Christmas in Cleveland

We had a wonderful Christmas with the Millers. There wasn't any snow, so Baikal never did get to use her snow suit. However, it was nice to be prepared.


Matt bringing the necessary items for the trip. He is wearing Baikal's car seat on his back.



Baikal got to watch her grandmother at work.


Christmas Eve dinner.



Christmas day dinner.



Where do I start?


Having fun with great grandmother Miller.

December 18th, 7:19 PM

One year!

This picture was taken today around the time of Baikal's birthday. She is really enjoying her new gifts from Great Grandmother and Great Grandfather Garvin. The bunny was made by her Great Great Grandmother, Eva Young. What a special gift.

When she was first born, she used to hold her finger in a point. I like to think she was saying, "I'm number one." I can not believe it has been a whole year. I read through my blog today and it is just amazing how much has happened. We have had our share of sleepless nights and screaming fits, but it really is all worth it. Today in the park, Baikal and I met a mom and her four week old baby boy. She said that she was still in the three hour feedings stage. I told her it would get better, because it does. It does not get easier, but it does get better.

First Birthday

Baikal turns one tomorrow! What a wonderful year it has been. We had some people over for cake and company today. It was a nice time. Baikal is feeling much better, however the stomach bug moved on to bigger targets: me and grandmother. Despite feeling not our best, we still had a great day.


"Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear Baikal...."


She wasn't sure what to make of the cake or her mom.


I put some cheerios on top to help her figure it out.

She was very careful with the cake and did not like getting her fingers sticky from the frosting.

Thank goodness for grandmothers

Baikal has been up all night throwing up. Stomach bug? Food allergy? I am not sure at this point. I feel a bit guilty because when she first started crying around 1 am, I figured it was the usual "waking up in the dark all alone" crying and not the "I am projectile vomiting all over my crib and self" crying. So I waited a bit before checking on her. Ohhh mother's guilt. She finally fell asleep around 6:30 am and slept until 9:00 am. At this time she had some liquids and only threw up a little bit. She is now smiling and crawling around the house, looking for mischief. Thank goodness for grandmothers! My mom is in town and was a big help last night. She has also graciously volunteered to watch Baikal while I shower and catch up on my sleep. Wonderful! All of you moms out there who have spent the night holding buckets and washing sheets deserve a pat on the back. A sick baby is hard work.

Bath time with grandmother.

Friends

Baikal had her friend, Tejas, over to play. He may only be four months, but he has the disposition of a man twice his age. Fun times!

New phones

You all will be happy to know that Matt gave me an early Christmas gift. New phones with a built in answering machine! Finally, we will be able to complete a conversation without being interrupted by a low battery signal.


It was a two person job to set up the phones. Baikal enjoyed taking them out of the package.


Paul pushed the buttons to make sure the phones worked.

St. Nicholas

Baikal had a good time at the St. Nicholas dinner. She left her shoes outside the sanctuary and after the service they were filled with chocolate. Since she can't have that yet, it was great news for mom!

Shoes lined up, waiting for something good to fall in them.


Here are our friends, the York-Simmons, looking festive in their holiday wear!

Aunt Susann's visit

We had a wonderful visit from Aunt Susann. She had fun taking Baikal to the park and babysitting while mom and dad went out on the town.


Good times!



I took this photo of Olive. She is my sister's new dog. She decided that this was the best spot for sleeping. I guess this breed isn't known for its ability to hide from preditors.