Wordy Wednesday

Last Friday, Grandmommy and Grandaddy were babysitting while I was busy working (4 sessions in one day - I was exhausted!) and when I came home, Ella asked if they could have a sleepover at Grandmommy and Grandaddy's house. I said yes, assuming that she meant sometime in the future (as did Grandmommy and Grandaddy!).  

The joke was on us - she and Aidan screamed with joy and immediately began gathering their backpacks and bunnies with excited anticipation.

So, off they went for their first sleepover with Grandmommy and Grandaddy:

It is hard to believe that they are old enough for this.....I just turned in their paperwork/registration forms for kindergarten this morning - where has the time gone??!!

My Littlest Pumpkin

Holiday Cards

Now that Thanksgiving is over, I can fully engage my brain into embracing Christmas - I am one of those that believes that each holiday deserves it's due - and in this house, there is no Christmas until Thanksgiving is over.

But once Black Friday hits, it is game on and I am all Christmas, all the way!

What better way to begin the festivities than to select and design our family Christmas cards!

When Ella and Aidan were born back in 2007, I discovered Tiny Prints when searching for the perfect Birth Announcements. The price was right and the options seemed neverending - they even had a selection of ones specially designed for twins!

Since then, I have been back time and time again for all sorts of cards - and, of course, I am back again this year  (I am not going to tell you which one - you will have to see that when it arrives in your mailbox!)!

I am not kidding when I say that the options are neverending - just take a moment and spend some time browsing through all of the different styles and colors here. From round to square, from one photo to 3+ photos, Tiny Prints has it all. And to top it all off, most designs feature the added benefit of coordinating address labels!

If you happen to be looking for a little something extra, Tiny Prints also offers a wide assortment of photo gifts. My personal favorite is the photo book, but after perusing the other options, I am more than excited to create a few more items to stuff under the tree this year!

So, this year, do a little something fun and make your holiday card something perfect with the designs from Tiny Prints - I cannot wait to get started on my own cards! To check out the selection, simply click here.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving began with a few weeks ago when the kids were tasked with disguising their turkeys.

Ella disguised hers as Rapunzel:

Aidan disguised his as Captain America:

This past week they enjoyed a feast at school on Tuesday.  Ella and Aidan decorated their own turkeys with what they were thankful for this year.

Ella was thankful for her mommy and daddy, her sister & brother, her toys, and spaghetti.

Aidan was thankful for his toys, his sisters, the outside, and mac-n-cheese and cream cheese sandwiches.

Inside the bags were the cutest little turkey candles:

We decided to do something completely different this year since we had no one coming in to stay from out of town - we went to a brunch at a local restaurant with Grandmommy and Grandaddy.

We got all dressed up and posed for a few pictures:

After lunch we hung out a bit with Grandaddy and Grandmommy, and then spent the rest of the day completing the switch of moving the playroom into the dining room (pictures to follow soon).

We did pause for a walk around the neighborhood:

 

It was a wonderful day spent together as a family - definitely time to be grateful for all of our blessings!

Wordless Wednesday

Surprise Visit

We received a brief surprise visit from Opa on Friday night. He was meeting Uncle Chris, Aunt Emily and Mia at the airport in Greenville at 11 PM, and decided to come see us before heading to the airport.

Needless to say, the kids were beyond excited - you probably could have heard the screams of "Opa" next door!

Wordless Wednesday

"H" is for Hero!

Each week the kids have show and tell at school - they bring in an item (anything but a toy) that begins with the letter of the week.

This weeks letter was "H", and Aidan and Ella asked if they could bring their Daddy as a "hero". After clearing it with the preschool and with the Charlotte Fire Department we were all set to go!

Mike and his crew were supposed to go over with the fire truck, but his chief decided at the last minute that he would only allow Mike to leave the station and attend.

It was a little setback, but Ella and Aidan were nonetheless thrilled to have their "Hero" attend as their show and tell for the day. In fact, Mike ended up being show and tell for the entire school as nearly all of the classes were eventually rotated through for an opportunity to meet a REAL firefighter.

Happy Birthday Grandma Shushi!

When I was younger, I had no idea how hard it was to be a Mom.

I didn't realize the amount of work that went into keeping everything running smoothly, or how much time was spent taking care of us.

I never thought about the dreams you put on hold or the things you went without in order to be the kind of Mom whose family always came first.

It never occurred to me then that there must have been times when you didn't have all the answers.

But as far as I could tell, you always knew what to do.

And now that I am older, I can truly appreciate just what a great Mom you have always been.

You are not only my Mom, but also my friend and I love you more than can ever eloquently be put into words.

Happy Birthday!

Lauren's Baptism

Today we had Lauren baptized at the same church as Ella and Aidan. 

She was absolutely gorgeous in the same dress that Ella wore, complete with her silver cross from Mema and a new monogrammed bracelet from Mike and I and the kids.

It was a beautiful (albeit long - in fact so long that Lauren wound up having to take her morning nap in my arms!) ceremony and we all celebrated with a nice brunch afterwards.

Later in the afternoon we headed out to one of my most popular photo shoot locations so that we could get some fresh air and I could take the kiddos holiday pictures.

I won't reveal the good shots just yet, but here are a few of the outtakes that just make me laugh:

It was wonderful to spend such precious time with family this weekend, and we cannot wait to spend a week at the beach with Opa and Grandma Shushi over Christmas! 

FireWife Photography Friday

Branding is complete - the website is live!

http://firewifephotography.blogspot.com/


In addition, one of my photos is featured on a magazine cover!

And an added bonus, I was recently featured on a local blog here in Charlotte:


http://www.thecharlottemoms.com/firewife-photography/


It looks like it is finally official - I am a full time stay-at-home Mom with a second full time job that takes place whenever Mike is home and late into the evenings!

I love every minute and cannot wait to see how the venture grows!

Four

Happy Four Months, Lauren!!

What a delight you are to have in our lives. I remember the shock of finding out we were pregnant with you this time last year and wondering how in the world we would manage three little ones. Well, now I can honestly say that I would not have it any other way.

You are such an easy going little one and really only fuss if you are tired, hungry or bored. 

Big changes over this last month! You are now reaching for objects and playing with a few of your smaller rattles and toys. Just like a typical baby, everything goes right into your mouth!

Your sleep pattern has taken a turn for the worse - you used to go down for the night around 7:30 PM and sleep until 2:00-3:00 AM, then go back down until 6:30 AM, and then wake for the day around 8 AM.

In the past two weeks you have started waking at 11:30 PM, then again around 2:30 AM, and then again around 6:30 AM, yet you no longer want to sleep after your 6:30 AM feeding.

This makes for one LONG day as Ella and Aidan are both also up at 6:30 AM. It is hard for me to find any time to shower and I get no break at all during the day, but I am loving every minute I get to spend with you!

You also began rolling over last week! You still get stuck on your arm and are none too happy about that. This new skill is also one of the thing that keeps you up at night, since you insist on rolling over, thus getting stuck and fussing for help.

I love to listen to you laugh - you have a deep robust belly laugh and find Ella and Aidan very amusing these days.

Weight: 14 pounds 9 ounces (75%)

Height: 25 1/2 inches (75 - 90%)

Head Circumference: 16 1/4 inches (50%)

You are still in a size 2 diaper, and you will shortly be out of your 3-6 month clothing - you are one tall little lady and all of your pants are too short! You are still taking 4 ounces per bottle, but I have a feeling that you will be moving up to 5-6 ounces very shortly.

Things you love:

Ella and Aidan (with an extra soft spot for Ella)

Being worn in either the Ergo or Baby K'Tan

Being outside

Sitting up and facing out

Bath time

Holding hands while eating (you either grasp our fingers or clasp your own hands together)

Things you could care less for:

Tummy time

Delayed naps

We love you sweet little girl!