Way to go Daddy!

Daddy's basketball team came in 3rd place in the Northwest Desert Classic basketball tournament! His team played 5 games in 5 days! Mommy and I are so proud of Daddy and his team. We went to dinner afterwards to celebrate and I had fun as I was shown crayons for the first time. Mommy and Daddy said I am not ready for them since I tried to eat them.

Daddy and his team

Studying the crayon

Dancing is fun!

If I hear music I love to start rocking back and forth to the beat. This of course makes Mommy smile from ear to ear. My new Elmo dances and I like to try and dance with him. This clip shows how I react to Elmo's dancing. I was dancing more before Daddy started recording me.

Happy Birthday Kayli!

We are sending happy birthday wishes to my cousin, Kayli. We hope you have a fun day and hope that all your wishes come true! We took this picture off your brother's blog.

Step by step

I am loving standing and trying to walk. Tonight I took my first steps down the hallway while holding on to Mommy's hands. Mommy and Daddy know that I will be taking steps on my own very soon! At the beginning of the clip I get distracted by the strings on Mommy's sweatsuit. I think walking is fun!

Christmas with Daddy's family

I met more family of Daddy's family today. We met at my house and I played a little with my cousins before we all went to lunch. Mommy and Daddy had to wake me up from my nap to meet everyone, but I didn't seem to mind and didn't fuss at all. I love people and was so excited to meet more of my relatives!

Posing for another picture with a present:)

The Hurley family

Great Granny and Me at lunch

Christmas with the Cento's

Mommy's family always celebrates Christmas with the Cento family on the 26th. We had so much fun tonight. I ate more of Poppy's cooking and had fun opening more presents. During dinner I had fun playing with Aunt Stacie by making faces to each other across the table! I am really beginning to like this Christmas season!

My first look at snow!

It snowed today in Tucson. Mommy and I were playing inside when all of a sudden Mommy bundled me up to go outside and feel the cold snow. We wished it would have stuck, but it didn't. In the picture you can't really see that it is snowing, but you can see I was bundled up and Mommy is still in her pajamas! Snow is something you don't see very often in the city!

Happy Birthday Uncle Paul!

Happy Birthday Uncle Paul! We hope you have a great day! We can't wait to go out for a steak dinner with you to celebrate!

My First Christmas!

......I heard him exclaim and this is verdad, Merry Christmas to all, Feliz Navidad!

Today is my 1st Christmas. I woke up to Mommy, Daddy, and Uncle Paul taking pictures of me. I then went out into the living room to find toys that weren't there when I went to bed! Mommy and Daddy said that Santa came while we were sleeping and left the toys. I immediately started to investigate what each toy could do. Everyone came over to watch me open and play with my presents. Mommy and Daddy cooked waffles, eggs, and sausage for breakfast. I even ate some of the waffle for breakfast. MMM... it was tasty. After we ate breakfast and I opened my gifts from Santa and Mommy and Daddy, everyone went home and I exchagned gifts with Grandma, Grandpa, and Uncle Paul. I started to fall asleep, but the opening of presents seemed like more fun! After our gift exchange I was definitely ready for a nap. In fact I took a 3 hour nap! Part of it was on Daddy who took a little nap too. In the evening, we went to Nana and Poppy's for Christmas dinner and our gift exchange. I really enjoyed Poppy's cooking! I tasted his turkey, mashed potatoes, peas, Nana's jello, and a little bit of bread. I ate everything that was put in front of me! After dinner, I opened more presents. I really liked my rocking horse that Nana and Poppy gave me. It makes noises like a real horse. Today was a great day! It was a very busy day, but we had loads of fun! Mommy and Daddy had me in bed by 9:30 and I slept pretty well during the night. I am so thankful for all of my family and being able to spend this special day with all of them. Mommy and Daddy took almost 300 pictures today, but we picked some of our top photos to post. Enjoy the Christmas pictures.

Waking up on Christmas morning

Looking at the new toys under the tree

Which toy should I look at first?

Sitting on my new Leap Frog train

I love standing at my new Pooh activity table

Pointing at my new Elmo chair

MMM.....yummy waffles!

Playing with my new activity walker and Aunt Stacie

Looking at what Santa left in my stocking

Rubber duckies for bath time

More Christmas Day photos

Standing tall with the help of my big present (Mommy loved Uncle Paul's wrapping paper)

My Busy Zoo toy (Thanks Uncle Paul)

Tasting Poppy's cooking

Daddy and Me (self portrait)

Try out my new rocking horse (Thanks Nana and Poppy)

Trying to open the present with my mouth of course!

Christmas cutie pie!

Opening presents again

I loved trying to walk by pushing my baby doll box (Thanks Great Grandma)

Still smiling after such a long and fun filled day!

'Twas the Night Before Christmas.....

....and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse!

One more sleep before Santa comes and I acted as if I knew it. I behaved like an angel today. Mommy said that I knew Santa was coming because I ate all my food both at breakfast and lunch. I even ate more vegetables than fruit, which doesn't happen often. I took two great naps during the day too. We started our Christmas celebration by going to church as a family to the Children's Mass at 5pm. After church, we went home to change our clothes and gather our presents to take to Nina Nina Dia's house. Every Christmas Eve we go to Nina Nina Dia's to celebrate and gifts are exchanged at midnight. When Mommy was a little girl, she would fall asleep and be woken up to open presents at midnight. The tradition continues. Mommy had my playpen at Nina Nina Dia's so I could take a little nap, but I proved that I am a child full of energy. I stayed awake until 11:55pm. I had a blast chasing Chelli around(Nina Nina Dia's dog), playing with cousins, and watching everyone play the Wii games. I then slept for about a half hour, woke up and opened presents! I didn't fuss at all! We didn't get home until about 2am. Mommy and Daddy were happy that I went home and went straight to bed. I had to so that Santa would be able to stop by.

Daddy and Me in our Santa hats!

My cousin Hannah and Me

My cousin Ricky and Me

Standing against my own little chair (Thanks Nina Nina)

Elmo and Me (Thanks Nina Nina Dia)

Posing for a cute picture among all the paper at 1am!

My first lap top! (Thanks Nina Nina Dia)

Mommy helping me open my presents

Tigger helping me open presents

Presents are fun to climb!

Walking through a Winterhaven Land

Since it was cloudy tonight, Mommy thought it would be a good night to walk Winterhaven. After I ate dinner, Mommy and Daddy bundled me up to go and see all the lights. I slept all the way to Winterhaven, but woke up in time to see all the creative lights and decorations. There was a house that had a light display set to music along with a water display! There was also a house that had a santa inflatable that was big enough to dirve through. I was mesmerized by all of it. I made ooh and aah sounds at all the lights. There were horse drawn carriages and many people walking through Winterhaven. It started to drizzle on us as we left, but it was a fun night that wasn't very cold! Mommy says that walking through Winterhaven is part of Christmas celebrations.

I took Elmo to see the lights too!

Daddy, Mommy, and Me

Poppy, Grandpa, Mommy, Nana, and Me in front of the biggest Santa inflatable

Lukken Good

I stayed at Nana and Poppy's tonight while Mommy and Daddy stayed the night at El Conquistador. During the day, Poppy was making Lukken cookies. A traditional Belgian cookie that is made during Christmas and New Year's time. The cookie looks like a thin wafer. Poppy can only make two cookies at a time on the cast iron cookie maker(Mommy doesn't know the real name for it). When I arrived at Nana and Poppy's, I was the first one to get to taste the cookies. I liked it. I didn't eat a whole cookie, but I got to taste and eat some of one. Nana and Mommy were jealous that I got to eat a cookie first. I hope I can try another one next time I am at Nana and Poppy's.

Helping Poppy make Lukken cookies

Tasting Lukken cookie

Mmmmmmmm.... Lukken good!

Playdate with Corinna

It was so fun meeting Corinna today for the first time. Mommy hadn't seen Corinna since she was three months old and was excited to see both Amy and Corinna. We played together at Corinna's Grammy's house, which is where Mommy spent lots of time when she was in high school. I had fun trying to crawl and chase Corinna. When she opened a cabinet door I was right behind her peeking in. Corinna let me play with her toys and we even tried on each other's shoes! It was such a fun time! I can't wait to play again soon.