Play Group

Gavin and I have made some great new friends here in Jacksonville.  Every Friday we get together with the Little Acorns for a play date. It is great since they are all in the same situation as we are in.  The play group is an extension of the Oak Leaf club.  The Oak Leaf club is the family support group for the military physicians.

Friday the play group met at the local fire station for a tour.  Gavin LOVED the trucks.

Wearing his Fire Hat

The whole Gang

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving seems so long ago even though it was just last week.

We had no family to spend it with but God has given us some amazing new friends to celebrate with.

 Jason works with an amazing group of Interns/residents, and most of them are in the same boat as us.  We celebrated with 4 other lovely families, the Hray's, the Pierson's, the soon to been Dr. and Mrs. Gossert, and the Daab's, who graciously opened their home to all of us.  The food was delicious and the fellowship was just what we all needed. For a few of us it was a our first Thanksgiving without family, that didn't stop us from having a great time.

Gavin had a great time playing, although I am pretty sure the only thing he ate for dinner was peanut butter fudge.  :)

Many pictures were taken that day, just not by me, I only have a few to share hopefully I can get copies of the others

Here are the only ones I have.
Me and G rolling out our dough for the desserts

The ladies: (Form left to right) Beth, Cristy, Laura, Me, and Bonnie

It was  a great time. 

November Update

November came and went in the blink of an eye.  It is all a blur.  I will try to remember some of the highlights.
We spent one weekend in Orlando visiting Derek, Jason's brother.  While we were there we stopped by Animal Kingdom for the Safari ride to see some animals up close.

After Animal Kingdom we headed over to Epcot for some delicious food (no wine :)  

And the best part of the trip.  DATE NIGHT!  Jason and I actually got to go on a date courtesy of Derek, who watched Gavin for us.  The last date night we had was in July.  We were long over due. We did nothing fancy just dinner and dessert but it was great to just talk and be alone together.

Once we got back home I finally put Gavin's play set back together.  He received it last year as a Christmas gift from Jason's mom and dad.  We took it down when we put the TN house on the market.  Now that we are finally settled and completely unpacked I was able to put it back up. Gavin loves it and plays on it everyday.  It makes my days much easier.

Update on Gavin:

He is FINALLY talking-ish.  He is speaking some words very clearly,and is now making an effort to repeat words that he hears.  He tries so hard to tell me stories but I still only understand about a tenth of what he is saying.   

• The words he has learned (or now speaks clearly)  this month: Bubbles, up, down, off, on, out, max, bye, turtle, dog, peanut butter, bath, spoon, water, juice, cheese, cereal, more and birdy
• He knows all is body parts. 
• He is still learning animals and their sounds, there are just so many.
• He is now starting to dress and undress himself with limited help. 
• He does a great job picking up after himself. 
• Food:  He is still very picky except with cereal, he will eat any cereal 
• Still getting the hang manners, he says "please" or "thank you" not both, it is a work in progress.  

Gavin is very independent gets out food when he is hungry, puts his clothes in the hamper, wants to do it all by himself.

Halloween Pics

Gavin was so excited he wouldn't stand still long enough for the picture

Helping me pass out candy 

He was done wearing his costume I caught him twice trying to take it off

Dad finally made it home now time to Trick-or-treat

Away they go.  They made it to four houses!

Our visit with Grandma

Gavin and I saw many people while we were in Michigan.  One of the hardest people to visit is  my grandmother.  She is suffers from Dementia and several other medical conditions and has been put in a nursing home. I have so many wonderful memories with her as a vibrant fun grandma and now to see her in a wheel chair not knowing what day it is breaks my heart.

When we arrived at the nursing home she had just finished lunch and was watching TV.  She knew my mom and recognized me as her granddaughter,  but couldn't remember my name she thought I was my sister.  I was okay with that she has 7 grandkids and 10 great-grandkids names are tricky.  After talking for a while she realized who I was and even told me she didn't like the name for the new baby :)
We were having a great visit until mom had walked out to check on something and I walked out of the room to chase down Gavin, when her nurse assistant walked in and asked her who was visiting her.  In the time it took for me and Gavin to walk out and walk back in she looked right at me and said "I don't know them, they are strangers."  It took a lot for me to not cry right there in her room.
This woman who sat in the wheel chair is not my grandma.  My grandma would play games with me, stay up late and watch movies, sneak candy into the theater, sing as she walked around the house making breakfast, and yell at me when I sat on the bed, because beds were not for sitting chairs were.  I want to remember her that way not the way she is now.

She will be 80 years old on November 4th.
I love you Grandma!

Our Michigan Adventure Day 3

Gavin is very blessed to have four grandparents; all of which are still very young which sometimes means he doesn't get to spend a whole lot of time with them since they work... So we just have to make the best of it. That means lunch dates and wrestle mania night! 

Our Michigan Adventure Day 2

Day two we spent with my parents house.  Gavin had a blast playing outside with his cousins Paige, Bella, Lilly, and Chole.

Swinging with Lilly

Helping rack the leaves

Gavin and Chole wrestling 

Our Michigan Adventure Day 1

Gavin and I made our final visit home until the new baby is born.  It was a quick trip, only 4 days, but we crammed a lot in in that short amount of time.
We fly from Jacksonville switched planes in Nashville and finally landed in Detroit

We visited Grandma, Grandpa Croad and Great Grandma Ball

 

 

We had a great time at the park

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

As promised here is the Pumpkin cinnamon roll recipe.  I am NOT a food blogger by any means, but i hope the pictures help.
This is not an my original recipe, this recipe was given to my by Chef Catherine Hallman, and I believe she got it from "King Arthur"

1 lb Canned Pumpkin 

4 large Eggs, lightly beaten

4 oz Water, warm

4 oz Butter, softened 

1 lb 5 oz All~purpose flour

14 oz Whole wheat flour

2 oz Dry milk powder

2 tsp Cinnamon

1 tsp Ginger

1/2 tsp Cloves - optional

3 tsp Salt

3 oz Brown Sugar

.5 oz instant-Yeast

Add Yeast to warm water and soak for 10 minutes

Combine all ingredients and beat on low until all incorporated. 

Beat on medium speed until dough is soft yet firm enough to handle

Kneed, on a floured surface,  till smooth and elastic (avoid using too much flour)

Place in oiled bowl and let rise 1-2 hours or until doubled. 

Doubled in size.
It took several hours since my house is so cool.  Place in a warm place or in the sun  to speed it up

Punch down and let sit for 5 minutes before rolling out.

Roll into rectangle, cover with melted butter layer generous layer of cinnamon and sugar.

Roll up jelly-roll style, and cut into sections

Not ready to bake yet

Ready to bake once they have doubled in size

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes 

Top with Cream Cheese Icing 

(I forgot to take a pictured of the finished product oops)

ENOY!!

Email me if you have ANY questions renee.croad@gmail.com

Happy Anniversary!

Happy Anniversary to the most amazing man!  I love him more than words could truly express.  Five years have come and gone far too quickly.  It seems like yesterday I was getting ready to walk down the aisle to say "I DO!"  Too much has happened during the last five years to write about it all, but here are some of the highlights 

Our journey began in Calculus class at Hillsdale College in the fall of 2001.  After a few years of ups and down we finally realized that we were made for another.  Jason proposed while we are out hiking a trail during my senior year of college in March 2006.  

We walked down the aisle October 14, 2006.  That day was only the beginning of our journey.  

A month after we married Jason was accepted to medical school at Lincoln Memorial University DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine.  

We moved to Harrogate, TN the summer of 2007.  That same year Jason joined the Navy. 

January 9, 2010 we welcomed the first addition to our family, Gavin Robert Croad.  

May 14,  2011 Jason went from Jason Croad to Dr. Jason Robert Croad, DO.

July 2011 We made our first Military move to Orange park FL where Jason is working as a Family Practice intern.  

Currently we await the arrival of our second baby boy.  

We have cried, laughed, stressed, worried, fought,  and rejoiced together.  There is no one else that I would rather go through life with than Jason.  He grounds me and lifts me up at the same time.  I am so blesses to be married to such a wonderful man! We are only at the beginning of "Our Adventure", and I can't wait to see where we go!

Shots!

Today I started my progesterone shots.  I have to get one every week  in my tooshie until I am 36 weeks and 6 days. I am not to keen on the idea of getting a shot every week but it what seems to be best for the new baby.  Gavin's early arrival is what prompted the shots.  Since my preterm delivery doesn't have a reason the chance of it happening again is likely.  The extra dose of progesterone should help keep this new guy in until he is full term.
There are minimal side effects to the shots,most of them just make my butt cheek sore but the one large side effect is that they put me at a higher risk of developing gestational diabetes(GD).  About 5% of women taking the shots develop GD, and since my mom has diabetes I am already at risk, this just ups my chances.

I will take the shots, the sore butt
 and risk the diabetes if it means I will get to hold a healthy, fully developed baby in 18 weeks!

All Boy

What are little boys made of? 
Frogs and snails, 
And puppy-dogs' tails; 
That's what little boys are made of. 

I am pretty sure that they left boogers in that poem.

Beach Baby

After living in Jacksonville for a couple of months we finally made it out to the beach. And we had a blast. The sun was hot, and the water was perfect. Gavin loved the beach.

Building sand castles with daddy

Running from the waves

Big boys don't bathe

I was in my bedroom searching for something when I see something white streak in front of my bed. I look up to find Gavin butt naked.
I guess he now knows how to take his diaper off. I asked why he was naked, he walked to the shower and got in. So I guess big boys don't bathe they shower.