It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

Well, at least outside.  I think we are going with minimalist decorations this year, i.e. putting the breakable stuff where they can't get to it and leaving the rest in boxes.  We are still considering our options with the tree.  I refuse to get a small one to put on the table and I really don't want to put the play yard around the tree.  I know that would be the smart option, or possibly the safest option, but it just doesn't seem to fit my image of a beautiful Christmas tree.  So, I am thinking plastic hooks, non-breakables on the bottom and possibly tying it to the ceiling, and constant vigilance. 

I'm probably crazy. 

I know I'm a few weeks behind with photos, so I want to end the ramblings and just post the updates.  All is well in my corner of the blogosphere, and I'm looking out my window at a winter wonderland.  We have probably 8-10 inches of snow already and I'm hoping to take the kiddos outside when Andy gets home to play in the snow for the first time.  I think they're going to like it!  We have jackets, snow pants, boots, gloves, hats. . .we'll barely be able to see them, they'll barely be able to move.  Good times.

November 22 - No idea what this face is about.  The kiddos are just starting to realize when I have my camera out, and they like to sometimes get really close, and Maggie especially likes seeing the pictures after I take them.  I don't remember what I was trying to get a picture of, but I know I looked down and saw this. 

November 23 - Oops.  SIL's birthday and I forgot my camera.  Someone has a cell phone picture floating around that is supposed to go here!

November 24 - Nothing says the day before Thanksgiving like a smoke filled kitchen.  I had a slight issue with my apple pies bubbling over this year, and the house smelled like burning sugar for days.  After the smoke cleared from the first round, I had Maggie help me with the last pie.  She loved it, and I absolutely loved having my little girl help me in the kitchen!  We tried to get Ben to do it to but he mainly was throwing the apples on the floor and trying to play with everything else on the counter.  Maybe next year.  

November 25 - Happy Thanksgiving!

Okay and yeah, this is my 10 week, post delicious turkey dinner belly shot!  Good lord, this is worse than my 10 week twin belly!

November 26 - Ah yes, the annual decorating of my parents tree and shots in front of it.  This year was a little more interesting than last.  I have very helpful babies.  They like to do what we are doing and lend a hand when they can.  Today it was getting all the ornaments out of the boxes, delivering ornaments to the tree, and running in circles around it.  They were very interested in all the different ornaments, and would pull them back off the tree.  Andy and I are thinking we'll put ours up when they are sleeping.  

No one was cooperating for the photo shoot.  We tried to get family shots, and Grandma and Grandpa with the grandkids.  Instead we got. . .well, you see.  Then after all the laughing and the chaos of the family shots, the little boogers sat right down for a picture of just the two of them.  My little stinkers.  

November 27 - Aw.  Ben has been doing more loving on Maggie these days, and for once, she really didn't seem to mind.  Look how cute they are!

November 28 - Much too busy to get a picture this day.  Much too busy, in fact, to even get out of my pajamas that day.  Eh, we really were busy!

November 29 - Andy was playing around with Maggie and got some really funny shots.  This is one of my favorites.  

November 30 -   We had our ultrasound today!  Baby looks good, and actually looks like a baby this time!  Measuring 11w4d, which is a full 5 days ahead.  Heartbeat looked good, my NT scan is on 12-7, and we'll be released from the RE.  I have my first OB appointment set up December 16.  It's starting to feel real!

This isn't the best group shot, but oh my gosh look how cute they are in their matching jammies!  They looked like Thing 1 and Thing 2 from the back, both of their pajamas were a bit big. 

December 1 - Everyone needs to start their day with a little coffee.  



And end their day looking like Eskimos. 

11 weeks!!



December 2 - Our furnace was having some issues causing our temperatures to drop really low.  Maggie and Ben got shipped off to Grandma and Grandpa's for a sleepover, and we snuggled until they got there.  Luckily Andy and his Dad were able to fix it without us having to call in the furnace people.

December 3 - Bear is an unsung hero in our house.  He is Ben's, and he has become one of Ben's lovey posse.  Poor bear has been peed on, found laying in a pile of puke, and then this unfortunate incident involving a cactus.  I'm not entirely sure how it happened, Bear isn't talking.  The cactus was extracted, Bear got a bath, and he has been returned to the fold. 

December 4 - This was horrible lighting to attempt this shot, but I thought it was fitting.  We were starting to put out our Christmas ornaments, and this is one of the ones I was happiest to pull out.  It is in a safe spot, after watching my babies try to "help" Grandma and Grandpa put theirs together, I finally figured out why Fisher Price sells a Nativity play set.  Maybe we'll put it on the Christmas list this year!



December 5 - We had our annual Potluck, and this year decided with so many little ones in attendance we needed a kids table.  Instead of trying to set up all of our boosters, we dragged the picnic table in.  This was so cute to watch them eat with their friends! 

December 6 - This morning we woke up to all this snow.  Maggie and Ben have been fascinated by the snow, and by the fact that they can watch it coming down.  We're excited to go play in it!  Seeing this picture and having just walked by my deck about 6 hours after it was taken makes me realize just how much snow we have accumulated so far today!

How lucky I feel that I could spend this snow day with my favorite little people!