Santa pics

Today is December 21st and I finally took the kids to see Santa tonight. Our lives have been crazy with wedding planning, work, Christmas parties. We haven't slowed down. But I made it a priority this week to get pictures made with St Nick.

Also in the plan was to have Santa talk to Rhiannon about Hermie. Who is Hermie? Hermie is our "Elf on the Shelf". He was sent to us this year from the jolly guy at the North Pole. Everyone else had one and I had heard so many stories from these folks about how much their kids enjoy the elf. And even better, they behave better. That got me on board. My 3 year old needs some miracle for better behavior because Lord knows all the other things we're trying wasn't working. Well, guess what? She doesn't buy into the Elf thing. She named him. Hermigan. Later shortened to Hermie after she watched Rudolph and was excited that the elf on the show had a similar name to her elf. But other than that, she could care less. Shed told me that he doesn't have magic. I move him every night. I try to be creative. Most nights that means me getting out of bed and staggering into the living room to move the damn thing because I had forgotten before bed. But she doesn't look for him. She gets mad when he has her toys or cups. And he certainly doesn't make her behave better.

So a guy I work with said that he told the helper at Santa photos to tell Santa to ask his 3 year old daughter about their elf. That apparently helped their situation.

I forgot to tell the helper. I was too obsessed in getting the picture taken.

I did hear Rhiannon tell Santa that she wanted a pink doll house though. Whew. Thank goodness I got that one right.

Back to photos. I was a tad worried about Henry. He cries when anyone holds him other than me, my mom, and Papa Rusty. He has some stranger anxiety. Who am I kidding. He's a Mama's boy! I was pretty sure that big man with white beard might make him cry. However, he did great! For the first 5 minutes anyway. He was smiling and looking at Santa. Great picture opps. What about Rhiannon? She has some smile that she thinks is cute. And it is cute, if she would actually look up from the floor. Wierd little chick. By the time we got her to look at the camera. (That involved me dancing behind the photographer. You would have been amused.) Henry was crying. Oh well. This is what we got. . .

And some past pictures. . .

This was Rhiannon's first Christmas. Because of her prematurity and RSV season, I wasn't about to take her to see a "dirty" Santa at the mall. So a friend of ours that dresses up each year to visit nursing homes, stopped by with his wife and his daughter Gabby. She is the sweet little elf. Rhiannon was so little!

For 2008 and 2009 pics with Santa, check out the post below.

http://babycrain.blogspot.com/2009/12/visit-with-santa.html

4 days

In just 4 short days, my little brother will be getting married.

Stephen and I are almost exactly 2 years apart. Both July babies. And since the moment Mama and Dad brought him home from the hospital, we've been best friends. After our parents divorced, we would visit my Dad's every other weekend, together. We would go to my Granny Howard's while my mother worked every day, together. When I started kindergarten, my little buddy walked me to the top of our driveway and waited with me until the bus picked me up. I think it's a little strange that my Mama let her 3 year old stand by the road with only his 5 year old sister and no adult but she claims she watched from the front door. After the bus picked me up, he walked back down to the house to wait on me to get off the bus that afternoon.

We have always been the best of playmates and as adults, truly the best of friends. I usually speak to him at least once a day. Lately, like 15 million times a day but who is counting?

As the days count down until his big day, I'm so thankful that he's found his love. It's all I have ever wanted for him. I always knew he would make someone an incredible husband one day. And I'm going to take just a little credit in that.

Welcome to our family Jenny. We're blessed to have you. Thank you again for the permanent smile you put on my little brother's face.

Brush

Hi Mommy. I found this brush. Wonder what I should do with it.

Ah ha. There's my lion! He looks like he needs to be groomed.
Let me just get a little closer.

OK big guy.

Oh, how do you like my shirt? Roll Tide!!

And you know what makes it even cuter?

Okay, besides these cute legs?

It was my Daddy's! It's vintage!

Pictures of my heart

Would you like to see a picture of my heart?

That's it.

This picture just melts me.

We had pictures taken for Rhiannon's 3 year and Henry's 6 months and they are without a doubt my favorite pictures yet. I have them all saved on my digital frame on my desk and it makes it really hard to concentrate at work.

Both kids were in such a great mood and the photographer was so awesome.

Check her and the rest of the pictures from the shoot at:

http://amberpricephotography.blogspot.com/2010/09/rhiannon-and-henry.html

Sticker Stinker

One day at work, my upper arm had been itching all day long. Finally at around 4pm that afternoon I discovered why.

A sticker. A smiley face sticker.

I had worn this sticker on my arm all day. To 3 meetings. To lunch. All day long.

It was similar to these that I found on the kitchen table.

I wonder who is responsible?

Yeah, I wonder.

Henry's First Hair Cut

I couldn't stand it anymore. Henry had these long pieces of baby hair that didn't fall out from birth. And they had gotten LONG. Like in his face long. And they got all greasy. And when the wind would catch them, my Angel looked like a little old man losing his comb over.

Out of control!!

So, I cut my 5 month old's hair.

I think I did a pretty good job.

The long pieces were darker than the new hair growing underneath so he looks like he got a cut and color!

Henry is still adjusting to it.

Are you ready for some football?

Can you feel it in the air? That hint of cool weather? The sky is a darker blue. The leaves are starting to change. Most people get really excited about fall. While I enjoy fall, I'm a summer girl. I'm perfectly fine with it being 100 million degrees year round. I even like the humidity. What's even sadder for me, is knowing that I'm going to have to pack up the closets of sweet sundresses and seersucker john-johns to never be seen on my babies again. Cold weather means covered legs with jeans and tights. I would much prefer naked piggies and sun kissed little scraped up knees.

Oh well.

I guess I should just enjoy it.

Football season is fun. And I do get to dress up the kids for that right?

Here's my little cheerleader. And no, I did not teach her how to stand like this. I was a basketball player remember? This was my mother's fault.

But cute.

GO DAWGS!!

Teeth

At 5 months, by baby boy got his first and second beautiful little teeth. I found this out when he bit me. And I'm not talking about my finger. . .

They're so cute though.

The poor guy also got his first two. . . ear infections. One in each ear.

Rhiannon NEVER had an ear infection so this is new for us. And the only reason I took Henry in to see the ped is because he was pulling on his ear while he ate his cereal. He never had a fever. Never cried. Never woke up at night. Never stopped nursing. What a trooper. Is this the same fussy baby I brought home 6 months ago?

We also found out from the doc that his top two teeth are coming in now.

That explains the biting again.

New camera

From my wonderful family, I received my first DSLR camera for my birthday. I've been looking at them since Rhiannon was born but just couldn't make the purchase. Now I'm wishing I hadn't waited so long. It's so much fun!
I got the Nikon D5000. And a couple of lenses. And this NOVEL to read how to use the thing. I have a lot to learn but have been inspired by friend Shelby and her incredible pictures. Sure, her kids are the cutest subjects you have ever seen but her pictures are truly beautiful.
Last week, I was trying to take pictures of Henry as he woke up from his nap. The natural lighting in his nursery is pretty good but the flash kept popping up resulting in some not so great pictures. I was getting pretty discouraged.
Later that afternoon, I go to catch up on my blog reading and Shelby had found my answer. The lightscoop! http://www.lightscoop.com/
This product allows for more flattering lighting in indoor photos by redirecting the pop up flash to the ceiling or walls. I'm sold!
And Shelby is giving away one on her blog. Check it out!
http://bringingupmadison.blogspot.com/
Oh and when I figure out how to download pictures, I'll post some! Good luck with the give-away. Not really. I hope to win it. Hee hee.

Chaos

I truly love these pictures. This is my life. Look at my living room!!! Oh my. And there is nothing better than holding my sweet boy with my little monkey Rhiannon climbing all over me. I wouldn't trade my messy, cluttered, chaotic life for any other.

Dress Up

Rhiannon's class this summer consisted of 6 little girls. Mrs Shauna, her teacher, also has two girls of her own. So she's a pro at entertaining little girls. Every Wednesday was Water Day so the kids would come to school in swim suits and would play outside in the water toys all day. Mrs Shauna also had themed days.

Pajama Party Picnic

Princess Party Day (she did the girls hair and gave them manis and pedis!!)

Rhiannon really enjoyed dress up days becuase she's really into dress up right now. Every day when I get home, she's wearing something different.

Here she is wearing pajamas, rain boots and hat.

This yellow "dress" is actually a skirt. Check out her "glass slippers."

I just noticed that like all of these pictures are in front of the tv. I swear that we're not tv junkies. That's a lie. But I really do limit how much Rhiannon watches. It's just the only time Rhiannon is still long enough for me to get a picture!

Weddings and Butterflies

In early June, we attended a wedding down in Lagrange GA for Dr Amanda's nephew, Drew. Russ was the ring bearer in Drew's parents wedding many, many years ago. We went down on a Friday for the reahearsal lunch, catered by the Varsity! Yum! The wedding was at 7 Friday evening so we decided to stay overnight in a hotel. It would also be our first hotel stay with both kids. All in one room! We thought it would be a nice trial run since we would be heading to the beach with the kids a couple of weeks later.

I was really excited about Rhiannon watching the ceremony because she's all into dress up and weddings and such. I thought she would enjoy seeing the dresses and hearing the music. Nope. She slept through the entire ceremony. In Henry's stroller because he refused to sit in it. While Russ paced with him, Rhiannon snoozed away.

After her lengthy 7pm nap, Rhiannon was ready to party. She danced and danced and danced until we pulled her off the dance floor at 11pm. Henry enjoyed the reception too. He tends to like loud noise so I'm not sure if it was the music or all the people but he was just as happy as he could be. When we finally made it back to the hotel, way too late in the evening, both kids and Mommy fell asleep easily. And slept like rocks all night long with Rhiannon snuggled between me and her Daddy in the King size bed.

We learned alot from this trip. (1) Rhiannon is a dancing machine (2) we really need a king size bed and (3) we can all survive in one room so we were ready for Myrtle Beach in a few weeks.

Before returning home the next day, we visited Callaway Gardens.

I have to first explain one of Rhiannon's favorite books. My little priss pot LOVES Fancy Nancy. For the Moms that may read this blog. These books are fantastic! I highly recommend. Thanks Amoo for giving Rhiannon her first of the series. In "Bonjour Butterfly" Fancy Nancy attends her grandparents anniversary party, stays in a hotel, and goes to the butterfly garden the next day. So, we decided to go to the butterfly exhibit at Callaway after our hotel stay. Cool right? I also need to mention that Mommy loves butterflies so I may have been more excited about going than Rhiannon.

What do you wear to a butterfly exhibit?

Butterfly wings of course! Oh and you must also carry a princess wand. . .

My sweet boy.

Bonjour Butterfly!!

Henry's Dedication

In June was Henry's dedication at Riverbend Baptist Church. Our church does a baby dedication twice a year. When Rhiannon was dedicated it was just she and one other baby. For Henry's there were 14 babies! So they were split between two services. We usually attend the 9am service so that was our time slot.

I love our church. I love the people. I love the pastor. For me, it's home. I grew up in this church. It was the church where I was baptized when I was 10. We have been members all my life.

Here we are on stage. Notice the family here beside us, Kyle and Emily and their sweet baby girl McKayla. Kyle and I were born 5 days apart and he also grew up in this church. He was my first boyfriend at the ripe old age of like 4 and we also grew up in the same neighborhood. So, we think it's pretty cool that McKayla and Henry are 2 months apart and were dedicated together.

Rhiannon walked up to the stage with us but then decided that she would rather go sit with her grandparents. Henry did really well. He never cried and made it through the service without throwing up all over his Mama. Those were my two biggest concerns. However, I should have more concerned not of what would come out of his mouth but more with what could come out the other end. During the final prayer, Henry let out the biggest FART! It was so loud that the people in the second row started giggling. I just knew he had ruined his sweet outfit so as soon as we walked down from the stage, I went immediately to the nursery to change him. And nothing. Just a lot of gas. Typical man.

Upon returning home, we tried to get some pictures. Here is Henry in his nursery.

And a few pictures of the kids together. This rarely ever happens. . .