Snuggle bear

OK I know I haven't uploaded Christmas photos yet, but how cute is this photo of our snuggly girl in her new bunting from Farmor and Papa? :)

Merry Christmas--Part 1

After a wonderful Christmas, I'm finally coming up for air and getting some thing done! We had a perfect holiday with our family. Not without lots of driving and the expected three-year-old meltdown moments, but full of joy, wonder, and contentedness. Kids truly bring magic to the holidays and B was really able to participate like never before. We started the day with baking, and made some cookies for Santa. B couldn't wait to go to Grandma's house and see everyone, and she was so excited she barely napped. For the first time, we didn't stay the night at my mom's in Lacey on Christmas Eve--we drove down for Chirstmas Eve dinner on the 24th and came back for gift opening and dinner on the 25th. Here are some photos from the 24th.

Daddy with his angel.

Israel and Sam in his new Christmas sweatshirt!

B did a great job keeping an eye on the presents.

Mia loves her aunties! She's such a little smiley cherub.

Bianca's wearing a dress that my grandparents brought me from Mexico over 20 years ago--she found it and had to put it on. :)

Then it was back to Tacoma to await Santa Claus!
On another note, we realized that it was Steve's 10th Lundahl Christmas. Wow--are we really ten years older?

Christmas lights

Bianca has been into Christmas lights this year, so we drove through Fantasy Lights in Parkland--I think it's the longest drive-through lights display in the Pacific NW. We stayed cozy warm in the car and listen to holiday music while we drove through. Bianca loved it and asked for "More Christmas lights!" the entire way home.

And another way to light up the holidays...our sweet smiley girl. Her little face lights up whenever we get close and talk to her or rub her tummy. Especially during diaper or clothing changes, I'll look down at her and she'll have this big grin. Such a sweetheart--my little butterball. :)

Gingerbread babies

Kendra had the great idea to get the family together to make gingerbread houses. B's favorite wintertime story has been one about a Gingerbread Baby--you catch him by building a gingerbread house. My plan is to surprise her with a gingerbread "baby" waiting in her house when she wakes up in the morning. :)

We all bought kits, but it's still harder than it looks! My/Bianca's house didn't quite work out--um, I think it was a problem with the kit! Wink wink. Glad I didn't choose a career in architecture (although I think trying to stay one step ahead of a three year old was part of my problem)! Kendra stepped in and gave Bianca her house, and helped her with it, so it all worked out. We enjoyed spiced cider and Laura made some yummy Irish soup--all in all a cozy Sunday. Hope it becomes a tradition--and next time I think I will assemble Bianca's house while she's sleeping so it's nice and solid by the time she wakes up.

Aunt Kendra and B, trying to salvage our house.

Israel with his first ever gingerbread house!

My mom took hers pretty seriously. :)

Laura and Is got Mia to smile quite a bit!

Sweet baby.

Love the cheeks--but my second favorite are her wrists and arms!

The finished creations.

Feelin' Joovy

Santa came early to the Jacobson household, and we got our Joovy Caboose double stroller this weekend! It did great on its maiden voyage around the neighborhood. It's great to be able to see both kiddos at once and Bianca loves her special "big sister" seat. I chose this one because it's lightweight, and I'm glad--pushing two kids gets heavy fast! Looking forward to lots of double-strollin', especiallly when the weather is nicer!

Family photos

A couple of weeks ago we had Marisa (Hussey) Faatoafe, my BFF Kora's younger sister, take some family photos of our growing brood! We had fun and got some great shots! I can't wait to take more next year! Here are a few of our favorite shots.

Bianca was feeling shy and didn't want to look at the camera or really sit for any of the pictures, so we had to keep her busy. Mia was a much easier photo subject. :)

Our sweet girl.

I love her round little face!

I love this photo because Mia looks so completely relaxed.

This is such a "Bianca" pose with her little shoulders shrugged.

Mia makes a lot of surprised faces--I see this look a lot.

Christmas decorations--and Santa!

Over the past few days we've been putting up our tree and decorations--it's truly been the most fun I've ever had decorating because this year Bianca has been able to take part. She's been so proud of helping with the Christmas tree.

The culmination of the Christmas craziness was visitng Santa today. Bianca was SO excited and talked about it all last night and this morning (saying that we were going to Santa Claus's house). She was too shy to talk to Santa but she made me proud by giving him a hug and sitting on his lap. Santa himself was very sweet and great with the kids.

Back at home--her cheeks are getting so big!

B's favorite ornaments--because of her gingerbread man fixation--are these that Steve's mom got for us a few years back. B calls them "gingerbread baby houses!"

Mia enjoys the lights.


Our new stockings! I couldn't wait to order them as soon as Mia was born. I love looking at them, and I can't believe we really have four stockings hanging up!

Hanging an ornament--this particular area of the tree is packed with ornaments since it's the only place she really put them. :)

My sparkly girl

OK, yes, I let my baby wear makeup...but let me explain. I realized yesterday that I absolutely couldn't live another minute without having Bianca's hair cut (moms will recognize the feeling--all of the sudden you just can't bear the length of your child's hair/fingernails or you just have an uncontrollable urge to scrub them from head to toe). I didn't have any treats in the house to distract her so I let her play with some old makeup. She was thrilled! The girl loves makeup. She was excited to be all sparkly, and I let her stay that way until after dinner. I never thought I'd see my three year old with mascara on her face, but at least I got her hair cut! :)

Put on your yarmulke...

It's time for Hannukah! We went to a Hannukah celebration at the home of our neighbors (and of B's buddy Ephraim). Steve's family is Jewish on the Jacobson side and he grew up celebrating both Christmas and Hannukah. I had always planned to incorporate a small Hannukah celebration into our holiday once we had kids...this was a great way to kick it off!

The goils wearing matching outfits from Grandma!

Yummy Hannukah treats...who can resist a holiday with lots of foods fried in oil like doughnuts and fritters? I've already decided that Krispy Kreme will be featured heavily in our personal family Hannukah celebration. :)

B and Ephraim like to curl up in his bed together...or her bed if they're at our house. This will be cute until they hit puberty, then it might be worrisome. :) Yes, he's driving a truck on her head.

Bianca playing with the dreidels.

In the words of Adam Sandler...have a happy happy happy happy Hannukah!

Is she really a month old?

Wow, this month has flown by! A month ago we welcomed miss Mia Juliet into the world! She's a sweet, sensitive little girl. Unlike baby Bianca who was a more "spirited" (i.e. intense) baby, Mia is more laid back and not too demanding. I'm not going to jinx myself by calling her easygoing though--too soon to tell! She definitely knows when the people she loves are near and she calls us back if we stray too far. She's very visual, and I can actually entertain her by switching out patterns in front of her--she'll stare at a striped pillowcase for ages and crane her neck almost 180 degrees to see the TV (B barely noticed TV until after 12 months). Although I've made no effort to get her on a routine yet, she keeps very regular hours, just like in the womb when I could almost set a clock by her active periods. She did a five-hour strech the other night and regularly goes four hours at night--AWESOME!

Is there anything cuter than a round baby belly? She is so soft, kissable, and huggable.

Holding her head up like a pro...sometimes she forgets she is only four weeks old! :)


A shot of her little eyelashes--they're so long they get tangly!

We love you sweet baby!

Happy Birthday Bianca

After celebrating many, many birthdays for other people and waiting patiently for her own, it was FINALLY Bianca's turn to blow out the candles! We had a Barney/holiday cookie decorating party with family and some of Bianca's friends on Saturday. Such fun--three year olds are a hoot! It's my favorite age so far. Bianca is the best three-year-old we could ask for.

Laura made AMAZING cupcakes. We saved some decorating hassles by buying the Barney cupcake picks, which B loved.

She's not a minimalist when it comes to frosting.

Blowing out her candles.

Mia gets some quality time with Farmor in a cute outfit that both Kendra and Kora purchased for her (great minds think alike!)

The gift-opening madness.

We love cupcakes!

I think this is our first photo as a family of four! Yep, we're almost four weeks in. Things are busy! :)

B's present from mom and dad--a dollhouse (by Melissa and Doug, since a lot of people have asked us already). It was the hit of the party for both boys and girls, and adults too!

Bianca in a princess dress from Kora. I can tell she'll be wearing this a lot.

We're so blessed with such wonderful friends and family. Thanks everyone for a great party!

Shower

We're so lucky...Kora threw us an awesome shower last Sunday for Miss Mia. Kora is quite an accomplished shower hostess (pretty soon it will be my turn to throw showers for her!) It was a great time--and I was too busy to take many photos! We were even lucky enough to have Bec, Jillian, and Holly still visiting from Arizona. Thanks a million Kora!

The guest of honor...it's her party and she'll sleep if she wants to!

"Look at her tiny eyebrows!" Ty and Kendra examining Mia up close. :)

Where's the party at? Wherever Bianca is!

Sweet Cousin Holly.