holly jolly + belly bump

33 weeks!!

Our Christmas vacation was holly jolly in every way...and merry and bright...and this really is the most wonderful time of the year! Watching the sparkling magic of the holidays through the eyes of my (almost) two year old was absolutely dazzling. Some highlights (and low lights):

only picture of my girl and I on Christmas Eve - how did I let that happen!??

- I felt pretty on Christmas Eve.  Haha - as vain as that may sound...and yea I know that sounds hella vain...it is still a mentionable highlight as most of this third trimester I feel like an ogre.  So that was refreshing. (And I didn't even capitalize on that with a family picture...drats!)

- The whole weekend was so dang relaxing at my in-laws house.  There was no stress about the holidays...it was all bliss and Christmas gorging...oh and sleeping in (praise God).

this picture cracks me up...

-  Friends!  It wasn't just a celebration with Tommy's lovely family...we got to attend a couple gatherings with our Rhode Island besties (practically Tommy's entire half of the wedding party!) and my favorite girls from college.  'Twas amazing to see my favorite people.  *Sigh*  I miss them already. (Oh, and our babies all played together and it was UH-MAZ-ING to see.)

-  It ended up being a White Christmas after all.   Prettttty.  (but seriously too cold for me...seriously.)

this pic is misleading...we put the doll in the bed...Clara was simply reaching for that bear!

- Clara got her babydoll!  Her doting mother in law even made her a doll bed with sheets and a blanket!  Unfortunately, the babydoll wasn't cared for much....she picked it up...said "no" and put it aside and proceeded to play with all the other toys she received.  I think the hit item of the entire day was a plastic white pony figurine that probably cost $1.99.  Ha - go figure!

at our house...opening a couple gifts before Christmas...she was psyched about Madeline!

- Clara is an all around highlight to my every breathing moment.  She was a trooper for both car rides (there and back), was an angel on Christmas eve (even though dinner didn't get served until after 9:30pm!), and was absolutely delightful to watch open gifts on Christmas morning.  She loved having people sing Christmas songs, and she LOVED ringing the jingle bells!  Playing with all of the fun toy ornaments on her grandma's tree was a site to see as well...and every time she saw twinkle lights she would point and say "lights! wow!" which pretty much melted my heart every time.  She also proclaimed that she loved Santa Clause many times throughout the weekend...see....good list.

the only "almost dress" shot of Miss Clara

- stupid mom moment = I didn't take a single picture of my beautiful child in her gorgeous Christmas dress.  I got a little video clip of her looking at the Christmas tree pointing out ornaments...and a couple close up shots of her cute little mug...but none of her red dress.  I am so annoyed with myself.

- I must be getting old....I practically jumped up and down when I opened my new Sonic Care tooth brush...I've wanted one for a couple of years...finally!  (See?  Am I kinda lame or what?)

- I also got a little too excited for the three small packages of Red Vines in my stocking.  Oh...and the shaving cream!

- I slaved away one entire evening making Tommy's favorite Christmas cookies from my side of the family...date filled cookies.  The are a bitch of a cookie to make...multiple steps...constant stove top stirring...precise measurements...ugh.  I am not that kind of cookie maker.  I like simple.  But anyway...I made a double batch to take a bunch and contribute to the cookie platters.  Wouldn't you know...we forgot them.  Bought a couple of bottles of wine on the way, instead.