Thanksgiving Day

We had such a great Thanksgiving today. If I do say so myself the dinner was delicious. I am getting better at preparing Thanksgiving dinner each year. We had a relaxing afternoon and evening with my mom and dad. Enjoy the pictures!

Sam put a baseball cap on Harper

Where I spent the whole day:)

Yum...

Harper loves to bury herself in this blanket!




Dad giving Sam what he calls "cow rides"...

CHEESE Mom!

I Am Thankful For...

My two babies

Breaking News...

After 6 months and 16 days of sleeping in her moses bed or bassinett Harper slept in her crib for the first time last night! My parents kept joking her legs and arms were going to be hanging over the sides of the bassinett soon. We tried naps in her crib today but it didn't work... baby steps.

Still Here!

Wow, I haven't posted on my blog in forever. I have good reason! It started with a horrible cold I caught and passed on to every single member of our family. Next Russ' parents came to visit with his father fainting and being admitted to the hospital. He ended up just being dehydrated and he his fine. I have a TEETHING baby who is trying to chew on the furniture if I let her and very uncomfortable. Work has been stressful to say the least for a variety of reasons.

This weekend will hopefully uneventful and I am celebrating my birthday Sunday with brunch out with the family! I will be sure to take some pictures to post:)

6 Months Today

I can remember our first night together in the hospital like it was yesterday although it has already been 6 months. This past month I have seen enormous change in you again. I am more aware of it this time around then the first. You started sitting up with some assistance about 2 weeks ago and are getting better at this each day. You are on the move! You roll all over the place to get to things you want. I finally started you on cereal last week. You are less interested in this than your brother was but you are quickly catching on to eating from a spoon.

You have such determination. You are still so silly and very ticklish. You can be quiet as a mouse most of the time except for your squeals of delight. You love to be snuggled in your bed and you are still sleeping in your bassinette! You love to suck your thumb and hold onto a blanket.

I see glimpses of your growing bond with Sam in your gaze and laughter with him. He includes you in play now and loves when you are sitting up. He is kind and gentle with you and loves to tickle you.

My love for both of you is more than you will ever know. You feel like such an extension of me still. My favorite time with you is your last feeding before bed in your room lit now by the moon as I rock you. In one of our quieter moments of the day you and you always reach out for my face.

I love you baby girl.

First Haircut

Today Sam had his first haircut and it went really well! He has been a baldy for so long but the back really needed a cut so off we went. He didn't want to put the cape on and wanted to sit on Russ' lap but besides that he was fine. He looks like such a big boy now...

The before MULLET!!

So Silly!

The Audacity of Hope

Whether you supported Obama or not, you can't deny this amazing moment in history when he was elected President.

Hope won out over fear.

My two children will begin their childhood memories in an era with a black President. I did not believe this would happen in my lifetime.

The massive voter turnout and strong desire for change was undeniable. I feel a shift today. A shift from the last 8 years. My neighborhood erupted into applause and cries of happiness as they announced Obama's win. What a great time to be alive in this country.

It has restored my faith in our country.

"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." Martin Luther King Jr.

Hope

Proof

Last week Sams' teacher mentioned to me he doesn't like to participate in art class. They go to a different room with an art teacher to do bigger projects and she said he rarely wants to participate. She mentioned not wanting to paint and that surprised me. She asked if we had noticed this at home- which we haven't. My mom mind went into overdrive wondering if we had done enough art at home- which I think we have. I am going to chalk it up to the new room, different teacher or just being two years old.

Of course, I had to get some proof:)