Thanksgiving and Beyond

It's a tough job, but someone's got to do it! (Abby)

"We're pretty sure that this baby food isn't what we have been smelling all morning!!"

Yummy Thanksgiving treats!!

"SHOW ME THE TURKEY!!"

Braxton and Shandra. He's getting so big!!

Abby is licking her plate clean!! It must be good!!

"This is good stuff!! Why doesn't our baby food taste like this?"

"I'm as stuffed as a turkey."

The table that Shandra and I decorated for the Women's Hospitality Dinner at our church!!

Mom, Linda Browning and Grandma Jeanie at our church's annual Women's Hospitality Dinner!! We had a great night!!

Rory playing with their house.... she loves to ring the doorbell!!

"I'm not getting into anything... honest!!"

We're not entirely sure what this face is all about, but it's adorable!!

"You are in my bubble, Mom!" ~Abby

Strike a pose!! Tyra Banks would be proud!!

Abby's got this standing alone thing down!!

"Umm... Mom... there's something in our play-yard that I need to investigate"

We had such a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday! We decided to stay in town this year because a good deal of our family lives here in town (not that we didn't miss everyone that we didn't get a chance to see). It was so good to get a chance to spend quality time with our family (and some friends who were here from out of town)! We decided that the girls were old enough to sample some of the Thanksgiving yummy treats. They definitely approved of this plan. At Thanksgiving lunch, we gave them their own plates and put little samples of different things on the plate. Both enjoyed feeding themselves (and each other) and getting a chance to really dig into what they wanted. Abby even licked her plate clean after she had eaten everything on it! Not the best table manners, but we'll try better next year! :) I guess that it was time to pass the cooking torch this year. My mother and grandmother "let" Shandra, my dad and I do most of the cooking this year. Everyone survived, so I guess that it was a success! We even decided to brave the "Black Friday" crowds this year. I don't think that's an experience that I ever wish to have again. There's no deal that's worth getting up at 3:00 in the morning and getting hit over the head for. Yes, that was my wonderful experience for that day. Overall, though, we had an excellent Thanksgiving break! It was so nice to have Michael home for 5 days straight (the girls would definitely agree with that assessment). I think that the girls' first Thanksgiving was a big success!

The girls are still growing by leaps and bounds. It amazes me how much they change from the time they go to sleep at night to the time that they wake up in the morning!! They both now jabber ALL THE TIME! We don't always catch exactly what they are saying (or even most of it), but the jabber and chatter never stops (even when they are sleeping). I love to lay in bed and listen to their nighttime talk over the baby monitor. It makes Michael and I laugh almost every night! The girls are both going to sleep on their own at night, now. It has taken some work, but we are able to put them down and they go to sleep on their own! I knew this routine thing would pay off!! The biggest thing in our house right now is that we have two little girls who pull up on everything, are cruising up and down the furniture and trying to stand alone. Actually, Abby has got the standing alone thing down pretty good!! She will be holding onto something and then just let go and stand for a long time by herself with no support!! What a big girl!! She has tried several times to take a step, but hasn't quite gotten her balance well enough, but she is so close. She's such a tenacious little girl that we know she will have it down before long. Rory can stand by herself for just a couple of seconds. She still really likes to have the support of someone or something, but her doctor told us that even doing that she is way ahead of the game developmentally!! They can both walk pretty good if someone is holding onto their hands and walking behind them!! People ask us all the time if the girls are crawling yet and I love the shocked expressions that we get when we tell them that they had crawling down several months ago and are now working on trying to walk. Rory has also figured out how to climb up on things. She loves to climb and tries to on everything! We had taken their pack-n-play to my grandmother's house for Thanksgiving and it was in our living room when we came home for a while. Rory figured out how to climb up on it (while it was folded down and in the bag) and sit up on her knees on top of it. She would then jabber at us like she was really telling us all something important. Of course, Mommy ruined her fun because I was too afraid that she would fall, so I asked Michael to put it away. It hasn't stopped her from climbing on everything else, though. Each girls' personality is really starting to shine and develop! Abby is more reserved... up to a point. She doesn't mind letting everyone know what she thinks, though. She tolerates her sister for a while, but when she gets frustrated, everyone needs to just back up and give her some space. It always shocks people when she just starts yelling and jabbering really fast. During those times, I'm really glad that I can't catch most of what she is saying. Rory is very laid back... as long as she gets her way. She has a bit of a temper, but it comes and goes fairly quickly. But, she can chew you out with the best of them. Both girls are so lovable and absolutely adore their Daddy!! Anytime I tell them "no," they go tell on me to daddy. All you hear throughout the house is "dada, dada, dada, dada" whenever I have told them "no." They do the same thing when Daddy gets onto them, except they come to me saying "mama, mama, mama, mama." It's funny! We are starting to gear up for Christmas and the girls are loving it! The bright lights and Christmas music are so much fun to them right now. They are also very curious about the presents that have appeared under the tree. Rory has already opened two of the gifts, so the tree and the gifts are now inside their play-yard. See, we can still outsmart two ten month old babies (can you believe they will be ten months old tomorrow?).... not for long, though, I fear. It's going to be such a fun Christmas this year!!

Happy Birthday to Me!

Me with my two perfect angels!! What more could a Mommy ask for?

My birthday cookie!!

Abby, Braxton and Rory ready to face the cold to take me out to dinner!! What little troopers!!

Abby's not too sure about this big heavy coat idea

Snow-Bunny Rory

Ready for winter

I just wanted to say a quick "thanks" to everyone who helped make my birthday so special yesterday!! It was such a wonderful day!! My awesome husband arranged an afternoon outing (he took off of work and everything) and took me to see the new James Bond movie "Quantum of Solace." It was fantastic!! I'm a big James Bond (and Daniel Craig) fan and was so excited when I found out that the newest James Bond movie was going to open on my birthday!! My husband and his friend, John, introduced me to the wonderful world of James Bond last year and now I am a fan for life!! We had such a good time at the movie. It was nice to get away from everything for just a little while and just enjoy a nice movie!! After the movie, my family took me out to eat and threw me a nice birthday party!! My girls even bought me the newest book in the series that I have been reading (with some help from Daddy of course)!! I had so many well-wishers and such a wonderful day!! I couldn't have asked for a better day!! It's so hard to believe that I'm 26 years old now. It doesn't seem possible. I remember when anyone over 20 was old and anyone over 25 was ancient! It's amazing how your perspective can change so quickly. I wouldn't change a thing, though. I have a wonderful family, an amazing husband and two absolutely beautiful baby girls!! What more could I have ever asked for?!

Birthday Fun!!

"You Lookin' at Me?"

Braxton, Abby and Rory. Micheal called this "The Evolution of Carters."

This is my Heaven!!!

Mimi Cinda reading Daddy's card with Abby

Make a wish!!

Michael turned 29!! Look at the funny looking cake his wife made him :)

I just couldn't resist!!

Abby and Rory playing together in the outfits that Uncle Ed and Aunt Kay sent them right after they were born!!! They finally fit and are too adorable!!

"But Mom, we don't need a nap... honest."

The only problem with the strollers is that sometimes one girl will get on one side and the other will get on the other side and they will push in opposite directions. Not much progress is made when this happens.

I don't think that Abby was ready for paparazzi after her bath

Rory loves everything about bath time... even the fun time after baths

Rory in her new big-girl car seat

Abby fell asleep in her new car seat on the way home from church. It's really hard to wake up.

Abby fell asleep and pulled her hat down over her eyes to keep the sun out.

Abby sportin' her Jackie O' outfit for church!!

Michael's 29th birthday was this last Monday (Nov. 10), but since there was a nasty stomach bug tearing its way through our family, his birthday party had to be postponed until tonight. We had such a good time despite the delay! I made Michael his birthday cake (because he specifically told me that he wanted a homemade cake and not a bought cake) and my dad and I made homemade chicken and dumpling soup. We figured that due to the fact that 7 of the 8 people present had been getting sick for the last 3 days that chicken soup would be our best bet. Michael has been promised a homemade Chinese dinner from his wife and he will eventually get it... probably. :) The girls and Braxton had so much fun at the party. It's always good to be around family!

The girls are growing more and more each day. Every single day, Michael and I are floored at what new things they are learning and discovering!! Rory has started saying "my daddy" to Michael. She thinks it's so funny when I say "no, my daddy." She then replies "my daddy." It's become a game, but she's learning all the same. She also says "this" when she wants something. I always catch myself asking the girls, "Do you want this?" I guess that is where she picked it up. I'm not really sure. She will even crawl over to Abby and say "this" while pointing at her sister. It's so funny! We try to explain that Abby is not a "this" but instead a "sister." I think that it's an abstract concept that may take a while for her to understand. Abby has started saying "mimi" (much to my mother's excitement). She hasn't had a chance to say it to her Mimi Sue yet, but I'm sure that she will be excited as well!! The girls call their grandmothers "Mimi Cinda" and "Mimi Sue," but I think that Mimi will have to suffice for now. Both girls are doing so well with their walking. They can both pull up with no problem on just about anything that they can get close to. They will try to let go, but still don't quite have the balance to stand alone yet (but they will get there). They can walk back and forth while holding on, though. If they can hold on, there is no stopping them. They LOVE their push toy strollers that they can walk behind. The strollers give them the freedom to wander the house more freely while still practicing their walking. They have also started to figure out how to tag-team Mommy. One will start crying and I will go to see what is wrong and the other will take off. It's constant movement in our house now. The other day, Rory wanted a toy that was on top of Braxton's desk at my grandmother's house. Abby laid on the floor in front of the desk and Rory tried to step onto her back to reach the toy. We were all floored. Should they be able to problem solve that well at this age? We're in so much trouble! Rory and Abby have also been recently cleared to try all sorts of new "big people" food. They love to eat cheese, crackers, gold-fish crackers and yogurt. We are trying to move them away from the bottle at every feeding to just a bottle in the morning and one at night before bed. It's going to take some time, but we are working at it. It's amazing how fast everything is changing!

9 Months... Where has the time gone?

Abby getting ready to head to church in her pretty dress that Granny, Aunt Jana and Aunt Rhonda gave her.
Look at the girls go with their new push-toy strollers that their Great-Great Aunt Ann bought them during her visit. They are everywhere now!!

Off they go!!

Rory's such a big girl walking all by herself behind her stroller!! Normally her dolly is along for the ride, but no dolly today.

Rory has some problems getting awake in the morning. She fell back asleep in Mommy and Daddy's bed. I think she must be related to her Mommy!! :)

"It's too early people!!"

Rory ready to head to church in her pretty dress from Granny, Aunt Rhonda and Aunt Jana!!

"It's time to go Mom! We don't want to miss Sunday School!!"

"Is is nap time yet?"

Rory and Abby turned 9 months old today!! Where has the time gone? It seems like only yesterday that we were preparing for their arrival and then bringing our two tiny blessings home from the hospital. They are anything but little now. They are both growing and doing so much. I tear up (out of pride and wondering where the months have gone) every time I think about how big they are getting. We went to their 9 month check-up today and got a completely clean bill of health for both girls. Thank You Lord!! Aurora now weighs 19 lbs. 4.6 oz and is 27 3/4 inches tall. She is going to be a tall girl... there's just no way to get around that fact. The doctor laughed when she said that most babies slow down on gaining weight and height after 6 months, but Rory is charging ahead on both (which is such a good thing)! Abigail now weighs 15 lbs. 9.6 oz and is 26 1/4 inches tall. Another tall little girl!! I think that I'm going to end up being the short one in the family!! Both girls definitely got their height from their Daddy. Developmentally, both girls are way ahead of the game. Their doctor was so shocked when she found out everything that they are already doing. Both are talking pretty plainly. Rory can say 8 different words... "mama," "dada," "bye-bye," "hi," "papa," "bubba," "uh-oh," and "hey." Abby can say 5 different words... "mama," "dada," "bye-bye," "uh-oh" and "hey." They are both clapping and playing patty-cake. They are both pulling up on EVERYTHING and walk along holding onto things. Rory waves "bye-bye" to everyone. They are feeding themselves solid foods. They can drink from a sippy cup. Abby loves to dance while she is standing up. She will shake her little baby-booty anytime any music comes on. It just amazes Michael and I all the new things that they are learning and doing. Their doctor did say that she wants us to start giving Abby more calories each day to try and get some more weight on her. She's not concerned that she's too small at this point, but she would like to see her gain some weight. So, she cleared the girls to both start having some dairy products. They tried cheese for the first time today and were both a little leery of the new substance. It was funny!! Overall, we had a wonderful check-up!! The girls' next visit will be for their 1 yr. check-up. Oh mylanta!! I just can't believe how big they are getting!!

Happy Halloween!!

Busy, busy little bug..

The Hanna's first family Halloween!!

So beautiful!!

Trick-or-Treatin' is fun, but it has worn these two little ladybugs out!!

Rory was being silly at Great-Grandma Hanna's house. She put a doily on her head and wore it as a hat for a while!! Silly girl!!

Rory playin' the spoons with Great-Grandpa Brauchi. So much fun!!

Abby exploring her Great-Grandparents' house. Isn't she such a big girl?!?!

Abby sitting with her Great-Grandpa Brauchi. They are great pals!!

Rory with Memaw Brauchi

Look at this precious ladybug princess!!



Abby's not too sure about this whole dressing up idea, but she sure looks adorable!!

Rory and Abby in their "My Magical Power is being Cute" shirts. Too true!!

Look how cute I am!!

The girls had a wonderful first Halloween!! Everyone made it such a special day for them. They were dressed up as ladybug princesses. Too cute!! I do believe that they were the most beautiful little ladybugs possible! I was so proud of how well they did today. They really didn't fuss with their costumes much and they seemed to really enjoy showing off for everyone. Abby kept smoothing her little dress down all evening. The girls even got to wear special bows that Mommy made especially to match their little dresses!! We had a chance to see all of our family that lives in town. We visited grandparents and great-grandparents all evening. Everyone seemed so excited to see Rory and Abby. All of our family helped to make this such a special event for the girls. They were given clothes, bows, snacks (no candy yet) and all sorts of goodies. Daddy and Mommy even got a little into the Halloween spirit. Daddy wore a t-shirt with a tux on it and Mommy wore a shirt with a scarecrow on it. We're not too into going all out. The only bad part of today was that someone decided to steal one of our scarecrows from our scarecrow family that we had in our front yard. Michael and I bought our first scarecrows right after we got married and have added as our family has grown. Someone stole our Mommy scarecrow. It was sad and we had to take down our little family to prevent anymore from being stolen. All-in-all, though, we had a really nice Halloween and I don't think that the girls could have had anymore fun if they had really tried!! After all, that's what Halloween is for!!

Bedtime at the Hanna House

This video is a small glimpse into bedtime at our house. At this point in the evening, the girls have been bathed, fed, rocked and are ready to go to bed. Sometimes, the last step is easier than others. The girls will usually lay down after a little rocking time (Michael and I really enjoy the one-on-one time with each of the girls before bedtime). Rory has gotten where she tells us bye-bye before she goes to sleep. She often drifts off saying "bye-bye, bye-bye." It's too cute!! Eventually we will get to "night-night." You will notice that the girls' mattresses have been moved down because they are both getting too tall to have them any higher. I can't believe how big they are now. Rory weighs 19 lbs. 9.6 oz. Abby is 16 lbs. 4.6 oz. Their doctor told us to start looking for "big girl" car seats because they need to move up when they reach 20 lbs. It's amazing how fast time flies!!