18 Months!

It kills me that my baby boy is already 1 1/2 years old. I feel like every day right now I am losing my baby more and more and he is getting less dependent and more mature. I know he is still a baby in so many ways, I can just see the toddler coming out in him. In a lot of ways this has made my life easier. I feel like he is more manageable than he was a few months ago. His intellect and maturity is starting to catch up to his physical abilities, which is a big relief to his constantly worrying mother.

Facts about Conner at 18 Months

weight: 26.4 lbs height: 34 1/4 inches

Favorite Food: any type of berry, applesauce, fruit snacks, waffles with cream cheese, chicken

Favorite Toy: cars, books, pound a peg and ball tower

Says: Mama, Dada, dog dog, all done, bye bye, cheese, sissy, whoa, wow, nigh night, sheep, tree, num num, uh oh, no, duck

Points to his head, legs, belly, toes, eyes, mouth, nose, hair

You always have to be careful when you turn your back on this little boy. There is nowhere/nothing he can't get into!

I remember Kellen going through this same phase at this same age when he loved to where his sisters headband. So funny.

Con has always loved his blanket (referred to as his "nigh night") and lately his love for it has only intensified. It may be a bit nasty how gross the corners of his blankets get with all the sucking they receive, but it keeps him happy.

Big Cheese face. At least he smiles for a camera!

Trouble!

Like Weeds

I swear my kids have all been going through crazy growth spurts right now (especially Kellen, but all of them have!) A friend of mine commented the other day that she always feels like her kids make a big change right after the new year. And right now I am feeling like I agree with her. I feel like my baby is totally becoming a toddler, my toddler is becoming a little boy and my little girl is become a kid....I'm too young for this still, right?

Conner Con. The little baby love as Makenna so often likes to call him. I feel like his maturity is starting to catch up with his physical abilities and I am finally getting a bit of a grasp on him again. He certainly is my funny man that keeps me on my toes, but also makes me laugh more times in a day than I can count!

Oh Kellen, sweet Kellen and his many, many babies. This boy takes such good care of his babies. He LOVES to arrange them on his bed and pretend to put them down for a nap, then line them up in his room, or put them in a circle. Some days he puts them all on the couch or under the desk. I swear he loves and cares for them all so well. As you can see in the picture, Santa still dominates the babies though. He told me tonight "Mom, some of my babies are getting kind of old. But I love all my babies, even when they get old and don't look so cute. Right?" Love him!

A few weeks ago Makenna and I got to go on a much needed mommy/daughter date. She is definitely my kiddo that I get the least one on one time with these days. It was so fun to spend time just the two of us, get to focus totally on her and enjoy our time together. She is such a big girl. We can have such fun, cute conversations together. She is growing into a little lady and just makes me smile seeing her face every day.

Makenna, like Kellen, is a child after my own heart. She LOVES stuffed animals. That is really the toy she plays with most of all. She always has a favorite, but the favorite rotates on a fairly regular basis. Here are a few of the fav's listed by name: Deery, Dalmationy, baby simba, Simba, Nala, Otter, Racoony, Pony, Dragony. As a kid stuffed animals took up more of my bed than I even occupied, so it sort of makes me smile and makes me a bit of a sucker for them too.

For some reason Conner always makes me think of Makenna when he is out of the bath and all wrapped up like this. But just look at those cheeks! Goodness!

I'm going to be very sad when my kids get old enough that the zoo starts becoming less exciting for them. I love that we go all the time and always have a blast!

Isn't this how everyone makes breakfast in the morning?

siblings?

Makenna often says she wants brown hair....what do you think?

Like mother like daughter

Grinches Not Welcome!

We made the good list this year!

Santa knew how much Daddy loves John Deere, and since Conner is just happy with anything that looks like a truck or that he can sit on, this was a perfect gift from Santa this year!

Kellen got the Bat Cave (or Bat Cage as he calls it) that he wanted so badly! He was worried that it would have a hard time fitting in Santa's sleigh, so he was over the moon that it was under the tree where he was hoping it would be.

Christmas morning after church

Makenna also got her Christmas wish and got her Nala and Simba that she wanted. She is a girl after my heart and LOVES stuffed animals. Daddy thinks she has plenty...I had a bed covered in them so I am not as concerned ;)

Kellen was so caught up in the moment that he could barely stop and look up for a picture

Makenna's present was barking....but no, it was not a real dog.

You know how every year at Christmas it is some obscure gift that ends up being the biggest hit. That last minute $10 item you decided to get that ends up being the favorite. Well, this year it was a dirt devil vacuum. I had ordered one on Amazon and they had ended up accidentally sending us 2. It was a good thing because for days all I heard were these vacuums going crazy!

Taking the new puppy and Santa on a walk.

The Eve of Christmas

This is Kellen at the peak of joy and excitement on Christmas Eve! He got to open his First Christmas presents at Grammy and Pa's house that night with all the family. It was tons of fun and so cute seeing the kids finally get to indulge in Christmas :)

Such a cute girl...but getting a bit too big for my liking!

Probably one of her favorite Christmas gifts this year

After only one or two gifts Conner totally grasped the concept of opening presents. He wasn't nearly as interested in what was inside the wrapping paper as he was about the idea of running to the tree and finding another present to open.

The munchkins in their Christmas Eve Jammies

While Visions of Sugar Plums....

...Danced in Their Heads

More Festivities

One of my favorite days during the Christmas season is when my mom, my sis and I all get together and do our baking. It takes up the whole day, and honestly by the end of it I am so overwhelmed with sugar that the thought of another Christmas treat/cookie makes me a bit sick (which actually comes very much in handy when trying to stay away from putting on too many of those extra Christmas lbs). But it is so much fun and one of the best ways to spend a whole day. This year we got smarter and had the Daddy's stay with the little kids to make our baking more timely and efficient. The older 2 both took turns coming over and helping with some baking which was fun and much more controlled than years past.

Please note Santa in Kellen's apron pocket.....he was a good kitchen helper as well!

Mama and her girl! Just love her to pieces, even if she is looking way too grown up for my liking! And aren't our Santa Ginger Snaps adorable? She was actually a really good helper with these.

My other 2 favorite ladies

Baby Kipper was also invited to join in the baking. We figure any child that still requires milk from the source is entitled to participate in the baking. Maybe what we are actually saying is we are excluding all children that are 1 or 2 years old. It's just not an age that is conducive to productive baking...sorry Brooke and Con

By the end of baking all 3 of us are a bit delirious!

Amongst the holiday festivities we also celebrate Big Pa's 50th Birthday! He was a great sport about turning 50 and (don't tell him I said this) looks pretty good for a 50 year old. We had a good time reminiscing and telling stories and sharing memories about Pa. Everyone had a good laugh, including my Dad who received a bit of an impromptu roasting.

Show me a lady luckier than this!