Elliet {7 months}

Our sweet little Ellie is 7 months old now.  I swear this past month went by in the blink of an eye!

She got to spend her "7 month Birthday" at the doctor :(   She came down with her first (and hopefully last) ear infection.  Poor little girl was in so much pain.  We did enjoy the extra cuddles though!

Weight: She weighed 20# 3 oz at the doctor - diapered and clothed

Clothing Size: 6-12 months

Diaper Size: 3

Teeth: Two!!!  "All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth..."  Elliet got her 2 bottom/center teeth on Christmas!  What a great gift, huh?!  Pleasantly to our surprise, her sleep was not interrupted.

Mobility: Not crawling yet, but can scootch backwards and in circles.

Speech: Lots of talking these days - she says MAMA(!), dada, and baba amongst other gibberish.  I don't think she associates the words with meaning....except for mama?!  {wishful thinking!}

Eating: Elliet eats 4 oz of formula about every 3-4 hours.  She also eats baby food and/or rice cereal for supper.

Sleeping: Elliet still continues to take 2 long naps throughout the day!  She has been waking up in the early morning hours for a bottle on most nights.  She loves to snuggle with blankets when she sleeps - she pulls them up to her mouth/face and leaves them there.  It worries Adam and I sick.  We check on her throughout the night and remove the blanket off her face, but she always manages to pull it back up over her face.  She's not particular about the blanket either - it can be any blanket.  (We use light receiving blankets)

Favorite Toy: She has been enjoying the new toys that she received for Christmas - her favorites are the Fisher Price Bubble Gum Machine and her baby doll

Favorite Activity: Besides pulling hair, playing Patty Cake - or ANYTHING that we are doing.  She has to be in on the action AT ALL TIMES

Health/Development/Milestones at 6 months:

• first ear infection
• first 2 teeth
• first Christmas
• can sit up 
• received first 1/2 of flu shot
• drinks from a sippy cup
• gives kisses

It's The Little Things

I don't know what it is, but lately I've been hooked on "traditions" and thinking about how things were when I was a kid.  Maybe it's because I'm a parent of young kids and I want them to grow up with warm fuzzies when thinking about their childhood.

A few Christmas items that make my heart warm and happy are: 

1. Santa Ornament.

This ornament is made out of yarn by my Grandma Betty.  It is such a neat little ornament because when you squeeze the jaw line together, the mouth opens up.  It fits a Hershey's Kiss perfectly.  We always made sure to put candy in his mouth and fill it regularly.  Even as an adult I would always check it when I was home for Christmas.  This year my Grandma made me one for my tree (and my brothers).  So excited for my girls to enjoy this fun little ornament.

  

  2. Stockings
My Grandma Betty hand-stitched all of our Christmas stockings.  Aren't they gorgeous?  She said it takes her approximately 1 full month to make one - averaging 4 hours per day!  These stockings mean so much to me.  I would be DEVASTATED if something ever happened to one.  I hope one day that the girls will appreciate them too.

Life isn't made up of big things, it's made up of a million little things. :)

Christmas 2013

Better late than never....here are a few pictures from Christmas at our house this year.....

The girls on Christmas Eve with their yearly ornament.  This is a tradition that I started a few years ago.  Every Christmas Eve the girls will get to open one gift - and that being a Christmas ornament.  I pick out an ornament that personally represents that child's year.  I hope that one day the girls will look forward to seeing what ornament we picked out for them.  If not,at least they will have 18+ ornaments to start their own Christmas tree when they reach adulthood.

Instead of cookies, we decided Santa needed some donuts!  (Aren't they adorable, they look like Rudolph.  Thanks Pinterest!)  We also set out some carrots for the reindeer and some water for Santa.  (Harper is really into water right now  - so we didn't want to de-rail that train!)

Harper asked Santa for a ballerina barre` 

Elliet's first Christmas - Harper did a great job helping Ellie open her presents

Speaking of presents - I bought the girls' presents based off something I read on the Internet.  "Something they want, something they need, something to wear, something to read."  I WILL following this gift-buying guide every year.  It's so easy and it keeps things 'even.'  Four gifts is plenty.  They usually get a few things from Santa, a stocking full of goodies, and get completely SPOILED from their grandparents :)  So four gifts from Adam and I is more than enough.  Plus, Christmas isn't all about the presents anyways.....

Another fun Pinterest idea - Christmas Tree pancakes!  I'm hoping to make these every year.  It was super easy - just had to add some green food coloring to the pancake batter and used a sausage link for the tree trunk.

I love creating holiday traditions with my family.  Someday the girls will appreciate it.  Until then....

We hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas spent with your loved ones.  We sure did.