Oh Hanukkah Oh Hanukkah!

What involves a lot of spinning, jelly donuts, a substantial fire hazard and some really neat presents and lasts for 8 nights?

No, not Memorial Day.

It's Hanukkah! And you just wrapped up your first one ever!



This year your Mom and I decided that each night would have a theme for gifts, this made it really extra special. Themes ranged from 'homemade' to 'something for the whole family' to 'something read', 'something entertaining' and something surprising!'



Well, to be honest, the whole thing was pretty surprising for you, since you probably had no clue why we were lighting candles and singing...especially since you've probably never even seen fire before!


We celebrated some nights with just the three of us, some nights with Mimi and Pops, some with Uncle Jeremy, Aunt Michelle and Brady,
... some with Uncle BJ and Aunt Kari (and your Godmother Aunt Kari took some amazing pictures!),




...one with Aunt Sham and Scott and even one pre-night with Rebekka and Ross before they left town.

Rebekka even made our family new Chrismukkah stockings! They are awesome!
Guess which one is yours!
For a lot of your first Hanukah, I'm not quite sure you knew what was going on, but we were at least there to document your utter confusion. And..sometimes we got confused too.

Hey! It's hard to remember the Hebrew lyrics when the camera is rolling! I swear, we nail it every night...but when the camera's rolling, goodbye memory.

Here's your first night ever, gathered around our menorah and our Hanukkah bush!!







The first night of Hanukkah also marked the first time that you unwrapped a present. As it turns out, even that takes some getting used to.

And, if you're wondering, "pants" is NOT a lame present! You needed pants! But, whether or not you liked the pants, you seemed to like the wrapping paper!

As Hanukkah rolled on you got books, toys, clothes, and some other cool things too.

You really like books now! You can sit and stare and pound on a good book for a long time, just squawking and talking. You'll even go to great lengths to get a good book now! Check out you pulling to standing...and we didn't even have to bait you with a remote control!

This was really one of the best Hanukkahs I've ever celebrated. I think I finally got why it's 8 days long, and it has nothing to do with magic oil lasting for 8 nights: its about 8 nights of togetherness with family and friends; that's a way better message than "presents" too (although, who can turn down a good present?)

And being with you and your Mother, Preston and Toby, your real and adopted Aunts and Uncles, and Mimi and Pops over the course of this Hanukkah was really something to celebrate!

And by the end of your first Hanukkah, your Mom's and Dad's camera-induced-flubbing-of-Hebrew got no better, but you seemed to have learned a tune or two about Hanukkah! You even started singing along!

9 Months Old!

Another big part of our Thanksgiving break was that you turned 9 months old, young man!



And you are growing up in front of our eyes! Gone are the days when you were just a baby; now you're a little person, with little person likes and dislikes and a big person personality stuck inside a little person!
Speaking of "little," you're not so little any more at all. According to the doctor- whom you visited on Thursday- you are now about 28 inches tall, which puts you in the 50th to 70th percentiles of kids your age.

But, on the other side, despite our best efforts to fatten you up, you now weigh 18 pounds, 2 ounces...which puts you smack dab in the 15th-20th percentiles for weight.

Which means you are still tall and skinny for your age.

But the doctor wasn't worried about you being too skinny, despite those numbers.

Your mom asked if we should try to get you to pack on more pounds and she said "No! He looks fat enough to me!"

So, there you have it! You're a growing, tall, skinny, happy 9 month old boy! And you have two very happy 9-months-on-the-job parents and tons of other family to show for it.

You also have 6 sprouting teeth to show for it too...but you seem less happy about that!

It's so odd that you've now officially been here on earth for as long as you were there in your Mom's tummy.

The time we were expecting you seems so distant, so far away. And you've seemingly been here forever. But, the calendar doesn't lie. You were in for 9 months hard time, and you've been out and growing for the same. From here on out, it's all gravy!

The Epic Tale of Your very First (second, third and fourth) Thanksgiving(s)!

As your 8th month came to a close, we celebrated Thanksgiving...four-ish times! So you got to have your first four Thanksgivings all in one week! And, despite being in slight pain due to cutting 6 teeth during the Thanksgiving break, you really had a great time!

Our first first Thanksgiving was friendsgiving. Your Godmother made a Turkey, so the rest of us brought sides and babies to Kari and BJ's house. Only a few pictures were taken that night...and most of them occurred when you and Brady had a simultaneous diaper change.

It was really odd to realize that just one year ago we had Friendsgiving at BJ and Kari's house too and you were in your Mama's belly, and Brady wasn't even a glimmer yet. And now, one year later, your both celebrating your first Thanksgivings together!

This was probably your worst night, though. Your teeth were bothering you and we made you sit at the table for-EVER (in baby terms...about 10 minutes in adult terms), so you were a bit fussy. In fact, you started crying and screaming so much that you made Brady cry.

At that point, Uncle Jeremy said "Your Car Alarm set off my Car Alarm."

But, despite that, fun was had by all!

After we figured out that you were cutting so many teeth, we gave you Orajel and Baby Tylenol and the rest of the week (and the rest of the Thanksgivings) went way better for you.

Then, the Wednesday before your second Thanksgiving your Aunt Rebekka and Uncle Ross came in town. You hadn't seen Aunt Rebekka since you were teeny tiny, and you hadn't ever met Uncle Ross. But you guys all hit it off immediately!




The next day we had Thanksgiving #2 at Mimi and Pops' house.

First you got to play in a really old bouncy toy that was mine and Aunt Rebekka's when we were kids! Pops set it all up for you!

Your Mom and I were nervous for you...
But, you seemed to like it!


And since some of Auntie M's family were in town to meet Brady, you got to play with them and Brady.

You really liked to eat Nicole's bracelets! So, she donated them to you!

Brady celebrated in style!Since you're a big boy, you don't really sleep like that anymore...so we have to sometimes 'trick' you into sitting at the table for extended periods of time. Check out these awesome parenting skills:
Plug the baby into Youtube and booze it up while Mommy eats!

To be honest, though, we only try to let you watch your Sesame Street videos on the phone when we've exhausted all other options. At any rate, you love you some videos of Sesame Streets. Your favorites include these two (and yes, you've been watching Sesame Street frequently enough to have favorites, but infrequently enough to melt your brain completely):

You really trance and smile and even move your lips when you're watching Sesame Street!
But, anyway, we wined (or watered)...
Dined...(with the good silver)
And had a little after-dinner music:
The next morning, you played with your furry friends,

Then we all went for a walk and even got to go in the swing (your second time swinging!) It was a beautiful fall day, so we couldn't resist.



Later that night we had our third-ish Thanksgiving...mmm leftovers...but first, Mimi and Aunt Rebekka just had to eat you up! (not literally; cannibalism is not supported in this family)

The next day we drove out to Sulphur Springs for our fourth and final Thanksgiving. Immediately upon arrival, your 20-month old second cousin Kaelyn found you and gave you a kiss!
Then there was some playing...
Some patting:

Some sharing:
Some not sharing (no picture of not sharing...since it wasn't pretty)

And some of this (whatever this is)

The two of you got along fabulously! It was so cool to watch you guys figure out that the other wasn't just a toy...but a real little boy and girl! You guys played and giggled and flirted and talked and wrestled. You even pulled Kaelyn's pig tails! The cuteness continued when we went outside and the two of you hung out on Great Grandma's and Grandpa's swing. At first Kaelyn wasn't too pleased that you were on HER swing...
But then she warmed up to you, which was good considering that it was getting a little chilly!




You did get to see other people like you Cousin Jenny (who also practices cannibalism)
and your great grandma...
But, for you, the star of your Fourth Thanksgiving was Kaelyn Bright:
Thanksgiving was so great, but, all great things come to an end eventually. So, we said ttfn to Sulphur Springs, and later said ttfn to your Aunt Rebekka and Uncle Ross. We say 'ttfn' because 'goodbye' is so final...and we'll see your aunts, great grandparents and cousins again really soon!




Oh yeah, I almost forgot to tell you! Over Thanksgiving break you stood up for yourself. You've been trying this move for a few weeks now, but over Thanksgiving break you finally mastered it! Now there's no stopping you!