Daddy, Help Me, Please Come Home!

Daddy I need you, Lorelai is dressing me in pink and Mommy is only taking pictures and laughing.



Can you see Daddy? I have fairy wings on too!

Boo at the Zoo

Here is our beehive for Halloween this year. Mom is very impressed with herself for making this. It will not only look cute but should someone fall asleep they will be kept warm.

Here we have Pooh, dressed as a bee, and Tigger the bee catcher (notice the net).










Don't worry Ford, those bees are not real. Just pretend bees, they won't steal your candy.













Looks like we had fun, time to go home, Wait, we just arrived! No kidding - I had to wake the wee ones to go into the zoo.







Isn't she cute there in the hive. Now get out, Ford is way too heavy to carry all the way through the zoo.








Isn't he so cute in the hive? So cute I had to show you too.







This one is cute because he has his hand in the candy bag and he thinks he is getting away with something.



Ford has had enough. Good thing mom's plan is working and keeping little man warm.

Where is Ford?

Ford why are you so quiet? Lorelai, have you seen Ford?

Lorelai's First Day of School - Private/Montessori School!*

Here is Lorelai getting ready to go to her first day of school.
















Lorelai dragging her feet as her teacher tries to get her to play on the playground.
















And here she is giving me the look as I explain her brother is waiting for me in the car and I need to go before I get arrested.


















* (See Wierd Skinny Girl blog)

Our First Snow

It is two weeks before Halloween and we have our first snow. Lorelai bundled up and is showing her babies (in baskets) the snow outside. Ford is fast asleep inside, in case you were wondering.








Our decorations and flowers are not as excited as we are.
















Our new Kitty, Sabrina, is very unsure about the new ground cover. Lorelai had a great time chasing her around the yard. I don't think Sabrina thought of it as her favorite day. Simon, the older, wiser cat is fast asleep inside as well, in case you were wondering.

Thanks, Gary & Roxanne

. . . for the finger painting stuff!













One blue hand - One green hand. This is what happens when you put your entire hand into the paint containers.





Here is Lorelai's art work. Black seems to be the color of the day.

Mima Vicki Visits

Mima Vicki visited from Texas for a week. She shared in Lorelai's many playdates, groups and music class. She also held Ford hour after hour as he slept and changed too many diapers to count.

Cherish's mom also let Mommy and Daddy have a couple of nights out on the town with their friends. Much needed time away from the kids for some adult time.


Vicki was here for a week and helped the family unbelievably. Lorelai was so sad when she left and can't wait until she visits Texas to see her again.

Update from Mommy

We are slowly getting into the swing of things. Ford likes to stay awake during the night so he and I have a lot of alone time in the wee hours. Hopefully we will change this behavior in the next few weeks.Ford had his two week check-up. He has gained a pound (now 6lbs, 13 oz.) and is doing very well. We had a few issues with jaundis in the beginning but we seem to be free of our worries now.

Lorelai continues to kiss and hug her baby brother every chance she gets. When pushing the stroller in the store she stops people to show off her baby brother. We would like to tell you her pricess phase is due to ber new brother but she was already dressing for the day in a crown, pricess dress and slippers before his arrival. She makes sure she has jewelry and a matching crown everywhere she goes. She tells us she wants to be a doctor though so I guess I can deal with this a little longer.

Welcome Ford

The Schaffer Family would like to introduce:

Loren "Ford" Schaffer
December 30 at 7:30 am
5 lbs. 14 oz. & 18.5" long

Big Sister Lorelai is very happy to show off her new baby brother!

Ford was born at 36 weeks, a little early, but he is completely fine. Mom and baby came home a day early from the hospital to celebrate New Years Eve cuddled up in bed with the whole family altogether. Ford, like his big sister, seems to be a quiet baby. Lorelai can't stop kissing him and holding his hand.

Loren is a first name family tradition of Daddy's. Ford is the maiden name of mommy's favorite Aunt she lived with her senior year of high school.

Santa came last night!

Christmas Eve
Daddy spent the night before Santa's visit putting together Lorelai's big present, a baby nursery.

Lorelai was careful to cut the ribbon from her packages with her new "cutters". She was given a pair of sissors to make Christmas cards to send out this year.



Here she is with the new tent. After we put this together she didn't want to open any more until the next day when Santa came.

Daddy spent the night before Santa's visit putting together Lorelai's big present, a baby nursery.




Christmas Day
Lorelai had to wait for mom and dad to get out of bed before she could go into the living room to find what the big man had brought for her. She thought Santa was coming to see her tree, so she was excited to see he brought her more presents.

Lorelai has her own nursery now, like the one her baby brother will have soon.

Christmas Letter

Family and Friends,

This last year feels like it has been busy and we are looking forward to an even busier next year. Our Christmas letters are late again this year, but this time we have a good excuse!

Our year started with a trip to Texas in February. Cherish and Lorelai arrived a couple of weeks earlier than Loren, but arrived with the Flu. By the time Loren joined them in Texas, mom and baby were getting the second round. Our time there felt like a big blur due to all the medications we had to take. Thanks to everyone who had to take us in and take care of us. It was a nice visit anyway and we had a great time when the DayQuil was working.

In September Cherish and Lorelai headed to Colorado for a couple of weddings of very good friends. We stayed with the Woodman’s for a week and let all the kids play together - busy bunch at their house! We also stayed at the Power’s home in the Springs. “Uncle Cliff” is now one of Lorelai’s favorite people, she didn’t want to leave his side and still talks about him. In Denver we stayed with the Elrod’s and what a wonderful week we had there. Lorelai and Sabrina were fast friends and we look forward to them being friends for a long time to come.

As both weddings were on the same day we were overwhelmed seeing so many people we miss. We also met new friends and hope to get to know everyone better. The weddings were beautiful and it was very heartwarming to see our friends so incredibly happy.

Cherish’s Dad, TJ, visited in the beginning of December to see Lorelai. It was nice to have time to let granddaughter and grandpa get to know each other without any interruptions. Grandpa TJ helped her decorate the Christmas tree and Lorelai showed him her skills building with Legos and playing her piano.

Loren has orders that will move us back to Colorado in June. We are working out where we want to live, but before we can think of anything else we need to have our baby boy. He is due at the end of January, but we expect him early. He is going to be a very big baby and Cherish is feeling every new ounce!

Because we are on travel restrictions, due to the baby’s due date, we will be spending a quiet Christmas at home. This is the first Christmas Lorelai really understands that Santa will be visiting the house, but right now believes he is coming to see the Christmas tree. Next year of course will be different, as she will know that Santa brings gifts and leaves them under the tree on Christmas Day. We are trying to make this a special holiday as it is her last before becoming a big sister and no longer the only child.

We hope to see lots of friends this next year to catch up. If you are interested, we keep a little running journal online for Lorelai, and soon her brother. It can be found at http://LorelaiSchaffer.blogspot.com.

Lots of love,

Loren, Cherish & Lorelai Schaffer

Lorelai Meets Santa

Lorelai had the chance to meet Santa at a Christmas party at Parker's house. At first she was a little scared and she and Emma Grace stayed on the steps.


Eventually she came around and came down the stairs on her own. Santa had to talk her down, but he did a good job.












She wasn't so sure about sitting on his lap but she did it so we could take a few pictures!

Grandpa TJ's visit

Grandpa TJ recently visited NC to see Lorelai for Christmas. As Cherish can hardly move most days, Loren got to spend a lot of time with his father-in-law. When we were not eating out, we were Christmas shopping.

We decorated a Christmas tree and Lorelai had a fantasitc time. She loves to hang the ornaments, so the bottom of the tree looks much different than the top of the tree. We let Lorelai put the 1st ball on the tree. She keeps telling us that Santa is coming to visit us to see her Christmas tree. We guess after her "Santa visit" this year she will know why Santa really comes to visit!

We have created another Lorelai original ornament to be sent to the family. I hope someone in our family appreciates the gift every year as it is special to us when we make them.




Lorelai posed for us and I had to include a few pictures.

New Jammies from Mima

A box arrived for Lorelai - it had new jams from Mima! Here she is posing with her new puppy too.

Thanks Mima!!