magical.

I now understand and totally appreciate all of the effort, time, money, and long nights that my parents put forth to make our Christmases so special growing up.  it is so much more fun and magical having our own children!

scott and i were both off  work the thursday and friday leading up to christmas, which was the most fun part – 2 entire days to devote to jack and emma and just having fun with NO TRAVELING!  scott made yummy breakfasts every day (huevos rancheros, goat cheese/spinach omelets, and then french toast!), we played, went to zoo lights, took naps, drove around with popcorn to see xmas lights, snuggled, took walks out in the snow, ran errands…it was awesome.

scott’s extraordinary bkfasts – day one:  huevos rancheros

zoolights 2010

christmas eve we went to the family church service and we were so proud of jack – he voluntarily walked up to the alter  without hesitation to sing (he just stood there) with the rest of the kids!  it was too cute and made me realize how much he really is growing up.  we then came home, had pizza (duh, it is friday night), watched polar express (an early gift from emma and i to jack and daddy – they LOVE IT), set out brownies (no pudge brand for momma) and carrots for santa/reindeer and off to bed!  scott and i then had a great night together wrapping gifts, watching blind side (awesome), and having some drinks!

santa hard at work 

making santa’s brownies… 

ready for santa!

 

words don’t do jack’s excitement justice.  enjoy the photos from our special days together as a foursome.  emma enjoyed the hub-bub, and jack was very, very excited and grateful for all of his gifts.  his favorite gifts were his bike (obviously!), his super why talking doll, electronic drum sticks, and soccer ball.  Emma was kissing on her Lucy Doll, liked her staking cups, and pretty much just loved climbing over all the boxes! 

the view from our condo on xmas morning…so pretty!

emma checked out the scene before jack woke up

scott insisted on wrapping the bike – but jack ran out and said “hey, where’s my bike?”  so him.

  so excited.

lucy!

jack wanted to get emma a “princess book” – they loved reading it together

checking out santa’s “footprints” with his new lantern – AKA flour

happy girl on xmas morning 

playing their bean bag toss game

jack enjoying in the AFTERMATH

all ready to go to grandma and pops for round 4!

i just got home from libertyville (mommy gets to go back to work), where we have been celebrating with scott’s family and all the cousins for the past 4 days…fun times were had – more on that later!

Again, it was so fun and magical to experience christmas through the eyes of a child – I will never forget Jack walking up to the alter at church or his love of watching The Polar Express with his Daddy.  So special and fills my heart with PURE JOY!

Merry Christmas from The Waltis

Much {love} to you all!

EGW – 8 months old?!

How did my 2010 BABY girl get so big?!  EGW turned 8 months old last week!

I keep begging her to stay a baby, but she just isn’t listening!

 

Jack & I seriously tried to get her to sit still for 15 minutes, but our little wiggle-worm would NOT stop standing for anything!  So…this is what you get for her 8 month portrait!  :-)

Our little girl is just so delightful…she is now saying MAMA (yay!), giving kisses, snuggling on command (“Snuggle” and she puts her head on my shoulder = ADORABLE) crawling (still loves to army crawl, but getting better at “real” crawling, transitioning from crawl to sit on her own, PULLING UP ON EVERYTHING AND CRUISING and is now also signing “more!”

She really likes playing with anything that makes music, can be banged together or chewed on (No teeth yet, but I think she is close), and opens or closes.  Emma is very snuggly and is a GREAT EATER like her older brother – favorites include pears, yogurt, whole bananas, toast, and PUFFS.

Emma and Jack are definitely starting to interact more and more and it is adorable (unless she steals one of his toys).  She really liked opening gifts and the bows (DUH) at my parents homes this past weekend and I’m sure will be super cute on Christmas morning.  Emma has been VERY attached to Mommy lately, and I have to admit that I love it…

 

It isn’t all cherries and roses, however.  Emma DOES NOT LIKE TO SLEEP.  She goes down okay (and has cried herself to sleep and soothed successfully), but 99% of the time, she wakes up around 9pm, then again around midnight, and ends up in our bed around 3am.  Last night she SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT – Hurrah!  I’m trying not to make excuses for her, but I honestly think the poor gal has had a cold/sinus infection for the past 5 of 6 months, so that probably has something to do with it on top of her nasal hemangioma and inability to breathe out of one nostril.  She is on another higher-dose of antibiotics this week for another sinus infection, so we are hoping for a turn-around in sleep for 2011!

And I swear she smiles – it is just hard to catch!  :-)

**Don’t you LOVE how the bows are looking in her longer hair?  :-)  I am expecting an order of 40 more bows from a friend this week for her stocking stuffers!  AHHHHH!!!!!!!!

 

Happy 8 month Birthday, my Happy, Sweet, and Beautiful Emma Grace!

spoiled rotten

…seriously.

I think Jack is on Christmas overload after this past weekend with Grammy, Gpa Dale, Uncle Heath, Pappaw and Nana Knowling and Aunt Kitten.

He is a combination of SAD that he is back home and not having all that fun, and worn out from all of the SPOILAGE (and very few naps)!

We had a great time in Indiana, and though it was a quick long weekend trip, we got some great quality time with everyone in.

playing in the snow at Grammys – such a nice boy, he helped dig out their 80 year old neighbor’s sidewalk – the boy LOVES a good shovel!

Emma is fascinated by all of the pretty wrappings – do you SEE that pile of gifts?  80% were for two little kids…

fun with Daddy 

we brought out Uncle Heath’s old Lincoln Logs 

Jack and Emma were both obsessed with Uncle Heath – Jack couldn’t get enough

  good family shot

with their “Sing-A-Ma-Jigs” from Uncle Heath

Hundreds of $$ spent, and what does Jack proclaim is his favorite gift?  a $1 whistle…go figure. 

THANK YOU so much to everyone for their extreme generosity towards all of us, but especially Jack and Emma – they LOVE all of their new toys and we all thank you for fun things to play with inside during these dreaded Chicago months to come!

playing with Pappaw Knowling

annual Green Wreaths with Nana and Kitten (my favorite!) 

…and suddenly my little sister is a TWEEN 

Emma, I think you have something on your face…

so excited about his Lightening McQueen Laptop! 

and Emma loves her new train from Pappaw! 

 

More fun continues with SANTA visits this week and then on to Libertyville to celebrate all next week with the Walti’s…I LOVE THIS TIME OF YEAR!

…I cannot wait to see the look on Jack’s face Christmas morning…

fun holiday happenings

Jack’s Reply: “Mom, Santa KNEW MY NAME!”

Emma’s Reply:  “Katie, what in the $*@! are you doing to me!?”

Super Pumped about his Thomas book from Santa at Moms, Pops, and Tots 

Lots of holiday crafts at Katie School – And Emma’s first “project!” 

Jack’s list as read to me

The finished product (minus half of my precious vintage glass ornaments for fear they will not survive) with a cute, crawling baby

Loving his advent calendar – and he is even picking out the numbers (mostly) by himself! (And YES, he finally got a haircut and looks about 14)

Holiday Sequencing

 Starting a tradition of tracing the kids hands on the underside of our tree skirt – it will be so fun to see in 20 years!  :-)