December 09

This month the two big events were Hannukah and going back east to visit Alex's family. Hannukah this year was a lot of fun b/c Sasha was learning a lot about it at school and was incredibly excited about lighting the candles. We spread out the presents as to not overwhelm her, but by far her favorite gifts were these snap and style dolls I took a chance on getting her. Sometimes you buy something you think she'll love and after playing with it two times she'll put it away to glance at again in a month. It can be disappointing and you feel like you waste a lot of money. That said I decided to try ebay and these were actually my first win on the site. I was so excited to get them for her but mostly b/c she still likes playing with them. She also enjoys the puzzles Oma got her, the music jewelry box Aunt Lisa and Uncle Scott got her and the princess scooter from Aunt Abby and Uncle Will. Noah got a few small gifts but mostly he's happy just hanging around us, sucking on his hands and playing with Sasha's hand me down toys.

The trip back east went really well- the flight was great, Noah was also a pleasure on the plane. We had two couples come up to us after we arrived in DC to tell us how wonderful our children are. We feel super lucky to have kids that enjoy flying...especially when their Mom doesn't. Seeing everyone back east was a lot of fun- we had a great mixture of family and friends'. It was also Alex's mom's 60th birthday and we had a lot of fun celebrating her big day cooking with all of our brothers and sisters. The best part for me though was that Noah slept through the night, 5 nights in a row!!! It was amazing and we can finally see the light. I for the first time in a while felt like myself again...after 5 months that really felt wonderful!

We wish everyone a happy and healthy New Year's and look forward to hearing from you all in 2010!

http://picasaweb.google.com/amyres/Dec09?authkey=Gv1sRgCMizka3hidnvTg&feat=directlink

November

November was a busy month, and the sleepless nights were really wearing on us but we got one evening of reprieve when my parents came to visit in the beginning of the month. I think I would have needed a week to recooperate but we were thrilled to even get that time away. Alex and I had a great time in Bodega Bay and crab season just started so we ate incredibly well. It was so peaceful, beautiful and it was fun to just wander. It was also nice seeing my parents, after them being with us for 5 wks. after Noah's birth it was nice to have them back. My Mom also turned 60 this month and we took her to Alice Water's Chez Panisse to celebrate the occasion. The food was excellent and luckily the fare on the menu that evening was stuff we would eat. Alex was the most adventurous and had a squid dish but regardless of what we ordered we all enjoyed our meals.

We stayed local for Thanksgiving and went to our good friends Miae and Davids' house. They cooked up a great feast and as always it was fun to celebrate with them and their family who are always so welcoming to us. Alex's sister Julie and her husband Mike came down the evening of Thanksgiving and stayed for the whole weekend. We had a lot of fun being with them and were so happy they came to meet Noah. It really meant a lot to us for them to drive down, and we are really thrilled to see Julie so happy. Spending time with them is allowing us to get to know Mike more and it's obvious she's picked a great guy. Unfortunately, Alex got sick on their 2nd day here and didn't get to hang out as much as he would have liked. We did organize a football game and picnic for the Sat. after Turkey day and it turned out to be a lot of fun. We played 5 on 5 and went for about an hour. I was so incredibly sore the week after it was pretty funny...and sad. But hey I just had a baby right?

Enjoy the pictures of this month!
http://picasaweb.google.com/amyres/Nov09?authkey=Gv1sRgCIH98LOM9IS9Bg&feat=directlink