What's Up?

This picture was taken last month during another kitchen floor play session. I love these girls!

Cream Cheese Head

Addison has really gotten into pulling objects over her head. Give this girl a blanket or scarf, and she'll sit forever pulling it over her head again and again and again. This is pretty cute most of the time. But not during meal time. Because she still wants to do it during meal time, but that means she's trying to pull her bib over her head, and if we don't let her do that, she'll just latch her hands together and pull them over her head. Usually her hands are covered with whatever she's eating, so that means whatever she's eating ends up in her hair. Here we are one bright morning in December, enjoying bagels and cream cheese.

You won't let me pull my bib over my head? Fine, I'll just pull these sticky hands over my head!

I've got cream cheese in my hair, and I just don't care.

Wow, can you believe the mess my sister's making?

Gee thanks for washing my hair, mom!

Oh Christmas Tree!

How lovely are your branches (even though I only get to look at them through this gate!)

Playing with a Mirror

Chris discovered that the girls would follow the light reflected from a mirror. He thought it was pretty neat to watch their heads bob as he made the light dance on the wall. But then he also discovered that they were able to make the connection that the light was coming from the mirror.

Watching Babies Watch the Snow

We had a lot of mornings like this in December....it never got old!

Happy Dance!

Emily started doing a happy dance last month. Things like the happy dance, head banging, and sisters making eachother giggle happen quite often, but are hard to catch on video because whatever fun that is causing the dancing, head banging, or giggling is always immediately forgotten when the camera is spotted.

Emily's happy dance is most frequently triggered by music, but a dance party can start out of the blue, just give this girl something to be happy about!

Standing Tall

Last month, we were excited to announce that Emily had started standing up. Soon after that announcement, Chris needed to lower the crib.

Look what I can do!

And then I found out that Addison isn't the only one I need to watch closely around the plants!

Mmmm....Delicious dirt! Now I see what the big deal is, Sissy!

Soft light and Precious Moments

There's something magical about watching children play. Getting down on their level, seeing the world from their perspective...it's beautiful. The soft winter light falls through the slats of the window shade, making the wood floor glow. Addison sits in the still light. Chair rungs, socks, and a teddy bear provide perfect entertainment. Emily lays next to her sister. She has found the camera lens cover and examines it closely. My little observer.

November Videos

November was full of firsts, and we caught some of them on video.

Addison has been giggling for months now, and while Emily has been talking up a storm, she's been a late bloomer on the giggles. In November, she started giggling in earnest. Here she is doing a funny cough-laugh while playing with Addie.


The girls started eating more solids in November, and shredded apples and toast sticks became a breakfast staple.


Addison learned how to click her tongue, which became a fun trick for awhile.


The stairs were officially discovered in November, and before we put the gate up, the girls had some fun times playing on the stairs,



Emily has been talking more and more, and in November, one of her favorite phrases was bababa.


Addison started crawling on her knees in November.


The girls got their first experience with putting up Christmas lights. Most years, Chris really goes to town...the front tree, bushes, two trees out back. This year, he started...and ended... with the icicle lights along the porch. It was a crazy, busy time of year, and I was proud of him for getting any lights out there at all.

Bumper Cars

Addie has gotten quite skilled at maneuvering her walker, and Emily enjoys scooting around on her little rider toy. What happens when you get these two going in the same room? Bumper cars!

Candy Day

Every year, we make candy using recipes from my Great Grandma Cullen. My mom always lays out the rules: have all your ingredients ready before you start, butter your pan FIRST, slow stirring to avoid splashing the side of the pan, constant stirring for perfect candy. All these rules keep a candy maker glued to the stovetop while the candy is cooking. Good thing Grandma Nicoll was there to play with the babies so we could get our candy making on!

We arrived at DeeDee's after the Darling Doubles Christmas party, and had to take a pic with the tree

Lovin' all the Christmas red!

Callie gave a wonderful dance performance while the adults sang Jingle Bells

Check out those dance moves!

Emily and her Great Grandma

We Met Santa!

We went to a Darling Doubles Christmas party, and Santa was there to meet the kids!

The girls listened to a Christmas story

Listening to Twas the Night Before Christmas

Addie's ready to sit on Santa's lap

Emily tells Santa what she wants for Christmas

Emily's happy with her new friend

Checking this guy out

Emily and Addison with Santa

Santa gives Addison a toy

So happy with our presents...reindeer and candy canes!

 

Amazon and its Boxes

As Christmas was approaching, we were getting lots of packages from Amazon as presents came in the mail for Emily and Addison. This box was just the right size for pulling around two excited, fabric-scrap-eating girls. Later that day, the box ended up in the recycle bin and the scraps ended up in the trash, but first they provided lots of entertainment!

Addison: Why are you stopping, Mom?
Emily: Weeeeeeee!

Picture pit-stop!

A Lady and the Tramp moment with the fabric

Emily is a Stander!

Emily is now pulling up all on her own to stand alongside her sister. Here she is standing proudly at the toy box, digging out one of her favorites.

Little Monkey Bizness

Little Monkey Bizness is a play place near our house. You have to pay to get in, but it's a pretty fun place to play. The girls have a friend who just turned a year old, and we met some friends at Little Monkey Bizness to play and celebrate Mina's first year.

Addison stands up, checking out the slide

Emily's having a great time inside the treehouse

We're having so much fun!

Eventually, they both did get to go down the slide

Time for a snack break!

Dee Dee to the Rescue

Cold and flu season is here, and with it, a sick mamma. I came down with a bad cold last month, which made taking care of the girls much more challenging than usual. I'm lucky enough to have a great mom close by who took over for an afternoon so I could sleep!

Thanks Dee Dee! We love you!

9 Months

The nine month photo shoot happened right before bedtime, so the girls were in their jammies. DeeDee was over so I had two people behind me bringing out some pretty great smiles! 

Paper is quite a delicacy for these nine month olds, and when they got a taste of the sign, they were hungry for more!

After photos on the couch, it was upstairs for a few last snuggles before bed.