Words for Wednesday...Growing Up Edition...

For the last three years we've gone and cut down our Christmas tree with AG's best friend Emma...look how much they've changed:

2009--Emma 17 months and AG almost a year. 

2010--Walking everywhere and picking out their own Charlie Brown tree.

2011--What a mess these two are together. :) Talking, running, laughing together. Sweet friends.

Five Months Old...

Are you really five months old almost six? Crazy how quickly the days seem to fly by. Before I know it we'll be planning your first birthday party! This month we've seen you start to sit alone and master rolling on to your back. You currently wear a size three diaper and sleep at least nine hours a night. We figured out that you had a touch of reflux and needed to switch to a formula geared towards reflux babies. (Thank heavens for a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner for a grandmother and a Pharmacist for an Aunt!) We quickly got you squared away and it has made a huge difference. You've been a great baby and so we had no reason to suspect that you might have this till your spitting up became extremely excessive the last month or so. (Conveniently, after your four month check-up!) After consulting with GiGi and Aunt Meg we decided to just try switching your formula before trying medicine. (Especially, since most kids begin to wean off medicine for reflux around six months.) You have become a better/even happier baby, if that's even possible. And thankfully, you can now eat more than 3 to 4 ounce in one sitting. You take 6 ounces now and your back to sleeping thru the night again. You've also really started to enjoy 'meal time' and tasting solids. You also LOVE to sit in the high chair since it makes you feel a part of the daily chaos that is life here at 320 E. 11th Street. You light up when your brother is near. He can always make you smile. And you have taken an interest in Samson this last month. We can't wait to celebrate Christmas this year with you. Thanks for being our Avi-Cakes. We love you dearly!

A few pictures from our five month shoot. Due to the weather we opted for indoors. So far, these are some of my favorites of all the monthly ones I've taken. 

Sittin' Pretty.

Look who is sitting up like a big girl these days. I can't believe how quickly she is growing up and changing. Oh, how she makes my little heart happy. Avi-Kate, your daddy and I love you dearly, sweet girl. Are you really almost six months old? It's flying by and we are cherishing every single moment. 

November 17th--First time by herself.

November 24th--Happy Thanksgiving! A little evening play time on the couch.

November 29th--A few weeks over due but 5 month pictures.

Words for Wednesday...Theme Song Edition...

"Avi-Cakes, Avi-Cakes!

Does whatever an Avi-Cakes does.

Avi-Cake, Avi-Cakes!

Does whatever an Avi-Cakes does.

Look out!

Here comes Avi-Cakes."

Sing that little tune and I can almost guarantee you'll get a smile like this every single time:

Even better? Get AG to sing it and see the smile she gives you. It's priceless.

Thankful beyond measure for nights...

...like this one. This is what Thanksgiving looks like with our college family:

I know I say it often but I LOVE that we get to serve and love these kids. They are something else and it's wonderful to see how they each bring something unique to our family. Andy jokingly told the group this is the only family you get to pick. We all laughed but it's very true. We are grateful that they choose us. That they allow us to be a part of their college experience and life after college. (Dave...so glad you were able to make it home for dinner! It was a treat having you back at the table for the night.) Oh, dear readers I wish you could be a fly on the wall and experience family dinner. It's incredible really, to see all the beautiful friendships that have developed just because we all sit down and eat together. It is one of my favorite days of every month during the school year.

So, I'm thankful on this week of thanksgiving that I get to love and serve these amazingly talented and unique individuals.

Resilient.

Four years ago, we moved my grandmother in to an Alzheimer's facility due to her progressing disease. In the process of moving her I was given the task to go clean out some of my grandmother's belongings at her second home in the mountains. We needed to use some of the furniture at the house to furnish her new room. Anyway, the house had been left alone for several weeks if not months when I arrived that brisk November afternoon. While cleaning I discovered my grandmother's Christmas cactus was hanging  on, just barely. If you aren't familiar with them they require some care, not hard just specific, and if done properly they will bloom for you once a year. Having some what of a green thumb I asked my Dad for the little plant and figured I'd try to revive it. Well, with some TLC the following year it had a handful of blooms...I did more research and tweaked my care plan. The last two years I've been rewarded with the following:

For what ever reason this year my little plant decided it wanted to bloom at Thanksgiving instead of Christmas. I honestly could care less when it does just as long as it does bloom. I think this year it's a little extra special since my grandmother passed just a few weeks ago. It's always a constant reminder of her and something she loved...the color red. In my research I learned that if taken care of properly these little plants can live quite a long life and be passed down from generation to generation. Here's hoping that I can pass it along one day along with my grandmother's fine china and her wedding set.

AG wants a computer...

Yep, that is what my almost three year old asked Santa for. And no, that was not prompted. (sigh.) Regardless, the kiddos looked so sweet for their date with Santa at Phipps! (These are a few black and whites that I snapped while they had their picture made. I can't wait for the official print to arrive.) 

Avi-Kate and her namesake before we visited Santa.

We made a day of it! I had to book the appointment months in advance and I opted for the week before Thanksgiving so as to avoid the post-Thanksgiving craziness/mall traffic. It was perfect because the mall was empty and we had no traffic issues. Since you have to make an appointment they don't over book and there are only a handful of people for each time slot. I think we may have waited five minutes? It was perfect. Worth driving from Rome! We met up with Aunt Meg and Avi. Aunt Mis had AG since he had spent a few days at her house and I brought Avi-Kate. We ended up having lunch at Lenox and running in to Pottery Barn Kids to pick up some Christmas presents. The kids did great and AG was quite the talker. Santa asked if he should bring Avi-Kate a new paci for Christmas and AG thought that it was a great idea. Thankful for a day of sweet relationships and new memories. And Aunt Meg, thanks for that sweet dress. It was perfect. :)

Wordless Wednesday...Ga-Da-Da stops in...

Wordless Wednesday...Visit with Nanny...