Hand-me-down goodness

A Winnie and a mommy in a sweet red dress made by my Nana.  I think someone looks a little bit like their mama! :)

Thanks to my mama for this picture and for hoarding away all my hand-made dresses for 35 years, just incase...

Winslow Louise Farris - 9 months!

Rebekah Noel Winslow - 9ish ? months!

9 month stats

Winnie had her 9 month appointment and just as expected this big headed sack of sugar is just perfect.  I had the doctor give her a thorough over view because, she fell. down. the. stairs.  It was the worst sound ever.  She cried, we all rocked her, loved her, tried to make her laugh and soon enough she was her smiley self.  It hurt my heart though, some kind of bad.  Our pediatrician assured me it happens to all the best kids (and parents...).

Weight - 21lbs. 7oz. - 90th percentile

Height - 28.07 in. - 60th percentile

Head - 19 in. - 100** percentile

Her best buddy got to come along.  The visit was such a breeze today.  The older two are sooo loud and fight and talk, talk, talk, I literally cannot hear the doctor or my brain.

Almost forgot that 9 month sticker picture!

Mooo-vies

Snacks and movies pretty much go hand in hand with snow days.  We stepped up our game and made some super easy snow cream and watched some 'classics.'  Sandlot and Little Rascals were two of the favorites!

Snow Cream Recipe - 

-1 cup milk (any kind)

-1/3 cup sugar

-1 teaspoon vanilla extract

-1 pinch salt

-8 cups snow

-optional (but strongly suggested) topping: Halloween candy that we still have.

My 'cooker,' always wants to help out.

I knew Jackson would be a fan.  He has his mother's sweet tooth.

'If you put Snickers in it, it is just too good.'  Truth.

Love these little rascals.  Especially when they watching a movie quietly!

Look who got to join!  She is getting so big and busy and loud and opinionated - girl will have no problem keeping up.

Snowpocalypse

We got some SNOW.  Like for real snow.  It started Wednesday morning when we woke up and then continued to snow all day long.  I don't think I have ever seen this much real snow, definitely not around here.  It was beautiful outside.  It was also cold and we are still lacking in the snow gear department.  I ordered some cheap bibs from Target today.  That should guarantee no more snow around here!  This did not stop us from getting out there, at least for a little while.  Did you know it takes approximately 1 hour to get 4 kids and myself geared up and out the door?  Did you know it takes approximately 5 minutes to soak your gloves and socks and need to come inside?  We all got better each time we went out and they started to believe me when I said they needed 2 pairs of socks in their rain boots and should wear the water proof gloves even if they don't fit that well. The good news is Winnie and I were so hot and sweaty by the time we got out there that the cold air was welcome.  Home girl is a back breaker, but I wasn't going to put her down in the snow.  We missed daddy, but people still gotta eat and nothing beats a warm cheesesteak sub.

Just the beginning.  Poor Winnie, gazing out the front door, come on mom!

Neighborhood boys working on a snow fort.

Neighborhood Parkway on Charlie's drive home. A winter wonderland.

Looking out our back door.  Those are winter lights, not Christmas lights.

Tried to play basketball...

Pink snuggle bug nug!

Longest.Winter.Break.Ever

Jackson and Nash went to school one day this week.  ONE.  Theo hasn't been since Thanksgiving.  Ok, I am exaggerating, he has been two maybe three times.  I love them all so much, but man have we had a lot of quality chaotic time together.  Aunt Natalie sent me this picture that was hanging outside of Nash's class when she went in for a work day.  Please read it.  Did you read what I read or what Mrs. Lee the teacher read?  I guess I am getting used to all the 'potty' humor around here.  

cards!

Christmas cards are a favorite around our house.  Here are ours from the this year!

Could have been better, could have been worse...

Couldn't resist putting this on the back.  

The Farris, Carinci, Asma Families!

The Winslow, Farris, Fowler Families!

Yessss, they even included their own kids on the back.  ;)

The Best.

I left Winnie for longer than 3 hours.  Two entire nights to be exact.  I can't believe I did it and would only do it if I knew I got to spend it with my best mamas.  Our second annual MLK weekend get away.  This means it really is a thing and I am already looking forward to it next year.  We all met up at Grandfather mountain to relax, dance, stay up late with too much wine, get up early for too much coffee, tell all our secrets and laugh at all our jokes.  We know everything about each other and it is just the best.  I missed my crazies but knew they were in good hands with the best aunts and uncles and grandmamas and grand-daddys that money can buy.  JK - we don't even have to pay them - maybe we should.

Forever roomies.

The guys were going to ski.  Charlie has never skied in his life.  It was sooo cold and windy up there, I was a little worried.  He opted for beers, tubing and renting some actual snow gear.  They said it was fun, I was not jealous.  

We opted for a spa day at Westglow.  Take me back.

Highly recommend Reid's for a quaint and dank dinner.

9 months!

Nine months with the prettiest little girl I ever did see.  I mean, look at those teeth! She has been outside of me for almost as long as she was in me.  Which reminds me of that saying, it took 9 months to gain that weight, so go easy on yourself it will take 9 months to lose it.  Well, that is some bull hockey.  Anyways,  I love watching her grow - she is wearing mostly 12 month clothes, crawling, eating everything in site, smiles at everyone, prefers her mama to hold her, still nurses, and wakes up once a night.  We were gonna let her cry it out and that lasted one whole evening and then I caved and she won.  That is life right now, these kids rule it.  

Do the stanky leg...

We had a baby-sitter the other night (bless) and I asked Nash to tell me how Winnie really was while we were gone.  'She just cried some and when she did we did tricks to make her laugh and I did this and she stopped...'

Snow Daysss

It snowed! After two days of late starts and early releases at school we finally got 2 more days off for snow.  As you know, when it snows in NC we buckle down in all the layers, get soggy wet outside for a few minutes, eat our fare share of carbs and watch some serious tv.  Around our house, we can usually spread this out over one full morning and then the crazies start to hit us all.  It was a first for Winnie, and she outlasted all of her big brothers in the snow.  Of course she did.  Praises for warmer weather and no one falling in the pond - yet.

Banana Chocolate Chip muffins from Nash's new kids cookbook were the bomb - maybe too many cooks in the kitchen?!

We got a new sled from Grand-daddy for Christmas.  It really does make a difference.  J-man loves everything about it.  

Thanks to cousin Hannah for some warm gear!  Winnie walked around with me in the bjorn all day just taking it all in.  

Bowling!  Had to get out, but not outside.  Everyone had fun.  In this unbelievabley competitive family, no one seemed to care about the score when MOM was totally killin it...

Our neighbors asked if anyone wanted to come over for brunch on Saturday, it would be low key.  Well, everyone wants to come to brunch when you been inside all week.  It was plentiful.  

Diaper Dash!

When a neighbor told us about a 'Diaper to Dorm Crawl' at half-time, in the Dean Dome, for your college savings plan, I said sign me up!  Well, sign Winnie up, let's be real, she is just living out her mama's dreams.  Did I know she couldn't actually crawl, of course I did. Did I know she could sit pretty and cheese it up, of course I did.  She was all smiles and rocked her debut.  It was a lot of fun for the entire family.  Winnie's peed in outfit had dried by the time we got out there, I got to wear a green shirt so you couldn't see my pit stains, and we told Ramses to keep his arse far away from Theo.  I think her dad was the most dweebed out about being on the court at half time showing off his little girl.  No surprise, she did not win, but since that day she has started crawling, and it is not that fun.

She famous! - Babies on their marks for college money.

Babies Dash Across the Finish Line

She did rock the female division and was the youngest nugget.  Maverick Steele won, I mean with a name like that did you excpect anything different. 

First bus ride to the game!

Go Heels! Fun fact - all three bros had to wear their jersey.  We couldn't find them all so had to borrow a neighbors jersey.  Jackson left his jersey on the bus and never noticed.

On the jumbotron!

Princess Winnie!

Soo, what exactly we trying to do here, mom?

Go heels! They beat Wake Forest in the ACC home opener.  It was a nail biter but Theo Pinson (family fave, our sons namesake) was clutch. 

2018!

Happy New Year!  I cannot believe that it is 2018.  What a growing, traveling, fun year we had.  Baby girl Winslow Louise was the highlight and the way all of her brothers continue to adore her made it my favorite memory of 2017.  I am not big on resolutions but this year I would like to be more intentional.  More intentional in playing with my kids, listening to my husband, loving my neighbor, taking care of my body, and expressing gratitude.  Also - a serious house clean up and stuff out of here!  Who's coming with me?

Love living my days with my #1 boy.  We celebrated New Year's Eve with a fancy dinner at our neighbors and home by 12:05.  Late night feedings and early mornings is how we roll.