The Bankston Family: Getting ready for Christmas

This is just a quick post to catch me up before Christmas gets here. We have had so much fun this month! We took the girls riding last night to look at Christmas lights. We didn't even have to leave the neighborhood! Everyone is so festive here and Addison certainly approved! She loved everything but her favorite has always been the blow-up figures. We have the 12 ft. Santa in our front yard along with a snow globe. She loves to go outside and touch and talk about them. (I need to take a pic of the girls in front of him!) These are huge conversation starters! Anyway, she was a little mad that we couldn't touch every single one that we passed. I have been pulling out all of Addison's Christmas clothes from when she was a baby. I am determined that Melody will get to wear every single outfit- even if I have to change her 5 times a day! For instance, Melody wore her smocked snowman dress just to go to the pharmacy and vet today. Good gracious she was cute! They are still like new and absolutely precious. Seems like yesterday that I was putting these on Addison. I really don't like how fast time is going:(

I picked up a few of these "make your own" ornaments at hobby lobby. Addison LOVES them! Anytime I couldn't entertain her, I would just sit her at the table and let her go to town. When she gets done with the front she wants to color the back. You can bet I put them on our tree too. I love them! I know we will cherish them every year.

Melody had a great 3 month checkup. She was 11.8 pounds. The doctor said she is above the 25% for weight and right at the 25% for height. Last time they told us she was at the 50% for height but then told us they measured wrong and was really the 25%. (I need to go back and correct that). She has been doing wonderful and is really starting to "talk" our heads off! She has got the biggest smile and has the most sheer squeal you have ever heard. That is how she responds to us when we talk or smile at her. My nickname for her has become "Honey Bear." Not sure why or how it came about but it just came naturally. She just seems like a little honey bear to me:) In the mornings the girls typically wake up at the same time. If this happens, I feed Melody and then get Addison out of her crib and change her for the day. Then, she comes with me to "help" me change Melody for the day. Then, Melody will either get in her swing or bouncy seat while I fix Addison's breakfast. Usually Melody will fall asleep like that for around 30-45 minutes. That's scenario 1. Scenario 2 is more "ideal". Addison wakes up and I pump real quick while Melody is still sleeping./OR Melody wakes up 30 minutes before Addison and I get to feed her and she goes back to sleep before Addison wakes up. I go get Addison ready for the day and make her breakfast ----while trying to keep her quiet so she won't wake her up! The "keeping her quiet" part is especially hard cause she wants to see Melody sooo bad in the morning and just yells and yells for her! Anyway, during this scenario Melody will wake up right when we are finishing breakfast. I prefer #2 cause Melody doesn't sleep well in her bed during the day. This is mainly because Addison is so VOCAL. So, as much as it hurts me to do this, I put her in the swing to let her nap. I would have never done that with Addison cause that's what the books taught us BUT this situation is different and little Melody needs her sleep! Hopefully we can transition to her crib during the day.

Guess what happens after the New Year?? We will be changing Addison's crib into a toddler bed. Yikes. It is definitely time. If we wait too much longer she is going to hurt herself by falling out! I sure hope the transition is easy. THEN, when we conquer that we will start potty training. Oh I dread this. I know she will be easy cause she tells us everytime she is going and what she is doing. BUT diapers are just sooo easy! See, if I'm nursing Melody and Addison has to go "NOW", it will be hard to put Melody on hold while I go help Addison. Therefore, I prefer diapers. She will always grab her diaper and say, "Tee Tee....NASTY." She says this to strangers too. Talk about Mom guilt!

This is Addison's Christmas dress from last year. She only wore it once and it was so big so I wanted to try it again this year. WOW, it was short! Like Shirley Temple short. I wish I had a full length to really show it off. It was so funny! She loves dresses and she could have cared less.

This was my 1st Christmas dress that my Nona smocked for me. I have hundreds and hundreds of smocked dresses that she made me growing up. Still in tip top shape! It was a little bit big on Melody but would have been too small next year so we had to have a style show now!

See that Elmo bandaid? That thing had to stay on her arm in order for me to get that smile. Picking my battles.

Funny story- See that little silk thing in Addison's hand? That would be my wedding night lingerie. She found this in my drawer around 6 months ago and has since become OBSESSED with it. Sleeps with it at all times and drags it all over the house. Wow, if I had only known way back then, when I was picking that sucker out, that my 2 year old would use it as a lovey!