This was Christmas Eve at my parents, we always get one present on Christmas Eve and even as an adult I LOVE the tradition! :)

My dad took Calli to church one Saturday night, while I went out with Matt and Annie and I came back and she had learned how to say Jesus in sign language. (Of course he was rewarding her with bites of banana-her fav) It is the cutest thing! A few days after this we were in the car singing a song about Jesus and she started signing it again, without any prompts from me. It was awesome! WHy is it that kids learn so much faster and easier with people who aren't their parents??

Matt is in town from Wash. D.C. and Calli has fallen in love with him. She wouldn't let him put her down when he was leaving the other day. It was so cute. She loves reading books with him. He was even nice enough to take her down to the museum this week when they had free carousel (sp?) rides. He said she loved riding the horse and was irritated when he would put his hands on her to make sure she wouldn't fall. She is so independent sometimes. Thanks for being such a good "uncle" Matt!!

December

Santa was not as traumatic as I thought it might be. She didn't scream but she didn't smile. She just kinda ignored the fact that she was sitting on a stranger's lap.

Snow Snow and more snow. This is the wonderful day that we got both of our cars stuck. The Escort ended up staying the night at the place I babysit, and the Tuscon we knew we weren't going to be able to get back to the house, Dan had spent all morning trying to get the Escort out while the driveway filled completley up with snow. It took me like 10 minutes to walk with Calli wrapped in Dans coat up the driveway in snow up to my knees. I was completley out of breath, and Dan was like "what took you so long". He could've carried Calli, after all I have to carry the other baby all the time right now.

Lowell Christmas Parade

Shy Girl

We had another ultrasound this week because they couldn't get some views of her heart a month ago. Again she didn't let us see the four chambers of her heart so we get to "spy" on her again in January. I kinda like seeing her every month, even though the appointments are so long-we were there 1hr45min this Wed. Let's just say my husband was falling asleep in the waiting room-the mommy magazines all around weren't keeping him awake I guess :) I like them!
We didn't get any pics of our girl this time and she kept putting her arms and hands in her face so even if we wanted some we couldn't get them. She was sucking her thumb part of the time, and then she had the hiccups, that was funny to watch and feel all at the same time!

Calli is getting soo big! She knows where her nose, feet, belly, mouth and sometimes her eyes are. She just amazes us everyday!! We can ask her what she wants and she will point to it, or if she wants her milk she will go to the fridge and try to open it. She will follow one-step directions like "put your milk on the table, go get me a diaper, give this to daddy/mommy."
She also carries around one of my old dolls and wipes his nose, and mouth with a kleenex, tries to give him her binkie and makes us swaddle him in a blanket. She will even rock him in the chair. She is gonna be such a big help in March! Now that she is getting more independent I am getting more and more comfortable with the idea of having another one in the near future.

Sorry no pics, but this just gives you a glimpse into our life at this point that pics can't really show.

SANTA

So it is official in Rockford. Santa Clause made his way down from the North Pole to be in our Parade and Calli loved it as she waved to all the people and got plenty of candy. We went over to Adam and Becca's and met the Ginacs there as well to watch the parade. We were too busy to get any pics of Santa or the parade but here are some shots of us all anxiously waiting for Santa

SNOW!!

So we finally got our first real snow of the year and Calli decided to check it out. She loes getting pulled around on her sled and waliking around on the driveway but is not so sure about touching the snow or walking into the yard where the snow is much deeper.

Dan and his GIRLS!!

Yes that means that we are having another girl. We are very excited but also nervous... 2 GIRLS!!! The only thing scarier would be 2 boys.

I laughed when Dan finally admitted he was kinda disappointed about it not being a boy. He was so excited in the ultrasound and even for a few hours after he wouldn't admit any slight disappointment. When he finally admitted it he also said he was relieved because he wouldn't feel like he was pressuring a son into sports....but it was my job to pressure the girls into sports :) (Apparently, they will be signed up for T-ball next spring)

**He is excited to not have any competition for Man of the House.

Me- I am excited for two girls but this posting is 4 days after having the ultrasound. I was pretty much in shock. I would've put money on it being a boy. I was even calling it a boy to the ultrasound tech before she found out what it was. After the dr's we went to the mall and I got the girls matching shirts--yes they will hate me some day! That made me feel better, that I could torture them with matching outfits that I hated as a child :) Also on Friday I told someone I would have two daughters and it just sounded so cute when I said it. I don't know I think that is when it actually hit me that I was completley excited about it. I am still sad that I won't get to shop in the boys department...and that means my nephews will always get clothes for presents so I can get my fix (sorry Jake and Luke).

That is how we feel about our new daughter... we love her!! It is so cool that technology allows us to know so much about the baby in my belly when it is still so early in her development. Also when I feel her now I can picture her little right hand and arm moving, since during the 45 minutes of the ultrasound that arm never stopped moving.

We do get to spy on her in Dec also because they weren't able to get some of the heart measurements because she was laying funny.

Happy Halloween!!!!!

Binge Blogger

I have figured out I am a binge blogger. I apparently can't find the time to put up posts throughout the month but put them up once in awhile and put up a lot. When doing the pumpkin pics they loaded backwards so look at them backwards :)

She did get very into cleaning the pumpkin. I love her first reaction to the goo. She decided that the pumpkin was a trashcan and picked up stuff (non pumpkin related) and put it in there to help Dan. She giggled at the pumpkin when we got to light it up. We were not able to get her to go into the pumpkin this year. She protested greatly-a complete hissy fit.

Calli loves to rub her food covered hands in her hair throughout meals. We can't remeber what this was. However we do remember it made a great hair gel! She got a full bath after that!!

Alex isn't too sure about the walker and he can only figure out how to go backwards which is very frustrating to him but Calli has a blast pushing him around.

I love this outfit on her. It looks so preppy but of course she would not sit or stand nicely for a pic. Her face was all scrapped up from well who knows, and her one eye was black and blue from turning into our footboard on our bed and getting the corner into her eye.

A Hayride!!!

Family Photos at the Farm

Klackle's Orchard in Greenville

Dan was excited to see the pedal tractors-(he said "Oh my gosh they still make these) He then reminised about how he and his brothers would tear around the driveway on theirs and beat up the poor tractor (I can't imagine those 4 perfect angels doing anything like that). Now instead of pedaling himself around he got to push his daughter around at a nice slow safe speed-YA RIGHT!!

Walking

This is her on the move, I can't really get any good pics of her walking. This was taken earlier day while she was babbling and truckin' aroung the entire house. This pic was taken a couple weeks ago when she was first learning. Notice the one hand out straight and the other in the air-that is how she would balance. Yes it looks like she is touching Dan's leg but that was how she would walk-little frankenstein. ***Notice the swing in the background-it is for when her friend Javen comes over to visit, don't worry we don't put her in it. Also sorry about the uncoordinated clothes, must of been a stay at home morning.
Can't you just hear her " MOM this is ridiculious!!" I had to try and put something in her hair. I like the little fountain--how about you??

Bathroom fun

Calli Jo thought the toilet was hunger apparently. We have lost 5 rolls of toilet paper this way. At least it is easier to clean out of the toilet than if she would have unraveled it all the way. We now have to keep the bathroom door closed all the time along with the cats room (she eats his food) and our bedroom (she empties all my drawers), so basically the only door that open in the hallway is her bedroom. I can handle cleaning up all her books and shoes and blankets everyday. She really likes to brush her teeth and gets irritated when we make her put her toothbrush back. She mocks me when I am brushing my teeth and moves the toothbrush back and forth but if I am not brushing my teeth at the same time she justs sucks on the toothbrush.