Thanksgiving, then Christmas, and now birthdays??

So where the heck has time gone?!? Seriously!  These last 9 months have gone by sooooo quickly! Who knew adding one little kiddo would make it all fly by that much faster. Once Thanksgiving hit, life has been such a blur. There were so many things I wanted to blog about, but could not find the time! So now I'm throwing them all together.  Here's Thanksgiving with the grandparents:

We have a very special tradition that's been brewing around our house these last 5 years. Both Mike's mom and dad and my mom and dad come to our house for Thanksgiving.  May seem awkward, but it works great for us.  Our parents really enjoy getting together and it's makes things so much easier on Thanksgiving to have it at our house with everyone. If you add up all the years Mike's mom and dad, my mom and dad, and Mike and I have been married, it comes to around 114 years! How awesome is that!?!?!  And of course with a very special addition this year! This adorable kiddo, who on December 12 became an official Lemmons!

So this Christmas was a very very special one! Aiden joined our family officially and we had his first Christmas with us! The month of December seemed really crazy. I had made the Korean flag ornaments in October and November to sell to my AP mamas  to help with Christmas this year.

They were a big hit! Thanks so much for all the mamas that purchased my ornaments! It really warmed my heart to see all your pictures and posts on Facebook, blogs, etc!  You helped this family celebrate one awesome Christmas! I've got great ornament ideas brewing for next Christmas too! ;)

I think Aiden enjoyed his Christmas with us. He seemed like he was learning the whole time.  He really got the hang of opening presents, even helped his big sister when she really didn't want it. But she helped him just as much.

Christmas with the cousins and grandparents was so much fun.  All you needed to do was point Aiden is the right direction of a present and he was on it!

Now we're moving on to birthdays! Yes, I said birthday(s)!  Taylor's birthday is December 30th, this Friday. She'll be 11 years old. Just can not believe how old my little girl is getting to be.  I told her the other day to quit growing up, she just gave me that grown up look that said, "duh mom!".  She's planning on having some girls over for a birthday/slumber party Friday night.  Not sure if I'm ready for it, but I'll certainly give it my all!

Next, it'll be Aiden's birthday January 3rd.  This will be his first birthday with us and will turn 2 years old!  He's grown up so much since we first saw his picture last June. When Aiden was in Korea and we were waiting on him, I often thought about all the firsts that I would be missing, first tooth, first step, etc.  Now all I can think about are all the firsts we're experiencing with him.  I don't think about those firsts we've missed because we're making so many more memories with him actually here! They are far better than I ever could have imagined!

I can't believe how much he's changed in the last 9 months.  Aiden says just about anything you ask him to. Although some words aren't real clear, I can understand it.  He now gives kisses, asks for hugs, helps mama a lot, even when I don't  need it. ;)  In the last month, Aiden has really come out of his shell.  He's become more secure, and loves his mama, daddy, and sister. He really loves his big sister, really!   He actually calls me mama now too.  He'll go running through the house saying "mama" looking for me.  I can not believe how much love this little boy has. He loves us all, grandparents too and we all love him.  He's learned so much now and I've learned just as much from him. He changes weekly, all the way down to the position he goes to sleep in.  I still stay in his room till he falls asleep.  He sleeps really well now. I'll hear him cry from time to time at night, but he goes right back to sleep.  He wakes usually around the same time every morning.  He sleeps good when he sleeps, he's just not a late sleeper. He gets around 10 hours at night and naps for an hour to 2 hours during the day. Eating is still a challenge, but that's with any child. Believe me, Aiden is a solid 28 pounds! And I do mean solid!  Anyone who picks him up will tell you that.

Can't imagine my life without him! Everything feels complete around our house.  He is one awesome kiddo that I love with all my heart! What an awesome year it has been ..... really! Can't wait for the rest of his life!

Here's a funny moment from Christmas morning.