What do Wyatt's first steps, first haircut and first tooth all have in common?? Well, they all happened in one 24-hour period, that's what!! We're packing it in here before 2016 I guess! He took his first steps last night, he woke up today with a bottom right, front tooth having broken the surface, and the boys all got haircuts this afternoon. We actually didn't even realize how much fuzz he had in the back, we were so focused on how much he had down the middle on the top! But he let Jan buzz that down in the back a little after we trimmed the mohawk. He even let her vacuum up the excess hair at the end. He was pretty apprehensive, and there were a few tears, but he was easily consoled.
I knew I wanted to take a before and after picture of Wyatt, so I figured I might as well get some for Clayton and Reese too! We sure have three handsome boys. We even got a couple of compliments on our nice looking bunch at Walmart afterwards! Ha!
I love this before picture of Reese; you can actually see the mischief behind his eyes!
Wyatt decided this evening that he was mad that he couldn't walk. So Daddy and I worked on it with him and he finally is getting the hang of it! It was so close to bed time, so he was getting a little tired, but I have a feeling we'll be practicing a lot more tomorrow!!
Here he was just this past Saturday morning (2 days ago)! We were trying to work with him, but he just wasn't interested. . .
So finally tonight he took off between Mommy and Daddy. I'm really sorry about my high pitched voice, I didn't realize I sounded like that when I was so excited (and so proud of him)!
On Christmas Eve day, we gathered at Grandma and Papa's house to have soup for lunch and then open presents during the afternoon with the whole family. The main highlight for the boys was their Polar Express train that they really, really wanted. They also got a very cool Tractor with an auger wagon (which actually turns!) and a large semi truck. They got a neat fishing pole game (it works with magnets), and Wyatt got an adorable polar bear which is oh-so-soft that he just loves! And so much more, it was a present opening frenzy!
Here's Wyatt enjoying the Jingle Bells singing Snowman!
At 5:00 pm we met at the 1st Presbyterian Church in Gresham (Great Grandparents' church) for their candle light service. Traditionally, the children of the congregation walk up to the front of the church at the start of the service to place baby Jesus (a doll) in the wooden manger. This year Clayton and Reese were the only kids there that could do it! They did an amazing job, and we are so proud of them! They were also in charge of handing out the candles to all of the adults as they walked in the door, such great helpers!
After church, we gathered at Great Grandma and Grandpa Branz's house for drinks and snacks and family pictures. It was such a happy time to have the cousins play. Wyatt and Quin especially seem to have a special bond, and when we were having them say goodbye at the end of the evening, Wyatt pulled Quin in for a head bonk, and then slobbered on her nose to give her a kiss; it was so sweet!
This video is long, but it's a slideshow (and a few snippets of video) from the whole day!
When we got home, we set out Santa's milk and cookies under the tree, and even a carrot for his reindeer!
I can't believe I forgot to post the boys' "Merry Christmas" message from playing in the snow Christmas Eve morning! So here it is, I hope you had a very Merry Christmas!
What a magical surprise to wake up Christmas Eve morning to find a beautiful blanket of white snow! We really enjoyed playing in it, and it was Wyatt's first time out in the snow. I bundled him up up with slick pants and a size-too-big coat over his footie pajamas so he would stay warm and dry, and let him ride around in the sled and watch the boys help scoop the driveway. He seemed puzzled and confused at first, but by the end of his sled rid he was making some happy noises, and when Clayton stopped (it was hard to pull!) He grunted and leaned forward, as if to say "lets go!" This mommy's heart is so full!
We started off our Christmas break with a fun day at home with Aunt Amy who came to visit us on Monday. It's great to have a fun aunt to play pretend "toy delivery" with you! They fed reindeer and made and delivered toys for a long time!
We also decorated cookies together, and got to spend some time reading and doing puzzles. What a great day!
Some beautiful cookies!
On Wednesday the boys got to make peanut butter star cookies with daddy. And their cousin Knox (Daddy's cousin, Leslie's youngest son) spent the morning with us so he got to help too. Another fun day!!
We took the boys to see Santa today at JK's Pumpkin patch. We did it last year too - I sure hope they continue, it's a fun little tradition!
Reese was pretty apprehensive about the whole thing. I had to sit next to Santa to get him to cooperate with the picture taking. I was also pretty disappointed in Wyatt's lack of reaction to Santa, it didn't even phase him! Clayton though, walked right up and told him all about everything he wants for Christmas: A front loader (a power wheels type one he can drive), a trailer "to haul pipe"(for the power wheels 4-wheeler he has at his Grandma's house), a big dump truck (for the sandbox), and a Polar Express Train set. So not too much! haha. Reese only want's a toy gun, but he has expressed interest in a Polar Express train set too.
Clayton and Reese each made ginger bread houses in preschool this week. Lucky for us, their classes planned to do it on different days! Clayton on Thursday, and Reese on Friday so Daddy was able to go for each of them to help them make their houses. He even took pictures!!!
We let them devour as much of them as their little hearts desired tonight after supper!
Clayton and Reese sang in their Sunday school Christmas program at church last night. They did such a good job signing and doing the actions to Away in a Manger! I was so proud of them! Here is a link to watch the service if you care to! The actual program doesn't start till 20 min. in, so you might want to progress that point. They line up to sing Oh Little Town of Bethlehem at about 27 min. in (they didn't know that one real well, but they stood up there nicely!) and they go up to sing Away in a Manger at about 33 min. Reese and Clayton are in the middle but Clayton is pretty much right behind another kid, but I was back there and I know he did the actions!! They did so great! http://livestream.com/accounts/5804726/events/4587830
Somehow, little Wyatt is 10 months old today! Today, Wyatt is about 18.5 lbs and maybe 28.5 inches long (squirmy little thing is hard to measure!) So he's growing! He is wearing 12 month sized clothes and 18 month size pajamas!
He's starting to show is personality and sense of humor more and more, and gets pretty silly at times. Wyatt loves to give (slobber) kisses to mommy and his brothers and play chase and keep away with Harvey (guess who's doing the keeping away!!)
Wyatt is a busy boy; he crawls, and pulls up and cruises and climbs! He likes to push a walker around, but has no interest in standing alone or walking, not even while holding on to mom or dad's fingers! He just goes limp and tries to sit down. Oh well! It doesn't stop him from getting around though, and he's into everything and even learning the word no! Here he is a couple of weeks ago (11/21) trying to get at Mommy's laptop chords and practicing saying 'no'
Wyatt is mostly eating table food now, he loves spaghetti, green beans, lima beans, carrots, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, toast, eggs, yogurt, the list goes on and on. He even tried some blueberries today! I try to give him at least a little of whatever we are all eating. Also in the past month we've switched over from breastfeeding to all formula. It made this mommy really sad, but he just wasn't wanting to latch and nurse. I don't know if he was just too busy for that, or if I wasn't making enough milk, or what, but he's getting what he needs from a bottle and that's what really matters. He's going all night with out nursing or taking a bottle though, and so that is nice. (Although he does still wake up to jump up and down and holler at us to give him his binky back once or twice, but then he usually goes right back down).
Now that I have all the pictures from Thanksgiving Day, I will share them here :)
Petersen Thanksgiving (on Thursday):
Wyatt love Aunt Amy's soft scarf!
And he loved her silly antics!
Bonk!
Wyatt loved his mashed taters!
After dinner, the boys made Turkey favors out of candy with Grandma! Clayton was really into it!
The Turkey on the left is the picture from the instructions on how to make them. The one on the right was decorated by our very own Clayton!
Being silly with the whipped cream beaters.
Branz Thanksgiving (on Friday):
Quin and Wyatt were sort of getting into trouble together it seems like! I don't know what Ava was doing. . . Clayton and Reese were too busy watching TV (it's after Thanksgiving so Mommy allows Christmas movies, like Rudolph!)
Here they are peeking out the window together
Quin and Wyatt Emptying out Grandma's cupboards together
Clayton eating one of his turkey's from the day before
