Feliz Navidad!

Tiago and mommy awoke early Christmas morning (as they do every morning). Mommy baked some holiday cookies, and Tiago patiently awaited the arrival of his cousins (daddy and tio Matias each slept in and nursed a cold).

Like a true Christmas miracle, Tiago and baby cousin Micaela both napped simultaneously while the the holiday meal was prepared and the adults socialized.

Dinner turned out great and Korah and Nate even had time to eat seconds!

Tiago and Micaela woke up midway through the festivities and enjoyed lots of attention and affection; however, there were a few select moments when attention was diverted away from the little holiday-stars. During these brief moments they were sentenced to "baby prison" (which they seemed to mostly enjoy):

Who knew that a baby's first Christmas could be so profitable?! These kids made out like bandits! The leap-frog puppy toys were a smash.

Mateo also enjoyed his loot and even gave cousin Tiago a "gracias" kiss for his toy slinky...which he REALLY loved...

...but, about an hour later, Mateo had to ask his tio Matias and tio Nate to help -put the "slink" back into his slinky. They gave it the old post-graduate-college try but it was a lost cause even for these brainy-acts.

Mad Men

Our 1956 style home set the stage for Nate's surprise 30th birthday party. The Mad Men theme is a tribute to one of Nate's favorite TV series! Like a good 1960's wife, Korah organized the party with pins in her hair and a baby on her hip. She set out Nate's dress shirt, shoes and tie, and invited some of Nate's closest friends to attend. (Tiago was even able to attend for a brief moment) The party was a'rockin'!

Nate's 30th

Okay, I'm going to have to give myself a big pat on the back for having pulled this one off! It was not easy getting Nate out of the house and setting up with a baby in-tow. That said, it was one of my favorite parties to date. I loved doing this for my husband and greatly enjoyed his happiness and seeing some of his dearest friends rally around him for his 30th birthday! A special thanks to those who battled traffic, baggage claims or general holiday mayhem to be there!

Nate's Surprise party was a smash, it was neat, it was swell! We had a Mad Men-themed party and dressed up in our finest 1960's attire

Hello Gorgeous!

Say hello to your gemini twin!

In his defense, he is not really all that self-absorbed so much as he just enjoys "kissing" EVERYTHING. He also kissed the wall and the door on his way into his bedroom. Perhaps he is just really thankful to have something to cling on to as he attempts to walk!

Help! I've stood up and I can't get down!

Tiago spent the better part of his 4th and 5th months of life trying to perfect his crawling, from commando to traditional style. By 6 months he was simply figuring out clever ways to

circumnavigate the various roadblocks and barriers intended to keep him safe from harm.

About 3 weeks ago, having decided that he had perfectly mastered the whole crawling thing, he promptly begun his quest to crack the standing/walking code. On the night of December 1st, we decided that we urgently needed to lower his bed. On the morning of December 2nd, we found Tiago standing upright on his recently lowered mattress--close call!

During the day, Tiago climbs various objects (or people) to position himself into a standing position, and walks along furniture, baby-gates, walls, etc., until he feels confident enough to release his grip, one hand at a time, to test his balance before tumbling softly to the ground (he hates that last part).

At night, however, Tiago is not as ambitious. Lately, we have been waking to his loud cries and find him gripping the rails of his crib for dear life. Apparently, he has not mastered the soft-landing-drop, such that he can "do it in his sleep." On second thought, is he crying because he can't get down or because he can't get out?! (this video was taken while he was supposed to be napping):

the big debate

It's quite fun to hear people analyze Tiago's features and try to decide whether he looks more like his mommy or his daddy. Currently, it seems to be about 60/40 (mommy is in the lead) according to comments by random strangers, family and friends. For me, it is one of the many perks of being a parent (seeing your beloved partner in the face of your child). Of course, we acknowledge that Tiago is really his OWN person with his own features but, for fun, I am posting some baby pictures of Nate and I and letting you weigh in on the big debate:

Turkey Day

We are so very thankful for our beautiful little family and our lovely little house! Thanksgiving day was a beautiful, sunny, California fall day. The turkey turned out scrumptious, and we enjoyed the company of: Grandma Naomi, Paul, Zac, Megs, Karen and David. It was Tiago's first Thanksgiving, and Korah's first holiday with a baby (needless to say, it was all a bit of a blur).

Tambourine Man

Oh, how he loves his musica criolla (I really don't understand it)!