Christmas Joy 2012

Instead of reading all my favorite blogs I'm forcing myself to post myself. Its been too long and I at least need to get pictures up. There is a blog I follow and I admire the woman who writes it intensely anyway... she always writes about the little things and misses the big things because she says she wants it to be just perfect so she procrastinates. I realized --- that's me! That's why I STILL don't have Gianna's birth story up... or baptism pictures... After that major realization about my desire for perfection when I write about something big... I have decided to at the very least post pictures and realize something is better than nothing!

So Here are some fun Christmas pictures I got...

Gianna is so photogenic and Augustine is very much a moving target... but they are oh so cute! They love each other so much and it just melts my heart!

 Above: decorating cookies first time with my little family... this year they were gluten and dairy free for my new diet and they were YUMMY!

Nothing like a cozy bath... my little froggys after their evening baths.

 She is so trusting and he looks so suspicious... I just can't help but think he is going to get her into so much trouble! I have fond memories of getting into trouble with my brothers so its kind of a nostalgic thing but this time I'm the mom... "Hey you kids be good!"

"Who me?" (Angelic baby face)

Aunt Lisa gave her this dress and I meant for it to be Gianna's Christmas dress... but Gianna slept right up until it was time to go to Christmas Eve mass so... she just wore the dress I put her in for the day... but I got this cute pic for memories sake and it'll fit for her Easter dress! :-)

Such a handsome boy!

After mass we drove around looking at lights and enjoyed appetizers and drinks at

"Moscow on the Hill" what a memorable night!

Augustine danced and Gianna sat in awe of the accordion player. :-)

 

 A little Christmas music on Augustine's new guitar!



 Home-made Christmas apple pie! YUMMY! (I baked while Jeremy did all the cooking for the day... including a fabulous brunch and ham and potato supper!)

 

 Enjoying Christmas toys... Gianna's doll (not pictured) was a favorite.

It giggles and she loved to eat the baby dolls face!

 

 

Happy First Christmas Gianna and Stanbary's first whole Christmas in MN!

6 Month Gianna

Ok, so Gianna is already 7 1/2 months old but I'm due on getting her 6 month pictures up...

With Augustine I did 3, 6, 9 and 12 month target pictures but I've gotten so many cute pictures of Gianna that I decided to save a few bucks and go with it. This was the 6 month photo shoot I did on my own with her at 6 months.

She is such a sweet smiling girl!

Her milestones include:

6 month - Sitting up by herself
6 month - Rolling over, front to back and back to front (a couple times only)
7 month - First bath sitting in tub by herself
7 month - "Da Da" and "La La" and "Ba Ba"
7 1/2 m  - "Daddy" (Yes, my daughter says "Daddy" whether intentional or not its very much a word that is not "Mommy".)

She giggles and LOVES her brother even when he sits on her and rough houses with her... I go to protect her and she... laughs! Lately she finds his burping after each sip of water quite delightful. I never imagined I would tell him to do it again and again as I want to hear her hearty laugh again and again.

At 6 months I took her to a pediatric chiropractor who did allergy tests on her to get to the bottom of her vomiting and fussiness. After discovering her many allergies/sensitivities. I (who am her main food source) am giving up Gluten, ALL Dairy, Corn, Nuts, Cocoa, and a few other odds and end things. Wow its been a dietary change ride!! BUT Gianna is a different baby... she doesn't seem in pain and she goes to bed like a dream... the vomiting has gotten a lot better and she seems happier overall.

She is such a beautiful baby and I am just overwhelmed by her. I love her so much and as much as I love her bed and nap times I oogle at pictures of her in the meantime.

Two little loves have captured my heart and I have never been the same!

I am so blessed, thank you God for allowing me these tremendous gifts in Augustine and Gianna.

Autumn Delight at Emma Krumbees

Amidst the endless work in our house was a sweet glimmer of true joy! We took what will soon be our annual trip to Emma Krumbee's Scarecrow Fest. It was such a lovely day minus the frigid cold... eh, who notices cold when your in a toddler's play land, Augustine certainly didn't.

First we played on the cool playground boat and tractor with slides and their huge hay pile! Then we took the tractor ride to the pumpkin field. It was so cold and a Friday so we had the whole tractor ride to ourselves! We ran through the fields and took some silly pictures...

... in the open wind it was pretty chilly so we didn't stay long, so we went off to check out the scare crows!

 Um... no this is bundled Gianna with me... the scare crows...

 Uh, so still no scare crows. I guess I don't have  single picture of the "scary crows" as Augustine so fondly called them, but they were cool and creative.

Next we rode the tricycles on the little paths and bridges. By "we" I mean Jeremy and Augustine... it was pretty adorable. Jeremy piggybacked on Augustine's trike and he may, or may not have, flipped the trike. No one was injured or phased by the event. :-)

 Above I finally pulled Gianna's extra socks off and used them for mittens on Augustine's cold hands... she was very bundled and he not so much.

THEN... we wanted to head in to warm up and have have some warm apple pie Ala mode. We begged and coaxed Augustine with Hot Chocolate or Hot Apply Cider, he could care less he was having too much fun on the huge tube slide! Finally we got him to come in...

Besides tantelizing our toungues we got some great pictures of Gianna... she is so smiley and photo-genic!

 Just talking to the cutest pumpkin around...

 What a doll!

 "Huh, oh, you mean me?"

 Love those squishy cheeks!

 After some pretty much AMAZING Apple Flips and Apple pie with Ice cream and Hot Apple Cider and a couple trips to the potty we headed back out to ride the train, again total bonus that it wasn't busy since we rode the train two times in a row. Augustine kept going "Chugga chugga chuggaa chooo choo!"

 After the train we raced through their rope maze... and yes, on record, MOMMY beat Daddy!

It seems we've visited Emma Krumbee's every fall that we have a new child here is our pumpkin line up...

Gianna Pumpkin 2012



 

Augustine Pumpkin 2010



 

A tradition I look forward to extending for years to come!!

Reflect on the journey, embrace beauty

I've had a rough couple weeks. I haven't slept well because Gianna wakes up a lot throughout the night and I've started potty training Augustine and its beyond exhausting. I've found my patience has been tested in a whole new way. Post on THAT topic coming later...

But this week I decided to chill a little on the potty training... its still going well but I need to start getting out of the house again and just chill put on a pull up and not sacrifice my peace in order to get him on the potty on each moment I think he should go. I was actually missing my children because I was spending so much time trying to get stuff done and get THEM done. Yes, I lost my path as the mother I usually am. In fact, hearing Augustine say to me, "Mommy not nervous. Daddy's nervous. Mommy stop being nervous." (Yes, my poor dear husband, is super stressed often and so for whatever reason Augustine started calling his stress... "Being nervous". I actually think it is sounds adorable.)

Anyway... today it was a beautiful day and I just wanted to soak in my beautiful children, thanks to GOD's grace that I have been praying for! We went shopping and I felt peace while carrying Gianna gurgling in the front pack and trying on shoes on Augustine while he loudly proclaimed... "Too tight!" "Not like mommy (as in he doesn't like the shoes I was trying on him)!" "Car shoes on." I just enjoyed the moments and the day despite sheer exhaustion from getting very very little sleep the night before. After naps we walked to Highland Park and while it took Augustine fooooorrreeeever to get there because he took two steps and then jumped in each pile of leaves he saw.

 I just thought --- be here-- be now, Sarah. And I did and I breathed in beauty. The trees were lovely. The sun divine. Here are a few pictures to share our evening...

We have the most lovely front yard!...

 I got Gianna laughing on the swings and it was delightful!

...My phone died so I couldn't take many pictures of Augustine ... not that I would have gotten many since he is such a moving target these days! But Gianna watched while him and I chased each other down the slide playing "Tickle Monster."

 

I am so blessed!