Christmas 2012

It was great to be back in the States and see family and friends, show off my little baby bump, and get some of the food we had been missing.  We went back a week early so we could go to a friend’s wedding.  It was a beautiful wedding, and we got so see a lot of friends that we might not have been able to see otherwise.  I drank cranberry and sprite with a lime (wild, right?) and Tim enjoyed having a sober driver again.  Tim’s mom got to come babysit while we were at the wedding.  We went to work the next week, and my parents got to babysit.  That’s one advantage of living far away, parents are always eager to babysit.

The week before Christmas, Tim had to go to Korea for meetings with customers.  Ben and I had a full schedule of errands, doctor appointments, a trip to the zoo, a trip to Great-Grandma Aholt's, and Christmas shopping.  At 17 months, Ben was 26.5 lbs and 33” (12kg and 84cm), eighty-fifth percentile for both.  And he was diagnosed with his very first ear infection, a mild one.

The new sea-lion exhibit at the St. Louis Zoo.  If you waved your hand in a circle, this young and playful sea-lion would swim in a circle.

 Getting a ride on Great-Grandma's walker.

 Bath time with Nonna.

Once Tim was back from Korea and his mom was out of school, we started spending more time In Cape Girardeau, and hopping back and forth between Cape and St. Louis.  We had a family Christmas, visited with friends, and enjoyed Ben’s time with the grandparents.

 Trying to take some steps.

 Opening presents.  He could do it this year, but once he opened one, he wanted to play with it, and wasn't interested in opening more.

 A party at the Fords' house.  This time I was drinking margarita mix on the rocks.

 Uncle Danny and Aunt Britton, recently engaged.

 Still loves the swing.

 Family Christmas Eve with my parents, Grandpa McCord, Uncle Mike, and Brandon and Missy.

 More presents on Christmas morning.

 "Touch it" the light, also obsessed with the fan.  We turned it on and off at least a hundred times in the weeks we were there.

 Big family Christmas in Okawville.  After seven babies born last year, there were four this year, and I think five scheduled for next year.  All 11 of Grandma's babies were here this year.

 Ben spent a lot of time in this car that belonged to his second cousin.  Didn't care at all that it was pink.

 We went to the City Museum with cousins Carrie, Anne Marie, Katie, the babies, the husbands, and Kathleen.

 During one of our trips to Cape, it snowed.  We got a good 6-7”.  It was plenty for Ben to go sledding, almost too much, since he hardly weighed down the sled.  Tim’s parents have a small hill in their back yard that was perfect, and Ben could go all by himself.  He could even get started on his own. He absolutely loved it!

 Out to dinner for Grandpa's birthday.

Spending time with friends, Nick and Trish, Kevin and Tiffany, and babies.

 Lunch with Monica, her kids, and her mom.

  Fun with Laura, Jeff, and baby Cecilia.

 Back to Cape, going to the bouncy house and playing with more friends.

 Reading with Grandma.

More time with Uncle Brandon and Aunt Missy.

Ben did so-so on the plane on the way to the US.  He got antsy and didn’t want to be confined to the seat, and since it was during the day, he didn’t sleep much.  And we think this was the first time his ears bothered him, since he screamed through our whole descent. 

We were kind of dreading the plane trip back, but he did really well this time.  I don’t know why we even bother to bring toys.  His toys are so boring compared to the things to play with on the plane.  The seatbelt, the dinner menu and emergency exit diagram, Skymall magazine, water bottles, napkins, the seat light, the people behind him….  And he even took a couple naps and let us eat.  Next time we make this trip, he will have his own seat.