Christmas 2009

This year we spent Christmas in Ft. Wayne with Mike's dad. We arrived Christmas Eve and stayed through the weekend. Traditions started right away with the girls opening new jammers to wear that night and all day on Christmas. Izzy got to sleep in her tent again (which she LOVES) and Laney slept in her pack-n-play in our room (read: we don't sleep well b/c of her little noises she makes...how can people co-sleep with babies?!?!). We were woken up on Christmas morning to the sounds of jingle bells and Santa "ho-ho-ho"ing throughout the house. This was a tradition in my family since before I was born: my Grandpa Bruhn would dress as Santa and wake us all up with his jingle bells and we'd sit on his lap and get our gift from Santa. He dressed as Santa until I was a Freshman in college...well after we stopped believing. Just became ritual in our family. I asked if Bob would carry this tradition on to our girls, to which he graciously obliged. Turns out there was already a Santa suit in the family and he just updated the beard, boots and belly. Izzy was in shock...and over-the-moon excited that Santa was at Bobo's house!!! Santa brought Izzy Elmo...exactly what she asked him for a few weeks ago when she visited him in Carmel.

We had a great holiday and simply loved being at Bob & Laura's...very relaxing and laid back. We often times find ourselves still in our jammers at dinner time! We did lots of eating, watching movies, shopping and simply relaxing. My mom just flew in tonight from Lake Tahoe and my sister will be arriving on Tuesday, so we have a fun week ahead of us!

Delaney & Grandma Laura
Izzy investigating the trains, trees and stockings in the loft

Izzy & Laney with Grandpa Bob in their new jammers

Hugging Santa

Laney checking out Santa

Izzy, Jake and Gabe with Santa (and Elmo). Check out Izzy's face...she was elated!

Family pic

Loving her new vest...

...and her new Elmo slippers and doll

Delaney and Grandpa Bob (she's sporting a new hat that her Grandma Laura made her)

DJ Lance hat and glasses...she kept on checking herself out in the mirror

Matching jackets

Chef Bob making his tradition: Christmas day pizzas!!!

Another holiday tradition, babies under the tree checking out the lights! Laney was a huge fan of this

Izzy wearing her "dot dots" - footed jammers & slippers

Pre-school, Exer-Saucer & a Haircut!

Last week was Izzy's pre-school holiday program. We practiced her songs and hand motions (including Away in a Manger, Happy Birthday to Jesus, etc.) for weeks before in preparation, only for the program to begin with a bunch of 2 year olds watching their teacher sing. It was quite funny...I think the kids were just more excited that all their parents were in the room watching them. Regardless, it was fun to see Izzy in her element. She did finally warm up and sang a bit louder than the rest of the crew...she even got a few laughs from the parents for her animation and enthusiasm. She didn't disappoint, that's for sure!

Daddy and Delaney
Snack time!
Mommy and a laughing Delaney

This week will mark Delaney's 4 month birthday...cannot BELIEVE she is 4 months old already. Sometimes I feel like time is standing still (from weeks 6-10 when her colic was in full-force) and other times I feel like time is flying and she'll be crawling before we know it! We had her 4 month pediatrician appointment last week and her stats were: Height 24 1/4 inches (50% percentile), Weight 12 pounds 14 ounces (25-50% percentile) and Head 41 cm (50% percentile). Again, Mike and I were thrilled to hear her head was in the normal percentages. The doctor was very happy with her growth and progress and was impressed by Delaney's strength (she has been sitting up/holding her head up for 2 months and can also push her head and chest up off the floor while on her tummy). With this news, we decided to pull out the exer-saucer to see if she was strong enough for this next developmental stage:

...and of course she LOVED it!

Her feet don't touch, so a little towel helps her maneuver round & round and standing up

She loves that she can get a 360 degree view of what is going on around her & play with her big sister. This afternoon she spent the better portion of an hour talking, gabbing, cooing, and belly laughing. I really think this new toy of hers has made her more social and happy. We love discovering her little personality!

This morning we decided it was time for Izzy to get a REAL haircut to take off a few inches...a little something new for the holiday. She is a big-time hair-twirler and sometimes she twirls her hair into knots; we've had to cut a few of these knots out. Her hair is also very thin (sorry to pass that gene onto her!) and therefore gets tangled often. It was just time. Izzy was thrilled to arrive to Cookie Cutters to find an indoor playground and a full library of movies to choose from. She's been asking to see Finding Nemo since we left it at Grandma & Grandpa's house at Thanksgiving...so she was happy to see it was a selection.

Izzy loved that she got to sit in a race car and watch her movie, she almost didn't even notice she was getting her hair cut!

To show you how long it was in the beginning...

...and how short it was afterwards!

It's now chin-length and SUPER adorable. During bath time tonight, Mike even commented on how easy it was to wash and how it didn't tangle. It really makes her look older...and makes her cheeks look even more chubby (I like to call them full) than before!

Elmo, popcorn and nailpolish...

Both Delaney and myself have been sick all weekend with colds, so there's not much to report on our end. We did venture out to downtown Carmel to have Izzy meet Santa. We practiced the entire wait what she'd say to Santa - that she wanted an Elmo doll for Christmas. She was so excited...until the door to the house opened and we had to walk in. Um, let's just say she was NOT happy and wasn't able to tell him her Elmo desires. I don't have a picture of it, yet! We're picking up the picture at a local studio this week and I'll be SURE to post it ASAP. Anyway, here are some cute pics of Izzy...

Izzy loves to push her lovies around in her stroller (Dora and Monkey).
Just a cute pic of Iz wearing her Elmo sweatshirt

This is what Izzy looked like today after she woke from her nap (check out that hair!). She was watching the Colts game with her daddy. Notice her recent obsessions: popcorn and nail polish. This week the nanny painted Izzy's nails and toes...and then let Izzy reciprocate. Mike told me he saw the nanny's fingers and hands were covered in pink polish. I asked if he offered her some nail polish remover...to which he replied, "She didn't ask." Um, and you didn't think to offer it?! Poor girl. She's a keeper.

Candy Cane Hunt, Friends & Pasta...

This weekend the girls and I spent at home without Mike...whom was down in Evansville for an alumni swim team reunion. We had one thing planned to do: Candy Cane Hunt with Jaime & Luke! Turns out it was a lot more hassle than it was worth, as it took me almost 40 minutes to get all three of us girls ready and out the door, for the Hunt to only last only 15 minutes. Phew. It was a lot of work for a 6 month pregnant gal and myself (who was trying to push a stroller with a 3 month old through a field)! Fortunately, the Monon Center had different areas for each age group and there were HUNDREDS of candy canes to hunt for. However, try telling two 2 year olds to run through a field and collect candy canes in 25 degree weather (read: they were bundled up so tightly and had mittens on...so they could barely bend over to get the canes, let alone grab them!). It was hysterical. Yet another reason I love Jaime...we just stood there laughing our tails off!!! P.S. Izzy threw one of the biggest temper tantrums I have ever seen; it took me at least 10 minutes to get her buckled into her car seat...Jaime had to take over b/c I was so pooped from trying to wrestle her. Gotta love 2 year olds!

Grand Roo sent an awesome holiday package that included tons of ornaments for our tree, a Santa hat and a jingle bell musical toy. Izzy thinks she is so cute running around the house jingling the bells and wearing her hat shouting, "Ho, Ho, Ho!"
The two tykes bundled up

Izzy was so confused

Jaime and I ended up picking up most of the candy canes and filling the kids' bags
Not a great picture, as Santa was in a big hurry and rushing us

Molly paid us a visit after the hunt and got to snuggle on Delaney

Tonight was pasta night and Izzy LOVES her some pasta!

She really does love it...this is her KISSING her pasta. So cute.

Tree decorating...

As per our usual post-Thanksgiving tradition, we put up our Christmas tree this weekend. I was not super fired up about doing this, as it entails bringing up boxes from the basement (Mike's job) and digging through to find the ornaments that tickle my fancy this year (read: make a mess!). With having a toddler in the house, I feel like I'm constantly picking up...and this task would mean more picking up and organizing! But we ended up doing it and were happy we did. Izzy had a great time "helping" and I think Delaney LOVES the lights.

Izzy helping daddy find the lights that work
Izzy thought it was funny to actually WEAR the stockings (she found a box of old items and I let her do as she wished)

Izzy helping to decorate...we put a lot of kid-friendly ornaments at the bottom that she has since taken off, kissed, and put back on. Over and over again.

And of course the girls had to look up at the lights from below. It's become a tradition of ours.

Delaney spent some time under the tree admiring today
The finished product

Just a random picture...I tried bathing both girls together last night. Was not an easy task, but was different and fun for us. I'm looking forward to when Delaney can actually sit up and take a "big girl bath" in about another 3 months!

Thanksgiving in the Fort...

Mike, Delaney & I drove up to Ft. Wayne Wednesday afternoon to celebrate Thanksgiving with his dad & step-mom...and to reunite with our Izzy Lou!!! Izzy was spoiled rotten and had an amazing time with her grandparents...I don't even think she missed us! She slept in a tent (indoors, of course), which she thought was just the best. She giggled every time she had to go in there, as her lovies were in there and her books and her flashlight...a girl could get used to that for naps and nighttime! Anyway, we had a great time visiting, although it was short. I had to get back to Indy to work on Black Friday. It's our biggest sales day of the year and I volunteered to work. Let me tell you, it feels good to be back at work. I get to sit down. I get to go to the bathroom without 2 year old eyes watching me. I get to work out at lunch. Heck, I get to go OUT to lunch! Ask me again in 6 months if I feel the same way, though :)

Izzy snuggling with daddy. Notice her lovie is swaddled.
The twins surprising Grandpa

Mike, Izzy & Grandpa Bob

Grandma Laura, Izzy, & Grandpa Bob

Playing with baby Laney

Aunt Aimee snuggling with Delaney

Thankful for friends...

Mike and I are transplants: neither of our families live in Indianapolis. The vast majority of our friends are in the same boat...so we tend to rely on each other for a variety of things throughout the year. Sometimes we are traveling all over the country to celebrate the holidays (from Lake Tahoe to Boston, in fact!). And sometimes we are all in our own homes for the holidays. This year Jason & Sandi invited us over to their home to celebrate the season. How wonderful it is to have such good friends and be thankful for the adopted families we have in Indianapolis. Thank you, Morses, for hosting a special evening with delicious food!

Kids' table
Adult table

Sandi, Mike & a sleepy Delaney

Rick & Christopher

Minus One...

As mentioned last week, Izzy went to stay with her Grandpa Bob & Grandma Laura for a few nights (Sunday-Thursday), which left us home alone with Delaney! The house was VERY quiet. Well, at least in the evenings it was quiet. Mike battled our very stubborn Laney girl to take a bottle. Monday she went 11 hours without eating. Tuesday she gave in and took two bottles from Mike. Wednesday, she held out again. Thank goodness Thursday was a holiday! And then Friday Mike had both girls at home and was begging me to come home (to feed Delaney...and most likely to relieve him!). We have one strong-willed little girl on our hands. Wonder where she gets that from?!? Anyway, we sure did enjoy having one-on-one time with Delaney last week. Here are a few pictures of her super-smiles!

Funsters at Mardi Gra

Last night was our final Funster event of the year and it did not disappoint! Mike's dad came in town to watch the girls so we could enjoy a night out. This event was planned by the Bowdens and they kept it a secret until we got to our destination: Zydeco's in Mooresville. This is a cajun restaurant that has all Mardi Gra decor - a place like nothing we have in Indy. We enjoyed a pitcher of a drink called Hurricanes, Mardi Gra beads around our necks, Jumbalaya, crawfish, ettouffe and many other creole dishes. The food was delicious and we all laughed so much...was such a special evening with special friends. Here's to another great Funster year in 2010!

Molly, Adam, Mike, Kelly, Clay & Maggie (we missed the Allens that couldn't make it from Cincy)