It's beginning to look a lot like Xmas!

Christmas is quickly approaching and the Holders have been busy preparing for the holiday season! Katie is finally crawling! YAY! She started right at 10.5 months. Christopher isn't exactly thrilled with the idea. Now she can take things from him and sharing isn't his strong point. Chris continues to be Mr Independent, he helps with cleaning the house, cooking the meals, picked out our Christmas tree and even helped at my work Xmas party. All of my coworkers we shocked by how much he really did help! He makes me so proud! So the countdown is one for Santa, lets see if the Holder children made the nice list this year ;-)

Our cute little reindeer!

Chris picking out our tree

Decorating the tree


Loving her powdered doughnut

First Halloween as a family of four!

Our bee and Dr had a great time on Halloween. Christopher enjoyed ringing the door bells and passing out candy....Katie enjoyed eating the candy! She ate 2 lollipops and a kit kat! Christopher of course wouldn't eat the candy but he was very stingy handing it out. He only gave 1 piece a person then would say Happy Halloween and shut the door!

Katie can now get to sitting from her belly and is SO close to crawling! We keep telling Chris he is gonna have to look out she she becomes mobile! Christopher is using full sentences and is becoming very strong willed! I wouldn't say "terrible twos" more like "testing mommy and daddy twos."

10 months! I am in denial that my infant is almost a toddler!
Carving our pumpkin
testing out the lolly pops
Our Dr and bee


Trick or Treat!
Who ate the last kit kat?

Typical Saturday morning at the Holder household...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IN10t9ACnMw

They really enjoy playing together now:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TQiIaoXNR8

The only way Katie gets around! LOL!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPaHkx-ERYc

Fall is here!

Summer is over and we are welcoming fall with open arms. There are plenty of activities to enjoy around town. Christopher is pretty much potty trained except for night and naps. We were going back and forth between pullups and underwear until he came home from daycare one day and told me he wanted to wear underwear! He hasn't had any accidents since! His vocabulary and intelligence wow us each and every day.

Katie is still doing things on her own terms. She has yet to crawl but has decided she won't crawl from her belly she tries to go from a sitting position and falls flat on her face all of the time (hence the huge scab on her nose). She is finally sleeping through the night and mommy and daddy are VERY happy!

9 month shot:


The pool turned back into a ball pit


Daddy and Chris sliding at Cox Farms


Eating a snack on the tractor
Big boy sliding by himself this year!
Unlike her brother Katie LOVE sweets!
We ditched the highchair and moved to the booster!

Another month behind us!

Katie is now 8 months and Christopher will be 2.5 this month! Katie's top teeth and other 2 bottom teeth all came in! She gets around either scooting on her butt, on her back and she can push herself backwards on her stomach. I'd imagine she'll be crawling within a month or so. She finally rolled both ways last month! She is such a big girl! Her vocabulary consists on Dada, Mama and Nana (not that she knows what it means but its cute to hear).

Christopher's potty training is going great! His teacher talked us into putting him in underwear and so far so good. He is in his "I do it" phase and gets very mad if we try to help him with everyday tasks, so although it takes us forever to get out the door Chris pretty much does everything for himself.

8 months!


Riding the animal merry go round at the Reston Zoo


Feeding the pigs at the zoo

Feeding the goats

Watching nemo together


Chris and his first "tat" he didn't like it at all! He kept saying off!

Enjoying the summer!

As the kids get older the Holder family is getting out and about more and enjoying spending time together. Katie cut her bottom 2 teeth last month and they are almost all the way up. She looks like a cute little bunny. We think the two top are not far behind because she has been drooling up a storm lately. Christopher amazes each and every day with how quickly he picks up on things! Not only does he know his alphabet and numbers up to 20 but he also recognizes them. He knows most of his colors and can count to 10 in Spanish! We are so proud of him.

An afternoon trip to Toys R Us




At the pool:







New shades!


Cooling down with some kool pops



At the farm:

Katie's hit the half year mark!

I can't believe how much faster time goes by the second time around. Katie is already 6 months and can sit up unassisted! She loves playing by herself as long as she has plenty of toys around. Christopher is well on his way to being potty trained. He tells us when he has to pee and will go pee on his potty. He also tells us when he has to poop but will only go in his diaper. HA! We had a great 4th, Chris and Daddy did a "firework" display that included sparklers and pop its!

6 months!
Happy 4th!

Stomping the pop its!

He loves getting in Bessie's crate

Loving feeding herself

Katie's pool ("hot tub")

Our nephew, Clark came for a visit from OK and Katie and Chris both loved him so much. Here Katie and Clark were having a blast with each other:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQoSOOlIGE0

BFF

Christopher and Bessie love playing together. Where he goes she goes it is really so cute, they are best friends forever! Katie is 5 months and is getting the hang of eating, she loves squash, carrots, peas and bananas. Her and Chris are starting to interact and it melts my heart to watch, they take turns squealing and laughing at one another and Chris even gives her kisses on the cheek. He is such a good big brother! His speech has really taken off and he repeats everything he hears. The cutest thing is without a doubt him singing yakety yak he says "don't talk back." LOL! Life with a toddler and an infant is such an amazing journey. I am so thankful for them both, we are very lucky parents.

Katie eating for the first time (late post):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hWJBDZmpEs

BFF (you know you are white trash when your toddler is running around in a diaper with your bassett hound puppy)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mKKL38by-0

The Holder's pool opening day:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FW5eJeaWt1s

Sandbox:


The Holder pool is officially open for the season:
Our happy girl is 5 months:

Cupcakes!

Lunch time:

Our big girl is 4 months!

Katie hit the 4 month mark and we started solids. So far she has tried rice & oatmeal cereal and she is not digging either. We think she really wants chicken, see pic below...LOL! Christopher loved Easter this year, although he still doesn't like candy (I know weird right) he loved dying & finding the eggs and liked the toys the bunny left him. He is finally starting to realize Katie is a little person, he will even give her a hug if asked. I'll admit I bawled the first time he did, it was so sweet.

Dying eggs

The Easter Bunny came!
The egg hunt


Chris is such a good big brother

Our big girl
She is really starting to like the jumperoo
I want chicken!
She thought she was getting a plate