The End of an Era...

With over 9 years of Andy driving to 3M Hutchinson, today he drove there his last time in the same polo he started with!  He was greeted with this:

This blog more often serves the purpose of tracking our family vacations and documenting our kids growing up.  But none of the vacations or my beautiful boys would have been possible without my wonderful husband and his hard work at the amazing 3M company.

Yes, he will still be with 3M and we are grateful for that, but he said it so poignantly last night:

It was this company that moved us to Hutch,
That allowed us to buy this house,
That we came home to as a married couple,
That we carried in worn out suitcases and jet lagged bodies from adventures,
That we first brought our Croix Boy home too and,
We carried our other greatest loves Declan and Evan into this home first.

Thank you 3M Hutch and from the bottom of my heart, thank you Andy.  I love you more than words can say!  Here's to our next adventure!

What he was greeted with when he got home from his last day with a four minute commute :)

And because I still can't resist my cute kids... Declan had fun this week honoring the last blue rolls of tape Andy got for us to paint some rooms in our new home!  

Tunnels, Towers, "Owie wrapper", and this YouTube Rolling races video!

PGA: Evan's first vacation!

6 hours each way in a car constitutes that it is a vacation for me.  But the word vacation with two small children has a very different look now than sleeping in from late nights of drinks by the beach/pool! 

It meant being asleep by 10 and awake at 630 (except in-laws took Declan out Saturday morning after his 530 wakeup and Andy, Evan and I slept til 715!!)  But we had a wonderful time at the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits and relaxing at the hotel. Declan's favorite place by far was the pool and he made 4 trips to it!!

Other highlights include Declan loving playing games and reading I Spy books!  And Evan had his first smiles!!  

Dear Evan, You're a MONTH old today!

All fancy in your One Month tie sticker from DeRocks!  Thanks friends! 

Dear Evan, You're a MONTH old today!

I'm very excited to be writing you your first letter!  We have written your brother letters too and plan to do the same for you!  I know at times in your life, as all siblings are, inevitably you will be compared to your brother.  But Evan, you are already my precious youngest son and I can't wait to see how different and marvelous you will be!  Though people have been asking and commenting how much you look like newborn Declan, here you both are at 3 weeks.  Definitely can see you're brothers, but you have your own look of blue blue BIG eyes, blond BLOND thick hair and your own sweet nose!

 

The month has flown by!  At times it has been a blur being a little more sleep deprived then normal and busy with "the work" getting ready for our family's move to Oakdale, MN and selling our home.  However, I have made sure to take time everyday to just sit here and stare at you and let time go slow... because I now truly know how fast it goes!  In those moments, and getting you dressed and diaper changes,  I see how you have already gotten so big and are filling out your newborn clothes which need to get packed away already! :(  

This is the house you came home to from the Hutchinson Hospital and where we'll always remember the first few months with you.  It will be sad for us to leave this house we brought home Croix, Declan and you home to!  Your first month we have enjoyed just being in town in Hutchinson with one trip to Chisago.  You have gone on lots of walks and parks with Declan and Croix and had your cousins from Omaha visit with a trip to the Mall of America!

But before I probably write you your next letter we will be moving into this house in Oakdale, MN!  It will be the home you remember growing up in and we are so excited for our new memories there!  You were a great house hunter with Mom and Dad and helped us look at almost 20 houses! You knew this was the one for us too because it was one of the few you woke up in!   We close Sept 21st and will probably move you boys into it in early October!

Here are some other facts about you right now:  

Age: 1 month... but your appt was at almost 3 weeks on 7/27 (and you next one won't be til 2 months now!)

Weight:   9 lbs 7 oz!   I bet your are well over 10lb 8 oz now!  You are a champ eater!

Length:   21 1/2 " 

Head:  14 1/4"

Feats/Mobility: You are competing well against your brother in being a great night sleeper but I think you are stronger and more alert than he was!  You have been rolling over when you don't feel like tummy time, but overall you like being on your tummy and take a nap or two a day on your tummy!  Your head is getting pretty strong but you still need our support most moments!  But you like standing with your legs!  Declan likes doing exercises with you and sings songs with me as we bend your knees and clap your hands!   It is also clockwork that you get hiccups when Daddy is holding you!   You also are the loudest grunter and eater ever!

Likes: Being snuggled.  You like it a lot more then Declan when you are getting tired and falling asleep.  But you like sleep too, and you sleep from 9:30-10 to 2:30-3 every night and I like that too!  Momma's voice... you calm when you hear me if you were not happy! 

Dislikes: Getting into your car seat or being in a moving car, stroller, carrier all day...Well maybe I just don't like that because 3 times we have had busy days, you have had very rough evenings at home!  You spit up anytime I try and give you your Vitamin D medicine... so ya... I'm just taking you in the sun now! ;)  And a nook/pacifier... Tried a few different kinds and you just don't like them so one less problem later to 

 I can't wait until you smile at us and start babbling to your brother!  He is excited for you to get more exciting!  But actually... I can wait and plan to go back to staring at you when you wake from this nap... As a lady at your 3 week Dr. Appt commented to me in the waiting room...She always asked God why the first 2 snuggle months didn't last a whole year!!

Evan, I love you so much for all that you are, and all that you're yet to be,

Mommy