It's almost 2011!

It's been one of those days. The kind where you just want to snuggle with your family and think back at just how ridiculously blessed you are.

2010 has been the best year of my life. We've been lucky enough to manage through this horrible economy, staying afloat and keeping our jobs. We finished our dream of building a house. I started 2010 30 weeks pregnant, but most importantly (obviously!), I gave birth to this perfect little stranger who has completely consumed our worlds. Life as we knew it drastically changed this year... my heart became full, my world... hers.

I hope everyone has a very safe, fun New Years. Here's to resolutions, prosperity, happiness, and health in 2011. It's going to be another big year!

2010 began with high anticipation

...and ended with a high on life, counting my lucky stars kind of mentality.

Oh, and a new name. She calls me "Mama'. :)

A Christmas Lookback

I hope everyone had a very blessed, merry Christmas! Ours was fantastic! We started on Christmas Eve by letting each of us open one of our gifts. (Okay, Jack and I got a little carried away and opened all of ours to each other... hehe)

Lily's first Christmas present on Christmas Eve - She did so good opening the paper:



Christmas morning was perfect. We enjoyed a delicious home cooked big breakfast (even Lily enjoyed!) while we watched A Christmas Story, overcome with the reality that our little girl was experiencing her very first Christmas. The whole day was absolutely surreal.

Then it was time to open Santa's presents:







Jack was going for a "No shave December". It lasted until last night... ha!




...and a picture of our Georgia tree.




After Santa's presents were open, we got all dressed and ready to go and headed to Nanny's (my mom's) for more presents and our traditional Christmas lunch. (My mom cooks the best Christmas ham your taste buds will ever encounter.. promise)



"I seriously have to open all of these??"



We visited Papa's house after lunch, and finished up Christmas day with a visit to Lily's other grandparents. I wish I had pictures to post from there too, because she had a blast!

The obligatory Santa pictures

You all know by now that our sweet little girl isn't really a big "people person" lately. Needless to say, we were dreading these photos. But what's a baby's first Christmas without the obligatory Santa's lap pictures?

The mall wanted something like $35 for ONE 5x7... um, no. We found our own Santa at the local Harley Davidson store (hardcore, right?) and it cost us nothing but sweet time and energy. :)

I thought she'd go crazy, but check this out!! This must be her alter ego... either that or she had one hell of a great nap.

When we first sat her on his lap


"Let me check out whose lap I'm sitting on"


"Mama... he's kinda cute!"

I heart faces - Pets

9 Months

I'm late... again. This semester in school finished up yesterday with my Biology final (yay...) so I finally feel like I can somewhat breathe again.

Lily's developing leaps and bounds again this month. It's all happening so fast, it really is unbelievable. Jack and I just sit and watch our independent little girl play and sing and crawl around everywhere all by herself. She has her 9 month appointment next week, so I'll have to update her weight and height then. You sure don't need a scale to tell this child is chubby!

This month's stats:

• She's started waving bye bye all.the.time. She sees the dogs walk in the room, she waves to them. She sees someone on TV, she waves to them too. Jack says her wave looks like "the wave" people do at football games. It starts in her fingers and "waves" up her arm. It's hilarious to see, but so sweet!
• She shakes her head no when she doesn't want something. If you're not looking at her while she's doing it, she puts her little face right in front of yours to make sure you're paying attention.. haha!
• She's pulling up on everything! The second she wakes up in the morning, she's immediately standing in her crib.
• She's still eating solids twice a day. I'm debating starting her on lunch, but she's not really eating a whole lot at breakfast and dinner so I'm waiting on her cues.
• She officially has two little bottom chompers. :) And yes, she bites...
• Stranger Danger is absolutely horrible! Still! She's okay (by okay I mean won't scream bloody murder) if she warms up to someone first, but it's still bad.  
• She's already outgrowing some of her 12 month clothes! :( I was wrapping some outfits we bought her for Christmas the other day, and realized if she didn't wear them NOW, she might not be able to fit in them by Christmas. I just bought them! She's a little weed!

It was FREEZING when we took these, and she's still not interested in the camera. :)









Check out this crazy hair! I can't do anything with it right now.

There's nothing like daddy-daughter love.

"Certain is it that there is no kind of affection so purely angelic as of a father to a daughter. In love to their wives there is desire; to their sons, ambition; but to their daughters there is something which there are no words to express."

-Joseph Addison

Wordless Wednesday

We have a new theme for the Christmas tree... :)