Sawyer is 6 months old!

Sawyer turned 6 months old a few weeks ago!!!!!

She is into everything. We are big on celebrating milestones around big days. So 2 days before she turned 6 months she started crawling everywhere and 1 day before she started pulling up to a stand. My, my, we are in trouble! She still does not sit on her rump like a normal baby. Oh no, we do things different in our family. Sawyer has always sat up on her knees and bounced up and down (kind of like Tigger). When I try to put her down on her rear, she leans forward and gets up on her knees. Too cute!!!!!

Sawyer also had her first busted lip this week. It swelled up pretty quick. As I am typing this...she fell again and her lip is bleeding (she is okay). She is so busy! The girl has no fear. She will stand up and let go of whatever she is holding onto. Which is why the activity table in the picture above DOES NOT have legs on it.

Happy 6 month Birthday sweet baby girl!

Grace or lack there of

On Saturday Brennan had a basketball game at our church. About five minutes before the game Brennan and her friends were playing. They were running around and Brennan tripped. For the whole game she told us her foot was hurting and she couldn't play. So Michael let her sit on the bench with ice (he's the coach) and watch.

On Monday it was still sore so we went to the doctor to get it checked out. We were there about thirty minutes and the doctor came in and said "well it's broke!". She has a broken bone in the top of her foot. We were all shocked!!! Isn't it beautiful!!!

Brennan's favorite color is orange, NOT Tennessee orange as the doctor said. Just plain orange. We had to write her name on the bottom. You know in Toy Story, Andy wrote his name on the bottom of all his toys in case they were lost. Just in case we lose Brennan, her name is on the bottom of her foot.

and the stockings were hung...

We finally got our stockings hung this past week. We have had our trees/decorations up for a few weeks. But, Sawyer's stocking was still not monogrammed and she just couldn't be up there without a name. I bought new stockings about 5 years ago. They aren't necessarily my taste now, but Brennan loves them and so they stay. When I originally found them, I bought 3; well, because there were only 3 of us. The following year I was in TJ Maxx and found this stocking that matched ours and I quickly snatched it up!

I knew one day we would have another name to put on it. Michael of course thought I was crazy. He just didn't get it. Even then, I knew there was a child meant to join our family. So, after 4 years I pulled the last stocking out of the closet and after adding Sawyer's name, it takes its rightful place on our mantle.

And we have 4 beautifully hung stockings. I waited so long to hang this last one. If it weren't so tacky to do so, I would keep them all hung year round! I tell this story now, because had I said all this 4 years ago you all would have thought I was crazy. Just in case you are wondering, I have not purchased any more stockings.

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas!!!

Brennan won the cookie contest!

Brennan has been talking about a cookie contest at school for months. They finally had it on Monday. The entire 4th grade participated and all the recipes were voted on by the children. The winner gets their recipe published in the county 4-H cookbook. Brennan wanted to make my Great Aunt Mamie's famous peanut butter cookies. Those cookies bring back a flood of memories. Anyway, there were 15 kids in her class that participated. I pulled up at the school to pick Brennan up and she had a HUGE smile on her face. Guess what???

She won 1st place in her class and is going to be in the cookbook!

I meant to post this with the violin recital pictures. But, Sawyer is NEVER still. I am not exaggerating. That girl is always on the go. However, she gets completely still when Brennan plays her violin. The weeks leading up to the recital when Brennan was practicing more, Sawyer would just stare at Brennan as she played.

Isn't that too sweet!!!

December already!!!

I cannot believe it is December already. This is my MOST favorite time of year. I love all the lights, the trees, the decorations, the food, the baking...I love it all!!! I do not like crowds, but I love the crowded stores where people act as if the world will come to an end if they do not have a specific doll by today (3 weeks before Christmas). Sadly, most people get caught up in what they need to do at Christmas that the "true" meaning of Christmas is forgotten. I definitely include myself in this. I find myself going through a day with a checklist and forgetting WHO my checklist is about. Christmas is not about the lights, the food :( and the gifts. Christmas IS about celebrating the birth of our Savior! Anyway, I didn't mean to get sidetracked, but I love this time of year.

Our family is doing great! Sawyer is growing and changing. She is 5 months old TODAY and is a wiggler (do I say that a lot??). Her latest trick is pushing up on all fours and rock back and forth. She desperately wants to move. She had a doctors appt a few weeks ago and he commented on her need to move and that she will probably walk early. I say all this NOT to brag, I say this because I am scared!!! We are not ready for her to be that mobile. Sawyer's little personality continues to make us laugh.

She still does not love food. She might take a few bites and then gets sidetracked. This is usually how we end up.

Brennan had her violin Christmas recital yesterday and played beautifully!!! She played Allegro and did not miss a note. She picked out her recital outfit and was thrilled when the store had a matching dress for Sawyer.

Have a very blessed Christmas season!!!!

Brennan's podcast

Brennan wanted to record her view of adoption. We are so blessed to have her still be so excited about her sister. Her nine year old heart has been touched by the whole adoption process. She often talks about when she gets married not having bio children, only adopting. It has been so cool to see this through her eyes. Check out her latest idea. She is also writing a book for children about adoption. Her wheels are always turning!

Moving & Shaking

Okay I know I keep saying Sawyer is a wiggler. Her doctor even commented on her need to always move at her last appointment. Well, the funniest thing happened the end of September (when she was 2 1/2 months old). I laid her on her play mat in the living room. I went in the kitchen to wash a couple of bottles. After a few minutes she started crying. Not loud crying, just the whining crying like "come talk to me". I went back in the living room and here is what I found.

She, in a period of a few minutes, had scooted herself off the mat and was wiggling across the hardwoods. She did find a flip-flop along the way and proceeded to swing it over her head. We are in trouble when this girl starts really moving. She is ALWAYS wiggling.

Well, a few days after the wiggling incidences began Sawyer turned three months old. And to celebrate her birthday she began rolling both directions within a week. We knew the rolling was coming. When it actually happened Brennan and I were sitting on the living room floor with her. Brennan and I were consumed with trying on these cute new boots Brennan got. We turned around to see this sweet face staring back at us. Sadly, we missed the first roll!

This girl loves to move!!! She also loves to sit with Michael and watch football. She also LOVES her sister. Every day when we pick Brennan up at school, Sawyer can be in the middle of a whine and the second she sees Brennan's face she smiles the sweetest little toothless grin at her. Then they talk to each other the whole way home. We have really started reading more books to Sawyer and she loves to have Brennan read to her. It is so sweet to watch Sawyer intently studying Brennan's face as she reads to her. She hangs on to every word.

Thanks for checking in on us!