Christmas Tree Tradition

 
I just love Christmas time, as it is a time to celebrate traditions new and old!  A time for Brett and I to remember back to our childhood and decide what traditions to continue with our kids and what traditions we want to make new for our children.

One of my favorite memories as a child is all 6 of us hoping in our big station wagon and going to pick out our Christmas tree!  We always had a fresh tree but we just went to the tree farm and picked one that was already cut down for us.  I love the smell of pine in my home and I love the imperfection of a real christmas tree!  Its fun to look and see which one looks perfect and would be perfect for our space year to year.

Since I was pregnant with Ayden we started going out to Kris Kringle and cutting down our own fresh tree!  They have lots of fun things to do while you are there.  Most years we go out quickly on a week night after we are done with work.  This doesn't leave much time for the extra fun or else its too cold to enjoy the fire.  This year was different!  It was about 40 degrees and a great afternoon!  We headed out and the kids were able to run around from tree to tree!  They were hiding the jumping out at us, throwing snow balls and just having fun!  Brett and I a little more serious about finding a tree while the kids just enjoyed the open area and fresh air!  Its so funny how hard it is to find the right tree when you are in the middle of a hundreds of them!  Then you find the best one and walk away and can't remember which one it was.

Once we found the perfect tree we got it tagged and headed in for some fun!  Santa was there and Amaya sat on his lap and Ayden stood next to him and told him all about his love of sports.  Ahnie wasn't so sure so she just waved and kept her distance.  We got hot apple cider and a cookie (which the dog ate from Ahnie) then we headed out to the big fire and roasted marshmallows for a yummy s'more (which the dog also ate from Ahnie).  We ran into our friends the Pauli's while we were there.  They live is a house that has really tall ceilings so they got a HUGE tree!  It was funny to watch them shake it!  haha

It was a great afternoon and so fun!  We got the tree home, put up the lights and decorated the tree!  The kids loved looking at all the ornaments!  Our tree is very far from being featured in any magazine but I love it because we picked it out, decorated it together and get to sit by it each night and read our Christmas stories!  It is like each of us, far from perfect but fits so wonderfully in our family!

Holiday Hoopla on Main!

I just LOVE this time of year and I love the fun things we have to do in our community.  One of my favorite things to do is go downtown for Holiday Hoopla the Friday after thanksgiving.  We don't play up Santa very much in our family (the world has done a pretty go job at it this year though) but this night reminds me of how magical the Christmas season can be.  Its a fun night!  Christmas carols sung by live bands and the chipmunks then Santa comes to town a different way each year.  Once he is here he climbs in his sleigh with Mrs. Claus and they drive down Main St.  over the bridge, light the Hoopla Christmas tree and then their are fireworks to end the night.  Ayden and Ahnie were very excited but sadly by the time we got down Main St. Ayden was asleep in the stroller.  Ahnie was all smiles and thought it was a pretty cool night just a little cold!

Ahnie and Mommy

Daddy and Ayden

Mya and Mommy

Fireworks and the Tree!

Santa in his sleigh

Our Sleepy Boy

Amaya at 3 Months

Amaya turned 3 months old on Oct. 3rd.  She is starting to smile more and is finding her voice.  She likes to coo at her animal friends in the bouncy seat and on our play mat.  She is quite the 3rd child!  She is very laid back and can usually wait for most things.  But, when it gets quiet and the house starts to settle down I think it might be her favorite time, cuddle time!  We love this cuddle time together!  It seems weather I have fed her for the last time or not she finds herself cuddling with either mommy or daddy.  For her sake if we laid her down in bed her sister would probably wake her up any way.  I love this time because in our day it is one of the few times I can have just her!

By 3 months old she had started to stretch her feedings to 3.5 hours.  So her schedule looks something like this:  7 am eat, play until she naps at 8:30.  10:30 eat play until she naps again at 12:30, eat at 2 and play until she takes a final nap around 4.  5:30 eat and stay awake and play until you are tired then I feed you until you fall asleep.  Then we usually get to cuddle until about 9 or 9:30 and you let me lay you down and you finish your night in your bed!  You sleep through the night and often even sleep in until 8 on the weekend!  Seriously what baby does that?!?!  You are amazing Amaya and I often look at you in ahh that you are ours!  She fits into our family perfectly and I can't wait to see her personality mold into the girl you are meant to be!

Amaya is holding on to her dark hair for now.  I think it is becoming a little brownish red and it just keeps getting longer!  It has thinned a little in the back but everything else is staying as of now!  That is always every ones first comment when they see you.

Amaya is in a great schedule at daycare!  She spends Monday morning with her grandparents, Tuesday and Thursday with Kristen and all the fun kids at her house and then Weds. and Friday with her Daddy at home.  I love the schedule we have and I love that my kids get an opportunity to be with each of these people while I am at work!  It makes going to work most days much easier!!!

Amaya has not rolled over yet but she love to roll to her side.  Often times she sleeps like this.

Bros

I asked Ayden what his favorite part of the day was today and he said play Bros at school.  I had to ask what this was and he said like house but only bros.  His best buddies at school all pretended to be brothers and play together.  He then said that he wanted a real bro.  I asked like you mean another baby in my tummy?  And he said yes!  I will pray to God for it tonight.  And sure enough at the dinner table he asked God for a baby bro.

Oh boy!  I need to get used to my 3 before we even start thinking about that...

2 Months Old!

Amaya turned 2 months old on Sept. 3rd.  These past two months have flown by and we are finding our new normal!  This month was full of firsts.  She started smiling and cooing.  She loves to be on her changing table and will always smile and coo at the wall.  This might be her favorite place in the house!

Amaya also started sleeping in her room when she was 5 weeks old.  She has been a rockstar at night! At the end of her 2nd month she is sleeping through the night till 6 am.  Brett, Amaya and I took a weekend trip up to Duluth for my class reunion and those were the first nights that she slept until 5am both nights!  She must have known Mommy was out late and needed her sleep!  In Duluth she met many of my close high school friends and we stayed with the 3 boys I babysat.  They were like my own kids growing up and I have know their family for 20 years now!  It melted my heart to see each one snuggle with my own baby!  Their family watched Amaya so Brett and I could enjoy the class reunion.  I knew they were in good hands and Jodi owed me :)  Amaya was also a very good traveler!  She was patient to eat when we were finding ok places to stop and nurse.  She was a champ!

This month Amaya also started to get a little more personality.  Right at the end of her 2nd month she would wake up happy and Ahnie loves to crawl in her crib.  Amaya will give her big smiles when she does this.  She has started to like her new floor mat and even her bouncy seat some days.  She even pulled the lion ring (a big milestone in the Williams and Hoffert households).  Tummy time has gotten much better and she now can lift her head up to a 90 degree angle.

Amaya started to fit into her 6 month clothes and is now in size 2 diapers.  I forgot to schedule her 2 month check up at her last apt so we will not see Dr. VanSickle until the end of the month :(  I think she is around 13 lbs but we will see when we go to our apt.  She eats every 3 hours and takes bottles very well.  She will eat anywhere from 4-5 oz if she is having a bottle and nurses for around 20 minutes.

Amaya is such a fun addition to our family and I love to see her grow.  This month I also had to go back to work.  This has been a harder transition that it was with Ahnie.  Ahnie was 4 months old when I had to go back and Amaya was only 6 weeks.  This has caused me to hold her a little longer and love that cuddle time when the two big kids are in bed!  I hope that that saying "You can't spoil a baby" is true.

Tate holding Amaya

Josh holding Amaya

Kale holding Amaya