Merry Christmas!

Here are a few pictures from Christmas. I have to admit that although I am usually obsessed with picture taking, I took about 5 total on Christmas morning. We had a great morning and Lilly enjoyed opening Zach's as well as her presents. Lilly's favorites included the jack-in-the-box that she picked out for Zach, roller skates, and her new pirate ship (from Gran and Papa Michael).

Lilly in her roller skates (she insisted on wearing her bike helmet and then commented that she wished the skates had come with hand pads and leg pads- you can never be too careful I guess!)


Lilly holding (squeezing? squishing? smashing?) her baby brother


Our family picture

Christmas preparations

Here are some pictures we've taken recently:

Sleeping


Lilly's concert at school:


Our salt dough ornaments:


Lilly loves her baby brother:


Lilly and her friend, megan, at her school christmas party:


Zach sleeping (seems to be a trend):


Decorating cookies at Santa's workshop:


At Santa's workshop:


With Rudolph (Lilly did not want to see Santa this year, but did want to see this huge reindeer who talked; good thing since the line for Santa was quite long and outside so WAY too cold):


Zach, sleeping yet again...now if only he could do this at night!

Baby Zach!

Welcome Zachary Michael! Born on 11/24/2010 at 2:51 am. We are doing great! Lilly loves her new brother and wants to keep dressing him like a doll.

Happy Halloween!

Last year, Lilly spent about 2 seconds helping carve the pumpkin. This year, she spent over an hour doing it, including scooping and carving. She had me draw the face and then she wanted to carve the entire thing (which would have taken 3 days if I didn't help).



The finished product- complete with eyebrows and eyelashes.


Lilly was experimenting with the camera and taking pictures of all our pumpkins:


Little Red Riding Hood! She wanted Pete to dress up as the big bad wolf and me to dress like the grandmother, but I didn't think a pregnant grandma would work well.

34 weeks

Yay- only 6 more weeks until we can meet the newest member of our family! I'm so ready- I am already practicing the nighttime wake-ups seeing that it is almost 3 am and I am wide awake. Lilly took this picture and decided to pose me before she took it. It took a lot of convincing to get her to actually let me put my hand and arm down by my side and that it was okay if she didn't see my other hand.

Haircut

Lilly and I donated our hair yesterday- 10 inches from me and 8 from Lilly. It was Lilly's first haircut, so she needed to have lots of bribery to sit still (she was super scared of the scissors), but she did great! I miss my long hair, but know it's going to a good cause and also know that I will not miss it once I have this baby and Pete and our drains will be happy (since I tend to lose tons of my hair once I start nursing).

Florida (more)

I did a horrible job taking pictures this week in FL. I really have about 6 total (not including any at the wedding). Anyway, we shared a house with my brother and his family and Lilly really enjoyed hanging out with her cousins the whole week. Here are a few pictures:

Lilly and Sophia playing chess (after this attempt at playing the game, they decided to hold a chess wedding and had the pieces all get married):


super cute Sean (he was so happy and smiley)


Cousins!


On Cinderella's Carousel:


Dancing with Woody:

Mark and Erin's Wedding

We got back tonight from our week long vacation in FL. It was so nice and we had such a great time visiting with family. Here are some pictures from Erin and Mark's wedding, which was so much fun! Lilly danced for almost the entire reception, including trying out the electric slide and that other group dance that I can never remember the name of. She even stood in line by herself to dance with Uncle Mark for the dollar dance.

Papa Michael and Lilly


Aunt Sara and Lilly


three cute sisters!


my god daughter, Alex


Uncle Liam and Lilly


at the reception (this picture was taken after Lilly had a bloody nose- which Pete, crafty that he is, got all out of her dress with seltzer water...I think he's been reading good housekeeping magazine in secret)


my parents and Erin


the flower girls


Lilly and Fiona in the limo




the bridal party


the happy couple

Apples!

Labor Day!

We went to Chicago last night for a mini-vacation. We met my friend, laura, and her family at the Lincoln Park Zoo and we also went to Navy Pier and rode the Ferris Wheel, went out to eat dinner and breakfast, and just walked around the city. Lilly did fantastic and ended up walking back from dinner to our hotel without any complaints about her feet hurting (it was only about 1/2 mile).

Pete and Lilly on the Ferris Wheel:


In front of our hotel (the W):


Laura and Meg:





Thomas, Allison, and Lilly at the zoo:


The rhino: