LOL

12.12.2009

I haven't been able to capture Megan's laugh on video yet but she laughed out loud for the first time today. What inspired the laugh? Why Andrew, of course! She thinks he's very funny. William and I have done everything short of standing on our heads and get no reaction but if Andrew laughs, Megan laughs - and we love it!

But even though I haven't caught the laugh on video, I have managed to catch her sweet face on camera a couple of times.

Tidings of Joy

12.11.09

Andrew and Megan made a trip to see Santa today. I was afraid after the little girl in front of us had a bad temper tantrum that there was no way Andrew would sit on Santa's lap either but after he saw Megan wasn't scared he knew everything would be okay. He didn't have much, well anything, to say to Santa but I have a pretty good idea Santa knows all about his wish list.


To see past pictures of Andrew with Santa, click here: 2006, 2007, 2008

5 Months Old

12.07.2009

Our little angel turned 5 months old on December 7. Just as we did with Andrew, we've been taking her to have her picture taken each month. We'll do this for the first year and then it will be Easter, birthday and Christmas pictures, with an occasional family portrait, from there on out. But this month's pictures doubled as her Christmas pictures and included big brother Andrew. I'll admit that this portrait session was the toughest one yet. Megan refused to bend at the waste and sit down as she's recently learned the joy of standing (not on her own, of course) and it became very frustrating. But I can say I'm thrilled with the way the photos turned out. Kudos to Shanna the photographer!

At 5 months Megan...

• loves, loves, loves her big brother!
• has started eating baby food but isn't too crazy about it. I'm thinking we'll stop now and try again later. She does, however, enjoy a serving of rice cereal in her before-bed bottle.
• drinks 6 ounces of milk every 4 hours.
• smiles all the time!
• is really good at church.
• reaches for her toys, throws her toys, cries if she can't reach her toys!
• loves her swing in the morning and her bouncy seat in the afternoon.
• turns and twists in all directions.
• is trying to sit up.
• loves the music box on her crib.
• laughs at her brother and nobody else!
• coos and gurgles when happy.
• recognizes her name.
• smiles at herself in the mirror.
• loves to be held but doesn't require it.
• shows little to no interest in the TV but could watch Andrew play for hours!
• loves to go; she's a great traveler!
• slobbers a lot.
• loves having her diaper changed so she can kick those cute little legs a little more freely.
• is loved by everyone who meets her.

To see past Christmas pictures of Andrew, click here: 2006, 2007, 2008

Thanksgiving

11.26.2009

Wow, it's been a long time since I've updated this blog. I have a lot of catching up to do. Let's start with the holidays...

On Thanksgiving, we traveled to Rutherfordton for a late lunch with the Trantham/Wilson family and then headed to Old Fort to spend some time with the Hoffarts. Holidays are really tough on the kids because we do so much traveling but I'm hoping it will get easier as they get older. They usually crash on the ride home - which may or may not be a good thing, depending on if they can go back to sleep once we get there!

But since it is (was) Thanksgiving, I must say I'm very thankful that my kids have 2 sets of grandparents who love them and want to spend the holidays with them. I'm thankful for great parents who set good examples and hope I can spend the rest of my life doing the same. I am thankful for a great husband who is a good provider and my best friend. And I am thankful beyond words for 2 happy, healthy, beautiful children and the fact that my life has been blessed beyond measure with the privilege of being their mommy.

Andrew at Aunt Jo-Jo's...with Thomas, of course!

Megan with Nanny

The kids with Pop. Andrew is in a very fun picture phase. We're lucky he was even looking in the general direction of the camera. A smile is nearly impossible.

Pop and Nanny celebrated their 61st wedding anniversary on Thanksgiving. Wow.

Andrew hanging out in Grandpa and Grandma's basement.

Megan hanging out with Daddy at Grandpa and Grandma's house.

Megan with Rebecca Maria. We had the privilege of meeting Rebecca and her new husband, David, on Thanksgiving. They are part of Grandma's extended family and a really wonderful couple. It was great to spend some time with them.

Megan with Grandma

The Hoffart grandchildren with Grandma and Grandpa, minus one who was soon to arrive. Allison, 8 years old; Megan, 4 months old; Ella, 2 years old; Andrew, 3 years old; and Nicholas, 5 years old.

On the Move...

11.16.09

Here's a little video of Megan rolling over. It has a surprise ending. Andrew reached for her leg and pulled her off her mat. I guess he thought she needed help! Boys...

Mountain Memories

11.06.09-11.08.09

Our friends Sarah and Tim live in the Charlotte area and once Sarah could feel a touch of fall in the air she really started missing the mountains. So we decided we should take a trip to the Tennessee mountains - Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge/Sevierville. We took a fall trip to Dillsboro last year and had a great time. We also asked our friend Tommy and Danielle and their little boy to go along. Their little boy makes a great playmate for Megan just as Sarah and Tim's little girl makes a great playmate for Andrew. We rented a cabin and had a great time.

Here are a few pictures of the kids and the fun they had when we were shopping:

And here's a picture of the new friend who visited us at the cabin:

The weekend passed way to quickly and with the detour on I-40 it took longer to get there and longer to get home, which cut into some of our time. But, before we left town William and I made the mistake of driving by an amusement park with a train. So we had to stop and let Andrew play for a little while. Here are a few pictures:

Four Months Old

11.11.09

Megan turned 4 months old on November 7 and went for her wellness check the following week. I find it very frustrating to take her for wellness checks this time of year and this day was the perfect example why. I was sitting in the well baby room filling out the usual paperwork. I joined another new mommy and her 2 month old. And here comes a daddy with his very sick little girl and instead of going to the huge room for sick kids he opts to take up space in the well room that's so small there's only like 10 chairs in the room. I was so annoyed. My only hope was that when the mommy was finished checking in she might suggest he get out of the wellness room. No such luck. And later when I returned with Andrew for his N1H1 mist, there was a sick toddler in there "cleaning" the chairs with his used tissue while his mom was in the lobby talking about her boyfriend on her cell phone. I wanted to spank her. Yes, the mommy. I wanted to spank his mommy.

Anyway, what an amazing 4 months we've had with our little Megan. She is so very precious and a real joy to be around. Andrew loves her and her daddy and I are crazy about her. We are sure to let Andrew know we are just as crazy about him, of course. We are very blessed.

At 4 months, Megan...

• Rolls over! After many, many frustrating attempts, she finally figured it out and is very proud of herself. So much, in fact, that she no longer hates tummy time as much as she once did. (I think it's because now she decides when it's tummy time.)Drinks 6 ounces every 4 hours. We were on an every-3-hours feeding schedule so I feel quite accomplished that she now holds out for 4 hours between feedings.
• Enjoys her bouncy seat and swing but is a little leery of her Bumbo Seat.
• Is beginning to like her car seat a little more.
• Smiles, smiles, smiles!
• Weighs 13 pounds, 4 ounces and measures 24.5 inches. She's at the 50th percentile for weight, height, and head measurement.
• Turns herself around in circles while playing in the floor - both on her back and on her tummy.
• Blows lots of bubbles and drools all the time.
• Wants to laugh out loud so bad she can't stand it - I suspect she'll be laughing by the end of the week.
• Has a lot of control of her head movement when being held or playing on her tummy.
• Trying very hard to move to a sitting position when reclined in her bouncy seat or laying on her back.
• Follows you with her eyes as you walk through the room.
• Loves to "talk."
• Loves her big brother.
• Loves her toys.
• Is an all-around love bug!

Trick or Treat?

10.31.2009

We took the kids to the Asheville Mall to trick or treat this year. Andrew became camera shy and all but refused to look at the camera. He did enjoy dressing up like Thomas the Tank Engine and spent a lot of time in front of the mirror checking himself out. Megan slept through most of the festivities but she made a beautiful little ballerina! And best of all, both sets of grandparents were able to join them on this little adventure.

Two Little Pumpkins

10.23.2009

We didn't have much luck with fall pictures this year. Andrew was much more interested in the classroom of kids that showed up just as we convinced him to sit down. He had his hands in Megan's eyes or pushed her hair bow down so that it was on her face. It was just exhausting.

These are the best pictures we could get. Like I said, they're not great - but they're our memories. Maybe we'll have another opportunity before the season is over to catch a couple of better shots.

We took Megan for her 3-month pictures and while we were there decided to have a couple taken of Andrew too - so here are a few more fall pictures that turned out a little better, with the exception of Andrew's constant need for a haircut.

I didn't decorate for fall this year. I know I still could but I probably won't get around to it. But, Andrew did color a pumpkin for Grandpa and Grandma. That's as festive as I imagine we'll be.

Tweetsie Rairoad

10.09.2009

Andrew loves trains. He seem to eat, sleep, and play trains all day, every day. So, Papaw asked if he could take us all to Tweetsie Railroad so Andrew could ride a real train. We were a little concerned that the weather was going to be bad but the day ended up being beautiful - sunny and warm!

I didn't tell Andrew we were going to ride a train. I had told him when we went to the Apple Festival that he was going to ride a train and when that train turned out to be a caterpillar, he wasn't pleased. So this trip was a big surprise!

Andrew had a great time. We rode the train first thing and he was very excited. When they stopped to do the little skit on the mountain, he wasn't so excited. He kept saying "all aboard!" but they just wouldn't listen. He just wanted them to get back on the train so we could continue our ride.

And when it was time to go, Andrew sat down in the parking lot and cried. That's really not like Andrew, and proved he'd had a great time.

For several days after this trip, every time I'd help Andrew put on his clothes he'd ask me if we were going to ride a train. And when we'd get in the van and head to run an errand or something, he was less than enthused to find himself at the grocery store rather than the railroad.

Here are a few pictures from our day: