Thanksgiving and Surprises!

I have thought about catching up on our blogs for weeks, but I am just now sitting down to write. And I am mostly doing it now because Christmas is next weekend, and I don't want to be so far behind that I can't remember the difference between the two holidays! We went back up to Virginia for Thanksgiving, which the kids loved, but Doug and I felt completely worn out! We had already been in New York the week before, and we were going on vacation the week after Thanksgiving, so this was definitely a lot to handle, but we really thought it was worth it. Every year, my family goes out on the Dandy, on the Potomac River, to celebrate the holiday. And, every year, we get this silly picture taken in front of the boat. Surprisingly enough, most years this picture has actually turned out great! This year, not so much... It is the memory that counts, not what the actual picture looks like, and that is what I will keep telling myself! :)

When we got back from Virginia, we frantically started throwing up Christmas decorations. We did the best we could at the time, but the truth is, we didn't actually manage to get our real tree up until this past Monday! We had a super special surprise in the mail, though! While we have been scrambling to get ready for Christmas, Santa has also been putting in a few extra hours up in the North Pole to write letters to Trey and Carrington! He assured them that they have been good boys and girls, and that he will be making a visit to them real soon! :)LOVED getting this in the mail!

Doug and I spent a few days in Mexico, to celebrate our anniversary, and it was wonderful. We wouldn't and couldn't have changed anything to make this vacation any more perfect. The weather was amazing, the resort was unbelievable, the staff and room were to die for, it was really the best few days! The only downside is that we missed Trey and Carrington so much, I actually physically hurt. I wanted to call them all the time (but Doug wouldn't let me) and I was devastated when we couldn't get the Skype working (the WiFi in our room was spotty, at best). Luckily, Grandma was able to come and stay with the kids while we were gone, and we knew they were in good hands, but it didn't make being away from them any easier. Grandma spoiled them like crazy- going on toy trips to Target and Toys R Us, and taking them over to play with Uncle Adam, Aunt Shannon, and Allie. Trey was talking about Uncle Adam for days! :)

When we got back, I took Trey to get his hair cut. This is not unusual (we go once a month), but this time, the lady literally cut off ALL his hair! When we got there, she said to me, "a 4 and a 6, right?"- I have no idea what this means, so I respond by saying, "whatever is in the computer, whatever they always do is great!". Next thing I know, she took out her clippers and shaved his head! She saw the look on my face, and knew that this was NOT what we always do, and NOT what I had in mind, but at that point, it was just too late. I had to admit, it doesn't look too bad, but Trey looks like he is 5 years old, and I miss his little baby hair. But, it's only a haircut, and hair does grow back...

Ok, now to the milestones of today- Trey is IN LOVE with Dora the Explorer. This is a completely new thing for us. Up until this point, Trey's obsession has been exclusively Yo Gabba Gabba. Dora is new and he asks about it constantly, which is kind of nice, since it gives us a small break from Yo Gabba (although he still loves that too). I'm secretly excited about the new Yo Gabba Gabba episode coming on television this Sunday. Tori Spelling is going to be a guest, and I love her! Finally, Trey and I both are excited about a Yo Gabba Gabba show!

Carrington is 100% fully walking- no crawling pretty much at all. She is growing like a little weed, and I can tell that she is definitely getting taller! She cracks me up all the time- her sense of humor is hilarious! She loves playing hide and seek with Trey and her Daddy, and her favorite food of all is pasta. She is definitely like her Mama! :)

We have a great routine with school and Miss Jean's house- the kids are at preschool from 9am to 1pm on Monday, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and they go to Miss Jean's all day on Tuesday and Thursday. This routine is working out WONDERFUL for us, and I couldn't be more grateful for all the fantastic people in our lives! That's all I'm going to pack into this post! I have more to write about Trey's school Christmas program and more, but I'm going to go into those details later!

Life Before the Holidays!

We have been busy, busy, busy! We spent this past weekend in New York for my grandma's 90th birthday! It was a lot of work only going up for the weekend, but you only turn 90 once, right? This trip was Carrington's very first plane ride, and she did fantastic! Trey was much more of a challenge. He did NOT want to stay buckled when the plane took off, he did NOT want to stay in his seat for an entire hour, he did NOT want to use both hands when drinking his apple juice out of the cup (with ice) that the flight attendent gave him- and just so we are clear, Trey managed to spill his cup of juice on all 4 flights we took this weekend. Trey also did NOT want to keep the tray in it's upright position during take off and landing. Trey did NOT want to stop kicking the seat in front of him. You get the picture, right? You are probably wondering why we even continued to allow him to have juice on every flight, in an adult cup, with ice. Let's just say that if we didn't let him have this, the alternative would have been very, very bad, so instead we gave in and dealt with wet, apple smelling clothes. Honestly, Trey wasn't that bad, it's just that he has a definite opinion about everything now, and he doesn't understand that things aren't always the way we want them. My personal favorite plane trip moment: When Trey announced, at the top of his lungs, that his "bum-bum hurt and he needs to poo-poo and have cream" (FYI- cream is Desitin, in case you were totally grossed out). I'm sure everyone was thrilled to hear that. Everything went fairly smoothly- we almost missed our connection in Philadelphia and had to literally sprint through the airport to not miss our flight, when they changed our gate at the last minute. And Doug forgot which long term lot he parked in at Charlotte, and we wandered around the dark, empty airport parking lots until we found our car at 12:30 in the morning...

But staying at Grammy and Papa's house was a lot of fun! Trey and Carrington got to play outside, and the weather was beautiful! Doug spent all day Saturday hunting, and although he didn't kill any deer, he did have a "close one", so the thrill of the hunt was a success. Mom and Dad also drove us by the church where they got married, and it was so pretty, I had to get out and snap a few pictures. Grandma's birthday party was nice- it's tough asking 2 children under 2 to stay nice and happy for 3 straight hours, so that was a little bit of a challenge. The best part was definitely getting to see Uncle Brian and Aunt Kristyn!

So, today we are back to trying to find our routine for this short week. We forced ourselves to fly back to Charlotte late on Sunday, because today was Trey's Thanksgiving Feast and Thanksgiving performance. I was so excited about this, and Doug was even able to leave work to watch the play. Unfortunately, Trey took one look at his Daddy and wanted NOTHING to do with singing and performing on the stage with his classmates, so I only managed to get one picture before Trey cried and got down. :( I was really bummed, but what can you do? Trey LOVES his Daddy, big time! The songs were super adorable, and the kids did a fantastic job!

Other things happening in our lives... Trey took off all his clothes and bent in front of the fireplace the other night. When I asked him what the heck he was doing, he said: "I'm warming up my bum-bum". Well... OK. He definitely learned that from his dad! He is still in a major hot dog phase and wants them for every meal of the day. This past weekend, we didn't have any hotdogs, and in the airport on Sunday, he leaned over and told the pilot on the airport shuttle that he "likes hot dogs a lot and wants hot dogs for dinner". The pilot was so nice, and assured Trey that they sell hotdogs at the airport.

Carrington has a rash all over her face, and the doctor has continued to tell us this is just from the moisture, but the rash has started spreading up near her eyes, and I really think it is some sort of allergy. We are going to try and make an appt. this week, before we head back up to Virginia for Thanksgiving. Carrington is also walking like a pro, and loving life! She is so cute when she walks, with her arms outstretched, trying to find her balance. I forgot how adorable this stage is. She is eating everything- she loves food, but her favorite is definitely peanut butter and jelly!

We are all looking forward to the coming weeks- it's going to be crazy but fun! Our total visitor count for Christmas is 13, so including our family of 4, we will have 17 people staying in the house!!!! I'm SO excited! :) Doug and I are looking forward to a mini-vacation in Mexico for our anniversary, and we are heading to Virginia this week. Like I said- lot's of fun coming up!

Walking Like a Big Girl!

I wish I had a better video to show off Carrington's walking skills- or even a video that actually showed her cute little face, but this is all I've got! Enjoy watching her baby bootie GO! :)

Halloween 2011 and a 1 Year Well Check

Halloween this year was so much fun! Since we had already been to a few Halloween parties, he totally understood what needed to be done: Wear his hat, look cute, say "trick or treat", and GET CANDY! There was no question about it, Trey was a pro!

We woke up that morning and put on our daytime Halloween clothes, for school. They were both tolerant of me taking pictures- Trey was in an especially loving mood towards Carrington. She, on the other hand, didn't really want Trey hugging and kissing all over her, but she had no choice. They looked adorable! Another piece of good news that day- when I picked Trey up from school, he got a sticker! This may not seem like a big deal to everyone, but Trey hasn't been very good at school lately, and I don't think he's come home with a sticker in weeks. So, YAY for being a good boy!!!!

After school, we headed to the doctor for Carrington's 1 year well check. Carrington had decided the night before (Oct. 30th) to walk for the first time. Up to that point, she hadn't been the least bit interested. As we were sitting on the couch watching Bridesmaids (I know, not the most kid-appropriate movie), I looked over at her playing at the toybox, and she picked up her sippy cup, stood up and walked over the couch! I KNEW she secretly knew how, and I was thrilled that Doug and I were both there to watch! Anyways, I was excited to show Dr. Lods her new skills at the appt. Carrington was great at the doctor's, and only cried for a few seconds during the shots, and she didn't cry at all when they did a blood sample and pricked her finger. Trey was much more concerned, and patted her head saying "Oh no- you need a bandaid!" Trey also got a sticker and a bandaid (the bandaid wasn't because he got a shot, it was only because he really likes bandaids) after they gave him the flu vaccine. I was surprised that the flu vaccine isn't a shot anymore, if you are 2 or older- it is nasal spray! Weird!

Carrington's stats at her 1 year checkup:
Weight- 18 pounds, 7 ounces: 11th percentile
Height- 29 inches: 48th percentile
Head- 45: 49th percentile

Trey, at this same age, his 1 year checkup:
Weight- 20 pounds, 6 ounces: 25th percentile
Height- 28 1/2 inches: 25th percentile
Head- 45 3/4: 40th percentile

Carrington is still quite a bit smaller than Trey was, but neither one of them are/were especially large!

When we got home, Carrington went down for a nice, long nap, and Trey got geared up for his big night of "getting candies". Of course- a toddler's dream! :) When Doug got home from work, we raced through dinner, and the kids headed upstairs to put on their costumes! Trey was a farmer, and ADORABLE, and Carrington was a cow- SO CUTE!!! Every farmer needs a trusty cow, right? They looked precious, and were all set! Doug got them loaded up in the wagon, I took pictures, and off they went. We decided that I would stay and hand out candy, while Doug went trick or treating. They were out for a solid 2 hours, and Doug said Trey loved every second of it! The only time Trey cried was when his trick or treat bag got too heavy and Doug would try to empty some of it out into Carrington's bag. I think Trey thought Carrington would steal all his treats! Carrington's poor little baby hands were freezing by the end, but they had a blast. Trey was so excited, that at a few doors, he would get candy and then try to go into people's homes to look for more, and Doug had to go after him! I told you- the kid loves getting candies! :)

It was a great night, and I'm pretty sure this holiday is one of Trey's favorites!

Carrington's 1 Year BIRTHDAY!!!!

Our sweet little baby girl is 1 years old!!!! She is the sweetest, funniest, little girl ever :). For her birthday, I wanted to make it extra special and fun, but I didn't want to throw a huge party. When I told my brother this, he made me feel awful, since we went all out for Trey's first birthday, so I made up my mind to make her day super fabulous, "Family Style".

My take on a family birthday goes a little something like this... My Mom and Dad, Grammy and Papa, and Uncle Brian and Aunt Kristyn all came down to visit on Friday (Carrington's birthday was Saturday, Oct. 29th). So, for invitations, I put a handmade invite in each person's bedroom, inviting them to the party the next morning. It included the theme (Sunshine), the date (Sat. Oct 29th), the time (9am), and location (DeEsch Dining Room). We missed the DeEsch side of the family a TON, but I'm hoping to do something special with all of them soon! We missed you all: Uncle Adam, Aunt Shannon, Allie, Uncle Brian, Aunt Melissa, Rylee, Grandma, Grandpa, and Aunt Nancy!

Theme? That's the easy part- Carrington is most definitely the light of our lives, and the theme was "Bright as the SUN, our little Carrington is turning 1!" Decorations? Pictures of the birthday girl, fun colors of yellow and hot pink (the table cloth is actually just a scrap of fabric from the fabric store), and a birthday banner (Serendipity).

Cake? You betcha! An adorable Sunshine cake (flavor- sprinkles with white chocolate filling), and cupcakes from Just Baked Cupcakes, with adorable cupcake toppers (again, Serendipity). I was bound and determined to make this party a SUCCESS!

Games? Of course! Just because we don't have a bunch of screaming 1 and 2 year olds doesn't mean we need to skip games and prizes :). I stole this idea from Aunt Shannon and Uncle Adam (I LOVED it at Allie's birthday), and played a little game of "Guess My Age", with a Starbucks gift card prize. I even made Doug play (to see how well he would do), and he did NOT win! The big winners were Uncle Brian and Aunt Kristyn (they played individually, sort of- I'm pretty sure there was some cheating going on) but since they both only missed 2, they got to share the prize.

Food? Breakfast, Carrington's favorite meal of the day! We served French Toast Casserole, fruit kabobs, sausage biscuits, deviled eggs, yogurt and granola, and raspberry lemonade. It was delish! :) This also made it easy for all of our party guests to show up on time- you KNEW they were going to be hungry!

After breakfast we opened gifts- Carrington got a beautiful growth chart (pictures will come this week) from Uncle Brian and Aunt Kristyn, plus a gorgeous children's book. She got LOTS and LOTS of clothes (I think she got 4 pairs of tights, 4 new dresses, 3 new shoes, a jacket, 6 new sweaters- and that is just what I can remember!). I've said it before, but my kids will NEVER go naked with a NaniJay and Grammy in their lives! Carrington also got an adorable baby doll from Grammy and Papa. I can honestly say that she was completely spoiled.

Here's the funniest part of the whole day- Carrington had 4 outfit changes!!! What a DIVA! Actually, Carrington is much more tomboy than girly, but she really did change 4 times. First her party dress, and then she tried on one of her birthday gift dresses, her birthday play clothes, and then there was a "wardrobe malfunction" with diaper issues, and she had to change into a new birthday outfit play clothes. My mom also decided to make her try on her snowsuit bunting from last year, just to see if it fit, and of course jammies at the end of the night. The girl was DONE changing by the end of the day! :)

She also "bonked" her poor little self 3 times on her birthday! She had a lamp fall on her little head (I don't think it actually hit her, but it sure scared her), NaniJay tripped over her (pretty hard!), and she fell backwards on hit the back of her head. She really is a little climber, and manages to get into everything! I am very surprised, since I KNOW she is capable of doing it, but she is not walking yet! No matter how hard we try, she just won't! It's hilarious to try and make her, but Carrington is a stubborn little thing, and she will NOT walk until she is good and ready. In the meantime, she is happy crawling her way through life.

All in all, it was a wonderful day, and I hope that she had a great birthday- or at least I hope she looks back at the pictures one day and will know that her Mommy, Daddy, and Brother love her very, very much and wanted to make her first extra special in every way possible. Trey is so sweet, and he calls her "Baby Sweetheart", and the name couldn't be more fitting- she truly is our little baby sweetheart.