Merry Christmas!!!

Merry Christmas to you! Santa found me all the way in Chicago. We opened presents on Christmas Eve because we flew home on Christmas day. I got lots of cool gifts including clothes, books, spin top, musical toolbox and a sock monkey!
It was very cold and snowy so we tried to stay inside as much as possible. Next time I hope it's warm and sunny!
I got to meet my favorite cousin Aidan and my Aunt Gretchen and Uncle Steve for the first time. I also got to meet Uncle Kirk for the first time too! They are so great and even baby sat me while Mommy and Daddy went to the Bears Monday Night Football game. I'm glad I didn't go to that because it got down to -13F. No fun...

At the zoo

We went to the Lincoln Park Zoo to check out the "Zoo Lights" last night.  It was pretty neat-o!  We also got to see a mountain lion in his cage in the snow.  Do you see his eyes reflecting above us???  It was late, cold and I fell asleep.  That was the first and last trip to the zoo that visit.  My cousin Aidan and Auntie Gretchen and Uncle Michael all came with us to the zoo.  Aidan saw the penguin and got to ride the carousel.  I can't wait until I can ride it too!

Going to get coffee

Mommy and Daddy decided they wanted to get coffee down at the corner Starbucks so they decided to take me out in the snow for the first time.  I HATE SNOW.

First Flight

Today I got my wings.  This was my first flight and we were heading to Chicago for the Christmas holiday.  I could hardly wait!  We got to the airport at 4am and it was not even open.  Well, it was technically open but the ticket counter was closed, so we just waited patiently.  Once we got on the plane, I was pretty mellow and Daddy showed me all the cool things out the window.  I sat in Mommy's lap the whole way and didn't even fuss.  Next time, I'm getting my own seat so Mommy has a little break.

Who's hungry?

Today was an exciting day for me.  I had a playdate in the morning with my friend Aiden and in the afternoon I went for a check up at the doctor and she said I could have rice cereal.  Woohoo...Finally get something to fill my belly!  Mommy was feeding me on the floor in the Boppy pillow.  We don't have a high chair yet.  We better get one soon or this will get messy.

Evan and Hadley

As you know, Hadley is my best friend. We go on long walks together and go to yoga on Thursdays. Well today, we had our first actual playdate. Usually one of us is sleeping and we are in our car seats. We got to play on the blanket and here is how it went.

First we kept our distance...

Then I planted one on her....

A big fat slobbery fist!

The paparazzi even showed up. Check out our video:

Lambie, Gibson and Nala

Nala and I love to chill out with my stuffed animals. I have a few...Monkey, Gibson the puppy and Lambie the lamb. If you are lucky, you can get a big, slobbery kiss from me!

Road Trip Day 8--Heading Home

We have finally come to the end of our trip. Grandpa and Mumsie are so sad to see us go. We got up really early (4amPT/5amAZ) and got on the road. We would drive about 3-4 hours and then stop for a quick feeding/potty break before we got back on the highway. It was a long drive but we made it home in about 11 hours. I rode most of the way home in my pj's because they are super comfy and Mommy did not want to wake up up too much when we first got in the car. We had a really nice trip visiting lots of family and friends but I'm sure glad to be home safely. The next big trip is Christmas in Chicago and I get to go on my first airplane ride. Woo hoo!!!

Last Day in AZ

Today was a much nicer day so Grandpa took me for a walk and mommy walked Rufus. We went to Michael & Sue's house because their grandchildren from Phoenix came up to visit. Tatum is the oldest, then twins Pierce & Avery and the youngest Hannah. I think Ellen would have snuck me home if she could have fit me in her purse!

Happy Thanksgiving & Happy Birthday!

Today is Pampa's birthday. He is 94 years young. Every few years his birthday falls on Thanksgiving. Nina's turns 94 on December 3. Today is also Thanksgiving. My first official holiday. Mumsie really wanted to blend up some turkey for me but mommy said no (thank goodness). Blended turkey sounds really gross! I played with Rufus and Daddy today since it was another cold day outside. We watched some football and had dinner with friends and family.

Territorial capital of Arizona

For those of you who don't know, Prescott was the territorial capital of Arizona. While we were there, we went to lunch in town one day (I slept through the entire meal). We also met some of Mumsie and Grandpa's friends--Bev & Ralph, Kathleen & Billy, Johanna & Felix, Ron & JJ. I also got to meet Aunt Sue and see Uncle Michael again. Aunt Sue let me borrow the bathtub she uses for her grandchildren and she gave me a Santa hat. Thanks so much!

It was pretty cold in Prescott so we didn't go out much. We just stayed in the house and relaxed.

Road Trip Day 4--The drive to Prescott, AZ

On the road again...Today we got up early and left LA for Prescott, AZ. It was most of the day in the car but we drove over the Colorado River which is the border between California and Arizona. Mumsie and Grandpa were so excited to see me. They had not seen me in person since I was first born. They came running out of the house with big smiles on their faces. I got so many kisses and hugs! That's enough driving for a few days. We are here for 5 days so I don't have to sit in my car seat ALL day long.

Road Trip Day 3--LA & San Marino

Today we had brunch with Marisa who Mommy used to work with. She has a very nice house and a cute kitty cat named Chi. Marisa made quite the brunch with a frittata, potatoes, sausage & bacon, juice, yogurt & fruit and bagels. It was delicious! Marisa lives in the hills below the Hollywood sign so we got a picture with it in the background.
After brunch we met up again with Evan and Ellie and drove to San Marino where Mommy grew up. We stopped by her old houses and one was for sale so we snooped in the windows. It looks much bigger and nicer than Mommy remembers! The next stop was at Tony's Pizza for a "Student Special". That's 2 pieces of pizza and a drink (a Suicide is the signature drink). It's a special blend of Coke, Sunkist Orange Soda, Sprite and Dr. Pepper. I got a bib from Mike and we got to hang with Auntie Adri too. She is the best and sends me lots of cool things.

We continued eating our way through LA and stopped off at Pinkberry near Uncle Evan's apartment for some sour yogurt...We were all exhausted and full after a long day so we went to bed early since Monday we were driving to Prescott.

Road Trip Day 2--LA & Silverlake

Good Morning! Last night I slept in my pack n' play for the first time. It was great but Mommy did not sleep so well because she could hear every noise I made. I also decided to have a converstation with myself around 3am. Everyone in the house could hear me...sorry Andy and Melinda! Andy, Daddy, Mommy and I walked to The Grove and got some coffee. Melinda was done with her meeting and we all went to lunch. We even saw a Hollywood movie star--Kathleen Robertson from the original 90210. She just had a baby around the same time I was born.

After lunch we said our goodbyes and headed to see Uncle Evan and Auntie Ellie. When we got there Ellie had a wonderful surprise for me...a USC sweatshirt, hat and booties. I look adorable, but don't take my word for it. See for yourself:

Road Trip Day 1--Drive to LA

Hooray! Today is the first day of our road trip and we are heading to LA to see Uncle Evan & Auntie Ellie, Andy & Melinda and Auntie Adri. Daddy had a conference call to take while we were on the road and right when it started, I decided to start to squawk like a bird. We had to pull off to the side of the road so Daddy could talk in peace and quiet and I got to eat.

Our first stop in LA was at Andy and Melinda's house. We went to a fancy restaurant for dinner and got to sit at a private table because it was the only place my stroller would fit. After dinner we went to Milk to get dessert. I really wanted to have a bit of ice cream but I resisted!

Checking in at 4 months

Hi there! I'm just 4 months today. My doctor said I'm growing great and weigh 17 lbs, 7 oz and am 26 inches. Because I'm getting so big, my doctor said I could use my big boy car seat now (rear-facing of course). It's really cool and I have way more room than in the infant carrier. I'm working on sitting up so my mommy has me propped in a Boppy pillow. I know it's a bit early for Christmas pj's but because I'm growing so fast, I won't fit in these at Christmas so I'm wearing them in November. We are gearing up for a road trip to LA and AZ so I'll write once we are back and I can share all my adventures.

First outfit

Just a quick note to say hi and to show you the first outfit I ever received as a gift. Actually my Mommy got it for Christmas last year from Mumsie & Auntie Sarah and saved it for me to wear when I was bigger.

Trip to the vet

Today we took my puppy Nala to the vet. She always has itchy ears so we had the vet take a look at her. She is such a troublemaker at the vet and likes to sit on the bench. I also LOVE to play with my Skwish that Auntie Sarah gave me. It's pretty much my favorite toy ever! By the time Nala was done at the vet's office, I was wiped out and fell asleep barely holding my toy. P.S. The cute outfit I'm wearing is from Donna and Walt who live across the street from me...thanks!

What kind of hike is this?

We decided to go for a hike today in the mountains near our house. We looked and looked for the trail around the lake but we could not find it. We did find a nice trail just up the road. It's a good 2.5 mile stroll through the mountains. We saw some deer and heard birds. It says to watch out for mountain lions, but we did not see any. When we finished our hike, we found Picchetti Winery which is actually the starting point too. I was so tired after looking around at nature, I decided to take a nap while Mommy and Daddy tasted some wine.

The Frog Pond

Today was a rainy day and we couldn't get out for our daily walk. So Mommy put together my Exersaucer aka The Frog Pond. I was so excited to get in it and once I did I fell in LOVE with it! I can't wait to share it with my friends Hadley and Chase.

Thanks Auntie Adri and Auntie Kelly for the Frog Pond...xoxo

Steamroller!

Hooray! Today is the first time I rolled over from my back to my tummy! I think it's from all the practice Daddy did with me...steamroller!!!

Happy Halloween

We went to the pumpkin patch over the weekend to see what Halloween is all about. Hadley came with us too! It was a really hot day and there was lots to see! We took some pictures on the hay bails and Daddy put me on his shoulders. It was pretty cool. Auntie Maureen made our costumes and Hadley and I were Red Hot Chili Peppers (like the band--daddy's idea). We sure look cute but it was really hot and I was not happy to be in the costume. Lucky it was just for pictures and not the whole day. We got to walk through the corn maze and daddy and Uncle Jeff played with the pumpkin slingshot. By the middle of the day, I was pooped and we headed home to carve pumpkins.