Wednesday, December 31, 2014

End of December Cell Phone Pics

All of the Christmas festivities plus traveling to so many houses wore us out!  One afternoon, I was getting Avery to sleep for a nap and Stephen came over and curled up on my lap too.  Not the most comfortable, but I loved having both of my boys cuddle with me!

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It was so cold, but we had to get out of the house so we braved the park.

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Avery is getting so big!  He probably won't be in this swing much longer so I had to take a picture!

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Avery bundled up at the park one day.

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Sweet brothers!  Despite what it looks like, Stephen is NOT giving Avery a wet willy, although I am sure those days are coming!

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Stephen is the best big brother!  He is so sweet to Avery.  This night he wanted to give him a bath.  Avery looks thrilled!

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Some outtakes from Stephen's phone.

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That wraps up the end of December.  I will go back and add posts in from before Christmas, but for now, we are moving on to 2015!!!

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Bouncer


Avery was playing in his bouncer and looked so cute so I took some pictures of him.  His hair looks red in these pictures. It doesn't look that way in real life though, weird!

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He was so happy just looking at the balls and would smile and kick his legs.

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Avery is drooling so much right now!  I think he is going to be a big drooler just like his big brother!  Better stock up on bibs!

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More drool!

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Stephen wanted to take a picture so I let him.  Here is his shot:

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Monday, December 29, 2014

Christmas Decor


I didn't decorate much for Christmas this year.   We spent the three days after Thanksgiving with my parents and then the following Monday, I went back to work.  That combined with being busy with a baby and preschooler, I just didn't have much energy to decorate.

Our mantel was very simple this year, but I loved that we now have four stockings.  It was great to see Avery's stocking up there this year!

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Stephen was so excited to decorate the tree, so I let him put on all of the non-breakable ornaments.  He put them all of about four branches.  When he was doing it, I figured I would move them after he went to bed, but I loved this spin on our tree and I was too tired to go back and move them.  To be honest, I loved seeing his ornaments like this all month long!  Next year, I will show him how to scatter them out more.

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Avery got his "First Christmas" ornaments this year.  Stephen has one the exact same as this one.

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Here is our whole tree.  I didn't even put on the tree skirt this year.

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Stephen made this at school.  I love it so much!  I can't wait for all of the ornaments the boys will make at school in the coming years.  I also have some ideas for us to make at home.

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Other than that, I put a few Santa's out and our Fisher Price Nativity.  Stephen loved playing with the nativity this year and I was so happy I bought it for him last year.   Since his school is at a church, they talked a lot about Baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph.   He loved pointing to everyone and arranging them all.

A funny story I want to document so I don't forget.  The first night I put out the nativity, he and I were talking about who everyone was and what their role was.   I told him that Jesus's mom was Mary.  He had this ligthbulb moment look on his face and said, "Mary had a little lamb" and then he grabs the sheep and says, "here you go Mary." and put the sheep next to her.  So sweet and cute!

Sunday, December 28, 2014

Christmas with the Magruders

The Sunday after Christmas, we celebrated Christmas with the Magruders.  They recently moved into their new house at the lake, so it was fun to all be there together in the new house.  I didn't take a ton of pictures because I was taking care of Avery most of the night, but I did get some good ones.

Nana with all of her grandchildren:

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The little boys were the center of attention this year.

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They both got fishing poles to fish at the lake with.

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Stephen wanted to help Hannah open her presents.

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Then he wanted to take her picture.

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We had a great Christmas with everyone this year!

Thursday, December 25, 2014

Christmas Day


We went out to my parents house late Christmas Eve.  We got the boys to bed and then unloaded all of our stuff and got our presents under the tree!  We finally were ready to head to bed around 1:30 am and I hear Stephen up.  I went into his room and he told me that he wanted to go downstairs and see if Santa had come.  I told him he had to wait until it was light outside and that it was still dark.  I knew he would have a hard time sleeping, so I told him I would sleep with him.  I didn't get much sleep, but I was so glad I had slept with him because that morning around 7, he woke up (I was already awake) and looked at the windows and saw that it was light outside.  He eyes lit up and his mouth dropped.  In the most excited voice he said, "It's light outside, Santa came!!!!!!"

And sure enough, Santa had come.  Someone was a very good boy this year!

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Stephen got drums, a new scooter, a shark umbrella, rain boots, and house shoes (those three were his most requested items), a skateboard, a firetruck, and a police officer uniform.  Avery got a new play mat.

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He loved his drums!

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Avery was so happy that morning and just talking and smiling at everyone!

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Stephen got a bunch of neat stuff in his stocking, but he was most excited about these skittles.  He didn't show everyone anything else he got, but when he pulled these out he laughed and said, "hey guys look what I got".

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We had the pleasure of listening to several performances that day.

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Avery loved his new play mat.

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Stephen loved helping everyone open their stockings.

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Christmas Day this year was a lot of fun!  Aunt Linette and Uncle Lanny came down and spent the night on Christmas Eve and Aaron and Jessica got to my parents house bright and early.  It was a really fun having everyone together!

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The boys had matching pajamas, and I wanted to get a picture of them together.  Stephen went to convince Stephen to take a picture with his brother, so while I waited I snapped some of just Avery.  I love having a non-mobile subject!!!

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And here is how things went once big brother arrived:

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He's mad because he couldn't pick Avery up himself and pose him the way he wanted to.

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What mom, look to the left?

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Oh, look at the floor?

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Make weird hand gestures?

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Raise the roof?

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Avery is starting to get concerned.

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I get it now, look at the camera with a decent smile and my hand in the air?

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Or look to the right?

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Where is Mommy's camera?  Yes, point to it while covering your face.  Awesome!

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Raise the roof again y'all, I am awesome at following instructions.

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And that is how that went.  Is it too much to ask for them both to sit still for 2 seconds, look at me and smile.   I guess so and I have a feeling that this is how the next 15 years of my life is going to go.

I snapped this one with my cell phone as Stephen was heading outside to play.

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Aunt Linette holding Avery.

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Dad went and picked up Mamaw later that morning so she could join us.  It was so good to have her with us.

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Uncle Aaron and Aunt Jessica gave Stephen this fireman outfit so he put it on.

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Dad and Aaron were trying to play a frisbee game and Stephen was standing right in the middle of their game.

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It might have been raining and he needed his umbrella.  Or not.  You decide.

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Mamaw and Avery.  When Mamaw was leaving she told Avery she loved him more than he will ever know.  These boys so very loved by so many people!  I will always cherish these photos and I hope Avery will as well.

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Aaron and Mom carving the turkey.

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We had a delicious lunch and ate way too much!  We spent all day eating and playing.  It was the perfect day!

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My parents gave Stephen a soccer goal and he wanted to play with it so Dad and Aaron decided to put it together.  I'm pretty sure they thought it would take 5 minutes and be no big deal.  It was more like 30- 45 minutes and the took it apart 3 times and still did not get it put together exactly correct.  They were hilarious to watch!

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Everyone went home, but we were staying the night, so Stephen and Stephen went out to the pool to shoot nerf darts at the stone wall.

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Stephen had to get up and go to work the next day, but the boys and I stayed at my parents house and had a relaxing morning.  I took this one of my Dad and Avery just hanging out.  Doesn't Avery look so big!?!

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We had such a great Christmas!  This whole Christmas season was so fun since Stephen really understands everything now.  I can't wait until next year!