Into Wonderland: November 2008

We hosted our very first Thanksgiving this year. It was a huge success! We really celebrated in style. Everything was homemade right down to the cornbread I made the stuffing with. We also brined our first turkey an boy, was it ever good. Neither your father nor I had ever had a brined turkey before. It made for some very moist meat. Grammy and Grampy joined us. I begged your Grammy to bring her famous candied yams and she was nice enough to humor me. We had turkey, stuffing, a turnip galette, pureed squash, rolls, peas, cranberry sauce, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, and the aforementioned candied yams all smothered in gravy. We had a chocolate cream pie and caramel pumpkin cheesecake. The only things we didn't make where the peas and cranberry sauce. (I happen to prefer canned cranberry sauce and I love Lesueur peas with mushrooms and onions) You tasted most everything and loved it all!

I regret that I have gotten pretty behind on posting here lately, again. We have been extremely busy. I have a little notebook where I have been writing down our stories but have not had the discipline to post lately. So, I will try to relay some of those stories now. First I want to announce the biggest changes in you. YOU ARE WALKING! You had been taking some steps here and there but this last week you have started walking across rooms and have become much more steady. You are so proud of your new found independence. We are also very proud of you. Also we decided to finally call your first word. Sad that it has taken this long. You have been saying hello since about nine months-old. I was hesitant to call it because you didn't say it all the time, but you definitely use it in context. The first thing we do in the morning is look in the mirror next to your crib. Often you will wave at us in the mirror and call out "huwwo". Sometimes you grace others with your greeting but often you say it just for us. You called out hello to Grammy one day and she was so excited saying, "Did you here that? He just said hello!". I told her you had been saying this for awhile while waving and I thought maybe I was imaging it or being a crazy mother. She immediately dubbed your first word was definitely hello. You also say Hi and have started using the phrase "Oh wow" this last week.

In other news. We had been on a real house hunting tear for awhile. We were looking at houses almost every weekend. Unfortunately we did not find anything suitable in our price range. We did put in one offer which was rejected. We are taking a little break for the holidays. More than anything we would love to have our own house to call home. A yard for you to play in and a playroom for all your toys. I know this dream will be realized someday. It will be that much sweeter because we worked so hard for it.

We also celebrated a first birthday party for one of your playgroups. We did a gift exchange and had lots of fun with the other kids. We got a bubble lawnmower for one of the boys and the lone girl ( there's always one) got you a Touch and Teach Turtle Book. It sings songs, counts and teaches you about animals you love it! That same afternoon we met up at Grammy's for an early Thanksgiving. Yes, we had two. Your Aunt Belinda and cousins Meri and Brady were up visiting from North Carolina. Your Aunt Emily, Uncle Noel, and cousin Kiera also joined us. It was a very long day and by the end of it you had your very first cold. You finally got over this cold today. You also got a flu shot the day before all this excitement. Daddy and I got shots too.

If all the above excitement wasn't enough, we are celebrating your first birthday next Sunday. We will be having a small party with family at our house. We are so excited! We have had your birthday gifts, as well as most of your Christmas gifts, tucked away already wrapped for a couple of weeks now. Your Father and I have been hard at work making some pretty decorations for the big day. I, of course, will be making you a special cake and making cupcakes for all of our guests. I can't wait.

So I guess I am all caught up on big news. I do have some video and pics to share later. (it takes awhile to sort and upload) I really just wanted to make sure I got on here to give an update. Sometimes I procrastinate posting because the prospect of uploading is a little overwhelming sometimes when things are crazy. I promise to get some new pics up this weekend. Really.

Yay, it's finally here. Your first Halloween! You have been practicing for the last two months by dressing up in your costume and getting a look at yourself in the mirror. Boy, am I gonna miss this costume when you outgrow it. You really get a kick out of it.

Grandpa got you a great ride which we borrowed for Trick-or-Treating. This is the two of you going for a test drive.

You're checking with him to make sure this thing is safe.

We went trick-or-treating with a large group including Auntie Beth, Uncle Rick, and their girls. We keep there pics off of here for their privacy at their Mom's request.