Holiday Fun!

Addie and Hayes pose for the camera before heading over to Ga Ga's and Pop Pop's for Thanksgiving lunch! Do you think they look alike at all? In some pictures, especially ones from when Addie was his age, they look identical, but most of the time, I think they look very different. This is one of my favorite pictures of the two of them together so far...

Hayes conked out for a short snooze before we headed over for lunch. He is good for several little short-lived cat naps throughout the day. I can't complain though- he just gave me 4 nights in a row where he slept for 8 hours straight. That's my boy!

And then there is Addie...sweet, sassy, starving-for-attention, little Addie...who happened to agree to wear her second Halloween costume for our Thanksgiving meal. She refused to put this little ensemble on when it was really appropriate, so I let her wear it for Thanksgiving instead. I thought it would be our special way of showing our "thanks" to pilgrims and native americans on this important holiday! Ha Ha! She sure made a cute little indian girl!

The meal was delicious and her outfit was a hit! Even little Hayes had good time all propped up on his Uncle Tommy's chest for most of the meal, but happy and quiet nonetheless. Another Thanksgiving has come and gone...

Family Fun...

This week we have spent alot of time just hanging around the house together, playing with blocks and animals and baby dolls and drinking out of "big-girl cups". Addie pretty much entertains us all and keeps her self busy at the same time. I am starting to discover stray pen marks on my walls and crayon in places just at her little eye level. Does this mean I am not watching her closely enough? Then there is Hayes...sweet, growing, handsome little Hayes...

These last two pictures were taken in the fall of last year. It is crazy to see how much she has changed in just 12 short months! Can my babies just stay babies (that sleep through the night) forever?

I have more pictures of Thanksgiving and tree decorating to share in the next few days. I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday with friends and family!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite times of the year, mostly because the older that I get, the more thankful I am for all of the blessings I have in my life. It has always been a holiday filled with not only yummy food, but precious family time. Many memories I have from my childhood from this particular holiday with my family in West Virginia. Since Addie and Hayes have come along, I have not spent Thanksgiving with my family, mainly because they were both much too young to make the 7 hour road trip, but also because I know how important it is to begin our own traditions here at home for them both to cherish as they grow older. I want them to have fond memories of this time of year just as I do.

We celebrated "Thanksgiving" with my Mom and Dave this past weekend and boy was it delicious! It doesn't matter to us that we had to do it a week early....what matters is the memories that we made doing it! I do, however, miss my Thanksgiving in the mountains with our crazy family, and they are constantly on my mind during the holiday season as are the other precious people in my life that cannot be here to celebrate with us! Be grateful for your many blessings during this holiday season....hug your loved ones....and for goodness sake...hold off on decorating that Christmas tree for just one more week! Happy Thankgsiving!

Thank Heavens...

.......for little boys in baseball caps! I am so excited that I got me one of these little guys! Do you think he will be a mama's boy?

Missing Sally Mae....

Just thinking about my first furry baby today...and feeling very thankful that she has found a good home!

Fun with friends...

Jenna Blair and Hayes were born approximately 3 months apart. She belongs to my friends Kristy and Brian and is the baby sister to Addie's little friend, Lily, that I mention often. Recently, Kristy brought her crew down for a visit, and we spent the day playing and feeding and changing diapers and laughing until we realized our time together had flown by!

The whole gang....whew-this was a tough picture to get!

I am blessed to be able to experience motherhood with Kristy. We are each other's biggest cheerleaders on some days!

Family Fun...

Last weekend before the big storm, we ventured over to a local river park to enjoy some outside fun with friends. Addie ended up warming up to the idea of playing in the leaves. She just loves to play and to be played with. Tonight when my mom came over to see us, Addie interrupted a conversation we were having with "Mamaw...pway...let's pway!". How could she resist? These days she really soaks up one-on-one time with anyone who will give it to her. Hayes has taken some of her attention away...but she is adjusting well!

Of course, Hayes came along too. He hung out in my sling for the most part, and then he enjoyed a nice bottle in the shade on a picnic table. What a nice time we had with good friends!

Christmas early at the Hewitts! (atleast for me!)

My friend Kristy forwarded me a blog website where the woman shows her readers how to make crafty items they can't really afford, like drapery and home decor she likes from the pricey Pottery Barn store. I fell in love with her drapes she made from drop-cloths! Yes, you heard me....the canvas-like fabric you throw on the floor when you paint to protect your carpet! Believe it or not, the pieces are already hemmed on all four sides, are very thick, and actually have a nice little texture going on. She walks you through the steps on how to make the "drop-cloth curtains" and shows a picture of each step and how her's turned out in the end. I jumped on this project immediately since I recently ripped down my old kitchen curtains after my Dad's visit last month. His new handywork in my den made my curtains in the kitchen look dingy and out-of-date! Plus, Christmas came early this year for little ole me, and my momma (who still loves to spoil me) bought Tim and I a new family kitchen table. It is beautiful and together with my new drapes, completes my kitchen.....FINALLY! Check out my pictures below...

This is the blog below....but don't be surprised if some of you get little gifts from there this year.....

http://beneathmyheart.blogspot.com/

November Noreaster

and that means lots of quality time together...

Check out this cute smile! I get it many times throught the day....He is just a happy little man!

Addie, Hayes, and I spent lots of time just "hanging" out at our house this week, admiring my new window treatments and discovering "new" and long lost toys at the bottom of the toy bag. My mom came over Thursday and Friday and helped pass the time. Of course Addie loved that! She woke up Saturday morning saying "Mamaw come play with me day"! Although its been nice to just relax around the house, I am definitely ready to get out and about this week before the winter weather settles in and makes us homebound for a few months!

Thanks Anna and Matt....

Addie loves her new pacifier (that she stole from Hayes)! I think it suits her well- You guys rock!

What a snuggly little guy!

Grandma Julie and Grandma Rick enjoyed a little snuggle time too when they were up visiting for Halloween.

Unlike his big sister, Hayes is the perfect little snuggle bug! He would sleep in your arms all day if you let him. Fortunately for us, he is also just as content to sleep in a swing, in his bouncy seat, and even in his crib. He gives us 2 4-5 hour stretches of sleep each night now. It's like he knows that it is time to really sleep hard at night-time. I already just love him to pieces, and I have only known the little guy for less than 9 weeks. Isn't that amazing?

Happy Halloween!

Addie was suppose to be a cute little ballerina for Halloween this year. However, before I could even get her dressed in her costume, a little boy parading around as a transformer or galactic-man of some sort came to the door and scared her right out of the Halloween spirit. Every time the door bell would ring after his visit, she would jump in my lap and hide her eyes! Poor child!


It wasn't until around 8:30 at night, after the trick-or-treaters had taken all of our candy and the holiday was practically over, that my little ballerina asked to put her costume on and actually let me snap some photos!

Hayes on the other hand, was a real sport. He pretty much does whatever we want him to do. Unfortunately, we were so busy with Addie that we didn't even get a chance to dress him up for the holiday that night. I made him try it on yesterday for me and I snapped these photos quickly. He will never know the difference! So, how do you like my little lobster?

My Dad and Julie were actually here visiting so the fact that our little diva did not want to particpate in the traditional halloween festivities was not a big deal. We spent the evening hanging beautiful curtains and eating yummy pizza, and oh yeah, passing out candy to the trick-or-treaters! Perhaps next year Addie will come to the realization that she gets candy when she dresses up and walks around! I'll just have to eat all the ones that have peanuts for her! Happy Late Halloween everyone---- I hope yours was great!

A little sister-brother snuggle time...

What did I do to deserve these two little cuties? Sometimes when I am driving down the street with both babies in tow, I look in my rear-view mirror at the two of them all tucked away in their seats and am still in total awe that I am a mother of two. All of my life I have wanted and waited to be a mommy. If I could just do this for the rest of my life, I would have absolutely no regrets....and although I may get overwhelmed and over-tired on many days as I struggle to survive with a newborn and a two-year old, I am ever so thankful to be this blessed. Tim and I very lucky and are constantly reminded of this on a daily basis! (Now, if I could just get that paci out of her mouth!)

Miss Addie...

loves to play with a pen and a pad of paper (notice Dora is on in the background - she loves some Dora these days too!)

Addie is off to see the allergist today to have more skin tests done. They will be testing for strawberries, sesame seeds, peas, and green beans. This will hopefully give us a better idea about what triggered her recent allergic episode back in August. I have been avoiding all of those foods just in case since it happened. They will also do a skin test for the flu vaccine, and if it does not show a serious reaction, then she will get the seasonal flu vaccine today too. Please say a little prayer for her, as days like today are very scary to a two-year old. I am feeling so blessed that she is happy and healthy and these pesky allergies are our only concern. Each time I head to Children's Hospital where many children are battling long-term, serious illnessess, I am reminded of how blessed we are to have our health. We will let you know what we find out from her tests as soon as we get a chance!

UPDATE: The allergist appointment went fairly well this morning. Addie was such a big girl while they tested her skin for the reactions. She did not show any reaction to the foods tested other than the egg, which we were already aware of from the last test. This is good news, except now we have no idea what triggered the latest allergic reaction that sent us the the ER. However, it does give us peace of mind to know that she doesn't have to watch out for those foods anymore. The allergist also tested her skin to see if she could tolerate the flu vaccine and we were actually able to give her that today as well. I am glad she will be somewhat protected during this supposedly tough flu season. Whew! We are glad that appointment is over and thankful that overall, it went well. Thanks for your prayers!

Thanks Dad, Julie, and Tim....

I LOVE my new window treatments!


For those of you who know my Dad, you also know that he can pretty much fix/build anything. He owns his own company now and gets to do what he loves every day. I love to watch one of his "projects" unfold and the end results always amaze me. This past weekend he and my step-mom, Julie, came to visit us for the holiday weekend. I had asked Dad to build me some wood top treatments for my windows in the den. I had no idea just how beautiful they would turn out. Dad and Tim worked very hard all weekend on the project. Julie took me shopping for new curtains to go with them. They were very good to us!

They worked hard all afternoon on Halloween, painting and hanging my new curtains and top treatments! Tim learned a lot from Dad- maybe he can do the rest of the house!

And the finished project looked absolutely beautiful! Don't ya think?

Now all I need is some new furniture to go with them....yeah right! I'll be heading back to work now...Thanks Dad and Julie and Tim for all of your hard work! I can hardly stop staring at my new windows!