Bah hum(stomach)bug

Here are some photos from Christmas...I was sick with a stomach bug from about 2pm on Christmas Eve until the 26th. So, basically, for the whole holiday! But Lucy seemed to have a great time, which is the most important thing. Plus, Christmas became the first day since Lucy was born that I changed zero diapers and got tons of rest. So, perhaps the sickness was a blessing in disguise...

Look what Santa brought for Lucy!

Lulu loves her new dog!

Kisses for Lucy!

Santa's elves must really like to make hair bows!

Mommy manages to smile, thanks to her Christmas girl!

Santa Claus!

What's that sound, Nonno? Who is coming??

Oh, it's Santa!!!

Lucy loves Santa

She is a very lucky girl to have her very own Santa Claus...

and Mrs. Claus is a lucky woman!

Bye, bye Santa! See you next year!

Some special ornaments

Here are some special ornaments from Lucy's very own little Christmas tree.

This is a Nativity scene inside what looks like a little egg. It was handmade in Peru. I bought it at a local store that supports fair trade. I plan to get Lucy a new Nativity ornament every year for her tree.

Lucy and I painted this together -- those are her little red fingerprints!

This is her very special Lenox "Baby's First Christmas" ornament. Here is the best part...

It has her name on it! I think this ornmanet is so precious.

These boots were made for walking

We thought that Lucy deserved a little "walking present"...ok, so we just wanted to buy her these adorable boots and we needed an excuse!

Baby steps!

Here are two short videos we took of Lucy walking tonight. She has been taking a step here and there for a few weeks now, but tonight she really seemed to be getting the hang of it really well! The most steps she took in a row was 11, but of course we didn't get that on tape. The second video is so adorable because she tries to do a little wave at Jeff as she steps and then claps her hands when she is done because she is so proud of herself. We're so proud of her, too!

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Party time

Me and my girl, all dressed and ready to greet our guests!

Daddy's girl!

The Christmas cookies that I made...I was very proud of them! They are all gone now, so I guess people liked them.

We had our annual holiday gathering last night. Parties are always a good source of motivation for us to get our place in really good order. We spent a lot of time in the weeks leading up to the party making sure that things around the house got done. Everything ended up looking really nice I think -- I just hope that no one looked inside our closets!

The party got started at 5pm so that people with kids could bring them along. It was so fun to see all the little ones running around exploring! At one point I felt like there were children just oozing out of every corner of our house. It was really cute. Lucy has so many nice little friends, including tons of really cute boyfriends :)

We thought we had plenty of food and drinks, but people really brought their appetites with them and we ended up running out by 8:00 or so. Jeff actually had to run out and get more cheese and wine! I take it as a sign that people had a really nice time, but I feel badly that we didn't have enough. Next year I will buy twice as much! We just feel so lucky to know such nice people, many of whom are fellow new parents that I have met over the past year and half since I got pregnant/had Lucy.

We asked guests to bring a toy for Toys for Tots rather than the obligatory bottle of wine. I am amazed at peoples' generosity -- I literally have 5 bags full of toys to drop off. I would love to spread the word about this idea because I think that lots of toys could be collected at holiday parties. And I think people really had fun picking toys out!

I feel like we have already had so much Christmas already, and it's not even mid-December yet. I certainly am taking full advantage of the holiday season this year. I knew that holidays with a child would be fun, but I had no idea they would be this much fun! I really want Lucy to enjoy Christmas every year and to look forward to it the way I always did (thanks, Mom and Dad!)...I think I'm off to a good start...

Fa la la la la

Santa's little helper, Miss Lucy Elise

The tree fits perfectly in our bow-front window

The stockings...hung by the chimney with care

Lucy's tree!

We decked the halls this weekend, getting ready for Lucy's very first Christmas. I have always loved Christmas, but this year it is extra extra special for me. Before I even had a child, I remember looking at a Christmas display in a store and thinking about all the wonderful years I had ahead of me sharing the holidays with my own children. I just can't wait to make Christmas as special for Lucy as it was for me as a child. I am so glad that our new home has a fireplace -- that is one of my fondest Christmas memories...sitting by the fireplace, looking at the tree. I am trying to rememer not to put too much pressure on myself this year to create the "perfect" holiday for Lucy. The perfect holiday, I know, comes from the wonderful times we will spend with our friends and family and does not depend on how much I decorate. Still, I just love how everything looks this time of year and it really gets me in the spirit of the season!

Teething is a messy business

Here is a little video of Lucy chewing on a teething biscuit ("mmmmm!" she exlaims) -- and throwing it on the floor. She also demonstrates her skills in clapping when she is asked "Are you happy?" (thanks to her Nonnie for teaching her that!) and waving "bye bye." My little genius :)

I had another bad cold this week so I sound very stuffy in the video. Lucy had a small cold, but it was accompanied by a cough that acted up at night. We are both on the upswing now, I think!

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