3rd Christmas Photo Post

``Ìve only got eyes for you``

``Did you see what she`s got you dressed in... Did you see what she`s got YOU dressed in.

Brendan flaked out in the truck during our drive from Ripley to Port Stanley on Christmas Day

Blaze specifically remembers being told when we bought the truck that there would still be lots of room for him, even after more kids. He would like to know what happened.

Arriving in Port Stanley

Christmas Photos Part 2

More Ripley Christmas photos. Check out Heidi`s fabulous red satin and velvet Christmas Eve dress! Thanks Lauren Rose for all the great clothes. Heidi was quite a fashion plate this holiday.

The newly expanded Lock family photo with the twins and with Tara and baby (due in March)

As tradition dictates, all cousins sleep upstairs wherever they can find room on Christmas Eve!

The Anderson cousin gathering is always festive and boisterous!

The tree in Ripley

Christmas Photos

Rob managed to get the internet up and running, so here are some photos! There may be quite a few posts depending on how long the internet stays up!

The twins meet Aunt Ivy (we very nearly named our little girl Heidi Ivy Lock after this wonderful lady)

The twins woke up before everyone else on Christmas morning so we had time for some photos in their Christmas PJs

Brendan opening his Costco Train Set

The Cole Cousins pose for a group Thing 1,2 and 3`s picture

Heidi and Harrison trying not to get lost in the wrapping on Christmas morning

Christmas

Merry Christmas Everyone!

I wish I had more photos to share than just this grainy cell phone pic, but we returned home yesterday from Christmas to find our internet on the fritz.

A wonderful first Christmas for the twins who were spoiled with lots of presents and attention from everyone. To be honest, I don't think I held a baby all Christmas Day, as various family members snuggled them while we helped Brendan with his presents. They seemed to stop teething for most of the time we were away, and were only fussy a handful of times. In the week we were away they learned how to put their own soothers back in, which amazes me. They don't stay helpless for long!

Brendan was extremely cute this year and was overjoyed when Santa did indeed bring him a "Costco Train Set". Christmas as a parent of 3 felt a little like being the ringmaster at a 3 ring circus but all the presents got opened, everyone got thanked (I hope) and nothing got left behind. After a wonderful 3 days in Ripley and our traditional Christmas morning and breakfast at Bob and Gail's,  we hit the road around noon for my parents place in Port Stanley. All 3 kids crashed and had a good nap in the car. As did their mother. We had another whirlwind gift opening and a fantastic turkey dinner. Brendan was in train junkie heaven, as his grand dad had made him wooden freight cars out of his own old model train set. Brendan insisted on sleeping in the main room beside his trains for the next 3 nights. We had 3 more wonderful days with family, with lots of quality time for the cousins to play and lots of hours of board games for the adults. We finally peeled ourselves away Wednesday night so we could prepare for the next adventure!

We leave Saturday morning for our first attempt at at traveling with the twins ; we are going to lake placid for a week with our friends Matt & Melissa, Mike & Angela to celebrate new years. This year marks the 15th year for our NYE tradition with this gang. Wish us luck! We'll be putting up lots of pictures and updates hopefully when we get back after the 8th. Happy new year!

Christmas Eve

Ahhhhh, the children are nestled down all snug in their beds. Phew.

It was a wonderful Christmas Eve day, full of all sorts of traditions, both old and new. We had the second annnual Ripley Greasy Spoon Christmas Eve breakfast this morning and lunch with Aunt Ivy who is 103. I think this lady is my hero. What a firecracker!

Then we tried to relax (and wind Brendan down a little) and prepack for Christmas Day. Truth be told he was excellent all day, especially at both meals out, although he did manage to cover his entire right pant leg and sock in syrup at breakfast. Sadly, with about 20 minutes to go before leaving for church, having at our Christmas Eve dinner at the Armstrong's, Brendan made a last minute run for the naughty list as all the hyperness and hilarity of the season finally broke out. Needles to say, we didn't make it to church.

So now were back at the house, waiting for people to come home from church and start the Christmas Eve board game...

Merry Christmas everyone!

Snow!

It's snowing in Ripley! I don't know who's happier, Brendan or myself!!

Can you give me a hand?

I caught the twins looking at each other for the first time yesterday. Its about time they figured it out! They've been chewing on each others hands so long I'm sure they're convinced they have three hands. Harrison would be shocked to find out the hand in the pink sleeve in this photo isn't his! I can just picture the big revelation ... " It's a  Christmas miracle, mom, I have a twin! "

Almost ready to leave!

Twas the day before leaving for Christmas
And all through the house
Parents scurried around
Like a mad, panicked mouse
Rob packed up the truck
As the cold rain fell down
The twins first Christmas
Instead of white may be brown
Inside Nancy gathered up
Thing after thing
There was nothing it seemed
They did not need to bring
At least Brendan's at school
And not " helping out "
Tonight's his school concert
Where he'll sing, dance and shout
"Its not going to fit"
Yelled rob from the truck
Nancy saw he was right and
Responded ... " good luck "
(Family version here folks)
But a few small adjustments
Made everything right
So safe travels to all
And to all a good night!

With apologies to Clement C Moore

Drooling machine

Wow, that's a lot of drool!

Teething

Yikes. The twins have both started teething this week.  Of all the the things to do at exactly the same time,  they choose this?

They started about a week ago, and there's no sign of teeth actually breaking through yet,  just drool, red cheeks and sad, sad babies.

They really haven't found much relief from their teething toys yet or frozen soothers, but we keep trying. Tylenol seems to work OK, and Heidi is truly happy for as long as you are willing to let her gnaw on your finger.

Its really thrown their nights off, and the blissful 5 hour stretches of sleep they had had now feel like a thing of the distant past..

It could be a very long Christmas ...

Our Christmas Letter

I have never been more tempted to use expletives on this page, which is saying a lot, given our four year old, and my infant sons knack at spitting up all over clean clothes. I just found out this morning that our Christmas cards that I ordered in November are still not printed, let alone shipped to our house. So, new cards have been ordered that we can send out tomorrow, but without the usual Christmas letter printed on the back. In lieu, I offer you... our Christmas letter. Please imagine this is printed on the back of the photo you will receive in 7 to 10 days... Merry, Merry Everything from Rob, Nancy, Brendan, Heidi, Harrison and Blaze Life is Good! It's been a year of big change thanks to the introduction of our twins Heidi and Harrison on August 9th! We were stunned with the news in mid January, so most of our year revolved around getting ready for their arrival (ie. gathering gear, finding room for all the gear, enduring the pregnancy and then waiting, waiting, waiting) and then introducing them to the world. We tried to fit our travelling in early with a trip to visit Bob and Gail in Texas in January and Great Wolf Lodge in Niagara Falls in April. We also squeezed in some lovely weekends at the cottage and our annual fall camping weekend in Algonquin. The other big change in our lives came in September when Brendan started Jr. Kindergarten every other day! He loves school, mainly because there are train tracks right behind the playground. Blaze continues to happily lie on the front step all day. Rob and I are enjoying our year "off" and will have to wait to see what next year brings for work. We have a new family mantra; "Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain". When we're not sleeping, we're dancing! It will be a big Christmas this year being the twins first (I may take a few photos), and Brendan's first year believing in Santa (he's asked for "A Costco train set with track and three trains", and is convinced he hears bells outside at night). We wish everyone a wonderful, memorable Christmas, and a great year to come too! The Locks

New winter sport

What do you do when it's 6 degrees in mid December? Start new traditions, like the first annual Lock family Christmas hike. We made the best of the mild day and headed out to Enterprise for a nice hike along a boardwalk. We even got to see a beaver hard at work amongst the ice. We grabbed hot chocolate afterwards and Harrison made a new friend; just as our drinks arrived "Harrison the not so patient " started wailing. Well, the cafe owner came over, offered to give him his bottle while we enjoyed our drinks and chatted to us. How lovely!

4 month photo

Here is this months photo with paddington bear. 4 months have gone fast!

I thought this dress would be huge on Heidi when I got it out today, but it fits fine. I can't seem to properly conceptualize how big they are. They're growing in leaps and bounds!

Another point of interest - Harrison is wearing Robs Christmas outfit from the year he was born. He fills it out, and Rob was no 6 pound baby!!

Shoot,  I can't seem to rotate this picture. I'll try a different way in another post...

My giant baby!

Harrison is 14 pounds! Goodness! Heidi is no slouch herself at 11 and a half (7 ozs) pounds!

Harrison is rapidly working his way up the growth chart and is at the 50th percentile for length. Not bad for a twin!

Heidi has a huge head. She is very slowly gaining on the growth chart; 5th percentile for weight, but has a 75th percentile head. No wonder she has more trouble holding her head up than her brother!

Big brother Brendan

Brendan just dotes on his siblings.  Here he is trying to take " a nap " with his sister. Too cute. After the photo he began swinging the swing higher from underneath and the whole sweet moment had to be shut down. Too bad.

Harrison is excited to find out just how big he is tomorrow ...

Its finally Christmas time!

Ah, what a totally tinsel day! It really feels like the Christmas season has started. We spent the day decorating our tree, listening to Christmas songs and getting ready for the Lonsdale Women's Institute Christmas party tonight. We even got our first Christmas cards in the mail this morning. Now if it would just stop raining ...

Harrison and Heidi have their 4 month weigh in on Friday. I can't wait. I feel like Heidi hasnt gained anything and Harrison has gained 20 lbs. We'll see!

Brendan is quietly driving trains around a fort made primarily of my double wide nursing pillow. He'll love these pictures in 20 years!

Picture of the tree

Here is Brendan and " the chosen one".

Picking out the perfect tree

We went out as a family to pick the perfect tree. Blaze had to stay in the truck because he would have peed on all of them,  but he did get to come along for the ride. The twins weren't actually very involved either, but they came and had their picture taken, so it counts as an exciting "first "! Brendan on the other hand was given sole responsibility for picking the "perfect tree" and did a great job. We went to a place in town that hangs the trees all up so you can get a good look at them. Brendan walked up and down each aisle and then doubled back to declare a beautiful 6 footer with a hole in the back " the perfect tree". It will look great in our living room!

Attempting lunch out

Robs parents were down for a visit this weekend and looked after all 3 kids while we went to the neighbourhood Christmas party! A brilliant idea ; we had a regift exchange ! We parted ways with a photo frame but came home with a beautiful concrete leaf for the garden.

We attempted lunch out with Bob and Gail and the rest of the zoo. The food was delicious but I'm considering putting my 4 year old up for sale. I'd like to tell myself he's just going through a challenging stage, but I'm pretty sure every new stage is a challenging stage. He's really into asking questions right now. Lots of questions. Especially ones he knows the answer to, ones that don't make sense, or ones he's just asked. His hands down favourite is " what's your favourite colour ". He is not above asking it 2 or 3 times consecutively.  Per person. Oi.  I live in fear of each of these stages happening again in 4 years. Only double. Yikes!

Barely sleeping

Heidi has begun to sleep with her eyes partially open, an exceedingly creepy thing to do. I hope she grows out of this stage quickly!

They're both grabbing at toys now fairly consistently, but in typical fashion they're favorite toys aren't the brightly coloured rings or developmentally stimulating teething rings,  it's their blankets that love mashing into their mouths and sucking on. Huh!  There's no accounting for taste...