Cousins

Paul and Holly and Claire stopped by this afternoon on the way back from their Christmas in Kansas.  Kevin was at work, but the kids finally got a chance to see their new baby cousin!  Carter was getting tired and pretty much just wanted me to hold him, but once he was down for nap I got a couple pictures with Eli and Hannah.  They were so sweet, and Claire is just a snuggle bug!  Thanks for the visit, Paul and Holly!

Christmas 2010

I don't have a lot to share here, but here's a glimpse of our day.We woke up and got dressed and did stockings first.  Then breakfast though a certain 4-yr old was {probably} too excited for the day he didn't even want the yummy sweet rolls I'd made!  His loss!  After breakfast we did presents and played and chilled out the rest of the day....

unloading stockings

the kids got gum, their own personal chapstick, a small book, a sack of chocolate coins.  And Hannah got glittery Dora finger polish, a mini Dora book.  And Eli got a bunch of cars and a new train figure.

Eli had specifically asked for a pair of overalls.  So I found some and that was the first thing he asked for in the morning.  LOL  So we got dressed first and went on with the stockings.  =)

Eli's big present was this cashier set.  Thought it would be fun for practicing money ideas and counting and simple math.  I had to take the coins out (too small for being around Carter) but both kids otherwise love it.

drawing on her new white erase board ($1 from Target)

hangin' with Dad.  I'm surprised he actually sat in Daddy's lap the whole time!

an old toy we wrapped to give again (poor third-child syndrome again!)

Dora panties!  We really didn't just give her all Dora stuff, just happens to be what things were pictured.  We don't even watch much Dora, she just loves the character!

Eli loves music, so I got the kids several musical instruments this year. (anything BUT a drum) xylophone, tambourine, rain stick, this caged bell (that Carter loved all morning!), plus the maracas and jingle bells we already had.

oh yes, the aftermath

playing with one of Daddy's gifts, a small air hockey table.

Preschool 2010

FINALLY getting Eli's school picture posted here!  It's just a picture of a picture, so not great quality but at least it gives you a peek.  Eli looks so handsome--it turned out really good!  Hard to believe this is his first-ever school picture!  Such a big boy!

The teacher told me the class picture wouldn't come until after Christmas.  I'm getting anxious to see it so Eli can tell me who everyone is in his class!  I feel like I just see everyone in passing every day and don't know who anyone is!  It'll be nice to put a face to the names Eli talks about all the time!  =)

Pictures of Claire

I really wanted to post a slideshow of the newborn pictures I took of Claire, but it just wasn't working out for me and I don't have the time to do it all over again.  Paul has posted all of them over in his photo gallery so go check them out there if you haven't seen them already!

Pictures for daddy.

When Kevin's working, especially when he's working nights, he likes me to email him pictures of the kids.  Usually the goofy, messy-haired, terrible pictures that just make you laugh.  But after bath tonight I sent the kids back downstairs for a couple pictures before bedtime, looking so nice and clean and combed. And they actually turned out pretty cute!

a keeper

Kevin's big 3-0

Kevin turned 30 this past Thursday!  He had to work so we really didn't do much.  Went out to dinner after work and came back for cake. 

 The cards Eli and Hannah made. I'm sure you'll be able to tell whose is whose.  =)

Gotta love, "Happy birthday, Dab"  =)

Happy birthday, Kevin!  We sure love you!

Eli's first Christmas program.

Eli had his preschool program a week ago Friday.  My parents were coming to watch the kids for the next day anyway, so they were able to go to his program too!  This was Eli's first time participating/performing in anything, and I was so proud and he was so proud, and the whole thing was adorable!  Short and sweet, as preschool things have to be, but it was adorable and well done.  We weren't allowed to use camera flash, so I brought my lens that allows the most light but it doesn't zoom, so I didn't get many pictures, but it's enough to preserve the memory...

 

 

 

 

Eli sitting with his classmates before the program started

supportive sister

 

 

Eli's on the left end.

before the program officially started the teacher had the kids go ahead and just wave at their parents.  I thought that was so cute and such a good idea!  =)

Carter--11 months!

The countdown's on until Carter's 1st birthday!!  I seriously can't even believe it!  Probably because Carter's so small or maybe because I don't really want this time to fly away too fast, I dunno.  Either way, this first year almost over already!

Updates for month 11:

* Tooth #6 came in. (now he has four on top and two on the bottom)

* Waves.

* Claps.
* Is increasingly ticklish!  =)

* Copies you if you shake your head side to side.

* Has figured out how to open the kitchen cupboards by himself (they don't even have handles) and unloads everything.
* Can climb the entire set of stairs on his own, but he really doesn't have much desire {yet} to do them all the time/at all.

* Stands on his own for a few seconds and occasionally tries the one-step pass between the couches.

* Because of his lack of adequate weight gain I start supplementing him with formula for the last couple months until he can drink cow milk.  So now I nurse him 2 times (morning, bedtime) and give him a bottle 2 times (lunch and afternoon).  He loves his bottle, holds it himself to drink and plays with it.

* He eats about half and half table food and baby food.  

* He's no longer content with Puffs and Cheerios--he wants what we're eating!

* He celebrated his first Thanksgiving.  We cheated a lot and gave him things that did have egg in it.  He loved the sweet potato casserole, pumpkin pie, and broccoli casserole!

* He sleeps through the night most of the time and wakes in the morning between 7 and 8am.

* We dropped his evening cat nap.

* After waking from nap, he snuggles his head on my shoulder when people {usually Daddy} say(s) Hi to him.

I didn't get great pictures but there will be a couple coming!  So thankful for this little guy!!

SWEET.

If you were to ask us to describe Hannah in one word, we would definitely choose the word sweet.  She is {but not always} a gentle-content-happy-loving kind of sweet.  These pictures really do portray what she's like {most of the time}...

my favorite

And yes, she's had a haircut, yesterday in fact.  Very impromptu haircut, approximately 20 minutes before we {I alone with the three kids} left for church.  WHY do I do this to myself again??

Claire Katherine

...is HERE, born Thursday, Dec. 2 at 3:36pm!  You'll hear more about her and her arrival in the coming days at their blogs (Paul's and Holly's)  But for now here are some pictures from my visit yesterday!  She's sooo cute, I already can't wait to see more of her!!  Thank goodness they only live an hour away now!

Congrats to Paul and Holly!  They will be wonderful parents!!