Christmastime ~ 2010

We had a wonderful and busy holiday season. Kids really make the season magical again, anyone who has lost the Christmas spirit just needs to hang around some kids to get it back! I would say this is the first year Nicholas really "got" it. Sure, last year he knew who Santa was and pointed him out by name, but I really think this was the first year he grasped the whole concept! It made it easy to bribe him with Santa, I wish I had something that powerful to use now:) He was so excited to take part in all of the holiday festivities, such as going to the Christmas tree farm, decorating the tree, picking out an ornament for himself this year, going on cookie decorating and gingerbread man making play dates. It was for sure a lot of fun! Christian is such a good baby and was joyfully going a long for the ride!

At the tree farm!

Ruby and Tessa have become Nicholas' surrogate cousins! Looks like these kids are Patagonia models. I guess that's what happens when your dad's work in the industry.

Family shot in front of this years tree!

Stockings are up and Christian is waving hi!

Nicholas was really into decorating the Christmas tree this year.

We let him pick out his own ornament this year at a Christmas shop...

and what do you know, it was a shiny red truck!

Uncle Christian came to visit in December for work and play! It was so nice to get to spend time with him!

What a treat for me, Christian and I took a mini weekend get away to Suncadia, about 90 minutes East of Seattle for a cross country skiing/spa trip. It was exactly what I needed to recharge my battery before the crazy holiday season!

Hanging out on Lake Washington before brunch!

Cookie decorating play date.

Concentrating on what he should do next.

And, on another day, a gingerbread man making play date.

Here is Nicholas' gingerbread man. We saved it until Christmas Eve night where we left it by the chimney with a glass of milk for Santa!

The babies having their own fun! Love their drooling faces!

Nicholas feeding Santa's reindeer apples at the Reindeer Festival

and sitting on Santa's sleigh!

Story time, hearing How The Grinch Stole Christmas for the first time. He was enthralled!

Christmas was a success this year! The boys loved all of the gifts and there was the perfect amount! Nicholas was so excited to come down stairs and see his new play kitchen. He played with this for a good 20 minutes before we even went over to the tree.

Eating breakfast from his new kitchen.

He made it to the tree and was so excited!

and Christian wondering what the heck is going on.

one of Nicholas' favorite gifts, the 2010 Hess Truck!

Christian crawling thru his favorite gift!

Mommy and her two boys!

Mommy and her three boys!

Enjoying his first Christmas...

all day long!

The Ranalli boys!

Mimi and the boys!

Day after Xmas, Mimi and Christian practicing his free standing.

Pop and Mimi at Pike's Market.

At the Boeing Museum of Flight

Pop and Christian in the airplane hanger.

"Wow, I'm flying!"

At the Botanical Garden Light Show, very cool!

On top of our busy month, Chris got foot surgery a few days after Christmas and is still recovering; AND Christian fell and bumped his head right on his brow bone. We took him to the Children's ER. He got his induction into the boys club a little early!

He was such a trooper!

Poor guy! Luckily, they only had to glue him and clean it up! It is still healing and hopefully will not leave a scar.

Videos

Here is Nicholas just waking up on Christmas morning as he was looking down to see if Santa had been there yet. It looks dark, but it was actually 7 AM.

Here is video of Christian dancing. He LOVES to dance, much more so than Nicholas. Any time he hears music he starts bopping! He seems very musical, as he also bangs Nicholas' xylophone and drum more so than Nicholas ever did! So funny how each kid is so different!

A Message from Santa!

Nicholas is a very special boy and got a personal message from Santa this year!

Click here to view Santa's message!

Happy 9 Months to my Baby Boy!

Christian is 9 months old!!! We had his check up today and he is still in the same growth pattern; long and lean! He now weighs 17 pounds and 8.5 ounces (10th %) and is 29 1/2 inches (90th %) He is as cute as ever and continues to make us laugh constantly. He is really trying to keep up with Nicholas so it just seems like everyhting is happening even more quickly than the first time. I'm actually WORRIED he might walk soon, as he is now beginning to pull himself up to standing without holding on to anything for 10 - 15 seconds. I really hope he can hold off the whole walking business until at least a year because I'm not ready for the insanity of TWO kids on their feet!

Just like his brother... loves his turkey meatballs. He has been on a pureed food boycott, so he's eating mostly finger foods at the moment. A good shot of his two front teeth!

"I may be trouble, but aren't I cute?"

Yes, that's him pulling on the vertical blinds on our sliding glass door. He seems to love everything he's not suppose to get into.

Christian's idea of entertainment? Pull himself up to a stand unassisted, hold his arms high in the air and giggle. He will do this over and over again, all day long. He's getting better and better at it.

TWO Santa visits!

So far this year the boys have gotten to visit with Santa two times! The first was unexpected when Santa was at the tree farm we visited. You were allowed to take pictures with your own camera. Christian absolutely loved Santa and began smiling and turning around to look at Santa instantly! Quite a contrast from Nicholas' first visit with Santa as a baby, he cried immediately! Nicholas also loved Santa this year on both visits, telling him both times that he wants a black truck. I am now searching high and low for a black truck!

At the tree farm.

We weren't so lucky to get two smiles the second time around but I think it had to do more with it being nap time for Christian.

I was just looking back at Nicholas' first two Christmases as well! Time flies!

Christmas 2008

Christmas 2009

The Rest of November 2010

Wow, the holiday season is already upon us! I figure I needed to upload a lot more pictures before I can start posting about our holiday festivities! Today, we went to a Christmas tree farm to get our tree, those pictures will follow shortly!

Chris spent the first two weeks of November in Asia and so I was lucky to have my mom come out and spend time with me and the boys.

We took another trip to the zoo! Here are some favorite shots from our most recent visit...just can't get enough of the zoo. Every time we go we see something new, or an animal that was sleeping last time is awake this time.

No suprise that this visit, Nicholas' favorite attraction was the tractor!

And the boat!

And the masks in the gift shop! We actually had quite a bit of fun trying on almost every single animal mask there was!

Mimi's Birthday!

Out to dinner at the cheesecake factory for Mimi's birthday. So, so happy we spent her big day with her! And so, so lucky we have her in our life! Love you Mom! Thanks for spending your birthday helping me out with the kids, I know it's not the most relaxing way to spend your birthday!

Of course, we had several birthday celebrations! Another at the house with pumpkin pie... one of Nicholas' favorites (and mine)! "Can I blow yet Mimi?!?"

BLOW!

We also got to take a fun trip to Bainbridge Island while my mom was here! Mimi and the boys aboard the ferry!

Walking along the shores of Bainbridge Island!

We have been doing regular Friday hikes with Ruby, Tessa, and Alixx. Nicholas really looks forward to our Friday hikes and I really do too! Chritian spends most of the time asleep in my carrier on our hikes, it must be the fresh air!

Our Black Friday hike was a big group, as Chris, Scott, and Alixx's Dad all came with us! I'm so happy I got to spend my black Friday doing something like this, reflecting on everything I am grateful for rather than among the crazy shoppers, looking for bargains. By the way, we have NO pictures from Thanksgiving:( But we did go to Scott and Alixx's house for a yummy Thanksgiving meal! We put on Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer for the kids after dinner, and boy did the abominal snowman scare the heck out of all of them. It had been so many years since any of us watched this, I forgot....the elves even took out his teeth! Oh well, good thing in the end he turned out to be nice and helped decorate the tree!

We took another trip to the aquarium last month, this time we got to bring Dad!

Nicholas' favorite attraction of this particular visit, the BIG octopus! Did you know that some of the largest octopus in the world can be found right here in the Puget Sound?!

The boys and I also went to Seattle Children's Museum one week day. It is a really cool place and the great thing is there are three fantastic ones all with in our area! Pictures taken from my iphone, so not great quality.

Yay! Christian even got some play time in!

Nicholas "shopping" at the grocery store. He was really hawking the beef, which is kind of funny considering we don't eat it! Happy that at least he got a salmon in there!

Nicholas, the fireman!

Chris and Nicholas at our town's tree lighting on the Saturday following Thanksgiving!

And, last but not least, more pictures from our November snow storm! Whew, what a busy month!