Santa Claus is Coming to Town!!

As you can see, Lottie wasn't exactly thrilled with Santa!!!  Sears ran a special offer to see and sit on Santa's lap for $10.  They snap 5 different poses and you get to pick 5 of the same pose for $10!  Being as I love a good bargain, this was too good to pass up! 

Unfortunately for us, they were only able to snap 3 different poses because Lottie decided that she did not like this Santa fellow!  After the 3rd shot, Lottie was whining and putting her arms out for me to get her away from him.  I wish they would have gotten a shot of that (mean mommy) but I thought it best to pick her up before she had a full on melt down! 

3 more days until Santa gets here!

4 Days Until Christmas

Wow is all I can say!  Unfortunately, I've been dealing with a chest cold these past couple of days that have made me feel yucky!  Ugghhhhh - I am hoping w/ a little help from meds (I've got a doctor's appt. today), I'll have it knocked out by this weekend!  You can't be sick on Christmas!! 

I don't know about you, but this Christmas really did sneak up on me.  In years passed, I've always been the first one to drag the tree out, listen to Christmas music by the first of November and Christmas shopping by mid October.  I think in some ways by doing that, I make the Chirstmas season last a little longer.  I just love Christmas! 

This year is no exception!  As Christmas is almost upon us, I've had such fun watching Lottie wonder and explore these new found "things" or presents should I say that she can play with, throw and pull bows off of.  She absolutely adores the bows!  Every night I find her sitting under the tree trying to figure out which bows to pull off first.  Thankfully, there has been no paper rippage yet!  It is so cute! 

Last night, I baked 4 batches of cookies for Lottie's day care teachers.  She was previously in the infant room with all the other babies until she reached 9 months old.  Since then she is in what they call a "step up room" where the babies go from pulling up and crawling to walking.  With that said, I made two tins of cookies - one for each room with a note telling them how much I appreciate them looking after my baby this year.  Lottie is so loved there.  I don't think we could have picked a better place for her to be while we work. 

Powdered Sugar Butter Cookies

These cookies are to DIE for, I mean DIE for!!!!!!!!!!!!!  This recipe comes from Cindy Cross! 

1 Box of Butter Cake Mix

1 stick of butter (softened)

1 (8 oz) package of cream cheese (softened)

1 tbsp vanilla

Powdered sugar

Mix all ingredients together except for powdered sugar.  The mixture will form a large dough ball.  Cover and refrigerate for an hour before handling.  Pour powdered sugar all over a platter/plate for rolling your dough balls.  Take a tsp. amount of dough and form into a ball.  Roll the ball in the powdered sugar until covered.  Place the ball on a cookie sheet that has been covered with aluminum foil.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar as soon as they come out of the oven.  This batch should yield anywhere from 40 to 50 small fluffy cookies.

When I was making my cookies, I would stick one batch in the oven and quickly roll another batch of cookies to go into the oven when the first batch came out.  I rotated 3 pans in and out of the oven.  Thankfully the aluminum foil on the pans helped with the clean up!

I didn't take a picture of the finished product (SORRY!) partly because I was so tired and sick trying to get these finished up.  But they turned out great.  I couldn't be happier.  Hope the ladies at day care love them.  I purchased the two tins at Walmart for $3.00 and bought the bow and tag from CVS.  I also attached Lottie's Christmas photos for them to have. 

1.5 more days of work!  I can't wait to have 5.5. days off to spend w/ Steve and Lottie!

Baby's First Christmas Ornament

Thankfully with a little help from Steve and Amy, I was able to get my Christmas tree and all of our Christmas decorations up the weekend after Thanksgiving.  Every year while decorating the tree, I'm reminded of my childhood by all of the old ornaments I used to make my mom and dad every year whether at day care, elementary school, church, etc.  I think only a couple have really lasted all these years!!  It is so fun looking back remembering those times!!!  I can't wait for the day when Lottie makes her first ornament - I'll proudly display it and cherish it forever!

This past Christmas, I was around 34 weeks pregnant.  I looked everywhere for a pregnancy ornament but never came across one.  Instead, I bought a pink lollipop ornament to represent my pregnancy with my baby girl.  All I kept telling myself was once I made it through the holidays, the baby would be here in no time.  Here we are one year later and time is flying by faster than ever!  SLOW DOWN TIME!!!



So far this year, Lottie hasn't been too bad into the Christmas decorations and presents.  (Good girl)  I've caught her with a candy cane ornament which is harmless but last night I caught her with a gold ball (totally breakable!!!)  Thank goodness I was right there!  You so have to watch these little ones when they become mobile - talk about all over the place and not to mention everything they touch goes in their mouth!

The one thing Lottie has really showed interest in is the BOWS on the presents.  I think she may have just about pulled all of the bows in sight off!  The other day I was walking from the bathroom to the living room and she came crawling towards me with two bows in each hand.  When she sat up, they were stuck to the bottom of her hands!  It was so cute - I wish I had my camera!  Here are a couple of pictures we took last night of Lottie reading her Christmas card she got from Grandma and Grandpa in England.  And of course, her love for the bows!

Steve and I can't wait for Christmas!!!  How about you?  Any plans for the holidays?

First Christmas Photos

OMG - don't you just want to pinch those cheeks!!!  These pictures were taken at Sears a couple of weeks ago.  The pics really highlight and show what a fun, sweet personality this child has.  She's such a doll!!  

9 Month Photos

These are Lottie's milestone photographs we had done at JC Penney.  Lottie was in a bit of a funky mood that day and it took all I could do to get her to smile.  I was picking her up, spinning her around and quickly putting her back down on the ground in hopes of getting a couple of smile shots. 

The things we do.............  :)

Enjoy!  How much do you love that hat????  So cute!  Both hat and matching sweater dress is from The Children's Place.

Lottie's First Thanksgiving

Happy Belated Thanksgiving!!!  Hope everyone had a great Turkey Day!  I know that I personally ate way TOO much (GROSS)!  I can't tell you how much I've really enjoyed being in the states these last two years for Thanksgiving.  It is my second favorite holiday behind Christmas! 

This year was especially special as it was Lottie's first taste of Thanksgiving!  Since her 9 month check up, the doctor suggested we start trying "real" food for her to taste and get used to such as mashed avocados, bananas, vegetable casserole, etc.  I've been trying to slowly introduce her to these foods and so far, she hasn't really taken a liking to them.  She loves her baby food (except for meat)!  I'm sure within the next couple of months, she will have gotten used to the food by then. 

Here is a recap of our Turkey Day!

Sitting down for breakfast (normally oatmeal/fruit)

We are trying to introduce the sippy cup as well, but she just picks it up and chews on the bottom of the cup or tries throwing it.  It's working out great so far!  :)

Outside on the deck helping Dad fry our turkey

Check out her shirt - it says My First Thanksgiving

Aunt Amy and Lottie playing in the bouncy chair

Our Turkey and the house Steve built around it to block the wind

Big girl - already pulling up and standing - almost ready to take off!  Yikes!

Lottie and Ms. Beverly

One of her many holiday dresses!

Her first taste of Sweet Potato Casserole made especially for her!  She hated it!!! Gagged & Coughed like crazy!

Never eating that again!

"Disgusted"  -  Mom - you know I'm a vegetarian!

What is that?

A new toy?

I've got it now!

Shortly after dinner, Lottie said her goodbyes and fell fast asleep.  She was tuckered out!  The rest of the weekend was spent hanging with family, a little black Friday shopping, eating, watching football, playing with Lottie and eating - did I mention that already? 

November 28 is always a special day - it is my grandma's birthday!  She turned 95 years old this year.  Unbelievable!  She is so inspiring and such a class act.  I love her to pieces and can't imagine her not with us.  On Saturday night, we celebrated her birthday!

Doesn't she look amazing???  She hardly has any wrinkles! 

My beautiful Grandma Patterson

Aunt Brenda with her b-day cake!

As I explained in my previous blog post, Lottie suffered with some serious CONSTIPATION this past week!  She went 4 days w/out pooing!  So.............  she got PRUNED to death.  Thank God, she likes baby food prunes because I think that along w/ a little help from a rectal thermometer (stimulation) helped her to finally go on Sunday!  Don't even ask!  :)

Her prune mustache!

Desperately trying to poo!  Poo face

I just want to say how thankful I am every Thanksgiving and especially this Thanksgiving for all of God's blessings in my life.  He gave me the most precious gift after praying so hard and I couldn't be more gracious.  He's also blessed me with a husband who not only looks after me but is a really GREAT dad!