Christmas 2017...

We spent Thanksgiving at home with just the 5 of us.  It was nice, but kind of quiet.  Or as quiet as it can be with three young kids...so nix the quiet part.  It was...simple and easy.  Then the hustle and bustle of Christmas started.  Christmas parties for work and school, making lists and checking them twice, and then making sure I had each day accounted for with childcare for the boys since they would be out of school for nearly three weeks! 

In early December, we took the kids to ride on the Polar Express in New Orleans.  It was "so much fun!" according to the two of them.  We enjoyed their wonderment and spirit.  :)

Christmas.  It's the most wonderful time of the year.  The kids are usually pretty well-behaved so as to avoid being on Santa's Naughty List.  And after Santa came this year, they commented that they must have been really good!  DS wanted an Xbox and Drew wanted a Star Wars Death Star blanket.  A blanket.  Bless this sweet child of mine who only wants A BLANKET for Christmas!  I'm not sure what Maggie wanted since she can't tell us in verbal or written form just yet, but maybe next year she'll be more vocal about something her heart desires.  

"Maggie, no!  No, Maggie!"

At any rate, Christmas with kids gets more and more fun each year.  Every year I think to myself, "This is the perfect age!"  And then the next year is better.  And I know at some point it will no longer top the year before, but I really want that time to be a LONG way away!  I truly LOVE the awe and love and excitement the kids have for Jesus, Santa, Clarke the Elf, and all things associated with Christmas at the ages they are now.

We had Christmas with the Anders side at Rachel's house since Ashleigh was so close to her due date.

Love this pic!

Then we came back home for Mamaw, MiMi, Lee, and Kasie to come down.  The usual festivities began -- cookies, movies, eating -- the BEST part of Christmas are the traditions both old and new.

Lee won...again.

Drew:  NOW can we open presents?!?

Maggie loves her little activity table.

Thor costume...tied with his blanket for favorite gift!

Christmas always comes too quickly, then it passes just as fast and the holidays are over before you know it.  But this year, we got a delayed Christmas present.  Lillian Ruth Anders made her grand debut about a week early on December 30th just after lunch.  So Maggie and I hightailed it up so we could see her.  Maggie totally didn't understand about being gentle with the baby, but she still gave her a sweet kiss on the head when we left to come back home the next morning.  Sweet Lily Roo, we love you and can't wait to watch you grow up with this rowdy crew!

Proud aunts with our niece!

Maggie and her baby cousin, Lily

Lily looks a little (or  A LOT) like her daddy!

11 Months...

Maggie, Maggie Moo, Margaret, Baby Love, Girlfriend, Sister, Little Sister, Baby Girl...we have so many things we call you, it's amazing that you even know your name.  But you do!  You've known it for a while now!  At eleven months, you are all over the place...trying to crawl up the steps, rushing from one room to the next, cruising on the furniture, pulling open drawers, talking!  You may even talk more than your brothers did!  I didn't think it was possible...but you just may!

At this point, you are:

• 17.5 pounds
• 28" long
• wearing size 6 month clothes, but a few 9 month shirts
• wearing size 3 diapers
• wearing size 2 shoes (but only Keds b/c other size 2s are too big...go figure)
• eating more (mainly) real food than baby food...and we went ahead and transitioned you to whole milk over the Christmas holidays!  Just a little early, but you did great!

"Helping"

Ummm...why would you put this up?  Now I can't climb...

First Snow...

It snowed in Baton Rouge overnight and during the day on December 8th!  It was everyone's first time to see snow here as I think we were out of town the one time I remember it snowing since we've lived down here.  The kids had the best time.  Scotty was out of town and was itching to get back home. We were eager for him to get back too as we didn't want him to miss out on the fun.  It was a fun experience for the kids.  And as I am typing up this post (1/15/18), the forecast is for a really, really low temps the next two days along with some sort of precipitation (SNOW, PLEASE!!!).  But here are a few pics from the first and last snow of 2017.

Looking outside...LOVE her!

Our house...covered in snow...and looking magical

Not prepared clothing-wise for this event...

SO.  MUCH.  SNOW.

Found the ski clothes and commenced making snow angels!

Waiting on Daddy!

He made it!  Watch out!

Snowman #2

10 Months...

Maggie is a mover and a shaker!  That girl is so fast and is just moving at the speed of lightning sometimes!  She loves being tickled and can say several words:  Dada, Mama, bye, ball.  She's started pulling up on stuff...she may even be walking before she turns 1!  This girl wears me out!  She is constantly on the go, still isn't napping much for us, but she does sleep pretty good at night.  I forgot to note that she's been sleeping through the night for a couple months now.  Those first 6 months were HARD...the last 4 have been much better.  Poor little love, she must have been in so much pain with the acid reflux for her personality to have been hidden behind all the screaming/crying/fussing.  She is so much happier now that the acid reflux is gone.  My little Baby Love:

Maggie is:

• 17 pounds
• 27.5" long
• wearing size 6 month clothes
• wearing size 3 diapers
• eating a lot of real foods (spaghetti, mashed/sweet potatoes, ground beef, soup)

Standing up...WHAT?

LOVES REAL FOOD!

Ashleigh (and Brad) are expecting their first baby in early January, so us girls went to her baby shower in Shreveport back in October.  The boys stayed home.  Then about three weeks later, Rachel and I hosted a baby family/friends shower for our SIL and our sweet baby niece (WILL THEY PLEASE NAME HER SO WE CAN GET STUFF MONOGRAMMED?!?) in Ruston.

M&Ms...Maggie and Mae...sweet cousins in sweet matching outfits

Sleeping on Gran!  Baby showers wear her out!

All the Anders girls

9 Months...

Nine months ago, we were welcoming our caboose into this world...and today...she is all over the place!  

Maggie got christened this month!  She was very good throughout the service and didn't cry or scream at all...winner!  Unlike her "official" 9 Month picture...

As of October 25th, Maggie is:

• 15 pounds
• 26.5" long
• wearing size 6 month clothing
• wearing size 3 diapers
• wearing whatever shoes fit...have outgrown the Keds but found another pair like the newborn crib shoes...she's in a 1 for those!

Lee and Kasie got married in Monroe the last weekend in October!  It was a beautiful ceremony and all but Maggie were in the wedding.  We are excited to have Kasie as an official part of the family and are excited to see what the future brings for them...hopefully lots of cousins for our crew. :)

A vineyard outside Monroe...NOT Italy...

Love these two!

And this one!  Mr. Personality!

Love this pic of everyone!

Halloween was super fun for the kiddos and we went to a Halloween party the week before actual Halloween.  The kids had a great time at the party and trick-or-treating on the big night.

Cute Trio...Ninja, Darth "Dark" Vader, and Strawberry

Strawbaby as DS used to say

First Days of School...

In August, school started back!  David Scott is now in 2nd Grade and Drew is in Pre-K.  DS started on August 16th and Drew started two days later on the 18th.  We love their teachers (Drew even has Mrs. Giles...the same teacher DS had in Pre-K).  A few weeks after school started, we even got their school pics in and had a fun Pajama Day one week! 

I love their friendship and love for one another. 

A "2" for 2nd Grade...

SO EXCITED!

Excitement for Pajama Day!

8 Months...

8 Months...Where has the time gone?!?  I know where it's gone...sleepless nights, drop-offs, pick-ups, various activities during the week and on the weekend, work, playing, washing clothes, laughing, and too many other things to name every one of them out.

Maggie is officially a crawler!  She literally went from scooting around to crawling in just a matter of weeks!  I know the rest of this first year is going to fly by even more now that we have movement out of this baby girl!  

Maggie, you are:

• 15 pounds
• 26.5" long 
• wearing size 3 diapers
• wearing more size 6 month clothes...but still in a few that are 3-6 and just 3 months!

Additionally, we went to the first LSU game of the season...Maggie's first ever...and we made it to half-time!  We both figured we'd be leaving by the end of Q1 but we go to see  TWICE that much action!

Cutest Saints fan!

Loves bathtime...and dinosaurs!

Future pianist