Saylor's 9, 10 & 11 months!

Haha, can you tell I'm a mom to 3?!  I was pretty proud of myself getting the monthly pictures updated of Saylor...and then we moved.  Not only did we move, but the holidays came sweeping by and I barely had time to breathe let alone remember to take pics of my sweet growing baby!!  So, I have pictures, but they are not the usual ones with her on her rocking chair to compare each month.  Bummer...but "c'est la vie" (such is life!). She's still SUPER cute and you can tell how much she has grown!

SAYLOR 9 MONTHS (11/22/2012)

 Sweet Saylor girl during Thanksgiving.  Still has those deep blue eyes!

 She's sitting up and can scoot...just now starting to crawl!  I'm thankful because 3 mobile kids are a lot :)

 She is such a happy baby

 And she LOVES her brothers :)

SAYLOR 10 MONTHS (12/22/2012)

 Happy baby sitting up in her Santa outfit!

 She loves to smile and she's super flexible!  She JUST now started to get teeth!  Her first ones were the 2 teeth next to your front teeth...so she was "Vampire Baby" for a while!  Next came her 2 bottom teeth

 Officially crawling now...

 and so stinking cute.  She loves to smile, laugh and play with either Herschel or her brothers :)

 My 10 month old DIVA!  Girls are so much fun!

SAYLOR 11 MONTHS (1/22/2012)

 Watching Toy Story or CARS with the boys...it's so fun to see a splash of pink among all the blue & green!

 Pretty in pink!  She is all girl (well...with 2 brothers it's a very high possibility that she'll love dirt and cars, which is totally fine with me!  I just hope she's getting dirty with a bow and lace on ;) You can see "Vampire Baby" here if you look closely!  

 This picture melts my heart.  I love this baby girl so much and she is so sweet!

 Can you tell I had 2 boys first?!  Don't get me wrong...I LOVE MY BOYS!!  I was meant to be a boy mom! It is fun to dress up Say in pink tulle, lace, necklaces, feathers and bows ;)

 At 11 months she's a full out speed crawler, she's into EVERYTHING, she'll scale things but no walking, she's a diva when it comes to food...spoon-fed only so far. She's an excellent sleeper and she is the most relaxed, go-with-the-flow baby!  Probably because she's the third and that comes with the territory, but she's easy.  I'm praying her 2's are easy!!  She's also my snuggly baby.  This is weird for us because the boys were not snuggly at all...they were busy...all the time...moving constantly.  She actually wants to sit in our lap, and give us lots of hugs WHILE wanting to stay in our lap.  At first we thought she just didn't feel good...but now we know she's a snuggler :)

I cannot believe that Saylor is almost a year already.  After each child the year goes by faster and faster.  With Aidan I felt like I was pregnant FOREVER because all of my focus was anticipating meeting this little miracle the Lord had blessed us with.  That first year was full of anticipating his first laugh, his first bite of food, his first steps, etc. Then with Roman I had the same feelings of anticipation as I did with Aidan, but I didn't have the time I did with Aidan...make sense?  I was running after a baby throughout my pregnancy with Roman so the time went by faster.  By the time I was pregnant with Saylor (let's face the facts, there wasn't a whole lot of time between any of our babies!), I was chasing 2 very energetic and fast baby boys and everything went by in a second...including her labor and delivery thank the Lord!  I take some of that back...the 8 days late part with Saylor felt like an eternity.  

Bottom line, where did the time go?!  It goes by really fast, but I do have those moments that "freeze" in time where I think what amazing gifts these children are to us from Jesus.  This life goes by fast, "...What is your life?  For you are a mist that appears for a little time then vanishes." James 4:14  Don't let that verse discourage you, let it encourage you.  We are here on this earth for such a SHORT period of time, so make it count.  I know I'm still really young (reaching the end of my 20s....what?! Didn't I just graduate high school?), but the years are starting to fly by. My children's years are flying by for me.  Aidan is already 4 1/2!  I want to soak up every moment (maybe not that moment in the grocery store where Saylor exploded in her pants and it went up to her neck, Aidan is playing with the candy in the check out line and Roman just informed me that he "peeped" his pants...that's life in the trenches!), however this is my job and I am more than thankful for it everyday.  God is so good.

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice." Philippians 4:4

Baby Kensi Lucille's Baby Shower

My cousin's Kyle & Bethany are having Saylor's best buddy in a few months, so of course we had to shower sweet Kensi Lucille with lots of love (and her mama too ;)! 

 Sarah & I threw Bethany the shower....themed purple because that's Bethany's favorite color for a girl, and mason jars because mason jars are just cute!

 Block painting station!  This is the CUTEST idea for showers!  Sarah and I bought the blocks and painted them with all the letters (Cap on one side and lower case on the other), and then we finished Kensi's name as an example.  You have paint brushes and paint ready for the guests and they paint something that starts with whatever letter block they have...confused?  I'm horrible at explaining things!  Example: for the letter "K" we painted a Kite (by "we" I mean Sarah ;)

 The spread....I don't know about y'all but I LOVE shower food 

 We hung mason jars with sparkly purple ribbon from the chandelier...loved it!

 purple straws

 Nana & Saylor

 Diane and her 2nd granddaughter Caitlin, and then my mom & Saylor

 Bethany's sister Megan, Bethany, Caitlin (Megan's 2nd daughter) and their mama Diane

 Sarah, Bethany and me!

 The "Cathy's"...I was blessed with an awesome mother-in-law and an awesome mom :)

 Brittany, Jenny & Rachel

 The 3 Preggos!  Brittany is due with her 2nd at the end of March, Bethany is due March 23 and then Jenny was due in February with her 2nd...who is now here! Mia Kate...she's beautiful!  (can you tell how far behind I am on blogging?!)

 Saylor and Caitlin became friends :)

 So cute

 Painting blocks

 The ribbon game...

 Lauren won!!

 We played Baby Bingo

 Sarah & I gave Bethany a huge bag full of stuff to pull out for Baby Bingo...so a purple sleeper was one item...

 and if anyone really knows me, they know that I LOVE baby girl bows!  So of course a bow was one item too :)

 Megan won!

 Grandma Lucy made a beautiful quilt for Kensi.  She's amazing.  

 The cake that Lauren and Sarah made!  

Me and my moms (the "Cathy's"...have I mentioned how easy it was to pick out Saylor's middle name?  Catherine...both moms are happy! ;)

The group!  (Minus a few that had to leave early)

It was a fun shower...and one of many!!  Kensi also had several showers from work, friends and family in Ohio, our church, and my sweet friend Cynthia and I threw her one with some more friends.  This baby is very much loved!!  We are more than excited for her to make her debut, and it's been so fun to go through this pregnancy journey with Kyle & Bethany.  God is so good.

Christmas!

Christmas this year was a whirlwind and got here a lot faster than I anticipated, but it was a lot of fun!  Aidan & Roman are old enough now to really get excited about all the Christmas fun that happens, and they were really excited about what Santa would bring them.  It's fun being a parent and watching your kids eyes light up with the magic of Christmas...it brings you back to how magical and exciting Christmas was when you were a little kid.  

 Christmas morning at our house...the stash from Santa

 Santa ate the cookies....Herschel did too!  When the kids got downstairs the cookies were totally gone

 Our REAL tree this year!  

 I can't believe I got crafty and made the garland for our mantle in the kitchen...thanks to my friends Sarah & Lauren!  The fact we had any Christmas decorations up was a miracle considering our house wasn't totally unpacked from moving back in October!

 Our fake tree is now upstairs and is our fun tree! (the top lights quit working right before Christmas...figures!).  Every year our fun tree will be the tree we put presents under that are going to others (a family we adopt for Christmas, or things that the church is collecting for others that are in need, whatever...), we want our kids to know that Christmas is about Jesus first, and giving to others second.  Ideally I'd love to have more presents under our "fun giving tree" than under our family tree.  We have PLENTY.  The Lord has provided us with an abundance and we don't need more.  We need to use the resources He has so richly given to us and GIVE BACK to His Kingdom. 

 Cute burlap stockings :) 

 Every Christmas morning we eat breakfast as a family, pray and do a little Bible study going over God's Word, and then we eat a cupcake in celebration of Jesus' birth! The kids LOVE birthdays and blowing out candles, so we sing Happy Birthday to Jesus and eat dessert :)

 Hi sweet Saylor girl!  She loved her first Christmas!

 Blowing out the candles.  I love how his hair is blowing since he blows up :)

 Two coffee lovers get two new coffee cups :)

 Opening Santa's gifts and their stockings :)

 Yay!  Just what every mom wants their two crazy boys to have...NERF GUNS that are automatic and shoot 25 rounds!  

 Say loves her pink elephant :) It has the tag pulls on there that she loves to pull on

 After we had breakfast and opened gifts with just our family, we headed over to Cathy & Mike's for more Christmas breakfast and gifts with them!  Again, it's SO NICE to live 5 min away instead of 35 min away!

 Aunt Em bought them a Hotwheels racetrack...I must say that Josh and I like to play with this :)

 My poor Saylor girl.  We gave the kids a bath before heading over to Grandma & Grandpa's and in the bath Roman poked Saylor in the eye...which resulted in an angry and teary eye all day :(

 Baby girl wanting to keep up with her bros

 THEN, after Grandma & Grandpa's house we headed over to Granddaddy's house to celebrate Christmas with everyone!  This is Nima, Emily's boyfriend, holding Saylor girl

 Sweet girl with a sad eye

 She was still happy!  It was her left eye...you can tell it's a little swollen. It got better by the next day though! 

 Roman & Benjamin...two freight trains playing

 Boys are making a comeback!

 Pretty baby girls in their dresses and bows!

 Kaylee & Saylor

 Granddaddy.  His first Christmas in over 60 years without Grandmama...he has a lot of family around for support and someone is over at his house all the time so he always has company (and help if he needs it!  He turned 90 in January!)

 Sam & lil' Em!  They used to be really little and were our cute little flower girls 6 years ago...

 Jimmy & Nima

 the boys and "Joanie!"

 Grandma & Grandpa with their grandkids!

 Outfit change!  Her dress was uncomfortable so now she's in her cute pink sweats!  They were a gift from Robin & Carol Reinhard (my parents really close friends)

 I will never get tired of Saylor's huge bows...I love them!  

 And I will never get tired of how sweet our 3 kids are.

 Roman and his towers :)

 My babe

 The living room at Grandmama's...we have spent SO many hours in this room!  Our main hang out room on Sundays :)

 Sisters in the kitchen...they've taken over making all of the meals :)

 Santa!!  Saylor was not impressed.  The boys loved him though!

 The whole gang!!  Aidan (4), Saylor (10 mo), Roman (2...almost 3), Benjamin (2), Samantha (13), Emily (11) and Kaylee (1)

The front of our Christmas card this year...

and the back.  My friend Lori (Elle B. Photography) did them for us and they turned out beautiful!  She is an amazing photographer and graphic designer :)  

 These pics were too cute not to post!  Nana & Pappy got Aidan & Roman a tent for Christmas, and Aidan LOVES sleeping in it every night!  He wants to take it outside...

Cute boy :)

Christmas this year was great!  There was a lot of change...new sweet baby girl, new home that we love, and a transition into not having Grandmama with us but knowing she's with our Lord Jesus Christ.  Like always, Christmas was a whirlwind, but it was good.  Lots of parties, friends, fellowship, gifts, desserts, laughter and love.  It was a little crazy since we didn't feel totally settled when we started hauling out the Christmas decorations, but it was a fun break from organizing the house and fixing up rooms.  With all the Christmas stuff going on, you can easily get sucked into the world's view of Christmas (stuff...buy more stuff, get more stuff, eat more stuff, overindulge, and be happy...do what it takes to make yourself happy...no mention of Jesus or His birth or the reason for the season).  We prayed that we would stand firm and not let the world transform us, that we would keep our eyes on Jesus:

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:1-2

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." Romans 12:2

Not saying that gifts aren't good (I mean, I would gladly accept a new Lexus in my driveway like all the Christmas ads showed!), but they won't "fill" you.  Just like people won't "fill" you. Anything in this world will not "fill" you, will not satisfy you forever, will not fill that void that we all have yearning for more.  The only thing that is capable of quenching your thirst for more is JESUS.  He is enough.  For Christmas, you could have been given everything in the world (family, friends, house, car, clothes, money, food, stuff, etc), but without Jesus, you have nothing.  All of those things are blessings and are good, but can only be looked at that way if you are looking at the worldly things through the lens of Jesus.  Christmas is so awesome because it shows how much God our Father loves us, His creation, to send His son to earth to live a perfect life and die for our sins.  Crazy, amazing love.  

We hope that y'all had a Merry Christmas!!