Christmas in Charleston!

Claire was very big on decorating this year. Claire and Tom decorated outside putting up lights...Claire wanted to make sure we were the most festive on our street & she succeeded. Claire and Tom picked out a beautiful tree for Claire and I to decorate. Claire has only had one snow day this year, and she immediately went outside to build snowmen. We didn't get much snow, but enough to build snowmen apparently. We can't wait to go visit everyone else's decorations and maybe some snow in Oakland...they usually have enough for everyone!

Fa la la la la la la la

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree

Claire's Frostys

8 Weeks Old Already!

Time is going by so fast...too fast. Sami will be 8 weeks old this Friday (12/21). She weighed 8 lbs. 14 oz. at her 4 week check-up, so I'm anxious to see how much she weighs next week when we go in for shots...yuck! She is changing so much. Last night she slept ALL NIGHT! After several nights of staying up until 4am and 5am, I was extremely excited. She woke up this morning smiling and cooing for over an hour. She loves her sister...Claire now changes diapers, sings to Sami, and rocks Sami to sleep. Sami just seems so peaceful when Claire is holding her. I've been getting out of the house a lot lately to do quick Christmas shopping. Tom and Claire stay home with Sami while I deal with the Christmas crowds...fun. Mom came in over the weekend to make Christmas cookies with Kerri and me. Mom was exhausted by the time the weekend was over...I wasn't much help with the cookies due to lack of sleep, but Kerri helped out a lot while I helped taste test all of the cookies. We are headed to Oakland Saturday to visit the Beachy's and then off to Morgantown for Christmas.

Sami smiling at her Grandma Candy when she arrived to make cookies.

Sami in her new swing where she spends a lot of her day sleeping

Sami with remote...Tom staged this same picture of Claire around the same age...Sami & Claire look exactly alike.

Thanksgiving 11.22.07

Pappy Vanderbilt and Mindy (and Gus, Kato, and Kali...the dogs) drove down from New Jersey for Thanksgiving. Uncle Rob and Aunt Matia drove in from Oakland, MD. We had a great time! Kerri and Will had a great dinner for all of us...except the mashed potatoes...LOL! Thank goodness I didn't have to cook that big meal...I'm still off the hook for any major projects right now. It felt good to get dressed, put on some make-up and get out of the house. I hadn't climbed stairs since the c-section, and Kerri and Will have tons of those for me to climb...I was a little sore the next day. Aunt Matia taught Claire how to knit hats, so that is how they spent most of the day. Matia made a beautiful Christmas hat for Sami, and Claire made a cute hat for herself.

The hosts of Thanksgiving Dinner...Aunt Kerri & Uncle Will!

Tom and Pappy Vanderbilt finishing up the turkey.

Uncle Rob spent most of the day watching football.

Aunt Kerri, me, and Sami.

Kerri's baby (monster) Leo finally got to meet Sami too!

Beachy visit to Charleston 11.17.07

Tom's family finally made it down to Charleston to visit their new family member. Grandma Donna, Pap Beachy, Aunt Tammy, Cousin Jenessa, & Cousin JennaSue all loaded up in Aunt Tammy's van to visit for the day. It was great to see everybody. Janessa and JennaSue have grown up sooooooooooooo much. They are little women now!

Sami being held by her cousin JennaSue who wanted to take Sami home with her.

Grandma Donna could have held Sami forever. It wasn't a long enough visit for her at all!

Our surprise visitor, Pap Beachy, even got in on the holding action!