Brennar Matthew is 3!

So, I know you don't believe it either, but our little man turned 3!!!! It is just crazy to think. I still remember the first time I felt him move in my belly, and the day he was born. He just couldn't wait to see his mama he came 3 weeks early:) I can still feel every contraction, how much I threw up and those 7 (yep, 7) minutes of pushing.  He came out running and hasn't stopped since! I found this quote a few years ago and it decribes us so well - "You'll be his first kiss, his first love, his first friend. You are his momma and he is YOUR WHOLE WORLD. He is your little boy." Could never have imagined how much I loved someone until he was born. Clint and I met the love of our lives (well besides each other and Brilee of course!) that special day! 

We celebrated his birthday with just our family, and he best buddy Eli and his family.  We have decided to do parties later on in the year, when everyone else isn't worn out from Chirstmas, so maybe in March he can have a real party.

Drew and Brennar in their police hats

 

The boys playing with a car race track - Debbi brought it over, set up and unwrapped so of course this was all Brennar wanted to play with, he didn't care about opening the other presents. Luckily Drew and Eli were there to help:)

Brennar with his plasma car from Eli, we still haven't figured out if Brennar or Brilee like it best

Case in point:)

This is how Brilee spent most of the time our weekend away and Christmas - she just couldn't get enough of Uncle B. Liz told us that Maddi did the same things with Clint when she was Brilee's age:)

We didn't get a family picture on Christmas, so we made due and did one on Brennar's birthday

We made everyone do this, but Brennar's is by far the best one

This was his big present from mom and dad- you can't tell in this picture, but he loved it!!

The 3 year old, with his pirate party stuff

We caved and gave him one of his pirate cake pops before everyone came over:)

If only Clint was in this picture...

Brilee got in on the dress up action too, she was a firewoman:)

I am 3!!

A few special things about Brennar Matthew:
He would eat noodles for every meal if we let him, he loves anything pirate, he still cuddles if you ask him to, about once a week he wakes up to come sleep next to me at night, when he asks to watch a show he says "how about disney junior mommy, thats a good one", he loves that Brilee likes to play with him now and MOST of the time he is super sweet to her, his daddy has conned him into saying he wants to sell cars when he grows up, he talks about the ocean and Hawaii multiple times a day - he likes it just as much as me, he will come up to me, put his hands on my face with a big grin and say, "are you happy mommy" - most of the time I am, but if I am not, he sure can change that. I could go on and on.... I just love him so much!

Preschool

My mom always takes really close up pics of my kiddos and I love them! I really need to start doing this on my own. How cute is Brilee, even with food all over her face and shirt????

Brennar is pretty cute, too:)

Do anyone else's kids play on the stairs, all the time?  Seriously, they are always sitting on the landing just chatting away with each other.

Brennar loves when daddy has a day off!!

Brilee and her doll stroller, she loves it in there.  

And Brennar loves pushing her around in it. Although, it is usually way too fast, she just squeals with delight and I hold my breath the entire time

Isn't this adorable? I am going to show them this picture every time they fight with each other when they are older, to prove they have been best friends from the beginning!

And... my little man started preschool:(

He was so ready to go, Brilee is great to play with for the most part, but I think he needed a little more interaction with kids his own age on a more routine basis.  The first day we dropped him off he was a little shy. He asked if I would stay with him, and I kind of ignored the question and said I had to go to the store but would be right back to get him. He said ok and started playing with the other kids.  We peaked in on him before we picked him up and he was smiling and laughing.  But as soon as he saw me he said he was ready to come home.  He goes twice a week for 3 hours, which, for me, is the perfect time. Brilee is napping during it, so I can get things done around the house and don't have to wait until they are both napping in the afternoons.  His teacher told me he has been a joy to have in class:) On Thursday when I picked him up, we were outside getting into the car and the other little boy in his class said, "Bye, best friend, see you next week" - it was adorable! I am not quite sure Brennar is willing to give up his best friend title that Eli has, but it is nice to know the other kids like him:)

Brilee did a mini photo shoot for me the other day. She has a matching outfit with Maddi - black and grey cheetah jeggings and a block top, although you can't tell in these pictures. It was Drew's birthday on Thursday so both the girls wore their outfits and I tried getting pictures but this was the best I could do. 

I just love her little smile!

Christmas, what else:)

We had a super good Christmas season this year! The weekend before Christmas, we went down to Colorado Springs, with the entire Stapp crew and had a great time. I didn't get any pictures ( I am hoping to steal some from Debbi's camera) but it was wonderful.  The 4 cousins had so much fun together, and it was amazing to watch.  We all had matching family pajamas, not sure how all the guys felt about that, but the kids sure liked it. We rented a cottage so we were are able to stay other, so the kids played with each other from the second they woke up to the second they went to bed.

Once we got home, we celebrated Christmas Eve with the Stapps again.  My parents and brother as well as Debbi's parents and Art's brother we there, too. It was a really fun time with only a minor (or major depending on who you ask) meltdown by Brennar.  He was really only interested in opening one present then wanted to get it out and play with it and could care less about opening the rest. But the meltdown came because he wanted Drew to open one of his presents so they could play with that and of course Drew wanted to open all the rest of his first, like most kids typically do. But, it all ended well when Uncle Brion opened it and Brennar got his fix of it:)

The next morning we did our family Christmas. Santa came and brought the kids each a giant stuffed bear and toy boxes as well as way too many other things! If you are around Brilee, at all, you understand how much she LOVED the bear! I am pretty sure she is going to be the kid who brings home stray pets from the neighborhood, she is obsessed with animals and the bigger and more cuddly they are, the better!

 Christmas was actually the first real snow fall here, so both the kids wanted to head out as soon as we let them.

 Brennar still wont open his eyes for the camera!!

 We went up and down the street to sled, both kids had a blast:)

 And Brennar even got in on the shoveling!!

 Brilee got her own princess car so now she won't steal any of Brennar's cars anymore

 This is why she got the bear!

 Brennar's favorite gift, from Uncle Alex, a real train, can't wait to put it under the tree next year:) He set it up  while Brilee was napping and sat with Alex for probably about 3 hours straight watching it go around and around.

 Daddy and Brennar with his bear and his "Very own Pirate" book, staring him!

And Brilee with her baby stroller - more pictures to come on what Brilee typically does with the stroller:)

Hope you all had just as merry of a Christmas as we did!!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!!!

This last week has been a pretty miserable one for this little lady:( She woke up from her nap on Monday morning covered in puke - thankfully I think she had just done it and didn't sleep in it! Then we had to take the kiddos to their well-child check-ups.  Both kiddos are doing great, yay!!! But, little miss has been throwing up all week long.  I got her little bug on Thursday night and was pretty sick, so I feel even worse then I already did, for her.  Just praying that the boys don't catch it and that we are all better before Christmas!

Brilee loves the little people nativity set, she will bring you baby Jesus or any of the animals you ask for by name - but she hasn't quite figured out who the wise men are yet:)

 I found a super great idea on pinterest for the month.  You wrap up 24 books, even if they are books you already have, and as many Christmas ones as you can get. I got a bunch from the dollar store and the dollar bins at Target. Each night before bed, the kids(and by kids I mean Brennar!) get to unwrap any book they chose and we read it for their bedtime story.  This is Brennar on the first night, it took him about 3 days to understand that we get 1 a day and only at bedtime.  But, now he just loves it!

 I am in love with this picture of Brilee

 And Brilee is in love with her daddy:)

 Brennar has finally figured out that if he closes his eyes the flash of the camera won't blind him, great for him, bummer for me and my crazy picture-taking obsession

 I played dress up with Brilee, trying to figure out what Christmas dress I wanted her to wear...have I mentioned how fun a little girl is!!!

 Brennar wanted in on the action, but he wouldn't try on his Christmas clothes

 Isn't she a doll?!?!

And the winner is????? Stay tuned to find out!

Wrapping up November

 We spent the end of November in Montana with my family for Thanksgiving, we all had a great time. Brennar went in the hot tub almost every night with my dad, now he is asking for one in his own backyard:)  We also took the kids of Bozeman to the Museum of the Rockies, there wasn't quite as many dinosaurs as I had remembered but I think they both liked it.
Of course, I didn't take my camera out of my suitcase once:(  But here are a few from home

Brilee is obsessed with phones..."hewoo, hewoo, ko-ko" that's what I hear 20 times a day

 Brennar asked to get a picture of him hugging his sister:)

 I finally finished our family stockings (I started them when I was pregnant with Brennar) but, I love the way they turned out!

 My little princess

And of course some stair shots - both the kids climb up and down the stairs over and over all day long -  I just sit at the bottom and watch:)