THANKSGIVING

Holidays are becoming more and more fun. As the kids get older, road trips and nights away from normal routine are getting easier. JP and AA were great over the four day weekend holiday. We split our time at my parents and A's parents. JP loved playing with boys for once! He's lucky to have adorable little guys to look up to, like his second cousin S: JP discovered Great Aunt N's gumball machine ... had his first piece of gum, swallowed it, asked for a second, had his second piece of gum, swallowed that, and he has been asking for a third piece of gum ever since!

AA soaked up all the lovin' from the girls ... she sure knows how to put on the charm with her baby steps, sounds, and smiles!

JP played with cousin E so well on Saturday afternoon ... their three year age difference will likely become less and less noticeable as the years pass on.

Grandpa J just so happened to need some help thinning out his tree farm on Sunday ... and I just so happened to need a tree topper for my front step. We bundled up and walked through the fields to find the perfect tree. Of course, JP picked the biggest tree as his first choice! After telling JP we needed a smaller one to haul home, he quickly ran and ran and ran and eventually found our tree. He watched daddy cut the tree down.

Christmas is going to be so much fun!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

I'm thankful!

BABY ROBES

Before JP was even born, I received three different baby robes as shower gifts. These robes were absolutely adorable, but to be completely honest ... they were also absolutely impractical. I mean, who really has the time to wrestle their babe after a bath to put on a robe, only to put on real clothes minutes later? These robes collected dust in JP's closet for his first year of life as he only wore them a handful of times. I dressed AA in a baby robe the other night after her bath ... and I grabbed my camera to capture the occasion.

Diaperless and all, I let her cruise around the house in her duck baby robe. Judging by all of her smiles, I think I better make the robe part of her bath time routine!

BIRTHDAY BASH

We braved the state's first snowstorm of the season and travelled to the cities to celebrate Grandpa T's and Great Grandma H's birthdays. Because, of course, birthdays are a BIG deal to JP.
AA didn't exactly know what to think of her Great Grandma ...

but she did eventually warm up to Uncle M.

AA loved Aunt J the most ... perhaps it was because she licked the frosting off of Aunt J's cake one fingertip at a time!

JP bonded with Aunt K

and Grandpa T had a great party!

CHICKEN DANCE

Last Thanksgiving, Grandma K gave JP a stuffed toy turkey. A stuffed toy turkey that sings the chicken dance. A stuffed toy turkey that sings the chicken dance really loud. I happily packed it away last year, but the turkey has made his debut once again. Each night JP wants to do the "turkey dance" with me ... and AA happily joins in!

Why would any mom need a gym membership when she has two babes demanding nonstop dancing to a stuffed toy turkey???

HAPPY

If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands: If you're happy and you know it, shout HOORAY:
If you're happy and you know it, oh your face will surely show it:

If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands.

TIME FLIES

November 2009 and
November 2011

ELEVEN MONTHS OLD

AA is 11 months!!!


Her little personality is definitely forming. AA is normally filled with the most precious smiles ... yet she can bring on the tears and quivering bottom lip in one second flat! (And then she'll put the smile back on if she gets what she wants!) She loves giving kisses to mommy and daddy, her baby, and any kind of animal she sees in books. AA does the hand motions for If You're Happy and You Know It like a champ. She claps her hands and waves bye-bye on command. She bounces up and down at the sound of a musical tune, just like her big brother. She loves playing with JP's cars and trucks when he's not looking. She loves looking at picture books.



AA took her first steps a few weeks ago, though she still prefers crawling. She'll stumble through five or six steps before putting her hands on the floor and crawling away.

AA still resorts to calling A Dadda ... and calling me Dadda too! She'll go a day calling me Mamma, but then the next day I'm back to Dadda! Although I haven't heard any obvious formed words, she's always mumbling something ... AA has the sweetest high pitched voice.

She drinks 5-6 oz of milk 4 times a day and eats 3 meals. AA is a great eater ... she often polishes off JP's dinner! She prefers feeding herself. Her favorite foods include avocado, cottage cheese, sweet potatoes, and bananas.

AA takes 2 naps, each around 90 minutes. She goes to sleep around 7 pm and doesn't make a peep until 6:30- 7:00 am.

AA is still toothless! I just adore her gum filled smile!

FLORIDA: PART III

AA saw the ocean for the first time. Since this milestone happened while I was at conference, I was determined to take her again with my camera. Of course, the remaining days of our trip were chilly and windy ... so we mostly just watched the ocean waves from our balcony. On the final day, I rounded up the gang and we headed down to the beach.

AA worked on her walking

while JP braved the cool waters.

We had a wonderful time. JP and AA are beyond blessed to have such amazing grandparents ... all 5 of them!

FLORIDA: PART II

I knew that a November Florida trip wouldn't exactly be balmy, but I wasn't expecting COLD weather! The strong winds and cool temps prohibited us from spending our days at the beach and pool ... but with two kids under three and two energetic grandparents, we kept busy! Our single packed sweatshirts were worn everyday!

Grandpa A rented a golf cart one afternoon and we zoomed around Amelia Island.

We found a little tree fort in the middle of the resort.

We went on nature hikes led by JP.

We danced our dinner off at an aviation themed restaurant.

We splished and splashed at an indoor pool.

For the first time, JP was allowed to pick out his own ice cream (hmm, I wonder who suggested this activity!)

We even let AA try raspberry gelato! She LOVED it!

We rented bikes one afternoon. This little gal was NOT happy with our idea at first ...

but JP was! Grandpa A got more of a work out than he bargained for!

Eventually AA enjoyed her ride.