Christmas Blessings

I can't believe it's the day after Christmas! Wow! This year has flown by! We have one more Christmas "get together" at my grandmother's on Sunday and then Christmas is officially over for this year at our house.

I find myself trying to stop and treasure every single moment. I know that next year my kids will be older and different and I'm trying to enjoy them just as they are right now.

Carter:
He is ever the big brother. He feels it is his duty, his privelidge to take care of his younger brother & sister. (He also tells me he wants 3 more......I am listening VERY closely when he says his prayers these days!!:)) He is fun-NY, loving and so very giving and thankful. Months ago we saw a little CAT forklift in Walmart and from that moment he knew that's what he wanted from Santa......and that's ALL he wanted.

Of course Santa delivered, and even surprised him with a few other things. Carter was so excited. He used the closest phone, which happened to come with Lilah's play kitchen, to call Santa and thank him for everything he brought him. He even told Santa that he hoped the kids who we had the charity birthday party for liked their presents as much as he did.

SO SO sweet! That party will definately be a tradition around here! Carter is so sweet and loving. He loves to "snuggle" with me and tells me at least once a day, "Mom, I sure do love you!"

Carter, I sure do love you too baby!


Lilah:

Lilah is changing so quickly these days. She is a perfect mixture of girly and tough. She will flat beat her big brother with a wooden spoon while wearing every single piece of gaudy costume jewelry she can manage to squeeze on her little 20 month old frame! She usually only gets in one smack before he is off and running and she is right on his heels, both giggling like crazy!

She is learning more and more words and can say anything she wants now that she has finally shed her pacy. My favorite thing she says is "I wuv you" and "daaaaaaaaddyyyyy" SO sweet! I wish I could bottle those up to keep forever!

Lilah loves her big brother and her little brother too. She took right to her new role as big sister, never for one minute being jealous of the new little person in her life. She loves to hold him and kiss him (complete with sound effects!....adorable!!) and must know where he is at all times! I've only heard her say "Walker" 2 times, mostly he's just "thebaby".

She loves her baby dolls, her stroller, any toy Carter is playing with, climbing, squealing, & snuggling. She is Mama's girl, and I LOVE it....

.....and I wuv you too Lilah!

Walker:

Walker is 7 weeks old. I can't believe he is already 7 weeks, yet I can't imagine that he ever wasn't here. He is snuggly, sweet, smiling, and looking more like his big brother every day.

He puckers when he cries and pouts when he gets startled.....its too cute to stand!!

He is amazingly tolerant of being held by his brother, sister, & cousins. He has developed every newborn rash known to man, yet still manages to be super adorable under all the little red bumps.

Walker has slept all night long twice now and the intervals are getting longer on the nights he does wake up to eat. I don't know if he is incredibly laid back, or if I am more laid back this time.....maybe a little of both, but going from 2 to 3 children has definately been easier (so far) than going from 0-1 or from 1-2.

He went for his 6 week checkup last week and weighed 9 lbs 1 oz and was 21.5 inches long. He is growing so fast! I treasure every moment with him as I know he won't be this little for long enough!

I love you so much Walker, I am so thankful to have you in our family! Merry 1st Christmas sweet baby!

It's hard to believe that in a few short days a new year, a new decade will begin! I don't make resolutions per say, but I am trying to make a point of slowing down, savoring and enjoying each and every moment with my babies, and with those around us.

Visions of sugar plums?



Look Mom! We both fit! (hold on Lilah!!)
Carter wanted to put Walker in the back....uhhh. no.

Cooking Christmas Breakfast

About time!

Really? It's almost been a month since I posted? It's hard to believe that our little Walker is a month old already! He is such a sweet baby. He only cries at diaper changes or when his sister smacks him with a large bottle of Bath & Body works Vanilla Bean Noel.....and he's beginning to tolerate the diaper changes a little better. The Vanilla Bean Noel, notsomuch. (it's put away, hopefully it was a one time thing!)



Anyway, it's been such a whirlwind month around here! The first couple of weeks the ladies from our church blessed our socks off by bringing food every single night! That was such a wonderful help! It allowed me to rest up and feel human again! I always forget how miserable the end of pregnancy feels until I'm not pregnant anymore. I think it's a God thing! He lets you forget the bad parts so you'll want to have more babies!



Carter is a fabulous big brother. We already knew this, but having another baby has just confirmed for us that he was meant to be a big brother. He has taken it in stride, and never fails to kiss Walker at least 150 times a day.



Lilah is doing good too! She loves "thebaby", and is sure to pick him up at least once a day. Yes, I watch her, but she is a climber and she lies in wait until I turn my back for a second and she can make her move. The good thing is that she only wants to love him, so she is always gentle (as gentle as a 19 month old can possibly be) when she gets her grubby little hands on him.



Kyle is (still) trying to get all the beans harvested, and I have been in full swing with my photography so it's been a little bit of an interesting juggling act the last couple of weeks but it has been fun! Yesterday was the first time I actually left Walker anywhere but at home with Kyle, and it was to photograph a 2 week old baby boy, so I was afraid I might weep and leak and all other things hormonal new moms do.....but I didn't!



I also didn't waste any time getting back to my parents house to pick them up!



I have to wrap this up, but first I have to tell you that Carter is going to be "performing" with the children at church in the Christmas program. Kyle has taken him to all the practices so I haven't seen it, but he sits at the piano to "practice" and sings words that I'm pretty sure would not be part of any religious Christmas song, and shows me dance moves that are a mixture of Toby Keith and MC Hammer, so I'm really looking forward to this performance.



........and I really hope that after the "performance" our family isn't asked to move to another church. :)



I'm looking so forward to Christmas this year! Our little ones are at such fun ages! This is the newest pics of the grandbabies on my side of the family.....don't you think it's going to be fun?!



...and loud?! haha!