Thanksgiving

We had a really quiet Thanksgiving. With the busyness of the Advent and Christmas season right around the corner, I was very thankful for the restful and relaxed atmosphere!

We are incredibly, awesomely, unfathomably blessed!

My menu included cranberry bourbon turkey tenderloin, dressing, mashed potatoes, candied carrots, and brussels sprouts. It was all a hit, except for the brussels sprouts, which no one but me cared for. Oh well. It was worth a try. For dessert, I made pumpkin bread pudding. Yum.

We took the kids down to the Peabody to see the ducks march. It's kind of crazy - you wait and wait and wait and the actual march takes all of 5 seconds. But the kids thought it was the cutest, most exciting thing ever and spent a long time watching the ducks swim in the fountain.

Fail

I'll close with a little Thanksgiving entertainment from turkeys numbers 1 and 2. (It's kind of long - you'll get the idea after the first or second verse.)

The 12 Days of Christmas

Caroline learned the motions in music class at school. We've done this at least once every day since. One of my favorite things about the video is how Helen is in her own little world, doing her own little thing. So typical Helen...

The birthday dresses

The birthday dresses deserve a post of their own, don't you think?  I wanted to make the girls a dress that would would for early spring with turtlenecks, late spring with short sleeves, and summer with no shirt underneath.  I'm all about getting as much use out of a dress as possible.  I used the same jumper pattern that I used for the blue corduroy snowflake dresses.  I chose a floral cotton print.



For a fun little embellishment, I embroidered the girls' first initial on a tab that is attached to the yoke with buttons.  It's something I've wanted to try for a long time.  I like how it turned out.  What I didn't plan was how perfectly the embroidery would mimic the floral pattern of the fabric.  I picked the design out of a book without even realizing how perfectly the little lazy-daisy flowers and leaves matched the fabric.  A very nice surprise!


I'm looking forward to a full six month's worth (or more) of these dresses!

10 months

I held a 1-week-old baby last week who is one pound heavier than you were at her age. I don't remember you being that small (smaller, actually) 10 months ago. You've grown so quickly. How have 10 months passed so easily?

You are lovely, bright, spirited, and just all over cute.


You are noisy now - making all kinds of sounds. You even mimic us sometimes. You say "mama" and we are sure you use it correctly. I'm really quite pleased "mama" is your first word. We've also been doing some baby signs. Caroline really gets into that part of your education. We are pretty sure you do "dog" (sticking out tongue and panting). Regardless, you know and love your dog and get so excited when he is patient enough to let you pat his back and tug his ears. It's just a matter of time before all these silly sounds and motions we make start to click in your amazing little brain.

You eat almost everything we eat. You love feeding yourself and get frustrated if I offer you too much from a spoon. Your very favorites are sweet potatoes, saltine crackers, toast, and pineapple.

Playtime is so much fun these days. You love playing hide-and-seek and "boo". You have discovered that splashing in Tigger's water bowl is very exciting. When the refrigerator door opens, you crawl as fast as you can to see what treasures you can grab from the bottom door shelf. Your favorite toy is whatever Caroline is playing with at the moment.

I have a hard time keeping up with you. I've caught you trying to climb onto Caroline's step stool. You love opening drawers and cabinets. You are bold and curious and adventurous.

I've said it one thousand times, but you adore Caroline. You search for her every morning and after every nap. You get so excited when we find her - bouncing in my arms, smiling, reaching out for her. You're very lucky to have such an awesome big sister.


(Winter dresses I made - blue corduroy jumpers with hand-embroidered snowflakes)

You have a shy side. If we are around someone new, you tuck your head into my shoulder and peek out at them. It's very flirty and endearing.

You aren't much of a snuggler. You almost always put yourself to sleep. I lay you down and you grab your lovey and fall asleep with very little fussing. I occasionally get to rock you to sleep at night after your last meal of the day. Rocking you (and your big sister when she was little) is a huge privilege to me. I love coming to get you out of your crib after your naps. You are HAPPY!



I have a hard time finding the right words to praise and thank God for the precious gifts He has given me in you and your sister. I find myself praying, "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you." It feels like such an inadequate way to describe how immensely grateful and joyful we are for you both.

The LORD is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.
My heart leaps for joy
and I will give thanks to him in song.
-Psalm 28:7

Happy New Year!

From January 2010

We had a very quiet celebration at home and got two of our New Year's Eve kisses a little bit before midnight. It was perfect.

Every year, Kevin and I have a champagne toast. And every year at midnight we are bewildered as to why we choose to toast each other with a beverage we just do not like. There. I publicly admit it. Next year we're toasting with Blanton's or Disaronno or even Lorina. Remind me next year.

2009 was a fantastic year for us, full of change and adventure. I wish I could eloquently write about all God did for us last year. I see His work in so many little aspects of our year together and I am incredibly awed and grateful. We are eager to see what He does for us in 2010!

8 months

We all agree: You are the busiest baby we have ever seen. Nothing is off-limits or impossible in your eyes. If we allowed it, your favorite toy would be a magazine. You would eat too much of it, though. "No" is just a minor interruption in your never-ending quest. You love to explore and are not easily distracted. Getting you dressed in the morning and at bedtime is an interesting challenge. Determined is one of the words that best describes your personality. After happy, of course.


You love your sister to the moon. And she loves you that far and back. Your smiles are extra-big for Caroline. She loves caring for you - giving you juice in a bottle, showing you how toys work, teaching you sign language. You already have such a special relationship with each other and I pray daily I can foster that as you both grow.


Dancing, singing, and making music are joyful activities for you. If we are dancing together and I stop, you jerk your legs in excitement until the dancing begins again. The piano provides several minutes of entertainment, much to my delight.

Despite all your busyness, there are a few moments of calm in the day and I cherish them. One of my favorite things is to be around when you first wake up from your nap. I take you up and you are happy and cuddly and peaceful. The end of the day is lovely, too. You snuggle your head against my chest as we rock. Your energetic-self gives up for the day and is ready to recharge. You grow warm, soft, heavy in my arms. I hesitate every time I lay you down, remembering that this time in your life is so short. Too short. Your Daddy and I stare at you as you sleep, marveling at the wonder of you.

You remind us that our lives, plain as they feel on some days, are the biggest and most exciting adventures of all. We see that big things really do come in tiny packages.

Cuties

Here's just a cute picture of the girls before ballet class last week...

Sunflowers

Remember this dress? I made sure it was plenty roomy so Caroline could wear it at least one more fall season. This year Helen had to have a dress to match! I decided to make Helen's a coordinating dress instead of an exact match and that's my favorite thing about them. I love how they both turned out.

Diaper change

Caroline loves to help with Helen. Last night she wanted to change Helen's diaper all by herself. She does really well diapering a babydoll, but quickly found out the real thing is a lot more wiggly! I was so tickled (as you can tell from the video). Caroline got a little intense and frustrated toward the end of the video, so I stepped in and gave her a little help.

Diaper change from Emilee Garrett on Vimeo.

Silly and sweet

Things around here are a little silly...


...and a lot sweet!

5 months

Sweet Pea turned 5 months old on August 25. She's still tiny, but growing up so beautifully.


And the big sister is growing up beautifully as well.


I still have to pinch myself. I have daughters. Incredible.

High chair firsts

Dressing alike is so fun

Thanks to Aunt Jolene and Uncle Wesley, the girls have these adorable matching ladybug outfits! Caroline was so excited that we had to put them on immediately and have a photo session.

Park

3 months old

Our littlest one is 3 months old! Time went quickly with Caroline, but it's going by even more quickly with this second child.

She is a delight and we are so proud to take her everywhere with us. She smiles and talks and coos and giggles for Mommy and Daddy - but especially for big sister Caroline. She loves Caroline. I know they will have their differences as they grow up, but I pray their bond will always be a close one and that they will always be friends. Watching Helen love her big sister has given me a completely new understanding and appreciation for my little sister.



Kevin jokes that her favorite family member is the ceiling fan. If there's a fan in the room, she's entertained and happy.

She is busy, busy, busy. I had a dream on night that I put her down on the floor to play and she rolled over and crawled off! I think that's really how it will be. I'm not going to be able to keep up with this one! Helen wiggles all the time, even in her sleep. She won't stay swaddled anymore, but we still try because it makes her feel good. She loves me to help her stand on my lap. Then Caroline and I sing silly songs to her and help her dance and she thinks that is the greatest entertainment ever.

Helen can put herself to sleep most of the time and that's really great. But I know these days of total dependence on Mommy are flying fast. So I still snuggle and cuddle with her as much as she'll let me.

She's still a tiny little peanut. I haven't gotten on the scale with her lately, but I bet she's not much more than 10 pounds.



Our two girls bring us so much joy and happiness! I've said it before, but God is very, very good!

June so far

We're only 11 days into the month of June and we've been very busy! In no particular order...

Kevin and I celebrated 9 years of marriage.


The girls grew some.


Kevin was awarded a scholarship for "exemplary academic and clinical competence in radiology residency". His superiors made it clear that Kevin is a great guy to work with. Can I just say that my husband is awesome?


We went to the Children's Museum with some very good friends.



We had a going away party for the same very good friends (and us).


Helen grew some more.


Oh yeah...and we're getting ready for moving day! More events to come...

Memorial Day 2009

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Get your own

Memorial Day was a great family time for us. We spent the morning relaxing and having an impromptu photo session on the porch. That afternoon we spent some time at our friends' farm. We had fried catfish. Caroline rode a horse for the first time. She loved it! The little girls got to feed the chickens and the horses. It was so much fun! We're so blessed to have friends who share their lives with us!

Merry sunshines

Caroline entertained Helen while I made breakfast this morning. She is the best big sister. I didn't realize how sweet these pictures were until I uploaded them. I see the beginnings of a beautiful relationship between these two. I'm feeling very humbled today. God has blessed me more than I ever deserved and I'm thankful beyond words.

Is that a hint of a smile I see?

This is Caroline singing a little good morning song to Helen that Erin and I heard every morning from our mom. And I'm sure she heard it every morning from her mom. Now I'm passing it on to my girls...