Thanksgiving....super late.

Ok, so this post is so late.  I'm still sorting through pictures from the fall and thought I would post them regardless of how late they are because it was Charli's first Thanksgiving and I didn't want to leave it out (I can see how you do less for the 2nd baby already...we are experiencing it in every area and I hate it!).  I am trying to be more intentional with making sure we do the same things for Charli.  So far....I've failed.  But I'm NOT giving up!  

Here's an attempt for a family picture 

Here's Ansley and my Aunt Linda.  Love this one.  My aunt has been through so much in the last year  and it's nice to see her smile.

It was Gingerbread House Time with the cousins!

Shelby and Ansley were candy buds

I think Ansley ate more than she glued

Charli was so sweet and Macy is such a great little helper.  She's on the babysitting list for sure!

My mom and dad with the new play-doh castle and construction trucks. They spent an hour with these! 

Ansley and Jansen played hard outside.  It was so beautiful and a perfect day to play on the play set.  Have I mentioned that they are a mess when they get together? Yep.  Full blown mess.  But so cute.    

I wish I had some pictures of the Bandermann side on Thanksgiving, but we got there super late (everyone was almost gone) and the girls needed naps.  Next year, we will be more diligent!

A Little Bedroom Craft!

Just wanted to post about my latest project in our bedroom. I've had this monogram for almost 2 years and I'm FINALLY doing something with it! Sometimes my buying side gets ahead of my creative/follow-thru side....NOT a good problem to have. Trust me. Anyways, I gave it a quick primer coat, then spray painted it with the closest color I could find to turquoise (why is turquoise so hard to find as popular as it is?!). I've had a large canvas for quite some time too, so I decided to put it to good use, along with the burlap ribbon I had on hand, to fill up some wall space that was looking pretty sad on Jason's side of the bed. Voila!
FINALLY I can check that off my list of to-do's!

Charli Suttyn: 7 Months

*You have finally started to eat something other than peas!  Your palette is expanding...we've successfully started sweet potatoes, green beans, broccoli, mandarin oranges, blueberries, and apples.  As long as they're whole and not pur'eed you will eat them.  It is confirmed, do not like the pureed texture at all!

*As I've learned about your distaste for baby food, I've noticed something pretty funny.  You are always an open mouth smiler.  No matter what....we can almost guarantee to get a laugh out of you.  However, when the baby food comes out, you immediately zip your lips up tight and refuse to show us your usual smile.  It's so cute because you want to smile so badly, but you know if you do, we will slide some food in there.  So you grin from ear to ear....lips zipped.  It's so funny!

*When we put you on the changing table, you immediately twist your body around to grab for the wipes package. It's like clockwork. I lay you down, you grab for the wipes and if I don't get them for you or you can't reach them, you let me know you're not happy about it! :)  

*I've noticed you love the feeling of different textures and fabrics.  You will spend lots of time rubbing pillows, stuffed animals, and scratching your nails on various other things just to feel them and hear their sounds.  I need to get you a tag blanket, stat! 

*You are sitting up like a champ!  You are even starting to do turns on the floor when you're on your belly, so I know the crawling stage will come soon.  You like to go backwards instead of forwards, which is so cute. 

*Your naps seem to get shorter and shorter. :/ I'm hoping with the newly introduced foods that they will start to go back to normal.  We will see!


*You have started to really blow some strawberries with your mouth lately and you think it's so funny!

*We've transitioned into the high chair recently because we just can't trust you in the Bumbo.  You are a squirmer and so handsy!  You are a curious little thing and I feel like I can contain you better in the highchair for right now. 

*When we have you sitting on our laps you love to rock.  It's as if you are trying to rock right off our laps.  We keep a pretty tight grip on you just in case (you are so much more active than Ansley was at this age).

*You are 27.5 inches long (80%) and 17.5 lbs (49%).  You are taller than most, but about average in weight.  Your thighs are cute and chunky and we can't stop squeezing your rolls :)!

Your sister loves you so much and wanted to get in on the picture after her bath.  I LOVE this picture of you two.  

We love you sweet Charli and thank the Lord everyday for His perfect and wonderful gifts.  You are one of them!

Charli loves her sisser!

I just giggle when I watch this.  These two are so funny together.  Ansley can get a little loud with the screams (and poor Charli may end up with some hearing loss in the end), but she usually can get her going BIG time!

More Christmas!

Putting up Ansley's tree this year was so much fun.  First of all, she could barely keep her little britches on she was so excited to decorate it!   Secondly, she was so funny as we were getting all her ornaments out...."oh mommy, who got dis one for me?!", "mommia, dis wooks so bootiful" and "oh mommy, wook at sweet baby Jesus!"  I could have died.  I felt like the year was complete after seeing her excitement during the Christmas season and the interactions between her and Charli.  It was seriously magical and one I never want to forget.  

This year she got to place all the ornaments with just a little guidance from me. :)

My 2 love bugs.  Some days I can't believe how similar they look!

We also visited my friend Kristen and her little girl, Kaleigh over Christmas.  Charli and Kaleigh are two weeks apart.  Even though I'm a second time mom, I love having a friend who's going through the same stage of motherhood! 

For our visit, we plopped the girls on the floor with several toys surrounding them and momma Ansley helped keep their little hands full.  She loved having 2 babies to take care of!

Poor Kaleigh had to share her toys with Charli  

They played really well at first and then....

Charli stole the book!  This picture cracks me up!

We eventually got her chewing on something different and everyone was happy!

It just seems like yesterday when Kristen and I were running around as kiddos (I should probably say skating around, since we did everything in our skates), getting into trouble during our St. Louis summers, and all the crazy stories we have as two ice skaters just trying to grow up together.  She was my skating buddy, swimming buddy, sleeping buddy, and now my St. Louis buddy.  :) 

We will forever be lifelong friends. 

I still can't believe that we are even old enough to have babies. :)

So glad we were able to get together over the busy holiday season and get pictures of our little ones!

It's been SNOOOOW fun!

We have had some crazy weather here in Southeast Missouri lately!  It goes from very mild, almost warm days to SNOW in about 2.5 seconds.  It's a little shocking actually, but we managed to make the best of it :).  We spent most of Saturday outside in the crisp air and fluffy snow.  It was such a relaxing day and very exciting for Ansley and even Charli.  Thankfully, Pam bought Ansley an awesome snowsuit, perfect for the heavy snow and slightly chilly temps.  It is so cute!  Ansley was thrilled to be able to play in the snow with her new bibs on and her first request was that we make a snowman....so that we did.  Charli was eager to get her little mittens in the snow too.  She just smiled and cooed the whole time we had her out in it and she was so bundled up it was hard to see anything but cheeks!

Here was our before the snow pic (can you see Ansley's excitement and Charli's just like...whatevs!)

And then we jumped ALL in!

with little Charli too.

I love those little pursed lips

She got some in her eyes briefly, but it took no time at all before she was hopping up for more.

This is how it all started....snow throwing.

Then daddy got busy building our snowman

And Mimi and BB showed up to play!

They helped us gather snow. My dad is crazy because he JUST had foot surgery!  He was not supposed to be in a Muck boot in the snow that's for sure!

Ansley really had fun putting the eyes, nose, and arms in.

The snowman got to wear BB's hat

On to the snow angels! 

And lo and behold, Jason found a baby kitten in the barn.  She was so pretty and sweet!

This little girl fell in LOVE!

Unfortunately, the kitten didn't make it through the night and Jason and I found ourselves feeding it through a tiny syringe and giving it mouth to "meowth" just to save it's life! Ha! Just kidding on the mouth to mouth!  We were so reluctant to tell Ansley the next day and it was seriously heartbreaking to tell her the unfortunate news.  She handled it well, but now she wants to look for one with the same patches as this one had.....great, that won't be impossible!

We're now on the hunt for one ;) And we're super sad the snow is melting away, but it was so fun while it lasted!

It's Christmas time!

So lift up your voice and sing out His praise.  It's Christmas!  Born is the King, rejoice in the day.  It's Christmas! Lift a joyful sound.  It's Christmas!  Let His praise ring out.....

I know, I know....Christmas is over, but I can't get this song out of my head (we sang it for our church Christmas choir program).  If you haven't heard the Hillsong version, don't look it up!  You'll be humming, dancing, and singing to it ALL day long!  Ha!  At least Jason, Ansley and I all have been!

We had a wonderful Christmas full of lots of fun activities and I thought I would post some of the pics from what feels like a week long celebration.  :)

Disclaimer:  Lots of pictures to follow!!

Christmas this year started at the cabin.  We celebrated my dad's birthday (and Jesus' birthday) on Saturday....a little early, but so nice to have it before the Christmas day rush.  It was a 2'fer kind of night ;).  We ate some delicious steaks made by the cutest and best steak maker this side of the Mississippi.  Ha!  No seriously, he can make a mean steak (I know I've mentioned this before)!  We then opened presents and Laura made a cake for my dad's birthday.  It was so yummy. 

How cute are these two rugrats?! Dress half up, one sock off, and the binkie on the floor!

This cracks me up!  Jansen buried himself in the presents.

Jason was shaking the salad and doing a jig :)

Happy Birthday Dad!  

Present time!

Charli got an arrary of unicorn presents....a pillowpet was one of them.  She was pretty happy about that.

Then....on to our little Christmas.

At our house, Santa left a letter for the girls, drank most of his milk, and ate both cookies! He was a hungry Santa!   

Ansley was happy that he stopped by!  The note was absolutely precious (written by Jason) 

One of my favorites.

Christmas morning was really nice.  We ate pluckett cake, listened to the Word of Promise (best story bible cd), and then headed to GG's clubhouse for lunch. 

Ansley "reading" us the story of the birth of Christ at the clubhouse.

And so excited to get this present!

All the girls on the Hawn side

GG and Charli were having a moment

After lunch at GG's clubhouse, we trekked to Marble Hill for more family and fun. Charli got lots of attention!

We tried to get a tree picture of the kiddos.  Didn't really happen.

The cousins!

One proud momma

My mom and pops with the girls

And Miss Priss loves this cowhide chair that Jason and I brought back from Brazil when we were on a mission trip there.  I love the leg cross.

On to Pamaw's house on Wednesday.  Whew!  Christmas is so fun, but can be a bit exhausting after all the running around!  Guess who read us the story again?? Preciou

Brynn did too :)

Pappaw actually read from the Bible :)

And then we had prayer time

On to the presents!  Charli did so good tearing them up!

Ansley was wanting these princesses sooo bad!  

And Charli ate some more paper.

Christmas was so exciting this year because we had Ansley who couldn't wait to tell about the birth of Christ at every stop, she let out bursts of excitement when opening every single present, and her questions about Santa were so humorous.  Not to mention, Charli, who was as cute as a button with the wrapping paper and her little prizes were perfect for her.  It was a busy, but joyous Christmas and we're loving this season of life!