Minnicks On Their Road To Ever After: Getting ready for Santa!

As soon as we got back from Thanksgiving it was time to begin the madness (and this year- very long process) of decorating for Christmas! Lola was literally at my side dying to help!

Daddy came home right in the middle of it and the world stopped as usual while these two gave and received some good, good lovin!

This year decorating took days… ok weeks.. ok i never got around to putting half my stuff up but hey, I was busy chasing around a 10month old!

Lola loved the pink tree we put in her room this year and all of her own ornaments!

I’m pretty sure we had a photo shoot just about everyday with Lola, I just love our house during the holidays and I wanted to soak up every ounce of ! The trees were definatly not something i had thought about keeping away from Lola until people started asking “are you going to put up a tree this year””? It didn’t even register to me why they would say that… then i saw this…. “oh yeah”.. To my surprise, she was actually less interested than i thought… she played with the tree in our den a bit but i wasn’t too fond of it this year anyway…. the guy who trimmed it up for us got a little scissor happy so I told Lola to just have at it!

I was so happy Lou had finished my den and fireplace just before the decorations went up!! Ok, I may or may not have refused to hang lolas new stocking on an un-finished fireplace!

Our favorite thing to do after Lola went to bed most nights was light the fire and drink hot chocolate!! Two things that are petty much impossible when the girl is awake! Lola was SO into hugs for the entire month of December! And taking things in and out of our hair only to put it back on her head!

Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree!

We got the house all ready but one thing was missing- our tree!Time to go find the perfect tree!!

I had talked it up quite a bit to Lola telling her all of what mommy puts daddy through to find the perfect tree “nope not that one, maybe that one, nope not that one….”

We found it!

Doesn’t Lola look so proud of her tree and her daddy! On the way home with Lolas first tree!Our bringing the tree home celebration continued similar to last year… except this year I feel like there was a bit more pouting from Mildred….. who would have thought right!?

Is there anything sweeter than a baby girl in Christmas jammies?!?

Babys’ sleeping, tree is up- let the baking commence! Then it was time to start shopping for presents to put under the tree….. which as we all know is Lola’s favorite past time!

Lola may just grow up to be like her big brother TJ as a Wal-Mart door greeter (or Target in Lola's case)… everywhere we go she waves! She waves, hello and goodbye when we enter stores and check out and to any random stranger who takes a half of a second to look at her! 20141206_191905

Shopping with Lo and snacks should really be a new hashtag!

Shopping with Lo also means lunch breaks and we couldn’t be more excited to spend this December living in Panera betweens shopping excursions!

We lived off Panera when i was pregnant in the winter! All I ever wanted was soup and hot sandwich and i love going there with Lola now its kind of a reminds me of how glad i am that she is finally here!!

20141209_134046 Shopping, shopping and more shopping!

Much to my surprise Lola actually fell asleep in her stroller… most moms probably think this is normal… if you have ever met me or my child… THIS IS NOT NORMAL.

We are WAY to wound up for all that sleeping while there is shopping to be done but Lola surprised me… right in the middle Williams Sonoma which you would think would be her favorite as it’s a cooking store… i lost her!

On our last shopping outing before going home for the holidays Lola and I decided to match because well, we are just that cool!

Lola has been such a trooper this ear with all the shopping and traffic but I will say THANK GOD for AMAZON! I definitely got more accomplished on there in ten minutes than i did all month shopping with Lola- no offense Lola, we’re in it for the bonding time not to actually cross things off our list- right Lola, ahhhhh!

Same for wrapping… never- ever invite a baby to help you wrap.

The sweetness however, we can’t get enough of… I mean really, is there anything sweeter than a baby girl in Christmas jammies!?!?

Family jammie pic!

Ok perhaps there is one thing sweeter than a baby girl in Christmas jammies before bed… a baby girl waking up in them! We love our Minnie from Gigi!

Lola topped the tree off with a very special first ornament… we stuffed her hat and mommy’s hospital bracelet in a plastic bulb- so easy and we get to look at it every year instead of it being placed in a closet somewhere!

We sure have come a long way from that black and white picture in the bottom left corner… oh how i starred at that picture and dreamed of the day I would hold this baby girl in my arms!