Christmas Cards...

With this level of enthusiasm and cooperation, I'm sure to get my perfect-wish photo....

in my dreams!

I take it back...I've gotten some pretty good pictures (like, 1 good for every 100 taken), but I'm still hoping everyone will find it within themselves to have patience with my photo apprenticy (I know, but "apprenticeship" sounds like I have an actual mentor/teacher...which I wish I did!) to get one fantastic picture of everyone together!

Hair Compare

For Mom

I wish you were here to see it for yourself! Can't wait until Christmas!!!!

No-Hair-Norah, with the softest fuzzy head in all of the world. We actually don't want her to grow hair because we love how powdery soft her head is!

Audrey-girl

See my tooth--bottom right!

Ten Months Already!

(edit...for my photog ladies, which pic comes off better? The first one is 'sharpened for web', the second isn't . What does that even MEAN?!)

These little ladies are growing so quickly! Since I have been a horrible mom at keeping up stats for these girls, I'll document what I can think of now...

Audrey wins the tooth race! She cut her first tooth during her 9th month...Norah is still waiting for a tooth to show, but I think we might be close since she seems to be running a muck with the drool.

Both girls are up and at it! They crawl quickly, pull up to stand on whatever they wish, and cruise along furniture. Like Big Brother, they love to play with the bath tub faucet, and Ethan predicts he and dad will have to fix it again before long (I would agree!). They also have a shopping cart, which Norah is getting pretty good at pushing around.

Both love to play "Patty Cake" and "Apple Pie Audrey" (that's one I made up...Apple Pie Audrey, Apple Pie Audrey! Put her in the oven; Bake, bake bake; Eat her all up!...It's silly and tickly and the girls love it). Norah is especially good at initiating the games by clapping her hands. I think she almost has the "roll" part down, too. I can see her thinking it over and trying it out.

They have super hearty appetites. There's not much they won't eat, including any little thing on the floor, from cheerios to leaves. I have to keep a very close eye on floor bits, especially with an Ethan around.

They go to sleep well most nights. They'll sleep from about 7:30/8:00 p.m. until 6:30/7:30 a.m. Audrey is almost always first to awaken, and usually crying for me. She'll stand in her crib and cry (it's more like a whine) until she sees me coming, then it turns to smiles. Norah will often wake up talking, cooing, or just laying quietly. Every now and then, both girls will wake up and be content to talk to each other for a good 1/2 hour before they start to fuss. I love mornings like that!

Ask them to give you High Five and they will.

At their 9 month check up, Audrey was about 15 lbs (10%) and Norah was about 16 lbs (50%).

What else??? OH! One of my favorite things they do...How can I describe it? They have a way of talking by making a sound with their voice, then rubbing the back on their fist against their mouth so it makes a "blub, blub, blub" (kind of like a modified Indian call). Norah started it, then Audrey caught on. Makes me laugh every time, but I've yet to catch it on video.

That'll have to do. It's waaay past my bed time and I'm trying to be intentional about setting my alarm before 6:00 a.m. so I can get up and have some Bible time with the Lord. It's been tough, but I really need to get back in the habit of setting aside the first part of my day for Him.

This is how I catch my z's, homie

Even in her sleep, our Norah is so silly!

TMI Giggle

"I need to go poops. But Mom, first I like to take off my socks before I go poops."

This sounds like such a guy thing.

Our little boy is growing up so quickly.

Two Randoms

Norah's silly tongue.
This is so reminiscent of Ethan when he was a baby.

The Collins girls look like they're up to no good!
This temporary solution to keep A&N out of the nursery is washed up...it lasted only a day before Norah figured out how to climb right on over the boxes!
That's fine, because I certainly don't want to be so tacky that I think it's OK to pile boxes in front of doors and leave them there ;)

Nothing says camping like....

Nothing says camping like.....

This little jewel, nestled behind our local
Wal-mart,

(You think I'm kidding, but I'm not)
Roasted hot dogs for dinner,

S'mores for dessert,

Happy Sticky Faces,

Campfire snuggles and "spooky" stories,

Multiple sleeping arrangements,
(this would be Sleeping Arrangement #1)

Missing babies (where's Norah?),
(This would be Sleeping Arrangement #4...no joke)

Sharing a tiny cot with child,
(there's Norah!)

Sharing a cot with a peanut who somehow managed to pee through two layers of fleece,
Finally getting some sleep in the wee morning hours,

Only to be woken up all too soon by Mr. Bright Eyes,

Roasted hot dogs for breakfast,

Chilly babies,
Babies ready to go home,

and dogs who feel sad to be left behind.
Poor Mrs. Sadie.
Additionally, nothing says camping like falling asleep to the soft sound of crickets, the smell of camp fire, morning dew, no TV or computers, interesting bugs, silly squirrels, family memories....
I can't wait to do it again........

NEXT YEAR ;)

It was a load of work taking care of two little non-walkers who wanted nothing to do with their playpen!

Getting our money's worth

See these cute little shirts on Norah and Audrey when they were 4 months old?They were gifts to the girls when they first came home from the hospital.




Here are the girls YESTERDAY, at 9.5 months old, wearing the same shirts ;) They fit differently, but still perfectly. We've definitely gotten good use out of these!

The boy who captures my heart

I know everyone loves their kids. But seriously, I think I love my son the most out of anyone. That's just my opinion.

We're very serious about meals

Oh my darlings....I love them, I love them!

And usually they don't look quite so serious during meals...these girls love, I mean LOVE, to eat! What a blessing....esp. considering I just read this from Ethan's baby book: "Ethan, you look so sad in your high chair and feeding you is quite difficult." If I were a good blogger, I'd take time to find and scan one of the sad Ethan high chair pictures, but you'll just have to take my word....he looked pathetic. I could just take a recent picture of him during a meal...it wouldn't look much different ;) I promise.

Anything can be Star Wars

Many odds and ends around our house have found their way into the Star Wars legacy.... batteries, door stops, pump parts, rubber bands... and tonight, my precious nesting dolls became battle droids avoiding hot lava and fighting the enemy.

** (Don't worry, Mom and Bunya, I was right there with him and made sure they were safely put away :D)

Color me Red (and Green)

Today was a beautiful Sunday, and in the spirit of Fall and the first day of November, I picked a brown suede skirt to wear (the skirt feels very "fally"). After church, we stopped by the ritzy outdoor shopping center to play near the fountains and enjoy the weather.

As we were walking back to our car, in the midst of the many other fall-day-enjoyers, I felt Ethan touching my back...and then he said, "Now everyone can see your underwear!!"

OH MY WORD, NO HE DIDN'T! He had giggled and unzipped my very fally skirt, revealing my backside to the shufflers behind us. As if that were not bad enough, it's not like I had chosen one of the many cute undergarments from my drawer this morning. No. I happened to be wearing the underwear your mom always warned you about wearing if you ever got into a car accident--unbecoming Loony Toons CHRISTMAS underwear. I heard people behind me laugh, probably because they saw Bugs Bunny popping out of a wreathe. I'm sure they got more of a show than they cared to see.

Anywho...as soon as I turned around to look at Ethan, I could see he felt bad. He had just gotten carried away in his silliness and crossed the line. We had "the talk".... but as soon as I stood up and looked Chris in the eye, we both had to stifle our laughter.... oh man, it was pretty funny....