it's not easy. Then the icing on the cake is Isaac is like a patriot...everything Bryce does Isaac is right there with him doing it right back. Bryce and Isaac LOVE to fight with each other. Tons of punches and kicks are thrown over every little thing. Everything is mine, mine, mine, was mine, should be mine, looks like mine, I want it! We will get through this just like we have with everything else. God only gives us as much as we can handle...right? 

Brock is now 3 months old and he is doing better, but still sipping up a bit. He can now roll over from side to side when he is on his tummy. He loves to be held, and loves to smile. Very sensitive to loud noises (including the boys screaming and crying). You might need to invest in some ear plugs if you wish to ride with us in our car. Brock does not like being in the car, he cries 99.9% of the time when he is in the car. That .1% of the time when he is not crying one of the other boys is making a fuss about something. That is when I just thank God that my kids are well and healthy enough to cry and make so much noise. 

Isaac and Bryce are growing to love Brock more and more, Bryce is always asking where he is and what he is doing. Isaac's favorite question to ask about Brock is "are his eyes open" and "can I hold him". 

Some of Brock's smiles

Bryan is always on me to find a pass time, and boy oh boy I'm sure he is wishing I wouldn't of found this pass time. Pinterest is a new online pin board, where everyone can post all their creative ideas...recipes, crafts, decor, clothes...the list goes on and on. I have fell in LOVE. I have been so crafty and creative late, amazing at some ideas of other people. I finally finished pj's that I started a year ago, gifts for Bryce's teachers, wreaths for Christmas, and T-shirts for the boys. You should check the website out if you are looking for something creative and can find it http://pinterest.com/

Thanksgiving Dinner 2011

Our Thanksgiving dinner was small and peaceful. We decided to stay home and enjoy the day with our polish friends Kasia, Tomek, Kinga, and Fhilip. I cooked a full spread, everything was dairy free and tasted yummy...even my dairy free pumpkin pie that mom thought looked dried out! It was moist and yummy along with the cherry pie! Our feast included turkey, dressing, gravy, potatoes, green beans, homemade rolls, and cranberry sauces. 

November 30, 2011 is a day I will never forget. My Grandpa Higgs went to be with the Lord. I'm so thankful that I was able to make a trip out to Texas 2 weeks before he passed. I'm so thankful for my family who made it possible for me to make that trip! I was planning on driving out had everything packed and ready to go, and received a phone call from Lori asking if I wanted to fly out with just Brock and she would take off work and stay with the kids. Best thing that could of happened! I was not looking forward to driving 21 hours with three boys, but I knew I needed to go and visit my grandpa. I will remember my visit forever, grandpa had just been placed on morphine a few days before I got there and he was feeling good. He was talking all kinds of funny things, but he did remember me being there and the best thing of all he got to meet his 5th great grandchild...Brock.  Grandma and I had some good long visits with each other while grandpa slept in the other room, he was peaceful just knowing I was there with him even if he could not visit a whole lot. 

This picture was taken in Oct of 2008.

With every visit to Texas or to Mesa I always try to capture as many pictures as I can with the kids and their Great Grandparents. The older we get the more and more we realize how lucky we are for our kids to have great grandparents. Below is some pictures of Brock meeting some of his great grandma's for the first time. 

Collin meets Brock and Loves him so much! 

Brock meets Paw-paw Higgs for the first time. Wish they would visit Arizona so we could get more pictures and bonding with their grand-kids. These are precious moments that will not last forever. 

These are some cute pictures captured while Brock wasn't crying...LOL

 Bath time one of his favorite times

Discovering his feet

Sleeping doesn't get better than that! 

 This is a picture of Brock's eye...he had been crying so much in the car he broke a blood vessel in his eye. 

 Brock is ready for the cold weather.

 We are so excited to have cousins closer to us. Brian and Cara (Bryan's cousins) moved to Anthem which is about 40 minutes away from us right now. It has been great to have Bryce and Benjamin together playing. Although Bryce is a little too rough on Benjamin, but I'm hoping that gets better soon. 

 Bryce, Isaac and Benjamin playing at the Anthem park. 

Isaac is playing with daddy's new toy! This was Bryan graduation present to himself. 

AR-15

Bryce and Isaac have been helping with packing Bryce's lunch for school. This is the lunch that Isaac packed for himself one day. Thought it was pretty cute, he zipped it up and had it on his arm saying "mommy I'm ready to go". 

 Bryce had his first test at school. He had 15 organs he had to memorize in one week. Not to scabby considering he just had to memorize these organs without any association to the body. Bryan and I were reviewing his organs with him on a daily basis to prepare him for his test, and one night after we put the boys to bed Bryce came in our room and told me that his gall-bladder was hurting along with his esophagus and he needed a snack. I could not stop laughing, he was a little confused as to why I was laughing at him, because he was being VERY serious about this. Another cute one for ya...I asked him to tell me more organs and he says "mommy what else is there? I already said them all...New Jersey, and New York are not organs". I was like what you know your states too. He never fails to amaze me with how much he has learn at school. He asked me to go over his colors with him in Spanish, I had him call his Papi for that one.  

Until next time take care.

Love, Bryan, Alicia, Bryce, Isaac Brock

October 2011

Where did October go? 

I find it hard to believe that we are already in November and our temps are still high 90's. 

The older the boys get the faster our days and nights go by. Brock is 2 months old now, and we are still learning so much about this little guy. We have learned that he has a milk-protein allergy. His body is not able to break down cow's milk. So that has left me not eating any dairy products. Surprisingly it's not as hard as I thought it would be. The hardest part is not being able to eat sweets. 

 Picture of Brock before I stopped eating dairy products.

 

Brock's one month and two month pictures.

We kicked off the month of October with Misty's wedding. The boys had the honor of being in her wedding. It was a chore trying to get the boys to wear their "fancy" clothes. Grandma and Grandpa promised them cool shirts, and monster trucks. Thank goodness when it came down to the day they were so happy to put on their "fancy" clothes. It was so cute to hear the boys talk about the wedding and Misty being married. 

 Generations 

 Our growing family! 

 My Love

Daddy and mini me

Bryce was loving being all dressed up in his fancy clothes. 

 Handsome Boys

 Yes, I had to do it...I dressed all three of them in the same matching pj's. It was what Bryan would call a slickdeal...3.98 clearance rack at Target. Brock's wasn't too happy about getting his picture made right before bed, but the cuteness of all three of them was worth a photo.

Brother's

 Bryce's school schedule changed to Monday Wednesday Friday from 9-3. With this change in Bryce's school schedule it has given Ike and I more time to go and do stuff. We have been making many trips to the park (photo shoot above), gymnastics, and lunch playdates. This change has been a wonderful change for all of us, Isaac and Brock are not in the car all morning long, which makes for better moods and better naps, Bryce enjoys eating lunch and taking naps with his friends at school. 

 This is our world right here in this photo. The bigger brother's are so good to little Brock. They are always asking to hold him, and trying to sooth him when he is crying and upset. I'm so glad the Lord blessed us with these three boys! 

Halloween...

 This was our first Halloween festivity was at MacDonald Ranch in Scottsdale. Bryce and Isaac got to experience their first horse ride. Both boys loved it and talked about the horse all day.

 

Carving our first pumpkin for 2011

Last year we made a record of carving 8 pumpkins...well lets just say our life is a little busier this year. We only carved 2 pumpkins this year. The boys pumpkin was a Thomas the Train, and Brock's pumpkin was a pumpkin he could sit in. 

 Halloween night

This was our first year of trick or treating, the excitement of the boys make our hearts melt. We went to about 5 houses and trick or treat'd and then headed home and handed out candy of our own. Bryce was so funny, we were explaining to him that only houses with the lights on wanted trick or treaters. He was standing at our front door yelling out the door saying "Our lights are on, we want trick or treaters". Every person that came up to the door for candy Bryce was step back and try to figure out what they dressed up as. The scary ones he was sure to tell them..."you look scary". The mind of a 3 year old is the best!  

Isaac painting his pumpkin at our 2nd annual pumpkin carving party. 

~

Funnies for the month of October

Isaac loves to wear deodorant, flossing his teeth, and wearing everyone else shoes but his own.

Bryce filled a sport bottle up with rubber bark from the play center in the back yard, and told me that it was food for the bees. A little bit later he came back inside and asked me for the bee to come and eat his bee food. Later in the night he said "well mommy I guess they aren't going to come until I go to bed". So stinking cute! 

Love these boys!!!

September 2011

We have spent the month of September creating a new normal for our family. It has been an adjustment for all 5 of us, but we wouldn't change it for the world! 

Brock is now a month old, and growing like a weed! At his 2 week checkup he was 9.5lbs and 22 inches long. He looks a lot like Bryce and Ike both, still hard to tell what color eyes he will have, but he has Ike's dark hair. While he is busy growing mommy and daddy are still trying to figure out his preference in life. One thing that has been hard for Bryan and I is he doesn't like a binki. This is totally new to us, both Bryce and Isaac LOVED their binki and pretty much took it with no problem from day one. We are exploring and trying every way we can think of to sooth Brock. He loves to be swaddled, and held. He has been pretty cranky, gassy, and fussy these last few weeks, after a serve breakout on his face I started doing some research online and we think he might be allergic to the dairy in my breast milk. So, today was day one of not eating dairy. Brock seemed to have a good day today, but I'm not sure if it was the non-dairy diet or if it was just a good day. We shall see what happens, but at this point Bryan and I are willing to do anything to have a happy healthy breastfed baby! 

On a healthy note: Bryce and Isaac had their 2 and 3 year checkup this past week at the doctor. Both very healthy...Bryce was 39 lbs and 40 inches tall, Isaac was 29 lbs and 36 inches tall. 

Speaking of 2 year...Isaac turned TWO on the 24th! He has been watching me plan for his Woody birthday party for the last month so needless to say he was SUPER excited about his birthday! He invited all his friends over and they enjoyed the day outside playing in the water slide bounce house. The week of his birthday he received a birthday card in the mail almost everyday. He was always happy to get mail and ask if was for his birthday. 

Rough day for Ike and I both...

This is a picture of Isaac after him and I both gave in to the 3.5 hour fight we had about taking a nap. He thought he didn't need a nap and didn't need to stay in his bed. For 3.5 hours he cried and I lost my mind by disciplining him putting him back in his bed. Finally I gave in and let him sit on the couch and he gave in and fell asleep within 5 minutes on being on the couch.  

It's a whole new ball game giving three a bath and getting dressed for bed. Bryan was busy working on his car and was unable to help with baths...so I had to find some where to sit Brock while I pulled Bryce and Isaac out of the bath. Brock loved his new hangout place...until he pooped all in the towel that is. ;)

 Mission complete! 

Off for bedtime stories. This is one of the boys favorite time of day. They love picking out books and reading them in their beds before bed. We read books all day long, but there is something special about bedtime stories.

It's been hard keeping Bryce and Isaac off of baby Brock. They both beg me on a daily basis to hold Brock. It's a wonderful thing that they love him so much, but they really don't understand he is so little and they can't man handle him like they do each other. So everyday we take turns holding baby Brock and loving on him. Bryce always tends to rub his head (like he does Chloe) and Ike's favorite thing to do while holding him is to kiss his feet. I'm so thankful that they show so much love to Brock, and beg to play with him. One day he will be right there with Bryce and Isaac! 

 FINALLY, the weather is starting to get nice in the mornings. We take advantage of the weather in the mornings before school and play outside. This is a picture of Isaac and Bryce going to the store to get pancakes and milk. 

Boy oh Boy did daddy take on a project...For anyone who knows Bryan he is ALWAYS willing to take on a challenge. His car need 60,000 mile maintenance (water pump, timing belt, spark plugs, serpentine belt and a few other things). I had promised Bryan that I would take the boys to Mesa with me on a Saturday so he could have all day to work on his car without the boys being under his feet. Not knowing this challenge was going to take as long as it did, Bryan was short on time. Sunday was Ike's party so he didn't have much time to work on it then, and he was getting late into the night on Sunday and I just told him don't worry about it I'll take you to work on Monday and you can finish up on Monday night. Monday ended up turning into Wednesday when he took the day off work to finish working on his car. He took Monday night, Tuesday night and all day on Wednesday, but the project was complete with out error! The pictures below might you give you a better idea of why it took him so long...his little helper would NOT stay inside with mommy for anything.   

Daddy and Brock

Bryce taking a nap on Grandpa McGee.

 Isaac made a tunnel for his trucks

 I call him my itty bitty...he is so tiny, for now at least.

Saturday nigh movie at the ballpark. 

Bryce is ready for school! 

Today marked the 2 month mark for Bryce being in school We had a parent teacher conference today, his teacher had nothing but good things to say about him and his progress! That made mommy and daddy very happy to hear, and makes us feel like our money is being well spent! 

I'll leave you with some funny's that Bryce said this past month...

~Brock was crying on the way home one night and Bryce asked..."daddy does Brock miss his family?" Bryan: "we are Brock's family, you, Isaac, mommy, and me" Bryce: "no daddy Brock's family inside mommies tummy!"

~Bath time and Isaac was in the bath before Bryce, and Bryce got ready to get in the bath and he noticed Isaac had pooped in the bath tub. So, Bryan and I are cleaning it out along with all their toys and Bryce says..."well mommy I guess we just need to get a new bath tub, because this one is yucky." Makes you stop and think about the day and age our kids are growing up in. Everything is will can just "go and buy" and new one. 

Being looking for some really cute pictures next month...Halloween, and the boys have the honor of being in Aunt Misty's wedding.