2011: A year in pictures

Oh, what a year it's been!

January - we were approaching the last few months of the pregnancy.  We traveled to Georgia at the end of the NFL season to see family, and celebrated your upcoming arrival with a baby shower.

 

Your Nana, Auntie Sarah, and cousin Annie came to visit for your St. Louis baby shower in February!  We had lots of fun!

 

It felt like we spent March preparing and waiting for your arrival.  We saw some beautiful spring weather, which encouraged the flowers to bloom.....followed by some nasty snow the week you were born. 

 

April -- the most exciting month in 2011!

May -- Mama's first Mother's Day with the whole family!

 In June we traveled to Georgia to see family in Athens, and on Little St. Simon's Island.  We protected you from all the elements there -- sun, mosquitoes, snakes, and gators! 

 Here you are in July - we visited Wisconsin for the 4th of July.  You slept through the night for the first time (hallelujah!), but developed a mean case of reflux.

 In August you and your mommy went to Virginia.  You rode an airplane for the first time at 4 months old!

 September was a great month.  You were feeling better, and getting so much more interactive!

 In October we went apple picking, we carved pumpkins, and you were a tiger for Halloween.

 In November we celebrated Thanksgiving at home with two of Scott's colleagues.  We visited the Magic House - pictured below - which will be a great place to visit for many years to come!

December -- You loved the ribbons on all of the presents.  One by one, we had to move each of the Christmas ornaments out of your reach.  By Christmas morning, we had a partially empty tree!

 

2011 was undeniably one of the very best years of my entire life.  Scott and I learned so much about parenting.  We experienced some very high highs, and a few tough moments as well.   I love waking up every morning and seeing Logan's sweet face peering out over his crib rails.  He greets each day with a smile, which reminds me to do the same.  I feel like my life has so much more purpose now that I'm a mama.  I have so much to teach, to show, to experience, and I love that responsibility.  We are excited for 2012, and all that it has in store for our little family!

Christmas Updates

• So this year Christmas fell on a Sunday - which is pretty great for most of the world.....but not really for those working in the NFL.  I was really nervous that the team would have a game on Christmas day (which would mean SB would be working ALL day).  Fortunately, when the schedule came out early this year, we saw that they were playing on Christmas Eve, which was much better....though it did mean that we couldn't easily travel to be with either of our families :(   This was the year we were supposed to be with my family...but I just didn't like the idea of SB waking up on Christmas morning without us there.  He would have driven up that day.....but without knowing the weather, that can be pretty tricky in the upper midwest, so we stayed here in Missouri, and celebrated with our own little family of 3 (or 5, if you include the crazy dogs).   Logan and I went to a 5pm family Christmas Eve service (he lasted all of 30 min, but we tried a new church and I really liked it), ate dinner together, and then Daddy returned from Pittsburgh just in time for Logan's bath, and then we read Twas the Night Before Christmas together
•  We had a great Christmas.  Santa came, ate some cookies, left a note, and left lots of goodies under the tree and in our stockings.
• Logan made out quite well between all the gifts from Santa, from us, from his grandparents,  aunts, uncles and cousins, and friends. 
• We gave him a Radio Flyer wagon/walker -- and he just loves it!  He has been walking all over the house pushing it.  He probably would have been ready for it at the start of this month, but we wanted to give it to him for Christmas.  I think it polished his skills up just enough because this morning he took his first major consecutive, unassisted steps!  7 this morning!  He was so excited, and clapped for himself :)  (of course, we did lots of clapping too!!  ...though I'm not sure I'm ready to have a walker a week shy of being 9 months!  Looks like my husband's family's genes are pretty strong.  Apparently SB, his brother, and all 3 of his brother's kids walked at 8 months.  I seriously didn't even know that was possible.  I was banking on 12.  Sheesh.
• We didn't have a white Christmas here, but we did have beautiful 50 degree weather!  After naptime, we went for a family hike with the dogs. 
• For our Christmas dinner, we had filet mignon, twice baked potatoes, and a yummy spinach salad.  For dessert we had some Christmas cookies.  I would have made a big dessert - but with just the 3 of us (or really 2 who could eat it), I figured it wasn't a good idea.  SB's bday is coming up, so I'll make something fun for that!

Merry Christmas from Daisy & Lilly

The dogs were feeling particularly festive last night, and requested a photo shoot.  

 I'm not sure if you could read their body language there, but it's something along the lines of, "Really?  REALLY?  Reindeer antlers?  REALLY?"  I know they'll thank me later :)  Fortunately Lilly loves the camera.  Daisy....notsomuch, but they both humored me for a few shots.

My new favorite picture

Yesterday it warmed up just enough for Logan and me to take advantage of a break in the cold, dreary weather we've been having and sneak in a stroller ride /jog.  I bundled him up from head to toe, and we hit the sidewalks with the BOB!  It was great fun to get out of the house after a few rainy cold days when we didn't even want to change out of our pj's!  Can you tell that Logan was excited?

I love that you can see the little bud of a tooth working its way out.  His fleece bundler is a much loved piece that 6 of his cousins have worn before him.  In other news, my work computer has a virus.  Seems everyone's been sick lately, so perhaps it's only fitting.

The only thing keeping me from eating cookies....

I know this sounds crazy, and this particular vegetable has a bad rap.....but I am in love with brussels sprouts.  I never really had these growing up, but I had them a year or so ago at a restaurant in NYC that's kinda organic-friendly, granola-esque....and they were beyond delicious!!  Now that I'm making Logan's food, and he's eating lots of veggies....I've been trying a few new ones lately (including butternut squash and asparagus.  Word to the wise....asparagus and diapers do not mix.  Just sayin').

I used Ina Garten's basic recipe.  They are so good I'd serve them to company.  The only drawback....your house will smell like roasted brussels sprouts.  (anybody know how to avoid that?  or mask it?)  I actually made them, and then made cookies after hoping that the cookie smell would hide it....but it didn't.  But still....these are so, so good!  Logan even liked the pureed version :)

via

A fun weekend!

• On Friday, Logan and I headed to a nearby sports facility for one of our neighbors' 3rd birthday party.  Kids ran around on a soccer field, and partied it up in bounce houses.  Logan and his buddy Parker (11 mo.) sat with their mommies in one of the little bounce houses, and they had a ball!  I never would have thought he'd be old enough to really enjoy it, but he did!  He was just laughing and clapping, and having a good old time!  
• On Saturday, the dogs and I went out for a morning run while Logan and Daddy (who's under the weather) napped.  The dogs did really well - and actually went leash-less throughout the neighborhood.  Strangely enough, Lilly does better with me off the leash than on it.  She stays right next to my left leg.  It also helped that it was 25 degrees out, so we didn't really encounter any other dogs on the run :)
• We went out to a fun lunch, and then Logan napped while I made Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk bars for a cookie exchange (recipe found here -- they were SO GOOD!!!) .  4 whole batches!  
• That evening, SB and I watched Crazy, Stupid, Love -- with Steve Carell, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone, and Ryan Gosling.  It was a good rental! (*not necessarily the happiest of topics in general, but there was still a good bit of humor in it)
• On Sunday, SB worked all day long, and I went to a really fun cookie exchange!!  Our super sweet neighbor (who has two college-aged daughters) offered to look after Logan, and I took her up on it!  I think they both enjoyed each other a lot (and I enjoyed a few hours with friends....and cookies!) 

2011 Christmas Card

The design is by Casala Studio on etsy.com, and I ordered the cards at mpix.com.  If you need to create cards, or print professional quality images (ie: great for frames, on walls, etc.) -- this place is fantastic!! (and no, obviously not compensated for the post -- just had to share).  After all the drama of getting them printed originally at a local printer -- I will go this route again, because mpix really does save you money, and the quality is top-notch! 

2011 Wish List....if I must....

I'm fairly sure that my husband has already completed any Christmas shopping for me.  I was in a funny mood when he told me he really needed a few ideas, and I said that I really didn't have any wants or needs this year.  I mean, I really don't have any needs...we've had an amazing, blessed year....but wants, well heck - anyone can want a thing or two.  In the event that he hasn't already finished with everything....here are a few ideas (that can transfer over nicely as birthday list items come March if you're already done and reading this!):

 So classic and elegant.  We have tons of new pictures to frame.  We were given a bunch of beautiful silver frames for our wedding -- so half of the tabletop frames in our living room are gorgeous and silver, and the other half are not as gorgeous wooden frames.  I'm hoping to replace the not so gorgeous wooden ones with a few more beauties like the ones pictured above this year.

 

Mama could use a new pair of jeans, and a nice mid-rise might be helpful for all of the bending over and whatnot I'm doing lately.  Picutred: Citizens of Humanity 'Amber' Mid Rise Boot-Cut Jeans (Corpus Wash)

 

I've decided that I love this jacket.  It's so timeless - and such a classic that I'd wear it for years and years, but I still can't shake the sticker-shock price for it.  LL Bean and Land's End make comparable jackets (though I haven't tried theirs on)....but I still can't shake this one from my mind.

I don't know why, but I keep getting tiny little holes near the front, bottom of my cotton tees.  It is driving me crazy.  It isn't our washer -- because it isn't happening to any of SB's things.  It can't be any kind of bug because it always happens in the same place.  I don't wear a belt more often than not....but maybe the buttons on jeans are doing it?  No idea why it's happening...but I need a few non-holey tees :) 

Three words:  Family. Bike. Rides.  We live close to a nice bike trail along the Missouri River.  I have great memories of family bike outings with my own family.....and I can't wait to create some of our own.  The only part I'm missing:  the bike itself.

Same idea...but much cheaper!  I found this cute bicycle pillow on this adorable Etsy.com site

Great staple...embroidered with our last name

A few accessories for my BFF, the BOB:

Stocking stuffers?  Have yet to try the NARS blush myself, but it's always on the "best beauty product" lists.

Ho! Ho! Ho!

On Saturday we visited the mall to start the tradition of sitting on Santa's lap, and telling him what we want for Christmas.  I just love the photos -- either when kids absolutely adore Santa and are grinning from ear to ear, or when he terrifies them and they cry.  Looking back at those photos, and seeing how the kids grow and change each year is really fun to me.  We were in GA last week to visit family and friends, and Logan sat on a LOT of laps....which I think was great preparation for Santa, because you can see it didn't phase him for a second.  This picture just makes me smile, because it so captures his happy little spirit.

December 2 -- Happy 8 months!

Logan turned 8 months old last Friday, 12/2/11. 

Stats:
Weight:  ~21 lbs (no idea really?  We'll go in for our next check-up in a month)
Height:   ~28.5"

Milestones:
Sleeping: You are a sleeping all star!  Bedtime is 7pm.  You usually wake up around 7am.  You were thrown off a touch when we were in GA earlier this week, but you're pretty much back on schedule now.
Eating:  You are very adventurous when it comes to eating.  Recently you've been expanding your fruit repertoire -- pears, apples, blueberries, bananas.  You also just tried yogurt, and you loved it.  We may need to add a lunch feeding session -- you are a hungry, growing boy!
Clothing Size:  12 month old for the most part
Diapers:  Size 3
Etc: You are really moving these days!  You can still crawl, and you're now up on your knees when you crawl -- but for the most part, you want to pull up to standing whenever and wherever you can.  You like to walk holding on our hands, or onto furniture like the coffee table or sofa.  I learned when we were in GA that your daddy and uncle both walked at 8 months, along with your 3 Georgian cousins! (EEK!)  You love our dogs, and you like to pet them whenever you can.  We hosted Thanksgiving here at our house this month, and you liked the sweet potatoes and mashed potatoes best.  We just got back from a trip to Athens, GA to see family and friends -- and you absolutely loved spending time with your crazy cousins.  You were passed around, and cuddled, and fawned over - and you were a champ throughout it all.  You were especially fond of your Uncle - who managed to teach you how to clap (of course I was out of the room when it happened!).  And here are your 8 month old pictures....these sessions are getting a little tougher now that you are so mobile!