Waiting for Santa!

After all the stress and chaos of planning for the big day, it's finally here.

The girls are most definitely ready for the big guy to arrive!

Merry Christmas and safe travels to everyone!

Enjoy your family time time and cherish every moment!

December is here..and almost gone!

It has been quite the busy month! I can't believe how fast it's gone. We have definitely been staying busy. I went back to work 2 days a week. I thought that would mean I'd have a lot of extra time to get ready for the holidays...WRONG! I think I'm more behind this year than I've ever been....I promise, Christmas cards are coming :)
Mama and papa came for a couple of visits this month..of course the cold season is here so our girls got it! Thanks Mama and Papa for taking care of the girls!
Here Mama and Emily are making homemade play-dough.




We have been to quite a few Wesleyan basketball games and the season is just getting started. Emily still loves it! She has a cheerleader outfit she wears most of the time now.


Haley's not quite as excited about the games.












Here's our little smiley Haley! She's such a good baby. She was just relaxing watching mom wrap Christmas presents here.










Emily had a night out with mom and dad. We went to Chili's (her pick) for dinner. Yes..that is a bowl of ranch dressing in front of her. She may not look like mom, but she's definitely got some of mom in her!










Then we took her to Annie, the broadway show. She loved it! We couldn't get any pictures inside, but this is her as soon as the show was over. It was way past her bedtime!











Yes, the tradition continued this year even though Aunt Kristy couldn't make it up. Here's Em mixing up the cookie dough and Haley chilling in the background.

Grandma came in with Uncle Matt and cousin Jackson to help finish the cookie making! Don't they look like they're having fun :)

Then it was off to the traditional breakfast with Santa. Here are the girls before we left. Emily was so excited to go see Santa!

Here's Em and her best friend Emma coloring some pics while waiting for the big guy to arrive.

Emily changed her tune about Santa once he arrived.

This is her telling us she changed her mind and she's NOT sitting on his lap.

So, we comprimised and put Haley on his lap while Emily stood nearby. Santa reached out to touch her and she took off...maybe next year she'll like the ol' guy in the red suit :)

After Santa, the girls exchanged Christmas presents.

I forgot how excited Emily gets about everything!

Happy Holidays to everyone!

Time Is Flying By!!

Well, it is almost time for me to go back to work. I can't believe Haley is already 6 weeks old! Time has flown by. Luckily I am only going back part time until after the holidays.
















We have had a lot of fun since I've been off work. Before the weather turned totally icky we went to the zoo with our good friends!














Emily Loved playing in the leaves!




















Back at the homestead, Emily has been our source of entertainment...here is Em, Haley and Emily's baby doll working out on the baby mat :) Emily set this all up!





















There has been a lot of dress up going on...no this was not her THIRD Halloween costume.















And lots of messes!!


















While Haley just sits back and takes it all in.












Don't they look sweet?? In case you can't read Em's shirt, it says what Santa doesn't bring me for Christmas, grandma will. I think she's got them all figured out already.

Professional Pictures

We went and had our pictures done this weekend! The girls were really good...once Haley got to eat! Here's a sneak peek of the many shots they took.

Halloween Weekend!

Emily had a really hard time deciding what she wanted to be this year. Every day she would change her mind. So we ended up borrowing a costume and rounded up some gear from her closet too!

Our Halloween adventures started off on Friday night. We went trick-or-treating at the downtown business offices. Thank goodness it FINALLY stopped raining about 3:30. It was a little chilly and windy, but Emily had been disappointed one too many times this Halloween season with plans being cancelled because of the weather. So we bundled up Haley in her stroller and met Emma for some Halloween fun! We borrowed a good witch costume from a friend. She looked so cute in it, but I never got a picture of the full costume :( The wind kept blowing off the hat, and it was so chilly I made her wear a jacket.

She was all smiles eating out in her costume after the trick-or-treating fun!

Haley was just glad to be unbundled and getting some fresh air :)

On Halloween morning, Emily decided she didn't want to be a witch anymore. She wanted to be a Cardinal cheerleader. Fortunately we had that costume covered :)

Haley was a little small for her pumpkin costume...poor thing. At least it kept her warm because it was a a chilly night for trick or treating!

She had the whole cheerleader routine down pat from all of her practice at the high school football games!

Best friends! We have this same pose from last year :)

The theme of the night was "go, go, go"...had to move them along quickly before the sun went down! They were so funny running from house to house!

One of the houses a little haunted house..Em said it didn't scare her, but her face told us something different!

Happy Halloween everyone!

2 weeks old...well almost!

Well, we've almost hit the two week mark. Haley is wide eyed and very interested in what's going on around her! There always seems to be something going on :)

Emily is still doing a great job adjusting to being a big sister!

Here's Em and Haley practicing their tummy time!

I still remember Emily looking like poor Haley does now.

Emily was bored to death waiting for the doctor to come in and check her ears! But it was worth the wait..we got the release from the ear surgeon. No more tubes...for now at least!

We all geared up to watch the big Bears game last night...too bad it didn't turn out how we wanted it to.

Emily still seemed to enjoy herself though!

Our first few days at home..

Well we are starting to settle in as a 4 person household. Emily has been pretty into her role as big sister. She's done a good job with helping out and being gentle with Haley (most of the time).



She likes to be around her but she asks why Haley is always sleeping.









Emily has definitely needed some extra attention. She may look pretty sweet and innocent here...but...let's just say the time out chair had her name on it yesterday!


















Haley is a really good baby. She is pretty content just hanging out, taking it all in during the few hours she's awake. She sleeps a lot, except for at night :)

Here is one of Em's 10 outfits she changed into yesterday. She tried to cheer on those cardinals, while loving Kristy's chex mix, just like her mama!!

Haley is mesmorized with watching Em and her antics!

And here is one of them..."excercise Emily" in her cardinal cheerleading panties and one of Haley's headbands!
If that couldn't get the cardinals fired up to win last night, I guess it just wasn't meant to be!

We haven't had too many dull moments since we've become a family of 4!!