her first christmas...

kevin had to work christmas day... so i told abbi that santa knew that her daddy had to work so he was going to make a special trip back to logan ... just for her!!

not that she cared ... being only 5 months old ... but it mattered to us!! :)

kevin also had to work on the 26th, but when he came home we celebrated christmas!! we did our traditional opening of the stockings... and then instead of breakfast, we had dinner! :)

abbi loved getting a play mat, teething rings, a book and crinkle fabrics from santa!

please notice her beautiful stocking!! i designed it and my mom made it!! i love it!! it is sooooo perfect!

then after dinner we opened presents!! so fun! daddy helped her... it took her a minute to get into the swing of things... and then! it was like ok dad!! i got this!! give me some more paper to tear!! :) so funny!!


she had a good time! very exciting!!

... have i mentioned that she loves opening presents? :)

i love this little santa onesie! so dang cute!

after all the madness, we piled all of the wrapping paper all around her!

she was such a good girl!

i think she had a good first christmas!!

the little family ... first christmas... 2010

merry christmas...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

may all of your christmas wishes come true...

ours did this year....

christmas eve...

i love spending time with friends and family!!

we had our traditional christmas party with the gang on xmas eve and it was so fun!!

this is the 2nd year that we have drawn names for each other. and then everyone bought for abbi! so fun!!

abbi really enjoyed opening the presents... or at least tearing the paper!! she got such cute things from everyone! toys... clothes... bibs... books... stuffed animals... very neat stuff!!

this little monkey is so fun!! he talks! and abbi loved it!!

and she loves her grandma maryann...

look at all of our loot!! we were sad that kevin wasn't able to be there... but he opened his presents later that night when he got home.

love love love celebrating life with these gals!! :)

5 months...

i can't believe my little girl is 5 months old!!

here are some of the highlights of her 4-5 month...

* she is eating cereal! :) she is doing pretty well... but she goes from thumb to thumb after each spoonful!

* she is quite the chatter bug! she love to talk and hear her voice!

* abbi still LOVE LOVE LOVES her thumbs!

* and her toes!! :)

* abbi took her first plane ride! and did amazing! kevin, abbi and i flew out to michigan to see my dad the week after thanksgiving. it was a 5 hour flight both ways... and she did great! we were so proud of her!

* abbi loved spending time with papa! it took her a few days to get used to him.. we are not around many men... but once she warmed up to him, she did great.

* she is starting to find her tongue... she sticks it out all of the time... she even has a super cute grin that she sticks her tongue out!

* she is teething... but no teeth... however, there is LOTS AND LOTS of SWABBA!!! (slobber) :)


* she will chew on anyone's fingers/thumbs/hands...

* actually anything that is put in front of her she will try to put in her mouth.

* she loves the swing... i don't always fasten the bar and she has learned to use her legs and kick it up. she loves hearing the toys rattle on the bar when it falls back down.... ya, i now ALWAYS fasten the bar!

* she is learning to play with toys more... her favorites are: the plastic chain links, her fabric crinkle that nanny made for her and the "love bug" that aunt carol sent her- it has a fun jingle to it!

* we also had our first family pictures taken for our christmas card! she did so well! even though it was getting a little chilly... by the end her nose was a cute pink color...





* when she sees mom or dad abbi's total body is excited!! her face lights up and she kicks and kicks! it is nice to know that she knows who we are... :)

* abbi is such a happy little girl! sometimes she smiles so big that her nose will crinkle up and her eyes will squint! it is darling!

* she has the CUTEST little giggle that she does when she is teased or tickled...

* abbi is starting to notice her hands and their movements.

* she likes to be standing when she is being held. she wants to be up and moving!

* abbi loves her daddy!! it is so cute to see them together! when he is in the room she watches every move he makes! her eyes never leave him...

* she had her first thanksgiving! we all went over to grandma maryann's house! it was fun! she wore her "my first thanksgiving" onesie! so darling!

* she is starting to really blow raspberries and blow bubbles! anything funky with her mouth!

* abbi really squeals when she is excited!

* when we call her name she still will not look over at us... but turns when she hears our voices.

* crying or not... this darling is so cute!!

* socks are really hard to keep on her because she is always kicking!!

* KICK KICK KICK!! one day i went to get her after her nap... she had kicked her pants right off!! crazy girl!

* when i am nursing her or giving her a bottle she will groan or growl a little... it is quite funny...

* abbi will hold her head up really high when she is on her tummy. she likes to look around and see what is going on!

* she really loves her bathtime! she splashes and splashes!! i usually get just as wet as she does!!

* she loves music!! when she hears any music she will usually quiet down and listen. she has a little pillow that you can wind up and it plays "lullaby and goodnight"... her favorite! we usually wind it up when we are getting her ready for bed.

* while we were in michigan we were able to go to the worlds largest christmas store... bronners!! amazing! we were so lucky!! cuz santa clause was there the day we went!! so abbi was able to meet santa for the first time! she did really well on his lap. a blank stare ... but better than crying! :)

* my dad gave abbi a little outfit that says... "santa's favorite"! i love it!! and it is sooooooooooo true!! :)

we love you abbi! you are the light of our lives!!

50 FREE Christmas Cards!!

It's time for me to check off one of my favorite tasks on my Christmas TO DO list, CHRISTMAS CARDS!!

I have always loved finding the perfect card design and then making each card by hand. I was proud of the fact that I made all 200 cards to send out to my loved ones. Last year I ended up only making 100 and ordering 100. This year is a bit different! Abbi somehow takes up the majority of my time! And I wouldn't trade it for anything!

Lucky for me this year, Shutterfly has an amazing offer to get 50 free holiday cards. Who wouldn't like to take some holiday photos, pick out a fabulous card, and then get 50 cards mailed to you free of charge? Thanks to the generosity of Shutterfly this offer is open bloggers like you and me.

Recently I was checking out what kind of options were online for photo cards and I really loved what I found at Shutterfly! They have some amazing card options.

I love love love christmas trees! So when I saw this card it jumped out at me!

I love the brown with it too!

I am all about including a Christmas letter in my cards. This card is perfect for that!

I like being able to put more than one picture on the cards!

With Abbi being so dang cute it's hard to choose just one picture! :)

This is one of my favorites because of the tradition red and green. Nothing says Christmas like red and green stripes!! So fun!!

I love this classy look! Very pretty card!! And scrapbooky looking!

There are so many to choose from! But that is half of the fun!!

Check out some of these fabulous things Shutterfly has to offer:

Christmas Photo Cards- tons and tons of fabulous cards!

Photobooks- my personal favorite! I think photobooks make great gifts and look terrific!

Christmas Gifts - lots of cool things to give to your loved ones!!

If you want to know more about this fabulous promotion for 50 free holiday cards click here. The deadline is December 15th. The only catch is that you have to write your own blog post about this offer. A very small price to pay for checking off one of the most daunting holiday tasks off your to do list this year!

st nicholas

In Germany, Nikolaus is usually celebrated on a small scale. Many children put a boot called Nikolaus-Stiefel (Nikolaus boot) outside the front door on the night of 5 December. St. Nicholas fills the boot with gifts and sweets overnight, and at the same time checks up on the children to see if they were good, polite and helpful the last year. If they were not, they will have a tree branch (Rute) in their boots instead.

Sometimes a disguised Nikolaus also visits the children at school or in their homes and asks them if they have been good (sometimes ostensibly checking his golden book for their record), handing out presents on a per-behavior basis. This has become more lenient in recent decades.

my family is of german decent, so my uncle steve sent abbi a box from st nicholas. there was a letter from st nicholas and presents to put in abbi's shoes. she doesn't really have shoes right now, so we put out her slippers instead. :)

st nicholas sent her... a book, socks and a little stuffed hedgehog! so fun!!!

thanks st nicholas!!

(uncle steve!)

Christmas Food Court Flash Mob, Hallelujah Chorus - Must See!

4 months...

4 months already!!

here are some of abbi's fabulous moments of the last month!

* Abbi fusses a few mins at nap time, then falls asleep and usually sleeps for about an hour.

* Bedtime: falls asleep eating then down for the night. she sleeps about 7-8 hours.

* Still loves fingers!

* She doesn't like being on her tummy, so she flips over as soon as she can to her back.

* Loves toes! Holds onto and nibbles!

* Grabs pant legs to get to her toes!!

* Laughs when playing peekaboo. Behind sheet/towel..

* Always moving!

* Totally relaxes in the tub. Puts arms up by head.

* Giggling more when played with.

* Day long are trip to see uncle sam!

* We did a little photo shoot in the leaves in our front yard. She was soooooo dang cute!! She just sat there and smiled and played!

* Starting to rub eyes when tired- so cute!

* Noticed and watches hands

* Lifts arm above head when eating, also crooks top leg.

* Abbi loves anything that crinkles! Plastic, paper, toys...

* Loves being upside down

* Raises both arms above head! Darling!!

* Starting blowing raspberries

* Reaches for toys when they are in front of her. Can’t quite get them yet though.

* Halloween was fun! We had fun dressing up as matching pumpkins! :)

* Her favorite toy is her plastic chain. It is lots of pretty colors and is fun to chew on. She likes the clacking sound it makes.

* Doesn't have much patience...

* Likes to pull herself up when holding our hands or fingers.

* About 14 weeks she started talking up a storm! We just sit and listen to her sweet little jabber.

We feel so blessed to be her parents. She is such a sweet girl.

free address labels!!

You can get 140 holiday (or actually any) address labels for Free and just pay shipping.

I just got some really cute ones!

They have Caricature ones too where you can make them look just like the members in your family!!

Here is how to score this deal:

Head on over here
Scroll down until you see Address Labels and click there
You can choose any labels but if you would like to make the Caricature labels then go to the “Personal & Family” drop down menu on the top and look for Holiday.
Choose the Holiday design and make up your labels.
Your shipping price will vary slightly. Mine was $3.50.

who am i... Libra

LIBRA

Balance is the keyword for this sign, and when it comes to keeping everything on an even keel, a Libra will lead the pack. Peace loving and judicial, this sign abhors being alone. Partnerships are very important for the Libra, especially those on a personal level. With their winning personalities and cooperative style, they aren't apt to be alone for long!

Friends and Family

Fun loving and willing to help out, the Libra makes an excellent friend. Even though they can be late and indecisive, once they're on the scene, they're ready to go. This flexible sign loves to spend time with friends and family and doesn't hesitate to initiate gatherings. Sociable and suave, Librans naturally draw people to them. They have a way of creating a compelling aura of harmony around them. When it comes to challenges, this balancing sign can see both perspectives in a disagreement, making them excellent problem-solvers. Companionable, they're apt to keep their friends and family busy.

Career and Money

Harmony is the keyword for this sign. For the Libra, maintaining this is of the utmost importance. They can be excellent leaders and will work hard to earn and deserve the privilege. Truth and justice always prevail for Librans as they go about their days. Working with others or in a partnership is ideal for this social sign. Artistic and persuasive, these folks are gifted talkers who do well in any position that provides a platform for them to chat.

Careers that involve justice such as police officer, lawyer, or judge are excellent choices for Libra. They will also succeed at such occupations as diplomat, civil servant, interior decorator, composer, and fashion designer. Group settings pose no challenge for Librans - in fact, the more the merrier. Their strong sense of diplomacy serves well in almost anything they do.

If you go shopping with a Libra, best to plan some extra time! This sign can be terribly indecisive when it comes to purchasing. Balancing their money, however, is a snap for Libra. Keeping a good balance between savings and spending money is a real talent for these folks. Their love of fashion and housewares can see them out and about in stores quite often. One of Libra's favorite pastimes is to shop for someone special.

Love and Sex

Finding the right partner will be a priority in the Libra's life. For those already in a relationship, maintaining the peace and harmony takes center stage. A Libra alone is a sad thing indeed, not to mention unnatural. They need to connect with others. As lovers they are expressive, creative, and balanced. They love to make their partners feel completely and thoroughly satisfied from conversation to lovemaking. Librans' charm and dedication to striking the perfect balance with others makes them wonderful partners.

LIBRA TIDBITS

Health

Each sign has a part of the anatomy attached to it, making this the area of the body that is most sensitive to stimulation. The anatomical areas for Libra are the kidneys, lower back, adrenal glands, and appendix.

Ruling Planet

The ruling planet for Libra is Venus. This planet's action is gentle and harmonious. It governs beauty, charm, emotional contacts, possessions, unions of all kinds, singing, art, culture, sweets and sugar, and moral character.

Color

The color of choice for Libra is blue.

Gemstone

Libra's star stone is the sapphire.

Lucky Numbers

Libra's lucky numbers are 1, 2, and 7.

Compatibility

Librans are most compatible with Aquarius and Gemini.

The Perfect Gift

The best gifts for a Libra are music and items that create relaxation.

Likes

Pleasant conversation, beauty, balance, fairness, romance

Dislikes

Being treated unfairly, ugly places, rough people, making a final decision

House

Natural sign of the Seventh House. This house focuses on marriage, partnerships, public relations, open enemies, and other people.

Strengths

Social, fair-minded, cooperative, diplomatic, gracious

Weaknesses

Indecisive, will carry a grudge, avoids confrontations, self-pity

Charismatic marks

Attractive, graceful, medium build, no sharp features Best environmentAny place that is beautiful where the company is harmonious. Very social and happiest doing things in the company of another.

http://astrocenter.astrology.msn.com/msn/ArticleAstrologyHomeV2.aspx?sd=20090929&gt1=21001

3 months old...

i can't believe abbi is 3 months old!! :)

here are the highlights of the last month! :)* we started doing consistant tummy time! she isn't all that impressed... :)

* with doing tummy time more often, she did roll over from her tummy to her back!! and then she is much happier!

* she is smiling more and more everyday! we love seeing that beautiful little smile!

* her smiles started out with a cute little shy/flirty smile where she would duck her head and smile at you. melts me everytime!

* right before she crys she gets a little pouty face and sticks out her bottom lip. it is really quite cute... i try not to giggle too loud when she starts to cry.

* she is eating really well. we conquered the 2 hour schedule and then moved on to a 2 1/2 hours one!

* abbi gets so excited about eating that she "pats" momma while she is eating. it is so cute! her little hands just love making sure momma is still there! :)

* she is our little cuddler. and she loves to touch skin while she is nestled in. usually reaches under our shirts to touch our chest. so sweet.

* what a little swabba monster!! lots and lots of slobber!!

* we have gotten into a nice routine of giving her a bath everynight. she loves it!! loves to spash her feet. i am not sure she knows what she is doing, but she smiles when she does it.

* when the weather was a little nicer, we would try to take a walk with the stroller in the evenings too. abbi loved looking around and seeing all the cool stuff on our walks!

* abbi loves our ceiling fans!! we have one in her room, in the living room and in our bedroom. she is totally fascinated by them!

* she is starting to "play" with toys more. we have a few rattles and stuffed animals that are quickly becoming her favorite things to grab for. she is still more interested in chewing on her fists and fingers, but she does enjoy hearing the rattle noises and getting kisses from the stuffed animals!

* at about 10 weeks old she noticed herself in the mirror! and smiled at herself! she will also look at us in the mirror and smile at us too.

* she still uses the binky on occasion, but if she wants to smile... spit!! out it goes!

* in our 2 1/2 - 3 hour schedule we : eat, play and sleep. during play time we have a ton of fun!! we read books, go for a walk, play with toys, help momma put away laundry, swing, floor/tummy time...

* naptime has been a struggle. she has gotten better about sleeping for naps, but wouldn't lay in her bed. for a few weeks if i cuddled her she would go to sleep right away and then we could lay her in her bed. then we just decided to lay her in bed... she cries for a few minutes and then falls asleep. somedays are better than others, but for the most part she will go to sleep fairly well and sleep for an hour or so.

* abbi is a mover!! she is moving all of the time!! she kicks when laying down and will kick off any blanket! what a cutie!!

* october is my favorite month of the year! and i have gotten abbi several fun october/halloween outfits!! this little black onsie with a orange tutu is my favorite!! :)

* she is always chewing on her fists or hands! sometimes she gets so into the chewing that she chokes or gags on them! silly girl!! around 12 weeks old she started sucking on her left thumb too!! it is so cute! one time it is the right... the next time its the left! :) on a few occasions she will stick BOTH thumbs in her mouth and suck them! she intertwines her little fingers too! darling!

* it is fun that she recognizes us (mom, dad and nanny). she will follow us as we move around a room. or look for us if she hears our voices.

* i went back to work just a few days after abbi turned 12 weeks old. it was a rough thing for me. i missed being home with her in the mornings. she is such a sweetie. we were both pretty worn out after that first day... so we took a nap together! :)

* the weekend before i went back to work my wonderful friend, ruth, and her little family came to visit us!! they loved abbi and it was so great to spend time with them!!

* she loves to be standing up or sitting up! she wants to be part of the action! no more laying down in the boppy!! :) or rare at least. her new favorite is the bumbo, that way she can sit up and be part of whatever is going on.