.:Stats- 19 lbs 6 oz., 27 1/2 in. long, 80% across the board

.: What You’re Wearing- mostly 6-9 months and some 12 months.  You  must have shorty arms b/c all sleeves are too long on you! :)  You enjoy chewing on them though!

.: Firsts- trying to hold bottle, on hands and knees rocking back and forth, eating solid foods (rice cereal, veggies & fruits), first weekend away from mommy and first weekend with only daddy!

.: From Head To Toe- you’re doing so well! You have the sweetest smile that makes my day lighter and brighter no matter what!  You’re very long and more than doubled your birth weight (9lbs 11oz).  It’s amazing to me that Emma was  your size at one year and was walking all over!  You have developed a bit of a rash in your “chins” from all the drool and milk/food.

.: Loves- rolling around on your blanket, rocking on hands and knees, saucer, lion chew toy, pacci, star mobile, chewing on your bibs or wet wash cloth,

.: Dislikes- this one is hard b/c you are sooo content and happy…still dislikes the car seat, but mainly only fusses if hungry on the way to our next stop, some certain foods…

.: Eating- kept trying cereal and you’ll finally eat it.  I started with orange veggies, which you like.  Then tried green but you HATE them.  As soon as I put it to your lips you purse your lips together and sometimes even blow!  You seem to like all fruits, but your favorites are carrots, sweet potatoes, & apple sauce!  Still taking a bottle of 6 oz about every 4 hours.

.: Sleeping- going to bed about 8:30 and only waking once about 2 or 4 to eat and right back to sleep. You aren’t really wanting rocked or held anymore (boohoo!) to go to sleep.  You prefer to be laid down with your blanket and the mobile to put yourself to sleep!

.: Misc Facts-

So joyful.  Each time I hear you awake in the crib I go in and you just light up! 

You have very little interest in sitting.  You’re getting better at doing it, but prefer being on your tummy scooting around.

So, there you have it.  He’s officially 1/2 a year old and this mama can NOT believe it!  3 months maybe, but 6 months no way!  The speed at which times goes is just simply not fair.

 

Whew! I think I’ve recovered from my AWESOME weekend!!  Lots of croppin’ + little sleep = productivity!!!  I finished 13 layouts (or 26 pages) for Emma & Aidan’s scrapbooks.  I’m still quite behind, but almost done with 2007!!  Keeping my New Year’s resolution of attending the church scrap nites and another scrap weekend the end of March AND  the fall Cropaganza will hopefully get me close to finishing ‘08 and a start on ‘09!

Here’s some pics of the crop.  It is simply un-B-elievable the chaos of 180 croppers in one room!  The scrapbooking market is obviously booming!! 

180 Croppers in one space…Star marks my location…there were more to the left and right of this picture…couldn’t fit them all in!

Our Table - Arrow marks my spot…

My Scrappy Friends- MIL Peggy, SIL Shelly, Friend Vickie & myself.

The “young” scrappers.  Deb, myself, Kristina, Jen & Kelly.

 

Kristina and Jen are my college girlfriends.  We started our scrappin’ adventures when the main scrappin tool was fancy cut scissors!!  Not only did you fancy cut your paper, but your pictures as well!  We’re sooo beyond that kind of scrappin now! (Well except for one layout K tried to do this weekend that involved precious Precious Moments paper…by the end of ganza she had tore it all up and started over!!)  We’re on to bigger and better things like cricuts, stamps, chalks, inks, stickles, white core cardstock, etc, etc.  We are totally pumped about going again this fall and fretted over what life would be like or even if we could exist if we DID NOT make the ganza list! WE shutter to think how scrapified we might become!  K will have a new baby by then and hopefully Jen will be preggers!! (as is ganza tradition for one of us to be…)

Last year when I went I spent most the weekend in shock at all the scrappers, papers, vendors and such…this year was still amazing but I literally focused only on scrapping.  I didn’t really shop any of the vendors, no massage, no pedi or mani, just workin’ my fingers to the bone scrappin!! Here’s an attempt to show some of my work (minus the journal)…

Aidan in the baby show with blind judges…I’m mean obviously he’s a cutie…

Fall & family pics ‘07… 

Emma making Aidan’s Welcome to the World gift…

 

We arrived to crop at 3pm on Friday and I cropped until 3 am stopping only for supper.  Up by 9 am on Sat and cropped until 3:30 am stopping for lunch and supper breaks.  Up again Sunday at 8:30 and cropped until 1:30 pm stopping to pack up and return home. So much more to do, but catching up on sleep is the order of business now.  Well, that and taxes!!! YUCK!

Ok so I’m only about a week late getting this up.  Because I like to point out how scatter brained I am I have to admit that the 12th came and went without me realizing he had turned 5 months.  I had the 15th (Aidan’s birth date) in my head.  So, on the 13th it hit me so I spent that day in mourning that yet another month had passed.  Good news I think I’m “caught up” on my blogging!!

Here’s an extra shot (that didn’t turn out well…grr…not liking my camera!) but I couldn’t resist sharing those eyes and that smile!!  I’m pretty sure those eyes are SCREAMING I love my mama!

.: Stats- 18lbs 5 oz., ?? in.

.: What You’re Wearing- fitting very well into 6-9 month clothing.  12 month is right around the corner.  They only thing too big are sleeves.  They are sooo long on your little arms!

.: Firsts- Rolling everywhere & never staying on the blanket I put you on, laughing now especially if I “eat” your ribs, feet are great entertainment, first Christmas & New Years, very good at putting things in your mouth, first time getting blood drawn- hard for mama to watch!

.: From Head To Toe- not much changing except you’re just getting bigger over all and probably need your little rat tail trimmed in the back.  Has had runny nose since Thanksgiving in the middle of our 3rd antibiotic with no luck on getting it stopped- bad cough now too. They did allergy testing for foods &environmental allergens, but the testing showed no allergies.

.: Loves- Sissy, tummy time, chewing on blankets, burps & bibs, being rocked, the mobile we put on your bed that plays music and has lights,

.: Dislikes- want nothing to do with sitting- bumbo chair, swing & car seat

.: Eating- 6 oz every 4 hours.  tried cereal- did NOT like it plus you started having a never ending runny nose so I stopped & they checked you for allergies.  No allergies so tried cereal again.  Will tolerate it in the bottle, but not so sure about the spoon. I haven’t been giving it much b/c I think it makes you fussier.

.: Sleeping- up around 1 am & 4ish…but right back to sleep after you eat.

.: Misc Facts-

You’ve become a very content baby.  At our annual holiday bake day you were so happy the whole day.  You love to watch all the action around you!

I suppose you enjoyed you 1st Christmas & 1st blizzard! I know brother & sister had fun opening your presents!

On New Years mommy & daddy had a party with daddy’s work people so Katherine & Julianna came to watch all 3 of you kids.  Katherine is kinda your buddy!

You’re so happy & content at the church nursery…everyone says how cute & sweet you are! You do have this very “sweet, innocent, everyone loves me” look about you!

You light up when Emma comes near! She can jiggle you to make you laugh or sometimes do nothing at all!

I could go on and on about the depression I went through that Emma was “over” having Princess Birthdays.  She fell in love with Cinderella a week before her 2nd birthday…to late to change her party from Elmo to Cinderella.  So, her third bday was Cinderella and it was then that she planned the rest of her birthdays.  4th Snow White, 5th Belle, 6th SUPPOSED to be Ariel, 7th Sleeping Beauty, 8th Jasmine….  The one I was most excited about was supposed to be this year I might add. 

How could she, the daughter of a planner, CHANGE her mind? Didn’t she know that I had a scrapbook page planned that would show all the different princesses she was throughout the years?  Really? Scrapbook dream killer!!!

About the time therapy helped me recover from the princess past she decided to be a cheerleader for Halloween and that meant a cheerleading birthday. (She always dressed for Halloween what she wanted her bday to be…my precious resourceful girl!)  I had come up with some decent ideas for a cheering party, but then she started speaking of  a sleep over.  I was hesitant at first, but gave in.  She was allowed to invite 3 girls and I then surprised her with bringing her cousin Madison.

There was a bit of girl drama as I expected, but fun was had painting toenails, playing games, watching movie, eating pizza and making a sleepover pillowcase craft.

We were pleased with how the craft turned out.  Here’s how we did it.

Sleep Over Pillowcase:

You need: iron on transfer paper, light colored pillow cases (NOT washed), paint pens, cardboard to put in pillow case while using paints, iron AND photo editing software.

We took the above picture of the girls in their jammies in a sea of sleeping bags.  I uploaded the picture to my fav photo editing site (www.picnik.com) where I added text and then mirror image (or horizontally flip) the photo.  Once edited print on transfer paper following the directions included in the packet of transfer paper.

Iron photo on the pillowcase following the instructions.  The instructions I followed had me dry iron the picture on the pillowcase that had NOT been washed yet. 

We then used paint pens to have the girls “autograph” the pillow case.

The resulting pillow case is machine washable, but it was recommended to not use fabric softener or allow wet pillow case to sit too long in the washer.  Time will tell the durability, but they certainly were cute!!

The sleep over was a success.  All the girls made it through the night and we made it to early service church will all of them!!! Impressive!!!!

Yes it’s the middle to end of Jan and I’m just getting to posting Christmas!  We started out with a bang starting and finishing our Christmas shopping the weekend before Thanksgiving, but time got away from us and some decorations didn’t even make it up and as of today trees are STILL up!

Our Christmas events began the weekend before Christmas with the Burnett Christmas held at my sisters.  A great time as always with my cousins, Aunts & Uncles.

 It was soo much fun with 3 kiddos this year!  Emma finally grew out of the notion that Mary brings her gifts.  She was a little leery, but a bit fond of Santa (right about the time the Santa bubble will be burst at school!).  Aidan was all about HoHoHo Merry Mismis since last year.  He also loved to say “Happy Holidays” to any one in earshot.  Isaac was oblivious to it all, but brought us great joy.  His first significant snow was a BLIZZARD!  Christmas Eve blew in A.L.O.T of blowing snow.  We still made it to Christmas Eve service, however Grandma & Papa did not.  We tucked you in that night to the sounds of the howling wind (that made Emma a bit jumpy!) reading the most important story ever!

Believe it or not everyone slept in until about 7:30! Crazy to sleep in Christmas morning, but I had assured the kids if they woke when it was still dark they might scare Santa and he’d leave in a hurry as to not get caught.  I think they were afraid he might run off with their gifts!  The kids were super excited to see what they got and Emma was convinced she heard the reindeer.  Emma was absolutely precious as she opened one gift from her stocking and then waited until everyone opened the gifts she had gotten for us.  Her school had a shop where she could purchase a small gift for each of us.  Daddy a flashlight, Mommy a beautiful Christmas bracelet, Aidan a football & Isaac a jingle ball. She also got mommy new kitchen towels (that were awesome!), Aidan a block train and Isaac a caterpillar toy thanks to Grandma Stout taking her shopping for all of us.  She was very excited to give & see our excitement as we opened what she had chose.  It was impressive she had kept them a secret!! (Kindof she slipped about the towels one day at Target.  We walked by the kitchen towels and she said “Don’t look mommy! You’ll see your gift.  Then when doing laundry she’d do little things like say “Wow mom your towels are old, you should get some new ones for Christmas!” So cute!)

Each child got a new fleece blanket from Santa and stockings filled with books, a new ornament, and small toys.  From Mommy & Daddy they each got 3 gifts (if 3 gifts were good enough for the Son of God 3 is enough for a son or daughter of mine!) They were very pleased with all their gifts.  We interrupted playing with breakfast of Bubble Bread & Breakfast Burritos. Yummo!

In the after noon we headed to Aunty Shelly’s for the Stout Christmas.

Whew! In a flash it is over!!  Makes me already excited for next year!  I do love the holidays!

Emma has 2 Kindergarten teachers that job share so that made it a bit more interesting when coming up with a teacher Christmas gift.  I kinda had a $$ in mind to spend on a teacher gift, but x2 was a bit much.  So I tapped my creative resources.  Last year I made some of these jewelry pouches that are great for travel or sorting and organizing your jewelry.  I JUST so happened to have 2 left over from last year.  To go along with the bag I went to my local jewelry/beading gal on her open beading night and made a pair of silver earrings for each teacher to put in the bag.  No gift is complete without chocolate!!  Among my holiday baking were several different kinds of truffles.  I packaged up a few of each for the teachers.  Oreo, Cookie dough, Peanut butter & Peppermint Fudge Brownie truffles to be exact! Yum! Here are the results…

     

Hope they enjoyed them.  I remember as a teacher I receiving soooo many apple/teacher nick nacks, candles or lotion in a wide array of scents…appreciated, but over done.  I hope to continue the jewelry  theme for end of the year gifts if my plan works…

Despite my best efforts to remove Dec. 12th from the calendar the day did come & go making my baby a whole FOUR months old! I just can NOT believe it!

And yes he really IS this sweet!

The photo shoot to get the monthly picture is proving more difficult b/c he quickly pulls out of the sitting position & dives forward like this…

.: Stats- 16 lbs 5 oz., 26 in.

.: What You’re Wearing- 3-6 month clothes fit for about 2 weeks.  In 6-9 months at 3 1/2 months

.: Firsts- rolling from tummy to back- took you a long time to do it b/c you actually like being on your tummy and didn’t desire another position, lots of smiles and even a cackle every now and then, just starting to find your feet, teenage babysitter- Katherine & Juliana watched you Emma, Aidan & the Kooser girls while we went to see the movie The Blind Side

.: From Head To Toe- hair is still red!!  eyes are brown around the pupil and then a gray/blue- beautiful if you ask me especially with the miles of eyelashes surrounding them!,

.: Loves- propping your feet on the toy bar of the bouncy seat, saucer, looking at smiling faces, tummy time or sitting up and alert in a lap.

.: Dislikes- still NOT a swing or car seat lover!! grr!, bumbo chair

.: Eating- still chowing 6 oz Sensitive formula every 3-4 hours

.: Sleeping- up at least 2 if not 3 times a night, sleeps on tummy with pacci

.: Misc Facts-

Your first Thanksgiving. Turkey day at Grandma & Papa Stouts in Atlanta and then to Melvern Friday for the weekend.

Another trip to Mimi’s for Thanksgiving to work on Uncle Adams new house and see some of the extended Brennan fam.

Starting to grab toys and pull toward your mouth.