The Scholl Sisters' Christmas Update!

Christmas 2012 has come and gone, and I understand more and more each year why Christmas is such a magical time when you have little ones around. The girls (especially Hadley) had such a wonderful Christmas! Haddy loved doing her different advent calendars each day & discovering the new and crazy places where Cocoa was hiding each day! We did many other family activities that I hope will become our family traditions. We picked out & decorated our Christmas tree together, baked cookies, went looking at Christmas lights, went to Sesame Place (though that might not happen again since it was SO crowded), writing & receiving letters from Santa, we attended Christmas Eve service together, went to Uncle Brian's store to look at the train display, and attended many, many Christmas parties. The girls did an awesome job with all of the schedule changes over the week, as well - Mama & Daddy couldn't have been more proud!

The girls got many wonderful and generous gifts from everyone this year! Hadley received a bike from Santa as her big gift & Carlie got her new big girl car seat! They also received many new clothes, books, puzzles, blocks, and toys. Carlie especially loves her big arm chair, her vanity, & her ball pit. Hadley's favorites were her "Charlie Brown, Snoopy, & Woodstock" Peanuts stuffed animals & play figurines.

They also received a new kitchen set and several food & dishes sets, which have provided many hours of playtime fun together!

Their stockings were full of toothbrushes, new sippy cups, washcloths, shampoo, body wash, coloring books (or board books), and snacks!

Picking out our Christmas tree as a family!

Our elf Cocoa brought Hadley a Snoopy ornament for being a good napper!

Cocoa brought Carlie an ornament for her first Christmas!

Hadley was a great helper in decorating the tree!

Carlie "helped" decorate the tree, too!  She liked the way the needles felt!

Haddy loved visiting the train display!

Carlie IS way too cute to be on the naughty list!

These silly girls DO bring us so much JOY!

The (silly) Scholl family Christmas card, 2012

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree...

Haddy's letter to Santa! (There was a drawing of "Lucy, Snoopy, Woodstock" on the other side!)

Carlie's letter to Santa!

We left our letters to Santa with Cocoa to take back to the North Pole!

Santa wrote back!

Santa wrote back to Hadley!

Santa wrote back to Carlie!

The girls met Santa and did a great job sitting on his lap at Sesame Place!  Haddy told him she wanted Snoopy, Charlie Brown, & Woodstock!

Santa also came to our development, but this was obviously one of his helpers, not the REAL Santa whom we met in Sesame Place! :)

The girls left a note, cookies, and milk for Santa, as well as carrots and water for the reindeer (as instructed in their letters from Santa)!

The girls looked so adorable in their Christmas dresses on Christmas Eve!

They must've been very good girls!

No lumps of coal here!

Carlie did a great job opening her presents!

Haddy was super excited about her new bike!

Carlie was all smiles on her first Christmas!

Video to be added at a later date!! :)

Carlie's 8-month update!

Our Carlie-bug (aka the happiest baby in the world) is now 8 months old & I still can't believe how quickly time is flying by!  In just a couple short months, we'll be mulling over ideas for her first birthday party! That's CRAZY! 

 

Carlie's been coughing and sniffling for a week or so now, so today she (and Hadley) went to the doctor's office.  It turns out that Carlie has the beginnings of an ear infection & Hadley has a mild case of pneumonia!  Eeesh!  All in all, the girls are both being little troopers!  At her appointment, we found out that Carlie is now 16 pounds, so she's gained about 2 pounds in 2 months, which is great!  She's wearing size 3 diapers now & is in mostly 6-9 month clothes.  Carlie is also SLEEPING now!  She typically gets up about once a night (around 3 or 4), which means that she goes for a 7-8 hour stretch & then goes back to sleep until 7:30 or 8.

Carlie's favorite toys this month are her baby vanity, her mini ball pit, & anything she can chew on!  She loves to bounce up and down when someone (or a toy) sings songs to her, especially the alphabet song!  She also bounces up and down and says aaaah! when someone says, "yay, Carlie!"  It's really cute!

Best Friends Forever!

This month, Carlie also finally learned to roll from her back to her belly - she actually started doing it in her sleep one night & then did it while awake a few days later!

 

Carlie sprouted her first (and almost her second) tooth this month, which means she's beat her sister by almost 5 months!  Because of her new chompers, Carlie has started eating small bits of food this month!  She does great with chunks of bananas and baby puffs!  She also discovered that she likes Aunt Kasia's gingerbread cookies!

Can you see my tooth?

On December 13th, during playtime, Carlie said her first word, "Dada," as you will see in the video below!  We don't think she says it with specific purpose (as in, knowing that she's referring to Dada), but it's a definite start!

Carlie also celebrated all of the magical moments of her first Christmas season this month!  We picked out a Christmas tree, went looking at Christmas lights, went to Sesame Place for their Very Furry Christmas, sat on Santa's lap, went to Christmas Eve service at church, and opened presents at many Christmas parties!

Cocoa (our elf!) brought Carlie her first Christmas ornament!

Picking out our Christmas tree!

Carlie and Hadley sat on Santa's lap at Sesame Place!

Santa came!

Sister love while checking out the train display at Uncle Brian's store!

Carlie and Hadley after church on Christmas Eve!

Sesame Place's Very Furry Christmas!

Carlie all bundled up on our COLD Christmas tree picking day!

It's my first Christmas Day!

Carlie inspecting her stocking loot on her first Christmas morning!