Goodbye, 2008

This year has been tough for many of us, for a lot of different reasons, but it also brought great joy:




As we enter 2009, Annabelle is learning to sit up, to scream (mostly with joy), to shake her toys, and maybe (please, please) to sleep a little bit more.

In 2008, Delia asked us approximately 5,397,002 questions. Her curiosity about everything continues to challenge and amuse us.

We're looking forward to more adventures with our little women in the coming year, and we wish you all a happy and healthy 2009.

Picture it in your mind

Someday, I will find this funny, but today is not that day.

I made myself several notes to make sure I remembered to bring our video camera to Atlanta for Christmas. I haven't used it since Annabelle was born; things have just been kind of nuts here, and the time passes so quickly. Anyway, I wanted to capture Christmas morning: Delia's incessant chatter, Annabelle's funny expressions, their interactions with each other.

I remembered the camera. When we opened the case, though, there weren't any tapes inside. I was really upset, of course, but knew we had the last night of Hanukkah as a fall-back option. We would just take some video when we got home, I thought.

This afternoon, David went out and bought a bunch of tapes so we could make a movie tonight. At 6 p.m., with dinner ready and presents waiting, we went to find the video camera. Guess what? It's not here. Fabulous. Our car was busting at the seams when we packed everything up to come home. That camera must be the one thing we left behind.

Since there is no video of this holiday season, I thought I would write down some details about the girls that can't be glimpsed from the many photos we took. This list is as much for my own memory as for our blog audience, but I hope you find it interesting, as well.

*Delia makes "ooh" and "ahh" noises when other people open gifts.

*Annabelle is enthralled by the sun toy on her exersaucer. She has learned to spin herself around until she can see it.

*Delia has been singing Hanukkah songs at the top of her lungs in interesting places: Target, ZooLight Safari, Chik-fil-A.

*Delia was certain Santa was bringing her a castle. When she woke up Christmas morning, she asked whether she could play with it before she ever saw it.

*In a strange confluence of holidays, the dollies in the castle were celebrating Hanukkah. We tried to tell Delia that they had a candelabra on their dining room table, but she insisted it was a menorah.

*Delia is consistently calling her sister "Annabelly." Add this nickname to the growing list: BabyBelle, BunnyBelle, Belly.

*On December 21st, Annabelle rolled over for the first time from her belly to her back. She looked very surprised by her accomplishment.

*We discovered today that Annabelle can sit up on her own for about a minute at a time.

*Delia wrinkles her nose for emphasis. She shrugs her shoulders when she doesn't know the answer to a question. She uses her hands when she tells a story.

*Annabelle sucks her thumb. When she goes to sleep, she seems to prefer her thumb over her pacifier.

*Delia wants to play with Annabelle so badly, and she tries to be enthusiastic enough for both of them. Delia got a toy guitar for Hanukkah, and she plays it for Annabelle and yells, "Sing with me!" "Come on, let's dance!"

We'd love to have your comments on this post. What image comes to mind of the last time you saw Delia and Annabelle? I'm planning to order a blog book at the end of the week, and I'd love to have some comments to close out 2008.

It's a pig, and it's pink

Since the 1950's it has been an Atlanta Christmas tradition to go to the Rich's department store and ride the pink pig. Delia's grandma didn't get a chance to ride it as a child, and neither did David. This year, three generations got on board for a ride on the refurbished pig, now at Macy's.







Delia rode the pig after a very busy, happy holiday.


On Christmas Eve, Delia and grandma set out a cookie for Santa, and a strawberry for Rudolph. (That poor reindeer got carrots at every other house. He needed something sweet.)

I later ate the cookie as Daddy and Grandpa put together some presents. Don't tell Delia.








On Christmas morning, Delia and Annabelle came downstairs in their reindeer jammies to find that Santa, as well as Grandma and Grandpa, had been very generous.






























Later, we had dinner at Aunt Susan and Uncle James' house. Delia had a great time with cousin Hil, who probably wanted to watch the game, but gave in to Delia's demands for tickling instead.




We had fun playing with Grandma and Grandpa. Thanks for a great holiday!

Hanukkah highlights

We're off to celebrate Christmas in Atlanta, but thought we'd post some pictures from the first few days of Hanukkah before we leave.

At least we don't have to celebrate Kwanzaa

December is a very busy month at our house. We've decorated the Christmas tree, read stories about Hanukkah, baked Christmas cookies for the neighbors, hung up our Hanukkah decorations, visited Santa, and thoroughly confused our toddler.

Yesterday, Delia watched a Sesame Street video in which Elmo discusses all the December holidays: Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and Ramadan (which I believe sometimes falls in December, sometimes not). One little boy in the movie told Elmo his family celebrates Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa. Good grief. I guess we got off relatively easy.

Our activities over the past few days might give you an idea of how we're gearing up for the holidays. At playgroup Thursday, the kids got all dressed up and exchanged gifts.



Nathan had on a very cute Christmas sweater when we arrived, but he prefers a more natural look.











Delia was very happy with her presents: Play-doh and a Sleeping Beauty doll. Thanks Ms. Michelle and Mary Catherine!


On Friday, we put away the red and green outfits and went to a Hanukkah party at Delia's school. She sat with the big kids while we watched a video of the first half of the school year. The newspaper covered the party, but did not run a picture of Delia. The fools.




Annabelle enjoyed hanging out with her Daddy.




Then last night, we went off to Zoolight Safari to see the Christmas lights and ride the carousel.




Here we are with the zoo's lone nod to Hanukkah:




And finally, Delia painted her own Menorah with some help from Daddy.











Hanukkah starts tonight, Christmas is Thursday, and I am exhausted already. Delia, though, is beyond excited. I fear she may spontaneously combust.

Actually, Annabelle doesn't need to sleep

Delia says "actually" a lot these days.

"Actually, I would like some milk."
"Actually, I want to play doll house."
"Actually, I'm not tired."

That last one makes me want to cry. When Delia says it, she means the opposite. It's a sure sign that we need to hurry home for a nap. Annabelle, though, seems to not need sleep. It is 3:14 p.m., and she has not slept for more than 15 minutes at a time since she got up at 6:15 this morning.

My beautiful Annabelle does not sleep during the day. She does not sleep at night. Is this some kind of superhuman power? Imagine what she will accomplish in her lifetime with all those extra hours the rest of us waste in our beds!

Cereal does not help. Peas do not help (but they have done some interesting things to her diapers). Cry-it-out does not help. Begging her does not help.

This, too, shall pass, of course. I know I will look back on this time and feel like it went by too fast. In the middle of the night, though, time...stands...still.




Sweet (wide awake) sisters

Doing our part to save the newspaper industry

Our two-year-old, reading the New York Times Book Review:

Mean Mommy

I have debated with myself whether or not to tell this story. It's mean, but I can't hold back.

I have had about enough of the Birmingham Zoo. I took Delia to a Bedtime Story event there recently, and although she had fun, I was unimpressed. It was a Christmas theme, which I somehow missed. A volunteer read the kids "The Night Before Christmas," then went back and talked about each picture in great detail. Boring. Finally, she said, "I thought we were going to have a special visitor..." Aha. She was stalling for Santa.

Finally, in walks Santa. Some of you might remember this moment from last year. Delia has clearly gotten over her fear of Santa since then. If she were going to be afraid of him, I would have seen it this year. Zoo Santa had a limp. His hands shook. He had a very strong foreign accent of indiscernible origin. He was clearly uncomfortable with children.

Delia didn't care, though. The guy was handing out cookies and asking her what she wanted for Christmas. She hustled up there and asked for a castle with dollies inside. ("Santa" has already taken care of this request, by the way.)

Then we got to the animals. Last year, I took Delia to several zoo classes. No matter what the theme of the class -- fast animals, green animals, soft animals -- the volunteer brought out a chinchilla, a rat, and a snake. Guess who we got to pet on this fine evening? Our old friends, chinchilla, rat, and snake.


The Santa:




The cookie:




The chinchilla:

Ha, ha, ha

Guess who started laughing? Annabelle has a great sense of humor. Things she finds funny include: kisses on the neck, shaking bunny toys, anything Delia does. She does not, however, have a sense of humor about the cold.

Here we are at the tree farm this weekend:



And here I am retreating to the car with a screaming Annabelle attached to me.



Massachusetts-born Delia did not have any trouble with this version of "cold," though. She helped Daddy pick out a great tree.











Delia enjoyed the hayride...


...and hung out with Ms. Melissa while Annabelle and I sat in the car.


We tried to get a family portrait again, once Annabelle had fallen asleep.