Christmas Tree!

We really wanted to cut our own Christmas tree this year...so we did!! We actually got it a couple of weeks ago (the beginning of Dec.) and it's a funny story! We didn't find any trees at the first stop so we drove around and found another tree farm and set out hiking around to find the perfect tree! Well, they were pretty picked over and we were deciding to just buy one already cut. Then we found one that looked pretty good. It needed to be cut about 1/4 of the way up the tree because it was so big but we got it down! It was so big and heavy that Andrew almost killed himself dragging it through the snow! When we were checking out they said it was going to be $50 (which is a lot for a tree up here and surprised us b/c we saw that the trees were all $28 at the most) but that's b/c we picked the most expensive one that was charged per foot. So we made it home and realized we had to cut about another 2-3 feet off (remember we payed for those feet!!!) Well, we got it set up and as we were decorating we realized it wasn't a very nice tree at all!! It's very scragly and thin at the top! We tried trimming and shaping it and did the best we could. We were really upset that night because we could have bought a perfect really nice tree for a lot less but really wanted to cut it (even though the selection wasn't good!). We are laughing about it now though. I guess this is just our "Charlie Brown" year!!!

Changes!

Well there have been lots of changes in the last few days in the Tomlinson household. For starters Gavin had his first real big open mouth smile Sunday morning. He had given little ones a couple of time before but there was no mistaking this one!! He was looking right at me and had a huge smile! He did it a few other times too (hurray daddy got to see cause he was home!). I sort of got a picture of it (it's really blurry and bright because I was so close and did it so fast) but I had to post it because it was the first morning he did it!! After smiles he also gave us a couple of on purpose "coos"!! Again, looking right at us! It was so cool to see him starting to communicate! Now we just watch all day (and night!) long for more smiles!!




The other big news is that it's really winter here!! We've had tons of snow the last few days! Sunday we woke up to everything being covered and we still didn't have a shovel! As you'll see Andrew found a way! He used a piece of ply wood to shove it off the driveway (he actually still uses it some instead of the shovel). Last night Andrew could barely make it home from work because it was a blizzard. He said at times he couldn't see past his hood and could hardly even see that. Everything is closed today and it's still coming down!!! I'm loving it because I can just sit cozy with Gavin and watch it from inside!! Hopefully we'll get to have a white Christmas!!!
Part of our backyard Ahhh!! Our driveway!!

Andrew's handy dandy "shovel"!!

The view from our bedroom Sunday morning!! What a surprise!!

Thanksgiving Day

Mommy's "Punkin"



Being the Thanksgiving pumpkin is so tiring!


Cousins! (Alayna, Gavin, & Nina)

We are so blessed!!

Well, it's almost been three weeks now since our little Gavin came to us. Andrew and I have been having so much fun being parents. It's completed us even further.

I'm so thankful to have such a good baby!! Even our moms (who have 20 children between the two of them) are amazed at how good he is (and they've seen it all!). He sleeps all of the time. When he has his couple hours a day that he's not sleeping, he's totally content and just looks around. He eats for only about 5 minutes at a time so that goes quick and easy now. We had actually gone back to the doctor a week after his first appointment to make sure he wasn't still loosing weight because of not eating long, but he gained 18 ounces in that week!! That's almost 2 1/2 ounces each day! That blows the 1 ounce the doctor said he should gain a day out of the water! He never got jaundice either, his color has always been great. I realize as I'm writing this
that I probably just sound like another bragging mother!! But it's that I'm so grateful is why I share this. I think the Lord knew I needed him to be like this so I could take the time to recover (it's been going slow and still not there yet).

We really miss our friends in Jacksonville and are heartbroken that you guys have not seen him yet. I cry a lot thinking about it(right now for example). Please know that we love you all and think about you all of the time. It may be a little longer than we had hoped before we can come down because o Andrew's work, but we will be there the minute we can!

On the flip side, it's been awesome to be by family with the baby. It would be even more heartbreaking if our parents had just come down for a week after he was born and had to leave and not see him again for a couple of months (if we were still in Jacksonville). It's been a joy for all of our siblings to be so involved as well. We are so happy that everyone can share in this with us and be a part of his life.

Well, I guess that about does it for my thoughts today. So glad you took time to read this and look at the pictures!!!



First time going to church
(we went to Andrew's parents so they could show off Gavin)


Watching the Cowboys game with dad!



Mama & Gavin!

Chilin' in his swing

First Snow!!

We woke up this morning to the first dusting of snow!





Aunt bubby


Ready to play outside (the last nice day before snow!)


First time really being outside (with grandpa)


Getting chubby!!!


More naps!!! That's the thing to do around here!!!


Naps with grandpa (and tinky!)


Bundled up to go to the doctor



Piggies!!

Bundled up to go to the doctor

More Pictures!!

Thanks all our Jacksonville friends for the diapers!!


Firefighter Jammies


He always sleeps with his hands on his face!


Night-Night!


He's SOOO stinkin' cute!!!


Bible Stories with Daddy!


Family Kisses!!




Daddy time!