Advent Calendar Countdown: Dec 14th

Brrrr - it is COLD outside! We mostly hung around the house and had a laid-back day. Later in the afternoon, my Mom and I headed out to do some shopping while Easton spent some one-on-one time with his Pappy. We had spaghetti for dinner, then gave Easton his gift for the day. He was in need of a winter coat, so I snagged a deal on a cute puffer jacket at Children's Place:

All smiles in his new, warm coat

Making faces at his Pappy

All bundled up and ready for the cold! :-)

Advent Calendar Countdown: Dec 13th

Today we had several of Easton's friends over for a playdate ... Sophie, Aubrey, Vaughn and Canaan all came over & played for several hours this afternoon. The moms & my parents enjoyed some baked goods and hot chocolate. The playtime ended with a popcorn tin being spilled and a diaper blowout ... but good times were had by all! :-)

After playgroup we had chicken tenders and fries for dinner, then gave Easton his gift for the day ..... well, it's actually more of a gift for us right now. But the plan is to start a tradition of giving him a Christmas movie each year. This year's pick - Disney's "A Christmas Carol" with Jim Carrey! Jason & I saw this in the theatre last year while I was VERY pregnant with Easton, so I thought it would be a good choice. However, after watching the movie tonight (after Easton went to bed) I am thinking he won't be seeing this classic for quite some time .... it's kinda scary! Enjoy the pics below - WARNING - Easton is a CHEESER in these!

Easton posing with his gift for the day

"Uh .... Mama, I can't watch this .... it's rated PG" :-)

Such a cheesy (but happy!) little guy

Advent Calendar Countdown: Dec 12th

My parents (aka Gammy & Pappy) arrived today on Sunday Dec 12th. We had lunch at Sawmill Grill, then went to Independence Mall in Wilmington so Easton could get his picture taken with Santa! He was mesmorized by Santa and kept staring at his beard .... we finally got him to look at the camera for a photo:

After visiting Santa, we did some shopping then relaxed at the house while Easton played and entertained everyone. It was a big day in the gift department for Easton ... in addition to receiving his Advent gift from us, he also got some Christmas gifts from Australia!!! My mom's friend, Sharon, and her daughter sent Easton some great surprises. Here are some pics:

He loved his "Roo" from Erin!

Unwrapping his gift from Sharon....


Sharon gave him "An Aussie Night Before Christmas" book - thanks, Sharon & Erin!!

Dec 12th Advent gift: Fisher Price Stack & Surprise Block Set

Advent Calendar Countdown: Dec 11th

It was a rainy, dreary day but we still managed to have some fun. Today was Ryder's first birthday party. Easton met Ryder in our Mom & Baby yoga class and they've been good buddies ever since. We also saw his friend Ruthie at the party - these are all kids that regularly get together for playgroup so they of course had a fun time hanging out.

We celebrated with Ryder and had some tasty Brunswick stew and corn chowder to eat. Emily, Ryder's mom, made a cute car cake for Ryder and it was so fun to watch him tear into it and make a mess! Easton was all tuckered out after the party and took a long nap while Jason and I stuffed envelopes with invitations for Easton's 1st birthday celebration! When he woke up we gave him his gift for the day - a Christmas book! Take a look at the pics:

Checking out his "I LOVE CHRISTMAS" book

Hey Mama & Dada, let me read you a story! :-)

Such a pretty boy - but check out his poor chapped cheeks :-(

Advent Calendar Countdown: Dec 10th

Today was a low-key day ... we ran a few errands and then relaxed around the house this afternoon. I made "Husband's Delight" casserole for dinner (which is a recipe that both my Grandma Daniel & mom used to make often). We let Easton stay up past his bedtime and play with his "Dada" since he didn't get to see Jason much this week. Jason's been working crazy long hours so Easton & Jason have really been missing their time together lately.

Easton received some sippy cups for his daily gift - unfortunately, he liked posing with them and playing with the packaging more than actually drinking out of them :-( Shame on me for trying a different brand - he is "brand loyal" to the Munchkin brand cups, so I guess we need to get more of those. Check out the photos below:

Looking at his sippy cups ...

Smiling & wearing his new outfit from Day 9 :-)

Check out that drool (or "sugar" as my mom calls it!)

Advent Calendar Countdown: Dec 9th

What an exciting day!!! Today was our Holiday Gift Exchange playgroup .... a few months back we all drew names and bought a gift for one child (instead of buying for 6 of them!). The moms also baked sweet treats for a dessert swap. I have a ton of great pics from the playgroup, so I'll put those in a separate post. After playgroup Easton crashed and took a 2 1/2 nap (yay for time to get stuff done!!!) After his nap we headed out to run a few errands - Easton was all bundled up and looking cute as ever. He got several compliments and was his usual charming self. This was great since the past few days he's been a bit irritable. I think we're back on track .... it was a good day!

Below, Easton is wearing the socks from Day 5 and the shirt from Day 8 while holding his gift for today, December 9th. It's hard to tell what today's gift is from the photos .... he received a sweater outfit from Baby Gap - I had been "stalking" this outfit just waiting for it to hit the clearance rack. You know me and a bargain! :-) I'll be sure to post a pic of him actually wearing it so you can get a better idea of what it looks like. Now - onto the pics!

" Look what I got, Mama!"

"I love my new sweater outfit!"

There's that devilish face again .... it's always making an appearance!

Happy, smiling boy!

Playing w/ his new toy (thanks again, Grace & Ruthie...he loves it!) :-)

Advent Calendar Countdown: Dec 8th

Easton & I had a fun day .... this morning my friend Sarah and her daughter Lauren came over. Sarah and I worked on planning our non-profit (Couponing 4 Charity) while Easton and Lauren had fun playing together. After lunch Amy & Nat came over with Sophie and Canaan, so Easton had even more playtime. Easton has still be a bit irritable and isn't quite himself, but there were several activities so that made the day pass quickly.



The gift for the day is another Christmas shirt from Old Navy - this one says "Mommy's Favorite Gift" :-)

"Mommy's Favorite Gift"

All smiles .... I think he likes these daily gifts & pics :-)