Christmas Day 2008

Grandma made a Mr. Moose stocking for Elijah. He had fun opening it and discovering his little gifts, including the traditional toothbrush. Eric made the famous Graves family breakfast for everyone.
Elijah's very favorite gift was his lawnmower (thanks, Connie!). He got frustrated at how long it took to open the box, but after that he really enjoyed it. Everyone else also enjoyed hearing the lawnmower pop, sing, and talk all over the house. The McKinley clan: Our hosts: Just a note on how awesome Ab is: what first time Mom has seven people over for Christmas when her baby is just a week old? Also, what first time Mom lets "I-like-to-hit-babies-in-the-face" Elijah into their home when their new baby is just a week old? Elijah, Aunt Abigail must REALLY love you!

Joe gave Bella her first Disney princess doll.
Joe & Ab gave David a bag of (delicious) chips. Below David looks like he is unwilling to share, while Joe prepares to spring from his chair and grab the chips.

The proud new Daddy - Bella's Daddy that is - with his Daddy tool belt.In an attempt to get a comfortable chair, I started riding Bella's rocking horse.It took us ALL DAY to open gifts. Elijah had to take a few breaks for naps because, as you can see here, getting so many fun toys can be exhausting.Everyone was so sweet to let Elijah help open gifts and to patiently wait for him to unwrap his own presents. Here Joe and Ab work hard to unwrap their gift from us. (Sometimes all you need is a ribbon, folks. Don't overdo it.)Joe racked up on Disney movies. He was really excited. Joe's family has a crazy obsession with all things Disney. We still think they are Christians~;-)Elijah and Bella had a Christmas photo shoot:
Elijah stares at Bella's very tempting little face.Elijah asks if he can poke her with his finger.
Elijah attempts to quickly poke his cousin. Momma's cat-like reflexes intervene.Elijah continues to stare at Bella's sweet little face.My dear little (growing!) family: We had an absolutely wonderful Christmas! We were super happy to share it with Connie, David, Lizzie, Ab, Joe, Mom, and Baby Bella. I felt very blessed and loved by the whole family (minus Jackson, who ate my phone cord).

What Can I Say?

The Hamilton family is all over the news these days.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/02042009/news/nationalnews/from_pot_tokes_to_strokes_153473.htm

http://www.newschannel5.com/Global/story.asp?S=9815802

We are obviously really talented at giving great quotes. It must run in the family.

Christmas Eve 2008

Grandma arrived just in time to attend the Christmas Eve service with us at Joe & Ab's church. Baby Bella was mentioned in the message, which was clearly fitting as it was her first outing. We sat in the back to allow for quick escapes. Elijah's hair was sticking up everywhere. He was really into practicing blowing out the candles.
We sat together, as tired Tooskini's tend to need their Mommas. Momma also showed Elijah the wonders of a water fountain for the first time. I help my 30 lb child up above my ever-expanding belly so he could have "Moor! Moor!" of the water hit his face. He thought it was hysterical. Eric left the service to tell us to quite down. Grandma said we weren't that distracting. And it was really entertaining.
Baby Bella even had a fancy new dress to wear. Her dear Aunt Lydia found some appropriate 0-6 months tights for her to wear. Bella was not quite up to filling out either the dress or the tights...although we feel that will soon change (check out this chin!).
Sweet little baby girl!
That night we had a hodge-podge dinner. Everyone got to pick a favorite food from the grocery store. We had soft pretzels (mmmm!), double stuff Oreos, Queso dip, and...well, the last thing was so disgusting I find it hard to mention.
Elijah hung out with "JOE!JOE!JOE!" on Christmas Eve. Look how nice Joe is - even holding the milk cup.
We attempted a photo shoot with everyone in their Christmas pajamas (thanks Connie!). This is just after Elijah tried to hit Bella on the head. This picture is hilarious (although my child's behavior problems are certainly not).

Yay! Finally one with everyone looking; well, everyone except Bella - but she's a baby.
And Joe really tore up a LOT of Lit'l Smokies. Eric and I were grossed out, but strangely amused by the nastiness of the dish. The recipe includes Lit'l Smokies (yes, that is the proper spelling. See Joe for pronunciation.), grape jelly, and chili sauce. Chili sauce is a real thing. There are actually several different varieties at WalMart, none of which I would ever recommend trying.

Amazement Square

Our second downtown Lynchburg outing was much, much more appropriate. We visited the local Children's Museum, Amazement Square. We got an all-day family pass for a fairly inexpensive price, which was just great! We played for hours, went home for lunch & a nap, and returned late that afternoon to play some more. It was super fun.
Elijah was delighted to find a wheelbarrow in the Toddler's "Big Red Barn" area. He just wheeled it around for hours (literally) knocking kids, adults, and cornstalks out of his way.
He even pushed his wheelbarrow through this tunnel filled with bugs, worms, and caves in which to store your food. We got to pick our own corn.
Elijah and Daddy played on a four story playground.


Elijah also enjoyed playing in the little kitchen, rolling golf balls through mazes, and especially floating boats down a model of the James River.


Lesson: indoor play activities are well-worth the cost.

A Real Barber Shop Visit

We tried to hang out in downtown Lynchburg one afternoon. It was dreadfully cold. Elijah actually started crying because the wind was so cold and strong. At a loss for ideas (and needing to get out of the house for awhile), we ducked into a little barber shop right there in downtown. Elijah frequently needs a haircut, so we thought this could be our afternoon's entertainment. There was barely enough room for us and our huge stroller, but we all managed to squeeze in.

First, Elijah and I watched this old man get his hair cut. We talked a lot about how the clippers went "buzz, buzz" around his ears. We also talked a lot about how the old man was happy he was getting his hair cut. "Elijah, look at the man getting his hair cut. He is so happy. Isn't he brave? He is getting his hair cut!" The man was really sweet and talked to Elijah about his hair cut.


Then it was Elijah's turn. The barber started things off by giving him a Dum-Dum. Mmmmm. He also changed the tv to a cartoon channel and directed Elijah's attention that way. Little did he know that my child will not watch tv, no matter how age-appropriate the content. (...although Eric is working on that...) The lollipop was really fun at first.
The "buzz, buzz" started to get to Elijah about half-way through his haircut...

...and then the lollipop tasted ok again.

Eric and I were so proud of him! No tears were shed and no complaining! It really, really helped that we got to watch the old man get his hair cut first. We were sad to leave the barber shop because it meant going back out into the frigid wind. We ended up hanging out at the indoor Farmer's Market just down the street until Eric came to get us with the van.

Aunt Ab liked Elijah's new haircut.

"Isses!"

This afternoon I was sitting on the floor going through my recipe books. (This is part of an unrealistic goal of deep cleaning my entire home before Little Pepper arrives.) Elijah comes right up to my face and says "Isses! Isses!"

"Elijah! Do you want Kisses?"

"Esss!"

[Elijah receives abundant kisses from Momma.]

"Moh! Moh!"

[More kisses follow.]

I'm so glad my little boy needs lots of lovin'!

Before Bella Liked Bathtime

Adjusting to life outside the womb is bound to be traumatic. You have to learn to eat, adjust to temperature changes, learn to poop and undergo numerous diaper changes, as well as having your belly button soaked in alcohol and swabbed like crazy. People are constantly putting their faces next to yours and staring at you. The only comfort is that you finally have enough room to fully extend your limbs.

Due to her still-attached umbilical cord, Baby Bella's first bath at home was a sponge bath. Even though it was super quick, Ab and I concurred that the poor little girl probably got way too cold. (This did, however, prod us to bump up the thermostat on their water heater. I highly recommend it.) Bella now LOVES her bath! She is not really able to move yet, but she will scoot herself as far down in the tub as possible - as if trying to submerge her little body. Bathtime is now fun for Bella, as well as for our Teenie!
Bella's little smile...
...and my big smile. I love having a little baby sleep on me!