Second week of December - Enjoying the holiday season

Uh oh - I was just hoping she wouldn't notice all the ornaments on the tree... (Ha, yeah right!)

Maxwell enjoyed one last play date with his friend Sam and us adults all enjoyed visiting with each other.  We have had a lot of fun hanging out with Sarah and Brad and Sam.  They are moving to Michigan and we are quite sad to lose them!

Maxwell helped me secretly "elf" one of our neighbors

My smiley girl!

Here's a couple videos to show you some of my kids "talents"

Video - Emmalyn blowing raspberries

Video - Maxwell working on his dribbling skills

My Christmas shopping is coming right along

Cuddle time at night - it's a big fight between these two on who gets to be next to Momma

Silly faces

She is perfection - - pure, true perfection!

Playing ring toss on the elf hat

We made our annual trip to the Deerfield neighborhood to look at lights.  This year we went by ourselves and got out and enjoyed a couple streets on foot (and stroller).  Some of our favorites weren't up this year... maybe the houses were sold to new people?

Maxwell caught Daddy resting

Max's selfie

Nerf darts - they make super chew toys

One handed push up

Love those baby eyelashes

She's working on her climbing skills

Everything goes in her mouth...

...even big things

I let her play with one of the ornaments

Emmalyn loves the song "Row, Row, Row your Boat" and will start laughing (really it's more like chuckling) if you sing it to her.  

She has been sleeping horribly lately - she's up every half hour to an hour and sometimes it will work to put the binky in and sometimes it won't.  :(  She is only completely calm and sleeps well if she's in our bed.  While I'm not a fan of having my kids sleep with me, I am a fan of sleep.  

She is great at swallowing her food and is starting to be able to pick up her puffs.

It's great that she can pick up the food we want her to pick up however, the flip side of that is now that she is able to pick little things up, she is also picking up and trying to eat things that she shouldn't - like stuff on the floor such as leaves...and she loves it!  UGH.

The end of August 2014

I have volunteered to be on Hospitality Committee for our HOA.  I know that when I moved into the neighborhood it would have been nice to be welcomed so I figured I should get involved and make sure others get a different experience.  I give it a couple hours at most each month.  I took a break after having the baby but I'm trying to help out more again now.

Video - Getting some sweet baby giggles is so much fun!

My little swimmer ready for his lessons.  Think those goggles are a little tight?

He is such a great swimmer.  He is working at not opening his mouth when he rolls over so he doesn't get water in it but that's the last thing he needs to get down in order to move up to level 5.  He's already accomplished everything in the 4 weeks that he's been in level 4.  But again we are hearing that he's too young to move up.  UGH!!! I'm grateful that his Coach continues to push him regardless of the class curriculum.

We've been enjoying going to the city rec center to go swimming (and Peter works out).  Well this week, I put Emmalyn in the kids club and it wasn't long after we started swimming when I got called back to the kid club.  Emmalyn was FREAKING OUT.  She was crying so hard that she was gasping for breath.  I have never seen her so upset.  Poor girl and poor Momma - It stinks that she's that upset when I leave her.

One day at work I pumped 11 oz in one sitting.  I was so excited, I had to take a picture!  This is the most I've pumped at once for Emmalyn.  To give you an idea, I usually give her 4 oz bottles so this is almost enough for 3 bottles!  The most frustrating thing about pumping is that you can't control what you get.  Your body does it's thing without you.  It's great when I get more than enough because if things go like they did with Maxwell, I will have to make up for the time when there won't be enough.

Silly faces at work for Maxwell.

Hanging out with the neighbors and these two cute girls were checking each other out.  Sydney and Emmalyn are about 2 months apart and hopefully will be sweet friends one day!

We enjoyed hanging out one evening next door and Maxwell enjoyed swimming in the hot tub.

Having some dinner at sunset

Mary Ann getting some baby time

This was Maxwell the previous weekend.  We went to our neighbor Jared's soccer game.  He was so cute and into it (as always).

Weekend breakfast

Video - Emmalyn blowing raspberries

Video - Emmalyn can roll from her belly to her back!

A little bit of sibling interaction

Emmalyn giving kisses

Momma giving kisses

We were hanging out at Andrea and Jeff's and Maxwell slid down the stairs on his belly - scared the daylights out of Andrea.  :)  She's not used to a shortie who can't reach the railing.

Video - Theatrical Sadie rubbed off on Maxwell and he put on his first "show" ever.  Cracked me up how into it he was.

Sweet Maxwellisms - - 

• I love when he says "I love you soooo much"
• The other day, Peter and I were arguing in the car and Maxwell goes, "Why are you arguing?" So I explained why we were arguing and he goes, "Find another way to say it.  Use different words."  Uh, thanks my peacemaker son.  Sure put a stop to our argument.  We were both stunned with what he said.   Smart kid.
• He still self soothes by rubbing his nipples.
• He wants me to hold him like a baby sometimes.
• At dinner one day, he asked if he could have something else when he finished his spaghetti.  I told him we could talk about it when he was done.  He then said, "Can you give me some options when I'm done?"  He has such mature communications sometimes!

Emmalyn is sticking out her tongue all the time now, we are finally getting some giggles.  She has found her toes and has started reaching for your face.