C Lu @ 7 Months

Sweet sweet Crosbi Lucille,

Today you are 7 months old.  

In 7 months we have come up with all kinds of names to call you and they bounce around the walls of our house all day from the lips of every one of our family members.  We call you Crosbi and Crosbi Lucille, naturally.  But then there's Griffin & I and we like C Lu, C Luia, Crozi and the ever adorable Crozi Lu Whoooooo.  And Beanie started off just calling you "bay bay" but now he's advanced to Cosbi and when he's really feeling it he throws in a Lucille as well (it's precious, I wish you could hear it in his sweet 2 year old voice).  And lastly, there's your dad who loves to call you beautiful...just beautiful. I love to hear it when he walks through the door or when he catches a glimpse of your smile down the hall.  I hope he calls you that for long long time, long enough that you know it's meaning.  And know that we have thought that from the moment we saw a (+) on the pregnancy test, then your profile on the screen at the ultra sound, and when we held you in our arms for the first time...and every day since then.  Your life is such a beautiful little gift.  Ok, not  little...BIG, your life is a beautiful BIG gift and you are a beautiful little girl, 

inside and out.  

So dad is right (as he is a lot you will find...my dad usually is too).





and you're quite the character to boot with quite the hair!

Before you even turned 7 months you started booking it down the hall and pulling yourself up on the stairs and then the other night you climbed up a few.  And so now I need to get out gates and figure out how to contain you.  The other day you were playing by the stairs and I was cooking so I asked Griff to watch and make sure you didn't fall.  No more than 2 minutes later I heard a thunk and ran to the stairs where you were laying crying at the bottom.  When I asked Griffin (who was sitting right there) why he didn't help you, he simply replied, "Mom, you said go help Crosbi and watch her if she falls, so I did!"  I can assure you hunny that it's not what I meant.  And Griffy will laugh at himself one day too.  

This month you had your first Halloween, and you were a pumpkin...or maybe at the very least a Halloween enthusiast with very cute tights!  You also have stopped and started to love eating.  Whew!  I was worried for about 2 weeks, but we got it all figured out and now you're mostly loving the apple, pear, rice & baby brekki mixes we're stirring up for you.  And we, of course, are loving you.  These next few months are going to overflow with fun and I can't wait to introduce
my beautiful girl to all the joy they hold.

Your Momma

Halloween 2012

Fall has been a little bit of heaven this year.

Since the summer felt like we were sitting in a crock pot next to some carrots and potatoes, cool temps &  Fall festivities were even MORE at the top of my list.  We have really loved it.  Ryan and I are in such a sweet spot with our kids.  The boys are both fully engaged and wanting to celebrate every little thing about each time of year with us.  As crazy busy as life is right now for us with three I am trying to not forget that this is there shot at experiencing MAGIC right now.  So I want them to have as much of it as possible!  This time of year seems to be slammed with it, so my plan is to force out feelings of overwhelming "to dos" and plan things that will bring JOY to them...thus bringing me more joy than I thought was possible.  Especially as we get into Christmas.  But that's getting ahead of myself.  Ha!  We had a lot of fun doing Halloween this year.  Here are a few highlights:)!



Our family Halloween dinner and pumpkin carving after...











We have a BIG love of super heroes in our house so we went with the non traditional yet very SUPER Batman & Spider Man.  All had a blast scooping and watching the carvings come to life.  Beanie wasn't so sure about sticking his hand in the pumpkin but couldn't wait to get his hand on the little pumpkin knife and swiped it every chance he got.  Griff loved it all.  I tried to carve the bat...and then we put the hunks that I very shadily carved out back in and my amazing pumpkin carving hubby carved this bat on the other side and the spidey.  He is amazing.  We all love his mad pumpkin skills.

 

We also did some trick or treating downtown Naperville with our favorite Aunt from the city.  The boys both went as Captain America and it was a beautiful day to be out and about.  It was also, apparently, a beautiful day to take down a window poster in the running store while Ryski chatted up a storm with the shoe guy.  Crisis averted when Alice got it all hung back up and we exited the store, Ryski in tow, still chatting shoe types with the running guy.

Hubs and his trick or treat buddy are the two cutest babes I have ever seen:)! 

 Hubs also bought the boys these Batman masks and Beanie and I gave them a try one afternoon!  Love this redheaded little man and his ridiculous love for all things Batman.  In fact this Fall Beanie refuses to put on any shirt unless it has the bat signal on it without a huge fight.

On Halloween we Ry met us at Griffin's school for his class parade and party!

 

Waiting with C Lu for the kids to come in...

Our little Iron Man, proud as punch we are all there!

and his brother, Spider Man, who is loving every second of being at school with Griff!

Kiddos playing our "Halloween Buckets" game.

US.

Halloween night the Micks & Hustons let us join them Trick or Treating!  All parties were thrilled to be together & about to embark on a journey where they run and get free candy together.  All except these babies...haha!  Avery & Joey seem indifferent and Crosbi is clearly upset by the whole escapade...ha!

The whole clan...an elephant, cheerleader, cow, Iron Man, pumpkins, a ninja and the Hulk.  Quite the eclectic group!

Our crew.

Out trick or treating for the first time...happy as a clam...

and totally worn out!

and she's not the only one...Joey is all tuckered out from the Halloween hoopla too!

Hulk needed a little ride from house to house...but he had a "smashing" good time!!

And we all had a GREAT time!  And....that puts Halloween 2012 in the books! But we know there's more Fall fun to come!

Teeth

TEETH

seem to be a big topic at our house lately.  We have some that are falling out and some that are coming in.  It's hard to keep up, ha ha!

First we have our toothless wonder, Mr. Griff!  He knocked his front tooth the other day and it got the wiggles.  I knew it wouldn't be long until there was a hole there instead of a tooth and sure enough all it took was a meet up with an apple slice to make that happen.  This little man was thrilled!!  Ry & he got the tooth all fixed up in a little baggie under his pillow and low and behold, that tooth fairy swapped him that tooth for 2 dollars.  Grandpa Wayne told Griff that he must have a rich tooth fairy because he only got 10 cents a tooth.  Ha!  He looks like such a BIG boy with toothless grin!!  It keeps catching me off guard.

 Next is our 6 month old buck toothed little girlie grin.

Ha!  I love that fist pic...I promise she wasn't getting pinched!

  Can you believe that she has 2 bottom and 4 top teeth!  We don't what she'll ask for for Christmas since she's already got her "two front teeth"!  She's on the fast track to BIG girl!  Crosbi has tolerated the whole thing pretty good too.  She's had a few cranky moments, but she is just so even keel and teething has been no exception.  She's gonna be eating steak in no time at all!

And then there's always our little Chippy, he was not really feeling any kind of pictorial of his teeth.   Beanie also has quite a smile. A chunk of his front tooth went missing After an unfortunate run in with the toilet seat last winter.  If we are looking for updates on Beanie's mouth though, there are LOTS of new words coming out of it, finally!  He's becoming the cutest little chatter (even if it is only to us) and we love the way he calls his sister, Crosbi Lucille!

So that's our news under the teeth category!  Ha ha!  Only things you would report on when you are a parent, but when you are these are precious milestones not to be missed!

C Lu @ 6 Months

Baby girl....

This is a spilt of the night  you were born and the night you turned 6 months old.  

I knew it was going to be a beautiful ride little one, but it has been MUCH MORE than I could have imagined.  Your big cheeks went down and now your face is the home of 2 gorgeous big blue eyes and they are just so FULL of delight for everything.  To get to experience one more baby has been more than precious to me and it is with a heavy heart that I let 0 - 6 months fall into the history books.  Dad rocked you to sleep yesterday and when I walked in on you two, he looked down and said, "I'll never rock another one of our babies to sleep like this."  It's so bitter sweet to watch you turn 6 months.  The "baby" baby part of our lives is over and that is tough, but you are making it so easy to look ahead with anticipation and joy.  Your smile is nothing short of hope and happiness and I am truly excited to watch each step of the way!  A few highlights...

You got into a little paint project of the boys...ha ha!

Here's you trying your first foods...and LOVING them, no surprise coming from an Eccleston!

A few out takes from a 6 month shoot...you giving me nothing in the second one...stone cold and done taking pics, ha ha!

TUB time and loving that thumb!

Mommy time...I love that we are buddies darling!!!

Sleeping beauty, literally!

We've "fallen" for that smile this Fall!

This month you've gained 3 new front teeth, worked on your army crawl and downward facing dog pose!  We're on a roll baby girl.  I hope the next 6 months pass a little more slowly, but since I know that won't happen I am just going to try to just be present and enjoy them...and scheme and dream my way into your first birthday party (ha!)!  You continue to amaze and thrill all 4 of your family members and we love each day with you!  Happy half girlie!  

And this last pic is probably one of the last nights you will sleep in your bassinet.  You are getting too big and I think your crib (to my dismay) is calling you!  I have sure loved having you next to my bed and getting your good morning wake up calls.  

Griffy & C's 1st Go BIG Red

GO BIG RED!!!

We love our weekends in Nebraska and we always try to sneak one in!  Getting in time with family, friends and trying to slam in all things NEBRASKA for a few days is always a highlight to our Fall and this sweet September weekend in NE was no different!

We made the trek to Lincoln for the game and we brought along 2 of our favorite Huskers.  Are they not adorable fans??!!??

C Lu & I sat in the Champions club with GiGi and Aunt Julie and Ryan took Griffin into the stadium for his VERY FIRST Husker game!  Such a BIG and FUN moment for them both!  Beanie got some Grandparent love at the Ecclestons!!  My favorite part of the day was probably walking through campus with the kids on the way to the game.  Pointing out all of our "spots" to Griff and imagining what "college me" would think if I saw myself still holding hands with Ry and babies in tow...my smile would have gone on for days, I know!  

Here's a shot of C & I in front of my sorority house!

And here's the boys chatting about the game as we make our way into the stadium.  So precious.

We had such a great time cheering and eating Valentinos and soaking up our glory days!!

 

Thanks Gramee & Grandpa for such a fun day!!

Sunday brought a very fun surprise revealed and we got to be a part of it!  My adorable cousin and friend Amy is preggers and we found out it's going to be a little girl!!  We are so excited for Crosbi to have a girlfriend!  Baby Anderson, C Lu & and I are waiting on pins and needles to plan all kinds of girlie fun with you!!  The cake was pink inside and there was family all around!  It was such a fun celebration and great to see the Sapp fam!

And, here is another pal for C Lu, Stella!!!  It was so fun to finally meet this little babe and the 2 Lucille's will hopefully have pics together (and maybe a few dance routines, haha!!) for years to come!