first week home.

it seems like the first few days home from the hospital are the longest.

the hours creep by, and yet are somehow filled with things like nursing sessions, burping, spitting up, laundry, and changing sweet little diapers. 

if you're lucky perhaps you get a nap or a snack here or there. 

i like to think someday when my sister's family look back at pictures like these they'll somehow forget how tired we were when we took them; only that they were the sweet beginning hours of a new addition to a sweet family.

"look how much he loves me!" mimi said, right before i snapped this shot.

sometimes life is just the sweetest, you know?

brand new.

i feel like there's never been such a sweet baby in the history of the world.

of course, that's not the first time i've said this. when i held my first nephew for the first time i fell in love just as quickly. every time i hold a new baby i'm instantly wrapped around their tiny fingers, i can't help it. don't even get me started on my nieces.

  (what's that, little baby? you insist on crying unless i bounce in a very specific way making a shushing sound every 7.3 seconds ALL NIGHT LONG? i don't care if i can't stand up straight in the morning-- if it keeps you happy, i'll do it.) 

what is it about a brand new little baby that makes your heart melt? goodness those sweet little quivering lips kill me. the velvet soft skin. the nuzzles. !! the nuzzles! 

i can't handle it. i can't handle the sweetness of being an aunt. can you imagine how obsessed with my own baby i'm going to be? it's going to be nuts. look out world.

my baby keeps kicking me,
so i'm going to go to bed.

Brown Eyed (Chorus) Girl...

Love this little girl. 

Love spending my time with her, regardless if we're swinging,

being silly in the car,

or playing dress up.

But my favorite thing lately, is singing along to music.

Check out this video-- 

little girl loves to sing to the chorus of brown eyed girl 

(appropriate for the women in our family...)

If you look closely, you can see her getting really excited before the "sha-la-la-la" part comes. 

Hope this brightened your day as much as it did mine!

Happy Sunday.

One Year.

Little girl turned one this week.

Poor thing- she had to be woken up from a nap after getting some shots and then face a party. What a good little sport she was; I'd have been screaming the whole night. 

(Even though it was awesome.)

"Mom, there's an open flame right in front of me..."

My sister and I spent a ridiculous amount of time baking and preparing tasty treats. 

Four words, friends: all. so. worth. it.

Stayed up till 3am the night before to make this cake. I want to try to do a rainbow next...

Naomi had zero interest initially, 

but once she got a little taste, she became a little more open to it...

And those eyelashes haven't changed a bit, if you were wondering...

About halfway through the party, my sister and her husband did a sweet little tradition that one of their neighbors told them about. Here's how it works- You put three things in front of the baby at their one year birthday: money, rice, and a crayon. 

The tradition says that if the baby crawls towards the money, it means he or she will be especially prosperous. Should the baby crawl towards the rice, they are said to live an especially long and healthy life. Finally, if the baby crawls towards the crayon, they are said to be especially artistic (obviously this was the one I was hoping Mimi would choose...).

And she did. 

Atta girl, little artist. 

We were all clapping, I think she knew she picked a good one.

The presents came next- I couldn't believe how many gifts were given to this little girl! 

Popular already.

Since before she was born, I've been buying her little owl things- 

I couldn't resist when I found this little sippy cup at target.

Its adorable, but I was a little skeptical of how much mimi would like it. I wasn't sure how well the straw worked, and I worried it would just be something cute in the back of a cupboard. 

I was pretty thrilled when she wouldn't let it out of her sight for the rest of the evening.

Such a determined little baby...

In the end, the party was a huge success.

Beautifully decorated. 

Lots of attendance. 

Lots of sweets. 

Lots of gifts.

 

Isn't this little lamb cute? I'm not sure who gave it to her, but she loves it already.

Happy happy memories for this sweet family.

flying high...

You may not have known, but my nephew is in training to be a rocket engineer. 

Sure he may seem a little young to be studying such science.

But he seems to enjoy it so much, we don't discourage it.

I must admit: being an aunt is SO much more fun than I anticipated.

And forgive me for the silly placing of baby gabe as a superhero in an illustration of new york city. 

I simply could not help myself.

A superhero day to you all,

dear christmas 2011,

thank you for bringing us a white christmas. 

even though we're in texas.

thank you for bringing my sweet family together. 

including (perhaps especially) my sweet niece and nephew.

thank you for the unforgettable Christmas morning memories, full of pjs, giggles, and bad cases of bedhead.

(winner of best morning hair)

(grandma is singing a song. naomi is clapping along- and gabe seems a little confused...)

(gabe loves playing with anyone's toes. naomi does not like having her toes played with...)

thank you for giving me good reason to watch "Its a Wonderful Life". 

three times. 

so far. 

I cry every time, but thanks just the same.

thank you for another holiday season with my handsome sweet husband. 

can not believe its our third christmas as a married couple.

2011 Christmas- you're my favorite Christmas so far.

Be sure to have an extra thank you in your prayers tonight, friends. 

A lovely Christmas to you all.