'Tis My Season

Last week Lizzie sent me a picture of some holly for sale at 96th and Lex and lamented that she couldn't buy me some.

This week, lo and behold, I found holly for sale right here in the suburbs of middle America - at Costco!  Isn't it just the most beautiful plant you've ever seen?  Ah, yes, my season is here once again.  Deck those halls!

Here is Matt placing our New York taxi cab ornament carefully on the tree.  I still can't get enough of that hilarious boy.

 Ellie had her first preschool Christmas program.  She wore her special Nutcracker sweater and sang her heart out on the front row.

Yesterday, Ellie and I succeeded in making a gingerbread house - all the walls and even the roof stayed up!  We only ate a little bit of the candy, but we did dip gingerbread cookies in the extra icing.  I love having a big girl!

This week Tessa started rolling over.  I love watching her grow, but I'm glad she's still small enough to cuddle and swaddle and wear in a sling.

We also were lucky enough to have another Jonathan Gibson photo shoot.  You can see the whole slide show here, and below is a sneak peak.

Merry Christmas!

Chuck vs. the Obsession

Have I mentioned our obsession with obsessions?  Sometimes we get obsessed with things.  A few years ago, we saw a commercial for a new show called Chuck on NBC - it looked like a quirky spy comedy, and we decided to tune in for the pilot.  We liked it, and went back for a second week.  Then we were hooked.  I'm proud to say we've watched every episode since, and we own the past three seasons on DVD.

Last night was the season four premiere of Chuck.  We've been looking forward to this since the season 3 finale some months ago.  When you're obsessed with something and it's taken away from you, there's a certain withdrawal.  After the season finale, I started planning our season 4 premiere party.  It took some months, but last night I pulled it off as a surprise for Rob.

Ty Nant water, as seen in Chuck vs. the Honeymooners:  check

Cheese balls, as seen in Chuck vs. the Pink Slip:  check

Subway-style sandwiches, as featured many episodes:  check

Specifically, turkey and munster cheese sandwiches, as featured in Chuck vs. the Truth:  check

But here's the best part.  Since last May, I've been scouring various stores and websites for good deals on Converse sneakers.  I can think of only one scene in the last three season where Chuck has not been wearing high top black Converse.  (Shout-out to all Chuck fans out there:  can you name the scene?)  Last night I presented Rob with Converse shoes for every member of our family.  We all put them on immediately.

And then with kids in bed, Rob and I snuggled on the sofa for the hour we've been anticipating for the last three months.  We were not disappointed.  Aces, Charles.

Baby's First Photo Shoot

Last week, our dear friend Jon Gibson kindly came over to take pictures of the kids.  Jon is an art professor at Xavier University, and a very accomplished artist in many mediums.  That much will be quite obvious to you when you see the results of the photo shoot!

Click HERE to see the slideshow set to music and HERE to see the photos all on the same page.  For a few more cute pictures of Matt and Ellie, check out Jon's post with a slideshow of a trip to the zoo we made last week with Gibsons and some visiting friends.

For more on Jon's work, explore his photography website and his portfolio website

More Tessa Pictures

Here are some cute ones from the last few days.  We can't get enough snuggling from this girl.  Right now, she's fast asleep in Rob's arms.  I think he's been holding her for almost two hours.  So far, she's a dream baby.  Of course, we haven't hit that 2 week mark when things really get fussy!  For now, we'll just continue soaking up her sweetness.

And Baby Makes Five

She is here at last!  On Tuesday, July 27th at 1:48 p.m. our Tessa Charlotte was born.  She weighed in at 7 pounds 8 ounces and 20 3/4 inches long.  Everything went wonderfully, and we're all doing well.  I took advantage of the full 48 hours insurance allows you to be in the hospital, and just enjoyed the quiet time holding Tess.  With Ellie and Matt in the house, there won't be enough of those quiet hours to just hold a newborn.  I loved it.

Here are some pictures taken a few hours after she was born:

We're completely in love with this girl.  Ellie and Matt beg to hold her and can't get enough of their Baby Tess.  Ellie looked up at me with a smile yesterday and said, "Now we have two chicas in our family!"  Today while looking at Tess sleeping she said, "She's OUR baby and we get to keep her in our family forever!"  Smile.

Wanna Go Nana's!

A few days ago, Matt came to me holding a swim diaper and said, "Wanna go Nana's!"  Smart kid.  I immediately called Nana and arranged a pool day.  The kids have recently taken to jumping into the pool from the top of the hot tub, and for some reason yesterday I asked if they were brave enough to try the diving board.  They were, and we spent an hour there before I was too exhausted (er, pregnant) to chase them around the deep end of the pool.  They were exhausted enough for good naps, and I got to spend some much needed time alone poolside.  Whew.  Thanks for taking such good care of us Nan!  We love you - not just your pool!

Believe the Hype, Part II

Today we went to the park

Then we ate popsicles

They were messy!

Oh my!