Our Christmas Season thus far, and our 18 month old!

Hello!!

I've been enjoying a little bloggity break. I've been enjoying our time with family, and embracing the season (as well as the extra rest and break from routine) and all the traditions this past Advent and now Christmas season are inviting us to enjoy or try.

I have so many pics I want to share - but our camera has been on the fritz. I can't upload pics from Christmas Eve (Lovely was an Angel in the Nativity) but it was so wonderful. Hubby is trying to get them off, but my camera has been dying a slow death, so we'll see what we can get and when. Christmas Day my sister let me use her camera for pics, but there was no time to e-mail copies to myself. Today, being the feast of the Holy Family and St. John (and my new quest this year to embrace more of these seasons and feasts with our family to try new traditions - they've been around for so long, I'd love to experience them for ourselves!) we did some fun activities, and I had to use Lovely's new "kid" digital camera (kidproof and basic for little kids) from Christmas morning to take the pics from today LOL! You'll be able to tell what camera took what pics to follow :) Her camera is very.....basic. But, GREAT for a kid! She's having a blast. I need to post pics she takes to see life from her perspective, literally!

So, I'll wait and recap Christmas Eve and Christmas day when and if I have pics. They help tell the story (and help me remember lol) and I'm so tired tonight I won't do it justice. I really want to recapture our Christmas Eve because I especially felt the most peace Christmas Eve with 4pm Mass (our pastor again ROCKS with kids). I think doing two more Masses that evening (7pm and midnight) wore me out, as incredible as they were too, and I was a bit more tired and hormonal on Christmas Day at my sister's house. Coming home was a help, as was a LONG nap in my own bed Saturday.

The day after Christmas we woke to find ourselves living with an 18 MONTH OLD!! When did my baby become a year and a half?

Little Val is working on her walking skills....


Always a gentle love with her hugs, snuggles, kisses, and smiles....


and her free-standing without support skills:


Highlights of this age?
~ She's already very musical and in tune - family and friends comment on hearing her sing Twinkle Twinkle/ABC's, Where is Thumbkin?, and O Come O Come Emmanuel very clearly without us telling them what she is singing.
~ She WAVES at everyone - with a big toothy grin. She got a little fussy at Christmas Eve Mass and I took her to the back to give her a break and the little goofball stopped fussing as I started walking and she waved to the entire church all the way up the aisle. People were waving back and chuckling - it was hysterical! I took that as a sign we could go back and sit down HAHA!
~ She can crawl up and downstairs VERY well. I still want Hubby to install gates ("do you hear me buddy?" lol)
~ She says "Mommy, Momma, Dada, nana, BuBye, doggie, uh oh, wow.." and as I said, waves hi and bye!
~ She's walking with assistance or with walking toys. It won't be much longer till the scoot she does is history :(
~ She loves to explore...inside, outside, on grass, gravel...nothing slows her down!
~ She LOVES going through bags, purses, anything that she can pull things out of.
~ She loves all her toys that make her think and problem solve. It is so neat to watch.
~ She loves texture!
~ She hasn't learned to say "no" yet, which might explain her new temper that broils up at times. She can get quite the squeal and scream on her (covering ears, lol). This has started in the last week. Maybe it is the holiday "off schedule" too?
~ She usually sleeps from 7pm to 7-7:30am. She was not doing this at a year, and it's been slowly improving every month. I love it!!! I'll be getting up all night again in a few more months....
~ She still naps twice a day, but is flexible when, or if, we have to skip a nap. Her morning nap is about 3 hours, with her afternoon 1-2 hours.
~ She's a great eater. She used to eat anything with her own hands, but now is more picky unless one of us feeds her - but she eats MUCH better than Lovely ever did, and better foods!
~ Still petite for an 18 month old (She weighs the same as her 9 month old Godsister)...but such a cutie! She is a very loving, gentle soul.

She's a joy in our lives just like her big sister!!

Today was a great family day. Last night we cleaned out the girls rooms (they were given so much at Christmas by family that we needed to do a total purge and donate....but it felt so good to re-organize and have fresh toys, and fresh baby/toddler toys instead of 6 year old ones) and Lovely helped pick FOUR BAGS of her toys to give to needy children and donation centers. I was really proud of her. So today, in honor of the Feast of the Holy Family...we had a family day. We went to afternoon Mass as a family, but Hubby also had to play at 9am Mass, so while he was gone, Lovely helped me make a big feast for when he got home for us to eat together as a family and surprise him. We had eggs, pancakes, veggie sausage, fruit, and toast. To tie in the Feast of St. John (who I learned is symbolized by the Eagle) , we made the toast look like eagles (another mom's idea). We've NEVER done this before, but I have to admit in 2009, I found myself all year, from Lent to this Christmas season, wanting to really research our Church's history with all these celebrations. Lovely also LOVES all faith related things, so I think she's led our family to want to experience things more deeply - including foods, crafts, traditions, etc. I love seeing what our family really loves doing and it feels really fulfilling to try and learn things together. It is getting me ready for homeschooling too! With Hubby's support, everything we do feels exciting and I love what we're learning too. I feel a little more peace in my life when it comes to our family unit. I need to cling to that when life can get me anxious!

Here are some pics from this morning's activities. And yes, they were taken with Lovely's new camera :) Actually, they are not that bad with a steady hand....

waiting for daddy....(we have put back the Advent Wreath and moved the Jesse Tree to the center of our table - I actually miss Advent!)


Our Eagle toast! Made with bread, raisins, and clementines!



Lovely digging into her toast!


And here Lovely took these pics herself!! The budding photographer!


It's been a fabulous day for family time - and I'm ready for bed! I hope I can get my camera to work, or Lovely and I get to share her purple and pink camera the rest of the year :)

Much love! And, in honor of today - Hubby and I celebrate your marriages! Thanks for always inspiring others with your light, and dedication in good times and in bad!