Christmas Time

As our family prepares to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, I am struggling to make sure my kiddos truly know the true meaning of Christmas. I love watching them get excited about their new presents and dressing them up in adorable Christmas clothes; however, how am I, as their mother, making an impact on how they view Christmas. Both boys know that we celebrate Christmas because it is Jesus' birthday. Maddox seems to understand that Jesus came to save us by dying on a cross and coming back. He knows we all make mistakes and we all need the Grace of Christ.
Grace, I suppose, is what I hope to teach my kiddos the most right now. Grace. True Grace. We are teaching that Santa comes to remind us about Jesus' birthday. He brings us presents so we can all celebrate together! We are also teaching that Santa shows us Grace because we cannot be "good" all the time, and yet he still brings us gifts just as Christ did for us. We do not deserve the presents and yet we receive them anyway. I want my kiddos to know that they are loved ALL the time and that Christ came to save them and shower them with gifts that we do not deserve!!!

I pray the Lord gives me the guidance and wisdom to teach our little trio the true meaning of Christmas and I hope I help create lasting super fun memories along the way!!!

Polar Express

We started off the month of December by going on the Polar Express. My mom has been so gracious and generous to provide all of us with such a fun tradition and the kiddos just love it! This was the first year Paxton has gone and he really enjoyed the train and was not too sure what to think about Santa or his elves; but we were all very pleased that he did not have a full meltdown with Jolly ol Man himself!!

Maddox of course just chatted it up with the man in red and his helpers and he loved it all! Both boys favorite parts were eating cookies, drinking hot chocolate and receiving a new silver bell to ring and place on the Christmas tree! Aunt Kim joined us this year and it was so much fun having her there with us! The boys (and I) absolutely adore her!!

Aunt Kim and Maddox enjoying some hot chocolate and whipped cream

Sweet Paxton in his train Pj's riding on the train!

Deep conversation with the Elf

Maddox and the conductor

Jolly ol St. Nick, Maddox, a cookie and a bell=one happy little boy

"Hi Santa, for Christmas  I would like Hulk hands and a Spider man Web Shooter"

Ringing a bell and snugglin with GiGi

Oh Paxton, you are perfecting that stink eye! Ha

Little Miss Harper Grace went to dinner with us before the train ride and then she and Daddy went on a date to Gander Mountain and Academy!!! She was all decked out in her Christmas get-up as well!!

5 Month Stats

This precious baby had her 5 month well check appointment on Wednesday. She is growing right on track and is meeting all her developmental milestones just as she should. She had all the nurses and the doctor wrapped around her tiny little finger as she smiled and "talked" to them. She seriously is the sweetest baby I know!

At 5 months old Harper weighs 14.5 pounds and is 24.8 inches long. She is in the 40th percentile for weight and the 60th percentile for height. (It is very different for us to have a baby that for now is longer than she is wide...ha...the boys were such chunky babies! Ha) I do not remember her head circumference measurement but I do know it was in the 70th percentile and they measured it twice to make sure they were correct. What can I say, our kiddos need a lot of head space for all those brains!!

They said we can most definitely start her on solids, but I just don't think I am ready for that. I believe we will wait until she is closer to 6 months old because both boys had such a hard time with their digestive system and Harper still struggles with painful gas and tummy aches. I just want to allow her tummy the opportunity to grow and finish developing, I keep reminding myself that her digestive system is a full month behind and it needs time to catch up; therefore, we are in no rush to start all the solids for now!!

Oh sweet Harper Grace, we are so blessed that you are so healthy and growing and developing exactly as you should! You are perfect to us and we love watching you grow. 

December?

Oh the weather outside is frightful  absolutely delightful!!! 

I cannot believe it is December and we were outside riding bikes in short sleeved shirts basking in the sun!

Harper enjoyed watching the boys play

EEEK! I could just eat her up with a spoon. Such a smiley little girl!