We've had so much fun decorating the tree...
eating a special "picnic" in the living room one night to watch Caillou's Holiday Movie...
finding the Elf on the Shelf hiding somewhere new each day (Nadia named him Cookie.)...
making salt dough ornaments...
baking Christmas cookies...
complete with sprinkles... and so much more! We've been doing lots of special advent activities, but I've done a terrible job of capturing them on film. We went to Lights in the South, hauled the camera along only to realize the battery was completely dead. Then we got the perfect Santa picture taken, with a happy, smiling Nadia and peacefully sleeping Lydia, only for me to lose it later in the night somewhere along the way. We've had family movie night with hot apple cider, gone on a neighborhood walk in the dark to see the decorations and had fun shopping and wrapping "suprises" together. Nadia has made Christmas cards and was insistent that she have presents to give "my friends" at school. We've spent lots of time playing "I spy" with the Christmas tree, arranging the Little People Nativity and making up dialog for all the characters and reading Christmas books together. We made hand print ornaments and a foam gingerbread house (a better option this year than battling Nadia's wishes to just eat all the decorations!), and went to Christmas programs at church. Nadia declared, "I like Christmas!"
Couldn't you just eat her up??
Wearing Nana's fun socks
"Outside play" with Granddaddy
Finally getting baths in the whale tub - she wasn't so crazy about the first one, but has loved them ever since.
Daddy and Nad got to give Lydi her first bottle. She took it with no problems.
I think my newest favorite photo
Baby's First and Second Christmas Brunch at church
Meeting Grandmother and Great Papa for the first time
Lydia started smiling last week. Her tear ducts also opened, so she now has tears. She has also started sticking out her tongue and making more and more reactive sounds. I was singing to her the other day and she joined in. She is consistently sleeping one six hour stretch at night followed by two more 2 1/2 hour stretches. I can't complain at all, if only we could get the 6 hours to fall when we were sleeping, we'd be set!
Decorating and un-decorating the tree... over and over!
Nad keeps us laughing all the time these days! Her new language skills are a hoot! She talks in complete sentences ALL the time and says some funny stuff. In the last couple days we've heard, "These are for KIDS, not you mom and dad." (in reference to some children's audio Bible stories). "Get a partner and hold hands GENTLY!" "Good plan!" (after I suggested we eat dinner and then go look at lights in neighborhood). "I would like a doggie, a little white one that barks." (sorry Nad, Santa isn't meeting that request this year). 
Lydia is ONE Month Old! Wow - it's been a fast month and in other ways, it seems like she's been a part of our family for a long time. We love you sweet girl. 
