Very Merry Christmas

At Christmas it is celebrated how one little baby forever changed everything. In our family, we've spent the past two days celebrating how our little baby forever changed everything for us.

Though too young to be aware of things like holidays, Harper's presence just gave Daniel and I our best Christmas yet. Seeing her eyes light up at her new toys (and the wrapping paper that encased them), and listening to her giggle and chatter at us all day long like she does whenever we're all together, and feeling how loved she is not just by us but by family and friends near and far, all have given Christmas a renewed sense of magic and wonder for us. We're so incredibly blessed.

We got everything we always wanted for Christmas this year. We hope you and your family did, as well. From our family to yours, we wish you the merriest of Christmases.

Love,
Rebecca, Daniel and Harper

Blizzard

There have been three major weather events I can recall in Washington in the 7 1/2 years we've lived here. The first was the Presidents' Day Weekend snowstorm of 2003. We lived in a 7th floor studio apartment along Connecticut Avenue, with one wall entirely made of windows, and thus had a great view of the 17 or so inches of snow that shut down the city for days and had people cross country skiing down major roads. The second was in September the same year, when Hurricane Isabel swept through the city; it was the weekend we were supposed to move out of that very same studio apartment. The third was this weekend. The blizzard of 2009, which quickly dumped about two feet of snow on the city, shutting down the airports and in general derailing all the hustle and bustle of the final weekend before Christmas.

The first two events were the year we were married. This final one, the year our first baby was born. If we plan any major life events in the future, we'll be sure to let the local meteorologists know that another major event is on the horizon. In the meantime, here are a few shots of the 2009 blizzard.

White House Holiday

Some of my favorite D.C. experiences involve the White House. Our first year here, we were lucky enough to get a West Wing tour with a Secret Service agent. We were his first tour group after having been trained, so all the stories and history he learned were fresh in his mind. Add to that the first-hand stories he had of guarding two presidents, and it was certainly a night to remember.

Since then, we've also been lucky enough to have been invited guests of friends who work in the Executive Office of the President to go see holiday decorations in the East Wing of the White House. This year was extra special, since we got to take our little girl with us. (She actually went in 2008 as well, but only Daniel and I knew she existed at the time.)

Christmas Tree Evolution

Harper's first Christmas tree is up! Our family's biggest one yet - for the first time we've gotten a full-size tree. It was a weeklong process involving rearranging furniture to make room for it, trips to two Hill tree lots since the first was sold out of trees, having to buy more lights since our stash was meant for shorter trees, and having to squeeze in decorating when Harper would allow it. But it was all worth it. Harper loves her tree.

Meeting the tree.

Hmm, this feels awesome.

Now my hand feels sticky.

Tonight it has lights.

Now we're talking!

Lights and shiny objects and bells?! Where has this been all my life!?

Presenting Harper's first Christmas tree.

Well Baby 4 Months

Harper went in for her four-month well-baby visit at the beginning of December. As usual, she was flirting with the doctor and nurses. I brought a litany of questions for discussion - I've learned to be assertive! While there the doctor confirmed that Harper is teething, hence the massive amounts of drooling that she's doing, and that her growth and eating patterns were great, so no need to worry about starting cereal yet.

The highlight of the visit came when I asked the doctor how much tummy time Harper should be having now. The doc said, "As much as she wants. She's rolling around, right?" I said no, in fact, Harper had been rolling onto her side for weeks and that I thought she'd be rolling over by now, but that she became distracted by shoving things in her mouth and gave up on the rolling. "Put her up on the table on her tummy," the doc said. So I did, at which point she immediately flipped onto her back. It was instantaneous. Talk about a pressure player. I almost died.



Vital stats at 19 weeks: 14 lbs 5 oz. 24 inches tall.
(Vital stats at birth: 7 lbs 7 oz. 20 inches tall.)

Sweet November

An album with 25 of my favorite November photos that were not included in another blog post this month.

Thanksgiving

Harper's first Thanksgiving weekend was a fabulous and relaxing one here in D.C. The holiday weekend photo journal begins on Thanksgiving Day, where we stayed at home, and I made a scaled down Thanksgiving dinner for Daniel and me.




In the evening, our friends Matt and Lindsay came over for dessert, and brought a fabulous champagne cocktail with them. As you can see, Harper was clearly a big fan of Aunt Lindsay and Uncle Matt!



Thanksgiving Friday, Harper got to meet Uncle Lee, in from Boston where he's in medical school. Harper tried to talk him into specializing in pediatrics and coming here to be her doctor. Mommy and daddy LOVE that idea.


On Saturday morning, my "Aunt 'Nette" and her husband Jim stopped by to meet Harper as they were passing through on the way to the airport.



On Sunday we got outside for some fresh air along the Potomac near Mount Vernon. As an ode to some of the hilarious outfits Daniel dressed Harper in while they were home together, I bundled Harper up for the outdoors using the most ridiculous combination of patterns and colors I had at my disposal. A fun photo to end the weekend.