2011 Here We Come

Hope everyone had a wonderful NYE and day! It's hard to believe a new year is already here. Did you make any resolutions? I usually don't make any, but this year I decided  to focus on a few things.

I want to laugh more...

Love more...

Pout less...

Enjoy the little things...

Discover new delights...

Love the animals...

and spend time with people I love.

I think we're off to a good start. 

May this new year bring you all many exciting adventures full of love and happiness, and may you be blessed beyond measure! Happy New Year! 

Five Months

Baby girl, you continue to amaze us with your sweet, funny personality. You love to cuddle and have started giving kisses. Your laugh is infectious and your smile lights up any room. You continue to have such a sweet demeanor and are so easy going. People are continuously amazed at how good you are. As long as you're near whatever is going on, you are content to just be. This last month has been so fun for you...

In the last month you have:

• started eating "solids": rice cereal, bananas, sweet potatoes, apples, and green beans. you LOVE food!
• become VERY vocal...you definitely know what you want
• continued to be a fantastic sleeper...at night...we're still working on your naps.
• started grabbing things with such intensity
• become very focused when trying to figure something out...you have the cutest concentration face!

 
People are still amazed at how petite you are...strangers always comment on it. You are super strong though. You're getting ready to crawl...when you're on your tummy you plant your feet and lift your butt in the air. It's so cute. You love standing and can almost sit up on your own. Your faces still make us laugh and I know they're just a glimpse at your character.

Words really cannot express how much we love you and how happy you make us. Happy five months, sweet girl. We love you!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas 2010

(Miss Anayah apparently didn't want to take a picture!)

Just a quick glimpse at our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day events...

 matching with daddy...

 
 and mommy too...of course.


Christmas morning is finally here!

 

Umm, I might need help...these boxes are bigger than me!

 I can do it daddy.

Just because it's Christmas doesn't mean I skip tummy time!

 
I guess opening presents is completely exhausting.

Anayah thoroughly enjoyed her first Christmas and was a such a trooper at our Christmas Eve party (which started after her bedtime). She was very excited to open presents and just be a part of all the excitement. She of course was the center of attention and loved every minute of it. We spent Christmas day in San Diego with my family and enjoyed being spoiled by grandma and grandpa. Everyone had a great time. It was a good first Christmas for baby girl and we can't wait for next year!

Mini Break

Just a quick note to say that I'm taking a small break from blogging for a little bit. I'm sure you won't miss me but for those who do, I'll be back soon. Promise. Until then, enjoy your holiday season!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Christmas Crafts

I'm sure you've seen some fun holiday crafts floating around blog land these days. This ornament tree is one of my favorites. It's simple and festive and so shiny!

And super easy to make! Here's how:

Start with some foam cones. You can find them at Michael's or I got mine at the Dollar Tree. They come in different sizes. The ones I got at DT are much smaller than the ones at Michael's but much cheaper too. 

I also got some foam discs used for floral arrangements to add some height to the cones

Then I got a bunch of ornaments (different sizes and colors or whatever floats your boat). Most of them I bought last year after Christmas on clearance...or from the Dollar Tree (again, I know but it's a fab place!)

Pull the tops off the ornaments and gently push them into the cones. You can arrange them in a pattern or just place them randomly all over. Use a dab of hot glue to secure them. 

Now you can just leave it as is and it will be good to go.


Or you can take some garland, cut small pieces, and stuff them in the spaces between the ornaments to fill the holes and make it appear fuller

Now I have a couple more to do then off to finish the Christmas decor. Happy crafting!

Fa La La La La

It's the one time of year that I actually decorate my house according to the holiday. I never put anything up for Halloween or Thanksgiving or Easter or Valentine's Day. But Christmas? Yes, please. I'm not quite sure the logic behind all that but oh well who cares. It's time to bust out the Christmas decor.

We all went to Bri's championship game Sunday morning. They won 9-3 and B did so good. Great way to end the season! After we got home, we dug out the bins and got to work. Last year we invested in an artificial tree because Bri didn't really want to deal with the mess after all was said and done and I didn't really care either way. So we busted that bad boy out and threw on carefully placed the ornaments. Anayah just watched and stared at all the lights and shiny things. Maybe next year she can help. Here's the tree so far...

I still need to finish the mantle and wreath for the front door and I have a few Christmas crafts that I'm working on. I'll show them to you tomorrow. Maybe.

Jack's Back

Anayah's friend Jack has been out of town for a week and she hasn't seen him in almost two. She was definitely going through withdrawals. So we finally got them together for a playdate today and they chatted up a storm. That is when one of them wasn't eating, sleeping, fussing, or pooping.

playing hard to get...I'm mad that you left for so long Jack.

They were quite the pair in their matching corduroys. Great minds think alike!

 Oh great, two cameras. This is gonna take a while...

Of course their mommies made them do the requisite photo shoot. This time they played along for a little bit longer...

 I'll walk you through this Jack. My mom makes me do this ALL the time!

 Hey man, you gonna share the goods or what?!

but they drew the line shortly after we tried to incorporate the holiday background. Jack had had enough and pulled it all down...he didn't really care that it came down on Anayah either :)

 Jaaaack! Get me outta here!

The babies had fun and so did their mommies, catching up and just hanging out. We even managed to bake a batch of cookies. No, they weren't from scratch...we didn't have time for that. Did you NOT see the photos above?! :) We had our hands full people.