Letters to Gage, Gabe and Grant: April 2013

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Happy 4 Months, Gabe!

Dear Gage and Gabe,

Gabe, you turned 4 months old on April 5! We took you to your 4 month check up with Dr. Chris yesterday. You weighed in at a whopping 13 pounds (~20th percentile) and measured 25 3/4 inches long (~75-90th percentile). You have more than doubled your birth weight and have grown 6 1/2 inches in length. You have more than caught up and you are doing great! Gage, you're probably going to get tired of me making comparisons between you two, but I can't help it. At your 4 month check up, you weighed 13lbs 8oz and measured 25 1/2 inches long. You had better start being nicer to baby Gabe because I fear he might end up bigger than you!

Baby Gabe - 4 months

Baby Gage - 4 months

I love you both dearly,
Mommy

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Little Friends

Dear Gage and Gabe,

Recently we have visited with some new little friends. About two weeks ago, Gabe, you and I went to meet Miss Caroline Thomas. I went to high school with her Mommy and Daddy and since they've moved back to Bowling Green, we've visited with them a couple of times. You were a good boy and you got along well with your "girlfriend."

Gabe and Caroline sitting in a tree...

New friends :)

Yesterday, another friend of mine from high school came over to visit. Bridgette and her two children were in town for the holiday weekend from Atlanta. Kamiya is 6 years old and baby Ryan was born on December 26, just three weeks after you Gabe. We had a really nice visit. Gage, you loved playing with Kamiya and Gabe, you liked playing with your new friend.

Baby swap!

Ryan and Gabe

I love you,
Mommy

Chicken Farmers

Dear Gage and Gabe,

We have recently decided to raise our own chickens. Daddy worked very hard to build a nice home for our chickens. He built them a cozy coop with nesting boxes, roosting rods and little ramps. Their yard is fully enclosed to protect them from all the critters roaming the countryside. I think we will eventually let them out to free range, but we're going to be a little protective at first. The chickens that we got from a neighbor down the road are still a too young to lay eggs, but within a couple of months, we will be enjoying fresh eggs daily!

Frame of the coop

Coop and run

Ready for wire

Nesting boxes, ramps and roosting poles

All finished and ready for chickens

Chickens checking out their new home

Gage playing with the chickens

I love you,
Mommy

Race Day (3/23/13)

Dear Gage and Gabe,

Since January 1st, I have been training to run a half marathon. It was slow going at first, since I had just had baby Gabe on December 5th. I started out slow and worked my way up, week by week, gradually adding miles and getting a little faster. I put my training to the test on Saturday March 23rd by running the Total Fitness Run for Kids Half Marathon here in Bowling Green. It was a cold morning, but nothing a jacket, pair of gloves and ear warmer couldn't fix. I met up with a few of my friends at the starting line and we waited for the race to start. Once we got the Ready, Set, Go, we took off. I ran with my good friend and motivator, Therisa. We have run a couple of Minis together in the past, and she always keeps me going. We weren't very optimistic about the race. My goal was to try to finish in 2:10 or less. Considering Gabe was just 15 1/2 weeks old, this was a hefty goal.

The race started and we found ourselves keeping a great pace. We were running nearly a minute faster than our goal pace without too much trouble. We just kept pushing ourselves and anytime I started to struggle, Therisa would give me a pep talk to keep me going. Of course, having my cheerleaders supporting me around the five and eight mile marks (it was a turn around race), helped motivate me. I finished the race with an official time of 2:02:10, nearly eight minutes faster than my goal! Not a PR, but much better than I thought. I was so proud to finish the race and very thankful for all of yours and Daddy's support and encouragement. Next race, a full marathon in November! We'll see!

Posing with Jennifer

Mommy and Therisa

At the staring line (with Karen in the background)

A little over 8 miles into the race

Posing with my finisher's medal

I love you,
Mommy

First bonfire of 2013

Dear Gage and Gabe,

A few weeks ago, the Proffitt family came over for dinner. After we finished eating, we went outside for a bonfire. The weather was a little chilly, but the glow of the fire kept us warm. Gabe, this was your first ever bonfire. You were indifferent toward the fire, but Gage, you loved it. You and Ada had a lot of fun running around the fire and gathering up sticks. We roasted marshmallows and made S'mores. Daddy had some fireworks left over from our Fourth of July celebration, so you all enjoyed watching the bottle rockets and sparklers. It was a great night.

Mommy and Gabe :)

Miss Ada

Hello, Blue Eyes :)

I love you both,
Mommy

Boyce Easter Egg Hunt (3/16/13)

Dear Gage and Gabe,

On Saturday March 16, we went down to the Boyce Community Center for their annual Egg Hunt. There were three separate egg hunting sections based on age, so Gage, you got to hunt eggs with the youngest group. You saw all the eggs scattered out in the grass, and weren't quite sure what to make of it all. Prior to the start, you continuously ran out in the grass to look at the eggs. I had to keep running out after you! When the egg hunt finally started, you were hesitant to start. You would pick up an egg, shake it, then try to open it. Finally after doing that with the first four eggs, and us telling you to just put them in your basket, you got the hang of the routine. It the end, you gathered a basket full of colorful eggs and they all had little toys and fun things inside.

After the hunt, all the kids were given a ticket. Each ticket was called and each child got to pick out a toy. Gage, you picked out a set of little trucks, and Gabe, you got a stuffed blue bunny. We had a lot of fun and look forward to next year when you both will be able to hunt eggs!