Ornaments and Stockings

The tree is up and the stockings are hung.

This is my favorite ornament on the tree this year and it was specially placed there by my favorite 2 year old. I wish everyone could have seen his excitement over the ornaments. He keeps calling them instruments. He can't remember that they are called ornaments. He wanted to hang his own stocking too, so Freddy T. lifted him up on his shoulders and he placed it on the hook.

Freddy T. is showing Jack one of his favorite things to do in this picture. Lay on your back under the Christmas Tree and look at all the lights. Jack is just like his Daddy. He wants all the lights off except the lights on the tree. He told us tonight we could keep talking in the dark.

A New Way Of Doing Things...

Decorating this year has taken a whole new look!

In the 5 years we've been married we've never had to buy lights for our Christmas Tree. This year 4 strands are dead. This is as far as I can go until I make it to the drugstore and get more lights. We'll post more once we are finished.

By the way Praise Baby is saving me again this afternoon... can you tell?

Good Morning

Good morning from Lillie and Elliott.

Hope you had a great Thanksgiving.

We had a nice dinner here last night with friends/family from church.

Hang On Elliott!

Elliott sure is glad to have Jack back!

Did you notice they were the twins today?

Under The Chairs

One of Elliott's favorite places to play...

under the kitchen chairs.

Busy Day

We've had a full day today. After breakfast we walked down to the parking garage (a mile away), got the 4-Runner, and headed to Target. This was Lillie and Elliott's first trip to Target and their first time to ride in a shopping cart.

I went to the Target in the Bronx. It was the biggest, nicest, cleanest Target I've ever been in. I hope it stays that way.

Afterwards we headed over the Probst's home(on the Upper East Side). Erin and Sadie, a new family at the Gallery came over as well. Sadie is 9 months old and Jonah is a month younger than the twins, so they each had their own buddy to play with.

Melissa made brunch for us and after we ate we went to the playground across from her apartment.

There were only two swings, so boys got one and girls the other.

Lillie and Sadie. Don't they look funny together. Sadie is so tiny.

Elliott and Jonah

Sadie, Jonah, Elliott and Lillie

Elliott's New Trick

Wait till you see Elliott's new trick. He did it for the first time yesterday and since then I've been trying to get it on video. We're not in competition around here by any means, but I feel like I should bring attention to the fact that this is the first time Elliott has done anything before Lillie. I'm so proud of him! Lillie is hardly letting go and standing alone, so it caught me off guard when Elliott did this yesterday.

You thought it was walking didn't you...not yet, thankfully!

She Goes For Comfort

I guess Lillie decided the floor was too uncomfortable to lay on to drink her bottle. I just looked over and she was sitting in the chair with her bottle in one hand and her phone in another.

Freddy T. and Jack

Freddy T. and Jack are at the airport Tennessee bound.

Jack is so excited!

(I wish I would have taken their picture)

Lillie didn't understand that she was not going.

Crayola's bath tub crayons are a hit at our house! Jack spent a lot of time yesterday coloring in the bathroom. He did the scribbles on the bottom left and called me into see his work. While I was in there I drew the tractor. Maybe I should give him the credit... it looks more like a child drew it than an adult... anyway...

I then decided it would be a good idea to draw the scenario he was going to experience today. He's never been on a trip with just Freddy T. It's always been all of us. So, I drew an airplane and put Jack and Freddy T. in the window (you can't really see it, but they are the blue in two of the orange circles). Then you can see me, Lillie, and Elliott standing on the ground to the left waiving to them. That scribble in between the airplane and the family is Jack's addition. I can't remember what he was drawing but when he finished it he looked at me and said "Look! I drew a heart!." I thought it was funny, but it does look sort of like a heart. He also (even though you can't see it very well) added a purple mark in the front window. He told me it was the co-pilot... how does he know who the co-pilot is let alone where he sits on the plane???

He told me yesterday that he was getting in an airplane with Daddy and they were going to fly through smoke. (I think he thinks its smoke when your flying through the clouds) He said God was going to move the smoke out of the say so they could fly through.

We're going to miss them! Jack provides us with a lot of entertainment each day. Lillie and Elliott will be lost without him around. I'm really glad Jack and Freddy T. get some time alone though. It will be special for both of them.

Another Day At The Wyatt Home

It's been a crazy morning. Not bad, the kids are just a little on the wild side.... all 3 of them!

I've found Lillie several times in the cabinets. Elliott wanted to join her this time.

Jack just said "Mommy look... I like the babies." I wanted to document it because that was not the song he was singing about 15 minutes ago.

Our Weekend

Saturday we celebrated Lillie and Elliott's 1st Birthday with their friends here in NYC.

This time they each got a cupcake...

As you can tell history repeated itself... Elliott barely touched his. Lillie ate the whole thing!

Elliott had a good time opening gifts.

Lillie and Elliott received a few bath toys for their birthday.

Jack enjoyed the bubble machine last night in the tub.

Jack's buddy Brayden gave him a gift at the party too.

Bath tub crayons!

Lillie and Elliott wanted in so bad.

Later in the evening Jack "made" cupcakes and added his own candles and blew them out.

I can't remember what was going on in this picture, but thought it was cute.

This is a little random, but the other day I hung hooks behind the kids bedroom door for their coats and back packs. I know it's nothing fancy, but I was excited about it. I told Freddy T. it was the school teacher coming out in me... only a teacher can love the look of coats and backpacks neatly hanging on the wall.

After the twins birthday party we went to the SALT space for a silent auction to benefit the team from the Gallery going to Vietnam in December on a mission trip. It was a great night. Lot's of fun. And always great being with Gallery family.

Jack The Rockstar!

This is a few months old too. Jack has an Oreo crusted mouth and I'm not sure what he is doing at the end. He is so funny!

Dinner Time

This was from back in September. Elliott still lays over sideways toward the end of his meal. This is the day it started. I also think its funny that they know the camera is filming them. They kept staring at it.

Bits and Pieces

We just got back from the park. (The dinosaur didn't come today.) When we got back up to the apartment I began unloading everyone. Jack was half way out of his seat when I came over to help him. He yelled "No! Jesus is helping me!"

So now were settling into lunch. Jack's done. Lillie and Elliott next. I just told Jack to go in the bathroom and wash his hands. A second ago he said "Mommy look!" He had wet hands and was giving Lillie a mohawk!

I wonder where he gets this from? Hummm.... did I mention before we got in the car to go to the airport a month ago Freddy T. gave Jack and Elliott mohawks? Not just water... gel and wax too. Elliott had a mohawk for 2 days till he got a bath!

That's Lillie!

Believe it or not, she was not feeding herself during lunch.

We Even Drink Alike

I thought it was funny that Lillie and Elliott were both laying on the rug in the same way to drink their bottles for lunch.

I mopped the floors this morning so every toy that was on the hardwoods was moved to the rug.

(That explains the mess... we'll... it at least gives me an excuse this time for the mess)

We're One!

Happy Birthday Lillie and Elliott!

We can't believe it's time to celebrate 1 year!

What an amazing year it had been!

We love you two so much!

.

Elliott didn't seem too impressed with his cake.

Lillie ate almost the whole cake!

You can tell what their personalities are like just by looking at this picture.

What a difference a year can make. God has been so good to our family.

We're sure proud of our 1 year olds!

This Time Last Year

I had no idea a year ago today when I packed my hospital bag at 7:00 p.m. that I would need it that exact night at midnight.

A Dinosaur Loose In Harlem!

Jack requested a visit to the play ground this morning, so we went. He also requested to wear his dinosaur costume. I thought about it, trying to decide if I should let him or not... why not? It was just the play ground! We've figured out when a preschool class of kids around his age go to the play ground and they were there this morning. He was very excited to see them. Who knows what was going through their minds when they saw him. I love that he is who he is and does not care what anyone might think or say.

The kids playing in the leaves and putting them in the trash cans.

They were all in their school uniforms. Jack in his Halloween costume.

Makes me laugh thinking about it.

Mr. Carlos, one of the teachers, said "I need my preschool friends to come have a seat and find their buddy." They were getting ready to go. Jack sat right down with them.

Then we went to the grocery store. Jack was holding the adds. It was nice for him to be walking. I was able to use his seat for my basket. Thankfully the store was not as crowded today as it was last time. Then Jack wanted to ride standing on the stroller on our way home, till we got to the hill. He walks up the hill.

This is walking down Broadway between 136th St. and 135th St. We live on 135th St. At the end of this video you can kind of see the long, steep hill we have to climb to get to our apartment. When we got to the top Jack started jumping up and down saying "I did it Mommy. I walked up the hill. I did it for you. It makes you proud!"

When Jack had his surgery the anesthesiologist asked him where he lived he said "New York City." The man said, "New York City is a big place, where in New York City do you live." Jack said, "Up that hill." He was right!

Hairbows and Oreos

Lillie wore her first hair bow today. She still doesn't have quite enough hair for it to be properly placed or for it to stay in place, but at least she hasn't pulled it out! Elliott on the other had goes after it with a vengeance!

Jack laid his Oreo cookie down yesterday and Elliott got to it. He ate the whole thing!

(notice he has half in one hand, half in the other)

When I told Jack to smile he put his blanket over his head. I just wanted a sweet picture of him to post today with Lillie and Elliott. This will have to do. It pretty much sums up what we experience when trying to get a quick picture of him.