First Christmas

We packed up and headed to Indiana for Christmas. It was a long 12 hours in the car but at least Amelia did GREAT! We got to Deric's parents house on Friday night and will get to stay here all week. Everyone is enjoying loving on Amelia and she is loving the attention!
Christmas Eve we didn't do much of anything during the day which was nice. We did head up to my sister's in-laws house to see her and Blake. Since our parents don't live in our home town anymore it makes things a little tricky.
 We opened our gifts from them that night. Amelia got the cutest little ride-on toy from them. However, she doesn't really get the idea of it yet. She prefers to push it around. Deric did push her on it the other night and she liked it.

They got me a really neat gift! I finally am getting started on my canvas photos for our living room wall! Jen picked a great photo to start out my project. Deric got some really nice glasses with his monogram in etched in them. After we hung out with them we headed out for Christmas Eve service. Our home church usually does a 10:00p.m service but this year it was at 7:00 so I knew we would be able to make it. Amelia did pretty good in church. We did have to take her out just for a little bit. She is walking all over the place and does NOT like to sit still! I think her daddy and I were more worried about her noise than what other people were!

 Christmas morning and day was a bit different for me. Not only was it the first Christmas with Amelia, but the first not to see my parents. It is so strange to be so close to the home I grew up in but not stopping in! We did go to church Sunday morning and Amelia looked adorable! I just loved her Christmas dress and her little red shoes! She did great during church and we even got some cute photos of her afterwards. She just loves this little red rocking chair. It was Linda's when she was a little girl. Amelia has played so much with it this week.

After church my SIL and her family came over for lunch and to open gifts. Our oldest nephew,Nick, got to come home for Christmas. He just graduated from boot camp and  now a sailor!n We are proud of our Navy nephew!

Amelia's little Christmas outfit I made and Nick

  It was so much fun this year to see our sweet girl enjoying her first Christmas. Amelia was really into opening her and everyone else's  gifts. She is your typical kid... she wanted her toys out of the box as soon as she unwrapped it. Thankfully we have plenty of room left in the car to fit everything home.

sweet Kohl and her robe we got her

Nick and Nate.... 

think she liked her baby doll??

Christmas evening we went back to see my sister to take her and Blake's gifts.... I forgot to grab them the night before. Or maybe it was just a sign that I needed to go see her on Christmas night!
I sure hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and got to enjoy your families! Even though we haven't gotten to visit with my parents I feel right at home at my in-laws house. I mean I have been in the family for 11 years now so it isn't strange to just hang out here!

Merry Christmas

We started our Christmas morning with Church. What better day to celebrate Christ than on his birthday at Church!!
Amelia wanted to show you how adorable she looked before we headed to church. I will be back soon to post about our wonderful day with family!

On the road again

Amelia has been great so far! I think she likes riding in our new car! :)

11 months

Amelia, how is it that we have already reached 11 months. I just can't believe how you are turning into a toddler in a blink of an eye.

~11 Month Stats~

~ wearing mostly 9 month clothes some 12 months

~size 2 diapers and medium setting on your cloth diapers

~weigh around 17.5 lbs

~ eating all types of table food

~ 6 oz of formula every 3 to 4 hours

~napping once daily lately from about 12:30 - 3:30.... it is awesome

~bed time should be around 7:30 but you usually aren't going to sleep until about 9 sometimes

~walking EVERYWHERE

~talking up a storm, you always have something to say!

~ still smile and giggle all the time

~you make some of the cutest sounds, your new sound is growling at the dogs when they grow at you! 

~ happy happy girl but you can throw a master fit when you want :)

~love your bath time... I think it is because you are diaper free

~ you are pretty good at playing on your own but really REALLY love to "play" with the dogs

~you love books and the ipad 

~into everything... I am always amazed with things you find 

~love to be out and about still 

~of course I think you are one smart cookie, you can even follow basic commands now

you have a love for hangers... I couldn't get you to let go of it!

As much as I love watching you grow and learn it sure is bittersweet. We are 4 short weeks from your birthday.  EEEKKK  You are such a big girl and I am truly amazed with you baby girl.  You are not a tiny baby anymore but I am excited to see you grow into a toddler. You make your daddy's and I world so much brighter and happier. I don't even know how it could be more possible to love you more, pumkin!

Christmas Cards

First, I have to brag on my friend Candace. Not only does she take WONDERFUL care of Amelia every Friday while I am at work, but she does photo shoots of her! I am WAY behind on our Christmas gifting list,.  including getting Christmas Cards out!  But because of Candace's wonderful talent I now have beautiful photos of my girl to put on our cards this year! I got them done today... thanks to Wal-Mart one hour photo. I would have really loved to use an online site which I have always done before but let's face it... time is running out and I need to get things off my list knocked out.

I mean we haven't really bought anything for anyone besides Amelia! I have a ton  few sewing projects to do for gifts still. To top all of the undone things on my list I have come down with a horrible sinus infection which I have lost my voice over and feel like death..... to put it blunt. Thankfully Deric is keeping Amelia busy as much as he can but she isn't feeling her best either.  I will hopefully be back to my normal self by this week with the help of the RX  I got yesterday.  If you don't hear from me until after Christmas just know that I am in the "sweat shop" sewing like a mad women!  OH, and taking care of a almost 11 month walking around like crazy baby girl.  ;)

Amelia Walking

Here is a short video of Amelia walking. This was taken this morning while I was attempting to get  some photos of her.  I did mange to get some pretty good ones so maybe just maybe I can get our Christmas Cards started!

First Thanksgiving and Decorating

This year on Thanksgiving we had a lot to be Thankful for! Not only was it Amelia's first Thanksgiving it was our first Thanksgiving as a family of 3! We had my family here to celebrate with! I made the traditional turkey and all the fixings. This year I made a sweet potato casserole and it was so yummy!! I will for sure make it every year I cook!
I didn't take many photos while my family was here.... I know BAD mom. Deric did get some pictures of Amelia. I am usually  all about snapping tons of photos while we are around family. But this year I guess I was busier this year! ;)

My sister and I did get our Chirstmas tree up! I LOVE it! Amelia seems to really love looking at it. She hasn't messed with it as much as I thought. We had to move our living room around a bit to fit the tree by the fireplace.We have a sectional and  1/2 of it is in our bedroom! HA

We decided our Christmas will be new furniture... not just because of the tree. We have been wanting a smaller couch then a really fun pattern chair. Now that we can see the space with our sectional taken apart we really got a feel for what it would look like. I went yesterday and ordered the new couch and chair. I am super excited to get it in the house! So if any of your local gals need/ want a sectional let me know! We have one for sale! HA