Kofford Family

Happy Birthday, Reid and Drew

2011-12-01T13:41:00.001-05:00

Happy Birthday!!!

These two little sweet peas had NO idea what we were all so excited about.

As expected, they really didn't care what was inside. But, the paper and ribbon were a big hit.

Drew

Reid

To my birthday boys,

I love you to the moon and back, to infinity and beyond. I am so thankful for each day I've been so lucky to spend with you, and look forward to a lifetime full of adventures. I am so grateful I get to be with you, and watch you grow. I am certainly the lucky one. I love you, my angels.
Happy Birthday.

xo
Mommy

11 months

2011-10-27T15:27:00.004-04:00

I don't know how this happened, but the calendar doesn't lie. My babies are 11 months old today! It seems like they were just this small. Baby 'A' and Baby 'B'

To say I am completely in love with them would be such an understatement.

Reid,

You are the most adorable little chunk I have ever laid my eyes on. Every time you smile, I can't help but smile. Your cheeks lift up, eyes disappear, arms straight out at your sides, and always flapping. You have the most adorable raspy voice. I fall for your every cry or whimper...and you know it, and take full advantage of it. You LOVE to eat, anything! We're pretty sure you would snack all day if we would offer. When you're eating your feet are waving with excitement, and you hum while chewing each bite. (just like your daddy) When you're sad, you actually frown. While nobody makes you laugh like your brothers and daddy, I'm still your favorite! I'm going to hold onto that role as long as I can. I'm certain the day will come, very soon, when you wait for your daddy all day long, just like your biggest brother.

Drew,

I have no idea how you are so happy, but I am so thankful for you and your wrinkled nosed smile. You are thrilled about life. Sometimes, you even cry with a smile!? You are a very busy boy, and curious about everything around you. You love crawling all over to check out any forgotten treasure left behind by your biggest brother, whom you whole heartedly adore. You could play by yourself all day, by throwing a toy and crawling to it, then doing it all over again. I love to listen to you giggle at yourself. You are my little munchkin, 3 pounds lighter than your other half sure makes you feel tiny! Every time I hold you, you wrap your leg around me as if you're holding on by your foot. It makes me never want to put you down. You completely adore your biggest brother. Like, a lot! There is no one that can make you giggle like he can without even trying. I love to see the short glimpses into your future relationships with your brothers. But, for now, I am still your person. I cannot tell you how much I wish I could hold onto this role for the rest of my life, but I know that's not how it will always be. So, for now, I will cherish each day that I'm the one always wanted by you and your brother. Time is flying by, and the more I want it to slow down, the faster it seems to go.

My little ones, the day I found out that you were both growing inside of me was a day full of many emotions. We were so humbled and grateful with the blessing of you coming to our family. Mixed with the excitement I was so scared I couldn't be all that you needed and deserved in a mother. The minute I held you both in my arms, my heart took over and I was your mom. Nothing else mattered. We have figured it out, day by day, together. Some days have been better than others, but each day I will treasure forever.

nana & bop

2011-09-23T14:48:00.002-04:00

Six months! That is a really long time. It had been six months since we last saw my parents. That is just too long. We made up for lost time in their 10 days here. We stayed really busy, and I think we were all exhausted by the end of their trip!

Mother's Beach in Portland, Maine. It was beautiful!

Quechee Gorge is one of our favorite places in Vermont. The Gorge, along with a lot of other of our favorite places in Vermont were damaged by the flooding. We went on what ended up being a very short walk to see the Gorge, since it was closed. But, as always, it was still beautiful.

Everything always just looks better after by parents have been here. Last trip was the shelf building trip, this trip was the get the house ready to sell in the Spring trip! We sanded and stained the porch, cleaned up the front yard, and my dad organized the garage--because he's just really good at that!

We FINALLY took Chase on a real train ride! We went on the Hobo Railroad, and Chase was so adorable.

Chase & Nana

Chase started Preschool...how did this happen? I swear he was just born. Leaving my baby with someone else to teach him, wow, it was really hard. He has been all mine for 3 1/2 years. I probably would have been just fine keeping it that way forever. But I realize that it's not all about me. Even though my heart is still breaking every time I drop him off, he is thriving in school, and that is all that matters.

my boys

2011-08-17T19:08:00.007-04:00

I couldn't love them more if I tried. I know I'm sounding super sappy, but, lately I really feel like my heart may burst because I love them so much. They are just the best.
Happy Birthday, Nate! Chase was certain it was his birthday all day. Now he asks for his birthday and Christmas because he wants presents! So it begins...
Drew. Oh how I love that sweet little angel.
Chase is the best big brother. He loves his brothers, and is so very helpful!
The many faces of my Reid. I love this boy!

Nate has been working, well, WAY too much lately. Like, WAY too much. If there was a way I could have flown with my crew back to Utah I would have done it...that's saying a lot since flying with children is probably one of my least favorite things to do! As hard as it has been for me to be raising our little ones alone, it is 100 times harder for our little Chase. There is no place he is happier than right in his Daddies arms. Two peas in a pod.

In honor of my sweet Grandpa who passed away 2 weeks ago, all of the grandkids released balloons. We sent them to our Nanie & Gumpa, one at time, and with each balloon we sent them a message of love. Chase was so adorably sweet. When he released the last balloon, he said 'Happy Birthday, Nanie & Gumpa' it made me smile, and I know his sweet innocence made them smile too.

our summer fun

2011-07-21T13:06:00.011-04:00

Seriously, how can I start slowing down time? These little gems are growing up so fast. All 3 of them! I had this idea to have a little photo shoot for part of Nate's Father's Day gift. I thought, how hard can it be to take a few pics of all three together? Turns out it was hard, actually, it was really hard! Lesson learned.
Drew- 7 months
Reid- 7 months
Chase- 3 years
Every Father's Day weekend there is a hot air balloon festival about 10 minutes away in Quechee. When we arrived there weren't ANY hot air balloons. But thankfully, there was a train, and bouncy house obstacle course. He was super lucky and got to ride the train 3 times. They did eventually set one hot air balloon up that was tethered to the ground. Chase was so into the train, that he really didn't care much.
He is a little daredevil. And a heat box! He is always the kid with the bright red face. I love that boy. We only seem to remember our camera about 1/4 of the time, we went back a second day to watch all of the beautiful balloons take off for the evening ride and it was so much fun! Chase was able to stand below each one as they took off, seriously cool! But...we don't have any pictures to show for it...so you'll have to use your imagination :)
We were able to go to Cape Cod of the 4th of July weekend. I LOVE it there! Everything about it is perfect. We had such a great time with our friends and hanging out at the beach. The babies really could have cared less about all the the fun the beach had to offer, which made it kind hard to keep them entertained. Maybe next year?! Wow, that will be an adventure...3 mobile little people. Yikes.

After a great day swimming and building sand castles, the ice cream truck was waiting for us in the parking lot. It was a perfect way to end a perfect day!
There is the most amazing bouncy house place on the Cape. It was HUGE. Chase went on every slide, even the biggest one he wasn't supposed to go on. He only missed the cutoff by 10 inches...oops.

Mommy & Drew

Turns out, Nate isn't allowed to put sunscreen on the kiddos anymore. The pictures doesn't show how red he was under his eyes and across his nose. Sad.
xo

bar harbor

2011-06-04T18:48:00.011-04:00

I love living back here. We're hitting our one year mark until we're done. We have worked really hard to get to this time for...well...a long time. Now that we are closing in on Nate completing residency, I'm not ready. I'm not ready to be done with this chapter, and I don't really want to start a 'new' chapter. We're happy, really happy, and I don't want to mess with a good thing.

Last weekend did not help the situation. I love all that living on the east coast has to offer. It is so different than Utah, and sometimes different is just good. Our family along with 3 other of our very favorite families headed 6 hours north to Bar Harbor and had a perfect weekend.
Eating lobster
Checking out the 'view'...dang fog....
and playing at the beach. Despite the rain and fog, Chase still played in the ocean. He felt it necessary to return every rock back into the ocean.
The sun did eventually come out, and we had a great day at the beach.

And it was wonderful!

We were able to ride on a lobster boat...like a real lobstering boat! Chase LOVED it. He was even able to steer for a couple of minutes. He is still talking about it.
These 2 little men were troopers, up until we had the crazy idea that 6 month olds would be ok with wearing a life vest. They did eventually just give into the fact that they weren't coming off, and they both took a snooze as we enjoyed the view. And the view was amazing.

2011-04-29T14:51:00.009-04:00

This little gem turned 3 years old last month! He is my best buddy, a true little angel. I love him from his head to his cute little toes. Happy Birthday, Chase!
Chase got his first bike, or 'mike' as he often says. He thinks he's one cool cat having a bike like his favorite person in the world...nope it's not his mommy...his daddy. They have the most perfect relationship. My boys have no idea how lucky they are!

Happy Easter! Chase was super lucky this year. Instead of a 'boring' (as Nate would say) basket, he got a wheelbarrow with his name in it! He loves pushing it around just like his Bop.

Reid

Drew

Dear makers of the Jumperoo....bless you!

These two little handsome devils are now 5 months old! I know everyone says it, but the time is flying by. I'm not going to lie, it's still really hard. Not sleeping is hard. I feel like I've tried every trick, read every book on getting your babies to sleep through the night, and I'm still failing. It's just not that easy when there are 2. But easy or not, it's so worth it. I have had A LOT of people say, 'I don't know how you do it' And I never really know what to say. The other day I heard the perfect response- 'I don't know how, I just know why'- I really don't know how I've gotten through any of the days, but when I look at these 3 little miracles, I just know why.

2011-04-06T20:01:00.007-04:00

Our littlest loves were blessed on March 6th. We had such a special and I'm sure you can imagine crazy day. We were so thankful to all of our friends and family who came and shared in our special day-especially my mom and dad who flew all the way from Utah! After the babies blessing my lucky little Chase got to fly home with my parents where he was completely spoiled for a week until we made the CRAZY trip out with the twins. 1/3 of my heart went with him, and it was sooo hard...but during our flight I was so grateful he was already in Utah! We were quite a sight, but not half as much as we were on the flight home with 3 little ones in tow. When we finally arrived back home at the Manchester airport at 11:05 pm, we were getting looks from everyone that were either saying...'oh you poor things', or 'you guys are crazy'-I agreed with all of them, we were crazy!
Seeing my Gumpa made the craziness of our trip worth it! He is my Grandpa, who I simply adore. He has changed a lot since I last saw him in July, he thought I was my sister, and he was very confused. He wasn't his normal smiley self...until I brought the twins to meet him. He lit right up, just how I remember him. I am so grateful he was able to meet them, and I have the memory of seeing him smile.
This beauty was the reason we made the trek across the country. Michelle is Nate's baby sister, and as far as I'm concerned my baby sister too. I love this lady! Her new hubby, Austin (sorry I don't have a pic of you) is one lucky fella.
Brrrr.....
handsome little man

three months

2011-02-28T20:26:00.006-05:00

I don't know how it has happened so quickly, but these 2 little cuties are already 3 months old. What an adventure the last 3 months have been. I think it has gotten easier...although after last night I'm not so sure :)
They love to eat, be swaddled when they are sleepy, they like to snooze in their swings, they go to bed every night by 7, but we still get to party 2-3 times a night...hopefully that will change soon? They love lying next to each other, they love their big brother, and boy does he love them. They love it when there daddy is home. Nate has a hard time getting anything else done because he just sits and loves on his little ones. He is simply the best. The twins love a lot of things, but I have to say, I think they love their mommy the most :) and I am perfectly ok with it.
Having twins has been...well...hard! I would be lying if I said there weren't moments I wasn't sure if I can go on another minute with the demands of 2 newborns. But all the other minutes of the day I cannot imagine going a minute without them. I love you, my angels.

Drew is my little smiley boy. He has no idea how it melts my heart...or maybe he does! He has big blue eyes that are already so full of life. He is an easy, happy baby, but he still is a little firecracker-I just love that about him. He loves his bedtime, but he wakes up the most, and has a harder time going back to sleep. Every morning at 4am, like clockwork, he's up...and not happy about it. During the day he loves to kick and coo, and he loves to play peek-a-boo. When he gets sleepy he loves to be swaddled and snuggled.

Reid. How I love my little Reid. He is serious, and calm. He does have a little reflux which leads to a bit of fussiness, but nothing we can't handle. He has beautiful blue eyes that when you get to look into you feel like he's looking into your soul. He loves to be snuggled tight, especially in his mommies arms. He loves to sleep, look at the fan, listen to music, and he LOVES to kick his little leggies.

Thank you for letting us be your parents! We love you our little ones.

2011-02-25T08:53:00.010-05:00

Another month has passed, and I haven't found a minute to blog. Today is yet another snow day...boo...so I decided to just stay in our pj's (not that this doesn't happen often) and update our blog! We love our family! Steph and Andrew are not only our sister and brother-in-law, they are some of our very closest friends. They made the trek east to meet the babies! We weren't able to go out much with them, but we did go to the outlets! We made it there with everything we needed...except shoes for Chase. So our first stop was Nike. Thanks for all of the fun!
When they left...well...it was just really hard. It was the first time I was alone since September. That was a really long time ago. It took a couple of really rough days to adjust, and a lot of tears...from all of us. But we are making it! I still have a lot of days when I cry, others I am too tired to cry, and then those days where I just laugh at our crazy life!

These 2 little gems are growing...A LOT! They both weigh over 11 pounds! Drew is my little ham, I think he knows when I just need a smile to get by, like at 3am! I love it. Reid is much more serious. I love my grumpy little man. And boy does he love his mama. They have such different personalities, and they are both completely perfect.

This is why babies have mommies...

We have had so much snow this winter. We are all done with it, but apparently it's not done with us. We getting another foot today. sad. This sweet boy loves to help do everything we are doing. He helped Nate snowblow for 2 hours!

The one good thing February has to offer us here in this winter wonderland is the Dartmouth Winter Carnival. We were able to leave the babies with a baby-sitter and go out with just Chase. It was just what we all needed.

That would be my little one waaay up at the top of this long hill covered in ice...he flew down with a big grin every time. I couldn't get any pictures at the bottom because I had to stop him from slidding all the way across the pond.

Nate had a good idea to send the 3 kids down together....

it didn't go as planned, but they all came down laughing.

Then we got the stomach flu...all of us....yuck. I was 'lucky' enough to get it over night, so Nate was here to take care of the babies. But the following morning, he left for work and was on call. That day was one of those I was too tired/sick to cry days. But the amazing Kim saved the day yet again. She came and helped me the entire day. I cannot begin to praise Kim enough for all that she has done. I have amazing friends out here...you know who you are :) xo

They couldn't stop looking at the stripes on their crib set. This keeps them occupied for a long time...thank you stripes.

This little duo...love them

This was us, after church...we were really tired.

My boys! I still don't believe I have so many of them, but I am so thankful I do! xo

2011-01-26T10:14:00.018-05:00

My oh my time flies when you are having 'fun'. It's a good thing these two are so stinking cute, because...wow! This is really hard! Twins are A LOT of work, I mean A LOT of work. I'd be lying if I said I'm loving every minute of this, I could really do without being up all night every night..for the last 8 weeks. But I am sure loving every minute of the daytime...for some reason sleep deprivation is a lot easier to handle when the sun is up. Why do I live in Vermont, where the sun never shines in the winter? These sweet little babes have yet to really figure out that night time means we sleep. I really, really miss sleep. Like, really.
Sleep or no sleep, we are so in love with these boys. They have managed to make my heart grow in ways I never thought possible. They are perfect. Completely perfect.

I have most definitely not been doing this alone. I was SO lucky to have my mom here for the first 4.5 weeks. And then my dad came for 2 of those weeks. Oh, and he drove 36 hours straight to get here with our new car we bought from them--I love my dad, he is so amazing. How I wish they could have stayed forever. Everything was just easier. They took such great care of me and my family as we all adjusted to these 2 little bundles. My parents really are the best. THE BEST.

Superwoman. She was my rock. She still is, even from across the country. I love you, mom.

the best...

Didn't want to leave this little lady out. Is it weird that I was not at all surprised to find my dog sleeping here?

This is me, after I found the magic make-up that covers the dark circles under my eyes!

Nate with his littlest buddies

Chase has really been the easiest part of this. He loves his babies...sometimes a little too much. He mimics everything we do with them, it is so sweet to watch him try to swaddle them and pat them when they are sad. He is still the best. I love you, Chase.

Christmas was obviously extra special for our family this year. We felt such a sweet spirit in our home.

My little man LOVES trains. I'm pretty sure it is all he thinks about. He was pretty excited to see Santa heard about how much he loves trains, he really delivered this year!

One thing most people don't know about Nate is that he loves to match/coordinate clothing with Chase. Whenever Nate is home these 2 are usually perfectly coordinated and look completely adorable. Chase has recently started to notice, he was so excited when he saw that he and daddy got matching jackets for Christmas.

All dressed and ready to go shovel with Bop.

My dad was a rockin' hockey player 'back in the day' :) and proved he still is! Go dad! And seriously...go Chase! He was hilarious...he eventually just laid down on the ice and nearly fell asleep.

Life is crazy, but good. Really good.

perfection

2010-12-13T16:40:00.007-05:00

party of 5

2010-11-28T19:22:00.014-05:00

Reid Michael Kofford
11.27.1o 2:14am
4 pounds 6 ounces

Drew Benjamin Kofford
11.27.10 2:15am
4 pounds 7 ounces

The challenges this pregnancy brought became a distant memory the second these 2 entered the world! My heart instantly grew, and we are completely in love with every piece of them.

Nate and I had planned a night out together to go to dinner & a movie. I had a doctor's appointment that we went to first where we found out our date night was going to be a night in labor & delivery instead!

Proud papa holding the little ones for the first time

There really is nothing better than meeting your new child for the first time. Everything happened so quickly, and was kind of a blur...but this moment...I'll never forget.

Where would we be without Dena? It was such an amazing blessing having her here with us for the last 4 weeks. We could have never made it this far without her. This picture captured such a priceless moment, I am so thankful for her!

And there a no words to describe how much I love my Chase. I have been so worried about adding 2 new babies to our perfect little duo. He is no doubt my best buddy, I LOVE being his mom. He has made this scary transition seem so natural. It feels like he knew right away that he has a new role in our family--the big brother!

Everyone is doing great! Drew had a very quick stay in the NICU to make sure he was breathing ok, he got the green light after a few hours and he was back in my arms right where he belongs.

Happy Halloween

2010-11-01T12:43:00.010-04:00

We had such a fun Halloween this year! Chase was so excited about everything, it made it so much more fun. Chase painted his own pumpkin this year, if I do say so myself, I think it was a masterpiece!

And...why hasn't anyone told me I have the 'pregnancy face'? I didn't notice until I saw the pictures-and trust me, this one was the best angle...

Apparently, carved pumpkins are scary to the child who I really wasn't sure was fearful of anything. He always kept a safe distance. When we were done carving the pumpkins we had to turn the faces around so he would stop hyperventilating!

Chase has loved every minute with his Great-Grandma Verna. He simply adores her as much as the rest of us! We are so sad to let her go tomorrow, but we know she has a huge fan club awaiting her arrival back in Utah. Thanks for letting us take her away from all of you for so long!

Well, this was the popular pose this year for Chase? Every time he would see the flash he would immediately put his head down. Looking at the camera or not, he looked adorable, and he loved his costume! He is my favorite.

At our ward Halloween party, Chase galloped around the parade with such excitement. The best part was that Nate was galloping right behind him! Chase really has no idea how lucky he is to have such a fun Daddy! They are so unbelievably cute together. The rest of the world doesn't seem to exist, or matter, when they are together.

This was Nate's first and only attempt at getting Chase to look at the camera. Little stinker!

I love my boys, and can't wait to have 2 more!!!

one day at a time

2010-10-26T10:45:00.009-04:00

We have been so lucky to have Nate's Grandma Kofford come out and take care of us for the last 4 weeks! She has saved us more than she will ever know. At 79 years old, she feeds us, cares for Chase, cleans our house, does the grocery shopping, oh did I mention she feeds us? Because of her feeding us such amazing meals everyday, I have her to thank for my steady incline on the scale....I know it has to be done, but I'm seeing numbers I have never seen before-yikes!

After not leaving the house for 2 weeks, I finally convinced Nate and Grandma that I was ok for a quick visit to Quechee. Fall is magical here, and I was so upset to think that it was going to pass me by while I lay on the couch.

Chase LOVES trains. Like, a lot. He was so excited to ride on the train at Quechee, and watching him light up when he saw and rode on the train was just what we all needed. Thanks to Nate, Grandma, and some really great friends, the babies room is coming right along! The room is painted, the cribs are ready, the clothes are washed and put away, the carseats are ready, we found a new car, sold the Land Rover ( Nate is still recovering from the loss), now all we need are diapers and the babies--and from what my pediatrician told me yesterday, a nanny!

I love this boy! He just loves life. His sweet smile has kept me going during these past 5 weeks on bedrest...he is just the best.

This is a sneak peak at part of his halloween costume....

Watching him play with his Great Grandma Kofford is priceless. Since we moved to Vermont right after he was born, she rarely sees Chase. When she arrived it took no time for them to become the best of friends. She is simply amazing with how she keeps up with a very active 2.5 year old boy! We could never thank her enough for coming all the way from Utah with only 48 hours notice, for 5 weeks! That pretty sums up what an amazing women she is, and we are so lucky to have her!

As far as the babies go, all is looking really good! They are growing a lot, moving like crazy, and we are all falling more and more in love. We expect they will arrive within the next 3-4 weeks, but we would be pleasently surprised if they wait even longer! For now, we are just taking it one day at a time!

there is no place like home

2010-09-26T09:00:00.002-04:00

I'm home! I have never been happier to be here!! All is looking pretty well right now. The contractions haven't stopped much, but they aren't making me progress any further so they let me break free and enjoy the endless contractions at home...in bed...for the rest of the pregnancy! At any rate, I'm home, and everyone is still right where they belong! Thank you all for you love, help, prayers, and support.
xox

no babies today, please.

2010-09-24T11:12:00.004-04:00

Just last week, I was feeling pretty good, really, not much to complain about. Then the contractions started...

I am currently lying in a hospital bed at 26 weeks pregnant, praying with all I've got that this is just a bad dream. It could be worse, I just have to keep reminding myself of that. So far, we're able to get the contractions to slow down with a lot of meds, but they unfortunately won't send me home on these meds. So we are just waiting to see if my body can not go into labor without the the meds so I can go home....yes, please, I REALLY want to go home. Home is where everything is ok. Where the babies are ok, and where Chase is ok. And they are everything, and I really want all of them to be ok.

Last night was my first night away from my little guy. Not because I wouldn't have loved to have an opportunity to have a night away, but because quite frankly I have just never had the opportunity. I really wish my first night away from him could have been on a super romantic getaway with my hubby where we have no worries in the world, instead, I am here, worrying about far too much for my brain to handle. Chase woke up in the middle of the night and wanted me. It broke my heart to hear he wanted me and I was here, not there for him, and there is where I should be, where we all should be.

We are very lucky, in so many ways....but I just want a little more luck, more importantly, our babies need the luck. They are so little, they need more time, a lot more time. Even though I am unbelievably excited to have our two littliest ones here...no babies today, please!

Martha's Vineyard

2010-09-07T11:28:00.007-04:00

Martha's Vineyard, 3 days with my hubby, Chase, and great friends was just what I needed! It was amazing. It was a miracle that we along with so many of our friends were able to get 3 days off and head to the Vineyard. Thanks Ben and Julie for inviting us, and thank you Hurricane Earl for not destroying my new favorite place!

Loving the ferry ride over from Cape Cod to Martha's Vineyard....

but all of that fresh air made him tired, he zonked out 15 minutes into our 40 minute ride

Big Chase, me, Julie, and little Chase. I don't really like that my Chase is known as "big"--I wanted him to stay little forever. But in any case, I love this girl. She has been keeping me sane the last several months. Good friends like her make life so much better!

Relaxin' on the beach. Life is good

We spent a lot of time on this porch, but who wouldn't? Look at the view!

Again...look at that view! Seriously amazing.

Eating nuggets with his Maddie! These two are quite a pair--wow!

I guess he really is "big" Chase--sad

My boys!

ADORABLE! I love every minute with this boy

And I didn't want to forget the little ones! They are doing great, and growing like crazy!

SURPRISE!

2010-08-03T09:56:00.008-04:00

We had a pretty big surprise yesterday to find out the we are actually having twin BOYS!!! Right as the ultrasound began I saw that "baby B" who was supposed to be a girl, was most definetly a boy. The sonographer said, they probably just labeled them opposite at my previous ultrasound. Sure enough she headed over to take a peak at "baby A" and he was most definetly a boy as well! We just started laughing thinking of all of the fun and memories 3 boys are going to bring us. Even though it was a big surprise, it's perfect! We are so happy, and can't wait to meet these little guys.

I'm 18.5 weeks along and finally starting to feel better. And it's showing quick, I went from not gaining a pound to gaining 8 pounds in 4 weeks-yikes! But it feels so good to have an appetite, and have enough energy to care that the garbages are overflowing, the dust has grown a family, I haven't showered in 3 days...you get the picture! It wasn't pretty, but we're slowly sifting our way out of the mess, and it feels great!

2010-07-09T10:49:00.005-04:00

we couldn't be more excited!!!

some blessings come in twos

2010-06-17T08:58:00.019-04:00

When you have a child who is as adorable and fun as this... who wouldn't want another one, or two?

That's right, Chase is going to be a big brother, twice....we're having TWINS! We are beyond excited. We just had another ultrasound yesterday and they both looked perfect jumping all over the place, and continue to look healthy and strong. I'm in love. I never thought I could possibly love another human in the way I do Chase, but when I was watching them yesterday I felt my heart grow.

I am officially 12 weeks along. We are due in December, and hoping to make it to around the 10th. I have been super sick, super tired, and maybe a little bit cranky! But it is all worth it, all of it.

I can honestly say we could not have done it without these 3 women. We have to travel a long road to become pregnant, and they so willingingly made the sacrifice to come out and take over for me while I was unable. I cannot express how grateful I am to all of them.

Thank you for making the long road seem a little shorter, and the hard times seem a little easier- xox

Utah

2010-04-01T11:55:00.007-04:00

Our trip home to Utah flew by! We had a great week visiting our favorite state, and all of our favorite people who live there. We spent most of our time hanging out with our families. We stayed busy by going to museums, the zoo, playing on tractors, learning how to feed chickens and getting their eggs, and playing a lot with cousins! Best of all, we were able to celebrate Chase's 2nd birthday a couple of days early with the family. My sisters made Chase's super cute beach ball cake, and then we all went swimming! Chase had such a great time, and it was really special for us to celebrate our little man turning 2 with our FAMILY!

Thanks for all of the fun, and all of the memories. We miss you already!

2010-04-01T11:54:00.001-04:00

happy birthday

2010-03-21T20:22:00.014-04:00

Today I turned 2 years old! My mommy and daddy think I'm pretty much the greatest thing....ever. So they wanted to share some pictures of my big day!

getting ready to dig in....

Mmmmm

My mommy & daddy know how much I love trucks and cars. So they got me a new car, a truck puzzle, and a book all about trucks!

Thank you VB's for my fish tent! I love it, and my mommy & daddy love that it makes my hair stick up.

Today was a great day!

home sweet home

2010-03-11T07:04:00.006-05:00

We're coming home.....TOMORROW!!!!!!

Here is one last picture of the little man before all of you in Utah get to see him and squeeze him in person! There aren't many things that make me smile at 6:30am, but seeing this sure did! Thanks for giving me so many reasons to smile, little one.

the best

2010-03-03T19:46:00.006-05:00

My husband is the best! After telling Nate how much I LOVED the Olympic mittens, he pulled a "Nate" and found a way to get me some! I was so excited when he surprised me with these beauties yesterday. Thanks babe-xoxoxo
(Thanks Mark, I owe you for having to wait in the long lines--I LOVE THEM!) These two boys...I am just crazy about them!

i can't wait

2010-02-25T14:25:00.005-05:00

I can't believe that in 2 weeks my family and I are going to be getting onto one of these... to go here!

We're coming HOME, I can hardly say the word without tearing up. It has been too long since I have seen this beautiful state, and all the people that I love that live there. Way too long!

winter carnival

2010-02-16T16:17:00.010-05:00

Usually 17" of ice, and 20 degree temps with a wind chill that was sure to be below zero is not my idea of a good time. But when I saw how much fun my little guy was having, the frostbitten fingers and runny noses all became unimportant--we really will do anything for this boy!

A slide made out of ice, no problem! He went down this slide SO FAST that he would slide right into people who were standing a good 15 ft away. He was definitely the smallest little dude going down the slide and was getting a lot of attention because it. When he was at the bottom, he would lay on his back like a beached whale waiting for his daddy to pick him up so he could do it all again.

This is just too good to pass up. Pants are no longer a necessity in his world, and really who needs pants when you look this *cute* without them? I. LOVE.THIS.BOY.

all about me

2010-02-02T11:37:00.013-05:00

I love eating at the table
I love sitting in Macey's bed, and I am not sure why mom & dad think it is so funny?

I love being with my mommy...all of the time!

I love having my picture taken, but it is really hard for me to look at the camera

I love playing with my friends

I love playing in the sink and helping mommy with the dishes

Life is good.

mmmm

2010-01-12T15:43:00.005-05:00

Chase and I agree, there are few things better than powdered donuts! As Chase is says when he eats them, mmmm!

2010-01-04T15:35:00.006-05:00

Dear Auntie Shauna,

I was so excited when the UPS man dropped off a special book that you made just for me! I have a hard time remembering all of my family in Utah, and I know this book about all of you will help me remember a little better! I love it, and I have been looking at the pictures all afternoon. Thank you for thinking of me and making me such a fun book, and thanks for loving me so much!

xoxoxo

Chase

Christmas 2009

2009-12-30T15:05:00.011-05:00

I never knew how much fun Christmas could be until this year! We had so much fun with the endless entertainment brought to us by Chase. He really did not have a clue what was going on! When he woke up he was very suspicious as to why we were all so excited to be out of bed...this is most definitely not usually the case

The sled was a last minute Christmas Eve purchase, it ended up being the hit of the morning

But he really didn't know what to do with it, so he did this...I LOVE THIS BOY!

Favorite thing #2, a tube full of candy (which he still doesn't know is candy) with a Santa on the top, it has a button you push and the propeller spins. This could entertain him for hours.

Favorite thing #3, a head lamp from Daddy, what 1.5 year old doesn't need one?

After playing with 3 new things, he was simply done. He didn't even look at the rest of the presents until 4:30 pm.

After breakfast at the Van Bibber's we went sledding! He is fearless. He loved everything about it!

All of this fun was exhausting! While we missed our families like crazy, we had such a great weekend together with our little family and Nate's cousin Adam and his family Andrea, Caroline, and Olive...and of course our favorite Van Bibber family. I can't wait until next year!!!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-24T09:52:00.002-05:00

To all of our family and friends that we are missing at this time of the year, Merry Christmas!

what was I thinking?

2009-12-15T13:23:00.005-05:00

Somehow, sometime last night I signed myself up for a half marathon? Seriously, I did! The thought of running in this super cool race with some of my very favorite people got the best of me. Who wouldn't want to run a race titled, "Covered Bridges Half Marathon"? So with a bit of luck on June 6th, I can say I did! Now I just need some running shoes....

the boys

2009-12-07T09:37:00.007-05:00

It snowed!!! We have had an unusually warm fall in New England which we have all been grateful for, but we were ready for some snow! Chase has been completely entertained by everything about the snow. He loves to tip his head back and let the snowflakes fall on his face, watch his daddy throw snow balls for Macey to chase, and he loves knocking the snow off of the fence. Cute.

I'm clearly behind, I realize Halloween was well over a month ago. But seriously, he made the cutest cowboy...ever.

And last but certainly not least....this. I don't really know what to say about these two? It started with growing a beard, and ended with this. We could not look at them with a straight face for THREE days. That's right, these crazy guys wore these things for 3 days.

thankful

2009-11-26T10:12:00.005-05:00

Today I am thankful for these moments. Our little guy is our most treasured gift. We have had our fair share of ups and downs this month, and through these hard times I have been reminded of how blessed I am to be a Mother. I hope I don't take these moments for granted, because they are certainly the best moments yet. I love you, Chase!

life

2009-11-17T16:01:00.007-05:00

over the past 2 months we have had, my brother and his family visit, Nate's sister and hubby visit, Nate's mom visit, and my mom....and much to my birthday surprise, my sister visit!!! Our home has been full of a lot of laughs, love, and memories.

My mom kind of took over for me while she was here, and boy oh boy did Chase ever have a good time! He had his nightly bubble bath, which he kind of had a love-hate relationship with? Now anytime he walks past the bathroom he yells, "bubbles!"
Thanks for all of the bubble baths, and and so much more.

He is so much fun, and growing up way too quickly! I just love that he has an opinion...most of the time! He picks a random thing that he just must have, this night was his UofU hat. He was all ready for bed, and insisted on wearing his hat. He is already a die hard UofU fan!

My Dad is amazing! He planned a surprise trip for my sister, Shauna to come for my birthday! I had NO idea, when she came walking through the door, wow! Thank you, all of you, who made it possible for my sister to come! Time with my big sister was just what I needed!

grandma time

2009-10-30T15:23:00.005-04:00

I am such a lucky lady! I have the most wonderful family who are willing to travel across the country when we need them. My sweet mother-in-law just spent the past 10 days here with us, and we had the best time! I cannot thank her enough for her love, support, and friendship she has shown me when I have really needed it. While I may have tears in my eyes right now, I am so grateful for the memories of this visit with her.

Dear Dena,

Telling you thank you is simply not enough to show you how grateful I am for you, and for all that you are for my family. We had such a wonderful time. Thank you....for everything.

lots of love,
Di

bed head

2009-10-09T15:55:00.001-04:00

that must have been one awesome nap!

family fun

2009-10-01T13:47:00.005-04:00

My big brother and his cute family came to visit!!! We had SO much fun, and the time went entirely too fast. I loved watching Chase with his cousins, it was adorable to see how much they love eachother. It meant so much to us that you would make the long trip across the country to see us! We love you guys!!!

Chase was snuggling with his Uncle Randall and was fast asleep in no time!

proud mama

2009-09-18T15:29:00.008-04:00

Days like these are the days I am pretty sure I have it all figured out.
Then the very next day Chase spent the majority of his day with a bucket on his head. I am reminded I really don't have it figured out at all, but that is what makes everyday so much fun. Reading books or running around with a bucket on his head, I am one proud mom who is enjoying every second with this crazy little ball of love.

i love you Chase, thanks for letting me be your mommy!

little helper

2009-09-16T08:31:00.005-04:00

I'm beginning to think we have an unusual amount of lawn mowing pictures on our blog, but these 2 are just too darn funny together. Chase has quickly decided the real lawnmower is WAY better than his bubble blowing lawnmower. He has also decided that he needs to help push it in order for the lawn mowing to actually happen. This has proven to be a very difficult task for Nate (and Mike). We squeezed him into the baby bjorn that he outgrew months ago, and we had one happy Chase, and one proud daddy!

celebrate

2009-09-14T10:57:00.004-04:00

today is a day for a big celebration! my sister has finished her last round of chemo! she has been so brave and strong in her year long fight against breast cancer. i am so proud to call her my sister.

i love you Shauna, and wish more than you know that I could be there with you tonight to join in the ice cream celebration. even though we are not there, we will be celebrating right along with you in Vermont~ you are amazing, thank you for being my big sister!

so here's to you, Shauna!

xoxoxo

i miss them

2009-09-09T20:48:00.006-04:00

tonight I am sad. I just miss my mom & dad. we were so lucky to see my parents on Monday...for a very short 6 hours in Boston. I know I should be grateful for the time I did see them, but 6 hours over the past 5 months was just not enough. I need more!

good times

2009-09-03T11:16:00.006-04:00

After dealing with a lot of drama at the boat shop, waiting for warm weather, and trying to get these busy boys away from the hospital before dark, we finally were able to get the boat back out!

Nate was one happy man skiing behind his boat!

Chase was just as happy as Nate, when he wasn't helping Uncle Tim drive the boat, Auntie Kim was feeding him.

Good times

just like daddy

2009-08-28T19:52:00.011-04:00

Trying to be like daddy is exhausting! I couldn't love these boys more if I tried! xoxoxo

rocking chair

2009-08-23T18:49:00.004-04:00

this is one lucky boy! his very talented friend Greg, made him his very own rocking chair! we are so lucky to have such amazing friends in Vermont who have loved Chase just as much as he loves them! thanks Greg!!!

goose egg

2009-08-12T16:22:00.003-04:00

I do not deserve a gold star today. I was playing with Chase and was running behind him into the family room, and well...the picture speaks for itself. He was trying to run a little too fast and fell flat on his little face. He was so sad, and so was I. Can't I just keep him in a bubble or something? :)

birthday boating

2009-08-09T20:35:00.006-04:00

Happy Birthday! For Nate's 31st birthday we took the boat out on its maiden voyage...that only lasted about 40 minutes until the boat started to smoke---a lot! We're still not really sure why, but we still managed to have such a great time. This is Nate when he made it back after being towed in by another kind boat. Saying he was sad would be grossly understated, poor birthday boy. But he is getting a new iphone for his birthday, since our iphones never recoverred from their dip in the atlantic last month. That will be sure to make him happier!

Mr. Independent! He doesn't really think he needs our help with anything anymore. He walked straight into the water until it was coming in his mouth, without any hesitation. He is our fearless little guy-we just can't get enough of him! xoxoxo

Yep, it is official...fall is making its way to New England. I was SHOCKED to see red leaves already, didn't the snow just melt? Sad.

Despite the boat dying, I had so much fun playing with my favorite boys on the beach. I could really get used to days like this!

Happy Birthday BABE! I love you!!!

2009-07-30T21:32:00.005-04:00

We have so much catching up to do, I don't even know where to begin. Summer is way too much fun to be sitting in front of the computer, so getting myself motivated to catch up on my blog has been difficult. My mom has not so subtly reminded me every day that I needed to update:)

I don't have any pics from this, but Nate and I celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary on Sunday! I love you babe! For sure, the best 8 years of my life!!!

I have been taking more video lately than pictures because Chase is just too darn funny. I have 4...that's right, 4 videos of the monster below! We think they're pretty funny!

We miss you all, and wish more than anything that you could be here to watch our little man grow! We think he is pretty amazing. I hope the videos help make it feel like we're not so far away! Come visit us!!!

he did it!

2009-07-30T21:29:00.003-04:00

We may be a little behind on the huge announcement, but on June 30th Chase finally started walking! This was the big night, too cute!

where did he go?

2009-07-30T21:17:00.004-04:00

Seriously....could he be any cuter? He is such a little ham!

mommy's little helper

2009-07-30T21:11:00.005-04:00

whatever keeps him entertained:)

no

2009-07-30T21:06:00.002-04:00

I never knew the word "no" could sound so cute!

100 miles...no problem

2009-07-11T14:18:00.008-04:00

Way to go Nate! Nate and some of his great friends just got done riding a 100 mile bike race in honor of my sister who is so courageously fighting breast cancer!

Chase was very helpful feeding his daddy oranges when we stopped to cheer him on!

But a snuggle from his best bud was all Nate needed to finish up the last 30 miles!

Way to go boys! You rock!!!

Cape Cod

2009-07-06T15:27:00.010-04:00

We were able to go down to Cape Cod for the 4th of July! I HIGHLY recommend it to everyone! Despite the big C throwing up twice on the way down, yuck...and both of our i-phones taking a dip in the ocean, we still managed to have a great trip! The entire beach was watching Chase splashing in the water, he of course loved the attention!

Poor little man was a little sick the entire time, so when he was done, he was DONE! All he wanted was his mommy, it made me smile!

We had so much fun getting out of town for the weekend! A big thanks to Kate and her family for inviting us to enjoy the 4th with them!

this and that

2009-06-30T12:57:00.008-04:00

Life has been crazy here at the Kofford Hotel. We have had three different families staying with us over the past week! Even though it has been a lot of work, we have all had such a great time. With all of the excitement going on here, my mom has reminded me that I'm falling behind on posting pictures of her Grandson!

Jump-O-Lene! Need I say more? Chase is a monkey to say the least. We got this awesome blow up toy from our neighbors who moved yesterday. Since we have a big basement without furniture, it's perfect! Chase loves it, and he is far too crazy for a 15 month old child!

Sad. We have been saying good-bye to too many of our favorite people lately. Our close friends moved back to Iceland for the next year and we can't imagine our days without them. They just left last night, and we already miss them! Chase and Freyja and too cute together. I can't wait until you guys come back!!!!

After a hard day of playing, Chase sleeps very well! I love it. His daddy does not love that he always sleeps with one, or both of his feet hanging out of the crib. It really scares Nate that his little foot will get stuck. So, when I think it's adorable and take pictures of it, Nate comes in right behind me and takes his foot out. We just love that boy!

We really don't have an awful lot going on. Nate is doing awesome at work, this is his first week flying solo as an Anesthesiologist. We play hard, laugh hard, and are just loving life!

the walk

2009-06-18T10:31:00.002-04:00

endless entertainment

2009-06-14T20:13:00.002-04:00

2009-06-03T11:34:00.001-04:00

2009-06-03T11:32:00.004-04:00

Nate finally had a much needed vacation the past 2 weeks and we had so much fun! We spent the whole time just hanging out doing things as a fam. Nate's parents were also here and it was so much fun spending time with them, and watching Chase get spoiled my his Grandparents. Thnx for coming, we had such a great time and we miss you guys already!!!

luv u hubs

2009-06-01T10:04:00.007-04:00

I am so proud of you babe! You did it, you finished intern year!!!! I have admired you every step of the way as you worked so hard with very little sleep, and a crazy number of hours. Through the exhaustion you never complained, and always came home with a smile! I love you, and I am so proud of all that you have accomplished! I know you don't like it but I'm going to say it anyways, Congratulations, Dr. Kofford!

2009-05-21T20:24:00.006-04:00

Today was full of sun and fun! We are having so much fun having Nate's parents here. Grandma even bought Chase a swimming pool today and this is pretty much how it went....

Daddy thought..."I think the best way to do this is to just put him straight into the freezing cold water!"

And this is why babies have mommies, so we can knock some sense into all the silly (in place of a not so nice word) daddies out there! I still love you babe, even if you did put Chase into the freezing water after I asked you not to. You still really are the best daddy I know!

fearless

2009-05-12T15:08:00.005-04:00

Look at what I can do!

superdad

2009-04-29T20:27:00.002-04:00

a day at the beach

2009-04-26T19:08:00.002-04:00

Hooray for the sun! I was beginning to think it had left the New England area for good. Thank goodness it found its way back! We decided to quickly take advantage of the heat and head to the beach! It was just what we all needed!

Chase of course had a blast. He held onto the little yellow shovel the entire time, anytime the shovel found its way into a different set of hands he was on a mission to get it back. At one point he even stood straight up on his own (for the first time) out of desperation to get the shovel back.

Bree and Chase are too cute. They love playing together already.

I don't think we have felt this refreshed in months. Crazy Nate even took a dip with some of the VanBibber girls in the freezing ocean!

Oh and Nate's sister Michelle is visiting! Hooray for Michelle. She came on Thursday and we have managed to go the entire time without taking a single picture....sad. We have had so much fun having her here, we don't want to let her go!

2009-04-13T20:35:00.006-04:00

We have had such a fun time the past 10 days! My parents came to visit and we loved every minute of it. Chase ate up every hug, kiss, and all the fun. He LOVES his Nan & Bop.

Chase says, thanks Nan for loving me so much! I loved all of your snuggles, and the funny noises you taught me to make. I had so much fun and I miss you already!

Thanks Bop! I had so much fun riding around in the wheelbarrow with you. I thought it was so funny. I will miss hearing you come up the stairs every morning calling my name! Thanks for all of the fun, I love and miss you!

Easter was kind of cold in Vermont-surprise, surprise! But we still managed to have a quick Easter egg hunt at the VanBibber's. Chase found his 2 eggs and he was happy with that. He is so stinking cute.

The HAIRCUT! Well, Chase's beautiful hair has really been growing lately. We decided after he turned one we would get his hair cut. He was able to wear a cool cape, hold a comb, and even sit in his daddy's lap. That wasn't good enough! He was MAD! I'm not sure if he was mad at the girl cuting his hair, or if he was mad at how she combed his hair before she cut it? In any case, he cried the entire time. Where was his Auntie Cassie when he needed her? We found out after that he probably just really didn't feel well. He ended up really sick the next day, which led to RSV. We had a scary week with a sick little guy, but he is a fighter and has gotten much better. I love my little guy, he is just the best!

I miss you Mom & Dad! Thanks for visiting, you guys are the best!

xoxoxoxo

party time

2009-03-22T20:37:00.009-04:00

We had such a fun day yesterday celebrating Chase's 1st birthday superhero style! His super talented Auntie Angie made Chase, Nate, and Chase's friends superhero capes. They all looked so stinking cute.

We got Chase this super cool bike. He LOVES it. There is a harness and a bar that goes around him while he is small, and then we he is bigger you can take that off and it is a little trike. Seriously cute, and seriously smart.

I am one lucky mommy! I just love him to pieces.

Chase devoured his birthday cupcake. While he was enjoying every last crumb, his little feet were kicking with excitement. We all had a great day! Thank you to all of you that came to celebrate with us!

Happy 1st Birthday Chase!!!

2009-03-20T12:04:00.001-04:00

2009-03-20T11:03:00.005-04:00

I don't know how it has happened, but somehow an entire year has gone by since we had our little Chase. I know every parent probably feels similarly, but I am shocked at how quickly this year went by. I cannot put into words how much I have treasured each day I have been so lucky to have with Chase. He is such a blessing to us, and I feel honored to be his mom.

Tomorrow marks one year since we met our little guy, and what a wonderful year we have had. It was full of fun, a lot of learning, fear, love, and whole lot of hugs and kisses. If this year with him is any indication of how wonderful the rest of our lives will be together, I can't wait!

I love you Chase, and I wish you all the happiness your little heart desires. Happy Birthday!!!!

For Nan

2009-03-18T08:45:00.007-04:00

Dear Nan,

My mommy told me how much you miss me, so I wanted to tell you all of the fun things I have been up to lately! I have been learning something new everyday! It has been warming up here and I was finally able to go outside and play in the grass. I had a lot of fun, but the cars driving by were big and scary! I crawl all over the place, mostly trying to get things I shouldn't like cords, lamps, or Macey's water bowl. After a day in my life of crawling, playing, and fun, I am so tired that I fall asleep sitting up. My mommy and daddy think I am the best thing there ever was, but they may be biased. I cannot wait to see you in a couple of weeks! I miss you, and love you Nan!

Awesome Possum

2009-03-07T17:32:00.004-05:00

Whoever came up with that saying, "awesome possum" clearly has never had a possum living in their garage. Yuck yuck yuck. When we got home last night, this not so little creature was in our garage. He was very comfortable there, and it took a lot of manipulating to get him to leave. Thankfully the VanBibers were here and willing to help....because we all know I was not anywhere near this gross little thing. I didn't think it could have gotten much worse than the mouse problem of 07', but I think it just did!

what makes us happy

2009-03-01T18:17:00.008-05:00

Chase is happy when he eats his daddy's yummy spaghetti!

Mommy is happy after bath time!

Daddy is happy when his garage is clean after he mops it...that's right, he mops our garage!

Watch out world, here I come

2009-02-25T18:21:00.004-05:00

It finally happened, Chase learned to crawl!

We were beginning to think he was going to skip crawling and go straight to walking, since he is 11 months old. Yesterday he figured out he can not only crawl backwards, but he can crawl forward as well. This new discovery has made him a very happy little boy, and me a very happy mom! While I was making dinner tonight he crawled into the kitchen to see me....melted my heart. Now we need to baby proof the house!

Water Baby

2009-02-25T14:30:00.005-05:00

Don't you just want to squeeze him? He is so cute. This boy LOVES the water!

Ice Skating Pros

2009-02-07T15:49:00.001-05:00

2009-02-07T15:35:00.004-05:00

So, it is really cold here! Really, really cold. This weekend we're having a mini "heatwave" in the upper 20's. Hooray. Nate finally had a full day off so we all layered up and headed out for some ice skating with the VanBibers! Nate and I are not super graceful when it comes to the ice, but we still had a lot of fun! You would be proud Dad! Chase had such a great time cruising around in his stroller and sled. He is just getting more fun everyday!

Our 2008

2009-01-26T10:46:00.018-05:00

The year of 2008 was a crazy one full of fun, many new adventures, a lot of changes, and we wouldn't have it any other way!

It was a long road to get here, but worth every step of the way! This was 5 days before I had Chase, I was one hot mama!

We are moving where? Nate matched at Dartmouth for his residency, I was a little shocked. It was a very exciting day, which led to me going into labor a few short hours later!

On March 21st at 12:28pm we finally met our little angel! This was the best day of our year.

Chase smiled for the first time on Mother's Day-and we were able to get a picture of it! I couldn't have asked for more on my first Mother's Day!

In May Nate graduated from Medical School! After 10 years at the UofU he graduated with a Bachelors degree in French Literature, and Masters in Science and Public Health, and then finally Medical School! He rocks.

After a red-eye flight with my mom, Chase, and Macey we finally arrived to our new life in Vermont....and this is what it looked like! Yikes. Thankfully my mom is amazing and we had it looking like home in no time!

I love this picture. Chase never cries like this, but when I tried to feed him cereal for the first time I think I broke his heart.

It was SO much fun taking Chase to the ocean for the first time. He loved digging his toes into the sand and getting all dirty! Halloween is so much more fun when you have a little one! Chase loved his Halloween costume. Anytime we put it on he would just laugh right along with us! He made the cutest elephant. He also makes one cute little Santa!

I can honestly say 2008 has been the greatest year yet!

SNOW!

2009-01-19T16:31:00.001-05:00

2009-01-19T16:22:00.003-05:00

After a week mostly spent below zero, we finally had a nice "warm" day! We quickly took advantage of having the option to go outside and went sledding! Chase wasn't super crazy about it, but as always he was a very good sport. He is just the best!

Back to the 80's

2009-01-15T12:52:00.010-05:00

So, I am not one to normally rush into doing something. I usually think about it, and analyze the pros and cons way longer than anyone ever should. Well, I have just been reminded that there is a reason I do not rush into things....this is what can happen!

No, I am not trying to give my son "steps", it just sort of happened? I thought to myself, "how hard can it be to just trim around his ears"? I went for it, completely forgetting he is 9 months old! I think it's obvious I am not meant to cut hair! I am sorry Chase-I promise to never cut your hair again! It's a good thing you're so cute, maybe nobody will notice :(

Isn't It Ironic?

2009-01-13T10:44:00.006-05:00

If you know me you know that my BIGGEST pet peeve is to hear people chew their food. Having "bionic ears" as Nate likes to call them, is a Gorham Family curse. If in our company you chew loudly, or with your mouth open, you will surely have the eye of death starring down on you from any and all Gorham's. I feel badly that it bothers me so much, but it is what it is.

How can I LOVE to listen to Chase chew. There is nothing sweeter to me than the sound of him enjoying every bite. The sound of the little crunch he makes with his 2 teeth melts my heart every time. He also loves to hum when he chews, just like his daddy! I think it is ironic that our little ones can do the very thing we dislike the most and make it something beautiful.

There Is No Place Like Home

2009-01-05T20:22:00.001-05:00

2009-01-05T20:16:00.003-05:00

We were so lucky to go home for 2 weeks over the holidays this year. We had so much fun, and our time with family went by entirely to fast! We were able to cram a lot into the time we had together, and we all came home exhausted. We were able to see everyone in our families, except for Angie and her family, we missed you guys! Thank you all for making our time there so special, we had so much fun and the memories of Chase's first Christmas are priceless. And a special thanks to Nan & Bop for bringing us home! We already miss you, and can't wait for anyone to come visit us!

Let It Snow

2008-12-17T11:16:00.012-05:00

There is nothing better than watching Chase experience something for the first time! I decided to take advantage of the beautiful snowfall we are getting today and go play in the snow with my favorite little guy. He loved it! It was so much fun to watch a snowflake land on his face and he would giggle and kick. I love this boy, and I am so happy I get to be his mom and watch him experience all of these "firsts"

Nate's Turn

2008-12-13T11:24:00.005-05:00

My sweet husband, he really had no idea what was ahead of him! Nate had surgery on his nose Friday. He had a number of things they fixed, the big one was to repair his deviated septum, and as his surgeon said, what looked like "multiple fractures". I can only imagine how Nate was as a child, and how he went about getting these multiple fractures. Let me just preface this with Nate has never had surgery, stitches, or has never really experienced any significant amount of pain. As we were waiting for his surgery, Nate was making plans with all of his buddies for the weekend, like having breakfast Saturday morning, and going to our Ward Christmas Party Saturday night. I was silently laughing in the corner knowing he was up in the night with his expectations! But as we all know Nate is the eternal optimist.

Well...I don't really need to say, we missed breakfast! The poor guy finally woke up from his anesthesia around 6pm, and he was in a lot of pain. The pain meds weren't working for him which led to several other problems. They ended up admitting him for the night while they were able to get him feeling a little better . We are so happy we were able to bring him home today, our house feels very empty without him. We love you Nate!!!!

Boston Boy

2008-12-10T20:49:00.005-05:00

Nate and his fellow interns all had the day off on Monday so we all took advantage of the time and drove down to Boston. Unfortunately, we went on the coldest day of the year (really the coldest day I have ever experienced in my life) to go. When we left it was a toasty 3 degrees and never really climbed up much past 10 degrees. It was FREEZING.

This picture is at the top of the Prudential Building which is I think the tallest building in Boston. It was a clear day so we were able to see the entire city. Chase really liked looking out the windows and decided it would be fun to repeatedly jump towards the window on the 50th floor. Boston is such a great city, we had so much fun! And if anyone ever comes and visits us, we can go and have some fun in Boston too!:)

Better late than never

2008-12-01T12:44:00.009-05:00

Since most of our friends ended up working on Thanksgiving, we had our Thanksgiving on Sunday where we managed to get 13 of us together on one night! We had so much fun, and the food was delicious!

Our boys are so good to us, they even cleaned up dinner! Some were less happy about it than others! :)

The girls, enjoying relaxing while the boys cleaned up the MESS! We really weren't sure what we should do since we are always the ones in the kichen. It was a real treat!

Chase LOVES his spatula. It is his only "toy" he cares about. He never drops it, and even falls asleep holding it! What a goof.

We are so lucky to live 15 minutes from where Joseph Smith was born. It is one of the most beautiful settings I have ever seen. Every year they do a lighting ceremony that they compare to Temple Square (they clearly have never been to temple square with the Christmas lights!). We went up in the 20 degree freezing cold weather and enjoyed a small taste of home watching the lights turn on, and the live nativity scene.

Chase didn't really enjoy it as much as we did, but he was a good sport!

Mirror, mirror on the wall

2008-12-01T12:35:00.004-05:00

He is so adorable. As you can see, he loves watching himself in his mirror. He will sit admiring himself and then lean in and kiss the mirror. He is such a little ham!!!

Are we having fun yet?

2008-11-28T16:28:00.004-05:00

When I saw this gingerbread house kit I was so excited at the thought of sitting down as family and making it together. Then I remembered I am the wife of a resident and more often than not Chase and I are the only 2 available for such things. So we set up the tripod and the "fun" began.

It all came in a nice ORGANIZED package, just the way I like it. If it only could have stayed organized, and if only Chase would have had the slightest amount of interest in a gingerbread house.....

Even though it was a mess, Nate couldn't be here, and Chase could have cared less, these are the memories I'm thankful for! So there it is, our first and probably only gingerbread house!!!

My brave boy!

2008-11-25T16:35:00.003-05:00

Chase is a rockstar! He was so brave and faced today with a lot of smiles and giggles for all of the OR. As you can see he handled today better than his mommy! The surgery went well, and we're all happy to be home with our favorite little guy.

Splish splash I was taking a bath

2008-11-23T13:19:00.008-05:00

I love this boy! Every now and then something happens that makes me stop and think about how quickly Chase is growing. This week was a big one. He grew out of his car seat, he now sits up in his bouncy seat so we had to put it in storage, and he started to put sounds together in an adorable attempt to talk.

I am feeling this overwhelming desire to protect him. I don't want him to tip over and bump his head, even though that is how he learns. I don't want anyone to take his toys, even though he just sits and smiles at the theif. :) All of these thoughts and feelings are creeping in on me as my baby, the one I'm supposed to protect is getting ready for surgery on Tuesday. Yes, the surgery is minor, but it is MY baby so it is huge to me. It is breaking my heart knowing that my sweet little boy has to go through this, and I can't do anything to prevent it. I know it is probably very silly to let myself get this worked up, but for now I just am. He is our greatest blessing, and I love this little guy more than I ever knew was possible. Just look at that face, how can you not just smile?

Tagged

2008-11-17T20:27:00.005-05:00

TV shows I like to watch

1. Desperate Housewives
2. The Office
3. Boston Legal
4. Gilmore Girls
5. America's Funniest Home Videos

Things that happened to me yesterday

1. I turned 26!!
2. Nate was on call so I spent most of the day sad I was by myself on my birthday
3. Watched a movie about the Holocaust and stopped feeling sad for myself
4. Had a birthday dinner and cake with my favorite VanBiber family
5. Took a nice and long bath to relax my aging body!

Favorite places to eat

1. Happy Sumo
2. Cafe Rio
3. Cheesecake Factory
4. Macaroni Grill
5. Taco Bell

Things I am looking forward to

1. Our first Christmas with Chase
2. Nates next day off
3. Visiting UTAH and all of the people we love there!
4. The year 2012 when Nate will finally be done with Residency
5. Decorating my house for Christmas, which I do way too early according to Nate

Things on my wish list...where do I even begin

1. Warm clothes...it's really cold here
2. New countertops, mine are currently green--very green
3. A new carseat for Chase
4. Nice fluffy carpet
5. PJ's, I have a new obsession

People I tag

1. Steph
2. Vanessa
3. Mom
4. Angie
5. Shauna

Di's Surprise Birthday Party

2008-11-15T16:06:00.001-05:00

Chewy

2008-11-01T20:44:00.003-04:00

Life is so much fun when you're an Elephant

2008-10-30T12:30:00.001-04:00

Is that a dog?

2008-10-27T10:46:00.003-04:00

Chase has found his new best friend! I don't think he really knew this was a dog, I don't really think I even believe it was a dog. Regardless of what we think, I have never seen Chase get so excited. He nearly jumped out of my lap when he saw her come cruising around the corner. I don't think the love was mutual between the 2 but Chase didn't seem care!

Lets give it another try...

2008-10-20T15:19:00.003-04:00

After our first attempt of feeding Chase food I was very nervous to give it another try. We got all set up, the bib, the camera, the video camera, and of course the bananas! Not sure what kind of reaction we would get this time, we just went for it! This is one happy boy, who LOVES food! We really had nothing to worry about, other than getting the next bite into his mouth fast enough!

Way to go Chase! He has ventured on from bananas now, and he even had some of his daddy's pumpkin pie last night. I don't know if we'll ever get him to eat baby food again!:)

Maybe next time?

2008-10-12T20:09:00.013-04:00

Let me just start with saying there are very few things in the world that Chase doesn't like, and there are even fewer things that he dislikes enough to make him cry. Apparently lying in a pile of leaves is just one of those things....

Smiling or crying he is just so stinking cute, and we just can't get enough of him. I had no idea life could ever be this much fun!

Weekend Fun in New England

2008-10-06T13:04:00.001-04:00