Our First Little Christmas

This is the first Christmas since Laith and I started dating in 2001 that we got a tree, decorated our house with more than a front-door wreath, and stayed in our own home for the holiday. It was quiet but also exciting to be starting our own family traditions and reveling in Lucas' participation in the Christmas season for the first time as well. He decorated the tree himself- well at least the bottom half of the tree. And you can see in the photos that he wanted the gold bead garland front and center! With Sophie still being a newborn, we weren't able to do all the things we want Christmas to be, but we got a good start on it. This year we watched Polar Express projected large at the local library after-hours with pillows and popcorn and 10-12 other young families, Lucas and Laith went to Janeen's cookie party, and we roasted marshmallows in our fireplace. Next year we'd like to chop down our own tree, do some sort of Angel Tree/Adopt a Family for Christmas presents, make pinecone bird feeders, and do an advent calendar and wreath. It's been a whirlwind last-3-months-of-the-year for us with a new house, new job, new state, new preschool, new baby, all 4 of our birthdays, and all the big holidays (halloween, thanksgiving and christmas) and we couldn't be happier. Merry Christmas everyone!

Baby It's Cold Outside

Sophie Session: 2 months

Height: 22 1/2", 40th percentile

Weight: 11 lbs 10 oz, 75th percentile

Sophie Likes:

* Looking at new faces

* Watching her big brother play

* Dark and quiet when napping

* Sleeping through the night! (Oh, wait, that's what Mommy likes)

Sophie Dislikes:

* Stoplights, stop signs, idling in a parking lot

* gas, coughing and apnea

* Loud noises

Lucas' First Snowfall

Lucas has read Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats many times, so he knew what to do with snow, but he also was a little but reserved about his first foray into the white stuff.

At first he was pretty excited about it all- pointing out how many things he recognized that were now covered in snow.

Sophie was such a cute snowbear that I almost ate her!

Our neighbor, Satchel helped Lucas with his mittens and was hoping to introduce Lucas to the joys of sledding (but Lucas preferred to just watch).

Hmmm, snow is cold and wet. It's kinda cool, I guess.


Though Lucas enjoyed his first real winter experience, I couldn't convince him that his snowpants would keep him dry if he sat in the snow, and the neighbor kids couldn't convince him of the fun he could have playing in it. He was mainly just uncomfortable in all those winter layers, he didn't know how to use his hands with mittens on them, and his face was getting cold. So that was the end of that. He really is still a Texan boy. :) I think it will take more snowfalls and maybe another year for him to really appreciate snowy days.

Delicious Baby Hands

Thanksgiving

Day in the life in November

Aunt Janice's 60th