Summer/Fall 2011

Obviously it's time for an update of some sort. So, here's is 2011 mostly in pictures. I'm horrible at keeping promises, so I won't promise to try and be better at updating. But I will try harder this year.

So we'll start with summer. Wanting to take a mini vacation, we went up to Lake George for the week and had a nice family camping experience. Ethan fully embraced the camping, to the extent of not waiting to walk the 25 ft to the bathroom from our campsite. The trees are right here, so why not?  We also traveled to see my cousin and her family who was visiting at my grandparents camp.  And last but not least, Magic Forest. That had just enough rides to keep Ethan running in circles as well as completely exhaust him. We lost a sleeping bag on the drive home, but were able to recover it from the highway.
Can't wait to do it again this year........
We went apple picking with Erik's mom, my Aunt and cousins. Made out like bandits and the boys had so much fun running throughout the orchard with an apple in each hand. Ethan and Lukas would constantly find an apple that was better than the one they were eating. Discard that one and pick a new one.
My friend Rachael and her kids, Noel and Ty went Trick or Treating with Ethan this year. Ethan had originally wanted to be a big cheese ball, but when he saw that Sophia was a pumpkin, he changed his mind at the last minute. So I had to glue a pumpkin face onto his cheese ball costume. Apart from being frigid outside, the kids had a ton of fun.
When we went up to visit, we stopped by so that Erik could see his Grandma who is in a Nursing Home now. She has Alzheimer's and it has progressed to the point that she thinks Erik is Ethan's age. She studied him for a long time when we visited. She seemed ok and I'm sure it was only because Gail was there to help jog her memory. She has no memory of me or her great Grand kids. I was just a nice lady taking pictures.
One of our newest favorite places to hike is at the Pine Bush Preserve in Albany. On the last hike I went there, I twisted my ankle severely. It's just now getting back to normal and I am excited to get revenge on that tree root.

At the beach with my little cousins.

Sophia and Celeste, not quite sure what to think of the "other" baby.

Eriks birthday

Going Trick or Treating with Noel and Ty

The Cohoes Falls overwhelmed with water.

Ethan painting his pumpkin.

Out for a hike at the Pine Bush Preserve.

Visiting Erik's Grandma at the Nursing Home.

Ethan found pumpkins.

Apple Picking at Lindseys Orchard

With my cousins Tomas

and Lukas.

Loving the apples.

Two of the silliest boys you will ever meet.

Playing video games.

Relaxing in the hammock.

A family of four

A lot of people have been asking if we're done having kids, I keep telling them number three is still on the table for bargaining.

Sophia has been such a different baby compared to Ethan.

Ethan was just interested in basic baby stuff, eating, sleeping, pooping, and repeat until he was about two months old. He also grew two inches and gained almost two pounds in his first month. He is now matched height for weight at 40lbs and 40.5 inches. As wonderful as it is, it has made a heck out of buying carseats, since he is at the weight limit for most harness boosters. Money Money Money..........

Sophia has already passed her birth weight and is probably going to be 8lbs by one month. I'm hoping. She is so quiet compared to Ethan. She hardly cries, but she grunts a lot and is a very noisy sleeper. She has already started the quiet alert periods, where she likes to look around and just take it all in. I can only imagine what she is thinking. 
I've already put a bow headband on her for a outing to a friends bridal shower and I recently purchased AIO pocket cloth diapers for her, all in girl colors and patterns.  It is so much harder than I thought it was going to be. I always told myself I wouldn't give in to all the frills and bows if I had a daughter. She has an outfit that has ruffle butt. I'm so ashamed, my past self would slap her forehead and sigh. There are some things I won't go so far as to do, but I'll cave in for ruffle butt.

A tiny daughter

Sophia Diedrich Gagnon born Feb 27, 2011 at 3:55am.

January fun

Sorry I haven't updated the family one in a while, I hate to say it but we really haven't been doing too much. Between all the snow and me being huge with baby, there hasn't been much going on. So I thought I'd just post a couple pictures.


Ethan being a zombie and prepared to attack daddy.

We went to Treepaad in Ballston Lake and Ethan had so much fun. 

 They had ballshooters that shoot 'apple' balls up into the air.

 They also had ball guns that you could put the balls in and shoot into the air.

One of the many snowstorms we've had.

 At carousal at the State Museum.

 Learning about time with Daddy.