If you're happy & you know it....

CLAP YOUR HANDS!!!

  This morning I got Addie on tape clapping along as I sang (and I use that term VERY loosely) "If you're happy & you know it".  She was so excited & animated about it...she had pretty good timing too! 

Visiting Santa

We were invited to personally meet Santa & Mrs. Claus at a friends' house. Josh was SO excited to talk to him, but we were curious how he'd react once he saw them in person. We shouldn't have been curious...he took right to him! Addie, on the other hand, didn't warm up quite as much!

Josh climbed right up on his lap...Addie pinched her eyes shut when we put her on Santa's lap & started screaming! Santa asked Josh what he wanted and then Josh had a memory lapse. He kept repeating "I want...um...I want...um..." over and over. He was in a daze...it was pretty stinking cute! He finally got around to telling Santa that he wanted monster trucks, a blue choo-choo (AKA Thomas the Train), a blue dress and a blue bike.

Addie, Ethan, Taylor, Bryce & Josh with Santa & Mrs. Claus

Getting ready for Christmas!

We got off to a little bit of a slow start, but we're finally all decked out for Christmas! 

Momma & Joshua decorating our tree at home

...even Addie was helping with the ornaments!

Decorating our tree was a 2-day adventure...and Josh FINALLY got to put the angel on top!

I asked Josh if he wanted to write a letter to Santa & he was so excited...I started it for him and let him go to town...he would "write" something, then tell me what it was...I thought I'd help Santa out by translating Josh's "shorthand" :)

(and yes...our son is in fact asking for a blue dress for Christmas along with Monster Trucks and a blue bicycle)

He'll LOVE reading all about this in 15-20 years :)



Addie is 7 months old!!!

Oh, how the time is just flying by...I know I say this every month, but I really mean it!  Before I know it, I'll be planning Addie's first birthday (that's bittersweet)!!  She is the 2nd oldest in the school nursery...there are lots of itty bitty babies in there now! 

We officially have another thumb sucker in the family!!  Addie is sucking her thumb now on a pretty regular basis.  She is still sleeping like a champ at night.  She is definitely showing signs of teething, but I cannot see/feel any bulges indicating that a tooth will appear soon.  Everything she can get her hands on goes straight into her mouth...including books, toys, her feet, fingers...you name it!  She has discovered her toes & fingers.  It's entertaining to watch her play with them!

She is eating cereal, pumpkin, applesauce, prunes, sweet potatoes & pears now and can't seem to get enough of it at lunch & dinner time!  Addie is rolling over all around now to get where she wants.  Her preferred method is still to hollar until someone picks her up or gives her the desired toy, but if she must, she can get to it!  She's sitting pretty all by herself and much more graceful now when she does fall backwards. 

Addie has developed separation anxiety and a little adversity to strangers.  She likes to have Josh, Momma or Daddy around her at all times!!  She does well at school though...she seems to love her teachers.  She gets especially excited when she sees Ms. Linda (who I recently found out feeds her)!!

Here are some pictures from our 'photo shoot'!! She sure is getting big!

I LOVE this little grin!!

She loves playing with her toes!

Thanksgiving 2011

I know...it's a little late, but better late than never, right?!  I think this momma has bit off more than she can chew for the next few weeks...BUT, I didn't want to get too far behind, so here goes!

We spent Thanksgiving with MeMe & Grandpa (Mike's parents) this year!  We thought it was just going to be the 6 of us (including both Josh & Addie), but Andy, Christi, Hailey & Jenna ended up joining us for lunch as well.  After lunch, Mike & I got to do something we haven't done in what seemed like FOREVER...we took a walk just the two of us.  No kids...no dog...just us!  We walked for almost 45 minutes...just chatting and holding hands!  I loved every minute!

Josh helping MeMe decorate her Christmas tree! 

On Friday, Mike went to the deer lease with David.  Josh, Addie & I visited with Allison & Ethan for a while, then stayed the rest of the weekend in Rosenberg with Grammy.  Poppy went to his deer lease too, so we missed seeing him this time around!  We visited with Granny Hudec & Grandma Pilcik.