Gabe Gabe Gabe...

Remember a few months ago when I was complaining about how my kids were always sick and how we went to the doctor more than anyone should? Well, winter went away. I think it's been over a month since I've seen a runny nose. Let me tell you how nice that is.

Today was normal and not very significant. I watched a friends baby in the morning. My kids took naps then we met friends at the park and played for a little while. (today it was in the mid 80's BEAUTIFUL) I came home started dinner. Drew came home we ate dinner. The kids got baths. (Our tub was full of sand. they had a great time at the park.) The kids went to bed at 7:15. Drew and I played some ladder golf. I won one game I won't say out of how many. In all honesty my game was pretty pathetic tonight. Then Drew and I decided to catch up on some episodes of 24. Right in the middle (about 9:20) we hear Gabe hysterical. Drew went to check on him before he woke up Molly. It's unusual for Gabe to wake up like that. He was wheezing really bad and had a really dry cough. Drew and I were going back and forth on what to do. It's the middle of the night and Gabe's having trouble breathing. I kept going back and forth in my head. Am I overreacting? What if it's nothing? What if I put him back in his bed and he can't breath? Why is Gabe so smiley right now? Why isn't Drew in medical school? Then I thought of a man who we go to church with who is a doctor. After a little hesitation (I don't know him that well and it's getting late) I give him a call. After talking to him a little he says he'll come over. Dr. Ben comes over and after looking over Gabe he tells us that Gabe has croup. Coincidentally Ben works at the same doctors office that we go to, so he can treat Gabe. Right now Drew Gabe and Dr. Ben are at the E.R. Hopefully Drew and Gabe will be home soon and we'll all be able to sleep. What a blessing it is to know a doctor who makes house calls. :)

Happy Birthday Gabe!

My baby is growing up. I can't believe he looked like this last year.

He was so skinny. Look at those little chicken legs.

He's grown so fast and become so blond. He's such a delight, so smiley and easy going.

Happy Birthday Gabe! One year down many more to go...

Happy Easter!

I love Easter. Getting all dressed up and going to church. Getting to celebrate the atonement with chocolate and eggs. What could be better? Here are some of our Easter festivities. None of these pictures are in order. Recently blogger has been uploading them backwards. I think it's annoying, but oh well... I've added way more pictures than are necessary. enjoy!

Here we are dying eggs.

Easter baskets. Drew just opened Molly's chap stick. She LOVES chap stick. Gabe was excited, but he wasn't exactly sure why. (we did baskets after dinner, just in case you were wondering why the kids aren't dressed.)

Molly showing everyone her chap stick.

This is the only picture I got of Molly in her pretty Easter dress. She was so sad that I said she couldn't touch the camera. I'm not loving the two year old mood swings. Gabe is loving his cookie.

Look at my handsome boy. Gabe is clapping for Molly.

Our little Easter egg hunt. We were going to do it after church, but it was supposed to rain. This is Saturday afternoon.

Notice Molly is holding both baskets.

mmmm. Gabe is trying to put the whole egg in his mouth.

Gabe wasn't sure what it was, but he liked it.

Ben stealing the kids candy. :)

Seven Pounds

We (Drew, Ben and I) watched Seven Pounds last night. I have to admit I was really disappointed... It was a movie that I wanted to see and I had heard mixed reviews. I always like a movie I can judge for myself. Having said that, I got the movie. I figured out the "twist" ending before the end. I understand how some might look at it as a beautiful thing of sorts, but I had a lot of problems with it.

***contains spoilers***

I'm not exactly sure how to verbalize my feelings about it. I didn't like it that Tim was playing God. I understand why he would want to choose who he would save, but really? Life is hard I think suicide is an easy out. Was taking his life really the only way he could "help" people. I believe giving your life for another is one of the most selfless things we can do. Come on today is Easter. I just saw him as more of a coward, ashamed and hurt from a choice he'd made and less of a hero. Like I said life is hard, but I think it's what we do in the hard times that defines us and makes us stronger. Did anyone else feel this way? Maybe I'm over thinking it, but it isn't a movie I would recommend. Sorry Will Smith usually I'm a big fan...

the dentist and my nanny...

Molly had her first dentist appointment yesterday. The hygienist told me three times or so something like it's perfectly normal if she cries. Most kids get scared and cry, but the dentist won't hurt her and her check up will be really quick. So it's normal if she cries blah blah blah... To be honest I wasn't worried about it at all. Molly is a tough kid. She loves brushing her teeth and we've been talking a lot the past few days about how we were going to the dentist and he was going to look at her pretty teeth. Molly did great. No tears she even opened her mouth without a protest. She was so excited to get a new toothbrush at the end. Hopefully we have the same experience in June. The dentist told me that Molly has bad luck. On one of her back teeth the enamel didn't form hard enough. She has a soft spot. He'll fill it before it becomes a cavity. Hopefully all of her other teeth come in ok and she won't have that problem with her adult teeth... Just in case anyone was wondering Gabe is still toothless.

My younger brother Ben is staying with us this weekend. (I used to call him my little brother, but now he's quite a bit taller than me.) It's great having him around it's like I have a nanny. Molly loves him, I'm not exactly sure what to do. I'm not used to having two free hands. It's so nice. Drew and I are planning a birthday shopping trip after we put the kids to bed. I can't believe that Gabe will be one on Tuesday.

Suzie's visit

Last Wednesday night Suzie flew in for a few days. We had fun going to story time, the children's museum, the Omaha zoo and doing some shopping. Here are a few pictures of our visit.

Drew and Molly in the aquarium section of the zoo. All the pictures I took in there turned out blurry :(, but you get the idea.
You can't really tell, but this is a water wall. Despite it being freezing out Molly couldn't get enough. You might be fooled because Suzie is in shorts and I don't have a coat on, but it was really windy and cold. Luckily most of the zoo is inside so we walked from building to building. If you're ever in Omaha go to the zoo. It's a bit pricey to get in, but well worth it. I'm going to have to plan another trip when it's warmer and all the outside plants are alive. I'm going out on a limb, but I think this was the best zoo I've ever been too. Not that I've been to that many, but I think it was better than San Diego. My opinion might be a little biased, I was pregnant with Gabe and not feeling so well when we went to the San Diego zoo... The Omaha zoo was great. Drew was impressed that they had 14 gorillas and 20+ alligators. I really like Zoos. I'm excited that the Lincoln children's zoo opens in a couple weeks!

Molly's favorite part was watching the penguins from this bubble. The picture doesn't capture how neat it was. Her face lit up when she walked inside it.

This is a little rope bridge. Molly was freaking out. Sometimes she's a little daredevil, but this was not one of those times. She wanted her feet on solid ground. Gabe on the other hand couldn't have cared less.

She's getting more outgoing with other kids. I was really surprised that she wanted to get into that jeep when it was full of so many other kids. She sat down and looked around at them smiling. She's growing up. It makes me happy that she isn't as dependant anymore and really sad at the same time.

I thought this was the funniest picture. At the children's museum they have this peg wall. We've never gotten it all to ourselves before. Here's Gabe's outline. I love it that in all three the same leg is bent.

Thanks for coming we had fun!

bows bows and more

I thought that my bow party was a success. I had a good time hanging out with the girls. I also learned another way to make bows. Hopefully Drew and I will have another girl someday. I wish I knew about alligator clips when Molly was a baby and bald...

This is a picture of our entry way Friday around noon. I was straightening up the kitchen when Gabe decided to pull everything off the shelves. So I tickled him, told him it wasn't nice to tear apart the house and picked it up.

Maybe an 1 1/2 hours later Molly wakes up from nap and this is what I find. The joys of never ending housework. Sometimes I think they're trying to make me crazy.

Molly has been venturing farther and farther away. Gabe loves following her. They think it's a great game. How far can we go before mom has to come and chase us?