the 12 posts of christmas: #12

and FINALLY, my 12th post of christmas.  though as it turns out i now have oodles of photos from our actual christmas vacation ... which may just turn into the 112 posts of christmas if i'm not careful. chances are, i won't get to posting those until feb anyway.  but let me give you this for now:

these were taken while waiting for santa at fashion island in newport beach.  we went bright and early the morning after we got to california.  the first picture was taken while i was talking to the little boy behind us in line.  


"what are you asking santa for this year?" i asked.
"i'm not telling YOU!" the little boy replied.
i kind of laughed, at which point his mother chimed in to let me know, "he's not nice.  no seriously, my other two are nice, but he isn't.  he's just not a nice kid."


then i kissed my little pipes.  


i hope you all had a merry christmas!

the 12 posts of christmas: #11

gift exchange, continued.

i gave this: a pack of assorted colored/patterned masking tape
http://baumkuchen.bigcartel.com/product/mt-masking-tape-5-mixed-tapes

and i received .... this garland from etst!!!
http://www.etsy.com/listing/61687408/gold-spun-recycled-kraft-confetti

technical difficulties

having technical glitches here at my dad's house.  internet connectivity issues and such.  i'll be up and running again as soon as i can.  maybe from our next stop, san diego.

the 12 posts of christmas: #10

brunch club at it again ... this time with a holiday gift exchange.  can't argue with getting into the holiday spirit over ricotta crepes topped with bananas foster!!

the 12 posts of christmas: #9

four and a half months. and soon after, she gently face-planted.

the 12 posts of christmas: #8

if you can read that, you now know why you want to be at my dad's for christmas this year!

this is the menu he sent me.

the 12 posts of christmas: #7

 Chicago Interactive Marketing Association holiday party
at Union Station

the holiday season

so far, this holiday season has been filled with holiday parties and cheer.  we took it easy on the christmas decorations this year, so it is the cards that we have been receiving that really make it feel like the holidays are here! note: our own holiday cards have slowly been trickling to the outbox. but that's all not to say that we haven't decked our halls at all. we have a little rosemary tree, the table top size from trader joe's, and a beautiful door swag that smells every bit of christmas. real pine is one of my most favorite smells. 
 
we've had our chilly 13 degree days, and gasp, i think i might just be used to them, here in my 5th chicago winter.  i'm looking foward to taking walks through the snow with patrick and piper this weekend, and picking up some firewood to cozy up next to the fireplace.  we might even go see santa.
 

and then next week we'll pack for california.

so what will everyone be doing for the holidays this year?

the 12 posts of christmas: #6

i found a draft with these photos, and haven't bought more storage space yet.

 i don't even know what this expression is supposed to be. 

but her preciously scraggly hair is going to be in her eyes soon.
don't you just want to squeeze her round cheeks??

i don't know what this expression is supposed to mean either.
i think it was definitely too early in the morning.

and she was very uneasy about something to her left.

the 12 posts of christmas: post #5 ... grrrrrrrrr!!!

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the 12 posts of christmas: post #4

piper just wants to remind that baby-eating-monster who posted on day #2 that she can take you down with her GIGANTIC hands.  and then lick you. slurp.

the 12 posts of christmas: post #3

what was i saying about not rolling?

december 1

piper definitely rolls.

usually i just lay the baby down if i need to use both my hands for something.  so i put her down on that white rug, just below the frame, about right where this text is actually, and i turned to the closet to get a swaddle. from the sound of her voice, i knew that she had rolled over, because it gets a little bit muffled if her face is near the floor. so when i turned around, i expected her to be right there, practically underfoot. so when i looked down only to find an empty rug, i was startled!  my baby disappeared!  no wait, there she is, by the crib.  what?!

she seemed quite delighted with herself over there, talking away.  wish i could explain how her body was positioned on the rug, it was kind of in a north-south position, because to find her where she ended up in an east-west position, so far from where she started, was really a big surprise since i'd never seen her roll even twice. 

i snapped this picture.

sent it to P.

and then tried to get her to do it again.

nope. not playing.

the 12 posts of christmas: post #2

baby on the table!  baby on the table!

but don't worry -- i was right there ready to pounce in case she started up any rolling action, but she hardly rolls from her tummy to back.

she looks like she just got caught.

i'm guessing i should prepare myself now to see this expression a lot more in the coming years.

these were taking during thanksgiving, when piper and i were up early in the morning before others were stirring.  piper REALLY needed a bagel, so she got right to it.

speaking of bagels, we get free bagels at work on tuesdays and fridays in 2011.  kind of fun, no?  kind of caloric, yes?

the 12 posts of christmas: post #1

piper at miss amanda's
with her boyfriends e and b
december 3 @ 4 1/2 months

getting piper to daycare in the morning and picking her up at the end of the day has not been the smoothest transition for us as parents.  i am constantly late to work or leaving early. as is big poppa.  part of it is because we don't have a good morning routine since piper wakes up at different times.  also, since daycare doesn't open until 8am (vs. at 7am for some of the daycare centers we considered) and closes at 6pm (vs. 7pm for others), we aren't left with a lot of room for error. 

i now drive to work, after 4 years of taking the el.  it sucks.  there is so much traffic. miss amanda's is 3 miles (3 miles!!)  from my office. and it takes 40-45 minutes door to door if there is no traffic catastrophe.

but on the upside, from day one, i have felt so comfortable leaving my baby with miss a.  and to me, that's worth it.  which i have to remember, through all the complaining i do! plus, where else would the pipes meet such handsome young men?

the 12 posts of christmas

i have not been good about blogging. i have lots of excuses ... like being incredibly tight on time, spending time with the babe after work, and going to sleep at 9pm. toss in holiday work parties, and there has been zero blogging of late.

aside from my cramped weekday schedule, the weekends have been jam packed too. with things like holiday yoga workshop (with christine!), scripps applicant interviews, bucktown babies playgroup, family walks, and a cookie exchange (my macarons almost turned out).

and to top it off, i have not been good about taking picture, nor uploading the ones i have taken. i keep thinking i will take some "good" photos, and then i never do!

so i am resolving to post for the next 12 days in a row, with the cell phone pictures that i have handy. that will take me up until the day we leave for the holidays, off to the west coast for a california christmas!