Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree!

 Robert's First Christmas Tree!

This year there was a tree shortage in town (or maybe the state... I'm not sure!) so we had very slim pickings when it finally came time for us to select our tree but nonetheless we fell in love with this skinny, Charlie Brown fella and brought him home to love on the whole Christmas season. We ended up cutting a bunch off the bottom branches so it didn't look quite so bare and with added lights and ornaments it brought us so much joy this season. 

Our tree picking outfits! 

Quick plaid photo with Mama! 

Robert was very interested in the tree. Every morning when we came downstairs he would wave good morning to the tree.  His favorite ornament to pull off the branches was Dad's Ralphie ornament, which was actually perfect because it was plastic. We ended up keeping it off the tree and now it's new home is in Robert's toy basket.

A slow, comfy morning enjoying our tree while drinking coffee together and reading some books with Robert pictured below. I just love the Christmas season! The tree added so much "cozy" to our family room. We still don't have tons hung on the walls and every downstairs room is still painted cream, so the lights added a little needed warmth. We loved it! 

Robert Meets Santa!

 Earlier this December Rob and I met my siblings in Richmond with their kids to all see Santa together! Growing up we always went to see the Legendary Santa at Miller and Rhoads in downtown Richmond.  Now the Legendary Santa is hosted at the Children's Museum of Richmond. When I was little the same gentleman was Santa for almost 30 years so I remember it feeling very magical that every year we went it was the same Santa. 

Robert liked Santa! Due to Covid we weren't able to have Santa hold Robert but I think Robert was just fine sitting with Mom and Dad and looking up at the big guy from his bench. Santa was very sweet! He said that Robert had been a very good boy this year and both Rob and I said he really had been. The snow queen gave Robert a little snowflake, which we now have on our Christmas tree as a little memory. 

It is always so much fun being with the cousins! 

November 2021 Recap

 November was a month full of family and friends! We have so much to be thankful for.

This picture below is from a wonderful Fall Festival event that our church put on for the community. We were able to spend the majority of the night hanging with Chris, Katie and their kids. They had hot chocolate, hay rides, cake walks, food, and a photo booth. We are very grateful to be getting plugged back into a new church family. 

I got to spend the day with Charlie, Tripp, Ben and my parents on a school holiday while both Julie and Will had to work. We went to the playground and had a great lunch back at our house. 

Charlie, Tripp and Ben really wished that Robert owned a tie die onesie. They had deemed it tie die day! 

We did a mini family photo session! Jamie, a friend of mine from high school has started taking professional photos and was absolutely wonderful about meeting us on a freezing evening to take some family photos. Robert wasn't feeling great but was a champ the whole time.

Life is busy! Julie and I laugh because we now live in the same town but still find it incredibly hard to create time to see each other and catch up. So we created a November Wednesday tradition of Robert and I meeting her and her kids wherever they are on Wednesdays at 4:30pm. One time is was at Charlie's tennis practice but most times it ended up being at the Matthew Whaley playground. Now that it's colder out and schedules have changed we don't meet on Wednesday anymore but I will have sweet memories of us doing this for the month of November. 

Charlie is so sweet being the only girl with her two brothers and three boy cousins. She loves to hold Robert! 

Robert's first Christmas Tree! We got our tree as soon as we got home from Thanksgiving. There was a tree shortage this year, so we had very few to pick from. This one is a bit Charlie Brown at the bottom but we still love it all the same. 

Just some Robert and Mama selfies from the month. I love my little guy so much! 

Yes... even when he grabs my glasses. This was a fun "game" for about a week. 

Robert is 8 months old!

 Time is moving too fast! Our little man is already 8 months old. 

Let's see... some of his favorite toys are his cheetah stuff animal, his cars, good old fashion boxes, and his water mat. He loves his bath time and reading bedtime books with Dada. 

He's a funny little dude. He saw me taking this picture and was determined to get over to my phone. He got semi tangled up in the playmat but eventually he just took it down, haha. Beep, beep he's coming through!

(About) every morning this is his face when he see cheetah waiting for him downstairs. Pure joy! They're best buds! 

Dada hanging is the best! 

He loves to pull himself up on our chairs and coffee table. He has also started a little bit of a game where he crawls toward an outlet, our fireplace, or the carbon monoxide alarm in the kitchen then looks back at us and squeals because he knows that we are going to come "get him". We know it's now become a game to him and although we try not to laugh his squeal/giggle gets us every time. 

He loves eating bananas and eggs for breakfast. For lunch he eats turkey, string cheese and clementines and for dinner his favorites are broccoli, whatever Rob and I are eating or even some classic baby food. 

Below are just some of my favorite pictures/moments of him from this month. When it's not too cold we still frequently go to our neighborhood playground to swing. 

I can't see this picture without chuckling. This is at Matt & Rebekah's house. They gave us this outfit for him and we wanted to make sure we got him in it while we were visiting them. Good thing we did... he's literally busting out of it. I think him and Ralphie have similar feelings about their bunny outfits. 

My two dare devils (whew, my heart was beating fast) Robert loves to play with Dada! They do all the cool things! 😎

Seven Months, Six Months