DC

On Wednesday we decided to take a weekend trip up to DC to meet our friends Lance and Cassie (and baby Charlie!) from New Haven. We are so proud of ourselves for being spontaneous and fun! It was probably the first time since Noah was born. Charlie is only 5 weeks old so Lance and Cassie are obviously way more adventurous than we are - and their drive was much longer than ours.

We had a whirlwind weekend of metros, strollers, crowded elevators, very crowded museums, the National Zoo, and delicious food.

Noah was quite pleased with the whole adventure. He got to wear his harness for the first time. This was a gift from Aunt Tracie who just couldn't pass it by when she saw it at a store last year. Bless you, Aunt Tracie....I never could have brought myself to purchase a harness for my boy but it did indeed come in handy in such a crowded place.


This weekend Noah had his first crush and extended period of flirting. We tried to explain that Cassie is already married but he didn't seem to care. At dinner he kept bouncing up and down to some crazy music and checking to make sure she was watching. Then he would smile at her and when she turned to look he would bashfully turn his head away and act embarrassed. Then he would place his hand on her arm and wait for her to smile at him again. Repeat. The best part is that he had a few grains of rice stuck to his forehead.

On Sunday we ventured to the Zoo where Noah was more interested in leaves than in the zebra. We finished off the weekend with a great dinner with Mike and Hilary who we had been meaning to visit for a while.

The weekend concluded with some impressive freeway traffic that could almost rival the 405 on a Friday afternoon. 3 miles in one hour. It's times like these that we are glad we live in Durham.

Eh!

Eh! This is Noah's favorite thing to say. It is his way of saying "hi" or "hey"! He's discovered that when he says this to people, they respond. I was putting him in the baby seat of a shopping cart the other day and another shopper approached. Noah looked right at her and said "Eh!" and she smiled and said "Hey!" back at him. He was delighted by the interaction and continues to greet us with "Eh!" as much as possible.

Where do I even start?

It's been way too long. Noah is walking (kind of) and talking (kind of) and he has his first tooth!

But first, a review of our holiday adventures (in Noah's words):

Well first of all, we went on this thing called a plane. We were on there for a really long time. I actually slept for a couple hours and everyone around us kept saying I was so good. What was the big deal?

Then, I got to see Grandpa Steve at the Burbank airport. I was so happy to see him that I started kicking my legs while I sat in the stroller and I started laughing too. People tend to respond favorably when I do this.

When we got to my grandparents' house I was so glad to see Grandma Sue again. I missed her! She set up a special room for me and got a special chair for me to eat in at her house. I don't know why everything that pertains to me must be so special but I won't complain!



They have this weird creature they call "Ollie." They said he's a dog but he does not look like any of the dogs in my books. Oh well.
I loved being there but where was my special wedge/tucker sling that I sleep in at home? How did my parents expect me to sleep without it AND in a different house no less? I wasn't having any of that.

I got to meet my Great Grandma Dorothy and Great Grandpa Chuck the next day. As soon as I saw my great grandpa I just had to sit on his lap. I was quite happy there for a long time but then I also wanted to sit on my great grandma's lap. I was literally drawn to them. They were so nice and happy to meet me.



I played with so many little people in California. Do they just have more people my size there or what? The parents of this cute girl had us over for dinner and my parents are STILL talking about the food they were served that night.



I loved seeing my aunts and uncles again. I remember them from when they came to my house AND I have a picture book with their faces in it that I study each night before bed. They kept wanting to play with me and they thought everything I did was amazing and cute. I was just being myself though.





It was so great to finally play with my Grandpa Steve. He's so fun! Last time I saw him I was too tiny to really play. Those days I mostly just cried and ate. Now I do so much more than that and I hardly ever cry! I'm so big and happy!



We had a lot of celebrations in California. Lots of food and lots of presents! People kept giving me toys wrapped in colorful paper! It was so exciting! I also got books and clothes and this cup with my name on it. I wanted to eat it all; it was just so fun.





My mama's aunt and uncle got me this Christmas outfit and everyone kept looking at my bottom and taking pictures of it. Something about a trap door or some nonsense.

On Christmas Day I got to meet my Great Grandma Jeannie and she read me this book about farm animals. That was so nice of her and helpful too since I still don't know how to read.
It was a sunny day so we went to this place called a park and played. They have so many big toys at the park! What is all this stuff?!







The night before we left we went to Uncle Danny and Aunt Lindsays' house. They say they have a baby too but I couldn't see it. It's hiding in Aunt Lindsay's belly for now. Oh - and they have dogs...the kind of dogs that are in my dog books -- normal dogs. I really wanted to touch them but I was kind of scared so I would slowly stick my hand out and then pull it back when they licked it. It tickled! Yeah, it's official: I'm a dog person. My parents are so relieved.


All those people were so fun that I just wanted to stay forever but we finally had to leave.
(It was way past my bedtime...can you manage to smile late at night?!)

At least Grandma Sue and Grandpa Steve said they would visit me soon! Mama and Daddy said we were going to Idaho next where I would meet my cousins! What's a cousin?!?

To be continued...