Picking out the tree and meeting Santa!

We kept the tradition alive by going to get our tree the day after Thanksgiving.  It is hard to believe that this is Brady's 4th Christmas!  Paul got a little too excited at the Christmas Tree place and picked out the biggest one they had.  I was a little weary, but thought, what the heck.  So we came home we a ginormous tree...Paul's dad had to come help carry the tree, in and we soon realized that it was just ridiculously too big.  As in, we were afraid it would fall off the stand and kill someone.  So, they carried the tree back outside and thanks to our friend, Chris, we exchanged it for a smaller one the next day.  Lesson learned- the trees look a lot bigger once you bring them inside.  I think ours ended up being the perfect size, not too big, not too small.

Katelyn's face cracks me up.

This is what happens when you forget to bring their jackets...

All done!

Not much makes me happier than matching Christmas Pjs :)

We finally got to meet Santa this weekend! We were debating where to take the kids, and Paul saw on Facebook that Brady's old school was having cookies with Santa on Saturday.  It sounded perfect to us.  It was a small group which was so nice. We literally walked in and they immediately got to sit on Santa's lap.  I was completely shocked that Katelyn did not cry.  I expected that Brady would not be scared at all, but I assumed Katelyn would want nothing to do with him.  She wouldn't smile for us, but she had no problem sitting on his lap.  

They also got to decorate cookies and draw pictures.  Brady drew a picture for Santa and Mrs. Claus. He also told him he wanted a choochoo and a race car.  He also said that Momma and Papa wanted a BIG race car (thanks buddy :)).  Katelyn was so happy sitting in that chair eating a cookie and coloring.  I have literally never seen her sit still for that long.  People kept commenting on how good she was, and I assured them that this was not normal.  She didn't want to leave!  They both loved it.

Katelyn before we left.

He was so excited!

She did NOT want to leave that chair.

'Tis the season

What I love most about the Holidays is getting to spend so much time with family.  We have been busy lately which is why I have been a little MIA on the blog here.  Last weekend we went to Charleston to celebrate Henry's 3rd birthday!  Brady and Henry are literally best buddies (and cousins) from birth.  I was so excited for Brady to have cousins his exact same age.  We had so much fun at his party!

Katelyn and her cousin, Belle.

The birthday boy

Katelyn gets doted on by all her big cousins, and she eats it up.

The diva ready to roll.

After the birthday party, Nanna and Papa took the kids back to Columbia, and we went to my mom's to her wedding reception.  They just bought a beautiful house on James Island.  The weather was perfect, and my brother and his girlfriend came in town which was a bonus.  I am obsessed with her outdoor area on her deck.  It is so perfect.

Uncle Dustin!

One of my besties, Cady Nell

My brother came back to Columbia to spend a few more days with us.  We were so happy to have him here.  Brady and Katelyn both love him so much.  I have never seen Katelyn warm up to someone so quickly.  I think FaceTime really helps them to have such a special relationship with Uncle Dustin.  Even though we only get to see him a few times a year, we try to make sure we have FaceTime dates often.  He is such a fun playmate, and even babysat for us on Monday night.

Can you tell they love him a little bit?

And of course, yesterday was Thanksgiving.  Paul's parents had everyone over at their house and invited my mom and grandparents.  I thought that was so nice, and it was so nice for us to just have 1 Thanksgiving dinner to attend.  I loved getting to be together with everyone.  Brady and Katelyn had a great time as well.  They were pretty pooped at the end of the day.  I am so thankful to have such a wonderful family.

So thankful for these 2! 

The kids table.

Playing babies with cousin, Amelia. (Or more like Katelyn is eating the baby)

They were pretty worn out...

What do you know- Elvin, our Elf, showed back up last night from the North Pole!  He brought the kids some gifts and left them a note.  Brady was so excited to see him.  To say that he is excited about Christmas this year is an understatement.  I love being able to see the excitement of Christmas through my children's eyes.  It makes it all so much fun.  I hope we can get our tree later today.  We already have a "baby tree" as Brady calls it, in the playroom.

Christmas will be here before we know it!

5 on Friday

1. Sleep, as in I.NEED.MORE.SLEEP.  I am not sure what is going on with this previous angel sleeper these days.  It all started on Sunday with a nap that she tried to fight off.  This was a first for us. Typically after lunch we head upstairs, I change her diaper, put her in her crib, and within minutes she is asleep.  This time she immediately stood up and put on the waterworks.  Paul picked her up and rocked her for a bit and then tried to put her down and she woke up screaming immediately.  Then I went in her room and rocked her until she was fast asleep and managed to slip her back into her crib.  She has now been doing this at night too.  

To add to it, she wakes up at 5:30 screaming, throws her bunny out of the crib and screams until I come get her.  Then, I pick her up (after trying to get her to lay back down with no such luck), and we rock in her chair.  As soon as we sit down she immediately lays on my chest and will fall asleep.  Don't get me wrong, I love the cuddles, and this is new for me, because neither of my children were rocked to sleep (I tried sometimes, but they would just rather be put down), but I don't really want to cuddle at 5am.  I have no idea what switch clicked that made her start acting this way. I know she feels fine, because she immediately perks up when I get her.  Any suggestions on how to get her back to the girl who loved her sleep and would just sit in her crib and talk to herself for as long as we let her?  I would really like that child back right about now.

(Update: I prayed last night before bed for a good nights sleep for all of us, and what do you know- she was her usual self this morning.  She did cry at 5:30, but it was literally for 1 minute and then she went back to sleep.  Let's hope this was just a short phase.)

Some early morning coffee

2. Both of our kids need a good pair of boots.  I love the pink ones for Katelyn (and the price!), but I am kinda thinking I should go with a more neutral pair that will go with everything.  As for Brady, I am thinking some fun cowboy boots, but something that still looks suitable for everyday wear. Which ones do you like best?

For her: one | two | three For him: one | two | three

3. I don't know how this happened so fast, but Katelyn turned 18 months old yesterday!  An update on all her latest to come soon.

18 months!

4. If there is one thing that cheers up my winter blues, it is a crackling fire and a warm cup of hot chocolate.  We couldn't decide when building our house whether to have a gas fireplace or a real wood burning fireplace.  I personally love a wood burning fire.  I love the smell, the sound, the extra warmth, but what I don't like is the hassle.  Aka, buying the wood, cleaning out the soot.  I just knew we wouldn't use it as much because of this, so we opted for gas logs.  I am happy we did, because with the flip of a switch I have a cozy fire in my great room.

5. This Saturday we are heading back down to Charleston to celebrate Henry's 3rd birthday, and my mom's wedding.  My brother is flying in from San Francisco, and I can't wait to see him!

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Linking up with April,  Darci, Christina, and Natasha!

KVD 18 Months old

A year and a half- that is hard to believe!  When I think about it in terms of Brady at 18 months, she still seems like such a baby.  It is hard to believe that I was only 2 months away from having Katelyn when Brady was this age.  I am thankful that their are no babies on the way right now- ha!  We definitely stay busy enough with these 2.  She is growing by leaps and bounds!  Here is what she is up to at this age:

1. She loves school now and usually just walks right into her class and doesn't look back.

2.  She loves Brady, but sometimes he can be a little overwhelming (wanting to hold her hand, hug her, etc.), and she will let us know that she is not interested in that right now!

3.  She is still obsessed with her Bunny lovey which she started calling her "Ma".  She also sleeps with a monkey that she refers to as "monk".

4.  She is back on track with her great sleeping habits.  She goes to bed around 7 and wakes up around 7-7:30, but she will just lay quietly in her crib until we come get her.  A lot of times at night, she will just walk to her room and tell us she is ready for bed.  Lately she doesn't even want me to read her a book, she just wants to be put in her crib.  She also naps once a day anywhere from 2-3 hours at home and usually just 1 hour or so at school.

5.  She has turned into a bit of a picky eater.  My rule on toddler eating is that they get what we are having for dinner, and if they eat it great, if not, oh well.  Granted, Katelyn is definitely not deprived, so I don't worry much about her missing a meal.  When I put something in front of her that she is not familiar with, or if it is not what she desired for the evening, she will start crying and yelling, No! No! while pushing her plate away. It is quite dramatic, but I want her to learn that she has to eat what we are having.  The other night she threw this fit over a meal we gave her, and I just ignored her for a while, and what do you know she started eating it!

6.  Her favorite foods are: FRUIT!, broccoli, chicken nuggets (only a specific kind though), french fries (dipped in ketchup thanks to Waldo getting her started on that), graham crackers, pretzels, gold fish, yogurt, cereal, vanilla wafers, pizza, spaghetti, milk, and pancakes.

7. She is a little bit afraid of animals which is quite the opposite of Brady.  She loves dogs (specifically Riley), but when we go to the zoo she gets kind of timid.  She HATED when we tried to put her on a horse at the fair.

8. She is learning new words everyday.  Some of the things she can say now are: hi, bye-bye, night night, mama, dada, Nanna, Papa, Waldo (Walwo), shoes, nose, mouth, ear, milk, uh oh, I don't know, no, thank you, please, mouse, airplane, ball, see you (as in "see you later"), that's hot (pointing to oven and stove), bow, cheese, all done, boo (peek-a-boo)

9.  Her favorite toys are her pots and pans in the play kitchen.  She also loves Brady's cozy coupe, and we constantly have fights over the car.  She also loves to be chased and to play peek-a-boo.

10.  She only wants to read a hand ful of books that are her favorites (kind of like food- she doesn't like to try new things).  Her favorites are: Where is Baby's Belly Button, Goodnight Moon, From Head to Toe, and Pat the Bunny.

11.  She gives the sweetest kisses.

12.  She loves to be held by mommy.  She has started wrapping her arms around me and patting my back which is the sweetest thing ever.

13. She cannot sit still to save her life.  I wish she would enjoy watching TV sometimes, but her limit is about 2 minutes and she is on to the next thing.

14.  She can be sweet when she wants to be, but she has a little fiesty side too.  We have gotten a couple notes home from school about hitting and pinching her teachers and friends at school.

15.  Her hair gets lighter and lighter.  She has turned into a blonde.

16.  Her eyes are the same color as Brady's.  They are a mix of brown and green.  I guess you would call them Hazel.

17.  She is a girly girl and loves to help me do my make up.  She will often ask for a bow in her hair, and she gets excited when I ask her if she wants to wear a pretty dress.  I just love it!

18.  She still does her signature sucking her tongue when she is tired, and it is the sweetest thing.  I wonder if/when she will ever stop doing this?

19.  She has already gone poopoo and peepee on the potty!  She started wanting to sit on the potty after seeing Brady do it, so I figured why not?  As soon as we put her on it she would go.  I am not sure that we are ready for full blown potty training, but I would say that is a good sign!

20.  She can pretty much point to all of her body parts.

21.  She wears size 18-24 month clothes and size 5 diapers.

We love you to the moon and back sweet Katey Boo.  Your other nicknames from your Daddy who is infamous for the nicknames include peachy and peachy ann.

Blonde!

Prime example of "don't touch me!"