The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

I've always loved Christmas, until the last couple of years. The sadness and pain that came with infertility and the miscarriage really got worse around the holidays. Two years ago, I didn't even put up a tree because it was too painful.

And then last year, things started looking up! I still didn't put up a tree though because I was hugely pregnant and about to pop and could barely walk so there was no way I was messing with any decorations, let alone a stupid tree that I had to put together limb by limb! But we did take advantage of after Christmas sales and I got myself a bigger, easier, pre-lit tree that has sat in our garage for almost a year, until last weekend.

The tree and decorations are up because I'm excited to celebrate Christmas this year! I've been buying gifts and working on the menu for our Christmas celebrations.

 

  But all of that went to the bottom of my to-do list when I was watching Connor last night.

 

 

Of course I grabbed my camera, but before that...I just sat and watched him explore the Christmas tree.

They have tried playing with the tree a few times and we tell them no and they listen, most of the time. But last night, he was just barely touching the lights, so I just let him do it for a little bit.

 

I know everyone is going to get so sick of me saying this over and over, but these are the moments I've waited what seems like forever for! I get to watch my babies experience their first Christmas. We get to start new traditions as a family and our house will FINALLY feel like "Home". Yes, I'm going to get all mushy, I can't help it.

I know they will never have another First Christmas again, so I'm trying my hardest to enjoy it with them. My house may be a disaster, the laundry will pile up, and I will slack on cooking dinner because I will make the time to sit down and play with my babies, and hold them a minute longer than normal.

 

 

So after watching Connor gently touch the lights, he started grabbing the ornaments so I snapped out of it and the moment was over and I told him "No No!"

iPhone photo dump

Me and my boy

 

Playing tug of war with the book

 

 

Being cute

 

We love bath time!

 

The stockings are hung!

 

Packing for our road trip to Alabama.

 

Christmas Pjs!

 

Double fun!

Thanksgiving 2012

We spent Thanksgiving in Alabama visiting my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.

 

 

Connor and Aunt Sherrie

 

Connor and Papaw (my dad)

 

Connor and Daddy (Chloe must have been napping during all of these pictures!)

 

Chloe eating her first Thanksgiving meal! (I think Connor was napping this time)

 

Our portable highchairs were life savers!

 

Connor and Mamaw

 

Chloe and Mamaw

 

Connor, Kelsey, and Rebecca

 

The babies with Mamaw and Papaw (my grandparents)

 

On the way home, we stopped and spent the night with my Aunt and Uncle in Mississippi.

Aunt Suzanne and Uncle Cary

 

GiGi and Papaw

 

Getting ready to load up for our long trip home.

 

Big boy Connor got to face forward for the trip and he loved it.

 

 

 

He even got to watch a movie on the DVD player. He smiled every time I put the ear phones on him.

 

I'm so proud of the babies for being so good during the whole trip. I'm proud of David for driving the entire round trip for us. And I'm proud of myself for not stressing out, staying organized and just being able to enjoy the holiday with my babies.

10 months!

The babies are 10 months old!

 

 

Connor

Age: 10 months

23 pounds? We haven't weighed him in about a month.

12-18 month clothes

 

 

Favorite Toy:

His Bink is still his best buddy. He still loves jumping in his jumperoo, his toy ipad, the learning table, and the walker.

 

 

Favorite Food:

He loves the veggie/fruit combo pouches, anything fruit, having a harder time with veggies lately, and he's doing good on eating solids.

 

 

Activities:

He is crawling everywhere and climbs up and under everything. He's my little monkey.

 

 

 

Sleep:

He has gotten much better at taking naps because I now have them napping in the same room together. He still sleeps good at night and we still have to wake him up in the mornings.

 

 

 

Development:

He army crawls but sometimes he pushes up on all fours. He walks with a walker and walks holding on to the furniture. He drinks from a sippy cup and feeds himself very well with finger foods. He has 2 teeth and one more on the way. He waves "bye bye" and claps and plays "patty cake". Oh, and he climbs the stairs (terrifies me!).

 

Words: Dada, Mama, Ball (sometimes), Gee Gee (my mom)

 

 

Personality:

So funny. He smiles with his whole face and with a wide open mouth grin that shows off his teeth. He loves exploring and is becoming more daring and less cautious (resulting in more falls and head bumps). He still loves doing "crazy arms" and still growls all the time. And now he has come up a new grunting sound. He hates having his diaper changed and it turns into a wrestling match every time. He doesn't like sharing with his sister and takes away whatever she is playing with. He loves playing peek a boo and patty cake.

 

Chloe

Age: 10 months

19-20 pounds?

12 month clothes

 

 

Favorite Toy:

Her Moo Moo has jumped back to the top of the list recently. She holds on to it longer when we get her out of bed in the mornings and she plays with it while she falls asleep. Learning table, musical chair, walker, and Rudolph stuffed animal that sings "Rudolph the red nose reindeer".

 

Favorite Food:

She loves bananas and is very good at feeding them to herself.

 

 

Activities:

Talking, laughing, playing with Connor and bath time. She loves playing peek a boo and patty cake and she loves her morning cartoons, particularly the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Chuggington.

 

 

Sleep:

Still a very good sleeper and napper and still VERY predictable and still wakes up at 6:00 am every morning!

 

 

Development:

She crawls everywhere and is super fast at it. She walks very good with the walker and is starting to act like she is ready to walk without it. She feeds herself and drinks from a sippy cup. She is also climbing the stairs.

 

Words:

Dada, Mama, uh oh, Ho Ho Ho, done

 

She mimics almost everything we say in her own way without actually saying the words. But after we finish a feeding we always say "All done" and do the sign for it, and I swear she now says "done"

after we say it.

 

 

 

Personality:

She is still independent, but she wants to be held more than ever. In the middle of playing, she will crawl over to us and in our laps and want to cuddle or just watch Connor play. She even gives us kisses. She loves to watch what everyone is doing. She loves puppies and cartoons. She is so strong and seems fearless. Changing her diaper should be an Olympic event as well.

 

The babies are interacting more and more with each other as they get older.

 

 

They jabber to each other and make each other laugh all the time. They get excited to see each other in the mornings and are always touching each other.

 

 

 

For some reason Connor is always slapping the top of Chloe's head. It doesn't seem to bother her until he sticks a finger in her eye or something.

 

 

I was afraid that I would be chasing them around while they are going in opposite directions, but they pretty much follow each other around everywhere. I'm just hoping they learn to share one day!