Sledding with the Twins

On New Year's Day, we were invited up to sled on Nate and Tony's hill. It's nice and gradual and deceptive. Fortunately there's a snow bank at the end of the run to prevent one from heading down into the woods. Izzy had a grand time throwing snowballs and sledding with the boys. She can't wait to get to do it again.

Izzy's red sled got bigger!

Watcha got there, Tony?

Izzy samples the snow in the boys' yard

Izzy tries her hand at snowball throwing

Look out, Tony!

Ah, Dad gotcha!

Check this snowball out!

Mush!


Nate and Izzy do the jump and Izzy gets snow up her nose.


Mom takes a turn down the hill with Izzy

Christmas Eve 2010

Izzy gets ready for the evening's festivities

The girls play on Aunt Carla's piano

Mae and Aunt Carla

The elves are put to work decorating Christmas cookies

Wanna cookie?

That's a lot of cookies. Hope Santa's hungry!

Uncle Ben tells Izzy the story of Scrooge

Aunt Laura reads about David's Christmas

Time to get home before Santa comes!

First Snow!!

Snow dance!

We're outside, now what?

This stuff is great!

Mae tries to catch a few flakes

Yay snow :)

Want some?

Building a snowman

Our snowman "Mr. Mashed Potato Head"

Mae calls Santa to let him know there's snow for his sleigh.

Izzy's Birthday Plans

Tonight while going potty, Izzy started laying out her plans for her birthday party to Daddy. It's going to be a dinosaur party with a dinosaur cake. What kind of dinosaur? A triceratops! Why that and not a spinosaurus? Because that the kind she has! It's going to be yellow and blue...and red....and pink! She's going to have a dinosaur parade and wear a chef's hat. She even choreographed her dinosaur dance, "No, like this! Stomp, stamp, stomp, stamp!" It sounded very loud down in the basement where I was. But we need to get on it because according to Izzy, "My birthday was 20 minutes ago!"

Mae is 6 Months Old!

Yup, a whole half year! Man does time fly! Only one more month before I have to go back to work. Mae now weighs 13.5 lbs and is 24.25 inches long. So she is officially a peanut at 6th percentile. And she had such promise at two months. Eh, just means she gets to wear clothes a bit longer :) All of the 0-3 months stuff has been retired and she's in 3-6 or 6 mos depending on the brand. And even some 9 month clothing that must run small. It's not for a lack of eating though. The girl eats 3 full meals a day with 3-4 bottles of formula. Yup, she's been weaned from nursing. She didn't like the lack of freedom to watch things happening behind her. I would've needed to hook up a mini dvd player to my shoulder or something. Mae can hold the bottle herself so that makes it easier for all involved. I just wish formula didn't smell so yucky!

If it weren't for the hindrances of winter clothing and carpeted floors, I think she'd be creeping by now. She does get around using rolling and scootching backwards. One can't just leave her in the living room anymore. She finds any electrical cord pretty darn quick. The girl likes to gnaw on everything. Good thing she doesn't have teeth yet. Not even a swelling of the gums. So I think teeth are going to be late coming. Along with her hair. She has a few long hairs on top but for the most part she has a lovely blond fuzz. Daddy often refers to her as tennis-ball-head. Pretty descriptive :)

Mae is not very talkative but is quick to smile when someone else talks to her. Especially her sister Izzy. Often, we can hear her talking up a storm when alone in her crib. She has started to make some consanant sounds but she still mostly speaks in coo's and ahh's. Mae is very ticklish and has even become remotely ticklish if you make tickle motions with your hand towards her. Too cute :) I think she'll be a dancer like her sister. She can dance when up on her arms while on her tummy and likes to swing her whole body back and forth when lying down.

The biggest thing this month is that Mae can now sit without needing support. She's also learning the important skill of controlled falling after bumping her head a bit hard a few times. She kinda skipped sitting tripod style and went straight to having her hands free to play with toys and of course eat them. She can stay up for at least 5 minutes. Long enough for me to go get the camera and take a few shots :)

OSV Breakfast with Santa

And with Grandma and Ben and Gigi and Sarah and the Cassellius family :)

Fortunately, they must have read the request for two high chairs and two boosters and stuck us in a corner which was great for some extra running room for Griffin and Izzy. Usually we get put in the back room but that was taken over by a meeting of the Red Hat Society. About halfway through her bacon, Izzy decided that she wanted to see Santa and set off to do just that. By the time I got Mae unhooked from her chair, I looked up to see a stream of adults rushing towards Santa with Izzy leading the way. According to Kris, she pushed her way through the Red Hats and yelled at Santa that she wanted a Red Teddy Bear! When it really was her turn to see Santa, she turned shy so I hope he heard her. I think Griffin told Santa for her. And she got to hand in a letter. So he better get that Teddy Bear!

Mae chills with aunt Gigi and Cousin Sarah

Thanks for the spoon but really I can smell that bacon

Griffin wants TWO Spinosauruses for Christmas

Bacon dipped in whipped cream is Delish!

Izzy wants a RED teddy bear

Aunt Laura's lap is more comfy

Mae would like some food for Christmas

Handing in their letters to Santa
Izzy said she'd leave him "medicine and a present for the reindeer."

Serious cookie appreciation

>Insert comment here<

Izzy being Izzy

Izzy sneaks up on Felix at the table

Mmmmm chocolate

Eating marshmallows by candlelight

Showing AuntGigi her Yoga

the boots make the outfit :)