Cute PJ's

Our very sweet and thoughtful friends Alli and Spencer (and their kids Sevi and Leo) sent these super cute and matching pj's for the kids!  After everyone had a bath it was picture time!  

Pebbles and Bam Bam

Amelia loves to push Jack's (neighbor) skateboard around.  Jeremy likes to be pushed!

Happy/Awake Mabel - Almost 3 weeks

Mad Mabel

Only watch this if you know you're done having kids because the newborn cry will make you not want anymore kids.  If you're done with kids, watch it because it's kind of cute!

Movie Time

Jbird and Mabel hanging out in J's bed while J watched a movie that Annie (next door neighbor let him borrow)!  It looks like she's sleeping but it was the flash that made her close her eyes!  Jeremy kept leaning over and kissing her on her forehead.  Pretty cute!

Christmas 2009

Merry Christmas!  The Meinhardts had a great day, one filled with lots of presents and family time!  Jeremy LOVED Christmas this year and Amelia, well, she likes taking wrapping paper off the presents but doesn't really care what's in it!  We would find her under the tree pulling tiny pieces of paper off random presents :) Some favorite presents for Jeremy; recycling truck, cars, bow and arrow (thanks to his uncle Christian and family) , piggy bank (thank you auntie megan, uncle Jeremy, Beck and Nellie) and some of Amelia's stuff!  Amelia's favorites; dolls, car seat for the doll, Jeremy's cars, mini my little ponies!  Mommy's favorite; money and my new flip video!!!!  Daddy's favorites; new ugg slippers.  Grandmommy's favorites; laptop computer and new necklace!  We spent today at Oma and Opa's house with the family and ate some yummy food!!!!!!

After the kids went to bed, mommy and daddy loaded the presents under the tree.  It was so nice and quiet!

Miss Mabel was wiped out from helping with the presents and drinking too much wine!

Jeremy helped Amelia and Mabel open their presents!

Mommy and kiddos opening presents!

Grandmommy getting new necklace!

Jeremy's new piggy bank!!!!  The coins wind their way down into the belly!

Miss Amelia Bedelia sitting with dada!

Jbird opening yet another present!

Miss Mabel - EKG & Ultra Sound

All is good with Mabel's heart!  The cardiologist verified that there is a murmur but the EKG and ultra sound came back negative for any structural defects.  She was such a good girl for the EKG but unfortunately got a case of hiccups during the ultra sound so it was challenging for the doctors to get a good read.  They said, "these hiccups are making this interesting".  They eventually did get a good look and said all looked good.  They want her to come back when she's a year old just to make sure they didn't miss anything.  Sorry about the upside down picture!

My Girls

All fresh and clean in their fleece PJ's!

Typical Day

Jeremy's dinosaur bites the remote!

Amelia collecting things as usual!

Mabel watching the chaos!

First few days at home....

It's been a busy few days since we've been home from the hospital.  Ryan left town Monday (yes, the day I got out of the hospital) and Tuesday and then again for the day on Thursday!  Auntie Jacqui had a baby girl, Benny, on Tuesday!  Grandmommy arrived Thursday and Jeremy had his Xmas performance at school yesterday so it was my first outing with all 3 kids by myself.  I passed my first test with that one but Mabel slept through most of it.  Here are some random pics! If anyone has interest in watching Jbird perform, or not perform, his Xmas songs...go to http://taylorupdates.blogspot.com/.  He's looking at me most of the time!

Miss Mabel bright eyed and bushy tailed!

1st bath at home and LOVED it.  Very unlike her sister!

Mary/Grandmommy bought an outfit for Mabel but it is WAY too big so she tried it on Amelia.  A little snug but it was pretty funny!

It's been a busy few days since we've been home from the hospital.  Ryan left town Monday (yes, the day I got out of the hospital) and Tuesday and then again for the day on Thursday!  Auntie Jacqui had a baby girl, Benny, on Tuesday!  Grandmommy arrived Thursday and Jeremy had his Xmas performance at school yesterday so it was my first outing with all 3 kids by myself.  I passed my first test with that one but Mabel slept through most of it.  Here are some random pics! 

Mabel - 6 days old

She had her 1st check up today and she's gained one whole ounce!  She now weighs 6 lbs 4 oz.  Just a petite little thing.  The doctors detected a heart murmur so we are heading to a pediatric cardiologist on Dec 24, 9:30 am!  They will do an EKG so see what is going on.  Other than that...she is doing well and a very hungry little girl!

The family is complete!

So far so good....they love her!

Welcome home Mabel!

Amelia is in love and Jeremy couldn't be any sweeter with her!  They love her.  Amelia has said "baby" about 100 times and Jeremy is trying to help and learn as much as he can.  He was very interested in how the baby eats :)  Amelia could care less about her most of the time but is very concerned when she cries.  Ryan is out of town tonight and tomorrow so it's busy and tiring but I am getting a crash course on parenting 3 children.  Here are some pics of the kids meeting their new sis!

Passed with flying colors...

Miss Mabel had her hearing test today and passed with flying colors.  She didn't like the cold pads on her face and ears but other than that, cooperated like a good little girl.  She's been sleeping and eating most of the day with some awake time looking around at her new world!  Do you like her receding hairline? :)

Miss Mabel - Day 2!!!

Meeting Jen!

Still sleeping!

Sleeping while mom checks her email....AGAIN!

Hi Oma!

Meeting Auntie Jess and Auntie Louise

We've been hanging out and lots of people came to meet me today.  Well, my daddy came to see me and then Oma and Opa came again.  Louise, Morgan, Natalie, Jen and Jess came too.  I slept a lot and ate even more!  Having a good life so far :)

Uncle Christian & Aunt Windy came to visit

Mabel Courtney Meinhardt

Happy Birthday sweet Mabel!  She arrived a bit earlier than expected at 5:17am this morning instead of Dec 21.  I had contractions for a couple hours at home so we came right in to make sure I didn't have any issues being a previous c-section mommy. Anyway, she weighs 6lbs 9 oz, 18 inches long and looks a lot like Jeremy except with super dark hair.  

Nightly Tradition

Jbird and I get in the car almost every night and drive around looking at Christmas lights!  He picks the direction and I drive.  We listen to Christmas music and enjoy the holiday season. Ryan and Amelia join us some nights when Amelia is not in bed already and tonight, we picked up his little buddy Jack to drive with us.  There are some pretty unreal houses around here and I took a picture of a couple.  The picture doesn't do it justice because it's 4 houses in a row with Santa, his sleigh, reindeer and presents going from house to house.  The houses across the street are decorated like crazy as well but I couldn't get them in the picture.

Tis' the season....

For Elf on the Shelf.  It's a super cute little elf and it comes with a book that explains the story and rules that come along with the elf.  Your child names it the 1st year (thankfully Jeremy has stuck with the name he chose last year, "elf").  Every night, the elf leaves your house and flies to the North Pole to tell Santa if your child has been bad or good that day.  The children cannot touch the elf, they can only talk to it and tell it what they want for Xmas.  It's great for mom and dad as well because it helps to remind the kids that the elf is watching if they are acting up.  When the elf returns to your house, it picks a new place to hide so the kids can find it first thing in the morning.  Jeremy wakes up every morning and asks where his elf is.  We tell him he has to find him and Jeremy even tells the elf where he wants him to sit the next morning.  A cute tradition that we have enjoyed for 2 years and many more to come.

Decorations

Time to decorate some ginger bread cookies!

Jeremy enjoyed decorating and...

Amelia thought it was important to eat the candy decorations!

So...no candy made it on Amelia's cookie

and Jeremy could barely eat his cookie because there was too much candy!  They had a good time and made a BIG mess.  

Christmas Tree Shopping 2009

Kids had fun running around for a few minutes until J wanted to go home to go to the bathroom and Amelia had more fun climbing on the crates that the trees were on.  We didn't leave with a tree but we left with a beautiful wreath :)  I was able to catch one cute shot of them.