Walking Santa

Brady is walking nonstop now!  We can't get over him being a little walker!

Walking!!! :-)

Brady had been consistently taking one or two steps at a time, but yesterday I saw him take three steps, then Dan & Tyler saw him take five steps, and tonight, he took 12 steps, then walked for this video!

This video couldn't be more perfect for a few reasons...

1.  His excitement reaching me at the end is maybe the cutest thing I've ever seen in my life

2.  I can so rarely take a photo or video that doesn't have a nursing pillow in the background

3.  His pajamas aren't buttoned, which is typical

4.  I couldn't live without the playpen

5.  Our Christmas baby is walking in front of our Christmas tree!  Love :-)

Catching Up

2016 is winding down, and while we have very exciting days coming up (Brady's 1st birthday and Christmas!) I couldn't be more excited about 2017.  This year has been so wonderful having Brady with us, but it was definitely the most exhausting year we've ever had!  Going into 2016, we had no idea we'd be selling Dan's condo or that I'd have such a hard time keeping up with my photography business!  I've been thinking a lot lately about next year and how I want to simplify things as much as possible.  One thing I plan to do is to take fewer photos!  (Dan doesn't think it'll be possible!)  I don't even want to know how many photos I have taken this year!  It hit me recently that at least half of all of the photos I have of Brady were taken in his nursery or our kitchen!  :-)  Overall, we're hoping next year will be less hectic.

Tyler loved having jersey day at school (he wore his Carolina Panthers shirt underneath his jersey!)  He also loved taking a trip to his favorite indoor playground with Dan.  :-)  Dan and I loved going on a date (in his mustang!) to Five Guys, Party City, and Target.  :-)  It's amazing how dates change once you have children!  The next few weeks are going to be very busy, but fun, & we can't wait to celebrate Christmas and our Brady's 1st Birthday!  :-)

Thanksgiving :-)

My parents always do such an amazing job making Thanksgiving so wonderful!  We love going to their house each year and feel so lucky!  The food is always delicious (my sister-in-law always makes my favorite pumpkin dessert!) and this year we were excited to be able to watch a Redskins vs. Cowboys game!  Tyler had so much fun playing with his cousins!  I am always in charge of taking photos and making the place cards.  This year we used place cards from last year, and I forgot to add one for Brady!  My parents made him one and we also included one for my brother, Steven, even though he lives in Denver.  We can't wait to see him at Christmas!

I was so happy to see this photo of Sydney on my parent's fridge.  It's from Thanksgiving day years ago, when I didn't have children to dress up, so I would dress up my dog.  We love Sydney and miss him!

Tyler had a giggle fit during Thanksgiving dinner because he said Brady kept throwing things on the floor.  :-)  We were all excited to see Brady eat so well during his first Thanksgiving dinner!

Thanksgiving Morning

Tyler enjoyed watching some of the Thanksgiving parade this year!  He had even more fun playing checkers with Dan.  :-)  We were so excited for Brady's first Thanksgiving (his last first holiday!)  :-)

We've enjoyed having Tyler's fall artwork and family pictures on the fridge!

I said, "Tyler, you're thankful for fire??!" and he said, "Fire Department" :-)

Brady loves looking through photo albums (or at least, he loves turning the pages!)  He especially seems to like an album that has pictures from the first year Dan and I were dating.  There is a photo of my Dad and I on Thanksgiving Day in 2005 that always makes Dan laugh because he says I have an "I don't really want to be smiling for a photo" expression on my face. (I have taken many photos of Dan with the exact same expression on his face!)  But I always tell him, "No, I love everything about that photo!"  And I do.  I love my dad's smile and the fact that it was my first happy Thanksgiving after two years of being sad on Thanksgiving.  I had just met Dan and we were going to have our third date that weekend.  I had just discovered the store, White House Black Market, and I loved my outfit.  :-)  I remember when I arrived my dad told me that Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey were getting divorced and I ran upstairs to turn on the computer to see if it was true.  :-)