2017 Elf

Last year, the Elf on the Shelf came to our house for the first time and the boys loved it!  Michael named the elf Q.E..  I'm pretty sure he was trying to say Huey (a character in a Mario game), but it came out Q.E., so that's what we went with and it stuck.  

Lots of parents get intimidated by the elf, but I actually like it.  I make a list of ideas and also write down what ideas I've used (and the date) so that I can keep track, and so I can have a list ready for next December!  I also set an alarm in my phone (for 8pm or 9pm) so that I remember to relocate Q.E..

Here's a rundown of the elf shenanigans this year.  

He arrived on December 1st with a note saying he was back!

The next morning, he put diapers on all the stockings.

He rode Noah's biggest garbage truck:

He played with the star on the tree:

He brought the kids a new hand towel, soap dispenser, and toothbrush holder.  This one was SUPER fun!

He hid in the fridge.

He had a snowball fight with some toys.

On our famous snow day, he had a nice bubble bath.

He also made sure the boys knew not to leave these gross cookies for Santa.

Being an elf is tiring, so he took a nap on this day:

The next morning, his energy returned and he T.P.'d our tree:

He rode the sleigh on top of the entertainment center.

The next morning, he was on top of the pie safe in the dining room reading The Elf on the Shelf book to learn how to be a better elf. The kids ATE THIS UP!

The next day, on the kitchen counter he left a nice reminder to be tidy by saying "Santa likes a clean house."

He made a "shoe train" by our shoe bench in the kitchen.  Michael was NOT amused and removed some shoes from the train.

The next day he brought a gingerbread house kit.

The next morning, he was peering through the "O" of our J-O-Y stocking holders.

He visited the Nativity Set the next morning.

He colored in a coloring book one morning, and the boys thought it was so funny that he "scribble scrabbled."

This morning, it took a while for the boys to find him because he was hiding in the lantern by the fireplace.

He brought ornaments and paint for the kids to "Make an Ornament!"

He used a strand of battery operated globe lights to climb up the Nativity Advent on the front door.  Michael said he was climbing on the "Bible people."

The next morning, he brought a book-- The Nutcracker-- for the kids and I forgot to get a picture.

And on Christmas Eve morning, he was hanging from the top window in the living room.

I'm looking forward to Q.E.'s return next December!

Until Next Time,
Much Love, Reba

Avery: 4 Months

Avery turned 4 months old on December 20th.

At her 2 month check up, she weighed 11 lbs and was 22.5 inches tall.  At her 4 month check up she weighed 13.1 pounds and was 24 inches tall.  She is in the 25th percentile for height, weight, and head circumference-- a very proportionate little girl.


Clothing: Avery is in size 3-6 month clothing.  She can fit into 3 month clothing, but I'm at the point where I don't want to have to guess what she's going to be comfortable in, so I've already switched out her 3 month outfits from her drawers, and put in the 3-6 month options. I have decided that I like the clothing with the range of months better than one solid month.  I feel like I get more attached to the clothing that is in a range of months because she gets to wear those pieces for longer.  When I buy her clothes from here on out, I'll buy clothes that come in the range of months.  So, her next range of clothing when she outgrows 3-6 month will be 6-9 month, and that will be springtime wear. 

Diapers: She's wearing size 2 diapers mainly because I used up all of our size 1 diapers and didn't want to buy any more.  Then I randomly found an entire BOX of size 1 diapers in her room, but I'm just going to return it to the store and exchange it for more size 2's (or maybe even size 3's since she has so many size 2's right now).   

Sleeping: Avery sleeps great at night, which is really all I want her to do!  She definitely entered the dreaded 4 month sleep regression, but we are so thankful that it only affected naptime length!  She still sleeps so wonderfully at night, that I'm really okay about the lack of, or shorter, naps.  She definitely prefers to be held during naps, or when awake (so, if she sees me, she needs to be held), so it's become increasingly difficult to get stuff done at home but I'm working through it and adjusting my routines!

Feeding: Avery still goes about 3 hours between daytime feeds.  At night, she's consistently going 4 hours between feeds, and that's okay.  I feel more comfortable after I feed her anyway and would prefer to feed her every 3-4 hours rather than 5-6 (which has happened a couple times and I was entirely uncomfortable until she ate or I pumped). 

Tummy Time:  We prop her up on us for her "tummy time."  She has excellent head control and is a nosey-body-- always wants to know what's going on around her.  

Habit: She wants to stand.  After diaper changes, and when we're holding her on our laps, we'll support her and have her stand up.  She LOVES it!  She gives a huge grin and looks around her like "Do you see this?!?"  Of course, we're holding onto her the whole time, and obviously she's nowhere near ready to stand on her own, but she likes putting weight on her legs and feet.  She also chats when she's falling asleep.  It's almost like "If I keep talking, I won't fall asleep." So she'll be laying in our arms, and her eyes will be closed but she'll continue to just say "ahhhhhh  ahhhhh" until she falls asleep. So cute.

Aaron & I still just sit and stare at her in the evenings after the boys have gone to bed.  We just can't get over how cute she is and how blessed we are to have her in our lives!  

Until Next Time, 
Much love, Reba

Christmas Bucket List

Here's our Christmas Bucket List!

• ·       Go see Santa at Bass Pro and get a free picture frame! (the rustic-chic look of the frame is a favorite of mine!).   We accomplished this and I'm so excited!  

• ·       Make handprint ornaments.  We did this last night!  They turned out so good! Avery's ended up being a footprint, because she can't curl her toes as easily as she can make a fist, so I knew I wouldn't be able to actually get her to place an open palm on the ornament.  I still think it turned out so cute!

Avery

Noah

Michael

I set them in a cut-apart toilet paper roll to dry. 

• ·       Watch all of our Christmas movies at least once.  So far we’ve watched:
• o       How the Grinch Stole Christmas (cartoon)
• o       How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Jim Carrey version.  Noah’s favorite simply for the line:  “the the the… the GRINCH!”)
• o       Frosty (also a favorite of Noah’s for the train alone)
• o       Frosty Returns (one of Michael’s favorites)
• o       Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town
• o       Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
• o       The Santa Clause (a personal favorite of mine)
• o       The Santa Clause 3
• o       Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas
• o       Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas
• o       Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas
• o       Home Alone
• o       Home Alone 2
• o       Window Wonderland (SO GOOD! One of Aaron’s favorites)
• o       Eloise at Christmastime (one of my favorites and I’m hoping one of Avery’s favorites one day as well)

(Avery napping during Eloise at Christmastime)
• o       Switched for Christmas (new Candace Cameron Bure Christmas movie on Hallmark)
• o       Elf
• Prancer (also a movie that I hope becomes a favorite of Avery’s)

(Noah watching Prancer.  This is when the deer shows up in the barn in the middle of the night.  I'm pretty sure Noah thought Prancer was a scary movie at this point.)

• Arthur Christmas (not Arthur on PBS.  This is a British animated film and it’s wonderful)
•  Meet Me in St. Louis (my mom and I consider this a Christmas film)

• We still have to watch:
• ·       Charlie Brown Christmas
• ·       It’s a Wonderful Life
• ·       Christmas Vacation
• ·       The Christmas List (with Mimi Rogers—a very difficult movie to find, but so good!)
• ·       Christmas Under Wraps
• ·       Christmas in Connecticut
• The Holiday, 
• Love Actually, 
• The Polar Express
• Miracle on 34^th Street (both versions)

I’m sure I’m missing some, but these are the gist.

• Decorate Christmas Cookies (and leave some for Santa)
• Read the Christmas story and act it out with the toy nativity set

I'll add photos as I can!

Until Next Time, 

Much love, Reba

4 Generations

In mid October, my Nana and Popa (my mom's parents) came to visit and to meet Avery.  Before they left, we took a 4 Generations picture.  My mom has a picture very similar to this one, of me as a baby with my great-grandma.  I am named after my Nana, so it's even more special being able to have a 4 Generation picture with her... twice!  I loved looking at that picture when I was a little girl.  I'm so glad that we were able to take a picture like it.  I imagine Avery looking at this photo when she's a bit bigger.  She'll have no memory of this visit, but she'll know that she is loved and part of a wonderful lineage. 

Until Next Time,
Much love, Reba