Christmas 2011

What a wonderful 1st Christmas for Cora! Our weekend was filled with many family celebrations that reminded us of how blessed we truly are! Above all we are thankful that God gave us His Son so that we might have life.  Here is a recap in pictures . . 

First, our little celebration here in College Station  . . .

Memaw and Geda's Christmas Party . . .

Panna Maria Christmas . . .

Pawelek Family Christmas . . 

Fernandez Family Christmas . . .

Wita and Richard's Christmas . . .

Mim with her great granddaughters . . .

We look forward to celebrating the rest of the Christmas Season and hope you do the same!

Nutcracker 2011

This year we got to go to the twice!  We took Cora to the children's production at the library.  Hannah and Elizabeth came with us which was an added bonus!  She was totally mesmerized and sat through the whole thing!  Look at our little Christmas ballerina . . .

Later that night we met the Jaworskis so the girls could come over for a sleepover!  It was awesome having them here!

The next day we took the trip to San Antonio to see the real nutcracker with all the Snoga girls.  This was our first year to do it, but we hope it is a Christmas tradition that will stick! 

Cora stayed up late playing with her aunts and uncles.  They were harmonizing and singing her songs to try to lull her to sleep and it took until 1:30am! I guess she just didn't want to miss out on their beautiful musical stylings!  

9 Month Update

These chair pictures are getting harder and harder to take each month!  When I first put her in, she thought it was funny . . .

Hilarious, even .  . .

But she quickly started figuring out the safest way to get the heck out of there . . .

Free at last.  9 month stats . . . 29 inches long (98th percentile) 21 pounds (85th percentile) and healthy as an ox.  She has also taken up speed crawling.  She has followed the trend of the year and become a protester . . . of vegetables and occasionally sleeping.  I keep trying to hide her veggies in her fruit or yogurt, but she's no fool.  Her current play obsessions are books, anything that makes noise and my eyelashes.  She has started to hold up phones (and anything that merely resembles a phone) up to her ear and say "oooo"  Apparently I talk on the phone too much.  She is still a total cuddle bug and loves to be held all the time, which we love as well!  

We are constantly trying to find new ways to make her laugh because it is just the best sound in all the world.  She is getting into EV-ER-Y-THING all the time.  Our little Cora the Explora.  She is big on dancing right now.  Anytime she hears music from anywhere she starts bobbing her head and then she raises one arm and really gets into it.  Its hilarious.  She has GREAT rhythm (I need to calm my inner stage mom).  

All in all she is a wonderful baby.  She is our little parrot mimicking all of our sounds and actions.  I can't believe she is only three months away from her first birthday!!  We are cherishing every moment.  

Sawyer Beth Boening

On December 1st we were blessed with our tiny, precious little niece.  She is so amazing and beautiful!! We were just giddy to become an aunt and uncle for the first time.  Ever since Full House I have looked forward to the day I would become "Aunt Becky" and it is even better than I imagined!!  Tara and Barry are already such incredible parents.  And I am so looking forward to sharing the experience of raising a little girl with my big sister.  Their difference in age seems like a lot now, but in a couple of years I think these cousins will be two peas in pod!  Look at this adorable familia . . .

Aunt Becky and Uncle Mike!!!!

LOVE her!! . . . 

Dads with their girls . . .

We got to spend some time with them in Houston when they brought SBB home from the hospital!  The Udells also came for a visit which made for one of the most hilarious days between these little girl cousins to date.  Abigail is the kind of girl who has no fear, but we found her Achilles heel . . . . .

Big babies.  

Her and Cora played together just fine in the beginning and all was well until our "little" one got a case of the squeals (as she often does).  Abigail was terrified of her and her screeching.  At one point she even ran past her with high knees, crying, trying to avoid her and climbed up Melissa as fast as she could. But you might be a little scared too with this babyzilla coming after you . . . 

Hahahaha we were all crying we were laughing so hard.  I wish we would have recorded it!! And of course little angelic Sawyer slept through the whole thing. . . 

Our neice just made life even sweeter.  We love her so much and are looking forward to watching her grow up and being there for every step of the way!