Alex's First Christmas 2013

 Hi All!

Happy 2014!  We has a really awesome Christmas this year - it was the first year that Ian really understood a lot of what was going on and got very into the whole Christmas season.  It made it a very fun experience. 

Ian showing off his glow sticks

Ian with his new dino backpack

Ian taking a break from making cookies to dance

Ian has grown up in so many ways, I'm really proud of him.  He's getting really good at following instructions and rules - even to the point he's put himself in 'time out' because he knows he crossed a line... He's been doing great with Alex too and has really started looking out for him (although his favorite way to do this is to say "no Alex!" when Alex is getting into something he shouldn't).  They have started to play together more and Ian is really starting to understand how he has to play differently with a baby than with a bigger kid or an adult.  I'm sure they are going to be great buddies when they get bigger.  As Ian says "when baby gets bigger he will walk and talk and and play like Ian!".

Ian and Alex being goofy

Ian and Alex having lunch

Ian and Alex in their jammies

Ian is now starting to use complete sentences and to sing.  He does a great version of Jingle Bells that was a hit as our Christmas eve party ("Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Hay!").  He's also starting to enjoy more structured activities like crafts, baking, puzzles, hide and seek and pretend - and is just a super fun kid to play with!

Alex waving

Alex bundles for the cold

Alex falling asleep while eating

Alex continues to be a little adventurer - trying to boldly seek out all the things that he has never played with (ie put in his mouth) before!  He has now succeeded in crawling completely up the stairs to our second story (with supervision thankfully) and is pulling up to stand on everything that he can reach.  He has even started cruising a bit and will transfer from one support to another readily.  Unfortunately he's not completely steady with his standing yet and hasn't really learned to fall well from standing position - he just kinda falls to the side - often bonking himself pretty good when he lands.   While he can now get up onto his hands and knees - he still prefers to belly crawl everywhere - he's gotten so proficient at it I'm wondering if he is going to skip the hands-and-knees stage completely and just skip to walking!  He's also started to "talk" in syllables - with his favorite being "Da Da Da Da Da" - which Ian and I try to imitate to his great delight!

Alex eating

Hmm - I take a lot of Alex eating pics... must be because he'll stay in one spot!

To start off our holiday season this year - we took a trip to Auburn to see Great Grandma and other Suertin relatives.  We had a great weekend with lots of yummy food and wonderful company.

Ian and Alex with Hayley and Brooke

Ian riding the carousel at Carousel Mall

Matthew at Great Grandma's

Alex meeting Great Grandma

We put up our tree exceptionally early this year - pretty much the day of the first snow fall in November - but it gave us lots of time to enjoy it!

Ian adding decorations to the Christmas Tree

Ian and Alex admiring the lights

Auntie Jenn heard of an amazing event that happens every Novermber called Dinovember - in which toy dinosaurs come to life at night and can be found in all sorts of funny poses in the morning.  Our dinosaurs started a little late in the game with only a few days of Dinovember this year - but Ian sure loved coming downstairs to see his dinosaurs doing all sorts of crazy things on the breakfast table.  I think our dinosaurs will put in a repeat performance next year!

Dinos with cars

 

Dinos eating cookies

Dinos playing ball

Dinos eating cheerios

Dinos doing a puzzle

Dinos colouring

Dinos reading dino books

Dinos playing blocks

Dinos playing with chain monkeys

Dinos playing hide-and-seek

Dinos playing puppets

Dinos playing cards

Dinos having a crazy party

We brought the boys to see the lights at Victoria Park again this year - although we picked a pretty cold night to do it.  The kids really didn't seem to mind the cold too much - they were too busy looking at all the cool sights to see!

Daddy, Ian and Alex in the park

Daddy (who borrowed Alex's 3rd hat) and Ian

Ian riding the reindeer

Alex looking at the reindeer

Nanny and Ian

Ian driving Santa's sleigh

Alex riding the reindeer

The week before Christmas we took an awesome trip with Uncle Gary, Auntie Tif and Matthew to Great Wolf Lodge.  All three boys had an awesome time (as did their parents).  Alex crawled around and splashed in the pools and loved the jets that shot out water.  Ian's favorite activity was watching Matthew go down the toddler slides - but he also liked the wave pool and playing water ball.  Ian and Matthew also got magic wands that let them roam around the resort making all sorts of cool things happen and completing quests.

Ian at Great Wolf Lodge

Ian and Alex at Great Wolf Lodge

The whole family

We also took the boys back to see Santa again this year.  Alex did pretty good for the first little bit - until he got a real close look at who was holding him - then he started bawling.  Unfortunately this was almost exactly when Ian joined him on Santa's lap - so we didn't get a great shot of them together but did get some nice separate pics (not sure why they won't display properly though).

Ian in line to see Santa

Alex in line to see Santa

Daddy and Alex

Alex with Santa

Ian with Santa

Christmas was an absolute blast this year - Ian was so excited and mostly understood what was happening.  It was so cute to watch!  Although Alex was still a little young to appreciate the whole thing - he loved trying to eat all the wrapping paper and really loved spending time in all his relative's arms!

Ian showing off his Christmas suit

Ho Ho Ho!

I'm Santa!

Ian and Alex in their Christmas outfits

Ian hanging his stocking

Alex hanging his stocking

Ian helping Alex open his Christmas Eve present

Alex and Auntie Laura

Alex in his Christmas Jammies

Ian and Alex in their Christmas Jammies

Alex and Grandnan

We hosted a New Year's Eve celebration again this year - with an early midnight for the boys.  Ian and Matthew loved the countdown, shouting Happy New Year and "cheers!"ing so much - we did it three times in a row! 

Happy New Year!

Cheers!

Happy 2104 Everyone!

Alex checking out the Fridge

Mommy taking pictures instead of telling him no...

I'm going to try to get one more post in before I'm back to work (coming up so soon!) but mostly I'm going to try to cherish and enjoy my last few weeks home with my boys!


Lots of Love,
Amanda