Max is One!!

Max just had his birthday! I can't believe he's one now!

I tried tying a ribbon in Elora's hair and Elora really liked it...
Elora likes reading to Max
Here's me and my newest niece on the Seegmiller side. Alisa who is Joseph's and Kimberly's new baby.
Here's Mom with all her grandkids. We're really going to miss her when she moves to Virginia.
Max's birthday present was a ball popper. Balls spin around and fly up in the air. It really entertains both the kids!

"And what would you like me to do with this candle?"

I know exactly what to do with the cake!

Elora and Grandma enjoying their time at the park.

After breakfast every morning, Elora likes to cuddle up on the couch in her blanket. And of course all her babies have to stay warm too! She does this all by herself!

Happy Birthday Max!

I have made a slideshow of Max' first year. You can see it here. Just type in tcgough007 and then click on the show, and you're good to go!

Potty Training!

Our biggest news would have to be that Elora is pretty much potty trained. Not at night, but that will come in time... She is doing really well, and hasn't had a daytime accident since last Thursday. We started potty training on the Saturday of General Conference. Travis took Max away to run some errands so it could just be me and Elora time with no distractions. I put her in dry underwear and kept praising and giving treats to her for staying dry and using the potty, and we used a doll that wets as an example. I gave her lots to drink that first day, and only had one accident in the initial morning training. But after she had that accident, she was pretty paranoid, and pretty much stayed on the potty ALL DAY LONG because she was so afraid of having another accident... She did have two more accidents that first day, and she didn't want to go to bed because she wanted to stay on the potty. The second day, I was afraid she would want to stay on the potty all day again, but I didn't give her so much to drink and she eased up, and knew when she had to go, and no accidents the second day. It was amazing!! She's done really well ever since except for a few accidents when we went to a friend's house... But needless to say, we are soooo happy for her and us not having to change her or pay for her diapers anymore. YIPPEE!!!!

Max and the BIG GIRL drinking their juice:

Story time: "We're going on a bear hunt, we're going to catch a big one, what a beautiful day, we're not scared! ... Uh Oh, we have to go THROUGH it!"
One happy family
Max learned how to crawl up the stairs!!!Here's Max during conference, blocking him in, so he wouldn't go for the stairs...

Max had a tough day, and fell asleep before we could give him his dinner...

Our trip to WARM St. George!

We went to St. George for a week for an alumni soccer game and to see family. Here are the four brothers after playing in the alumni soccer game. Travis had a great time!

Travis and Max after the game, and before Max's haircut.
After Max's haircut, and at my birthday party.
Cousin Ethan enjoyed his cake very much so...
I love this picture of Elora and Max in their new Easter clothes.
Family picture in my Mom's backyard, and of course, Elore didn't want to cooperate...

Elora and Grandma

Elora, Max, and Grandma

Max and Grandma

We took Grandpa Arnell back to his house in Salt Lake, and the kids loved his glass doors...

We went to my friend, Catherine's house in Salt Lake, and Cherie came as well. Catherine and Cherie made friends in their old married college ward, and I've known Cherie since she lived the next street over when we were in Young Womens, and she also married my cousin. We all have two of our kids the same age as the others... funny eh?

Sarah, Thomas, Emily, and Jonathan all enjoying their cake. Sarah and Emily are the same age as Elora.

Elora enjoyed her cupcake...

Timothy and Cherie. Timothy is the same age as Max and Jonathan.

Max thoroughly enjoyed his cake too, not too long before he'll get to enjoy some even more cake on his birthday!

Easter, etc...

Elora just wanted a cuddle with Daddy in her blanket, I just thought it was so cute!

Daddy made dinner-chicken enchiladas, and he was very proud of himself so he took a picture: Elora and her princess crown that she got in a happy meal...she loves it!
It's very hard to get a stubborn two-year-old to look at the camera and smile without sticking her tongue out etc... so Travis was helping her out...
I walked into the living room and couldn't resist grabbing the camera and taking a picture of the three on the couch:
Elora and her friend Whitney at the Easter egg hunt.

Pick up that candy!

As you can tell, Elora was very excited about the candy

Egg decorating!A cute moment with Daddy and the cameraElora LOVES playing with Daddy!

Elora and her new Easter dress...once again...it is very hard to get her to smile at the camera...but I got some cute candid shots...

Tag your it Elora and Max!

Elora Gough

1. We got the name Elora from a movie actuallly... Ever see the 80's fantasy movie with Val Kilmer called "Willow"? Well, Elora Danan was the name of the princess baby that Willow had to protect. I liked the name Elora, and I like that it's not a popular name.

2. Elora is much like her mother in very many ways... looks and personality... It's very hard to make Elora do anything that SHE doesn't want to do. She also likes order in her life... to line things up, put things away, put things together...

3. Elora loves playing with Max and sharing with him sometimes... She loves to run around the room and have Max follow behind. And when she hits or kicks Max, she gets a time out, but then gives Max a kiss and a hug afterwards...

4. Elora loves giving me big fat long kisses on my cheek... it's quite a slobery thing, but I sure do love it!

5. Elora loves playing with her baby dolls... giving them a bottle, a ride, wrapping them in a blanket, and putting them to sleep. In fact she loves taking her many friends with her to bed.

Max Travis Gough

1. Max is named after my grandpa Max on my mom's side. He was an artist, always fun to spend time with, and was an amazing man. Travis is of course from Max's father's name. It's sort of a tradition in the Gough family to use the father's first name as the middle name for the firstborn son.

2. Max is much like his father is many ways...looks and personality... He's just a happy go-lucky kid -always smiling! And when he's tired or just wants a cuddle, he'll dig his face in your chest or arm....just like Travis does :)

3. Max loves crawling and exploring all over the place. His favorite thing is to crawl UNDER things, even when it's easier to go around.

4. Max will eat anything you give him! Complete opposite of Elora... He still loves it when you just shove it in... give me more Mommy!

5. I love his abundant hair, especially the fuzz ball in the back that he gets after he wakes up...

I love my kids! They are the cutest ever! I'm tagging anyone with kids who reads this and wants to participate! So just say five things about each of your kids.