Time Marches On

I feel like I am cheating on this post, but really, I am saving myself time. :) Ever since Analise was 13 months old, I have done a monthly update letter on the girls. I send it to relatives who we don't get to see much. It has always been one of my few creative outlets, and I love having a binder full of the monthly letters. However, since I have started blogging, my monthly letters get a little later and later. I just finished my November letter; since I am so far behind in my blog, I cut and paste from the monthly letter. :) I didn't include the part on Analise, since she got her own post not too long ago.

Not too long ago, the girls played "at the beach"

This was a picture from our annual picture taking trip to a certain park.

Maisie keeps me smiling and laughing most of the time. She is in fewer time outs, and generally a happy girl. Though she does have her moody moments. Maisie is my daughter that will offer a big "thank you" all on her own, and lately she will randomly say, "Mom, I love you." I consider those words as my "pay checks" of being a stay at home mom. Maisie is no longer calling Analise "Me." Instead she calls her "Lise." She is working harder on saying words correctly. The other day she said "lap" instead of "wap." So I asked her if she could say "Lion" (instead of Wion.) She looked at me with a concentrated face and said, "Rrooaarr!" Maisie loves gumballs! They are a treat at the end of a meal that she has eaten well. She gets so excited and shows each of us, one by one, what color her gumball is. When she shows Sadie her gumball, Sadie always says, "Oooo."

Sadie (21 months) is another mover and shaker in our house. I love to see her beebop to music. Sadie loves hats and shoes...no matter the size. She gets so excited when she has one of them on. Of course, being the third child, she expects everyone to ooh and aah over her. :) Sadie is answering questions with a nod/shake of her head. She calls her blanket "baby." And most mornings when I get her out of bed, she has taken off her footy jammies. Sadie is also bringing me a diaper when she is stinky. It's amazing how fast she seems to be growing up! Sadie was at the docter several times this month. She got her first Synagis shot to protect her against RSV. (And I just want to vent a little here...you have no idea how much each one of these shots cost. I don't know how the makers of this can charge this much and have a good conscience about it. Thank God our health insurance covers it!)A week later, she had a bacterial infection that lasted several days. She was quite the pin cushion, and such a trooper! Though she ran a high temp for several days, she just kept her normal schedule. It takes a lot to get her down. The nurses and doctors were amazed how well she handled all the shots and blood draws. I guess I have the NICU to thank for that. :)

We all had a great Thanksgiving, celebrating in town with family. We enjoyed having Analise and daddy home two extra days, spending time with out- of- town family, and reminding ourselves of everything we are thankful for...including you and the Father who has blessed us with so much! For our Thanksgiving dinner, Analise was asked to make Pilgrims hats. She did them all on her own. Ever seen a Pilgrim playing games on a lap top? :)