Allison: Six Months

Six months with this beaut, it doesn't seem possible! I really thought that all these milestones would hit me hard knowing Allison is our last, but I'm doing surprisingly well with them. I guess it's just because Allie makes life so fun, and I'm so looking forward to seeing how she keeps growing in the months to come. 

This past month was a big one! She celebrated her first Christmas, which I blogged about here.

She rang in 2025 at my mom and dad's house while Eric and I were at a wedding, but we enjoyed celebrating on the 1st with her and the rest of the kids.

And Allie also experienced her first snow! I don't know that any of her body actually touched the snow, but she sure looked like the cutest little marshmallow laying in it. 

She's learned so much this month! She's discovered her toes and likes to grab at those. She has also discovered her tongue and has started blowing raspberries at you. She is loving exploring all the textures, and her little fingers scratch on everything that she sees. A favorite of hers right now is grabbing at your face when she is close to you. 

She pretty consistently rolls quickly to her belly when you put her on her back, so she's started sleeping on her belly at night.  She usually falls asleep on her back, but by morning (or the end of nap) she is more often than not on her belly. 

She loves a bottle, and likes to help you hold it when she eats. If you are carrying her when you grab her bottle she is also trying to shove it in her mouth before you can get sat back down!

She also loves being talked to or sung to. She puts everything in her mouth. She is really enjoying her jumper and loves chewing on the butterfly wings on that. She pushes up really high on her arms when she is on her tummy, and I've seen her even get her belly up off the floor at times. She really kicks her legs when on her belly too, so you can tell she is ready to move. She is starting to roll to get where she wants to go. There are definitely times when I'll look over and she's rolled herself off of her blanket.

As far as dislikes, at the beginning of the month she didn't like getting "stuck" on her belly. I know she doesn't like when she spits up when she is on her tummy. But if I wipe it away she is usually happy again. She also isn't a fan of not being able to see what's going on. If you get her up and in the action she will cheer right up. But we can't complain, she isn't sad often.

She is in size 2 diapers and six month clothes. She is taking five 6 ounce bottles for a total of 30 ounces a day. She gets up around 6:30, is up for 2 to 2 and a half hours between naps. She takes 3 naps a day, and goes to bed sometime between 8 and 8:30.

She is about 26 inches long and weighs about 15.2 pounds. At her six month doctor's appointment (on the 27th), she measured in at 26.25 inches long and 15.3 pounds.

I can't believe we are only six months until our baby turns O.N.E. Here's to all the fun that is to come!

Christmas Magic

Christmas can be overstimulating AF. Let's be real. Your house is all out of sorts. Your kids are a little (or a lot) crazy. You get SO.MUCH.STUFF. (Which I admittedly did to myself this year- here's a reminder next year to scale way back on the presents! But I digress).

I often have to remind myself that these years are so fleeting, and that one day I'll be longing for a time when I couldn't wait to get all the toys out of my living room to their home in the basement. So while it might have been hard to see the magic of Christmas in the moment, I'm reliving the past few weeks and finding those precious little nuggets where the magic lived this holiday season.

First up, my favorite magical moment with Brayden. He is such a lover with the biggest heart. We did a gift exchange between the kids, and even though he didn't get Ashley's name, he wanted to buy her a present anyway. And I couldn't say no to that. He did draw Katie's name, and spent a good deal of time picking the perfect gift for her, which was this little rainbow haired stuffed puppy. Now the really magical part (for me at least), was when Ashley and Katie opened his present. Brady sat up on his knees right next to them, his eyes filled with anticipation, joy, excitement. His sweet, "do you love it?" after they opened it. If I could have bottled up those moments to play back forever I definitely would have. And as a side bar, Katie LOVES the puppy. It made it to her bed, which is a big feat for a stuffed animal.

Ashley's magical moment has absolutely nothing to do with Christmas. We've been struggling with her (and all the kids honestly) about fairness and others getting to do things when they can't. Eric decided to take all the kids to see Moana 2 in theaters after Christmas. They were so excited to get popcorn and a drink at the theater. Well as they were pulling out out of the driveway, Ashley threw up in the van. She was, of course, very sad that she wasn't going to get to go to the movie. But I was so proud of how she acted when they got home. Ashley was genuinely happy that Brayden and Katie got to go to the movies and asked them how it was. I know she was still sad she didn't get to go, but she tried really hard to not let that steal their thunder. 

My favorite magical moment with Katie doesn't have to do with Christmas day, but the excitement leading up to Christmas, especially when we looked at Christmas lights. It never failed, well except for the time I had my phone out to film her saying it ha!, that as soon as she saw Christmas lights, no matter how small or how extravagant, she would exclaim, "That's so beautiful, I love it!" Her joy in such simple things as Christmas lights has helped me remember to take joy in all the little moments, too.

And Allison, nothing beats the magic of a child's first Christmas. As I cuddled her in the warmth of our home, on our comfy couch with our decorated tree behind us, I couldn't help but think of Mary holding baby Jesus close to her. She wasn't as warm. She wasn't as comfortable. She wasn't surrounded by decorations. But oh how full her heart must have felt. How magical it must have been to know you were chosen to be Jesus' mother.

It's easy to feel worn down. To feel empty. Stressed. Not good enough. I can only pray that Jesus fills my heart up on my hardest days, with that sweet and simple fullness that Mary must have felt all those years ago. And reminds me that even the smallest moments can be full of magic.