Cornelius Chronicles

It has been a busy week of holiday parties, fun library activities, and cute baby pictures.  Enjoy! Xavier showing off his future astronaut awesomeness at the library.  :) You try getting a picture of four very excited children who are busy "building" (really eating) candy houses (they used ghram crackers instead of gingerbread) at the library.  They had lots of fun and we had frosting everywhere on everything!  :) Baby O just hanging out and looking cute.  He's getting more awake and alert every day. He's getting big too fast.   Breakfast fun at Rebekah's school holiday party.  Thanks for letting us come and share your yummy food, Rebekah!  Holiday Bingo fun at Loyd's school holiday party.  Thanks for winning twice, Loyd, so Maeve could eat one of your prize suckers.  :) Rebekah has been in practicing her roller skating skills non stop all week long.  She found my old roller skates in the back of my closet a...

This week we had lots of fun holiday activities to get us excited for the approach of Christmas.  Our kind neighbors gave us a fun gingerbread house kit that we put together for Family Home Evening this week.  The kids had fun decorating different sides of the house and Maeve learned the joy of eating straight frosting from the tube (note Maeve in the background doing just that). Xavier had his annual Christmas party at preschool and was super excited to meet Santa.  He asked for a camera this year.  I bet Santa will oblige his request.  :) Maeve was even brave enough to sit on Santa's lap all by herself and not cry as long as she got a present and a candy cane in the end.  She was excited to see Santa on our way to the party, but she seemed to have mixed feelings regarding some one on one time with the jolly old elf when the time came.  In the end she braved her fears and was rewarded with some fun ponies to play with and a yummy candy cane to...

We're being well reminded by Baby Owen of the basics of being a baby.  Those basics can be easily summed up by A-B-E = Always Be Eating.  When Mr. Owen isn't eating he tends to either be sleeping or crying because he wants to eat again.  This cute, chubby little monkey has worked hard to put on a pound and half in the 10 days since he left the hospital and seems to be working on a goal of reaching Sumo worthy weights before his first birthday.  Love this little chuck and enjoy watching his cheeks get more squishy and pinchable every day.  :) I love these pictures.  These two brothers are pulling the same faces at the same time.  I think they are going to be really great buddies. On Friday, while I was folding laundry in my bedroom, Xavier was sitting in my rocking chair in my room and was holding Baby Owen.  With my back turned toward the boys, all of a sudden I hear Xavier start to giggle like crazy.  I turn around to see what is so ...

 

On Thursday, November 20th, we happily welcomed Owen Anson Cornelius into our family.  Baby Owen decided to do a last minute flip and had to be born c-section due to his breach presentation.  Thank goodness Grandma P was here to take good care of the kids at home so Dustin could stay in the hospital with me to help take care of little Owen while I was stuck in bed.  I was greatly blessed to have so much loving help at home and in the hospital.  It took a great deal of stress out of the delivery and allowed me to enjoy getting to know my newest little boy better. Owen weighed 8 lbs 4 oz (my biggest baby yet), and 20 inches long at birth.  He cried and cried while we recovered in the hospital for three days.  However, the moment we came home to a busy, happy house filled with excited brothers and sisters Owen settled right down and is currently the most content and happy little baby boy you have ever seen.  He loves to be held by his siblings and alw...

This is was 40F looks like in Southeastern Texas when you get ready to go to the park or walk to pick your big brother up from preschool.  :)  Where did all of our nice November temperatures go?  Go away Polar Vortex!  We want our Thanksgiving to be a nice 72F, thank you very much.  :) 

You know you have too much Halloween candy floating around the house when your toddler decides that one sucker at a time just won't do, and you're completely fine with that.  :D Just some fun pictures of our funny Maeve!  This little girl always has us laughing about something.  She's such a cutie.  :)  Ah, a sight to warm any mother's heart, her son doing the dishes.  Sure there was more water on Loyd's shirt and on the floor than was use to rinse actual dishes, and I had to mop up when he was done, but I'm not going to turn down help from my ever enthusiastic Loyd.  As the family saying goes, "No man was ever shot while doing the dishes."  The sooner my boys learn that lesson the better.  ;P Funny Quotes from the Week: Rebekah:   It's time I started working on getting rich.  Mom, what year do I get married? Mom:   Most people get married in their 20s, but some get married later.  Why? Rebekah: ...

Rebekah makes a very fetching giraffe this year, but she was not pleased to have to wait while I took all my pictures of the kids in their cute costumes.  Pictures are the worst when there is important trick-or-treating to be done.  :) Xavier is very excited to be Chris, the green Wild Kratt brother.  He's ready for some animal adventure excitement in his official creature power suit.  He's ready to get outside and get into nature! Maeve is the second giraffe that has been roaming our yard of late.  She's been living free and in the wild in her costume.  She's pretty adorable in her little outfit and knows it.  Maeve loved getting candy in her little bag, and couldn't wait to eat her new yummy treats as she was out trick-or-treating, digging out her candy and popping it in her mouth as fast as people could give it to her.  :) Loyd was very determined to have another fun Angry Bird Halloween.  He loves these costumes Grandma P. made...

Loyd and I got to decorate a pumpkin for his school homework with month.  Loyd got to pick one of his favorite characters from a book and then decorate a pumpkin to look like that character.  Loyd has been loving the Buzz Beaker books lately and their fun science concepts, so he decided to make his pumpkin look like Buzz himself.  I drew the outline for Buzz's face and Loyd did a great job painting the pumpkin to really bring it to life.  We had fun doing our little art/literacy project together.  Yea for fun homework! I also had to document this rare moment of everyone getting along nicely.  It happened last Sunday and Dustin thought I was crazy for wanting to sneak a picture, until three minutes later when they started to bug each other and fight again.  I'm so grateful for moments of peace.  :) Here's photo documented proof that I'm just about ready to pop!  We just have to make it a few more weeks until Grandma P. gets here an...