Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Here it is New Year's Eve and the whirlwind of the 2009 holiday season is almost over. It was a wonderful Christmas and we spent it traveling between Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia in what has become an annual trek. Oh how we wish we lived in the same town as our families!

Alaina was a good little girl this year and Santa was very good to her! Among the favorite toys she got from Santa are a Fisher-Price vacuum cleaner, legos and the Little Tikes Cozy Coupe. Alaina took straight to opening the presents and very much enjoyed tearing the bows off the gifts and ripping the paper. Here she is holding a present she found under the tree:

Alaina was the center of attention every place we visited and deservedly so -- Christmas is all about the children and she had a ball visiting our families and opening gifts. That little girl is loved by so many people!

I must say that Christmas Eve is the most magical night of the year. Going to church as a family and then going home putting the little one to bed and then relaxing with your spouse while waiting for Santa to arrive. It really doesn't get much better than that. It was a very quiet Christmas Eve and we spent it sipping on some eggnog and watching a "Christmas Story" and "It's a Wonderful Life."

Here is hoping 2010 is a happy and prosperous year for all of you and that it doesn't go by as quickly as 2009!!!!!!

Christmas 2008 (left); Christmas 2009 (right)

The Shopper Stopper Blizzard of 2009

December 21, 2009:
We're living in a Winter Wonderland here in Frederick, MD! The Blizzard of 2009 has been dubbed everything from the "WINTER WALLOP" to "SNOWMAGEDDON" but I'm partial to the "Shopper Stopper Blizzard of 2009." What better timing for the biggest snowstorm in 3 years than the last shopping Saturday before Christmas?!

According to weather.com, Frederick got 22" with the entire DC area getting between 12"-30". AMAZING! What wasn't amazing was all the shoveling Rob had to do; he was so sore!

We took Alaina outside in the snow twice and she HATED it! We got her a snowtube so we were hoping to give her a ride around our neighborhood but we were outside for literally 5 minutes each time. I don't know whether she was uncomfortable because we had too many layers on her (think of the little brother in a "Christmas Story") or maybe she was just too cold, but she could not wait to get back inside.

Enjoy the pictures!

1 Year Update!

Alaina had her 12 month check-up on December 3rd and I'm happy to report that she now weighs 22 lbs, 2 oz and is 31.5" tall. Our little girl has grown 10.5" and gained nearly 14 lbs during her first year. She is in the 75th percentile of weight and her height is OFF THE CHARTS. If the trend continues, she will be a tall young lady.

I am also happy to report that Alaina's 7th and 8th teeth have come through! She now has her upper and lower central molars, upper lateral incisors and upper first molars. We have officially said good-bye to Stage 3 baby food and Alaina has now made the switch over to table food like a big girl. Speaking of big girls, Alaina took 4 more steps today!

Happy 1st Birthday, Alaina!

Alaina turned ONE on November 28th and we had a really fun birthday party for her on November 21st. So many of Alaina's family and friends came to celebrate her big milestone: Grandma and Grandpa from South Carolina, Granny and Granddaddy from Virginia, Grammy and BawBaw from PA, Aunt Cindy and Uncle Bill from PA as well as her cousins and a few family friends from Maryland and Virginia. It was a wonderful 1st birthday and Alaina really liked having everyone here to celebrate with her.

This past Saturday we celebrated her actual birthday in a more quiet fashion with just a cupcake and a couple presents. Alaina LOVED getting her fingers in the chocolate icing and getting the icing all over Mommy. Here are some pictures of our Birthday Girl!

Happy Halloween!

Not only was Saturday Alaina's first Halloween but it was the quintessential Fall day. The weather was warm, there was a slight breeze and every now and then, the sun would peek out from behind the clouds. To top it off, the leaves were beautiful colors and some had even started falling off the trees which meant one thing: play time in the leaf piles! Don't be fooled by these pictures: Alaina wasn't the only one having a good time playing in the leaves; the adults had just as much fun!

When evening came it was time to get dressed up for Trick-or-Treating! Alaina was a pink bunny for her first Halloween and she went Trick-or-Treating with her cousins. Well, she went along for the ride while Lauren and Andrew went Trick-or-Treating but a good time was had by all!

11 months old!

Alaina is 11 months old today and she was very pleased to show off her six teeth for her pictures. Only one month to go before our Little Bear turns one. This first year has just flown by!

We're looking forward to Alaina's first Halloween on Saturday and will be sure to post some pictures of Alaina and her cousins all dressed up in their costumes. We're hoping the rain will hold off because no one enjoys Trick or Treating in the rain.

Plans are coming along for Alaina's 1st birthday party and we're looking very forward to spending a couple of hours with family and friends in a few weeks. Come prepared to eat some cupcakes!

Columbus Day update

Hi Everyone! Time for a quick update on Alaina:

She has now gotten her 5th and 6th teeth but we have yet to get a very good picture of them. Everytime we try, her jaw goes on lock down and pictures are impossible. She's our toothy little rascal!

Alaina stood on her own again this morning and even took one step over to Mommy! This was quite exciting and a sure indication of what's to come. We are so excited to watch her learn to walk and talk. She is growing up so fast!

Playing Ball!

One of Alaina's favorite games is playing ball with Mommy and Daddy. She likes to catch the ball and even tosses it to us. And of course, chasing the ball around the living room is a lot of fun and great exercise!

She's so busy and it's so exciting and wonderful to watch her learn, grow and develop.

1st Birthday Party Invitation

We are beginning to turn our attention towards Alaina's 1st Birthday and we found fantastic party invitations at SimplytoImpress. I cannot say enough good things about this company. Not only are their invitations cute and affordable but the site is extremely user-friendly. They also offer birth announcements, Christmas cards, Thank you notes, Engagement announcements, etc. Definitely check them out if you're in the market for photo invitations!

(We've blacked out our address and phone number for privacy purposes)

10 months old!

So much has happened this past month! Alaina can now say "Mama" and she is doing much better at associating "Dada" and "Mama" with Mommy & Daddy as opposed to just making baby sounds. She also got her 4th tooth about 2 weeks ago. She now has 2 bottom teeth and 2 upper teeth! And guess what Miss Alaina did on Friday night? She climbed up the steps! Daddy was in front of her and Mommy was behind her as she took on this new adventure.

Alaina turned 10 months old today and celebrated it by getting her flu shot. Poor little thing. We've decided not to vaccinate her against H1N1 but she did get the seasonal flu vaccine since she is around other children both at daycare and at church.

9 months old!

Alaina is 9 months old today! She weighs 20 lbs, 2 oz and is 29 1/4" long. According to the doctor, she is in the 95th percentile of children her age. Although she currently has pink eye that has not soured her mood as she is full of giggles and loves to "talk" to us! And guess who got their 3rd tooth on Wednesday?

Maine!

We took our family vacation to Maine this year and are happy to report that we had a fantastic time. The coastline was gorgeous and we enjoyed touring Wells, Ogunquit, Kennebunk and Kennebunkport. We took many pictures of the scenic landscapes and the picturesque towns. And did we mention that the food was d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s?

DaDa!

Alaina said "DaDaDaDa" for the first time yesterday and this morning, she looked at Rob and said, "DaDa." But then we took her downstairs and said she started saying "GaGaGaGa" and "DaDaDaDa" to her toys. Regardless, we'll just go ahead and say that she knew what she was saying to Rob. She's so smart! :)

Look who's 8 months old!

Alaina turned 8 months old today! Our little girl is growing up SO fast! While every day is a new adventure and we love watching her grow and learn new things, we wish she would stay our little baby forever!

"Hi"

Alaina's babysitter told us this afternoon that Alaina said "Hi" for the first time today! So Rob and I practiced with her this afternoon and sure enough, she said "Hi" very quietly in her little voice. At least it sounded like "Hi."

Does that count as her first word even if she has no idea what she's actually saying?

Teething!

Just this past week Alaina's bottom front 2 teeth poked through her gums so she is now officially teething. QUICK! Where is the whiskey?! Just kidding. Can you see her two teeth?