A change of plans

Our Christmas vacation plans have been fluid, to say the least.  Our initial plans were to go to Tennessee and see Mimi and Poppy on December 23.  Aunt Janet and Uncle Jarett's daughter, Macy, was going to be dedicated at Mimi and Poppy's church during the Christmas Eve service, much like how Jack and Mark were last year.  Well, plans change.  On Tuesday the 21st, we got a call from daycare saying that Mark had a temperature of 102.4.  He had come down with a virus.  We then found out the next day it was a stomach virus, for sure.  Mommy had a sinus cold that formed also on the 21st that didn't start getting better till the 27th.  Then, Jack got the stomach virus on Christmas night.  And then Daddy had a small stomach virus on the 27th.  It has not been a place where visitors need to come at all.  We couldn't even go out and enjoy the 7.5 inches of snow as we had sick kids.  What a bummer.   Finally, today the 28th, we can see the end of the light.  Everyone is improving and our plan now is to go see Mimi and Poppy tomorrow for a few days.

Waiting for Santa

On Christmas Eve, we asked Jack and Mark what they wanted to leave Santa Claus to eat and drink when he stopped by later that night.  Definitely they wanted to leave some milk, but they couldn't decide on one type of cookie/snack, so they both picked their favored snack.  Santa had the pleasure of eating some Gerber Arrowroot Cookies, which are basically shortbread cookies, as well as some Gerber yogurt melts, which is simply freeze dried yogurt.  Here is a picture of them right before they went to bed:

Uhh, boys.  Save the cookies for Santa.

Who has a stinky diaper?

One of the funniest things we have seen lately is the following.  One afternoon Daddy smelled a dirty diaper.  So with the boys not wearing a onesie, we just looked down in the diaper to see who needs a change.  Well, after I checked Mark, he proceeded to do the same thing to Jack.  They both thought it was hilarious.  For the next 5 minutes, they took turns check each other's diapers.

Jack, do you need a diaper change?  - Mark

Christmas with Granna and Grandpa

Our plans for Christmas break were to go see Mimi and Poppy, along with our aunt, uncle, and cousins in Kingsport on Thursday the 23rd.  So on Tuesday, we had Christmas celebration with Granna and Grandpa.  Unfortunately, earlier that day we got a call from daycare that Mark had a 102.4 degree temperature.  At the doctor's office, we found out that Mark had a virus.  And Heather had recently started getting a sinus cold.  So, our plans to go to Kingsport on Thursday were beginning to be put on hold.

Anyway back to the Christmas with Granna and Grandpa.  The boys enjoyed most of the gifts they received.  They did throw to the floor the clothes they got, like all children do.  Out of all of the gifts, the ones they liked the best were the following:

• Thomas the Train dinner set (plate, cup, and bowl)
• A box of spoons
• Curious George Jack in the Box

Here are a couple of pictures from the night:

So many presents, we don't know which one to play with. 

Jack in the box?  I love it!  Get it Jack?  Jack...in the box!  Haha!!! - Mark

I love Christmas!  I am definitely Santa's little helper!  - Mark

Daddy, all this wrapping paper needs to go.  Let's clean up so I can play!  - Jack

Ladies, don't I look good as Santa's Helper with the ribbon around my neck?  - Mark

I love my brother.

Thanks GG for our teddy bears.

First Basketball game

Today, the boys attended their first ever basketball game.  NC State was playing Arizona in a late afternoon tipoff at the RBC Center.  Early in the game, the boys just were a little overwhelmed at everything going on.  They basically just watched the basketball game.  They just sat on our laps and were very still.  For the majority of the first half, they just sat pretty still and watched everything around them.  At halftime, it was dinner time.  So we pulled out a healthy dose of carrots, peas, blueberries, and crackers for them in separate ziploc bags.  By the time we got to their favorite dessert, cheese puffs, there was about 10 minutes left in the game. 

The boys started getting a little restless just sitting in our laps, but overall they did very good.  The fans around us absolutely loved them.  In fact, there is a family of four (2 college age daughters now) that has sat next to us for the last 10 years.  They told Heather on the way that one of the daughters was hoping that the babies would be at the game.  She even took a picture of the boys to send to her sister, who is a freshman at State and was sitting in the student section. 

Unfortunately, their first college basketball experience did not end great as the Wolfpack had a very cold shooting second half and lost to Arizona 72-62.  Here is a picture of us at the game:

Everyone enjoying the boys' first basketball game.

Gingerbread House

Yesterday, we went to a neighbor's house for a Gingerbread House party for all of the children in the subdivision.  When we got there, the hostess had about 25 gingerbread house frames made.  They were in the dining room, kitchen table, and living rooms.  She had multiple tables that had the candy that would be used for the houses.  The boys had a lot of fun making their first gingerbread house.  Here they are with their house:

This is one good looking house.  Not too bad for 17 month old kids, don't you think.

Mark enjoyed making the house.  He also liked the icing.

Jack looks at his gingerbread house creation in awe and wonder.

Going to see Santa

Saturday morning we went to see Santa Claus.  We had to stand in line for over a hour to see the big guy.  By the time we got to the front of the line, the boys were pretty tired. 

We can't see him yet?!?  Ugh.  I'm taking a nap.  Come on Jack, take a nap with me. - Mark

We didn't know how the boys would do when they saw Santa for the first time.

Would they:

A)  Sit on his lap and smile
B)  Sit on his lap and look serious
C)  Sit on his lap and cry
D)  Not want to sit on Santa's lap...and cry.

If you chose D, you would be correct.  When we tried to put the boys on Santa's lap, both Jack and Mark cried real loud.  As soon as we let them sit on our laps instead of his, they were fine. So this year, we have a family portrait with Santa.

The boys tell Santa what they want for Christmas.

The first ever Santa picture for the DeVault family.

Bath time

One of Jack and Mark's favorite things each day is taking a bath.  They have a lot of fun in the tub with all of their toys, not to mention splashing.  Check out this video:

Christmas party at daycare

On Friday afternoon, the teachers at daycare threw a Christmas party for the children and their parents.  There was food and drinks for everyone.  All the children seemed to really enjoy the party.  They played in the room showing what fun things they do.  Jack and Mark really enjoyed going down the slide.  They also liked to take the seats and move them around the room...and then move them back to where they were.  They laughed a lot when playing with the other kids.  Everyone had a great time.  The teachers gave the boys a gift bag that included a book, a cup, and some bubbles.  Here are some pictures from the party:

Look at the boys in their cute outfits before going to daycare.

"Brothers don't shake hands.  Brothers gotta hug!"  - Chris Farley, RIP, from the movie "Tommy Boy."

Mark and Jack enjoy giving hugs to each other.

The whole family at the Christmas party at daycare.

Jack and Mark heard that more drink was on the way so they are finishing up their cup so they can get more.

Watch out Daddy!  Now it is time to play!  Get out of our way!

As most of the class plays on the slide, the boys are content to move seats around.  I guess it is to get ready for Monday.

Mark enjoys going down the slide.

So does Jack, although he went down a little more cautiously than his brother.

Here are their teachers:  Bridget, Sheila, and Charles.  The boys don't seen too excited.  We can understand why.  We just told them it was about time to leave.

Daycare video

At daycare today, one of the boys' teachers took a video with her cell phone of the kids in the class and emailed it to the parents.  It is a Quicktime video so you need to make sure that Quicktime is installed.  Here is the video:

Trip to Mama and Papa

This past weekend, Heather and her parents took the boys to Gastonia to see Mama and Papa, as well as Uncle Roger and everyone.  Craig had to work on Friday and drove down on Saturday.  Jack and Mark had a really good time with everyone, especially their cousin Evianna, who is Uncle Roger's four-year old granddaughter.

We went and saw some relatives who really enjoyed seeing Jack and Mark.  Here are some pictures of the boys at their great-grandparents:

Dude, check out what is over there in the corner.  That looks like fun to play with.

Evianna hangs out with her cousins.  She smiles for the camera while the boys are still deciding whether or not to play with the item they are staring at in the corner.

The Dentist Visit

At the boys one year checkup, the doctor told us we needed to take the boys to the dentist sometime between 15-24 months.  So, we got them an appointment for last Thursday.  The dentist office has a time set aside for new patients.  We joined 3 other families who had an appointment at the same time.  The dentists went over their philosphies as well as things we should be doing at home with Jack and Mark.

The boys did really well at the dentist.  They were able to walk around and play with some of the toys that the dentist office had.  Then the dentists looked at each of the boys teeth, and all looked well.

Here are a couple of pictures from the visit:

Mark shows his smile for the dentist.  He really likes the chair.

Jack looks up and is wondering if he has to brush his teeth with that big toothbrush.

Jack smiles for the camera before the dentist checks his teeth.

Mommy and Jack at the dentist.

What we found out 2 years ago

Two years ago today on December 2, 2008, our prayers were answered, our dream came true, we found out we were expecting! I can remember it like it was yesterday. I got home from work before Craig did.  I came in looked at the answering machine to make sure the light was blinking to indicate we had a message from the fertility clinic, turned the Christmas tree lights on, and sat on the couch anxiously awaiting Craig to get home from work. As soon as he got home, we looked at each other and said, "Okay, are you ready?" "I guess, are you?" We pressed the play button on the answering maching and we heard, "Hello DeVault family, Congratulations, YOU ARE PREGNANT." (We still have the message saved on our answering machine, even today!) We hugged and kissed and of course, I cried! And then the phone calls began.  We called our immediate family and shared the good news and then went out to dinner to celebrate!  From that moment, our lives changed forever. Jack and Mark are such blessings to us!  We love them dearly!

Thanksgiving

We were in Kingsport at Mimi and Poppy's for Thanksgiving.  We had turkey and dressing, and all of the sides you can imagine.  The Morgans came up from Knoxville.  All four grandkids were there.  It was a lot louder there, especially with four kids.  Kate really enjoyed playing with Mark and Jack, while the boys did too.  One of the favorite things we saw was when the boys would hug Kate.  It was so cute.  Kate really enjoyed getting hugs.  She would go up to them and ask for a hug, and then get it.  Awesome.  We spent a lot of time during the days playing in the leaves.

We drove back on Friday.  All in all, we had a great time with everyone.  Here are some pictures from the trip.

Jack, once you finish raking over there, bring the rake to your left and pick up those leaves.  - Mark

Jack, let me show you how to rake this properly.  - Mark

Sliding down the hill with leaves is lots of fun.

Jack, Mark, and Kate play in the pile of leaves.

Kate lays down and enjoys the fun.

Kate and Mark enjoy a hug.

Kate and Jack have an embrace.

Macy enjoys the leaves for the first time.

Cousin Macy's dedication

The Sunday before Thanksgiving we went to Knoxville to see our niece Macy be dedicated.  On Saturday, we drove to Knoxville.  The boys did very well on the trip.  We only stopped twice.  Once for lunch and once for gas/diaper change.  On Sunday, Macy was dedicated at Central Baptist Church.  The boys stayed in the nursery during the service, but we all had some pictures afterwards.  It was a great day and a good time for everyone.  Here are a couple of pictures for this:

Macy gets dedicated.

The family:  Jack, Heather, Craig, Mark, Janet, Macy, Kate, Jarett, Mimi, Poppy

45 degrees and Barefoot

A few weeks ago, the boys got their new pair of shoes.  These will be their fall and winter shoes.  They will no longer have their favorite sandals.  These shoes are velcro.  The boys quickly discovered that they have the ability to take the shoes off of their feet.  Not only that, but they can also take off their socks.  They really enjoy taking their shoes and socks off now, especially when Mommy and Daddy don't want them to. 

For example, going to daycare.  There have been days when Daddy drops off the boys that all 4 shoes are off.  In fact, the largest combination of shoes and socks off on the way to daycare is 6.  Mark had taken both shoes and socks off while Jack only had socks on.  It was very funny. 

Lately, they have realized they can take these off in their stroller.  Once they get past the 20 minute mark, the shoes come off.  Then the socks are next.  This has turned into something very cute, yet frustrating sometimes for Mom and Dad. 

On Sunday, we went to BJ's after their nap.  It was 45 degrees.  While we were in the store, the boys finally decided that shoes and socks had been on long enough.  So off came the shoes and then the socks.  Mommy put them in her purse.  At the checkout line, we tried to put the shoes and socks back on.  We succeeded...kind of.  Before we got outside, Mark had taken off both his shoes and socks.  We couldn't get them on him again.  Therefore, we went to the car, which was in the 3rd spot, with one kid who was barefoot and loving it.  We got some strange looks from people who passed us.  The looks all said the same thing..."it is cold out here.  Put some shoes and socks on your baby."  If they only knew...

So, we think it is official now, some who saw us thought we were the worst parents in Wake County!!

Best Halloween costume - EVER

This really doesn't have anything to do with the boys, but when we went to Fall Fest the other day we saw a friend who had the following outfit on.

Random pictures from October

Here are  a few pictures from the past month:

I think that Mark is giving Jack a free air biscuit before we go to the football game.

Look at my school.  DeVault University.  Best school anywhere.  - Mark

Jack ponders what the day will bring.

That is one happy kid.

Mommy, when are we going to go outside?   - Mark

Has our neighbor Delores finally made us some chocolate chip cookies?  Doesn't she know that "when we hungry, we eat."  - per Julius Hodge circa 2002.

Two good looking young boys.

Jack enjoys the swings.

Who needs to go to the stadium when the playing field is what I am wearing?