Christmas 2011

The kids all had a wonderful Christmas. Grandma and PawPa Aldridge and Uncle Brandon came to visit. And, Uncle Stacy and Aunt Norah celebrated with us as well.

Grandma and PawPa munched on Charlotte:



We took the kids to Zoo Lights and swimming and just played with all of their new stuff. They all opened tons of presents from everyone...and everyone was so generous! Thanks to the whole family, all the grandparent, aunts and uncles, great aunts and great uncles and cousins.




Santa brought the boys some animals, Charlotte some toys and a trampoline for everyone.









And, a couple of Grandparent shots:

Sledding

Right before Christmas, we got a pretty big snow storm. As always, the boys wanted to be in the snow. So, Daddy took them sledding.






They had fun. Jackson ate snow. And, Brady even went down the sledding hill alone.

North Pole Breakfast

I saw this idea somewhere else, but thought it was cute. So, I decided to give the boys a North Pole breakfast of snowballs (powdered donuts) and Santa hats (strawberries with whip cream on top). Not surprisingly, this breakfast was a big hit!

Nativity Scene

Jackson made this nativity scene at school. I really love homemade projects like this!






Baby Jesus was wrapped up and we are supposed to open him up on Christmas morning.

Gingerbread Trains

The boys had fun decorating Gingerbread trains this year!

Brady working on his:



Jackson and Daddy working hard:



The finished products.

Brady:




And, Jackson:




I think they ate as much candy as they decorated with!

Santa Train

As has become a holiday tradition, we headed to Pikes Peak for a ride on the Santa Train!



Getting ready to leave the station:






The Elf that rode with us:



Jackson loving on his sister:



The Elf Queen:



Meeting Santa and Mrs. Claus:







Santa was great. He talked to the kids for a long time about the meaning of Christmas and told Jackson that he needed to be more helpful to Mom and Dad...then he asked about what they wanted for Christmas, it was really cute.

Then, the kids got to explore the "North Pole" with their friends (while Charlotte slept):









They all had such a good time. Brady was in awe of Santa and he smiled the entire train ride there and back. They loved singing songs, having cookies, meeting Santa and the elves. And, as always, Jackson loved being in the snow. We go with the same group of friends every year...and love this family tradition!

Look Who's Sitting...

Charlotte can now sit by herself for extended periods of time.



She is loving her new view of the world!

Happy 6 Months, Charlotte!

Half a year old already. I know I say it every month, but wow, the time just keeps flying!



Stats:
15 lbs, 10 oz (45%)
25 in. (25%)
Head: (65%)


Charlotte,

You are the sweetest, happiest, most wonderful little girl anyone could hope for!



You still take three naps a day, and nurse 5 times a day. Just a couple of days ago, we started supplementing some with formula and you took it with no issues. The same time, we started giving you some oatmeal in the mornings. You have improved so much over the week and now eat just about all of the oatmeal we serve, rather than spitting it all out. Tonight, we were at a friend's party and we gave you a plain cracker and you sucked on it and ate it. I think you want to eat solids already!



You still smile and talk all the time. You rarely cry and when you do it is because we are putting you down for a nap and you want to stay and be part of the action! You also talk all the time and I love our little "conversations." You are very expressive!



You love when people are paying attention to you. You especially love Jackson and Brady. They can both entertain you and give mommy and extra few minutes to get things done. They are both working on being gentle with you and giving you space when you need it. But, you have certainly adapted well to living in a chaotic house!



You have started sitting up more and more. You can sit up by yourself for about 15 seconds before tumbling over. But, you are enjoying the new perspective on life! You also love your exersaucer and enjoy being in there.



You are still pretty much a momma's girl and I am loving every minute of it! I know this will one day change and I tend to savor all the little moments with you. You truly are such a blessing and we are so happy to have you in our lives. We love you little Charlotte beans!