We Saw Santa, Again!

Oh, Santa, he never disappoints.  Some people may want a sweet picture of bright, shiny, smiling faces, but secretly I love the open mouth screams.  Thankfully, my children oblige me year after year. :)

Last year Maryn was just a tiny thing and loooooved all the attention. She gave Santa big ole smiles! I honestly think she would have been okay this year, but the second she saw Big Brother lose it....she joined him in the screams!

As soon as we were done, JB got upset because he didn't get his helicopter that he wants for Christmas.  We tried to explain that Santa brings it on Christmas, so now he is worried Santa may not do so, after the melt down.

We assured him that Santa understands he was afraid...but maybe he should be very, VERY good this month, just in case.  :)

Poor Santa. Something tells me he had to take a break after the Sasser children!!  

Weekend-ing: Lights, Camera, Babies

It's December and we're kicking off the Christmas season!  This past weekend was full of lights, family and friends, starting with the Tree Lighting in our little downtown.  It felt like a Hallmark movie.  One of the many confirmations that we made a good decision with this move!

There is also a traditional German Christmas market downtown, and we know how much I loooooooove German Christmas markets.  (I can't believe my first experience with a Berlin Christmas Market was 4 years ago!) Our downtown shops all hosted events, and the churches goes involved too with caroling and cider.

On Saturday we headed to Atlanta to celebrate several different people who we love.  (We also saw Santa, but will save that for another post!)  Our good friends, the Murphy's are expanding their family in January, so we spent time with them and destroyed their playroom.

Saturday night and Sunday afternoon was spent with our great friends from the old 'hood.  One of those couples is also welcoming a baby (their first), and there were get togethers and baby showers to celebrate. I have zero pictures.  OOOPS.  

And then Sunday morning we got to check in on our new baby niece!  Addison is growing (but still SOOOOO tiny), and her Mama was brave enough to let our littles get a glimpse of her.  Maryn and JB loved their new cousin!  They can't wait until she can play! 

Sweet Maryn wanted to touch her so badly.  Maybe next time, little Mamacita.  

WHEW, busy weekend.  Foretelling of every single weekend in the month of December.  Bring on the fun!  Bring on the family!  We love it.    

Maryn Elizabeth - 15 Months Old!

Oh sweet girl!  Another month has passed!  As I read over the notes I made at the beginning of the month you've already changed to where I have to adjust my writing. For instance, I noted at the beginning of the month that you no longer wanted to rock and instead pointed to your crib as soon as you finished your nighttime bottle of milk. (Made me so sad.) Well, as of last week, you've now started to cling to me like a monkey and shake your head "no" when I ask if it's time to go into your crib. You cuddle up and let me rock you and rock you (and probably would let me rock you for hours). It makes me so happy!!  

Here are some other funnies, accomplishments, and stats about you as you turn 15 months old:

• You are totally into shoes and purses.  You find and carry around your (or others') purses wherever you go. And there are these pink jellies that I have put in your drawer for next Spring (if they still fit) and I catch you trying to put them on all the time.  It's so cute.

• You love to sleep late in the mornings - definitely your mama's daughter!! And while you're generally a good nightime sleeper you've started to wake up and just screaaaaaaam around 10PM or so, about once a week.  It takes me going in and rocking you for a while to calm you down.  Early night terrors?  It breaks my heart!
• You still take 2 naps a day (morning and afternoon), although you're super flexible and can stay quite happy even with a few short car naps during the weekends. 
• My little helper, you put your clothes in the hamper after I change you, and throw things away in the trash without me prompting.  Such a clean little genius child.
• You have finally started to enjoy books!  You will actually bring them to me to read. Your favorite right now is Horns to Toe and In Between (by Sandra Boynton, one of our fav authors). I think it's because you LOOOOOOVE to show off your belly and this book is all about pointing to your body parts.  
• Where are your teeth baby girl???  You did finally get two more this month, but they are your top two incisors!  And you don't have top middles yet!  YOU HAVE FANGS!!  Makes us laugh so hard... 

• If I ask you to take a picture you immediately beeline to the porch step (if we're outside) or the staircase (if we're inside).  You sit there and pose. I have you so trained!  
• Exact opposite of your brother, you love for us to wash your hair.  You lay back in the bath and let us scrub and rinse.  
• Although I should probably just break you of the paci all together, you love it too much.  This month we started to restrict to the car and sleep, and you've actually caught on so quickly and throw it in your car seat or your crib when you get out of it. (Maybe you realize this is a compromise...and are so not ready for the alternative!)
• You also try to force your paci on me when I rock you at night.  I've had that germy thing in my mouth more than I care to think about.  :)
• You are such a little extrovert and love, love, LOVE people. You will go up to strangers and pat them or touch their legs and arms.  Many times this month I've watched people hold out their arms and you go willingly into them! You sat with the people behind us on the plane from Texas at Thanksgiving. You've sat with other tables at the country club for Sunday brunch.  As long as you can visibly see your Mama or Daddy, you'll hang out with people who give you attention.  

HAPPY 15 MONTHS, LITTLE GIRL!!

Stats from this month's checkup:  21.5 lbs, 31 inches long.  Right around 50-60th percentile for both. 

(Gran Gran took many of these sweet photos at Thanksgiving. I don't know why you are not smiling in them, since you're always smiling!)

Who Needs some JB??

The problem with no longer producing monthly updates on our little guy is that I miss out on recording and sharing all the sweet, funny, and crazy things that JB does on a daily basis.  (Not that I can take the pressure of continued monthly updates into the third year.  I'm not even sure what month we're in!  38?  39?)

Here are a few funnies about JB right now:

• Every night after bath, JB says "we need to weigh Sissy and me!!"  He then drags out the baby scale, lets Maryn go first, then him and we clap every time we see the weight. It's like Weight Watchers but we actually applaud when the numbers go UP. (Maryn is totally into it now, too. If JB doesn't get the scale, she'll go into the closet and point to it, as if to remind us of our nightly weigh in.)  
• It's a wonder he actually weighs anything, since he pretty much survives on PBJs, fish sticks, fruit, cheese, and milk.  He's becoming pickier by the day, and it worries me!!  

• Call it being a "threenager", but if you ask JB to do something and he doesn't want to he will politely raise his hand up and say "actually, Mama, I am a little busy right now". 
• JB doesn't love to share, but he's quickly realizing that sharing means that you get to play with friends.  So now he'll tell me "I'm ready to share with Mac...but I'm still not ready to share with Sissy".  
• Every single time we get into the car he takes his shoes off "so he doesn't lose them".  He also doesn't wear socks so it stinks up the whole car!!  
• He also doesn't want to lose his PJ pants, so every night after we leave him in his room he removes his pants and stuffs them in his pillow case.  EVERY. SINGLE. NIGHT.  And then in the morning he comes down totally naked from the waist down and hands you his pants to put on.  

• Being a boy, he loves to toot, burp and say things are stinky.  Cracks him (and us) up every time.  
• The other day he started to tell me things are "like magic". Like, we'll open the microwave and he'll say "it's like magic!"   He'll turn on his purple Christmas tree and say "it's like magic!!"  
• Speaking of purple. it's his favorite color.  He points out everything that is purple and exclaims "look, it's my favorite color purple!!!"  Love it - purple is a fantastic color!
• A lot of things that I do are met with "oh, silly Mama" and a tsk tsk.  

• He still loves to read and can't get enough fairy tale books (three bears, three billy goats gruff, three little pigs).  He also has discovered Nick Jr and somehow has memorized all the characters across all the shows, even with his limited amount of screen time. (And when I say "limited" I'm not going to even pretend we limit to the AAP guidelines.  We limit from what JB wants, which would be all the time.)

This boy.  He totally has my heart.  May he continue to keep this humor, this spirit, this silliness. And I'll even keep the attitude - and help him use that strong will for good!  :)

(Photo credits go to Gran Gran!)

A Thanksgiving in Texas - 2016

It may take a little more effort than the past years, but we still make it to Texas every other year to celebrate Thanksgiving with our Kerr family.  Now it means a 2.5 hour drive from Middle GA; Atlanta airport craziness with two toddlers, a double stroller and heavy car seats; Houston rental car madness; and drive across Houston to my aunt and uncles.  Then reverse a few days later.  About 10 hours of travel, door to door. But worth every single (stressful) hour. (Actually, it wasn't too stressful - just loooooong. Our kiddos did so GREAT.)

Seriously, JB and Maryn did soooooo well. I can't stop bragging on them. Even with the travel, a new place, a different timezone, disrupted sleep and napping - still sweet, content little creatures!  They enjoyed all the family members, and easily went to everyone for hugs and cuddles.

JB particularly enjoyed his older cousins.  He got lots of attention and all day playmates.  I appreciate these young teenagers putting up with my threenager!

The Friday after Thanksgiving we went over to Galveston to eat, drink, and enjoy some warm, sunny Gulf Coast weather.  I've missed my gulf shrimp.

After lunch we visited the Railroad Museum. This was one of my favorite places as a kid, and it's magical to see your own kids loving all the things that thrilled you as a child. It's a favorite place of my Dad's, too, and JB and Gran Gran had a blast.

taking his "rest" :)

The Saturday after Thanksgiving we went over to Houston for some more good eating (Vietnamese), shopping, and exploring.  It really is a great town and I'm already planning a little trip back where we can explore some museums with the kiddos. They are nearly ready!

Lo-Meined Out!

So grateful for time with our family!  Love these sweet people and so glad that our kiddos got to spend some much time with them. We had a blast!