The little baker

Christmas is just around the corner and today was a bake fest in our kitchen!  Riley could not wait to help out with the goodies to be made!

First we made Dutch Apple Pie together.  Riley was so good in helping make the crust.  She added the ingredients needed, helped mix them together and even helped roll out the dough!!  She also helped me mix and sprinkle the toppings on the pies!

The end result:

Then we moved on to making peanut butter blossoms.  Riley unwrapped all of the kisses, helped me add the ingredients and was responsible for rolling the cookie dough in sugar.  She did an awesome job!

  

The end result:

Then it was on to making cheesecake.  We made a graham cracker crust bottom and Riley was in charge of crushing the crackers.  She also helped add the ingredients.

The end result:

Lastly, we made some chocolately pretzels.  Riley again helped unwrap all the kisses and then helped me add the M&Ms when they were ready.

The end result:

I am so glad that Riley wanted to help - she really did help me a great deal and I was able to get so much done.  she is turning out to be quite the little baker!!

Avery's 1st snow!!

On December 22, 2012 we had our first real snow storm.  Anytime anything white fell from the sky in the past few weeks they were pretty much flurries that amounted to nothing.  Yesterday we were "lucky" to get a few inches.  I had to get a picture of Avery in the snow.  Unfortunately, it was not just snowy - it was extremely windy and very, very cold.  So Avery and I literally went out in the snow for no more than 5 minutes.  It was enough time to snap this picture:

I sure do hope Avery learns to love the snow as much as Riley does.  Or maybe she just hasn't gotten the memo yet - we live in Syracuse, she better get use to this!!!

I'm sorry, was that a roll over??

Wow - I cannot believe that Avery will be 7 weeks old (tomorrow) and has already mastered the roll over!!  Riley didn't roll from her belly to her back until she was almost 4 months.  What the heck is next for this little overachiever???

Moves like Jagger, knows songs like Grandpa!

Riley loves to sing songs - but it doesn't mean she knows the words.  That's ok - she can just make up her own...like Grandpa does!!!!

Sisterly Love

I can only hope that 10 years from now they will still feel the same way.  But I will certainly take this, even if for now!!

Avery Parker Smiles

One of the best parts of being a parent is when your child starts to smile at you, for real, not because of gas!!  So here are some pics of Miss Avery smiling because mommy was acting like a crazy person to get her to smile...but it worked!  And what a beautiful smile she has.  Can't wait to see even more of those smiles!!!

Happy one month Avery Parker!!

Avery turned one month old yesterday!!!  Aunt Jenny bought these cool month stickers way before Avery was born and we couldn't wait to use them.  Of course, I didn't think we would have to use them this quickly!!  This past month has FLOWN by!  

So let me tell you a little about Avery.  She is the best baby.  She is a pretty good sleeper, she is definitely a good eater and she is one calm little gal!  Avery only really cries for 2 reasons - she is hungry or she is fighting sleep at the end of the day.  What a difference from Riley!!  

Avery loves to look out the window, she can hold her head up pretty well for a 4 week old and she loves her some bath time!!  She is beginning to smile real smiles, not just gas smiles.  We are trying to figure out who she looks like.  Some people think she is all Riley, others think she looks more like me.  I don't think she looks like Riley.  I think she has features of Riley, but is not completely Riley.  But honestly, it doesn't really matter, because overall, she is just a great kid - and we can't get enough of her!!

And just for fun - here was Riley when she was a month old!!