Christmas 2010

We had a wonderful Christmas this year! Brooks was so excited and he was finally understanding that "I better be good because Buddy was watching." Buddy is our Elf on the Shelf. B totally believed that he was watching him and would report to Santa every night. If he started to act up I would say, Buddy is watching! He would immediately stop what he was doing and check to see if he really was watching...and he was! He would start being a good boy after that! Parents need something like Buddy all year long!
Christmas Eve we let the boys open one present. I started this tradition 2 years ago...and the present is always pajamas that they wear that night :) Not super exciting to a kid who's ready to tear into all of his toys, but I liked the idea. I tried to pose the boys in front of the tree for a picture, but it became really tough to get both to look at the camera at the same time! 
On Christmas morning B was up bright and early and ready to see if Santa came. He didn't wanna wait till Carson woke up, he was too excited! So I got my camera and turned on the tree lights and gave him the go-ahead. He was so happy Santa came and wanted to jump right in and play with his toys! That gave us time to eat something and get C now that he was up. (C of course had no idea today was different than all the others). Then we opened presents. B opened his and C's and tried to open all of ours too! B was ready to play with EVERYTHING, including C's presents. He wanted ALL of them opened asap! So we spent the next hour or so getting everything out and put together....oh how I miss the days when he was happy just playing with the wrapping paper!
We all got ready and headed to my parents house for lunch. We opened presents wih my parents and sister before the rest of the family came over. Once everyone arrived we ate a wonderful lunch and spent time together. Then there was more present opening, which made Brooks and his cousin Avery happy!
We headed home afterward and made a fire and relaxed while B played. I can't wait til next year when C can join in on all the fun!!

Christmas Eve picture

Daddy and C (and yes, that's a "real housewife" on the tv...it's my new vice :))

B wearing his new jammies!

Santa came :)

SO excited!

B was showing C what he got in his stocking haha!

He was tired of watching B open all of the presents

Playing with his new toy :)

Bri and C at my parents house

Brooks painted us his masterpiece

My Dad and C

B and Avery, who is 5 months older than B!

Evan, our baby cousin who is 2 months older than C!

Throwin up his gang signs haha!

Sleepy boys

Family of 4

Us, my parents, sister and grandparents

Brooks' 1st visit to Santa

I took Brooks to Roper Mountain Lights to see Santa. We parked and went through the winter wonderland to Santa's workshop. I wasn't sure how Brooks would act because he's usually scared of people dressed up in costumes (like the characters @ disney), but he just jumped right up on Santa's lap. This was his first time meeting Santa and he was SO excited he got to tell him what he wanted for Christmas! He talked and talked and Santa told him to listen to Mommy, to be good and to go to bed early. I told B he better listen to Santa! He kept telling me "I met Santa!" Then we got some hot chocolate and marshmallows to roast over the fire. After we walked around for a while, we got back in the car and drove around looking at the lights twice. He loved the lights and didn't want to leave. I see another trip there in the near future :)

The past few months...

So I've been pretty bad at blogging since Carson was born, but now that I feel like a normal human being again, I'm going to get going again! We have decided not to move to Greensboro and Brian has been back home since the 1st of November. SO relieved we're not moving because I love our house and being here with all of our friends and family! And a HUGE plus is having both of our parents here to help out with the kids :) Carson is such a blessing and a joy to be around. He smiles and talks to us all the time. That little smile just melts my heart! Brooks is the best big brother and likes to "help" when he can. He keeps saying that when C gets bigger he's going to share his toys...little does he know that he has no choice, but it's good that he wants to share them. C started sleeping through the night at 7.5 weeks. Now by sleeping through the night, I mean that he would sleep about 3-5 hours. He has had about a week of 12hr nights that were incredible!! But now its back to 7-8hrs. That is way better than I could have dreamed of...Brooks was a nightmare as a baby and never slept, so we are counting our blessings! It was hard at first to adjust to having 2 kids, but now I can't imagine it any other way! We've just been spending time with family and friends and trying to get back into the swing of things. Brooks turned 3 on November 20...I can't believe how fast the time has flown! We had a wonderful party with his friends. Then we hosted Thanksgiving at our house and had about 28 people here! It was nice to spend it with both sides of our family. Now we can't wait for Christmas!

Brooks helping to feed Carson

                                         

Me and the boys on Halloween

Brooks' 3rd Birthday

The kids eating at the party

Carson sitting next to his cousin Evan (they're only 2 months apart!)

Brooks painting a tree at the art center

Brian and I on Thanksgiving

Our niece Mia holding Carson

My sister-in-law Susan and her husband Harold (he cooked the turkey and it was AWESOME!)

Me with my 2 nieces Anna and Mia

Anna, Carson, Brooks and Mia

Me, my sis-in-law Helen and my sis Blaire

Car Car holding his head up like a big boy :)

Como was so happy to put Car to sleep :)

Carson Myles Langley

Carson Myles Langley was born September 4, 2010!! He weighed 5lb 7oz (1oz bigger than Brooks!) and was 19 1/4 in long. He was 3 weeks early, so I was surprised when I went into labor on Friday night. Brooks was 17 days early, so I figured he would come early, but not earlier than Brooks. I had been so anxious about going into labor since Brian is in Greensboro during the week. But the timing couldn't have been more perfect! Brian got home at around 10:30 that Friday night, and I was starting to have real contractions by then. I just didn't think it would go as fast as it did. My contractions were very irregular, but were starting to be more intense in pain. By 5am I knew we needed to get to the hospital REALLY fast! I called Brian's mom to come stay with Brooks, and it was after 7am by the time we got outta the house. I was dying by that time and was so worried about delivering in the car! It was a constant contraction, one right on top of the other, with no time in between. We checked in at St. Francis at 7:53am and Carson was born at 8:41am by c-section. Apparently I was complete (10cm) before we left the house! Luckily since I had a scheduled c-section for exactly 2 weeks later, I got to have one. My doctor was amazing and once I got the spinal I was feeling great. Brian got to watch Carson being born and was able to be with him while they were stitching me up. He was the first to hold him! I was so excited when they handed him to me as we were leaving the OR! He was so tiny and looked exactly like Brooks. Brian was able to take the whole week off of work! He was only going to be able to stay for 4 days if I had made it to my scheduled c-section, so we got lucky he was here for 8 days :) Brooks is the best big brother and loves to spend time with C. I feel like such a lucky mom to have two sweet and beautiful boys! Carson will be 1 month old tomorrow and Brooks will be 3 in 7 weeks! I can't believe how fast time has flown by. I'm loving watching them grow and being their mom :)

Our first picture together!

My parents, Me and Carson