Taking a bite from the (frozen) Big Apple

We had a great time in New York City, despite the cold and despite getting lost in NJ, circling around a 5-mile radius of Newark Airport for two and a half hours searching for our hotel. We met up with Anthony's cousins Liza and Tony and their families, and the group of fourteen of us walked 5th Avenue from Times Square to Rockefeller Center, visited St. Patrick's Cathedral and, the next day, some of us headed to the Children's Museum of Manhattan. Beatrice was bundled up like the Michelin Man in an effort to keep her warm. Since we're home, we've been laying low due to a combination of not feeling great, more snow falling, and being just plain worn out. I took down the tree when we returned and cleaned house trying to get a semblance of normalcy again. Anthony and I enjoyed a quiet New Year's Eve, watching a video, and heading to bed before ten o'clock. Such is our lives these days and believe me, that's not a complaint. Yesterday we went to church, then went to my aunt's home for a couple of hours, then visited some friends here in town. I'm overwhelmed by the thought of going back to work in 2 days. It's been a wonderful vacation. Beatrice has changed so much in a couple of weeks. She has gone with the flow with all of the people around, crowds in the city, changes of schedule, naps on the fly, different foods, everything. The only bad part is that she's completely out of the habit of napping twice a day or napping in her crib. Sleeping with Lolo and in carseats has really changed things, plus I think she's starting to transition to just one nap a day....poor Anthony! I'm still trying to get back in the habit to see if she just needs to readjust from all the changes or if this is really a permanent change. She really missed having her grandparents around the first two days away from them, walking around the house asking "Lola?" "Lola?" (as in, where is....) 2009 was a whirlwind of a year indeed, and we ended it with an exclamation point for sure. We're looking forward to a calm few months ahead and to watching our baby girl continue to unfold at lightning speed into a young girl. It is unthinkable at this point to me that a year ago (which went by in a blink) we were in the depths of the unknowns, awaiting our baby, and just one year from now, a 2 and 1/2 year old will be in our midst. The best part of being an "older" parent is that I am keenly aware of just how much time does fly, and each year does so at a faster rate than the one previous. I've yet to find a way to slow it down, so instead I'll just try to focus on being present and grateful for each and every moment and stage. Happy New Year, indeed.

T&B, this one's for you....

Apparently an elderly British woman (I think her name is Antoinette) takes over my husband's body, comes to our home on a regular basis, and exchanges gossip with Beatrice over tea.

We have a video of the present being opened too, but I can't download it for some reason. She is just IN LOVE with this set! Wish we were ushering in 2010 together. Tomorrow certainly won't measure up to last year except that we have our dear babies with us once and for all. Happy New Year!

A Christmas Without Expectation?

That's what Beatrice had....a Christmas with no expectations whatsoever, and it was beautiful to witness. She oohed and aaahed over her presents and everyone else's, in some cases even before they were fully opened. And, despite the fact that we gave her very few things, she was more than complete long before the last was given. May just a glimmer of that contentment remain with her every Christmas and always. The only glitch in the holiday is that our furnace ran out of water, unbeknownst to us, and had stopped late Christmas eve, so we awoke to Santa's presents in a 53 degree house. Fortunately Anthony figured out the problem quickly and by breakfast time we were toasty again.

We are leaving for a 2-day trip to NYC in a couple of hours, but I wanted to clear out the camera and post something before we leave. It's been a wonderful week with Anthony's folks in town, three nights of parties, and a refrigerator still full of yummy food at which we keep pecking away. It will be back-to-reality in many ways come Wednesday, but these past several days have been like a time warp, in a good way, a very special time, and I will always remember B's first Christmas with us as filled with wonder.

Sometimes I miss Hanoi

Walkin' in a Winta Wundaland

Last night we got about 15-20" of fluffy snow ("no" as pronunced by B.) dumped on us and Beatrice finally spent some real time in it today while we shoveled out. When I stuck her straight into it, it was about up to her chest. She walked around the cleared paths, sat in the snow, and "mowed" the snow in the garage with her pink plastic lawn mower. She was happier than during her first glimpse of the frozen white stuff a couple of weeks ago, but certainly wasn't upset when we said it was time to come in. Here are some photos from the day and several video clips that I finally downloaded off of my little camera, some from October and November, and one from just the other day when my incredibly talented friend Benedetta's handmade original Christmas coat arrived for Beatrice. It is an heirloom, a piece of art, and fits to a T! And it's too bad I didn't have the camera ready for the FIRST time we opened the box Ben, because I swear she gave a big "WOW!" and smile and was more than eager to put it right on but I'm so ridiculous, I made Anthony get the camera and I shut the box and started all over again, hence the "no, no" answer to "do you want to try it on?" I also love the one where she's doing her daily chore of putting her clothes in the laundry basket and she does so in the midst of our MESS. Do what we SAY, not what we DO!