Has it really been that long? We can see how it is that the first-born baby is in upwards of 500 pictures from the first month of his/her life and following siblings are lucky to have their heads chopped off in about four. Time has been very full and demanding of us, and the camera that broke/got fixed broke once again in the interim. Excuses aside, here is the update....

Today is the first day back to school for Dave and it was a toughy. Two heavenly weeks (packed nonetheless with things to-do) we hope for a good start back and for tranquil and sweet third-graders sitting with their hands folded, ears attentive, in his classroom. Can you hear the peals of laughter?

Matthew continues to grow taller and smarter (perhaps more mischevious?). He can speak several words now: fish, dog, duck, baby, up, dad. He makes sounds for other words: bear (growl), truck (brrr), plane (pshhh). He can also speak a few sign-language words, which makes life a bit easier around here: eat, drink, and more. He is a good little boy, not really quite a baby any more, especially in t-shirts and shorts rather than onesies. Matt is still not a great napper, but we are spoiled with his sleeping at night. He has aversions to creepy things like lizards and bugs, but once YOU touch them, he sometimes will. He LOVES fish, planes, trucks, and christmas ornaments, and will eat just about any fruit but few veggies. He really is a charmer, and we hear that from others, so we know it's not just that we are biased.

Lori is growing ever-bigger with baby B on the way. No we still do not know if we are having a girl or a boy, and no we will not know until he or she is born. Due date is April 7th, so we are about 3 months away from baby time. Work is so good, and we are about to launch into the "busy" season (winter in Florida), which inevitably means more to do and to think about. If you live in town, check out our website and blog to see what's coming and know that you are warmly invited to take part in our parish's activities. (links at left in the menu).

The last few weeks have been full of family and friends and our home has felt warm and cozy with their laughter and conversations. If you visited and are reading this - thank you for coming!

From November:









From December:

About 5 months along




Mixing and Stirring


Balls bounce...and so do checks!


Child Labor Laws Poster Child






In case he falls over:




Bird wind chime present




Psh rug (fish rug)


Elmo books (with psh in them)










And a video from Sept (visit to St Louis):



Peace and joy to you in the new year,
The Crawfords

17 weeks

We don't have any new photos to share yet, but a little fun news...Lori felt baby move for the first time last night. Tiny little kicks really low on the abdomen. They were really sporadic and small, so Dave did not get kicked yet. Lori's been anxiously waiting for the first movements, and so it was a really exciting moment for her.

This is from the weekly email on the progress of the wee one:
Your baby's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord — her lifeline to the placenta — is growing stronger and thicker. Your baby weighs 5 ounces now (about as much as a turnip), and she's around 5 inches long from head to bottom. She can move her joints, and her sweat glands are starting to develop.

Does anyone even like turnips?

xoxo

First Bday

Are we overdue for a post? Yes!!! The camera that broke then got fixed, decided to break again, and right in time for Matthew's first "real" steps and his birthday. Yes, we the parents have photographically missed out on crucial baby moments. Thank goodness for Uncle James who, on his visit to see us took a gaggle of pictures, including enough on the actual birthday to (hopefully) fulfill all your dreams. :) All the pics you see here are courtesy of Uncle James Photography.


Birthday cake was not as interesting as two fig newtons. Easy to please, that's our son!





















(Culvers - recognize the pumpkin? From gradeschool days!!!)











Teddy bear from Nana Inez - fun story, the bear talks when you press its hand...when we pressed it for the first time, Matt dove for Lori's pockets, we assume thinking that the voice was coming from a cell phone. So cute!!


These are not all the presents Matt opened, just the ones we currently have pictures for. Thank you to all y'all, so generous and thoughtful. You'll be getting thank-you notes when Matt learns how to hold a pencil. :)

With love and big boy wishes,
Lori Dave and Matt

Wave "hi"

This is the first vid we caught of little one waving hi...



And the first to catch wee one getting ready for football season:

Swimming with the fishies

Finally the camera cord was found (thank you Dave) and the camera error has been fixed (thank you canon bloggers). Here are some fun pics from our aquarium visit last weekend:









with love-
the c's