Christmas - Baby Style

Van had a jam packed Christmas schedule, starting with the annual Chilton family Christmas Eve...

Being held by Great Aunt Rhonda, but not feeling too sure about being passed around.

Some familiar faces get a hold of him, and get him what he wants... the balloon. Happy again.

Home well after bedtime, and wake up to Christmas morning and new toys!

First round of gifts at home.

So far (5 days and counting after), the overall favorite gift is the mega bloks building table.

Lots of food with my favorite people, my family.

More gifts at grandmas.

Forgetting the presents, to play with silver shiny bows.

And ending with a silver spoon in our mouth.

A perfect first Christmas. Thanks to all our family and friends who made this Christmas at home so special. Van is a very lucky and well loved boy. It makes his mama's heart fill with joy.

11 months

Happy 11 months, little man. You are SO big now, walking around (with mama or daddy holding your hands), opening cabinets, and babbling A TON. It's hard to claim you as a 'baby' anymore. Next month you will be one! ONE! I can hardly believe it and wish I could keep you small forever, yet it's amazing to watch you learn and you get more and more fun (and funny! you love to laugh) as the days go by.

Trapped

Since you are celebrating your 11 month birthday a couple days after Christmas, most of the month has been taken up with holiday prep and parties. You've been toted here and there, been kept up past your bedtime, and had a cold most of the month, yet you are still a happy guy. I love that. You did have your first instance of food snobbery though, turning away some black beans and rice.

You had hardly any interest in the tree, unless I took you over to it.
I doubt we'll be that lucky again next year!

Bored already, and heading back to your play space

You still love taking things apart (stacking cups, blocks, etc), yet don't have any interest in putting them back together. And you're fast, super fast, at crawling. When there's a goal in mind, you come racing around the living room chair or your jumperoo, slapping your hands down and movin' movin' movin'. Sadly, so much movement also means more danger... we had 3 face plants into the floor (x1) and chair (x2), one of which caused a fat lip (just in time for christmas!). I'm sure it wont be the last injuries you sustain, but for your mama's health and sanity, lets try to limit the blood.

We celebrated your birthday day with a trip to downtown Seattle for a walk along the waterfront. It was gorgeous outside and you got your fill of fresh air and checking out new people and new things. We'll be going back this summer, so you can run around and explore (and play at a small beach, with sand! yes, I said 'sand'). I forgot how nice Elliott Bay Park is.

I love you, sweet sweet baby of mine.

Happy 11 month birthday. You are our favorite person in the whole wide world.
xo,
mama & daddy

Twister

Haven't you ever played Advent Calendar twister before?! Left hand 'window 19', right hand 'snowman picture'.

Van's loving all the Christmas decorations and new 'toys'. Thanks for the genuine, brought back all the way from Deutschland, Rothenberg Advent Calendar, grandma!

Paint the Town

If you're a grandparent and reading this... maybe you can pretend some surprise on Christmas!

We coordinated an outing with nana (great grandma) after Tim left for Germany. We needed some activities to help get us through this 10 day stint without daddy. Plus, being baby's first christmas, we needed to commemorate with hand prints! And the 'sugar on top' was being able to hang out with nana (still feels wonderful to be home near family).

This event would not have been possible without nana. Van was sooo great at giving us his hand and foot prints, but afterward... it took me a while to do the writing and decorating, and he got bored. Nana took him, bounced him, talked to him, fed him puffs, all while I was working furiously to finish our mugs, plates and ornaments.

Van and nana loved hanging out with each other, and I was feeling very blessed.

Cartwheel

Yes, indeed, there was a bit of crying after this incident. The first of many adventures that will not turn out as he expects. Some for the better, and some ending in tears.

I also foresee some rough and tumble years. I love being a boys mama.
xo

p.s. I should qualify that he was trying to climb over my legs, I did not move or do anything to make him flip flop!

Post flop. All is fine.

Finding somewhere new to climb and explore.

Frost

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Brrrrr!

Advent

The Advent season has begun! After a lovely Thanksgiving, we had a long weekend full of Christmas activities. We put up the tree, decorated the house, and went on the Santa train with friends. The Santa train took us from North Bend to Snoqualmie, where we visited Santa in his workshop, listened to a christmas band while standing in line, sipped hot cocoa and played with big trains.

Meeting Santa

Family picture in front of a train

Kim and kiddos checking out the engine

Lisa and Conner

Jedd, Maxx and Tim

The older kids were so fun to watch. They all have such distinct personalities, I'm excited to see what Van's interests and quirks become.

We'll be back Santa Train! Thanks for a fun outing.