Life As We Know It: Holiday Festivities!

Whew! It's hard to believe it's been almost 2 weeks since my last post and that Christmas has come and gone so quickly. I wish it could've taken our tree and all the trash from presents with it! We had the best time enjoying the holiday with family and I'm honestly having a hard time getting back into the swing of things! It's wonderful to be away from work and have time to focus on just family and I'm so thankful I had that time but I think it makes coming back to work that much harder! I couldn't bear the thought of leaving to come to work tonight and leaving my precious boys and husband behind but I made it out the door and work hasn't been as awful as I thought it would. I really enjoy what I do once I'm here but getting here is a different story! It's indescribable how difficult it is for me to leave all that I love to come to work but I know it is what I have to do now. I should count my blessings that I have two happy, healthy, thriving boys and a husband I love so much who loves me back just as much and a family that I wouldn't trade for the world. If only we could win the lottery and money was never again an issue!

We had such a great Christmas spending time with our family and having fun with each other. Carter was really excited this year about what Santa was going to bring -he got everything he could possibly want and then some so he thinks he must've been extra good this year! He told me before I came to work that he was going to be good ALL the time now because he's a big 3 year old and not a little 2 year old! Jamey and I were just talking about it yesterday that Carter has really been getting better and better at listening to us and using his manners, etc. Looking back on it, we decided from 25 months (when Cooper was born!) until recently haven't been Carter's finest behavior hours but it seems that (knock on wood) things are starting to finally sink in! Our church had a birthday party for Jesus two weekends ago and Carter asked me on our way up to the party if Jesus was going to like his outfit - as most of you know he's quite particular about what he wears, but even moreso for Jesus' Birthday Party:)

Cooper is so much fun lately but I could be a bit partial as he's been saying, "mama, mama, mamama" nonstop the past few days. He's said it a few times here and there since about Thanksgiving but I wouldn't call it a regular in his sweet little vocabulary until recently. I can't tell you how happy it makes me for him to say it and know what he's saying too! As of now the words he says and we understand are dada, baby, bye bye, doggie, otter, and now mama! We decided to let him only have his passy for naps and bedtime about 2 or 3 weeks ago and he's doing great with that. I do think it's helped him babble more and more instead of doing his Maggie Simpson impersonation! It's so cool to watch him as he starts to understand things more and more - he walked over to the pantry yesterday and got my attention to tell me he wanted some cheerios and he'll go to the refrigerator or high chair and reach for it when he wants a drink or a snack. The cutest is when he takes his shoes or someone else's and tries to put them on his feet by himself! His motor skills are definitely ahead of his verbal skills - he loves to run and does so all the time. One of his new favorites is to climb into his white rocking chair and dance in it for a few minutes while looking at us to make sure we're taking it all in! The best deterrent at this point is to ignore him because if we tell him no or take him away from the chair it seems to add fuel to the fire! After his dance is finished, he likes to walk off the edge and fall onto the floor and laugh! The first time he did it I almost had a heart attack but now that I'm used to it it's hard not to laugh with him, thus continuing the cycle!

I am so overwhelmed with gratitude for all that our family did for us this year, not just for Christmas, but all the time. Carter and Cooper are two lucky boys to have so many people who love them, as are their parents:) We love you all and can't thank you enough for all you do for us.