Pictures from The Gaylord Texan

Lincoln posed next to a lovely reindeer! He didn't seem to notice her . . . which was good considering what happened when he noticed he was sitting with Santa moments earlier!

Nana and Pops showed Lincoln the Texas-themed Christmas decor. I'm not a Longhorn fan, but this was very appropriate!
Lively Lincoln was ready to hop out of the sleigh! He kept lurching forward and laughing so I kept close just in case.
We enjoyed a yummy lunch next to the "Riverwalk" and had lots of fun. Lincoln left a few Cheerios behind for the next guests.

We really wore Lincoln out, but he had such a great time. Next year he'll be able to enjoy more of the activities they offer. (I know I'm ready to decorate a gingerbread house in the bakery and have storytime with Mrs. Claus.)

Best Santa Visit Ever!!!!

Nana and Pops took us to the Gaylord Texan (massive resort hotel nearby for those of you not in Dallas) on Saturday to tour the Christmas exhibit. Of course our first stop was to see Santa! In light of the NorthPark debacle, I was anxious and not sure we would see Santa this year. I'm happy to report that Lincoln officially sat on Santa's lap though I'm not sure he asked for any cool gifts. Santa was totally great-looking and the line moved very quickly. We only waited about 10 minutes . . . which was great because neither Lincoln or Kevin has any patience for lines! I uploaded these pictures from my cell phone, so the quality is not great. (Don't worry though because we have 10 5x7s in magnificent quality!)

Lincoln politely looked at the camera and puckered up when I handed him to Santa! It seemed like he was going to be a real pro!

After the first photo, Lincoln turned around to see who was holding him. Santa kindly looked back at him, and Lincoln froze! Uh-oh!Lincoln: "Daddy!!!!!! Come get me!!!!!!"

Mommy: "No wait! Get a picture of this face!"
It was a classic Santa moment, and I'm so glad we found a great Santa. I'm posting some amazing pictures of the Gaylord later today. Check back soon!

Shopping and Santa

Lincoln, Nana and I finally found time for a trip to NorthPark on Friday morning. We had a bit of shopping to do of course, and we definitely wanted to see Santa! We started out at Macy's and Nordstrom's and made a few purchases. I posted Lincoln up in front of a mirror and watched him entertain himself. He REALLY likes to smile and laugh at himself! I guess he thinks he's as cute as I do!

During our shopping we walked by The Trains, so we had to go through to show Lincoln how amazing the display is. He got his own hat that he actually wore for awhile.

There were so many awesome trains to see, and the detail of the cityscapes was incredible. Each time a train would come by, Linc would whip his head around to see it. Also causing quite a bit of whiplash were all the other kids running around. He had to check out everyone!

We had a great time at The Trains at NorthPark!

Where are the Santa pictures, you ask? We arrived at 11:45 am and the earliest available Santa visit was after 5:30 pm! Needless to say, we won't be visiting that Santa. Perhaps one of his friends at another mall will be less busy! Anyone know a Santa that makes house calls?

What a Change!

When we brought Lincoln home from the hospital, I was terrified. I thought he was too small for his infant seat and that it wouldn't safely protect him. He looked so tiny sitting in there! Here's a picture of the day we brought him home:

As you can see below, I don't have that fear anymore! Now I'm worrying how we'll squeeze him into the seat for another four months! I can't wait for him to be big enough for a big boy car seat, and I'm sure he'll appreciate the extra room. Last weekend he fell asleep on the way home from an afternoon of shopping. He had so much fun playing in the stroller and checking things out in the store that he wore himself out. He looked a little squished but slept happily!

So busy!

I remember reading a post from my friend Elizabeth Watson a few months ago about how Rhett moves so quickly from plaything to plaything. I thought we had a long time before Lincoln would be like that, but that time has come. I snapped a few shots while he was playing tonight, and he was constantly moving to the next thing. These were all taken within 2 minutes!

Trying to crawl over me to get to the fireplace - he finally went around me (kind of). Have I mentioned that Lincoln is like a bulldozer and just plows through whatever is in his way?

Enjoying the nativity scene again. I wonder how long we can keep that out? Easter? Labor Day? Next Christmas?
Lincoln is a pretty good car seat rider. Sometimes he has meltdowns about being trapped there, but overall he's ok with it. He stopped to check it out after throwing around a few of the animals.

Off again . . . this time he's headed to the toy basket to throw everything out. It's really a fun game for me to fill it back up so he can throw it all out again!

Lincoln was looking super cute in his "Daddy pants" tonight. I got them at Gap to match Kevin's, so we call them Daddy pants.

Playing in My PJs

Mom, don't take a picture of me in my pjs! My girlfriends might see me . . . I'll be so embarrassed!

Yummy Wise Men

The Little People Nativity is a big hit with Lincoln! We set up the nativity scene this week, and I told Lincoln the Christmas story. He patiently (sort of) listened as I told about Joseph and Mary and the birth of Jesus. Then he needed to get hands on with the characters . . . to really examine these people who had moved in to our living room. The animals were first and the wise men followed. He really enjoyed the wise men! It turns out they are really great to chew on. I don't think Lincoln has chewed on Baby Jesus yet, but I'm pretty sure he's tossed him around a few times. The angel plays Away in a Manger which causes Lincoln to dance, and it is too funny! I hope this is the reaction Mattel was going for!

Finger Food

Lincoln has entered a new stage of "big kid-ness" and "mess-making." He has figured out how to feed himself! So far, Cheerios and sweet potato (baked) fries have been easy. He still only has two teeth to chew with, so I can't try anything too advanced. The sweet potatoes are much less messy when picked up and chewed, as opposed to having half the jar smeared on his face and hair. However, I'm sure it's just a matter of time before playing in the food and throwing it on the floor become fun. I'll need to get out the high chair mat soon!

Play Date with McCoy

The Box family came for a visit over Thanksgiving, and Lincoln and McCoy finally got to meet. I'm sure they'll be great friends when they're older, and we can tease them about their first play date! McCoy was so sweet and calm while Lincoln tried to maul him. I think he was just excited to meet his buddy, but Lincoln kept trying to grab him. It's fun to be around other new parents because we have tons of questions for each other and want to feel like the things we do are normal. I think Burt and Erin have an awesome kid and are doing great . . . in my super expert opinion!! I hope we get to see them again soon.

Finally a Senior

It seems like yesterday when I first met my tiny newborn sister, Allyson. I was almost thirteen and dreaded the day a new baby would enter our family and change everything! The moment I held her was unforgettable, and my outlook was completely different. She was my sister and the cutest little thing ever. She was my little shadow and totally a mini-me (matching cheerleading suits and all). Kevin met Allyson when she was 7, and in true little sister fashion managed to embarrass him within minutes. She asked him right away if he loved me and if he kissed me. He wasn't prepared for a kid's awkward questions! We've watched her grow into a beautiful young lady faster than I could imagine, and she's now a senior in high school. She's smart, super athletic, sometimes pretty silly, and loves to laugh at my wild story-telling. We don't see her as often as I'd like, but through e-mail, text, phone calls and Skype we stay connected. She loves Lincoln and he loves her, and she teaches him something new each time. She's definitely not interested in changing a diaper and still freaks out at spit up, but she loves to play with him. He's lucky to have a cool Aunt Ally!