Bows

My first Teeth

Carolina Grace's 2 teeth on the bottom came in right after Christmas

Aw shucks...I'll show them off one more time

Carolina Grace's 6 month check up and goodbye to Dr. Rouse

Right after Christmas I took Carolina Grace for her 6 month check up, and it was also our last time to see Dr. Rouse, the girls pediatrician before leaving Germany! We sure will miss him!!!

"Mama do you have to take the camera everywhere?"

If you click on this pix, it looks like Carolina Grace is looking at Dr. Rouse's watch..."hmm..don't you think it's time to go...esp before the shots?"

I think Dr. Rouse and Carolina Grace were both caught off guard

The 6 month shots were the WORST shots Carolina Grace has had. We got pretty concerned when her leg swelled, got so red, (this pix was even taken 2 days AFTER the shots) and she ran a fever, but after the New Year she was as good as new again! It broke my heart though to see my baby girl like that.

6 month milestones:

Carolina Grace still sleeps 12 hours a night
She takes 2 one and a half to two hour naps a day
She weighs 19 lbs. 13 oz (97%) and is 27.5 inches long (95%)
She LOVES her Big Sister, Ella Rose

She laughs when Ella Rose comes storming into her room in the morning and says, "CAR...LA"
Carolina Grace is eating rice cereal with fruit in the morning and a veggie in the evening as well as 4 bottles a day

She loves people and constantly smiles
She especially likes Elmo (Ella Rose's toy)
She wants to be where the party is unless it's right after a nap or right when she is waking up in the morning and she'll lay in her crib and talk to her self

She does NOT like to wait for food
She is a wiggle worm on the diaper changing table

She sits up very well unsupported and rocks back and forth in a crawl position but not crawling yet

Oh we love our Carolina Grace...she is such a JOY to us and we thank God everyday for her incredibly sweet little spirit!

Playing

And who are you again???

Hmmm...I like my Sister's new toy

Ella Rose playing with the Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes from Gran
Thank you Gran!!! Ella Rose loves taking the little nursery rhymes out of the zipper pocket! What a cool gift!

Gran also sent the girls 2 stuffed Worlds. Ella Rose was often seen walking around carrying both worlds in her hands...hmmm...not sure she realized one was for her little Sister

Aunt Beth, Uncle Anthony, Harrison, Jackson, & Addison sent this airplane to Carolina Grace but Ella Rose quickly claimed it as her own. From a very young age, I have been saying, "Who flies the airplane?" anytime we see an airplane so now when she sees an airplane Ella Rose says, "AIRPANE" (she does not pronounce the L) and immediately shouts, "DADDY!" I just love it, and Ian grins every time he hears her so she loves playing with her pink airplane even though it really does belong to her little Sister. Thank you Beth & Anthony!!!

Aunt Vicky and Uncle David sent these precious talking Lambs to each of the girls...thank you so much for thinking of them!!!

Still looking at Elmo

Staring contest

December 24-25

We started the day off with a Christmas Eve Brunch and then the girls opened up presents from Mimi and Papa early so they could really enjoy them and they wouldn't be so tired.

Loved this present from Mama and Daddy...it was a print of The Pink Pig and Rich's downtown in Atlanta where we went every year when I was growing up. Such fond memories...my Daddy worked right across the street at Southern Railway and he would meet us for a bowl of chili, we would visit Santa and ride The Pink Pig

Carolina Grace was just as content as could be alongside her Big Sister

Entertaining Papa

Ella Rose is such a sweet girl

Who me???

Looking at a book together

Our precious baby girl

Mimi getting excited over Ella Rose opening up her baby doll

Ella Rose's baby doll was almost as big as her

Ella Rose loves her babies

Ian & I giving each other a high 5...Outback Gift Certificates! Yea! We have so missed one of our favorite restaurants in The States

When we moved to Etschberg in 2005 we started going to the Christmas Eve concert in Etschberg so it became our tradition while we've been in Germany. This was our 4th year to go and we had such a great time although it was bitter cold.

Walking through the village of Etschberg

We are so blessed!

Opa Hans sings in the concert every year and he is the 2nd from the end

Ella Rose loved the music

Mama and Carolina Grace

Cutest little Bunny in Etschberg

Mimi and Papa with the girls

Wow 3 are looking at the camera!

Ella Rose giving Papa a big hug

The yellow house behind us is the home we lived in for 1 1/2 years. We are so glad that we moved to this village of 700 because it is where we met our former landlords, Opa Hans and Oma Erika who mean the world to us

Papa & Carolina Grace

Oma Erika also makes the most beautiful cakes and they taste FABULOUS!

Oma Erika & Carolina Grace

Ella Rose loved the cake!

Matching umbrellas for the girls

The Livingston's & The Schneider's

Back home opening up presents again...Mimi & Papa gave the girls little tutus

And Ella Rose got her very own camera

Carolina Grace talking to Papa

We gave the girls one present each on Christmas Eve and they both LOVED Elmo

But Ian loved Elmo even more than the girls I think

I gave Ian, Mimi and Papa 2009 picture calendars of the girls and Ian gave me a beautiful red coat

Christmas morning...Ian and I decided that each year we want to give the girls 3 presents each symbolizing the wise men and the gifts they brought to the baby Jesus

Yea...SANTA CAME!

Ella Rose loved her shopping cart

Both girls also got German collector dolls since they were born here

Elmo is the GREATEST!

Elmo is always talking

We aso have another tradition that we started last year...getting together with our friends at The Miller's for a potluck dinner. None of us had babies just 2 years ago and look at all of us now!

Mia was enthralled with anything having to do with Carolina Grace so she popped right into the carseat for a pose. Mia is going to have her own Baby Sister arriving in April and we can't wait to meet the newest little Miller.

All this fanfare is just wearing me out!

And of course Christmas would not be complete without a kiss under the mistletoe

The Beck's under the mistletoe

The Nichols under the mistletoe

Mia helping feed Carolina Grace

Mia, Josh, & Ella Rose

Poor Josh looks miserable between these two...

One day he'll be kicking himself

Mia, Ella Rose, Josh, & Colby

The Mama's with their babies

The Daddy's with their babies

Carolina Grace checking out Matt's hair

Back home after a long day of celebrating

We wrapped up Christmas Day by having a webcam call with Gran, Aunt Vicky, Uncle David, Misty, Rob, & their new baby Landon, and Candy and Amber all the way out in Arizona...what a treat!