HE'S NOT A FROG

Just for clarification, Gabriel was a green turtle for Halloween. And the cutest green turtle there ever was. Not a frog, not a dinosaur, A GREEN TURTLE! So many people were like, "Oh, what a cute frog" even though you could totally see he has a shell on his back with a little tail. I'll give them a pass for when he was in his stroller, all you could see then was his googly eyes. But come on, a shelled frog. Please. And thanks for the references of me being Miss Piggy when they thought he was Kermit. What a Happy Halloween... I'm pregnant. Geez. :)

Toys R US Parade

We went to a Toys R Us Parade this afternoon with the boy. Gabriel didn't really like Geoffry the Giraffe. In fact, he was shaking his head when I told him to go up to him. But as soon as he seen the bucket of candy, he shoved his hand in it and grabbed a handful. Guess we better watch him around strangers. They show him candy and he'll love 'em. He also got cute little stickers and little toys to play with. I think he enjoyed himself this holiday. We're gonna go to Nana's when he wakes up from his nap. The trick or treating has definitely worn him out. But at least I get a little break before he's wanting to make this holiday an all nighter.

Trick or Treatin' Downtown

My mom, Gabriel and I went and trick or treated downtown Puyallup this afternoon. And Gabe had a blast! The whole downtown area was open for trick or treaters, all the shops were handing out candy and it was during the daylight so little kids flooded the streets. Of course, the cutest child there was my little turtle. Eventually, he was just a little overwhelmed and sleep caught up with him. At least he'll have a bag full of treats when he wakes up. :)

Playing with the Fall

Gabriel hasn't been outside to play in awhile because Western Washington is so wet during Fall and Winter. But yesterday was nice enough to let him go and throw some leaves with daddy. I snapped a couple of cute pics, thought I'd share them.

Trying to get Gabe to Bed

Josh decided he was going to put Gabe to bed the other night. This is how far he got. I went in there with a camera. Daddy was passed out, Gabe was playing with a few toys and books. A for effort, Daddy.

Helping Daddy Get Firewood

Josh was collecting some firewood and putting it closer to our backdoor so that we would be able to get to it easier. Gabriel was helping daddy. So cute, little man just walking with a couple of pieces.

Gabe Using his Potty

This is how our son decided he wanted to use his potty. At least he's not afraid of it.

Josh in Montana

Josh is currently working with a company in Havre Montana. He sent me a couple of pics of him and the surroundings, definitely not Western Washington. I'm hoping he'll get the snow out of his system by the time he's due back home permanently. Maybe then I won't have to hear about a rainy Christmas for another year.

Baby Names

Josh and I have finally decided on a name for Gabriel's little brother. After looking at several hundred (probably thousand) names, we narrowed down our favorites. Then taking popularity, name meaning, and unisex confusion factors, we decided on a name. Gabriel's middle name is Ryan, which is also Josh's middle name. So we wanted his brother's middle name to be Joshua, that way both boys get some of daddy in their name. We'll have to handle the hurdle of brother number three if that addition ever happens. But, for now, Gabriel's little brother's name is... drum roll please... Gavin Joshua Petroff. We didn't plan the "G" thing. So, Gabriel and Gavin are going to be the two newest Petroff additions from our end. We like 'em. :)

Avoiding Flu Season

Gabriel and I are trying to quarantine ourselves in our home until it is absolutely necessary for us to go out. We have some fun little events coming up, like Zoo Boo at Point Defiance this weekend, but if health isn't good and weather doesn't allow us, then we remain home bound. I'm not sure who gets stir crazy first. Gabriel gets cabin fever after ten minutes. He loves outside. And he always wants to go places. In fact, if we could a way to get there without his carseat, it would be one of his favorite things to do. The boy hates his car seat. ;) So him and I are reading and playing all sorts things. He's the cutest for things like cars, he even makes the Vrrrrmm Vrrrrmmm sounds with them. Got that from his dad. And he loves to read books. But only for about five seconds, then he wants another one. I think he has the attention span of a gnat. It'll be a party at our place when his brother joins the fam. I don't know what I'm gonna do with all these Petroff guys taking over the place. Looks like lots of Mommy time, but only when Daddy can handle the workload. May take a year or two for that. lol

To Vaccinate or Not to Vaccinate

That is the question. Our whole family has gotten the seasonal flu shot. But, I'm being urged by the OBGYN to get the Swine Flu/H1N1 shot later this month. I'm not sure I'm comfortable with that. I've researched the vaccine and looked at possible side effects and several things make me uneasy. First, Pregnant women haven't really been evaluated with what the reverse effects are for them and their unborn child. Second, The country has just started a study of less than 20 pregnant women (in the WHOLE COUNTRY!) less than a half a month ago. And Third (which is the most important to me), Washington State has had to lift the ban on mercury content in this shot only for pregnant women and small children. Why? Because the mercury content is higher than Washington State would normally allow for those groups to receive because of possible health and other side effects. So, they actually have to raise the level they'll allow because the shot is going to have a higher than usual amount of a preservative called Thermisol that has been associated (by some, denied by others) to be the link to causing Autism in children. But the preservative that is going to be in this shot has nto definitively been linked to it, just closely related in some areas. It really depends on your stand for Autism and Vaccinations with Mercury in it. So, now I am faced with a dilema. Do I vaccinate? I mean, the way they are going to do it is two different shots three weeks apart. It's not even available until the end of this month beginning of next. I'm due around the 20th of December. And I'm going to probably be induced because my doctor is going out of town for Christmas and we want her to deliver our baby instead of who happens to be on call then. There are a lot of questions. Not sure what to do.