Two things

#1 I'm sorry the font is weird...not sure why that happened but it was not on purpose and I'll fix it soon. ....ish....

#2 Who noticed that carter is flipping everyone off in that first picture? I just did. Gave me a laugh at the end of a rough day :) Apparently she's a little feisty despite her sweet disposition.

TWO MONTHS!!!

Carter bug is two months old!!! (well...she was yesterday...). She is doing great and I can't get enough of her adorable baby face and she seriously has the sweetest little disposition. Sometimes when I think she's sleepy I'll put her in her swing in her room and turn off the light. She won't make a peep and I'll come back in like 20 minutes to find her just sitting there awake, alone, in the dark...totally fine....such a doll. Right now some of Carter's favorite things are:

Growing--11 pounds at her 1 month (but actually 7 week) visit and 22.5 inches long. This was 74% for weight, 75% for height, and 79% for head size. She's wearing mostly 3-6 months clothes now.

Eating!! (see #1) She now gets drinks 2-3 oz of formula after each feeding (or therabouts). I basically feel like this means I am feeding her ALL time time and she doesn't seem to get much from me nursing because if I try to put her down after she's immediately hungry again.. for what it's worth I am going to at least try to keep it up until my maternity leave is over...

Getting loved on by Harrison! The doting big bro loves to bring her toys, give her kisses and hugs, tell her he loves her, talk to her, and attempt to carry her around places (we usually stop this...)

kicking her legs and feet!! She's always kicking off blankets. It's cute and funny because I leave the room or walk away and come back and her blanket is on the floor and she's just sitting there looking at me all innocently.

Smiling at mommy and daddy--ADORABLE

She no longer will tolerate tummy time as well as in the beginning, but she's getting much better holding up her head and moving towards rolling over.

Sleeping!!! We were getting 7-8 hours a night (about 10-5) but now have reverted to about 3-4 hours at a time. I blame it on the cold she got from Harrison. Yep, the little bug has her first sickness :( :(. It makes me sad to hear her cough but thus far no lung issues or ear infection so hopefully she'll get over it soon (and she tolerates it like such a trooper, I couldn't get near Harrison with the snot sucker and Carter doesn't even cry). Harrison didn't hardly get sick until last winter which was great. Having a toddler who goes to nursery and preschool and loves to kiss, touch, sometimes lick (EW!!!) his baby sister brings sickness to another level I'm afraid.

Here are some pictures I took of our little princess today. Happy 2 months baby girl!!!'


check out the old man hair!

Lift that head!!


chillin

Cory's Birthday

Cory celebrated his 32nd birthday on December 7th. It was such fun being home with Harrison so we could pick out presents together, wrap them (32 of course) and hide them all over the living room. Sure the "presents" included things like 4 holiday placemats, mini altoids, and a 14 piece spatula set I bought online awhile ago and forgot about.... we made up for it by getting him the ipad he's been dreaming about for awhile. Happy birthday Cory! We love you and are so lucky to have you around!!!!!



The Presents!! Harrison helped wrap of course :)

Harrison after we decorated Cory's birthday cookie. This was the first year we made our own instead of buying one and it turned out DEE LISH OUS

Christmas crafts for those who can tie a knot and man a glue gun

For anyone whose had the pleasure of being sent or given something from me for christmas that I decided to make myself you likely understand that everything doesn't always turn out exactly like I plan. Typically it's always a little off, smushed, broken, and likely cost twice as much as if I just bought you something. Oh well. Someday I'll become more efficient and talented. Maybe. Until then, making stuff is still one of my favorite christmas traditions. This year was no different. Harrison and I whipped up a few batches of oreo truffles (he LOVED sprinkle duty...a little too much sometimes, but who doesn't want more sugar anyway???). We also made my favorite gingerbread cookies with Cory's help (See recipe HERE ) for some neighbors and I decided to make a bunch of wreaths for friends. I got a few pictures of those (mostly for Jen's benefit)

Felt Rosette Wreath... I did two of these but they look basically the same. Very easy but take seven billion years so make sure you have time.

Ribbon Wreath #1
Ribbon Wreath #2

And then red and green slightly christmas-y versions of this one which I forgot/am too lazy to take pictures of:

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2011/10/how-to-make-a-tulle-wreath-halloween-edition/

(with less flowers and no bird ....sorry)

A few days before christmas I also got together with two awesome ladies and we made some yummy truffles--raspberry, peppermint, and chocolate with sea salt...(ok Erin and Marci made them while I pretended to be calming my fussy child....)

FYI the salt ones look like they've been through the wringer because we oversalted a BIT the first time around and tried to correct the mistake

Erin hard at work

Marci hard at work too....(you notice who is NOT in these pictures...)

AMAZING talent with the raspberry drizzle

Pretty peppermint

Apparently we woke Alesa up so she could lick those ones on the bottom and make them look more "authentic".....

YUM!!! Whatever they may lack in appearance they more than make up for in taste...in fact I may have just eaten one (or FOUR) right now :) Love you girls! Thanks for being awesome!

National Christmas Tree

We went to see the National Tree last week and it turned out to be a lot of fun (I wasn't sure and hadn't been for a long time). Not too cold or crowded and we saw all the pretty state trees and the HUGE yule log. As a BIG bonus santa and his workshop were there so we saved an expensive and obnoxious trip to the mall and a likely long wait in line. We also saw TWO couples get engaged in a matter of like 20 minutes, one right next to us.

(PS- just in case you're wondering I composed these captions at 2:02 a.m. in "not quite" my right mind...)

An attempt to get 3/4 of us in a picture. Apparently my face is melting...
Man this kid is CUTE
Yep, that's the white house back there. I wasn't only taking a picture of the fence....
post-tree wrap-up dinner--guzzling water from a big cup while daddy looks on
Was Harrison's favorite part the huge tree? or the big flaming yule log? Or seeing santa? Or getting "rice and beans and chips" after??? NO--it was the train display of course.
That's the AZ tree-shout out to our AZ friends and family
All bundled up----thanks Alissa for making this hat for alesa a couple of years ago so I could accidentally steal it....

Harrison survived a santa visit without crying: WIN!!! (we were also actually allowed to take pictures unlike with the psycho elves last year who wouldn't allow a camera phone within 50 feet...)

YULE to the LOG
Nativity---the jaded conservative I am was grateful to see this. Also grateful that the choir sang a real christmas song AFTER that song about recycling...
and the BIG TREE of course

Thanksgivmas #2

Last year the old roomies and I started a new holiday in the first weekend of December (well April suggested and we jumped on board). This year we moved it from Pittsburgh to DC for take two and had just as much fun. Plus--we had the bonus of having Alissa fly all the way out from Utah!! Oh yes, all six of us were together again (plus four husbands and 6.5 kids)!!! Two nights, lots of yummy food ( I may or may not have made SIX pizzas for this event...proscuito and carmelized onion won out as the best in my opinion), gift giving, late night conversation, and not to mention an AMAZING white elephant gift exchange...(thanks again for that toilet seat Shalise :))). I LOVE LOVE LOVE these girls and I'm glad we can always pick up where we left off back on 818 crothers lane. Can't wait til next year in OHIO!

Alissa's gift courtesy of Taci--It's a reindeer/santa/olympic snowshoer...of course....Dru is jealous...
Of course he shouldn't have been since he got Alissa's home-made awesome toddler-sized cape)
Cute baby Lucio with Andrew, Taci, and Shalise...Lucio was born 2 weeks before Carter---I feel blessed to have taken part in the decision on his name pronunciation that weekend (Lou Chee O if you are wondering)..
Carter looking up at her daddy
the boys and alesa playing video games
April gave us cute little holiday cacti---mine may or may not have been dumped over twice in the car on the way home but fingers crossed it will survive (they're a hardy plant, right?)
Carter takes a nap with her grumpy face on
Alissa and Marci figured out how to make truffle boxes out of ordinary pieces of cardstock--GENIUS I tell you!
Shalise teaches Harrison and Vincenzo spanish in a toddler toy wonderland
finally alesa gets in on the video game action
Getting ready to make truffles--YUM!!!
Harrison got a spiderman coloring book in his stocking!!
obviously it's more of a surprise if you go through your stocking with your eyes closed....
Adorable bag also made by alissa...I may be comandeering this for my own benefit...

Blessing Day

We were lucky to have cory's parents come visit a couple of weeks ago for Carter's blessing. Harrison loved spending time with O'ma and O'pa and Carter loved the constant attention and snuggling :) (plus--they brought presents...and candy..YUM). We took them to Eastern Market for pancakes and the natural history museum.....you'll have to take my word for it because I didn't get any pictures...whoops...

Carter's blessing dress was once used by my aunt Kim. It was awesome to use it again a few years later :) I got a few pictures of her in it a couple of days before (which was a smart move since we ended up only getting one picture on the blessing day).

Harrison is not looking and carter is crying....typical....

Harrison and O'pa finishing up the gingerbread house we started for FHE--they even used a cotton ball for smoke coming out of the chimney :)

mommy why do you insist on taking pictures of yourself? I'm obviously much cuter!

Carter loves to try to eat her hands...or just shove them up her nose...

Another fruitless attempt to get her to take a binkie....sigh...she'll hold it in her mouth for a minute but sadly it is not a calming mechanism in any way--boo---