Christmas

We had a wonderful Christmas.  Izzie's two front teeth popped through the weekend before and after that she was a happy little clam for the rest of the week's festivities.  Of course she got lots of gifts and loved opening them, but the tissue paper was clearly her favorite part.  We absolutely loved this Christmas--this sweet little girl made it the best one yet! 

We had Christmas with Bryan's extended family on Saturday (which I forgot

to bring my camera to!), and with my extended family on Sunday.

 

Eating at the kids' table.  They loved feeding her

crackers...she was like a little pet for them!

 

Spending some time with my lovely cousins.

 

 I told you she liked tissue paper!

Probably her favorite present--Aunt Linda made her a

 jingle bell which she sucked on for the rest of the night.

We spent Christmas Eve morning at  home, and then it was off to church.  We

opened presents at the Daniels on Christmas Eve, and then off to the Rahns

on Christmas morning.  Busy, busy!  And as you can imagine Isabel was

spoiled everywhere she went!

 



Going to check out the gifts on

Christmas Eve morning...

She got a baby doll, my old cradle and rocking

chair (which my dad repainted), and a truck.  Perfect!

All dressed up for Christmas Eve service.

All dressed down in our matching jammies from Grammy!

Christmas morning at the Rahns...

Checking out a remote with Uncle Brandon

 

Sneaking into people's presents when they aren't looking...

Taking a walk with Callie.

My Favorite Ornament Maker

This sweet little Munchkin brought home a present for Mommy and Daddy from school.  It is a little Christmas tree covered in ornaments--which she made (with a lot of help I'm sure) out of her tiny little fingerprints.  It is now my favorite ornament.  Hands down.

 I felt like we were lacking in some up close and personal pictures of this little face lately, so here are some good shots (don't mind the food and snot covering her face--that's just how we roll some days).  We had a SNOW DAY at home together on Thursday.  It was a pajama day full of lots of naps and play time and looking outside at the beautiful snow.  Early Christmas present for Mommy, for sure.

 

Practically Upright...

Little Miss Isabel is now 10 months old.  I got a card in the mail from the company that I used for her birth announcements.  It was a coupon for me to use on her 1st birthday invitations.  WHAT?!?  She's a baby!  She can't have birthdays!  Ridiculous.

Anyway.  Izzie now has two teeth on bottom, plus a snaggle tooth on the left side (her second tooth came in before the front ones).  This has caused Bryan to dub her Baby Herman.  "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" lovers will get the reference, everyone else see picture below.  The same tooth on the other side is almost poking through, so she will soon be vampire baby.

 

Izzie also holds conversations that are very elaborate and detailed with a lot of hand movements.  In fact, her notes at school one day said "Izzie had the whole classroom enthralled today as she talked to us about the cup she was holding in her hands".  :)  Too funny.  Because she has yet to say real words---aside from Mama, Dada and other things that we pretend are words--but she is pretty sure she is saying something.  The look on her face is so serious sometimes that it's hard not to giggle.

Izzie is really fond of pointing at things with her index finger, thumb in the air.  Sometimes is inquisitive when she sees something new, sometimes it's happy when she sees someone or something she loves, and sometimes it's indignant like she can't believe something just happened.  Whatever the reason, it's pretty cute.  A few weeks ago, she pointed at the lady behind us at Target, held her Ritz cracker in the air and yelled "Eh!".  "What do you think of that, lady?  I got a Ritz cracker!"

Newest are Izzie's developments in mobility.  She walks along things, pushes her Ride-On around the house, and can stand up by herself and take a few wobbly steps towards us without holding onto anything.  It's hilarious how proud of herself she is.  She took her first few hesitant steps weeks ago (from the coffee table to a toy), but she's really start to catch on now.  It's only a matter of time before this baby turns into (gasp!) a toddler.  Yikes. 

It's just amazing how fast she is learning new things.  Everyday she does something new that she wasn't able to do the day before.  She's figuring out how the world around her works at a pretty quick rate.  Last week she picked up Bryan's iPhone, and when it didn't turn on she grabbed his index finger and put it on the screen--"Come on, Daddy!  Do that thing you do that makes it turn on!".  We don't even let her play with it, but she's still got us figured out.  We love this girl.

Daddies are really good at playing cars

Not so good at headbands

And she's off!  We have to hold the front of the Ride-On so

that she doesn't face plant when she hits the wood floor,

but the walking she does completely on her own.

 

Christmas is Coming!

Christmas is coming!  We are very excited about this around my house.  Or I am.  But I'm sure my enthusiasm will rub off on the other members of my family eventually!  Most of our presents are wrapped and under the tree, Christmas lights are on the house, Christmas stories get read at bedtime, and nighttime songs are Christmas carols.  Folks, per my husband's request, I am only allowed to start preparing for Christmas after Thanksgiving is over.  So naturally, I decorate on Black Friday, but that still only allows me about a month to enjoy the most lovely decorations of the year.  So I eat it up!  Anywho, the other day I was trying to catch a picture of this sweet little Munchkin in her polka dot tights, and I snapped this picture below.  I didn't even realize it until I was looking at the pictures later, but it is pretty funny.  Looks like Isabel is singing praises at the Christmas tree!  :)  What a good girl.  I told you it would rub off on them eventually...  (PS, gates around your tree are all the rage this year.  Everybody's doing it.  Everyone with a mobile child, that is.)

So Thankful!

We are so excited that Isabel's first baby cousin was born last week.  Miss Avery Allison Meyer joined our family on November 19th, weighing 6 lbs, 12 oz with a length of 21 inches.  She is tiny and delicate and as lovely as can be.  I am incredibly honored to share a name with such a precious little gift.

I am so excited that Izzie has a girl cousin so close in age that she will grow up with.  I can't wait for the pedicures and slumber parties and princess dresses.  Little Aves is just another perfectly fit puzzle piece for our family, and we are so happy that she is here.  Actually, I should use the word "we" carefully--Isabel isn't sold on this kid yet.  When Izzie came to meet Avery in the hospital she couldn't take her eyes off Caden.  Emily and I were sitting on the hospital bed with all the kids, and Iz was smiling and laughing and trying to get to Caden (who was "holding" baby).  We kept trying to get her to look at baby girl, and when she finally did she made ugly face and started crying.  We're working on it.  She doesn't cry anymore but really likes to hit and pull things she shouldn't.

The day she was born!

The day they met.  Iz was still happy because she hadn't

spotted Avery yet.  (Bryan says she cried when she saw

her because she knew she had been replaced.  Not true!)

 We bought these two matching outfits a long time ago!

 How funny do they look together?!?  Izzie looks a little awkward...

Finally warming up to her--and ready to throw her off the

couch.  Caden requested that he hold two babies for the

picture, and it turned out pretty good (notice his hand

on Izzie's back--precious!)

 

re-LAX...**updated**

Isabel continues to amaze us with how chill she is.  I don't know that you could find a baby that is more easygoing or happy go lucky than Iz, but if you do you should keep it or rent it for an extended period of time.  It's good stuff. 

Don't get me wrong.  Muchie's a busy girl.  She likes to move and play and get into everything.  But she's also very go with the flow and will be pretty content in most situations.  Below is a collection of her best relaxed poses to date.  Notice that she likes to prop her (tiny) foot up up almost anywhere, a sure sign that she is chilled to the max...

 Even in bed that sweet little Munchkin

foot will pop up.  This was one morning

when Bryan was having a lot of trouble

waking her up to go to school.

We sit her up in the cart normally, but

inevitably she finds a way to this position...

 Like I said... (And yes we're at Target again. 

Don't judge.  You know you love it.)

 

Grabbing a bite at Don and Millie's

with Grammy.  I'm not even sure how

she gets her foot out of the high chair

and up there so fast!

 

 

Foot isn't propped up, but I like how she is

casually leaning on the ottoman.  "S'up."

 

One of my all time favorites.  Just

relaxing in the high chair at Runza.

Only fools sit up--it's a lot of work!

 

Check back...more favorites to come but my camera is currently in limbo!

**Camera recovered, and here are a few more good ones**

The foot can even get propped up
during meal times at the table,

 or when you're having a bottle on the floor.

 

Duh.

Yep.  That happened.  And she wore it for awhile.  Really nonchalant about it, too.

75% of a Year...

Bryan keeps giving me a hard time because I'm always calculating things about Izzie...the percentage of time she has left living in our house, the percentage of a year that she has been in existence, etc...  My love of math and my desperate hold on my daughter's babyhood are a nasty combination.  Many times I will bring myself to tears with my calculations.  Bryan will come home to find me on our bed, forcing my very un-cuddly daughter snuggle with me.  "Did you know we have lost x% of her time living at home with us?", I sob as I force yet another hug from the squirming mass that has no interest.  Bryan just rolls his eyes and says, "Thank goodness you have me, Izzie, or your mother would never let you grow up."

BUT, these are some stats that I can't be called crazy for having because they were given to us by a medical professional!  Izzie had her 9 month appointment yesterday.  She was 29 1/4 inches long (94th percentile) and 21 lbs, 7 oz (88th percentile).  This chick is a beast. 

As a fresh 9 month old, she is rocking 12-18 month clothing no problem.  Those 12 month clothes that I bought when I was pregnant, just sure the size had to be wrong because there was no way my baby would fit into that at a year old?  Well, I was right...because she is nearly busting out of them at 9 months.  The 18 month shirt I bought for under her Halloween costume so she could wear it all winter?  Probably will last thru November if we're lucky.  Ah.  I love my deliciously healthy baby, don't get me wrong.  I just wish they didn't have to put an age on the clothes.  It's making me feel like I'm losing my baby too soon.  Can we just give the size a letter?  She could be size K, or even Q for that matter, just don't tell me she's the size of someone twice her age!  (Also, an interesting side note:  While her weight and height are clearly proportional, she has itty bitty feet.  Her 6-9 month shoes are too big for her.  Let's hope that evens out so we don't end up with a 6ft daughter in size 4 shoes.)

Facts about 9 month olds:

9 months olds have hair that is long enough to curl at their

neck after a bath and get stuck in the collar of their shirts.

9 month olds pop up everywhere!

9 month olds eat big girl food.  (You can guess the amount

of food that actually gets into her mouth given the

two expectant canines that are ready and waiting.)

9 month olds go to weddings.

Bad news for cousins:  9 month olds fight back!

9 month olds ride in big girl car seats!

No more infant carriers! (Big thanks to the

Harms', Rahn's, and Larson's for the gift!)

 

 

I wish I had a picture of this, but something else 9 month olds do?  Play in their cousin's room with them "by themselves".  Caden is recently really fond of Iz playing in his room with him.  I have to remind him to leave the door open--"But then she get out!" he protests.  I have to remind him that he probably shouldn't try to pick her up--"But she can't go over there!" he argues.  I have to remind him that, although he's really good at making sure she doesn't play with things she's not supposed to play with (small cars, cords, etc.), he does have to let her play with something--which is usually met with him digging in his closet and presenting her with a toy he no longer plays with as if it's such a treat.  But she doesn't care!  And although their play is less than perfect, it is so precious and sweet that he loves her so much and wants to be with her.  And he has his shining moments, like when I was standing outside his door while they played in his room and heard him say, "You wanna play football, Iz?  Okay! (ball slams against the wall)  Go get it, boy!"  He tries.  And we love him for it.

A Very Busy Izzie-Bee

Isabel was a bumblebee for Halloween.  And not one of those precious little fairy versions with the tutu and glitter wings, but a fat, fuzzy bee with a stinger.  I loved the outfit.  She looked hilarious.  Needless to say I took WAY too many photos, but there is something so cute about a bittie in a costume.

We did Boo at the Zoo with her cousins on Tuesday night...

Mommy and her Izzie-Bee

Carter the cowboy, Callie the cowgirl, and

Caden as Jake from "Jake and the Neverland Pirates"

Callie did a great job babysitting!

 

The boys were afraid of Herbie, and Iz seemed unimpressed.



 

A very hungry bumblebee at home.  But which puffs to eat...?

Eh, just cram them all in there!

She really thought she was getting away with something

here.  Little did she know she literally picked my least

favorite book off the shelf.  So, read away Iz!

Her concentrating face

 

She spent Halloween day at Grammy's house in a pumpkin shirt, and then we were off to each of our family's houses for a some trick or treating on Wednesday night.  (It should be said that halfway through our adventure, when our Munchkin was screaming because she was: a. tired, b. hungry, and c. sick of being taken in and out of her car seat, I jokingly yelled at her, "Quiet down!  We're doing this for you!  Now...have fun!"  Because I realized that this was the exact opposite of fun for her as an 8 month old.  Oh, well.  What we do for grandparents and pictures!)