November in Pictures

Family Pictures:

November was a busy month (what month isn't?) with seven shoots including hours and hours of October session editing time, hosting a baby shower for Auntie Trisha and baby Deutsch, and traveling to Mimi and Papa's house for Thanksgiving. But we survived! With little to minimum crying and only two or three tantrums. 

And Gwendolyn was a trooper too! ;)

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Daddy came home from work to a sleepy baby and a wanting to be held toddler. This means mommy gets a break (to start dinner ha) and everyone wins!

There is always room on my lap for two.

Both asleep on a short drive home = super fun play date.

We had Conrad dedicated at church and my parents were able to make the trip up to be there for the big event. So blessed to have them only a few hours away so they don't have to miss these important life events. Per usual, Sissy was soaking up the extra snuggles during worship.

Having two kiddos certainly cuts back on what I buy at Target due to lack of space!

Seriously. They kill me.

So fun having Papa and Mimi in town for Trisha's baby shower.

Gwendolyn: 

She picks that best hiding spots. You can never find her!

Occasionally Gwendolyn cries for really no reason so I encourage her to sit on the stairs until she's ready to rejoin us in the living room to play happily. (It works so well for her.) So I just busted out laughing when I saw her baby doll Leah sitting there and Gwendolyn told me she was crying and needed to sit there until she was done. 

She doesn't miss a thing!

Conrad:

Small group friends...

Tried on my brother's baby baptismal outfits before Conrad's dedication, but it was just a tad.too.small.

Our friend Emma who helps Miss Kathy after school and comes over to play with the kids when I need some extra hands. The kiddos love her! She was actually here today and I swear Conrad was flirting.

Remember Gwendolyn wearing the same bunting when she was about the same age? So cute!

Sleepy boy. How dare mommy and daddy keep him out past his bedtime...

6 month check-up went well!

Sweet dreams are the best.

Soooo.....clooooose....

He is funny....he rolls to his side like this and gets almost there and then just rolls back to his back. Stinker! (Notice the three toy bribes that didn't work in the bottom right corner.)

"Hey guys."

Sitting like a big boy at the snack table in the church nursery. (Those girls are all 12-18 months older than he is!)

Sigh.....love me a chubby baby hand.

Laura came to visit and meet Conrad for the first time! She brought Starbucks and we caught up on life. It was fabulous. And I think Conrad was smitten. 

He's a sucker for brown eyes.

Hope everyone has a wonderful and blessed Christmas!! 

Thanksgiving at Mimi and Papa's house

We changed things up this year and spent Thanksgiving at Mimi and Papa's house. It's always a super fun place to go, but especially around the holidays because it's a winter wonderland. And relaxing. And Mimi always makes great food with lots of treats on the counter at all times. Gotta love that!

We played games, decorated the Christmas tree, watched a couple of movies, had a delicious Thanksgiving meal, and really missed the rest of the fam - Greg, Natalie, Grant, Brookie and Lukey (can't wait to see them next week!!) In addition, Papa took Gwendolyn to the zoo while I got to go hang out with my sis and go shopping and out to lunch for a few hours, which was ah-mazing. (Tom stayed home with Conrad.) AND John, Trisha, Tom, and Gwendolyn all went to Frozen one afternoon. She loved it, and is still talking about it. And their seats reclined! Totally awesome.

It was a great time! So blessed to have such great families.

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Two of her favorite people...

He's going to be such an awesome daddy!! Our kiddos love their Uncle John!

Don't ever grow up, Conrad Cross....

Spending time with my sis kid-free. This hasn't happened literally in years, but I think we both decided we need to do it more often. We TALKED! Without interruptions. It was so great.

As we were getting ready to say good-bye, Becca turned to me and said "do you feel like you could cry?" and of course I already had a frog in my throat so the question sent me over the edge and just like that, the tears start flowing from both of us. We were laughing and crying at the same time just because we're so ridiculous, but our good-byes are always hard. 

We stopped to see my BFF's new baby Fletcher on our way home. Love.Him.So.Much. So tiny and precious. 

It's amazing what a difference 7 months makes. Holy cow!

Baby Shower Time!

Natalie, Erin, Kristin and I threw Mama Trisha a baby shower in November and had about 13 girls over to our house for an evening baby shower, which was more like a super fun girls night out in. We ate yummy taco salad with all the fixings, had drinks, played games (like "birthing" a ping pong ball through a balloon), talked girl talk, opened gifts, and celebrated the upcoming birth day of Baby "Princess" Deutsch! 

So looking forward to snuggling our niece at the end of January!

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The worker bees!

(Natalie could work for a florist, yes?)

Sisters!

The "Trisha or John?" game...so.stinking.cute.

Wish I had the time and talent to make adorably beautiful quilts for my friends like Sarah A.!

Wordless Wednesday

Conrad: 32 weeks

Hey. 

My mommy was gone yesterday during our photo shoot so daddy and Sissy were in charge. I overheard daddy tell mommy "it was impossible" when she got home. Apparently I'm not supposed to eat the paper? But it looks so good!

• I spent my first Thanksgiving at my Mimi and Papa's house. It's always fun to go to their house, but especially fun around the holidays b/c my Mimi decorates her house like a winter wonderland. I saw elves and presents and carolers and even a couple Santa Clauses. (How he is in more than one place at the same time I'll never know!) No turkey or sweet potatoes for me this year - as un-luck would have it, I slept through every dinner time. Maybe they'll share with me at Christmas.

Traveling went very well - I didn't make one single peep the entire way there. And on the way home, we stopped in DSM to meet my new friend Fletcher. He was really cute, but didn't seem too interested in playing with me quite yet. I think I intimidate him.

• Unfortunately upon our return home, I got my first ear infection. I was a sad baby by the time mommy got me in to the clinic. I'd had a cold since mid-September so my doctor said I was a prime candidate for one and it was inevitable. Not sleeping well, fever, fussy, not as smiley and happy, not as interested in eating solids...all the signs. I am thankfully feeling better and back to my old self after meds and Sweet Oil drops in my ears.

• My mama recently got an email about the emerging personality of a baby my age. It said that a child's temperament - the emotional and social style in which they respond to people and events - is present from birth, but by 7 months you can see more of their temperament emerge. It asked several questions...

When I reach for a new toy, do I keep trying until I grasp it? No. (Unless it's my paper sign.)

Or can I be satisfied by something within my reach? Yes.

When you take me to new places, do I explore or just watch? Watch.

Do I try to get the attention of new people, or become quieter? Quieter.

At this point, I'd say it's pretty safe to say I'm a happy and content observer. And I like to be held. And I'm really only motivated by sleep and food. 

• I'm very much wearing 12 month clothes now. Things in my closet that once looked huge to mommy are now snug on me. I have a loooong torso and short legs.

Well I think that about sums up the last two weeks. It's been really cold out and mommy says it's exhausting to carry me around and in and out of places so we've been doing a lot of cozying up at home. I like being warm and cozy so I don't mind. I think it's daddy who is getting the short end of the stick though. He's a good sport, but I sense he wishes there were more groceries in the house.

Until next time...

Conrad Cross

Recent Videos

Love me some baby giggles. And thighs. And cheeks. And smiles.

I need a 7 month old in my life at all times.


Our sick bud (first ear infection...boo)...not feeling too hot, but yet he was still so sweet. He was literally moaning as I first walked in. Bless his heart. And we moved him back to the rock-n-play just so he's elevated a bit to relieve some of the pressure on his ears. (I have secretly missed it.)


Oh man, these two...I could watch them together all day. I pray for their relationship often, and I love watching as their love for each other is cultivated. Gwendolyn truly adores Conrad, and that little baby sure puts up with a lot.

This sounds sad, but I promise it's really not. Gwendolyn does this almost every time before falling asleep; however, this particular night it went on for longer than what is normal. She's not upset and ended up falling asleep as soon as the video is over. She just really really loves and misses me. Or wait...would this be considered stalling?! Nooooo.....never.


There are just a few clips into our lives recently. There's been a lot of joy and laughter around here, and thankfully Brother is feeling better.