christmas morning twenty eleven.

My favorite part of Christmas this year was Christmas morning at home with just Greg, Evs and I. Don't get me wrong, we loved all of the family time we had too, but being home with just the three of us to open presents and take videos and watch little Evie discover her new toys under the tree was just the best. Christmas is always really rushed and busy, and this years festivities were probably the busiest, so I loved this time I had at home with just my little family of three. Of course, Evie didn't know what was going on but she totally understood that we were excited about something. When she woke up in the morning G tried to feed her a bottle out in the living room, but she was way too distracted by all the new toys she saw on the floor and had to eat in another room in order to focus on eating. She was such a ham that morning screaming and clapping and looking at each new gift we opened with wonder and excitement. She sure has made this year and this Christmas the best we've ever had.

christmas eve twenty eleven.

 Christmas this year was magical! I spent last Christmas in the hospital, if you can remember, so to be home again this year with my very own baby girl and husband to spoil, I just felt so lucky and in love.

We started off Christmas Eve with some last minute shopping and baking and then I helped Evie open one of her gifts before we got ready to leave for the evening. She happened to choose the perfect present to open first and got her new Christmas dress and sweater. How convienient!

she has been pulling and tugging on and eating that christmas tree non-stop all month and i can't lie, i don't think it will make it to new years day.

Christmas Eve this year was spent with my family dining on prime rib and mashed potatoes, exchanging gifts and acting out the nativity with a few hilarious performances by my brothers.

joseph and mary

i made those peppermint brownie cookies that seemed to be floating around pinterest non-stop. they were delicious, in case you were wondering.

the wise men enter and andy puts on a show-stopping performance complete with singing and m&m's for baby jesus. he kills us.

We opened Christmas jams, took some family pics and then headed downstairs to wrap up the night with a little family rock band before we headed home to put our little one to bed.

I dare say I love Christmas Eve even more than I love Christmas day.
Hope yours was equally merry and bright!

month eleven.

Month eleven! What?!

I had to find the time to blog before we head out to meet G for some dinner and some Santa Claus visiting to write about my sweet baby at eleven months old.

How I have loved and cherished and enjoyed every second of these past eleven months. From the night feedings to the newborn sleepiness to learning to nurse and play and army crawl. I have watched her grow up and away from me and I just wish I could do it all over again, just one more time in order to make sure I never forget any of it. I have loved every moment.


Here are all the important details that make up you, my big eleven month old baby girl.

• You weigh a whopping 15 pounds. What?! You are teeeeeny and that's just who you are. We love you that way.
• You love solids and we are finally to the point where if we eat out and I forget to bring something for you I have to order something. The other day it was a side of mac & cheese meant just for you and you ate the whole gosh darn thing with your fingers.
  
• Everyone tells me all the time that you look like your Daddy and you do, but I am in there too. You have his blonde hair, his blue eyes and his fair complexion, but your eye shape is mine, your oval face is mine and your skinny little chicken legs are mine, too.
  
• You kick and scream and bounce and freak your freak when your Daddy comes home each night. I hope you never stop. Let me tell you something, Evie, he loves it.
• You are very independent unless you aren't feeling well and then you are super clingy to me. If you are teething you want me to hold you all day, but if you are well you want to be on the floor talking to all of your toys or following the pups around.
• You have been much fussier these past few weeks than ever before in your life because of said teething.
• You still only army crawl, but you are very good at it and I am sure that will just be your mode of transportation until you learn to walk.
• You have 3 teeth right now and your two front teeth are both coming in as well as one more on the bottom. This top tooth has been the worst, some days you've been a nightmare. Bless your little heart.
• You LOVE dogs. Love love love them. You scream at the top of your lungs if our dogs lick you or get near you and you watch them and follow them all over the house. If you are upset and I can't seem to calm you "Where's the doggie?" will ALWAYS work and you will do a little bark in response.
  
• I would have no idea what to claim as your favorite foods anymore because you eat everything I give you and I seem to give you everything. I guess, if I think about it, you like vegetables and savory foods better than sweet ones.
• You love to look at books and have started to want to look at them independently as well as with me. You mimic the way I read to you and turn the pages and point at each picture with your tiny little pointer finger just like I do.
• Your blonde hair is now growing over your ears and you have started wearing it in little pig tails.
• You won't hold your own bottle if you are tired because you want to be vigorously rubbing your eyes while you eat, instead. This is your method of self-soothing to sleep. Eye rubbing and then thumb sucking once you are out.
• You love toys and get really excited over new ones. Everyone likes to say that Christmas with a baby isn't that fun, but I have a feeling that Christmas with you will be a riot.
  
• You aren't attached to anything other than your dolly and your seahorse. I give the same soft blanket to you every night when you go to sleep, but I seriously think you couldn't care less about it.
• You still have the smallest feet ever which easily fit into 0-3 month shoes.
• You have started throwing little tantrums when I take things away from you and oh boy, that started early.
• You LOVE to play the "drop it and pick it up" game and just immediately drop most things I give you. It is so funny and so annoying all at the same time.
  
• It is easy to justify buying you great clothes because you will wear them for at least 6 months.
• You just barely nursed for the very last time yesterday. I didn't plan to stop exactly at 11 months, but that's how it has turned out. I weaned you soooo slowly I honestly don't think you noticed at all, but I am heartbroken over it. I have loved our nursing relationship and will miss it so much. 11 months was far too soon to stop for me, but I will just keep reminding myself that this means I can hopefully start thinking about baby #2 now.
  
• You are the sweetest, happiest little friend in the world. From your smiles to your screams to the laugh attacks you have when I am trying to put you to sleep at night. You are so much fun and we cannot imagine life without you.

 

It should be noted, you are wearing the Christmas dress Grandma Olsen gave you in these pictures 

(better ones to come). 

And now back to my blogging hiatus.