Rollin'

Baby Jerry has been trying to roll over all week. It's pretty hard to do when every time he got a quarter of the way Bee would run over yelling "No baby! No baby!" and push him back onto his back. However, Daddy has been showing him what to do when Bee's occupied and tonight after she went to bed he finally succeeded! He got onto his belly, but was still laying on his arm. He didn't really know what to do once he was on his belly and flopped back onto his back pretty quickly. Just to show his skill and that it wasn't a fluke, he did it a couple more times complete with smiles and a couple of giggles.

Peas

Bee was me getting peas ready for Jerry and begged to feed him. It was also his first time trying peas.

Of course, as soon as Bee got to feed him Gracie wanted to too.

Printmaking

 We did some printmaking today. I taped a piece of bubblewrap to the table for each girl and had them paint on it. When it was covered, we put a piece of paper over it and rubbed it to make a print. I didn't get many pictures because I didn't notice my camera was on video when we started.

Bee also printed on her belly! 

"So pretty, Momma!"

 

 

Jerry's Christmas Present

 Daddy and I didn't really get JR anything for Christmas. We figure, he's a baby, he doesn't care. However, my mom and I have been thinking he'd like a Jumparoo, and I also think he'd like an activity gym~you know, the kind that is suspended above the baby as he's laying on the ground. However, both those items are very expensive. The kids and I went to Once Upon a Child today and I found a playskool toy that is similar to an activity gym for $8.00! I also found a Jumparoo for $25. Jerry is in heaven. FINALLY! Toys just for him! 

6 Month Checkup

Jerry had his six month checkup this morning. I'm so proud of my little man! Although he got three vaccines, he only cried for a few seconds and was back to my smiley little boy. He laughed a wiggled through the whole appointment to the point that the doc said she felt like she was missing something because it was going by so quickly. He is in good health, and weighs in at 16.8 pounds. I was surprised that he is only the 25% for weight. Feels like bricks to me! He is 26 1/2" long (50%) and his head is 43cm (90%). I find it amusing that all three of my kids have had heads in the 90%. Daddy says it's to hold such squishy cheeks. He may be on to something, 'cause I just can't stop kissing those little cheeks!

Christmas Day

 

Christmas Day we went to Grandma and Grandpa's house for dinner and presents with them and Daddy's sister's family.  Bee got a huge stuffed Brobee (from You Gabba Gabba, her fav show), and I think that present has been the biggest hit of Christmas. Yesterday after her nap she played "naptime" with Brobee for a really long time. She's put him to bed in the hallway and tuck him in with all her blankies. Too cute. 

 

The pictures above and below the girls are singing "Happy Birthday" to the baby Jesus from Grandma's nativity scene. After presents we sang to baby Jesus and had some birthday cake for him. 

 

Of course, Brobee had to sit by Bee to eat cake!

Momma and Daddy are official NFL owners. Certificate of Packer's stock ownership.

Jerry tried out Grandma's entertainer too. I think he likes it.

The video is dark, but it was late so there ya go. It's still cute, if you can see it.

Christmas Morning

 

Santa came!

Jerry's looks empty, but he has four jars of PEAS in there! Woo Hoo, moving on from green beans!

 

"Polishes!"

Both girls love nail polishes. Gracie got a princesses package of nail polishes, and Bee got Hello Kitty.

 

They each got toothpaste and a toothbrush. 

 

Santa also brought two larger gifts for each girl. They got some magnetic paperdolls by Melissa & Doug, a light up base Incredible Hulk, and a table easel. Gracie got an easel at a garage sale over the summer and Bee always wants to use it too. Now they both have one!

 

Opening her easel. 

 

Watching the girls open their stuff.

 

Gracie made Momma a candle at school. She was very excited to give it to me and asked me to take a picture of her with it. 

 One of the paperdolls sets had color-your-own dresses. 

Bee playing with her new easel. It's been in use pretty much since then!

Christmas Eve

We started with a little pre-dinner show while waiting for my brother's family to arrive.

After dinner we had a concert.

And then a photo shoot (I didn't take pics when trying to get all the kids, I figured 3 cameras was enough. I'll be sure to add some to the blog when I get them emailed to me).

 Jerry liked his sleigh.

At least until Gracie joined him. . . 

Daddy and Gracie have been searching for a Red Hulk action figure since early last summer. He got one for her on eBay, and she was very excited~for a minute.

 The other big gift Gracie has been begging for since the summer is a set of seven Disney Princess 12" dolls. I told her that was too big a gift for just any day, it would have to be Christmas or her birthday. We got it for her and Bee to share, and as they ripped it open together her eyes lit up and she exclaimed, "It's what I've always wanted!" 

Checking out her princesses. I think she was actually speechless for a second.

However, Bee may have liked them even more!

More Christmas Decor

 We hung our stockings today. Living in a small apartment with no entertainment center, I was a little hard pressed for where to put them. I settled for above the china hutch. I am too cheap to buy three-five stocking holders, so I just got a two pack and used a pole from a pack n play bassinet to hang all three from the two. Once we have our own place, I'll get a nicer looking curtain rod to put between them.

Our tree has transformed a bit since the last post. The idea of having a tree they can touch in their room and one they can't in the living room didn't work. They play with both of them. Luckily, I anticipated that and didn't put any breakable ornaments on it. 

 The girls made stars with Nana one day, which we then added to the tree. In the top picture and the picture below you can see their angels. Pretty sure momma did 90-99% of the angels. That wasn't the plan, but oh well! The top pic is "Bee's", and the one below is "Gracie's." At least Gracie attempted to color her hair and draw a face on it.

 

The angel making turned into playing with pipecleaners. Gracie asked me to make some hearts for her, and we ended up making them into a chain, which she asked to put on the Christmas tree. 

They also colored some baby cradle ornaments that we got at Jo-Ann's.

Big Sister

Brianna takes being a big sister very seriously. This is what happens when the baby starts crying.

{Almost} Six Months & Green Beans

Jerry will be six months on Christmas Eve! In celebration of his soon-to-be milestone, he started baby food last night. I started a little earlier than six months because he seems to be ready and I am having a lot of trouble pumping at work. It's a pain to find a private place to do it; I got a new classroom this year and it has a huge window in the door and the blinds don't work. It takes up half of my prep time, and I am way behind in everything I do because of that. Also, I'm only pumping about enough for one bottle anyway. He eats more than that while I'm at work, so he's already been supplimenting with formula. I figure if we can get him to be happy and fullfilled with rice cereal and baby food while I'm at work (maybe a bottle or two of formula), he can nurse in the morning and evening. If last night is any indication, this plan should work. He got home from Nana and Grandpa's at 7:00, nursed, tried green beans, and went to bed. I had to wake him up after my shower~he slept all night! I'm optimistic that this will be good for both him and I, as I need to reduce my stress level and getting my prep time back should help with that. (Graduating in May will help it even more!)

JR will have his six month check up on December 27th.

He has no idea what's coming. . .

Any time anyone makes eye contact with this little one, he gives a smile this big. He's such a happy boy!



O {BIG!} Christmas Tree

We put our big Christmas tree last night! First the girls made a couple more ornaments. They painted some puzzle pieces that I hot glued together to look like snowflakes. 

After washing up, the girls used markers to color a wooden baby cradle ornament that we got at Jo-Ann's when we bought the tree.

Gracie's snowflake dried enough to add glitter glue, but Bee's was still too wet. We'll finish those tonight.

Putting the decorations on the tree!

Our completed tree!