Games with Dad

Who needs toys when you have a box - especially when it is such a classy box?!!

Another flashback

Wow - 2 days in a row without a picture. It could be because I have not unpacked the camera yet! I think it is okay because I love flashbacks. It just reminds me how far we have come!

New Blog

I didn't take any pictures today. I guess you could say that Baron and I were too busy doing laundry and cleaning since we took down the Christmas decorations yesterday. I did get some very good news. The family above started a blog of their own so I will be able to see more pictures of my nephew!

Good to be home

Baron was so happy to be home today that he was pulling out all of his books and toys at once this morning. He was really having a hard time deciding what to play with!

Time to go back home

We had such a nice trip and it was so much fun to spend time with both families. Baron is one lucky little dude.

So one last bottle with Grandpa

And one last cuddle with Clinton

And too long of a car ride ahead of us!

Baron's 1st Christmas!

Picture overload part 2!
Christmas is even better when you have a child! I imagine it will be more fun in the years to come! Baron started with his stocking. His favorite part was the Satsuma orange. He bit it and peeled it himself! I think these were his favorite discovery of our entire trip.

He opened his gift from his mom and dad next.

Then he had to take a break to eat delicious cinnamon rolls from the Schaapman family! He had a taste before we started opening his stocking and then he crawled back into the kitchen and stood up directly under them and wouldn't leave until he had more! Silly kid - he definitely knows where the food is.

After he loaded himself with sugar, he was ready to RUN behind his new walking toy from us!

Later in the day (after his first nap), Baron managed to con his grandpa into more sugar! He learned that Grandpa's favorite treats are Animal Cookies. He also learned he can have one (maybe two), but that's it! Grandpa shares, but he doesn't waste these.

After Baron was recharged on sugar, we went in to wish his Great Grandma Curdy a Merry Christmas.

Nate and I made Christmas dinner this year. We had crown pork roast. It was really good, but very rich. We had Great Grandma Weber and Paulette and Jerry Prchal join us. Baron slept through most of dinner, but woke up in time to try it all.

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve is one on my favorite family traditions that I hope to continue with my own family. I always loved going to Christmas Eve service as a child knowing that Santa was going to visit Grandma's house while we were there. Now I just love hearing the Christmas story and spending time with all of the family. This year we made many memories with friends and family.

We went to church early so we could meet up with the Hooyer and Becker families. Baron and Calvin were constantly on the move. I never did get a picture of their faces!
Calvin showed Baron how to crawl under the pews. That really brought back memories. I remember getting in trouble for doing that! I was one of the readers at church and during the entire service Baron sat in the pew and said "Da-Da" and pointed at me. In my head I was thinking "I'm Ma-Ma kid!" It was probably a good thing I was reading because it kept him entertained. It was also a good thing that Chris brought us dried peaches because later in the service I heard Baron say "Mmmmmmm!"
After service we took a few family pictures. It is really hard to get 2 kids and 8 adults to look at the camera at the same time! Once we were home after chruch the kids went to bed and the rest of us played a fun gift exchange game. It was not your typical white elephant. Nate scored this sweet Snuggie! I think Sara was the grand prize winner with the last gift. It was a crazy fur scarf of some sort. Let's just say the head and feet were still attach and my skin still crawls thinking about it.

Average Moms

I didn't take my camera out today, but it was a great day. We spent all day playing with Sara and Clinton. Baron attempted to poke Clinton's eye out and then managed to hit his face when there were three adults sitting with the two of them. Someday Clinton will be big enough to get him back! I am posting a picture that I actually took on Christmas Eve because it makes me laugh. No matter how hard we try to be moms that have it all together - we don't and here is the proof!

UPDATE: Sara did take pictures of the boys playing. This was too cute so I had to add it.

Grandpa Time

Baron was haning out with his Grandpa all morning while Nate and I packed the car to head over the pass to Quincy. Grandpa was letting Baron look at the Christmas tree that was decorated just for him! The ornaments on this tree were given to Nate on his first Christmas by his grandma and so Baron was lucky enough to enjoy it this year! Such a special tradition.

Exhausted

Baron's eyes look like this in all the pictures I took today. Do you think he is a little exhausted from all of the Christmas events??!!

Falling in Love

I think it is safe to say that Baron fell in love with his Aunt Alyson this trip. He loved it when she would feed him. He loved it even more when she would play with him. He showed this love through a silly blink that the two of them started. She fell in love when Baron made his first joke at zoo lights (I'll share the joke below). It was so much fun to watch them bond.

One major event is that Baron started walking with walking toys last night! He just stood up and took off. It started completely out of control, but gradually he gained more control. Good thing Santa brought Baron this cool walk behind truck! Baron liked it the most when Aunt Alyson would sit on it and steer it for him. He was so funny - he was acting like he really had a job to do. He had to push her all over the house!

He helped Alyson take the dogs outside while wearing (and keeping on) the hat she gave him.

Here is the silly eye blink that Baron and Alyson were doing all weekend. Zoo Lights at Point Defiance Zoo. It was fun - especially for Nate packing Baron around on his back!

Okay - time for the joke that made Aunt Alyson's day. Baron and his daddy were looking at the Walruses. They were swimming and climbing up on the rocks and Baron was very interested. Then he shouted and pointed at them "Da-Da!" Nate responded quickly "That's NOT Da-da!"
This is one of my all time favorite pictures from the trip. Baron flirting with his Grandma Holstein. This picture makes me think Baron looks more like a Holstein than a Weber these days.

Holstein Christmas

Get ready for a picture overload!
Christmas was different this year with the Holsteins. We celebrated early and instead of opening gifts in the morning, we decided to do it at night. Baron started the evening on his Grandma's lap, but he wasn't sure about sharing it with the new puppy, Ruby.
Then we started to open gifts. Aunt Alyson gave Baron the coolest hat! He even seemed to like it.

Uncle Tyler and Aunt Carly gave Baron a really cute hoodie and shirt from Crew Cuts. We asked Baron to hold it up so we could see it. To our surprise he understood AND followed directions...

maybe a little too well (yes - he is behind the shirt)!

Next he opened gifts from his grandparents. He loved this remote control airplane.

He also liked the books and shoes and especially the big truck (pictures to come later)!

It was a perfect first Christmas for Baron. He was more excited and into opening gifts than I expected him to be. I can only imagine the squeals (he gets that from me - it is hard not to squeal during a Holstein family Christmas) on Christmas morning next year!

The Vacuum

We leave tomorrow for our "Christmas Vacation" so I was cleaning all day. Nothing is better than coming home to a clean house (except clean sheets!). Baron's love the for the vacuum continues to grow. He now squeals with excitement when I pull it out of the closet. He has done this since he was very little. I wonder what it is about the vacuum that he loves so much?

Crazy time of year!

I had a slight panic attack last night before I went to sleep. I suddenly realized that Christmas is in less than 10 days (and we are going on a long trip to visit family so it will fly by), New Years follows and in no time it will be Baron's first Birthday. Yikes! As if this time of year isn't hectic enough! So Baron and I spent a portion of the day shopping so I could get ideas for his birthday and calm my nerves. I didn't pull out the camera during this planning frenzy so instead I am posting a picture of Baron on the day he was born. It is amazing how fast a year can pass and how much a little baby can change!

The perfect start and end to a day

Nate worked from home today, but forgot his wireless card at work. So he drove to work in the morning and on his way home picked up donuts. Baron had his first taste of a donut today. Let's just say he was slightly excited about it. He also helped type a couple of emails!The day ended with the night time routine, but we spiked Baron's hair with the blow dryer. I love this picture. I also love what you can't see. He is standing (naked) on the bathroom counter and holding onto the towel holder. He was acting super silly - perhaps it was lingering sugar from the donut this morning!

Good Old Fashioned Fun!

This toy has been in homes of children for YEARS! Baron loves it and just figured out how to stack it on his own. He never ceases to impress us with everything he learns every single day.

The Best Gift

SANTA!

We took Baron to see Santa today. He was a little unsure. This Santa was very nice and although the picture looks like he is scolding Baron, he was actually just telling him how this year will be more fun than the next two years! I am sure Santa has been doing this long enough to know that 2 and 3 year olds do not like him. We tried to get a smile, but we didn't have any luck.

I had an interesting conversation with my sister about this tradition of sitting on Santa's lap and I don't think I have laughed so hard in a long time. When did this tradition start? We just find a man with a white beard (sometimes a little yellow due to smoking), a red suit and black boots and plop our children on his lap! Then we say "SMILE." The rest of the year we teach/discuss "stranger danger." No wonder our poor kids get confused sometimes.

Christmas Packages

We recieved a Christmas package today from Baron's great grandparents. Although this isn't the best picture, it shows how Baron's anticipation was starting to get the best of him! He was ready to dive on top of that box (and that was probably all he wanted to do - he doesn't understand opening gifts yet).

On a different note - Happy Birthday Grandpa Holstein!

Sending our Best Birthday Wishes!

Email

I send emails to Nate through out the day to fill him in on what we are doing, how the day is going and to find out how his day is going. I need the contact with another adult or else my vocab will consist of one sentence "Da-Da...he is at work, he will be home at dinner."

Today the email was a small vent, but Nate really wanted to save it so what better place than the blog. Here it is:

So let me take a minute to tell you about your son who is saying "da-dee" about a million times today. He is sick and he whines like his daddy too! He rubs his snot on everything, screams when I try to wipe it and literally throws a FIT when I try to suck it with the snot sucker. But don't let all of this fool you - he is capable of pure mischief while sick. I had the couch cushions on the floor and we were climbing on them. I went into the kitchen for a drink of water and turned around to see Baron standing on the couch growling at me. You see - when you take the couch cushions off it is lower and Baron can crawl up on it. Tricky little snot eater!

Here is the proof of the snot eater's adventure: