New Year Catch up Post

Here it sits January 8th and I am still posting the last Christmas pictures (in a previous post).  I still have to post all the play structure stuff, but here is the last random catch up stuff from 2011.  I think the new year always makes you reflect a lot.  What a long way we have come since the beginning of 2011.  We started 2011 a family of 3 living in Huntington, WV not really liking our situation and ended it a family of 4 in a much better place, on so many levels.  We miss good friends, but are very happy and love being walking distance from my parents.  Samantha, especially, has benefited so much from their closeness.  She has really found her second home.   Nick loves his job. We are, of course, so thankful for our 2011 addition, what a blessing Zoey is.  We started out the year not even knowing if the baby in my belly was a boy or girl and end it knowing what a sweet, curious baby she is.  We are delighted with the close bond our girls seem to already share and hope for the continuation as Zoey develops into a walking, talking toddler.  I know 2012 will most likely bring many changes itself, hopefully the easy selling of our house and a better job for me.  Best wishes to all for an amazing 2012.

Wrapping up 2011

Zoey got to sit in the gator for a quick picture.

Trying out the back, of course she had to stand.

 But I did get a sitting picture, too.

Working on the play structure often goes to dark, and sometimes past.  Zoey often is pretty tired at the end of the day.

We had a mom's club event at the Family Fun Center.  It is like a mini Chuck E Cheese with a huge indoor playground.

Zoey with her new Zoe doll from Uncle Terence.

My Aunt Julia came for a quick visit.  She brought Alexandra and Sam had a blast playing with her second cousin.

We also had a playdate to build graham cracker gingerbread houses.  Here is Sam's.  It is now a yearly tradition, since we made them last year too.

And now onto the beginning of 2012 not already covered in the good friends post.

Sally's mom sent us some yummy cookies.  They had colorful icing that really dyed your mouth.  Sam after eating a tree one.

Sam started ballet again.  She enjoyed it and I think will keep it up this time.

Another evening checking out construction.  Notice the jacket.  It actually got cool here, from 80 on Christmas to nights dipping to freezing.

Some snuggle time with Nana.

Sam being silly with Zoey's baby swing.

Good friends

Some friends from graduate school came down to visit family near Tampa, so we got to meet up with them at the kids museum, MOSI.

Here is Sam with their son, Oliver.

I did not get many pictures since it was a bit crazy.  Although Zoey had just had a fever and we did leave her at home with Nana.

We all went in a wind tunnel.

We were also treated to a visit by Sally (Paideia friend), Scott (GT friend) and their kids Izzy and Charlie.  The big girls had a blast playing.  And the adults got to hang out too and watch the sad GT bowl game.  Charlie and Zoey had some fun, but mostly is was moving around and chewing on things.

Everyone got to play in the sand.

We had an early New Year's Eve celebration, complete with hats, noisemakers, and fireworks.  We tried to get a group pictures, but the little ones wanted nothing to do with those hats.

What fun the noise makers were.

Zoey was even entertained.

The big girls took turns driving the gator.  We put all the kids in for a quick picture, no breaking the rules and driving with kids in the back.

Izzy had fun driving, but may need a return trip to earn her license.

Box boat.

Drawing fun.

And Zoey, Sam, and I got to meet up in Orlando with friends Deanna, Jon, Kate, and Gabe.  Deanna and Jon lived in the same apartment complex as us in 2004-2005 and we bonded over our dogs and now let our kids play.  They are expecting their 3rd in March.

They were staying at a nice complex and we got to play putt putt.

Sam had a good time, but I am glad her Papa was not there to see her form.

We played on a playground too before we grabbed some ice cream.  Sam's hair went crazy in the slide.

What a nice way to send out 2011 and start 2012, spending time with friends.  Of course, those moments were squeezed in among all the work of building the play structure, which is now almost complete.  The semester starts tomorrow.  Hopefully, construction will be completed today and only painting and such will remain for our free time this week.

Gator girl!

Sam is now a gator girl, and I am not talking University of Florida (although she does know the gator chomp).  Sam's big present from Grammy and Poppi was a John Deere Gator ride on.  We saved it for Christmas afternoon.  Here is her face when she saw it covered with a blanket.  

Recreating her surprise face :)

A video of her running in and "unwrapping it"

Showing her excitement and a thank you.

Then we took it into the yard.  A quick picture...

And she's off.

Although she has driven one before (a friend's Barbie Jeep), we are keeping it in the slower mode until she gets a little better.  She has improved every time she has ridden it.

How much Christmas can one girl take?

After playing some and a nap for Zoey, we went to my parents for more presents and a late lunch/early dinner of steak. It is a Swilley family tradition.  Look at all those gifts!  And this does not even include the slide for the play structure from Nana and Papa to Sam and Zoey.

Zoey got in on the action a little bit, pulling out tissue paper.

But she really wanted Nana's nativity set.  Who cares about the toys I can play with.

Nick got a juggling ball set.

Nana, Papa and the girls.

There is even more, but I have to log off now, so Christmas afternoon will come in another post.

Christmas joy! Christmas morning.

Last Christmas Sam was so adorable.  Everytime she opened a gift she said, "It's just what I always wanted!"  Even if that was sometimes followed by, "What is it?"  This year had a touch more greed, but she was mostly just very excited.  She was excited about giving what she got first (see previous post) and also about helping open for everyone.  She did enjoy getting presents and was probably spoiled by all of us.

We did not get to go to church since Zoey had her fever and it just did not work out.  We did take the day off of construction to spend time with family.  It was a wonderful day.  Sam even slept in to around 8 am.  What a treat for us.  It was also very warm.  I think the high was near 80.  It has just recently turned chilly, with lows overnight near freezing.  I love this weather!  I may miss true seasons in a few years, but for now I am content.  We can travel to places with falls and snow.

Sam had a stocking stuffed with candy, a few small toys, and a disney tinkerbell pin.

Sam with Santa stuff.

Zoey got a car swing for our new play structure, but she was more interested in the bow.

Sam put her old doll in her "new" desk.

Zoey just loved the bow, again.

We all got Tervis tumblers from Santa, except Zoey who got a sippy cup.  Nick got a GT one.  I got a giraffe print with a lid.  Sam got a cool princess one, but for some reason we did not get a picture of her with it.

Nana got a Nana pne and Papa got a Number 1 Papa one.

Zoey was unimpressed with her cup.

Sam's big Santa gift was a scooter.  She figured it out right away and was excited.  It is for 5+, so she will probably just try it out some and grow into it.  It is pink with light up wheels, very neat.

We had a great brunch of pancakes made by Sam and Angie and bacon cooked by Nick.

Zoey was occupied for a bit.

Sam, Nick and Papa played with her new pink legos.

I hope everyone had as much Christmas joy as we did. We are so very blessed with the most amazing daughters and the most helpful parents/best grandparents we could ask for.

10 months flew by!

Wow, we have been busy.  I know I say that a lot, but we do stay pretty busy.  End of the semester rolled into holidays and now we are facing the beginning of the semester.  We have had lots of playdates and fun, but the biggest things has been building a playstructure for the girls for their Christmas and birthday main gifts.  It has been quite an undertaking and more will be posted soon.  But I do want to get Zoey's 10 month pictures up.


This is how I found Zoey the other day (12/19).  When I put her to bed, her arm was in the sleeve.  She seemed to think it needed to come out.  I was impressed. She is also very good at getting off socks.  She does not usually wear them, so she is not used to them.  I even tried some stay put socks with velcro on the backs, to which she said challenge accepted.

She is a busy girl and did not want to be still for her panda picture.

I got her to give me a second by letting her hold a book.

Zoey has been doing really well lately.  She refuses to walk.  I really want her to since she sucks her thumbs.  But I did read that some 2nd kids hold on a bit longer because of all the motion around them.  They are afraid of being knocked down when they let go.  Maybe that is at play, but she is a very efficient crawler, super fast, and can cruise around great.  I know her legs must be strong enough because she will let go and lower herself to the floor, hovering for a long time.  She will occasionally stand for a few seconds, but tends to drop quickly. She does not like you helping her walk, she would rather crawl there herself.  Only time will tell.

She is experimenting with language.  She can say bye bye.  I think you would call it her first word as she tends to use it referentially.  She can say mama, dada, nana and papa.  She spent a couple of weeks saying doot, not sure what that is about.  And now she is saying something that really sounds like pretty.  She will make a lot of near words in imitation.  She is also signing.  She has been doing milk. but has added a version of all done and more.

Here is a bit I got on film.

She did have a fever right before Christmas.  We took her in just in case her ears were not all well, but they were clear and the 103 fever never developed into anything.  We would not have even taken her in, but not knowing would have been rough and I did not want an ER visit on Christmas.

Here is a funny shot from while working on the play structure.  Zoey carried out Sam's toy phone.

Both girls had a great Christmas, more on that later, but we did a few early presents and opened some on Christmas Eve.  So I will post those here and a lot more later :)

I made Sam and Zoey lovey blankets.

 Zoey tore a little paper but mostly did not care too much.  Sam was the main opener for everyone.

Sam's school had a secret santa shop and she bought us all gifts.  Here is the stuffed snowman she got Zoey.  It was a big hit.  I think Zoey's favorite gift, at least the best reaction.

Papa got a Grandpa hero mug.

Daddy got a pen light and magnet.

Nana got a pen light for your purse and a magnet.

I got 2 magnets and some purple earrings.  I love how excited she was to give us our gifts.  She could barely wait and had to open them for us and tell us about them.  I heard all about how they had lots of earrings, but she knew I loved purple.

Some pink glitter shoes.

I still have a ton to go through and post about.  I did want to mention that we found out our renters are moving.  So it looks like we will put our house on the market by March.  Yikes!  Hopefully it will sell easily. Wish us luck!