Our Christmas celebrations began on Christmas Eve by going to church and then over to my parents' house for their annual Christmas Eve party. The girls were decked out in their party dresses, and they were very excited about going to Church. There's a short video below of both Moira and Hannah jingling their bells before Mass began.
They also had a fabulous time at the party afterwards. One of my favorite moments was that Moira felt comfortable saying the blessing before we all began to eat. As loud as she could, she said: "God made the sun, God made the sea, God made the fish, and God made me. Thank you for the sun. Thank you for the sea. Thank you for the fish. And thank you for me. Amen." It was a sweet moment. A little while later, a little boy about the same age as Moira showed up, and she grabbed him by the hand to tell him to come downstairs and play. I didn't see Moira or Hannah for over an hour-- a sure sign that they were enjoying the party just as I had when I was a child.
Moira and her teddy bear, Madison
Hannah sitting on the step...she sits on anything that is at the right height!
The best photo I had of our two girls1
Grandpa and Hannah
After taking a little bit of time to settle in the evening, the girls went to bed successfully on Christmas Eve. The next morning, Moira woke up first, and she was so excited to find a new kitchen from Santa! She looked at me and said: "Mommy, that's just what I wanted!" I'm sure Santa was relieved because Moira kept changing her mind about what she really wanted. When Hannah woke up, she made a beeline for the kitchen and started playing.
After the initial excitement of the kitchen wore off, we looked in our stockings and opened just a few gifts before talking to Nan, Grandad, Uncle Gav, Great-Gran, and Ann. Honestly, the girls were delighted and overwhelmed all at once! There was just so much to celebrate...especially since Christmas day is also my birthday. As you'll see below from the videos, we captured Hannah's reaction to opening a gift and Moira singing me Happy Birthday! It was a fun morning at home with our family.
The girls...before the gifts were opened!
After our quiet Christmas morning at home, we went to my parents' house. Our tradition had become having a late brunch, opening gifts, and then going to a movie (to celebrate my birthday) in the afternoon while the girls play at my parents' house. This year we skipped the movie because my mom was sick (poor mom), but we did still manage to have fun at my parents' house. Hannah loved the cozy coupe car--even as it was being built, and she hasn't stopped riding or pushing it since!
Christmas brunch (complete with a Christmas crown from the cracker)
The coupe--half-built
The highlight of my birthday this year would have to be our trip to Benihana. Alan and I went last year on a whim (again, to celebrate my birthday), and I thought the girls would love it. So, we decided to take them this year. They loved it--they were so intrigued with the chef and all the action on the hibachi grill. It was such a fun way to celebrate my birthday as a family, and I think this may be a new tradition for years to come.
I am still playing catch-up from all the photos we took over the holidays, and I have a few random ones that I want to share! Here they are: Moira's first official haircut. She was so good. I wasn't sure she would sit still, but she did. The stylist did a great job of keeping her entertained! Moira walking around in her "shoes." Moira is fascinated with shoes. She loves taking our shoes on and off. And she loves walking around in adult shoes. We went to the Eiteljorg on Martin Luther King day and Moira had fun exploring the Wild Wild West. You may recall that Moira's 2nd birthday party was pretty entertaining because Moira fell asleep in her high chair, and then she was completely overwhelmed by everyone singing Happy Birthday. Since then, we have had lots of family and friend birthdays, and she has mastered singing Happy Birthday. At this point, she sings Happy Birthday to just about anyone and anything--babies at a restaurant, the light, the birds......
Hannah, You, my darling baby girl, are growing up entirely too fast. By the time you were one, here’s what you were up to: On the Move Well, truth be told, you haven’t been that interested in moving. You’re quite content to reach both arms in the air and look imploringly at mama or dada to pick you up. By the time you were 5 months, you rolled over, and by the time you were 10 months, you finally decided to crawl. Since then, you’ve become a very quick little girl on your knees, and you’re just starting to consider standing up and walking on your own. One of the cutest things you do is crawl while holding onto a baby stroller—it is quite a feat! I predict you’ll be about 16 months old before you walk, and that is fine with me. What did you say? Hannah, you are a talker. At a year old you have a few words in your vocabulary. They include the traditional words like “mama” and “dada.” Your very first word, however, was “Mo-ra” in honor of your big sister,...
It's hard to believe Moira is already 5 weeks old (today)! Here 's a quick recap: October 14th, 9:32am, Moira Joan Mackintosh came into the world. She was a healthy 7 lb, 14 oz, and 20.5 inches long. My labor was fast, but delivery was slower than I would have liked. On the whole, neither Moira nor I can complain . October 16th, we came home. I discovered after a couple of sleepless nights that Moira would only sleep for about 15 minutes in her bassinet. She preferred sleeping on someone or sleeping in her little swing. The first few weeks went by in a complete blur. We were all trying to get used to a new kind of normal. Moira and I spent a lot of time trying to figure out her preferences for eating and sleeping. Alan spent a lot of time trying to help his girls get as comfy as possible. We've had fun discovering the little things about Moira. She has dimples and so much dark hair. She has the cutest high-pitched hiccups. She loves it when her Dad holds her and paces with...
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