Halloween: Because one of Allie's nicknames is Allie Cat, we decided it would be fitting for her first costume to be just that. So I bought a black long sleeved onesie and my mom used her new sewing machine to embroider "Allie Cat" on it. We also made a tutu and headband fit with ears and bought some black tights. A few weeks before Halloween, Chadd and I bought foam pumpkins to decorate because we knew they wouldn't get gross and we could use them again for years to come. He carved Jason and I carved a skull baby to represent little Al. Since we carved pumpkins already, we didn't exactly need to visit the pumpkin patch but I, of course, wanted to get some cute pictures of Allie there and also wanted to get a pumpkin big enough for Allie to sit in. On Halloween morning, we cleaned out the pumpkin and set her inside (with a towel because I know it was cold) and she immediately screamed. Needless to say, it was a pinterest fail and we took her out right away. I still think it makes a cute picture though and it will be something for her to laugh at as she grows older. On Halloween night, after dressing Allie up and painting a nose and whiskers on her face, we went over to Nan-nan's house and enjoyed her traditional chili and baked potatoes while Allie posed for some pictures with Stella. The mosquitoes were awful so we didn't get to walk around and see all of the trick-or-treaters but I think Allie still had a great time!
Thanksgiving: We enjoyed a traditional Thanksgiving meal at my mom's house and were thrilled to have Rosie and Cameron join us over there this year! We had a smorgasbord of turkey, ham, dressing, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, twice cut corn, carrot soufflé, green bean casserole, and more. Mel made some really tasty pecan bars for dessert and mom made some delicious hot apple cider that I could not get enough of. Allie was dressed in a turkey outfit with little turkey booties and Chadd took the picture of her below (due to her head looking monstrous compared to her body she dubbed another nickname: Tweety bird).
Baptism (December 13th): It was important to us that Allie be baptized to show our commitment to raising her in a Christian home. We want to show her God's love and beauty through our relationship with each other and our relationship with her. We want her to feel His presence at home, at church, in nature, etc. I hope that she chooses to be baptized again when she's older and has accepted Jesus into her heart. We invited family and friends to witness this special event for our family and everyone came over for BBQ sandwiches and Brunswick Stew to continue the celebration. Thank you to all who were able to be there. I know you all will have a positive impact on Allie as she grows older and closer with the Lord.
First Beach Trip (Weekend of 12/18-12/20): Rosie, Chadd, Allie, and I went to visit Papa Grande and Judy in their hometown of Englewood, FL the weekend before Christmas. Englewood is about three hours away and so we were a bit nervous about the drive since Allie had never been in the car longer than an hour. She did awesome and slept almost the entire way there and entire way back. We stayed in a beach bungalow which was awesome because we could hear the waves crashing to the shore as we slept there those two nights. The weather was actually quite chilly so we didn't get to put Allie's toes in the water. However, she did get to play in the sand and she was highly entertained. We also enjoyed a nice dinner and breakfast with Papa Grande and Judy.
Christmas: On Christmas Eve, Chadd and I exchanged gifts. He got me a necklace with two charms to represent Allie (a July ruby heart and one with footprints that said "Our family just grew by two feet"). I've been wanting something to represent her and he did a great job! We also let Allie "open" a couple of her presents including an awesome blowfish bath toy her daddy bought her and a moving crab. Around 4pm, we went to the children's service at our church with Nanny, Nan-nan, Papa Bob, Melissa, Sean, Daisy, and Stella. Afterwards, we went to Pops and Meme's house and had sandwiches and fried chicken. We also exchanged gifts and Allie was introduced to a lot of new people, including her Linda Pie. On Christmas morning, we went to Nan-nan's and had a delicious breakfast. Allie was reaching for food and staring at everyone as they ate so I felt pressured to let her taste something. We mashed up some bananas and she tried them but only took about two bites. We exchanged gifts and as always, Daisy's were the most humorous. Stella and Allie got lots of similar toys which I'm sure they will enjoy for years to come! We celebrated Christmas evening with Linda Pie, Rosie, and Cameron and devoured Linda's traditional pork roast, scalloped potatoes, and carrot soufflé. Allie's favorite present of all was the cellophane wrap that Linda had included in one of her gifts to us.
New Year's Eve: The three of us went over to Mom & Dad's for a little bit to visit with Aunt Brenda and Uncle Jimmy before they traveled back to South Carolina. Melissa, Sean, Stella, and Dirk also came and we lit up some sparklers and small fountains. One of the fountains was quite loud and it scared Allie so much that I had to go back inside to calm her down. After we went home and put Allie to bed, Chadd and I went outside to enjoy the new fire pit that he built with his bare hands. The fireworks outside woke Allie up so she rang in the new year with us!
We are looking forward to many more "firsts" (holidays and milestones) in the coming year!
