Elephants, horses & camels, oh my!

by Gracie

I am still celebrating Christmas... today I finally got to use the circus tickets that NanaBop sent us for Christmas.  I was not sure what the tickets were for.  I explained to my mom and dad on the way to the circus that I expected to see roosters, cows, bees, and butterflies.  It turned out to be so much better than that!

There were colorful lights and interesting sounds, people flying and spinning round and round, a silly clown, motorcycles, a strong man, and cotton candy.  And all of this was happening just about 20 feet in front of me!

Allison really liked it too.  She contributed a lot of hand-clapping and dancing in her seat during the first half.  She caught a nap during the second half, which meant that she missed my favorite part.... the dancing elephants!  I liked all the animals.  There were also camels, horses in varying sizes, and some very smart dogs.

Despite the strong aroma present during the elephant dances, I highly recommend "The Greatest Show on Earth"!  It was an amazing morning.  Thank you again NanaBop!

10 months!

by Allison

Can you believe I'm into the double-digits already?  In a couple months, I'll be a year old!

At a recent visit to the pediatrician for a cold, I weighed in at 20.6 pounds.  I'm still growing strong & fast!  As you can see, that one tooth that I mentioned before is visible now, and there are at least 3 more on the way.  I will definitely be glad when all the teeth get here, as my aching gums can make it difficult to sleep soundly and can make me generally a little grouchy at times.  But for the most part, I'm a happy girl!

Want a closer look
at that tooth?

My hair has been growing too, and seems to be darker and straighter than my sister's.  She likes to help me maintain my luxurious locks.

I am highly mobile.  I've only walked a step or two on my own, but I can walk behind a push toy quite well, and like to walk holding hands.  I have mastered standing up and waving my arms in the air, and I am fairly certain that I could win a championship in speed-crawling.

I prefer to feed myself finger foods, but my mother still insists on trying to sneak some baby mush in my mouth.  I enjoyed grown-up chicken & dumplings this evening, probably my favorite meal so far.  I enjoy playing with all Gracie's toys, and sometimes my own.  I love dancing with the family, playing with dog food every time I get the chance to race over there, and I still enjoy hanging upside down as much as I can.  I've figured out exactly how much fun Dad is, and have been spending more time with him.  I get excited about bathtime, especially running water.  I am losing interest in naps more and more, but my parents won't give that up either.  Life as a 10-month old is fantastic!

All new!

by Gracie & Allison

What's all this?  Out with the old, in with the new!  We are starting a 365 day photo project.  We'll post a photo for each day of 2012 that in some way reflects our day.  Click on "Our 365 Project" above to see the photos.

In related news, as some kind of New Year's resolution that we don't quite grasp, our editor has given notice that she will retire "the blog" after Allison's 1st birthday.  It's probably about time she stopped putting words in our mouths anyways.  But the pictures (worth 1,000 words) will be here, and there will be another section for "Extra Specials," like the occasional video or other photos.

Yes, change can be difficult.  You have a couple of months to get used to the idea, and will get double bloggery in the meantime.  "Try it. You'll like it," as Toodee of the Yo Gabba Gang says.  Happy New Year!

Self-portraits

by Gracie

I took these photos of myself with my new kiddie-cam ("pink cammur"), which I love because I can flip the lens around backwards and see myself on the screen!  I tell myself: "Gacie!  1-2-3-cheese!"  It's awesome.  (Collage courtesy of Aunt G.)

Wrapping-up 2011

by Gracie

Happy New Year & Welcome to 2012! 

Christmas morning lasted about three days at our house.  The only thing that could've made it a little better is if all of our family had been here with us.  We are so fortunate to have generous grandparents, great-aunt, aunts, uncles, and cousins who re-stocked our toys, books, and wardrobes for us this Christmas!  And of course, there was also Santa.  Thank you one and all!  Perhaps these pictures will help you feel like you were here with us.

The unwrapping was quite fun for me this year.  Not only did I unwrap all of my own presents, I also unwrapped Allison's presents for her.  I got a sneak-peek of each of her gifts, checked with my parents to make sure it was really for Allison, and then showed it to her and handed it right over.  This seemed to surprise my parents, especially when I didn't hesitate to let Allison have her own baby doll, or to invite her into my tent.  I'm catching onto sharing, in most cases.

We have been enjoying all of our new stuff everyday: books, coloring books, giant pianos, "Gracie's house" tent, singing dogs, noisemakers, hand-crafted play food, pillow-pets, new storybooks... the list goes on and on!

Thank you for such a wonderful Christmas, everyone.  We will enjoy it all year long, and beyond!  New adventures in the new year coming soon!  Hugs, kisses, no-ees, good day!