Being 4 months is exciting!

I found my toes!

I weigh about 13 pounds and am 24 inches long.  My 4-month vaccinations gave me a really high fever, but I am the sweetest thing even when I am feeling droopy and mommy enjoyed caring for me at home that day.

I can roll around and hold my head up like a champ...crawling is definitely in my near future!

I am also really good at snatching earrings, necklaces, glasses, hair, and about anything else I can get my hands on these days.

Mom's birthday weekend

Step 1: wash and dry strawberries

Did you know that hairdryers are an excellent way to dry strawberries?  Chef Vi knows all the tricks!

Step 2: melt chocolate

Step 3: dip strawberries in chocolate

Step 4: surprise your mommy on her birthday with chocolate-covered strawberries!

All the girls are ready for church on Mommy's birthday weekend

...and the biggest (and best surprisingly) gift of all, a minivan!  We had our reservations, but life really is much easier in this car with two children.  You spend a lot more time in the car that you think!  Vi likes the van because she can stand up inside and do ballet while she (a) either sings to the Frozen soundtrack or (b) watches Barbie and the Pink Shoes on the DVD player.  Lily likes it because she can now look to her left and see her big sister, at whom she stares at the entire time we are in the car and gives little smiles.  We can also invite friends to go places with us now because the third seat allows room for more people and carseats.  Yay!

Another snowy day

Well, we had another big snow!  It didn't last long, but school was closed all week long and about 8-9 inches covered the ground for a couple of days.  This snow was very heavy and wet which was perfect for my little snow angel to play in (oh, and it was much warmer outside than the previous snow which meant no complaining and more playing).

Lily got to enjoy the snow a little bit more this time.

Our "baby" snowman with hair and arms from the ornamental grasses.

Lily loved the snow so much that she just decided to sleep outside - ha!

...and continued to take a very long nap once we moved inside.  I recently read an article about how parents in Nordic countries put their babies down for naps outside in carriages (to give them "fresh" air and habituate them to the climate).  Maybe there is some wisdom in that practice, not sure.

Snow day

Vi enjoyed her first snow day since starting school.  All of the children were excited to add a tally mark under the snow category on their classroom weather chart. The cold weather almost won when we had a frozen pipe, but thankfully it was isolated to an outside spigot.  Whew! Vi lasted all of 10 minutes outside playing before she was "frozen" which suits a child born in Alabama.  Looking forward to spring soon....

Lily's first four months

Every good and wonderful thing is a gift from above...

James 1:17

Christmas Recap 2013

Lily and Rocco got to spend some time together on their first Christmas.  Vi was a great big cousin/sister and helper while we tried to get photos of everyone together.

Twas the night before Christmas....

I just thought that this idea was the cutest.  Vi never naps so she had a "fake" sleeping face, but a lot of the other kids were drooling or sucking their thumb in the picture.

We played a lot at home during the Christmas break.  Lily's favorite place is in her sister's room.  She blends right in with all of the toys - watch your step!

Lily got to wear Vi's first Christmas dress and boy do they look IDENTICAL.

We had a nice Christmas Eve lunch with Mamaw Jean.

Vi got to visit Build-a-Bear for the very first time thanks to Uncle Bini.  She had so much fun picking out her clothes and making the recording.  Claryce is officially ours!

The holidays are here!

Lily has been a great observer and full of holiday spirit at all of Vi's Christmas performances.  She really seems to enjoy all of the excitement and activity.

Vi did a great job at here athlete/dance performance.  She did a Rudolph dance and showed off her athletic skills with her classmates.  She was VERY excited about receiving a trophy and flowers from her Daddy.

All of the girls (Lily sleeping in the stroller) after the performance.

Here we are at performance #2, the Joyful Noise Choir and our church Christmas play.  Vi was the "dove" at the birth of Jesus this year.

Do you recognize these people?  It's Joseph and Mary!  Daddy looks like he could be the new face of some middle-eastern currency.  He grew his beard for no-shave November, and then kept his look for his role as Joseph and the Christmas play.

Here is our entire family during the play.  Can you guess who is Baby Jesus?  Yes, that's Lily.  We are starting her streak of holiday activities early in life.  She was very alert and smiling during her time on stage and received a great applause.

Vi has made her usual batch of peppermint bark with Mamaw and her gingerbread house with Grandma.

The sisters' First Noel!