Creating traditions: Apple Cinnamon Ornaments

It is important for me to establish traditions now that I have my own family, while embracing the ones that I have practiced with my own family as a child. I started thinking about something fun that Dustin and I could do with Addie as our own family Christmas tradition. Thanks to Pinterest, this is what I came up with! I decided on apple cinnamon ornaments because not only are they cute and match my tree already, they smell wonderful! Because of the amount of dough the recipe makes, we had enough to make one for all of the grandmas and great grandmas, too! Here is the recipe I followed:

 1 cup cinnamon
1 cup applesauce
1/4 cup Elmer's glue
Ribbon
Cookie Cutters
Parchment Paper  

Mix cinnamon and applesauce together until a dough forms. Then mix in glue. Spread between two pieces of parchment paper and roll flat with rolling pin. You want to make sure the rolled mixture is about 1/4 inch thick throughout. Cut out desired shapes with cookie cutters and make a small hole near the top with the end of a straw. Bake for 2 1/2 hours at 200 degrees and let cool. Loop your ribbon through the hole, decorate and enjoy!

This year of course, I decorated Addie's for her, but as she gets bigger I would like her to be able to get her hands dirty and make her own just the way she likes it. It will be cute to look back on each one as we have more children and collect them over the years!

Nana can't wait to hang hers up next year!

Addie's first Christmas recap!

Addie's first Christmas!

HOLY COW. I'll admit it, as excited as I was about the holidays coming, I was just as excited for them to be over. It was a great few days, and as stressful as it can be shuffling from one house to another (five all together), I kind of like the chaos. On the 23rd, we went to Mammaw's house for presents and dinner, and had a great time playing games, like we always do.

Mammaw loves big bows too!

Christmas Eve morning, Dustin had to work for a couple of hours, but was able to do it here at the house. We had our Christmas, just the three of us, before we headed to my moms. Again, we played games and had a good time. My favorite gift was one my sister gave me, the motherhood ring from James Avery. It was gorgeous, and I'm SO proud to wear it! Christmas morning, we woke up to see that Santa had filled our stockings and left Addelyn her first high chair! She's still not crazy about it, but once she's able to sit up on her own, it'll be really great to have.

Big girl in her high chair!

I was so excited to get Addie dressed for Christmas day because I had made her a matching onesie, bow and tutu for the day that read "I'm dreaming of a PINK Christmas"! She looked adorable in it, but of course, the bow and tutu didnt last long before she was stripped down to the onesie.

I'm so proud that I was able to make her first Christmas outfit!

Then, it was on to Leigh and Parish's house! I always look forward to Christmas morning over there, because Leigh makes delicious blueberry muffins for everyone to enjoy before we open gifts. Its silly, because we can have blueberry muffins ANYtime, but there's something about having them warm and fresh Christmas morning that I love.

Yummmmm!

Later that afternoon, we went back to my mom's house for Tutu's Christmas. This is always the most loud and hectic of the Christmases. It was so funny to see the difference in family gatherings when Dustin and I were first married. His family is so calm and organized, and my side is well...not. I wouldn't have it any other way though! Its funny how chaos keeps me sane.

Of course, Addelyn made out like a bandit on her first Christmas...this child is definitely not deprived! As I was wrapping all of her gifts in the weeks before, I thought to myself, "I'm wrapping all of these gifts, just so that I can unwrap them later!" Her unwrapping skills were actually better than I expected, but she had more fun "eating" the paper than ripping it off. I'm looking forward to next year when she knows whats going on a  little better. This Christmas was by far the best one yet, because we had our baby girl to spend it with. If you ask me, that's the best gift a mommy can have!

I'm such a proud momma!

Eating presents is better than opening them!

New years resolution? More blogs. Less fat.

So, miss priss turned four months old on the 27th, and I'm a little late posting (nearly a month, to be exact!) but that seems to be the trend as she keeps me busier and busier! This has been her busiest month yet, by far! Naturally, she's sleeping less during the day (but more at night, thank goodness!), and is becoming more and more mobile every day. I'm all about "go big or go home" so the day of her four month check up, was a BIG day for her. In one day, we had her four month shots, tackled solid foods for the first time, and moved her into her own room. Considering all the changes occurring at once, she handled it like a champ.

Growing like crazy!

The first food we tried was rice cereal, and she really didn't know what to think of it. Dustin and I had so much fun giving her each bite and got most of it on camera. She didn't tolerate it for very long, but it was a good first effort. Once she moved on to veggies, she became a little more interested in taking each bite and swallowing it... although we're still working on keeping it all in her mouth, lol. She LOVES her fruit though. After Christmas, I'll be transitioning to home made baby food which should be an entirely new and interesting endeavor by itself. Blog to come.

First solids!

Bedtime routines have been established, and she sticks to them well, for the most part. Normally, she falls asleep shortly before 8:00, and we just put her right to bed, but on nights that she's still awake, she gets a bottle, we read a book, and its lights out. As she's starting to realize she can "talk" she'll sometimes babble and growl for a while before she falls asleep, which Dustin and I love to listen to over her monitor. She's definitely getting more vocal, and went from silly growls to flat out yelling over the last few weeks. She cracks us up more and more every day. She's very resilient, and doesn't let a faceplant or two stop her from trying to sit up. A week away from five months, and she's working on it hard. I think things will get a little easier once she can sit up on her own...until she starts crawling! Hopefully I can get it together and get a few more posts in before that milestone. I'm not holding my breath, but I'll make an honest effort to post more... its my new years resolution!

Mommy loves bedtime!

I'm Thankful for "Firsts"

Like most around this time of year, I tend to reflect on what I have to be thankful for, and it seems like the list just keeps growing year after year. Not only do I have a fantastic husband who supports me in all I do, I have a beautiful baby girl, a handsome nephew, a loving family, and a beautiful house to create memories in for years to come. 

Last year, shortly before we moved in, we volunteered to host thanksgiving in our new home and were so excited to have both sides of both of our families over to celebrate together. Usually, we bounce from house to house to try to see all sides of the family at their own homes. As Thanksgiving got closer, I was a little nervous that I wouldn’t be able to pull it off. The idea of getting the house ready, groceries bought, and food prepared to have nearly 30 people over (all with a four month old on my hip) overwhelmed me a bit. I was determined to get everyone under one roof though, at least for one year. 

I prepped as much as I could, as early as I could, but was still convinced things would fall apart at the last minute somehow. My mom and Leigh came over the afternoon before, and I realized I’d gotten ahead of myself with all this planning and prepping. We literally sat around and talked, because there was hardly anything else to be done to prepare. Nonetheless, we had a great time! Later that evening Dustin and I put in a DVD and decided to settle down for the night- until Addelyn started giggling for the first time! It was so cute to hear her, and we were able to get it on video (unlike her rolling over, which we’re still waiting for!). 

Thanksgiving morning rolled around and things continued to go smoothly. As food was prepared, we put it in the chafers to stay warm, and everything ended up being ready about the same time…and it was delicious! Every year before we eat, Parish encourages us to go around the room and tell everyone what we’re thankful for. It took a few minutes to get around the room with the number of people we had, but it made me realize again just how wonderful life is, not only for me, but for our families as well. Of course, Dustin and I were thankful for our gorgeous little lady and all the joy she brings to us as she grows. 

All in all, I’d say Thanksgiving 2012 was a wild success, and a day of “firsts” for lots of us. It was our first time hosting Thanksgiving in our home, Kyler and Addelyn’s very first Thanksgiving, and our first time getting both sides of both families together. Simply couldn’t ask for more!  

Getting the turkey ready...

Jessi's thankful for music, books, and energy drinks.

Wondering how the turkey turned out...

AMAZING.

Dustin wished for an M3...I wished to cancel out his wish.

Time to eat!

Leigh sneaking bites!

Looong day for a hungry boy!

My loves!

Addie's first road trip!

This weekend, we went to visit Angela & the girls in Houston for the first time since Addelyn was born. I was worried all week that I was going to forget something we'd need or that she would cry the whole way there. Thursday night I packed most everything I thought we'd need (with the help of my trusty checklist, of course!) and then finished up the last bit of packing Friday morning. I was actually pretty impressed... I didn't forget anything, and didn't over-pack either... well, I didn't over-pack any more than the mother of a newborn would need to, anyway.

On our way!

Addelyn usually sleeps in the car, but I didn't think she would sleep for the full three hour ride. To my surprise, she woke up when we were about 20 minutes from Angela's, and stayed just as happy as could be the rest of the way.

"Aunt Anchula" was sooo excited to see Addie, and the girls really enjoyed her company over the weekend. Saturday morning, we visited with our friend Sam, and then went to watch Julie play in her last softball game of the season. I was so glad we got to see her game, cause they whooped the other team! All of the girls took turns playing with Addelyn, but Julie seemed to be the most attached. She's so proud that they share a middle name, and it makes me so glad we chose Mae for her.

Julie Mae & Addie Mae!

Aunt Angela

Lacey & Addie

Leah is a natural!

All the girls :)

Every time I visit, I can't believe how much bigger the girls are than the last time I saw them, but this time, it was really surreal, watching them play with my daughter. It certainly made me realize how quickly time flies!

You GROW girl!

Up until the last few weeks, I’ve felt like time is standing still. I’m trying not to look so into the future that I don’t enjoy the present, but I can’t help but be so excited about all of Addie’s milestones to come. Lately, however, it seems like she’s getting bigger overnight! About two weeks ago, at around 2 ½ months old, she started sleeping through the night once or twice a week. I should be treasuring those nights, but of course, even though she’ll sleep all the way through, I still end up waking up once or twice a night to check on her anyway. Hopefully over the next month, we’ll transition her from the basinet in our room: to the crib in her own room. For now, we’ve begun to establish a bedtime and try to have her in bed by 8:30 every night. Most of the time we’re successful, but sometimes a bedtime this early is just a lost cause. 

 Two months old!

Now, at three months old, she is very attentive, and loves to play with her hands and feet.  We can see her coordination improve every day as she plays, and has even put her own pacie back in her mouth several times!! She also likes to follow Dustin with her eyes as he walks around the house… She sure does love her Daddy! She’s beginning to babble and coo quite a bit, blows lots of bubbles with her mouth, and we’re hoping she’ll start to giggle soon. It’s no surprise; she’ll probably be a talker!

Tonight, we put her in her excersaucer just to see what she would do, and once again, we were so impressed! Even though we had to put a box underneath her so she could reach (she’s still a little small for it), she figured out two of the toys that spun on it right away. She liked it for the most part, but scared herself a little when she bounced, haha. We’ll have to wait a few more weeks before she can really use it, but it was so cute to see her play around in it for a few minutes. 

Three months old!

I can’t believe in just a few weeks we’ll be celebrating her first Thanksgiving and just a month later, Christmas. I’m looking forward to all the milestones to come in the next few months, but can’t imagine being any more proud of my baby girl than I already am!

And baby makes three!

Okay, so in my defense, things have been busy here around the Hebert house, and I promise, I'll be better about blogging. I wrote this blog two months ago, got distracted, and never came back to it. So, here it is, two months late, but better late than never, right?

Our sweet baby girl is finally here, and what an entrance she made! The morning of the July 27^th, Dustin and I woke up around 6 am to start getting ready for the big day. Knowing I would be changing into an absolutely flattering hospital gown once we arrived, I went ahead and threw on a tank top and yoga pants before heading out. Although I wasn’t allowed to have anything to eat or drink before my c-section, we still stopped at Snowflake Donuts, one of our favorite breakfast stops, on the way so that Dustin could get something in his stomach before the long day that awaited us began. 

While we were there, Dustin’s grandpa Quimby called to check on us and wish us luck. We talked to him for a few minutes while Dustin ate, and then we were off. Before long, we were pulling into the parking garage of the hospital and being admitted. There was no turning back now!

Once I got settled in my room, our parents showed up and kept us company while we waited anxiously for my 11:00 surgery.  With about 20 minutes until showtime, Dr. Kocay came in and informed us that we were still waiting on blood they were having sent in to be typed and crossed for me and that it was likely the surgery would be pushed back to about 1:00. I was disappointed and relieved at the same time. I was worried they would push it back again, and I wouldn’t get to hold my baby girl until late in the night. My anxiety was short-lived however, because about a half hour later, the doctor came back to tell us that the blood had arrived, and we were ready to start prepping for surgery. 

 Anxious grandpas waiting!

Goofing around...

Its showtime! Wheeling me back for surgery...

Both Leigh and my mom’s eyes widened as we all realized this was the moment we’d been waiting for. As family shuffled out of the room and the nurse brought a wheelchair in to take me to the operating room, I got extremely quiet. It hadn’t dawned on me yet that not only was I about to be a mother for the first time, I was going into surgery for the first time ever as well.

They wheeled me back and had Dustin get dressed in his gown, gloves and mask while they prepped me. I shook like a leaf while they administered my epidural. I don’t know if it was because I was so scared, or because they kept the OR below freezing…likely a combination of both. It amazed me how casually the nurses and doctors chatted as they prepped me. “Umm, HELLLLOOO… You’re about to cut me open! Let’s focus!!” However, once the epidural kicked in, I was just as chatty as the rest of them, and actually joked around a bit. 

Once Dustin came back, the surgery began and Addelyn Mae Hebert made her entrance into the world at 12:29pm. She was 6 lbs and 18 ¾ inches long… absolutely gorgeous. I was amazed by how pink she was as soon as she came out, and didn’t expect her to have as much hair as she did. That beautiful head of hair, along with her wide open eyes are by far my favorite features of hers. Dustin and I both cried as the doctor held her up for us to see and placed her in Dustin’s arms. 

 VERY proud parents!

The nurses cleaned her off and weighed her while the Dr. Kocay stitched me back up. Within about 20 minutes, they handed me the baby and wheeled me back to recovery, where Dustin and I enjoyed a few private moments alone with our precious baby girl before the family came in to see her. We couldn’t believe she was finally here… it was such a surreal time. 

As our parents came in to see her, tears filled their eyes and they each took turns holding her as Brittany and I took pictures. Everyone agreed… She was absolutely perfect! Once it was time to take Addelyn to the nursery for a bath and her newborn screening, the rest of the family and I went to my post-partum room and talked as we waited for them to bring her back.

The next couple of days flew by and we were back home with miss priss before we knew it. I had so much anxiety about my first night taking care of her alone, but it went well, with a few hiccups. I hadn’t anticipated not being able to get up into our bed after surgery, so Dustin got up at 3am to set up our guest bed in the game room, which we converted into a makeshift nursery for the two weeks following, until I was able to get back into our tall bed on my own again.  

It’s been a month ago today that our darling little lady came into this world, and oh, how time is flying! She is slowly gaining weight, and her expressions seem to mature a little every day. The nights are slowly getting easier as I’m not worrying as much as I was in the beginning. For the first two weeks, I would stay up for hours, just staring at her, making sure she was still breathing. It’s funny how you can go your entire life without someone, and then the moment they come into the world, you don’t know what you’d ever do without them. 

 One month old!

Being a mother is much different than I expected, and better than I could have ever imagined. Yesterday, she smiled at me bigger than I’d ever seen her smile, and I realized I was smiling back bigger than I’d ever smiled too. It’s amazing what such a small person can do to you. She has my heart. Dustin and I talk all the time about what we think she will be like as she gets older, and the “firsts” that we can’t wait to experience with her... She’s got him wrapped so tight around that teeny little finger already. I can’t wait to see what a beautiful young lady she’ll grow into. Let’s not jump ahead though…  I’m enjoying every minute with my sweet baby girl, as little and precious as she is right now! Happy “one month birthday”, little lady!