Going from One Kid to Two...

Oh my gosh, my friend sent me this HILARIOUS post about what it's *really* like going from 1 kid to 2.  It is SPOT ON.  Thanks for the laugh, Mol!  http://www.chicagonow.com/baby-sideburns/2012/12/going-from-one-kid-to-two/

In particular, I loved these parts...

Feeding two kids is a bitch. Just when you’re all stoked because your firstborn can finally feed herself and you can go back to eating with two hands, an adorable little piranha comes along to chomp his way up your once again bleeding nips. And then when he can finally eat solids, he’s like, “I don’t give a rat’s ass if that’s what my sister liked. I’m going to pick totally different shit and make you figure it out all over again.” The only good news is you know how you used to cut blueberries in 16ths so your baby wouldn’t choke to death? When it comes to number 2, you’ll slap a whole rib-eye in front of him and let him go to town. 

So you have two choices. Stay home all day long like you’re Paris F’ing Hilton on house arrest because one of your kids is always napping, or go out and about your day as one of your kids is constantly exhausted and losing his shit in public. 

 I’ll bet you always thought it’d be awesome having two kiddos because they’d play with each other. Ehhh, wrong. They’ll play with each other, in like five years. For the first few years, your oldest will play with your youngest like a crazy ass killer whale plays with a seal in the surf.

Elfie is at it Again!

Day 6: He was annoyed that the tree was still bare so he started decorating...

Day 7: He made paper snowflakes...

Day 8: He hung from the mistletoe...

"Elfie" the Elf on the Shelf

Elfie, our elf on the shelf, has been quite mischievous so far!

Day 1: He got into Ella's stickers...

Day 2: He got stuck in a toilet paper roll and rolled down the stairs...

Day 3: He got into my lipstick, smeared it on his face and then wrote on the mirror...


Day 4: He tried to get a pancake for Ella and got stuck in the freezer...

Day 5: He read a stack of books...

Who knows what he has in store for the rest of the month!

Everett is ONE!

I waited to do Everett's one year post until his 1 year appointment so we would have his stats...

Height:  30" (50th percentile)
Weight: 19.12 lbs. (20th percentile)
Head 46.5" (75th percentile)

It's amazing he can even cruise without toppling over...my little lollipop!

Everett at one year:

• He loves to feed himself- does not like to be fed.
• He loves to eat, and gets CRANKY when he's hungry, which is a lot.
• He says "dada" (maybe in reference to Gary??), but that's about it.  It sounded like he said car a few times, but he's not even into cars at all so I doubt it.
• He loves chasing this one plastic ball, and he likes playing the "cat" piano, but those are about all the toys he cares about.
• He loves playing with Ella's kitchen- opening and closing all the doors...which is AWESOME because he hasn't even attempted to get into the real kitchen cabinets...woot woot!
• He stood for about 2 seconds at his birthday party, but other then that, he has not stood independently or tried to take even one step.
• He is adored by his sister (but also slightly abused by her!).  Payback will come soon. 
• He has the cutest smile in the world, and it makes me melt when I turn around in the car and smile at him, and he smiles right back. :)
• He has absolutely completed our family, and I can't imagine life without him!!!!!

Here Comes Santa Claus (?)

Can someone tell me what I did to my children to make both of them absolutely terrified of Santa?

This is our Santa photo for this year...

And this is the only shot I got of Ella...notice JACK next to her, not Santa.  That is because when we got to the front of the line, Ella turned around and RAN through the line of people, pushing one poor lady so hard that she nearly dropped her camera.  Fun times.

Everett's Nautical FIRST Birthday!

We had some of Everett's friends over for his Nautical first birthday party!  The original plan was to have everything outside, but due to a threat of rain, I had to move all the food inside (of course, it ended up being great weather).

Invitation...

Sweets/Snack Table...
(All the adorable paper goods are from The Paper Blossom Shop)

Oreo pops!  I used royal icing to do the anchors and dots.  The "stands" are floral foam blocks covered with wrapping paper...

My sugar cookies...

After I added the pasta salad...

The "boat" of goldfish...

Party hats and favors...

Monthly photos (made with Cricut cutter)...

These originally had toothpicks glued to the back so that I could stick them in the grass/dirt all along the flowerbeds, but thanks to the weather, I had to rip off all the toothpicks (that I spent a good 1.5 hours gluing on) and tape them all around the walls!

 

Centerpieces (boats made with Cricut cutter, baby food jars filled with water dyed with food coloring)...

"Wreath" on front door (from partyswizzle.com)...

I had these on each of the pilasters on the way in...

And this on the way out...

And the piece de resistance.  I asked my parents to make a simple ship using a refrigerator box for the kids to take pictures in. They couldn't find a refrigerator box so instead, my dad whipped this little number up...can you believe it?! I'm still so impressed!!!! Thanks dad!

Everett is always quite popular with the ladies. :)