Hello everyone!!  I apologize for the quiet around here lately…  We were enjoying Big Bear last week on a wonderful family getaway (celebrating my sweetie’s birthday!) and as usual, it has been difficult to find the time to sit down and summarize the last amazing month with our little Olive.  I know I keep hinting at it but some exciting things are in store for this blog in the month ahead, so look forward to that!  ;-)

I was having a hard time writing down the date this week because it seems impossible that it is already the end of January.  We are in full-on 1st birthday party planning mode over here.  The invites were sent out and the RSVPs are beginning to trickle in.  I am so excited for the big celebration with so many people we love, but I am also in a constant state of disbelief that my daughter is really about to turn one!

hearst castle with halmunee & nana-ji

Month 10 was a magical one for our family because it included Olive’s first Christmas! The holidays were even more joyful with our little girl with us.  I loved introducing her to some of our family traditions, watching her face as she saw sparkling Christmas lights for the first time, trimming a tree with her (and rejoicing that she never was tempted enough to tamper with said tree), and burying her in a sea of wrapping paper on Christmas morning.  ;-)

Our highlights from Olive’s 10th month:

• We celebrated with 16 mommies and babies at a little shindig at Carissa’s house.  It was a fabulous time of catching up and exchanging gifts with a Mommy/Baby Secret Santa.  Unfortunately a ton of kids got sick in the days following the party… :-/  I guess that sort of thing is inevitable with that many kiddos, so we jokingly said next year is a Mommy’s night out!
• You weigh 17 lbs and 9.5 oz, which is on the lighter side.  But, you are super active and healthy and bright so we attribute it to how much you are moving for your age!  ;-)  You never stop moving, whether it’s speed-crawling, cruising, or bouncing and twisting (your first forms of dancing!).  Still no unassisted steps, but you are a champion at pushing around your walker (with only one hand, sometimes!) and standing for long periods of time, just smiling at us like you are about to venture out at any moment.  We are waiting with baited breath for that first step!
• We went to Hearst Castle with halmunee and nana-ji and made it a new tradition (since we went last year too, while you were still in the womb!) for Christmastime!  We also enjoyed time in Cambria and Cayucos, two of our other favorite central coast destinations.
• You enjoyed your first festa dei sette pesci — the traditional Italian feast on Christmas Eve featuring lots of yummy seafood!
• You woke up Christmas morning with a runny nose and your first “sort of” cold… You remained cheery and active despite the congestion!  Then you passed whatever you had to mommy.  Illness is one thing we prefer not to share around here.  ;-)
• You spent lots of time with all of your grandparents.  I am so thankful that you have such a wonderful group of grandparents & I hope you always cherish them.
• You continue to love being at church, “singing” along with me and piping up whenever Daddy is preaching.  It seems like you have quite a bit to say, and we can’t wait until you start putting those words together!
• Daddy has discovered that you love tortillas and bread.  I was hesitant to give you both of these things, but I can’t deny how you seem to go crazy for them.
• You cut four more teeth for a total of 8 pearlies!!  It is so cute seeing your teeth when you smile and ‘speak.’
• We picked the venue for your 1st birthday party, and then changed it.  We are even more excited about the new venue for your party and cannot wait to celebrate with so many loved ones in March!

Everyone: enjoy the weekend and I will see you next week!  xoxo, Angel

xoxo, Angel