Bright eyed and bushy tailed!

Parker is starting to smile and show us some expression!

Now if we could just get a little more awake time!  It's better than it was the first month, but he's still quite the little sleeper!

Decorating the Christmas Tree

This past weekend, we got the Christmas tree up and set to work decorating it.  Carleigh wanted to help but wanted no assistance!  She could do it herself!  Of course.

She was very excited about the glitter twigs we put in the tree, calling them fairy wands and shaking them ALL over the floor, saying "pixie dust!" over and over!

Rather than go grab the broom and swiffer immediately, I let her enjoy herself in the moment!

Her arrangement and spacing was definitely off but there was no moving anything!

Pleased as punch!

I set to work fixing everything after she went to bed, including the floors, after she went to bed.  The finished product turned out great and in the morning, Carleigh didn't even realize I had moved her decorations.  Phew!  Crisis diverted!!!

Santa and Mrs. Claus' Visit

Friday's annual Santa and Mrs. Claus visit at the Tondre's was quite an eventful day!

The day held the promise of good friends coming together to celebrate the season, take family photos, and get pictures with Santa. 

I know not to be disappointed by pictures, God knows I take enough of them.  But between my type A personality and 2 year old Carleigh's defiance over organized photos (just recently), we butt heads like you wouldn't believe!  My mom laughs at this (I guess she sees how similar we are and remembers all to well what it was like raising me).  I know it will be laughable for me later but in the moment, I get so frustrated! I need my own "calm down" time and it's instances like this that I have to remember that every picture, even the not-so-perfect ones are memories in the making.

Everyone was cooperative and smiling before we made an orgainized attempt.

Carleigh just wasn't having this and wanted to play!

Poor Carleigh was so fearful of Santa!  No amount of prepping her would have helped (we tried for weeks to get her ready).  I actually felt really bad for her because she was hyperventilating-kind-of-scared and pleaded with Santa to still get her a Jasmine and Belle doll along with "animals" - she meant Lion King figurines.  Once Santa left, she was good to go and had a great time playing with all her friends!

Friends and family wanted to get a chance to tell Santa they were good this year!  His lap got sat on a lot! :)

Carter had no prob posing for pics!!!  Hubba, hubba!

Parker just wanted to nap, surprise surprise.

And Carleigh just wanted Mommy to have fun!  'Tis the season!

All in the name of a photo!

We should've seen the signs.  At Mimi and Papaw's house yesterday, I had one goal in mind before friends came over for Santa's visit - get a family photo.  Carleigh was disagreeable, grumpy, fussy and whiny.  Yet Dusty and I ignored it.  Mimi, in an attempt to help, even thought maybe she could make Carleigh laugh or smile.  So she did a somersault (a darn good one, too)! We heard a crunch mid-roll and then she stood up with blood running down her back.

We all wondered what had happened.  Mimi had forgotten she had a plastic claw clip in her hair and it had punctured her head.  She didn't think it was too serious until I took this picture and the blood wouldn't stop.  In this photo she's pushing her scalp together.  When her hands let go, the wound opened bigger and bled more.

We all agreed she should go to a doctor to have it looked at.  Once we arrived at a nearby urgent care clinic, the story spread around the clinic about what Mimi did and the nurse and doctor let her know that they admired her dedication!  Before even being seen by the doctor, the nurse looked at the 2 cm wide (they measured) cut and put an instrument on the table.

It was a stapler!  The doctor came in and notified us that the gash would definitely need closing and staples would be the easiest way to do that.  The lidocaine numbing medicine was applied for 20 minutes to her head and then the doctor got to work!

Six staples later, an antibiotic prescription to prevent infection and strict orders to not do any more gymnastics and Mimi was back to almost-normal!

Here was the picture that was taken during the roll!  Not Christmas card worthy, but cute nonetheless.  Carleigh did laugh, though her tear stained face tells the true story.  We are so sorry Mimi, but love you for your amazing effort to help!

Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving day was full of family festivities!  We feel so blessed this year and have so much to be thankful for.  We first went over to Seth and Courtney's house to have appetizers, see family, and let Carleigh play with the girls.

Then we headed over to the Tondre's where we overindulged, but it was worth it!

Carleigh (and Dustin) were in no mood for group photos.  All the kids wanted to do was swing.  And sometimes you just have to put the camera down and have fun!  So that's what we did.  Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Dreams

Princess Fairies, ballerinas, and butterfly wings,

These are a few of my little girls' dreams.

We love Hannah!

If you've talked to Carleigh in the last month, you've undoubtedly heard about Hannah.  Although a year and a half older, she plays well with Carleigh and Carleigh has truly become borderline obsessed with her.

These were taken on my phone about a month ago.

Childhood girlfriends are to be cherished!

 And these pics are from Saturday ...

...they wore matching ballerina outfits and told each other how pretty the other looked.

A big hug for Hannah!

So sweet!

It is official now, though.  Mommy has been replaced as Carleigh's best friend.  Whether Hannah stays her BFF or it changes, Carleigh's interest in friends already supercedes Mommy.  :(  On a positive note, I know the socialization is good for her and it makes me so happy to see her so happy to have her friends.

Parker is 1 month old!

He wasn't in the mood for pictures today.

But as his mother and on his 1 month birthday, I had to do it!

So he decided to pout about it.  These are for comparison, Parker and one day you or your wife will appreciate them!