new family traditions

this weekend we started a new family tradition.  i know you are a little young to remember these traditions, but it is important to your dad and i that we have family traditions that you grow up remembering.  this year we decided to start the tradition of cutting down our christmas tree.  this was something i did as a kid and looked forward to it every year.  i still have such vivid memories of that day and i will always cherish those memories.  i hope you will too, one day.  

we went to richardson's family tree farm in spring grove, il.... not as far as i was expecting!  you and i both napped on the way there AND on the way back.. silence for daddy :) 

we took a hay ride out to the trees and searched high and low for the perfect tree!  it was hard because almost ALL of the trees were perfect! you wanted to get down and walk so bad, but it was wayyyyy too muddy!  

after we cut down our tree we went inside to warm up with some hot chocolate.  i gave you a sip after it cooled down but you were not a fan!  i wonder if you will dislike chocolate just like i did when i was young?? you haven't liked any other chocolate things i've given you a taste of yet! 

not really sure what to think of the bumpy wagon ride!

watching daddy being MANLY!

our perfect tree!

sitting right in the mud...

woah... 

now you're happy on the wagon! 

2014 georgalas family tree cutting.. i'm the only smart one with sunglasses :) 

another new family tradition i started this year was our advent calendar.  i know once again, you are way too young for this to make any sense to you, but i wanted to remind you and us about the idea of giving around the holidays.  the sense of giving and family is so very important to me and i want you to always remember that during this season.  our advent calendar has things on there that remind us to do things for others.  we have had a fun time making crafts to give to people, bringing people a hot coffee when they least expect it, and having festive meals just the 3 of us!  

santa sheets & christmas jammies! ready for the season!

our advent calendar...handmade :) 

snowman pancakes for dinner

 and just because you're too darn cute... !!

thanksgiving 2014

here is our thanksgiving in pictures...

we spent the first part of the day eating homemade cinnamon rolls, watching the macy's thanksgiving day parade & playing with uncle kyle.

then we headed over to gigi & grandpa's for a long nap & a delicious meal...you loved the turkey and stuffing (just like mama!)

just woke up from a nap! 

kisses from uncle mike

push ups with uncle mike

basketball! you were so excited to find a "ball"!

then we headed over to grandma & papa's for dessert & games.. 

my two favorite people in the whole world 

the peterson side of the family 

on friday, we headed out to do some black friday shopping!  you were such a trooper and did SO well! 

my favorite shopping partner!

15 months

dear nora,

you are now 15 months old!! these posts are getting hard to keep up with, so i think i'll only post every 3 months now... not much changes day to day, yet everything changes day to day! 

we took you to do the doctor the day before and you weigh 21 lbs and are 31 inches long!  you are growing so fast!  you got 3 shots and we found out you had another ear infection... it seems like you've been sick SO much this fall... i'm hoping for a better winter. 

you have 12 teeth and love to take bites of food now.. you get so mad when i cut things into little pieces, as if to say "I'm not a baby anymore!"  you are working so hard at feeding yourself and love to use a spoon or fork any chance you get. your favorite foods these days are clementines, waffles, mac n cheese, kix, and you're back on a puffs kick.  no veggies--i have to sneak them in :) 

you are saying so many words these days, too!  you say a few more animal sounds; "neigh", "moo", (and still the woof woof, ah ah for monkey)

wawa for water, off, eat bye bye, yessshh, papa, down, up, hot while waving your hand in front of the hot item... and all the other words you've been saying for awhile, too.  i'm sure there are more but i can't think of them all now! you are repeating everything we are saying (watch out!) and have a lot of approximations for words

the new thing you started doing this month is getting a diaper, the wipes package, and laying down for us to change you.  if we ask you if you have stinkies, you scrunch your nose and wave your hand and giggle.  it's pretty cute :)  potty training anyone?!?!

you go up and down the slide on your own, you can get on and off your horse on your own, you can get up into your anywhere chair on your own... you even climbed into our bed on your own, too!  you are quite the monkey!  gymnastics class soon?! 

this past month we were mostly busy with life happenings... dinners with friends, a quick trip to see santa (and didn't wait in the long cold line...oops!), lots of sleepovers at gigi & grandpas house AND grandma & papa's house... thanks to a non-working furnace and freezing cold temps! 

we love you to the moon and back, boo! 

xoxo

mom & dad

here are some pictures from our past month! 

picnic in the living room! 

sick baby :(

tired babe

playing with daddy

putting everything you can find in the car seat

i guess you're ready for a diaper change! 

special pancake breakfast...followed by a bath...

you love kate!

just chillin' on the dog bed by the fire

big girls are the coolest!

doing yoga with mommy

eating like a big girl! 

Halloween 2014

dear nora,

woah, we have been so busy!  here is our halloween season in pictures... 

nora & the pumpkins

halloween 2014

boo at the zoo 2014

nora & daddy -- he makes a good "girl" ;) 

mama & mini matching t's 

 (take 2)

silly girl 

reading halloween books from aunt kristen! 

so happy! 

you were a puppy for halloween and were not a fan of the puppy ears.  you were also on day 4 of a high fever, so this wasn't the best halloween in the books!  oh well...there's always next year!

not so happy puppy 

puppy 1 and puppy 2 :) 

happy halloween! 

we love our little puppy!

xoxo

mama & dada