December 2012

Eric did really well meeting Santa this year! He waited in line like a champ and then wanted to tell Santa how old he was, "TWWWOOOOOOOO!!!!!!" as well as everything he saw! "A train, see?! A firetruck, see! Ladder! Owl, see! Teddy bear, see!"

Highlights from December 2012:

Decorating for Christmas Day: We ran errands and got new iPhones the morning of Decorate for Christmas Day. We like to make a big deal out of the whole day and had a blast! As we got the decorations out, Eric said "Getting Christmas out!" From the first day we had the tree out, he would ask us to "turn on Christmas, please," whenever the tree was off! Here are some pictures from the day.

Eric's Actual Birthday:

We had a really fun day on Eric's birthday. He woke up in a good mood, we got to have lunch downtown with Daddy, and we got our first real snow of the season! Here are some pictures!

Eric's Birthday Party and Christmas with the Immediate Leos/Mellos:

Eric had a train themed birthday party, and we were very lucky to spend it with friends and family! Then, the next day, we celebrated Christmas with Peter's parents and sister and brother-in-law. What a fun weekend we all had! Eric received many gifts, but some favorites were a Thomas the Tank Engine track and motorized Thomas from Mara and Jon Bailey, a new tricycle from Grandma and Grandpa Leo, a magnadoodle from Aunt Carla and Uncle Eric, and a bunch of art supplies from everyone! Peter and I also gave him a Thomas the Tank Engine play hut that he really had fun playing in!

It finally snowed enough that we were able to take Eric out to Adams Preserve to play in the snow and sled! We finally got to use his snow suit! He had a BLAST with the sled and chasing after and tackling Daddy!

Christmas 2012! Eric had so much fun with Christmas, this year. My mom and Brian came up on Christmas Eve and stayed overnight to be with us on Christmas day. Eric enjoyed all of the gifts he received, but I think especially fun were the baseball tee/bat/balls (both he and Daddy were pretty excited for that one), and the two basketball hoops he received. He's really into playing with both and has been having a blast. Here are some pictures!

December was a great month all-around! Eric's so, so much fun. He's started singing more (to his mother's delight) and really enjoyed singing Frosty the Snowman and the theme to Dinosaur Train. He also REALLY enjoyed the Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack and regularly asked for "Charlie Brown Song" and "Snoopy Song"....on repeat, about 100 times a day. But each time it came on, he danced to it! He enjoyed learning a little more about Santa and some of the other fun parts of this season (like snow, cookies, family, and Christmas movies/cartoons. :-) ) He continues to be very interested in books and reading, and has had a lot more success with potty training, though there's still a long road ahead. He talks about his baby brother often and informs us he plans to share his toys with him. If you ask him what he'll say when the baby cries, he says "sh-sh-sh, don't cry baby *name*. I love you baby *name*" Here are some random pictures from the month.

The pregnancy is nearing its close as we enter January. Our little one moves around constantly and has been doing a great job at passing the non-stress-tests we have to take weekly. We had an ultrasound at 36 weeks and according to their measurements (which can be wrong!), he was measuring at 6 pounds, 8 ounces. As I write this, I'm currently in nesting mode, washing and drying sheets/blankets/all manner of things, and just trying to feel prepared for new baby. I'm not nervous about the labor and delivery, and only have a little anxiety about how our lives are about to drastically change. That said, I worry about being away from Eric for those few days, even though he'll have his Babi to entertain him and will be having a blast and being spoiled rotten, I'm sure. It's going to be hard for me to be away from him.

My next update will probably be baby news, so THAT'LL be fun! We're looking forward to all that 2013 has to offer us and hope everyone we know and love has a wonderful, healthy, and safe year!