2010 is coming to an end...

And my babies couldn't be any more adorable!

Christmas 2010

We had a great Christmas morning together --- just the 4 of us! JaCee had  a good time & was pleasantly surprised that Santa did actually show up! She didn't notice the presents at 1st --- we had to show her the tree...and say Look, Santa came! She got scared for a minute thinking he was still in the house. Once we assured her he was back at the North Pole, she was happy to start opening presents. After our own Christmas morning we went to Matt's sister's house to Celebrate the rest of the day with them & Matt's parents.



Going to Christmas Eve Service




The girls before Christmas Eve Service





JaCee with some of her gifts



Morgen with a couple of her gifts. Her very OWN 1st baby~



Morgen's 11 months old

I tried to get some pictures of you today, but you weren't up for it! So these photo's won't be the best.

You are currently teething. I think it's one of your bottom left one's, but we'll see when it comes through. You finally slept better last night, but we've had some rough nights of sleep lately. Don't get me wrong though...even on a "good night" your still not sleeping all night long. You go to bed at 8pm & wake up at 9am. Your taking 2 naps during the day. And even when you do get up to eat at night --- you have it down to about a 6 min bottle. That means mom's back in bed in 7-8 minutes! How many times your up & the times you wake up are totally random right now.

You are a very vocal baby! I do believe your going to be more a firecracker than JaCee was. If you don't get what you want ---- you let me know....usually with an outburst of shouting at me! You yell at JaCee if she takes something from you too. It makes me giggle. I'm sure I should be doing some kind of good parenting right now so that down the road you know how to play nice, but I love watching your personality coming out.

Your walking better & better....and you can actually carry something & walk or your favorite...clap while walking....if you are walking toward me or dad...you have a HUGE smile on your face. If your on a mission somewhere else, you are pretty serious!

You wear size 18/24 month clothes & a Size 5 shoe. (that's not for long 5's JUST fit)

Your eating much better table foods. You stopped eating baby foods a good month ago and you eat whatever we have for meal times. Some things you like more than others, but overall --- I haven't seen anything lately that you refuse to eat. Oh I take that back, I started giving you milk in your sippy cup for dinner & you take a drink --- give me a dirty look --- cough --- throw the cup --- and shout something AT me. We'll keep working on this because you don't know it yet, but very soon --- Milk will be the name of the game for you!

Besides shouting -- you are talking a little bit. You love to say Da-da....all-day-long. If the cell phone rings, you say Da-da, when you wake up from naps, you say Da-da, you look out the window ---saying Da-da. You love to say Uh-oh if something falls & we play the game of dropping things at the dinner table so you can say Uh-oh.

You love dancing -- aka rocking back & forth to music. Simply adorable! I love to catch you rocking when you hear music.

What does this do?



I HATE shoes on!!!! Even these CUTE boots gma got me for Christmas... (Oh and I'm getting a TINY bit of hair mom can get curly with some water & mousse!)



Hi!




Walking with a mission!

We love you baby girl! And I can't beleive next month I'm going to be posting that I have a 1 year old!!!!

Christmas in Montana~

We split our Christmas holiday's every year, rotating with both sets of parents. We always do a "Christmas" celebration with each...it just rotates every other year spending the actual holiday with the parents. This year, we did Christmas with my parents a week before the actual holiday. It was a fun Christmas!! We did our Christmas morning, with stockings for the girls & presents for everyone...and the traditional Christmas dinner spread of Ham, potatoes, fruit salad & all the other yummies that go along with it.

Here are some pictures from the weekend!

The view from my parents deck!

1st Christmas as sister's!

My 1st Christmas with Morgen!

Playing Santa Claus

A present from Grandma & Grandpa to JaCee. She LOVES it!

Matt on my brother's Rokon!

Morgen walking...and holding a bottle...she can clap while she walks too. SOO cute. She's walking really well for it only being about 2 weeks!



My brother & his girlfriend & the girls...



To be a kid again....

Remember the day's...when baking with mom in the kitchen meant this ~

I remember my mom baking & I couldnt wait to lick the beaters...Now I get to let my little one experience the same joys!

And remember falling asleep in your high chair ... OK, maybe not --- but this was still precious! Morgen doesn't do this often, so when her eye's closed last night at the dinner table I had to get a picture. (She doesn't normally eat with no shirt on, but we had stuffed green peppers with some ketchup on it, and I didn't want it on her onsie...didn't affect her falling asleep!)

And here are a few more from the past week or so. Nothing too big has been going on. Getting prepared for the holiday's along with everyone else. The shopping is done, presents are wrapped & cards are all out, so today I got to enjoy a little baking....

Nothing special in these pictures...just updates for myself. I think I was trying to get Morgen walking again, but this is what I got. She was not impressed that I put this band in her hair...I do remember that about this photo.
JaCee is still working through Christmas. She yells for me at night when she gets up to go to the bathroom at night again. We were out of that routine for a few months --- but after the 1st few nights of her telling me Santa was in her bedroom, I figure I'll just be getting up with her at night until she forgets about Christmas. Which might be a while because she still asks me to go Trick or Treating once a week...and that was 2 months ago!!! We went to look at Christmas lights the other night & one of the houses we went to had a LIVE Santa --- who was dressed up in full suit who came out to every car who pulled up & gave a big HO-HO-HO & handed out Candy Canes. JaCee is just a tad bit to short to see over the side of the car door, but when he came up to her window which Matt had rolled down...well...I'll just say screaming is an understatement!!!! She was hysterical. The "Santa" was very nice & backed up & told me if I came once a week for the next few weeks she would get better about Santa. Hmm....he was very nice, I will say that. He gave us some Candy Canes, which JaCee mustered "THANK YOU" and Good-bye Santa as he walked away! It was a priceless memory I will not soon forget.

Morgen's walking!

She's been taking a few steps to me or Matt off & on for a week or so now. That entailed me holding her & Matt standing a few feet in front of her, holding a binkie or something she wanted & she would take a few steps to us --- but today --- she walked, un-provoked from our kitchen table to an end table in the living room...about 10 steps! That gave her some confidence -- and after that, she took off all by herself a few times. We did manage to get a few pictures...of her standing, before walking & the opsie....Look how proud of herself she is...

Opsie....

 This girl is going to give us a run for our money!!! She already loves to climb. Matt asked me the other day if I have seen her try to climb the baby gate. I was in shock & tried to ignore what he was saying due to well --- fear! I came upstairs last week & there she was --- about 1/3 way up/over the baby gate at the top of the stairs that lead to the basement. Are you kidding me?? What am I going to do if she learns how to climb a baby gate? Do you stack another one top? Is that even safe? And leave a toilet seat open...it's all over. JaCee never so much as looked at an outlet or toilet! I often hear JaCee yelling mom --- get her out of here. And I go in the bathroom to find JaCee on the potty, trying to keep Morgen from putting her hands in the toilet. Gross --- I know!  

Here she is doing more damage...I was washing faces/brushing teeth...and this is what I found...she's cleared this drawer & was sooo happy climbing in it! I can only imagine what I'm in for as soon as she really starts walking all over.

 

 I got a picture of both kids smiling. For those of you that don't have small children, you have NO idea how hard this is...I showed Matt today when he got home & he congratulated me. I said no need for that. It was pure LUCK! I figure if I take ENOUGH pictures, at some point, one is going to turn out where they are both smiling!





Thanksgiving in Missoula

On Thanksgiving Morning we got up bright & early & headed over the passes to Missoula to have Thanksgiving with my brother, his girlfriend, and my parents.

This picture was actually taken last week --- after it snowed. JaCee loves to ride the 4-wheeler with daddy while he's plowing.

 My brother & his girlfriend took JaCee sledding at the school right by his house on Thanksgiving day. JaCee is just figuring out this sledding thing & my brother informed me I need to work with her on how to "lean" on the turns. Apparently she fell out a few times. Here is Ryan teaching her how to have a really good time!

 And somehow my brother talked his girlfriend into pulling JaCee too. Although JaCee A.D.O.R.E.S Erin (my brother's girlfriend) beyond words! JaCee spent the entire weekend in Erin's back pocket.

  Mmmm....the best part!

This was Morgen's 1st Thanksgiving. She loved it. She had some Turkey, mashed pot's & green bean casserole. She loved it all --- except the cranberry sauce, which she gave me a dirty look for putting in her mouth. Oppppsss...

 

Grandma with both of her babies.

 This picture is priceless. We spent Friday -- shopping --- all - day --long. The girls did great. Saturday - more shopping before some Turkey left overs for lunch & then hitting the road. They were both so tired. We were up way past bedtimes & up way earlier than they are used to, so before we were even on the freeway, they were out. Matt looked back & said you have to get a picture of this. So adorable!

Dear Morgen...

Today you turned 10 months old! I've had an emotional month with you...This month I think I noticed the most changes in you. You are becoming a little person & not so much baby. You are walking while holding on to anything. Your favorite thing to hold on to right now is MY LEGS & walk where I do.  You love to be in the kitchen with me. If the refrigerator door opens, you are in it. If I'm putting away dishes, you are "helping" me. If the garage door opens, you are standing at the entry way to see if daddy's home! Your really interacting with your world...You are just starting to get daring enough to reach for something and let go of the solid object you are holding on to. You love your sippy cup & you can drink all by yourself. (after you figured out how to tip your head back).

You have started talking this month. You say Momma all the time! You crawl around the house calling out, "Momma"...it melts my heart. You learned SO-BIG! When I say, "who's big", you put one hand in the other & stretch your arms over your head like it's the hardest thing you've done! Then you clap for yourself!Your clapping is more like banging...but when I clap for you, you bang your hands. I love the big smile on your face when I say good job Morgen --- you are so proud of yourself! Just this week you learned Uh-Oh if something drops. Mostly your sippy cup, but I dropped something tonight cooking dinner & you said, Uhh-Ohh to me! Adorable! You try to say JaCee, but it comes out mostly like a bunch of S'sss.

Dinner time feeding has been my biggest challenge with you. You can't decide if you want to feed yourself or if you want me to feed you, what you want --- when your done, etc. We'll keep working on it.

Sleeping --- like feeding time --- your all over the board right now. You will sleep through the night two nights in a row, only to get up 2 times the next few nights. I just know that you are growing way too fast, so I enjoy my cuddle time with you at night --- all too soon, you will be in a big girl bed and I'll have to steal kisses from you, so getting up at night doesn't bother me.

This week is your 1st Thanksgiving. I remember last Thanksgiving at Matt's parent's house, you were inside me & I was getting ready to enter the last 8 weeks of my pregnancy with you. We'll go cut down our Christmas tree after Thanksgiving & put it up next weekend. I have to admit I"m a little nervous to have the tree with as mobile as you are. A little part of me is really hoping you hate the feel of the needles & don't think they can help you get anywhere. We'll see! 

Before I know it, Christmas will be here & you'll be 11 months old. Don't worry I already have your 1st Birthday party theme picked out & it's C.U.T.E~!

We love you so much baby girl!

Here you are in the bath-tub. I have started giving you a bath with your sister sometimes & you Love-love-love it. You squeal in delight while splashing!

 With Daddy before Church

 In the refrigerator!

 You are just learning how this toy works. For some reason you are pretty scared of it & most of the time you spend pushing it around while you walk on your knees.

 JaCee was outside helping daddy with some yard work, but it was waaay too cold for us! You spent the entire time at the window watching JaCee ... and here JaCee came to give you a kiss!

 With Mommy before a shopping trip...you have really become a mommy's girl this month. You used to only need me for food/comfort....now I am not sure if separation anxiety has hit or you realize that in my arms --- JaCee can't get you!

My comparison for the month!

JaCee was 10.5 months old. Morgen is10 months old!

Fall Fun...

I have been slacking on the blog I see. Mostly because the girls are fighting colds & really ---- my day's are consumed with fussy girls...and runny noses...which aren't very cute pictures. =) Thinking back over the past few weeks...we have painted our basement. The entire thing! Not fun. But it was needed. My mom came to visit for a "marathon Christmas shopping weekend." We had a good time! It put me in major Christmas mood. I have been feeling pretty festive anyway. I will admit I have been listening to Christmas music for a good 2 weeks now! I LOVE IT! My Christmas shopping has been done for a while now, (I try to be done by Oct.) so now I get to buy holiday decorations & start baking! JaCee is figuring out Santa. We were at the mall & saw Santa & she promptly buckled herself into the car seat so Santa couldn't take her. She makes me laugh so hard...and Morgen's doing good. Plugging along. Still walking around holding on to things. She's not daring enough to let go of things so I think we're still a little while out on the walking. I'm still OK with her not walking becuase watching her crawling is just adorable. And she can crawl FAST now too! She'll be 10 months soon, so I'll do another 10 month post for her.

 We went to Matt's parents to help his parents with a few winterizing things on the farm. Here is a Carrot they pulled from the garden! HUGE!!!!

 How most of my day's are spent...JaCee, leave Morgen A-LONE! Bless Morgen's heart, she is SOO tolerant of her sister...it amazes me.