Visitng Santa

Santa and the boys

Jaxson and Dylan at the play place

Playing a wall puzzle

I took the kids to visit Santa at the mall, so Dylan could tell him what he wanted for Christmas and so I could get a cute picture. Luckily I got a picture where Jaxson wasn't crying. He was scared of Santa and was crying pretty much the whole time he was on Santa's lap except for this picture. Dylan told Santa he wanted three things.

1. A really awesome race track
2. An airplane
3. A yo-yo

After visiting Santa I took the kids to the play area so they could run around a bit. I think this was Jaxson's first time being in the mall play area and being old enough to actually play. They both had fun. When we were leaving Dylan said we had to look for the reindeer since I told him they were waiting for Santa on the roof. Luckily he let us drive off without searching the whole perimeter of the mall's roof for reindeer. I explained that the mall is too big and we can't see where they might be. I don't know if that will fly next year!

Ugly sweater/ornament exchange party

Group Picture

Our festive hostess Emily

Me and my "ugly" ornament

So every year my friend Emily puts on a ugly sweater Christmas party and ornament exchange. The ornaments were supposed to be ones nobody would want but I think I got lucky with the one I ended up with. It was a fun night but I wish I came with a tackier sweater! Next year I am going to go all out like a couple people did at this party. It was a really fun night. hanging out and eating good food. There are some really funny pictures that I did not get on my camera and I am too lazy to get them from my friends so this is just a quick recap of that night.

Gingerbread Ornaments

Dylan decorating his gingerbread man

The kiddos

My friend Rebecca called us over one night to have the kids decorate ginger bread men to hang on the tree. Dylan had a lot of fun decorating and was excited to hang them on the tree. The kids all ended up shirtless so we could keep their clothes paint free. It was a good thing too, because Dylan had paint all over his arms and chest!

Another special birthday!

Jaxson Drew Coles was born December 20th 2007 in Omaha Nebraska

I can't believe my baby turned one today. I don't have a really dramatic birth story for him but I will do a recap anyways. I was scheduled for a cesarean a week before he was due. I was supposed to be the first cesarean of the day which meant we had to be there very early. Five something in the morning if I remember correctly. Our friends Marshall and Dana had Dylan spend the night over at their house the night before so we wouldn't have to wake Dylan up when we needed to leave. Well my delivery ended up being pushed back to nine in the morning so we did a lot of waiting. When Jaxson was finally delivered he weighed in at 8 lb 1 oz and was perfect in every way. I noticed those days in the hospital that he was going to be a clingy baby, since he preferred to sleep being held and would cry when he was laid down to be taken to the nursery. Let me tell you, my theory has proved true! We were lucky to escape colic or much fussiness, but he had his days and nights mixed up for the first two or three weeks which was nearly the end of me. I remember we celebrated my birthday shortly after he was born, and my birthday wish was that he would get his sleeping schedule corrected!

Well somehow I have managed to recover from surgery, sleepless nights, mastitis, recurrent blocked milk ducts, and I can say we survived the first year. The first year of having a baby is brutal. For those who say it is easy, well... I don't believe you. I felt this way after Dylan too. I have a hard time functioning without sleep and early mornings are the worst. Luckily now Jaxson sleeps through the night and rarely wakes up before seven. (yes seven is still too early but I can manage!)

Despite it all Jaxson has been a good baby. It doesn't take much to make him smile and he is very content when he is having things go his way. Which means Nick or I are holding him or at least with him at all times. When we are out and about he is always content and mellow. He loves his brother Dylan and tries to play with him all the time. Some of his other favorite things are pacifires, a blanket grandma made for him, a stuffed animal monkey, and he is already a sweet tooth. Even if he has NO TEETH! That's ok cause I love his gummy smile :) He is doing really well with cruisng along furniture, but he isn't walking unassisted just yet. I can't believe how much he has changed and grown in one year. I added a slide show below to see the difference a year makes!

Happy Birthday Jaxson we love you!!!

Jaxson's first year

27 years ago today...

Nicholas John Coles was born in Price, Utah December 19th 1981

27 things about Nick

1. Nick is very farsighted. He got glasses as a toddler, and they were those huge and thick old school type. Wish I had pictures to post!
   
2. When he was 14 he was rock climbing for a cub scouts trip, and a huge rock fell on his hand and crushed his fingers. He underwent surgery, which fixed his fingers, but a couple of his fingers on that hand are different than the others.
   
3. He was a smart kid! He was in gifted classes and skipped a grade. He went through school pretty quickly by testing out of classes.
4. He served a 2 year mission for the LDS church in Uruguay.
5. He doesn't have a bachelors degree, but since that was not a requirement for dental school he was accepted and now has the title of D.D.S
6. Nick is one of five children. Only one of his siblings did not pursue dentistry. (oh yeah and his dad is a dentist too!)
   
7. He underwent oral surgery after his first year of dental school, which made him begin to consider the profession seriously. He also had to drink all of his food straight from the blender after the procedure, for six weeks :(
   
8. Nick is a sports fanatic and has loves ESPN.
   
9. Nick is also an xbox fanatic but now oral surgery consumes too much of his time.
10. Nick is the true definition of a night owl and has had a hard time adjusting to the early bird mornings that his residency requires each morning.
11. He gets along with lots of different kinds of people and makes friends easily.
12. He hates the texture of velvet and he can't stand touching it. He says for him it is like nails on a chalkboard.
13. He has had allergies here in Memphis and has coined the nickname Jimmy sniffles by his chief resident.
14. He knows how to play the guitar and piano and can actually sing pretty well. Although you will probably never hear him try to sing well cause he exaggerates the song and gets silly if he has an audience.
15. He is really easy going and is happy to do whatever I want to do, or things that Dylan may want to go do.
16. He is a social butterfly and doesn't enjoy being alone. (his mom always says he had to always have a friend over as a kid.)
17. He is an optimist all the way. Sometimes I wish he would worry more!
18. He always comes home in a good mood and is rarely grouchy. I would say he is just a naturally happy person. I'm not sure how he does it when he spends all day doing what he does which I know is hard.
19. He has a major soft spot for our kids and is very sweet with them.
20. He loves going out to eat and has a weakness for unhealthy food. His favorite food is mexican food.
21. He is a pretty self confidant individual which will hopefully make him a successful oral surgeon.
    
22. He is a good friend and will always help someone out.
23. He is fun to be around and fun to talk to. He was the only guy who I could literally be on the phone for hours with when we were dating.
24. He tries his best to make me happy and looks out for my best interests.
25. He is a little bit of a spender and definitely not cheap which can be good and very bad at the same time.
26. He is really good at putting up with me and my bad moods. He can usually make me smile/laugh when I am trying really hard to be mad at him. It's so annoying!
27. He always makes me feel better when something is bothering me and does the same with other people.
    

WE LOVE YOU NICK! THANKS FOR BEING A GREAT HUSBAND AND DAD!

Our Holiday Dance

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Pause my music playlist at the bottom of my blog to hear the music that accompanies the video.  It just isn't the same without the Christmas Jingle!

Home Renovations

We finally finished our Kitchen! Nick did the nicest thing for me ever! When I was in Utah with the kids he decided to paint the kitchen for me and kept it a surprise until I walked through the door when I got back! I had the paint picked out for a while, and I also had the pear oil painting sitting there waiting to be hung up for the longest time! We had a hard time getting this done since Nick is gone so much and we can't get a job like this done with the kids around. I should have taken a before picture, but basically the paint was just a light cream color and there was nothing on the wall. Nick also replaced the light fixture that was above our kitchen table and put this chandelier in instead. We also bought that kitchen table this summer after we moved here. My friend Angel sells vinyl lettering and designs so she provided the vinyl lettering in chocolate brown which matches perfectly. I kind of stole the idea/location for the lettering from my friend Janel. My friend Emily was at Target and discovered the wooden pear sitting on the table for me. I went and got the last one they had (thanks Emily!) I used flowers from Michael's to put the orange flower arrangement together, and that about covers it. We still have more painting/ decorating to do and I hope we can get those done. Anyways much thanks to my awesome husband for this unexpected surprise!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Since Nick was on call for Thanksgiving, and it was a trauma week (which means he will definitely get called in) I took the kids to Utah for Thanksgiving. Nick really wanted me to go since some of his family hadn't met Jaxson yet, and Dylan likes to see his cousins. We had a a good time and I put on a few pounds from all that great food we had :( Nick's parents rented out a vacation home up in park city since the family has outgrown their home. Everyone felt sorry for Nick since he was the ONLY one who couldn't make it there for Thanksgiving!

We were lucky enough to hang out with some Omaha friends while we were there! My good friend Janel came to visit me with her kids Jantsen and Kambryn. Jantsen is Dylan's age and they were best friends in Omaha. They had a good time hanging out before we drove up to Park City, and then later in the week we all went to the Kangaroo zoo. Basically it is a place full of moon bounces and slides, and it was funny seeing Dylan and Jantsen running around together as if they had never been apart! I am glad I remembered my camera this time so I could get some cute pictures from out trip!

End of the season soccer party

Last Saturday Dylan had his soccer party marking the end of the season. We had Pizza and took some pictures with the team. Dylan was so excited to get a trophy and his certificate of completion. I wish we got him a trophy for when he played soccer last spring, and I guess I still can if I order one! I included a picture of Jaxson since he will hopefully be our next little soccer player. The funniest thing happened when we were driving home after the party. I asked Dylan "What does your trophy say?" He looked at his trophy and very seriously began "reading" and this is what he told us was written on the trophy...

"Dear Dylan,

you won lots and lots of goals, that's why you get a trophy. Next time win lots more goals and you will get another trophy."

Some of the things Dylan comes up with are just hilarious, and it makes me want to start documenting them on my blog so I don't forget. I actually wrote this down after he said it because I knew I would forget what he said if I didn't! We can't wait until spring so he can play soccer again. He loves it!

Happy Halloween!

Me and Emily

Tammy, Emily, me, and Starla

Our family

Dylan going down the moon bounce slides

Jaxson hanging out in his stroller

Nick and Steve

Me and Rebecca

Dylan bowling

Nick and the boys

Dylan with his glow stick

Lexi and Dylan

Little Pirate Tucker

Halloween weekend was crazy for us. Nick's friend Steve who went to dental school with him in Omaha flew out here and stayed with us for a couple days. He had an interview here in Memphis for a pediatric dentistry residency. We wish him the best of luck with the rest of his interviews! The day of Halloween Dylan went to preschool and had a great time with their Halloween festivities. After that my friend Emily was having a little bash at her house before the evening started. Nick was still stuck at his residency so Steve was my date ;) After that everyone headed to this huge baptist church that has a Halloween carnival every year. It was crazy!!! They had tons of moon bounces, rides, and were giving out candy to the kids. Best of all it was all free if you can believe that! I dressed up as a pirate and when Nick showed up he was still in his scrubs, so I guess you can say he went as himself, a resident!!! After the carnival we headed back to do some trick or treating. Emily's neighborhood had some trick or treaters still out so we took Dylan there. He was spider man of course. Jaxson was supposed to be a little devil but it was late and chilly so we kind of just didn't bother putting his costume on. It was such a fun night and I have to thank Emily for opening up her house to everyone. By the way in the top picture with me and Emily posing, we caught some perverted random guy taking our picture at the same time!!! I am still a little freaked out about that...

Happy Birthday Tami!

Yesterday a few of us went out to lunch for our friend Tami's birthday. It was so much fun going out to lunch with just the girls (no kids!) Our server was awesome and seemed extra excited to pose with us in this picture! We went to a place called On The Border for lunch. It is pretty good and I have been there before since we have it in Maryland. I needed this day out since last night it was our turn to babysit. Did I mention we babysit 7 other kids besides our own once a month, in exchange for 3 dates a month. Did I also mention that all of the 9 kids are under the age of 4??? Are we crazy or what!?! Luckily the kids are all great as well as the parents who we are lucky to have as friends. So that's what we are up to the first weekend each month!

California Trip!!!

We got back from California last week and it was a fun trip. We had a chance to visit my brother and sister in law and Dylan got a chance to hang out with his cousins Quincey and Presley. While we were there we got to visit Lego Land and Disney Land. I didn't get a ton of pictures while we were at Disney Land since the camera ran out of battery. The only down side to our trip was Nick came down with the stomach flu and then gave it to Maren after we left. Sorry about that!!! Dylan and Quincey are the same age and played great together. He misses her already! Thanks for everything Barry and Maren!

Tom's Farm

Me and the kids in the corn maze

All the kids excited to enter the corn maze

Lexi, Jaxson, and Dylan

Posing on pumpkins

Digging through lots of corn

Cheese!

Picnic Lunch

A couple Saturdays ago we went to Tom's farm with some of our friends. I went with the kids since Nick was at the hospital that day. We went right after Dylan's soccer game. There was a really great corn maze, a little pumpkin patch, hay rides ect.. The kids had a blast and I got some good exercise trying to find my way out of the corn maze. Still doesn't compare to Valla's pumpkin patch in Omaha but I think that was our first time going through a corn maze and it was worth the trip!

Football Game

Me and Nick

Matt and Katie

Nick and I went to the Memphis vs Louisville football game. This is the first football game I have been to since high school I think. October has been great here in Memphis so we had perfect weather. We went with Nick's other first year resident Matt and his wife Katie. It was a great night!