A Change in Plans and a Cozy Midwest Christmas!

I've been busy! Winter time in the Midwest is a really exciting time and I was so consumed with taking it all in that this is the first chance I've had to write. So let's get to it.

Well, first thing's first. Mom and I had a plane ticket booked to fly back to the island on another one of those long metal tubes again, but something happened, the days just went by and we never went to the island!  I could tell that Mommy was really sad but she tried her hardest to keep me giggling.  And giggling seems to make her smile so I did a lotta that and it seemed to work. We kept each other happy during the holiday season.  

She also took me to see this man called Santa Claus that supposedly brings good boys and girls presents sometime during the night on Christmas Eve. She said he also flies up in the air, then comes down your chimney, then eats cookies and milk, and THEN drops off your presents.  At first I didn't know what to think about anyone who would do something as dirty as shimmy down a chimney, but then I met him and WHAMMO.  I could see what everyone was talking about. He was magical.  It's like he knew what I was thinking. Christmas can be tough for babies such as myself since we can't yet verbally express our desires. But he knew. I just know it.

Then she took me to the hair salon where some crappy knock-off Santa was visiting, and I have to say he was such an obvious impersonator of the real thing. I just wanted to take his beard home to play with. 

 GAC and GUM left for what seemed like forever and Mommy said they went to the same island I was born on, where we were supposed to go but didn't!  They even had dinner with my Daddy and he missed me very much. I mean, who wouldn't...? It was nice to spend a week alone with Mom.  We did all sorts of fun stuff.  She dressed me in a Christmas onesie, a poofy green and red tutu, white lacy pantyhose, snazzy socks and REINDEER ANTLERS!!  We took so many pictures and I had a blast!

She set up this big green tree in the living room which I thought was weird. Who brings a tree into the house? Then she started decorating it with all sorts of colorful, twinkly lights, different colored round balls, and these really pretty strands of gold beads. At that point I didn't care that she was weird for bringing a pine tree into the house, it was just so pretty.  We took lots of pictures together, and I loved laying underneath it in the dark to see all of the soft and cozy illuminations.

So all of this hubbub leads up to the BIG DAY.  Not only does that Santa Claus character leave you presents underneath the weird indoor pine tree, but he also fills a giant sock with candy!  For some reason you hang this big colorful sock over the fireplace and he just knows that he's supposed to fill it up with candy or small presents.  And if you've been bad, he leaves you a lump of coal. I don't see how that's such a punishment. I could have a hayday with a lump of coal. Just ask Lemony Snicket. You make ARTWORK with it! Or grill fishes with it!  Anyway, I digress....

Mom and I went over to Gram and Pop's house for Christmas day. Uncle Cole and Aunt Meghan were there too!  We all went into the dining room and there were so many boxes with really beautiful wrapping paper. I had a HUGE stack of presents and Mom had to help me rip the paper off since my coordination isn't tip-top.  At first, I didn't know what to think. It was all so new. 

But then I realized that it was a TOY THAT MOM HAD BOUGHT JUST FOR ME!! IT WAS A PIANO!!  How did she know that I wanted a piano?? She is very smart, that Mom.

She got me all sorts of other stuff, and Santa brought me a few things too. I just don't know what I did to deserve all of these new things, but I'm gonna keep doing exactly what I've been doing and maybe, just maybe, I'll hit the jackpot again next year......

I Am Thankful for Lotsa Things...Especially for Sweets, and Except for Spices!

I was going to write another blog right after Thanksgiving, but Mom made me wait because she had this ludicrous idea about putting me on a big platter, buck nekkid, with parsley all around me and paper caps over my feet so I looked like a turkey. I'm so glad she didn't.  Plus, most turkeys are way bigger than me anyway. I'm only twelve pounds for goodness sake. The whole thing would have been just over-the-top humiliating.

Thanksgiving with GAC, GUM, and Mom was very relaxing.  I thought I had seen a lot of food with as much as Mom likes to cook, but I hadn't seen nuthin'! The house smelled so good.  It was a mixture of sweet and spicy and herbal.  Nuts, meat, wine, stuffing, potatoes, cranberries. All of it together made my mouth water, so Mom let me taste test a few things. I find that lots of the foods that smell like spices are the ones that I don't like so much. It's the sweet stuff that I can't get enough of!  Even back in that warm, watery environment I stayed in for 9 months, I made Dad go across the street and buy me all sorts of candy.  Mmmmm. Candy. I wish I could talk with actual words like the big people use.  If I could, I would tell them that I am thankful for so many things, so many that I can't even count them...that is, if I knew how to count. I would tell them that in 4 months of being alive, I am thankful for just being here. I wake up and can barely contain myself because every tiny little thing that the big people take for granted is a new adventure for me! I am thankful for toys that make noise (something Dad taught me to appreciate), taste testing all sorts of new foods whether I like them or not (something Mom taught me to appreciate), blowing raspberries, conquering feats of strength like rolling over and propping myself up on my elbows during tummy time, bursting out in laughter, having a story read to me, singing at the top of my lungs, feetie pajamas, my hands, warm bottles, burping and tooting while it's still socially acceptable, and that someone is always there to take care of me anytime I need or want anything.  Thank you to everyone who is making my adjustment to Earth a very pleasant one so far. I'm one of the happiest babies I know and it's all because of you.  Anyhoo, here are some pictures of our Thanksgiving!

A little while before Thanksgiving Mom was making something called hummus.  She put an herb called Rosemary in it and let me play with it and put it in my mouth.  Yuck.  Not to mention, the end result looked like something I leave in my diaper.  Double yuck.

She also let me sniff the garlic. It smelled so awful that thankfully, she didn't make me taste it at all.

Come to find out I don't care much for celery either, although it does come in handy for waving all around willy-nilly! Ha!

But it's really Mom's homemade cinnamon applesauce that I really love. That and pistachio ice cream. Yeah that's the good stuff.

If Halloween and Thanksgiving were so much fun, I can't even IMAGINE what this "Christmas" holiday must be like!  Supposedly it's the biggest most festive holiday all year long!  I know Mom has been talking a lot about her favorite Christmas movie called "Elf."  Maybe we'll watch it soon and I can see what all the hubbub is all about!  She also wants to drive around and see "the lights."  Hmmm. More adventures in store for me!

I hope all of you had a very happy Thanksgiving and remembered all of the reasons you are thankful. If I'm only 4 months old and have this much to be thankful for, there must be tons and tons to be thankful for when I'm like two! Oh my gosh!

Piper, Piper, Pumpkin....Diaper?

So tonight Mom thought it would be super fun to hollow out a "Big Red Warty Thing" pumpkin and stick me in it. Now before you judge her, I too thought I would hate it. Cold, wet, slimy, pretty much disgusting overall. But when she plopped me in there, I found the experience really interesting! It smelled nice and it sort of reminded me of the 'ol womb. I also found that the inside rim of the pumpkin makes for a great teether, not mention sorta healthy. I stayed in the pumpkin for about a half an hour before Gram and Mom decided it was probably best to get me outta there and get all the pumpkin out of my crack. So I got a bath too! I love bath time! It turned out to be a surprisingly fun night! I think this "Halloween" is pretty neat so far. Pumpkin fun PLUS a night where adults hand out candy? How can you go wrong??