Just a Sip

Allen thought he'd try to get his hands on my soda last night. Hah! I really think he just liked the can because it was nice and cool. But he sure had a grip and wasn't about to give it back to me without a fight :)

(Now, Grammy and Gigi better not get ANY ideas. Little A.P. can't have anything but his bottle for quite awhile!)

We switched the Pepsi can out for a bottle--which he was more than happy to get in exchange!

Thanksgiving Point

I was looking for some fun holiday activities and found out Thanksgiving Point has a TON of stuff going on this season. For FHE we trekked up there to see the ice carvers and to see Santa's reindeer. I'm sad to say that things were not quite as advertised. But we still had lots of fun playing around. Since the outdoor activities were a little disappointing, we went inside the emporium and had fun goofing around. :)

Does anyone else know of any other festive activities going on?

Got Milk?

Sometimes Allen gets a little over zealous with his bottles and ends up with "milkface".

You Can't Make Me!

We had one of those days this week. You know the ones where it's just one thing after another? The ones where your adorable 4 month old manages to go through 4 outfits in the space of one afternoon and ends up needing 2 baths? Yep. That's what I'm talking about. Most of the time we just change Allen on the floor in our front room (because that's where we spend most of our time and I'm a little too lazy to walk to his bedroom to use the changing table every time.) Here's a picture of him as we're getting ready to take him for his 2nd bath. He'd gotten a grip on the leg of his swing and was not about to let go. He was giggling so hard! Which, in turn, had us giggling too.
As a new mom I know I have so much to learn. I love that these experiences that may seem frustrating are really just wonderful moments and learning lessons. My little guy is teaching me so much!

He actually really does love bath time. :)

One Little Thumb

Allen has figured out how to suck his thumb. He's spent the last several weeks sucking on two or three fingers at a time, and now he finally figured out how to get just his little thumb in. I'm really not looking forward to breaking this habit, but in the meantime, it's just so adorable.

I Believe

We caught Krug having a conversation with Santa--probably just telling him what he'd like for Christmas this year :)

1st Invite

Allen got his very first invitation to a birthday party! His little friend Fischer is turning 1 year old and we are so excited to celebrate with him! My friend Valerie is Fischer's Mom and she has been so creative with her planning. She made the cutest invitations. The party theme is shapes and colors and everyone is supposed to wear their favorite color. Such a fun idea!

So glad that Allen already has a little friend :)

The Elf on the Shelf

Now that we have Allen, Parker and I have been discussing the Christmas traditions we would like to have with our little family. I heard about "The Elf on the Shelf" several weeks ago. I did some investigating and decided that this little guy was just too dang cute to pass up and that he would be a perfect tradition for Christmastime. He comes in a box that includes a story as well as an explanation of the origin of The Elf on the Shelf. You get to name your elf--we named ours Chandler. He is your very own personal connection to Santa Clause. Each day he sits and watches the children and at the end of the day when they go to sleep he makes a quick trip to the North Pole to report to Santa who has been naughty and/or nice. Every morning he returns and watches from a new location. Children can tell him their Christmas wishes to report to Santa as well. How cute is that?! I am really looking forward to getting our elf out each Christmas. And until Allen is old enough to understand, Parker and I will just be on our best behavior while Chandler is watching :)

If anyone has any great Christmas traditions I would love to hear about them!

The Stockings Were Hung...

Well, we haven't actually hung the stockings yet. BUT, all of our other holiday preparations are complete! Last week my wonderful hubby helped get our tree set-up. I got this little gem off ksl for $15 right after we got married. Every year, after the complete and utter hassle of getting the darn thing put-up, we claim that we will most certainly be purchasing a new tree. But we never seem to get around to it, and I think it's because we are secretly getting attached to this dodgy little tree that seems to suit us so very well.Parker has got to be the most patient man alive. Seriously. He puts up with so much--including my Christmas nerdiness and my need to get decorations put-up before Thanksgiving even gets here. Is there some kind of award for Husband Of The Year? Yes, the tree is totally slanted. We have to battle this sucker every year. Thank goodness for a little creativity, duct tape, and some kitchen towels or the tree would never make it. This is our third year though and I think we're actually getting it down to an art form now.Ta Da! Isn't it just beautiful?! I love my little tree! It's amazing how it can go from being something seemingly inconsequential to something so great. Parker commented that it's sort of a metaphor for ourselves. (See?! He's so wonderful. Always so quick to see the good in everything.)

I was also able to get all my shopping and wrapping done before Thanksgiving too. I got to use my new wrapping paper and I was so excited! Didn't they turn out so cute?! I went with a gingerbread theme so they'd match my tree ornaments. (I told you I was a nerd.) And the snow got here just in time to add to the holiday spirit! I just love winter! Krug had lots of fun bounding around in the snow drifts. He got into the holiday spirit as well. He dragged his stocking around the entire time we were decorating :)
Our little Christmas characters are watching over the presents to make sure there isn't any snooping going on. :)

Now the only thing left to do, is sit back and enjoy this wonderful season.