New Wheels

Two weekends ago Jonathan and I went car shopping. We had talked about looking for a newer and larger second vehicle. My little sedan didn't seem like quite enough - especially since we hope to continue to grow our family in the future. We ended up purchasing a 2006 Ford Escape. It handles very well in the snow and helps me to see much more than I could in my Mitsubishi. Happy trails ;-)

First Big Snow

The northeast has become quite the winter wonderland this weekend. We had a fairly significant snowfall on Friday with maybe 7 or so inches of accumulation. I wanted to take Abigail outside for a photo or two, but it was pretty windy and the snow was coming down a bit hard. Saturday was a no-go as well because we were out too long shopping and it was too dark. So, this morning after breakfast we took Abigail outside so she could experience snow for the first time.

She seemed to like it. We even sat her down in it for a bit. I don't think she was too fond of laying in it though, perhaps because more falling snow was hitting her face.

Here are pictures of Abigail with me and Jonathan:

Abigail sitting in the snow:

Abigail laying in the snow:

Abigail's first-ever snow angel:

Abigail and the Christmas Tree

When we first got our Christmas tree Abigail pretty much just let it be. But then we put bright lights and fun looking ornaments on it. The real temptations began though once we started placing presents with curly ribbons under the tree. On a number of occasions Abigail has approached the tree to play with the ribbons, try and grab a light, or even try and eat the ribbons.

Sorry Uncle James (M) but Abigail added her special touch to your present ;-)

I used to be able to simply move Abigail away and sit her down. Soon enough though Abigail learned how to get out of the seated position on her own. So, I ended up taking all of the presents out from under the tree and placed a bench in front of the tree in an effort to discourage Abigail from getting too close ;-)


On another note, Abigail's Nonna gave her a Christmas treat from the store she works at. There are four Christmas characters that tap dance to 8 different Christmas tunes with the push of a button. Abigail liked the one at her Nonna and Papa's house so much that Nonna bought one of Abigail's very own. Does anyone want to bet that the batteries run out by Christmas?

First Tooth!

On Tuesday night Jonathan did a tooth check on Abigail by rubbing his finger over her gums. He found out that her first tooth has broken through. I'm rather surprised because her temperment has been great...I have had no indication that she has been in any pain or discomfort. Hopefully this will be how it goes for every tooth ;-)

Tree Decorating and Sneak Preview

We decorated our Christmas tree last night. Abigail watched while we put up the lights and garland. She helped Jonathan put up the first ornament. After that Jonathan and I finished the job.

This afternoon we attempted family portraits in front of the Christmas tree. We dressed Abigail up in a cute green dress we got at Kohl's on sale for $8! The trick for the family portrait was getting Abigail to smile with no one behind the camera (we used the timer). I put our full-length mirror behind the camera so she could see her reflection (which sometimes results in a smile). It didn't work quite like we planned, but we did get a few shots-which I'll post later. Until then, here is sneak preview of Abigail in her cute dress:

Trimming the Tree (Literally)

Yesterday we headed to Mendon to get our Christmas tree. We went to the same place we've gone to for the past three out of four years together. It is a tree farm that lets you search for and cut down the tree of your choice. We went for our first Christmas as a married couple and loved the idea of keeping it as a family tradition. We took Abigail along in our new awesome backpack that serves as a baby carrier-much easier than pushing a carriage through the frozen mud-but much heavier too!

Jonathan and Abigail ready to search for our perfect tree.

This is the one!

Watching Daddy cut the tree down.

Posing next to our freshly cut tree.

Heading back.

New Food Experience

Abigail's typical solid food diet consists of simple fruits and vegetables, oatmeal, and yogurt. Tonight we tried something new-something I didn't plan on trying in jar form. At our last trip to BJ's we purchased a variety pack of "dinners". These dinners consist of a mix of meat and veggie and/or rice. Last night's menu item was chicken and sweet potatoes. I'm glad I had Jonathan arm himself with our camera. I don't think she cared for it. Though, I think it was more a texture thing rather than a taste thing. You see, I took a bite and I think it tasted more like sweet potatoes than chicken. Anyway, we've decided for now to hold off on the combo dinners and will stick to veggies...

Reorganizing

I started cleaning today and making room for our Christmas tree. Abigail was able to army crawl to places she has never been before. It was at this time when I realized that my baby-proofing days are far from over. We have a bookcase in between our living room and dining room. There are fun books on the bottom shelf for grabbing and tossing aside. Abigail didn't get to this point, but I'm sure it was tempting for her. I ended up moving the books a shelf up and put her toys and books on the bottom shelf. Abigail kept me company along the way.

Abigail discovering the bookcase.

Abigail in front of her very own shelf.

The final result. The next step will be to deal with the tempting plant.