Do not fret, pictures from Christmas morning will be coming soon. I took so many that I need to narrow it down! I meant to do this last week but got caught up, so today I am going to do a Christmas Tour. 3 days after Christmas...
First I need to show off this wreath that I made last night. I waited for the after Christmas sales and still couldn't find a deal on a wreath I liked. SO I decided to save some money and get crafty. $9 and some hot glue later, I have a brand new wreath for the inside of our front door!
Our tree Brooke's 1st Christmas ornament, with the stock picture still in it A skiing dachshund for Jake ESPN Elves My secret santa from my online forum got me this! BEST ORNAMENT EVER! Our new personalized stockings
A giant ornament above the dining room table. See me in the reflection? The flower arrangement I put together. I matched the wreath to it. Our Willow Tree Nativity set Brooke and Molly's Little People Nativity set
Update: Now BOTH Brooke and Molly have the stomach flu and they are both currently sleeping it off, so I thought this would be a good time to write a new post.
Since Christmas is only 5 days away I thought I would write a post about Christmas Traditions. Traditions I grew up with, and new traditions.
1. Christmas cookies. Until I entered high school I really had no idea not everyone spent a week baking Christmas cookies during the holidays. My mom and I, okay really just my mom, would bake 6-8 different types of cookies every year. My main job was to unwrap candy and taste the batter. My favorite cookies were always the Spritz cookies. My mom used a cookie gun to shape them and I would get to decorate them with sprinkles and such. She even got me a cookie gun at my bridal shower so I could make my own Spritz cookies every year. I can't wait to make them this week!
2. The Christmas tree. I'll admit it, we have a fake tree. I spotted it at Target last year and begged Dustin for it. It is easy to put together, doesn't make a mess, and I don't have to water it to keep it semi-alive. Maybe one year we'll venture to the tree farm. On to our tree. I don't like matchy matchy trees. I don't want a theme, all the same color, or matching wrapping paper. I love a hodge podge of Hallmark ornaments, handmade ornaments, and fun wrapping paper.
3. Hallmark ornaments. Growing up we got a new ornament each year. It was always fun to set up the tree each year and see all of the different ornaments we collected that fit our personalities. Dustin and I have even started our own mini collection, along with ornaments for the girls. I love it!
4. Stockings. I know not every one does stockings but they were big in my family growing up. My Mammy sewed a stocking for everyone in the family and embroidered ours names on them. It was always fun to finish opening gifts, eat a big breakfast, and then open our stockings. My parents still bring my stocking out to Indiana when they visit, along with a stocking for Dustin.
5. Christmas pajamas. This is a new tradition that Dustin and I want to start. On Christmas Eve we will get each other a new pair of pajamas and wear them on Christmas [because who doesn't love opening presents in their pajamas].
Our weekend went really well. We got some shopping done, helped our friends clean their house, cleaned our own house, and watched the Survivor season finale! Then this morning, around 3am, we woke up to Brooke crying. Apparently she caught the stomach flu from who knows where. Two carpet cleanings and a sheet change later, we made it through the long night. She crawled into bed with me around 9am this morning and promptly fell asleep. She slept until almost noon and then drug her blanket and paci out to the main room to watch movies. She tried to have some food a little while ago but decided to crawl back onto the couch and rest. Poor girl! Looks like it will be a day of movies and rest in this house!
Today I took Molly to the Pediatrician for her 6 month checkup. She got a clean bill of health and three shots, which finished up the shot schedule for the first year!
Weight: 15 pounds Height: 26 inches
For comparison, Brooke was 12lb 12oz and 25.5 inches long. But she had health issues.
I thought it would be fun to post some of her month pictures. They are coming from Facebook so they may not look as clear as they normally would...
Molly Moo is 6 months old today! We can officially round her up to a year [thanks Ash ;)]. I love this age and if I could, I would freeze her here for just a few months. It is like they become a whole different person at this point. Molly can sit up on her own now which makes a big difference. She looks so much bigger and older to me, and it is nice for her to be able to sit and play with Brooke. Of course Brooke's idea of playing is taking toys from Molly, giving her boring ones, and then deciding she wants the boring ones too.
She babbles a lot and mainly just says "Ah da da da da" over and over again. She still doesn't have any teeth which amazes me because I think Brooke had 4-6 by this point! Her hair is finally starting to grow in and I was even able to get a bow in it yesterday. She also likes to scoot backwards around the room. She can't get up on her knees yet but that doesn't seem to stop her.
Tomorrow we will be starting the dreaded solids. I hated giving Brooke solids. We started early in hopes that it would help with her reflux but I gave up after a week and waited until she was 6 months old. We decided to wait with Molly until her 6 month check up, which happens to tomorrow. The Pediatrician told me I could give her solids at 5 months so I know I could start tonight, but I'll use any excuse to delay. Who knows, maybe I'll give it a try...
I'll admit, when it comes to photography I don't know what I am doing half the time. I seem to have a knack for setting up backdrops and poses but it takes me awhile to figure out the Manual settings that I want to use. So when I saw a little tutorial on taking a cool Christmas Tree shot, I soaked it in and gave it a try...
Here is my prized shot. I could have been a little steadier but it is a start, right?
And here it is when I take Manual focus off.
Also, when I showed Dustin my picture he said, "It looks like a blurry Christmas tree." Thanks honey.
We had our first true snow starting this past weekend and into the week. I say it is the first true snow because even though it did snow before Thanksgiving, it didn't stick to the ground or make travel on the roads difficult. I would say we have about 6-8 inches on the ground so far and I think it is supposed to slow down a little, lovely lake effect. Yesterday I took Brooke outside during Molly's morning nap...
She was cold Even black dogs can get lost in the snow! This is why we keep our gloves on! Why having a small dog in the snow is annoying sometimes...
A mom, wife, friend, Christian, chef, maid, and nurse. I love reading, walking, drinking tea, and watching old TV shows on Netflix. My most recent passion is photography and though I do not do it professionally, I am having a blast practicing this hobby with my girls. I love crafts of any kind and have an Etsy shop for hair bows and head bands.
Dustin
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Brooke
Also known as Brookie or Boo. She is a sassy, fashionable 3 year old with a love for all things pink. She is into Princesses, painting her nails, and putting on pretend make up. She likes to pick out her clothes each morning and which shoes she'll wear. She is also my sweet and sensitive girl, and loves a good cuddle at night.
Molly
The newest addition to our family! Our little Molly Moo is learning and growing by the day. She has stunning blue eyes that she got from her Nonna, and everything else comes straight from her Daddy. She is such a flirt and will smile at anyone who glances in her direction. She may look just like Dustin but she is definitely a Mommy's girl. She always finds me in a room of people just to make sure I am still there.
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