48 Weeks

Favorite food: Turkey and ebelskievers

Favorite spot: Anywhere she is surrounded by toys!

Naughtiest moment: Stealing Logan's toys

Cutest moment: "singing along" at church

Important milestones: Baby's First Christmas!

How Mom's Feeling: Merry Christmas, everyone! Lorelei celebrated her 11 month birthday on Christmas Eve, with all of her aunties around her. We had a very nice Christmas...well except for the fact that Lorelei still had a cold with her nose running like a faucet, and Brian had the flu...But nice anyway! We celebrated Christmas Eve Eve at our house with a big turkey dinner with all the fixings (it came out mighty tasty, if I say so myself!) This is a tradition that started last year (ok, so not really a tradition yet. But I would like to make it one) and we always have a great time, although next time I'd like to have it start earlier, so we might be able to play games after dinner.

On Christmas Eve, we trekked down to Gilroy with Lorelei still in her Christmas jammies for Christmas "morning" at BeeBee and Poppy's. French toast was eaten, apple cider was drunk, many many many gifts were unwrapped. Then we chillaxed, played with new toys, and got ready for church. No lie, it took two people to get Lorelei into her tights! But she looked ridiculously cute in her new Christmas dress hand made by Brian's aunt Susan!

Lorelei loved the church service. She liked the lights and the music and the children's message with Lambert the lamb puppet. You couldn't have asked for a better baby!

After church, we came home and ate a super yummy prime rib dinner (one of my very favorite traditions!)

On Christmas Day, we had a quiet day at home. We stayed in our jammies, ate ebelskievers and opened gifts. Then we watched a lot of movies.

Brian was a super champ through all of this, considering he has been so sick. We've had to cancel a few things this week, but he has been (mostly) in good spirits.

Here are a few pics of our week. Ok, mostly of the holidays!

Hanging with Auntie Toff!

Cuddles!

All dressed up for the party!

Stealing Logan's toys!

Cux!

The Christmas Eve Eve Table

Christmas Eve morning in her special Star Present Jammies

Checking out her stocking

BeeBee always has the best toys!

Cuddling with Mister Logan

Ready for Church!

Mama and Baby all dressed up!

Christmas morning mess!

Sharing with the boys!

She's a reader!

Her new dolly!

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

47 Weeks

Favorite food: Blackberries

Favorite spot: The hallway

Naughtiest moment: Throwing food to the doggies

Cutest moment: "kissing" the baby in the mirror

Important milestones: Nothing really this week

How Mom's Feeling: So that whole "run-down" feeling I had last week? Yeah, it caught up to us this week. Mom, Dad and Baby have all been down with a cold :( Not fun at all. Hoping it'll clear up in time for the holidays.

On the plus side, before we all got sick, Lorelei and I went to the Children's Discovery Museum in San Jose. We had SO MUCH FUN! Initially, I wasn't sure, since my experience of the CDM, was always with elementary aged children. Well, it turns out that there is a whole Under 4 area upstairs with a special room just for crawlers and wobbly walkers. We got to enjoy storytime, some finger plays and a very special little cubby with walls made of mirrors. It was, for sure, Lorelei's favorite spot! She kept patting and kissing the baby in the mirror--so cute (although it may be where the cold germs came from!)

Lorelei's pretty much been a champ with this cold. Not too fussy, over all, just a little drippy! Now Daddy, on the other hand... :)

Hello, baby!

I love this kid!

What's in here?

Wait...how does this thing work again?

Ninja Baby holding her samurai umbrella

Bundled up to go to the doctor with Mommy

46 Weeks

Favorite activity: Smacking her head on stuff (at least, it seems like it!)

Favorite food: Blueberries and raspberries

Favorite spot: Anyplace she can injure herself :(

Naughtiest moment: Drumming on Papa

Cutest moment: getting super excited when the Christmas tree lights turn on

Important milestones: Crawling on all fours (instead of belly crawling)

How Mom's Feeling: OK. A little run down. It seems like I'm being run ragged on the weekends between getting stuff done for the holidays, holiday and birthday parties and just general house maintenance and chores. On the plus side, all Christmas gifts are purchased and in the house (if not wrapped yet!), our Christmas tree is up and our halls have been decked! All that is left to be done is to wrap the presents, come up with appropriately obscure clues, and get ready for our Christmas Eve Eve dinner!

Life with Lorelei is always interesting. She's getting good at pulling herself up...too good! She routinely pulls herself up and smacks her head into something--be it a table, the window frame, or the floor. There's only so much babyproofing  one can do! As it is, we've done the most basic babyproofing: gates to contain her in the living room, gates blocking off the cords and electronics, we've reduced our coffee table to one segment, so she can't knock the entire thing down, outlet covers. So far, we've gotten away with minor bumps and bruises.

Here are some pictures of our week:

Eating dinner with her buddy Grady at Uncle Travis' birthday party

Grady and Daddy = heart breakers!

Logie Bear celebrating his Daddy's birthday

Picking her first Christmas Tree

Enjoying the branches and shiny lights! Note that all the ornaments in her reach are made of felt!

45 Weeks

Favorite activity: Pulling herself up, oohing and ahhing at the Christmas decorations

Favorite food: Bananas, scrambled eggs, meatloaf

Favorite spot: anyplace she can pull herself up!

Naughtiest moment: Bopping cousin Logan on the head (he didn't seem the worse for wear!)

Cutest moment: playing with Grandma Lou Lou

Important milestones: Pulling herself up onto the furniture all by herself!

How Mom's Feeling: Good, surprisingly relaxed, considering how busy we've been and that Christmas is closing in on us. Realized this week that I actually have ALL MY CHRISTMAS GIFTS! Or at least they are purchased! I had a moment this week when I realized I didn't have a project! And then started a new one right away!

We had a nice weekend--a visit with family and a trip to the Dickens Fair. On Saturday, we visited BeeBee and Poppy and got to see them, as well as Auntie Mel and Cousin Logan and Great Grandma Lou Lou! Lorelei loved playing with her Great Grandma and her cousin (especially some of his toys!) As a fun bonus, we went to a big party with the babies, and I ran into my middle school math teacher! Crazy!

Lorelei has been working on pulling herself up, and has really seemed to master it this week, much to our delight/dismay! The poor monkey keeps pulling herself up, losing her grip or balance and then falling down again. Normally this is fine, but sometimes she bonks her head or cheek on something. She has new matching bruises on both cheeks!

She also has gotten really good at the cups. She works very hard on stacking them just so. I love watching her play. She takes it SO SERIOUSLY!

Caught!

Crawling like a pro!

Chatting it up with the cousins.

Cosy with Grandma Lou Lou!

Mister Logie-Bear!

Standing up like it ain't no thing! Of course, a moment later she did a header right into the basket!

Hanging with her aunties at the Dickens Fair!