Christmas 2011

Once again, we had a wonderful Christmas this year! Gabbie was so much fun and really understood what was happening for the first time!

She was excited about Santa and even made him cookies... to which she helped herself!

I told her Santa may not be happy about her eating his cookies and drinking her milk. Her response was that Santa is very nice and will be happy to share!

Trying on the Christmas Socks on Christmas Eve...

And she must have been good, because Santa treated her very well! Gabbie got a bunch of dress up outfits, stuffed animals and a make-up brush set!

She also got a Princess pillow and blanket!

Nana Vicky and Papa Charles came out from Utah to celebrate with us. Nana and Gabbie played all day with all the fun stuff Santa brought!

And even made a gingerbread house!

We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas as well!

Our Little Ariel - Take 2!

Well, it should come as no surprise that Gabbie decided that she wanted to be Ariel for Halloween this year! When we first started asking what she wanted to be for Halloween a couple of months ago, she originally said she wanted to be Santa Claus. However, when she started looking at actual costumes, she quickly changed her mind to Ariel.

So here she is, our Little Ariel!

This year was the first year she really had an understanding of what was happening and that made it so much fun! She was so excited to be Ariel and even practiced her Trick or Treating skills by making us practice. She would close the doors in the hallway and Kiley and I had to each retreat to a room. She would knock on the door, say Trick or Treat and then get pretend candy from us.

Our practice paid off and she was an immediate pro when it came time to do it for real!

We almost weren't able to take her since she had come down with Pink Eye the day before. We got her on drops the day of Halloween and the doctor said she would be fine to go

Trick or Treating!

So we took her out and hit a couple of house, one of which was Jodi's, her fabulous babysitter!

We hit it at the perfect time - just as her best friend Trysten showed up!

Trysten is the Super Hero!

Then Gabbie got Jodi's grandkids to sit down and they all sang along to her Ariel necklace.

Prior to Halloween, we tried our hand at Pumpkin Carving again. Gabbie still wasn't to hip on sticking her hand into the goo, but she had a fun time!

Here she is being a ghost!

Our Little Ariel

So, we just got back from a wonderful trip to Disney World. (full post on that to come) Gabbie loved it and is somewhat obsessed with the Little Mermaid! She sings Part of Your World nonstop - seriously. We hear it on the monitor when we put her down, when she wakes up and sometimes in the middle of the night when she is in her dazed somewhat awake state.

I have tried to catch it on video, but she usually stops as soon as the camera comes out. I finally got it tonight, only because I flipped the screen on the video camera so she could watch herself sing it. Here she is in all her glory!

Introducing Gabbie Grace Brannon as Ariel -

And let me tell you, this girl has quite the imagination. Here she is as I am asking her about our Disney World trip. In the middle, she imagines the witch is behind her, the witch named Ursula with her necklace. You know, the one that holds Ariels voice!

We may just have a star in the making!

Bedtime Routine

So each night, we go through our bedtime routine. It consists of reading books, snuggling, singing, tucking in with her blanket and good night kisses.

The other day, Kiley and Gabbie were playing in her room. As I snuck a peek, I caught Gabbie putting her Daddy through her bedtime routine.

After giving him a teddy bear to snuggle with and tucking him in with her blanket, she read books...

told him she loved him, sang him "You are my Sunshine" and sealed it with a kiss.

Too precious!

Baby Boy Brannon is on the Way!

Well, it is official. We are expecting a little baby boy and I am due February 18, 2012.

We are so excited for this little guy to join us.

Sometimes I wonder what I am doing having a baby at 40 years old, but both Kiley and I wanted to have one more child. Due to my age, we decided to have CVS testing done just so I could stop worrying and deal with facts as opposed to what ifs. The test came back that everything looks great when it comes to the chromosomal make up of the baby. That is also how we found out so early that it is a boy!

Gabbie is very excited about our new addition! At first she was a little thrown about having a brother as she insisted it was a sister. I think she has finally realized it is a brother and the topic is not up for negotiation.

She is, however, still pushing the names Raelyn, Arial, or Peyton. She has officially been removed from the naming committee.