Merry 2nd Christmas and Happy New Year

Happy 2007 Eve!!!!
This has been the very best holiday season ever! You and your momma and daddy got on an airplane and traveled to Kansas for Christmas and New Years. You got to spend time with your whole big family! All of us were so excited to see you! Of course, you are the cutest and smartest little girl in the entire world! Grama had your own room all ready for you with new stuffed animals and your very own bean bag. You just loved sitting in it with all of your animals and blanket! One of your most favorite things was a dancing Santa. Grama showed you only one time how to push the button to make him start dancing and you proceeded to push that button at least 43 times! Your Aunts JiJi and Erin couldn't keep their hands off of you and read you books and played with you all the time! All of us even took a family picture to remember this special Christmas. You had soooo many presents under the Christmas Tree that we let you open about 2 presents a day so you could enjoy them more.
You and grama had alot of "special times". You would wake up in the mornings and get in bed with grama and Harley the Cat. Grama could make Harley the cat talk to you. She would meow and you would just SCREAM with delight. You gave Harley the Cat loads of kisses. We also went for morning walks to see the geese. They would also talk to you and flap their wings. Then, you and I would take little cars trips together (just me and you). One day we went to the grocery store and another day we visited a friend of grama's. I was so proud to have you with me and, of course, I did show you off to everyone we saw! In the evenings right before bathtime, I would help you get undressed and you would sit on my lap on the floor and want me to lightly move my fingers over your back and arms. It would almost put you into a trance! I remember you momma doing the same thing when she was a little girl. Your really love all of the animals at grama's house. You would sit on the floor with your arm around Wilson the dog and eventually you would just tackle him and lay on him and say "Good Boy". It was hard when you had to leave, but you and I had a good time in the back seat of grama's car while going to meet your friend Kayden. Just remember that you had your very first Cheeto at grama's. I included a few pictures from your visit and I can't wait to see you in the spring! Love, Grama

Aunt Ji Ji

Well Eve I have been meaning to write on here since our last visit, but I have been busy with graduate school applications. It seems I am always busy doing something. Well me and Noah graduated from college in December and then you and your mom and dad came to visit over the holidays. I had an awesome christmas vacation!!! We were all soooo excited to see you and see all the new tricks you have learned since last time. It was amazing like always!!!! The best part of the trip was when you first arrived and said my name right off. You pronounce it Ji Ji. It is okay you just leave the L's off. It made me soooo excited to hear that. You talked the whole time, and about half the time your mom or dad had to interpret. I had the best time with you because you actually let me hold you and read you books. All you do is read books and here and there you played grama's singing and dancing santa!!! I was totally amazed by all you are capable of and can't wait to see you grow up with your new big brother or sister. Hopefully I get to talk to you soon on the telephone!!!! Love you, Love Ji Ji.

settling in after christmas

Well baby, your first Christmas in Kansas was a good one. You were allowed to open presents as soon as you got there until a few days after Christmas because your attention span wasn't long enough to open your gifts at once. You got a lot of new toys, books, and clothes and all your family was kind enough to send them back to us in D.C. You became best friends with all the dogs you saw and knew Wilson, Gus, Cooper, Lily, Trouble, O-G, Yonka, and Baller all by name. You were especially excited every morning to say Morning Kitty Cat to Harley the cat. You would go get in grama's bed every morning to pet the Kitty Cat usually before you ate breakfast. Poor Wilson took some abuse as you learned that you could tackle him around his neck and he'd let you.

You immediately knew Jill-Jill, Erin, grama, and poppy from all the pictures and soon learned who everyone else was.

Of course you had to keep things interesting and get sick one night and throw up about five times. We ran out of nighties, sheets, and stuffed animals for you and you ended up sleeping on bath towels, but it was short lived. We took family photos at grama's and you loved jumping on the trampoline at poppy's. You ate at El Pueblito many times, and it is a good thing you love guacamole, because that was about the only way to keep you entertained at the restaurant.

You had your own seat on the airplane and actually slept a little while going both ways which was nice for me. We stopped in Leavenworth and saw Kayden before we left and you had fun playing with his toys.

Now that we are back home we are battling the molars that are coming in. You've been so good and I know that your teeth are hurting and at times you even have blood dripping out of the corner of your mouth, but thank goodness for frozen bagels and tylenol because they are really coming in handy.

I hope everyone else enjoyed your visit as much as your dad and I. He loved getting to spend two weeks with you and this week has been a little tough because you still want to see dad every day all day. I hope you feel better soon and I love you.