new year news

Hello all!
Tis the eve of a new year and I am underwhelmed. I don't know if I should be excitedly anticipating the new year, but I don't really think of tomorrow as anything more than tomorrow. My dear friends Rachel is hanging out with us until Sunday, so I'd like to do something super fun. However, as of 3:17, we have no definite plans. It doesn't make it any easier to plan for a fun night when you have an almost eight month-old baby whose bedtime is at 7.
Speaking of said baby, he had a HORRIBLE night's sleep the night before last. It was made worse by the presence of another sweet baby that we were trying very hard not to wake up. Noah has another cold. He couldn't breathe through his nose laying down, and we didn't want to let him cry it out, since that would just be mean and it would have woken up Lydia Marie. Stephan and I slept about for about four or five hours. I anticipate a similar night last night, but we were blessed and exuberantly surprised when he slept soundly, without waking, all night long. Thank you, glorious God.
 Well, What I do look forward to this new year is the possibilities! This time next year, Noah will be 19 months old. As if he hasn't changed enough since his introduction into this world in May, I can't imagine how much more so he will have changed by then. I dont' want to imagine. I'm going to enjoy every day I have with him this next year. I love my husband. Yay, God!
   Cheers to a new year!   

Pictures, pictures, and more Christmas pictures

my friends, this post will be a very picture-heavy post, as a picture is worth a thousand words. So, I shall let you get to the picture-viewing and only interrupt to add a caption or two. And as it was Christmas, I shall attempt to caption entirely in poem.
          Noah's First Christmas

Good Christmas morning! What a day this will be!

I had to unwrap stuff to see what the folks got me.

Ohmygoshapiano! I love it!

Daddy always says that it's not yours until you lick it.

now I play it with uncanny skill

Aren't i skilled?

Whew, that was a lot of Christmas. are we done now?

daddy got mommy a digital picture frame

mommy got daddy a sweater. how lame!

Then onto Papa's, where Noah met Bear

His mountain of presents gave Noah great cheer!

Daddy's stocking was huge, as it usually is.

Then on to Oupa and Ouma's to see cousins of his.

Oh, so much Christmas, I think I should nap. What better place to nap than a loving aunt's lap!

Buzzzz!

That right there, that's the Christmas spirit. Apparently, it buzzes

Sorry for the delay, my friends, but as you all are probably very aware of, it is Christmas, and people get busy and hurried this time 'o year. So, in the twisted, misplaced world's idea of the spirit of Christmas, I shall cram as much joy and festivity in  as brief a post as possible.

I have completed all Christmas shopping. (With two days to spare, I sure do hope you are amazed!) Unlike last year, our Christmas tree is surrounded with a healthy variety of presents of all shapes and sizes. And yet, we have actually spent, I'm guesstimating, less than $200 on presents. (yay Lowe's credit!) Today, Melissa is coming over to wrap presents con migo. We had awesome sister time shopping at Wally-world.

Noah has made me more than happy. Cranky Mr. whiney-pants went down for a nap, kicking and screaming, at 10. I said to myself, "Self, if that baby stays asleep for an hour, I'd be content. And hour and a half, I'd be happy. More than that, I'd be so stinkin' happy!!" It has been an hour and some change, so Mommy happy. I usually don't worry too much about his sleeping habits, but as of late, Noah has been super weird about sleeping.

Noah, the orange-nosed baby (baby) had a very orange-y nose!

Stephan if in the garage making a biltong box for his father. In South Africa, those boxes were used to make jerky. I can't help but reckon this to a sweet, simple time when the parents' favorite gifts were the ones their children made by hand. (i.e., noodle necklaces, turkey-hand prints, and other arts and crafts.) I really think that this biltong box will be Sias' favorite, simply because his son made it for him.
Now, to get back to life. I shall try to update as soon after Christmas as possible. I'll probably have sooo many pictures of Noah enjoying his first Christmas!

           And now, because it is too cute, another picture of Noah, similar to above, but so very different in demeanor:

ehh, wise guy, eh?

I feel like such a sinner

Lazy Sundays aren't always good, I guess.
Stephan, my wonderful, hard-working husband, has been working on a kitchen job since last Monday. He came home at 9-ish last night, worn out and beaten down. As a gesture of support, I stayed home from church with him this morning. (hence an update at 10:40 on a Sunday morning.) Now I feel all lazy and stuff.

The good news is, I have my hubby back! Well, temporarily, at least. The Cowboys are playing today, so, for about two hours, I'll lose him to his favorite team. Stinkin' Cowboys.

Noah's still snotty, but I can tell that he's slowly improving. Slowly, but surely, I'm getting my slime-free baby back.
Well, that's about all I have to inform you off, kind followers. Except for the fact that Christmas is this Saturday! Woo, Stephan and I need to go Christmas shopping.

watch this!

watch this. If you don't laugh, you have no funny bone in your body. Or you don't like cats.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3iFhLdWjqc

Have a nice weekend, friends!

If they make a movie about my life, I want Peter Jackson to direct it

I had a bagel for breakfast. I don't necessarily enjoy bagels, but the other options were waffles or oatmeal, and I wasn't in the mood. (which is weird, 'cause I love waffles

Noah's feeling a bit better, I think. His nose is still drippy and he is still a bit fussier than usual, but it's less horrible than it was. One thing I'm thoroughly enjoying about his bout with disease is his new found need to be snuggled. My son is a bit of an independent baby, so when out of no where he starts trying his hardest to crawl into my lap anytime I'm on the floor with him, or raising his arms for me to pick him up anytime he sees me, my heart swelled with affection and I was more than happy to comply.
Stephan's been away far longer than I like. I am so blessed and glad that God has given me a man that loves me and our baby and wants to do everything in his power to take care of us. I'm sooooooooooooooooo-OOH glad that I am not a single parent, 'cause the thought of what it would have been like facing these past 7 months on my own is depressing. I'm ready to cuddle, though, so come home now, Liefie.

Speaking of cuddling, the bed calls for me. I plan on enjoying a power nap this morning. So deuces, peeps!

Baby mine, don't you cry

Last night was a toughie. Poor, poor Noah's nose is pretending to be an athlete, 'cause it is running like crazy. It came out of nowhere last night and he woke up coughing and snorting because he couldn't breathe in his sleep. We were staying the night with my parents, since daddy is away on work, so I didn't have my handy stash of nose-suckers available to me. Between 9 and 10:30, Noah woke up as previously described three or four times. Each time, I hurried into his room to pick him up and walk him around, because that was the only method I had of helping the mucus to drain. Around 10:30, I remembered what a nurse had told me when I was panicking about Noah's last cold. She had suggested alternating between standing in the bathroom with the shower running hot water and standing in front of the freezer to let Noah breathe the cold air. That seemed to work a bit. By this time, however, my heart was hurting for my poor little snuffle-face, and I couldn't just lay him back in his crib to relive the horrible experience of not being able to breathe again. So I tucked him into bed with me, making sure he was propped up enough to let the snot drain instead of pool in the back of his throat. I let him sleep like that with me for about an hour, but soon I was very tired. I finally did rest him in his crib, this time putting his little crib-pillow to use for the first time,  and Noah slept as well as I could imagine a baby can with a heinous cold.
     God does all things for a reason. While I can only guess at what His purposes are for all the occasions, trials, highs and lows in life, I can rest assured knowing that not one of them takes place without God knowing and approving of them first. He is so soundly in control. I'm glad that I can rest my hope in Him. Without Him, I'd be a wreck. With Him, I can live happily with a peace that baffles worldly wisdom. I pray that peace for all of you, friends and family. Especially at Christmas and especially for those of you who really need it right now.
         Well, time for me and Noah to wrestle. Later, gators!  

nine-whine-whine

noah's teething. again.
I have absolutely no room to complain, because at his worst, teething Noah is a whiner. I have a friend whose teething baby had a raging fever and diarrhea. Consequently, I feel blessed.

Tis the season to be jolly! and to look at Noah wearing  a santa hat!

we staged a mini photo-shoot at my mom and dad's. Stupid me forgot the camera, so these pictures were taken on my cell phone and texted to Stephan who e~mailed them back to me at which time I posted them here.   Now Noah's a present under the tree:

 such a sweet baby boy.

Tonight, Stephan is reading from the scriptures in front of the entire church in Afrikaans. I'm already proud of him! but that time is nearing quickly and I've gots to feed Noah and then get us both ready. More updates soon, I promise! 


 

Oh Shannendoh, I long to see you

Sometimes, while I sing cheerily in the shower, I kind of wish that I still sang in a choir. It's a neat feeling, being one of a large group of talented people. It makes you feel extra special if you can hold your own amongst really good singers. And, I can proudly say that I have sung first soprano in the Hallelujah Chorus in a beautiful church cathedral.
I have been slacking, my friends. I regularly walk on Tuesday and Thursday mornings with Sheryl and Miss Lucy, but for the past two weeks, mostly due to the rush and hurry of the holiday season, we have failed to do so. I feel fatter already.
Today Noah gets to go play with his baby friends! I enjoy playdates.
I really really have to shower. You know when you can smell yourself? (ick) It does not help that I bathed myself in sunless tanner yesterday in hopes of looking less transparently white.
To God be the glory, great things He has done!

Tuesday update

I rode a horsey!

Look at me! I'm a stinking cowgirl! true, Sias never let go of the halter. And yes, there was no saddle. Or reigns. And I didn't "ride" anywhere without Sias walking ahead of me and my mount, but still! I rode a horse! Her name is velvet. She's a sweetie.
That's about all I signed on to post about, except for this picture of me and my snuggly, loving baby:

And if i could be transformed into anything in this world, it would be a dancer.Watch this and you will understand why http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s67Yc_ozOgA  

oh, Charlie cat...

Funny commercials make me laugh.
I have been praying regularly for my son's salvation. It is one of the supplication that I bombard the throne with daily. Not only do I pray for Noah to come to love Jesus as Jesus loves him, but also for my future babies, and the babies of my dear friends. Nothing is more important, and nothing should be more pressing on my mind and in my heart.

It's late-ish, and I need to sleep heartily tonight, for I might just go for my power walk in the morning. Even though the forecast promises below-freezing temperatures tonight. yipee
Praise God for thick, fluffy blankies!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

 Oh my gosh, guys, which one is store bought and which one did I make? I bet you can hardly tell, except for the extra tassels and finery, which one is professionally made and which one sprang from the crafty hands and trusty sewing machine of yours truly.
Last night, Stephan pulled out the Christmas decorations from the attic and I decorated the house with cheer and boughs of holly. (falalalalaaaaa, lalalala) It's pretty easy to do, since we have a meager supply of Christmas decorations in comparison to, say, my mother. But decorate we did, with Josh Groban crooning softly in the background. Noah went to bed at 7:20-ish, (it was a special night) then we put up the tree and Stephan and I decorated it together. I'm slightly embarrassed by the number of ornaments we have that have our faces in/on them. Our tree is kinda' a shrine to our relationship dating back to 2006. After all decorating was done, I whipped out the sewing machine and the new fabrics I had just purchased and set to work in creating a stocking I would be proud to hand on my mantel. An hour later, I had made this:

Isn't she lovely?? Yes, yes, it's still super basic and nothing fancy at all, but look at how clean and well-made looking it is!

Yep, she's a 'beaute.

Again, forgive my pride, Lord, but I have never thought that I would be the kind that would want to do something like this, much less be able to pull it off. Today, I get to make stocking dos and tres while Noah naps. I'm very much looking forward to it! Speaking of which, he's getting tired of the jump-up, so I've gots to go.
more pictures to come, friends!

----------------------later that same day (duh-duh-duh-duuuuuh!)-----------------------------------

I present to you, the finished product! My three stockings!

 

 

And then, a picture of Noah admiring his first Christmas tree.

Forget "mother knows best", Stephan's a stinkin' GENIUS!

I can't recall if I mentioned this before, but a few Thursdays ago, as I gamed the evening away with the ladies of my Bunco group, Stephan set to work flipping the layout of our house completely. He had been speaking of wanting to do so for a while, thinking that the house would function and look much better if the living room was where the fireplace is and the dining room was next to the big window in our front room. I had been reluctant to let it happen. I hate moving stuff around because it kinda makes me anxious. Well, friends, since the big switch, I have fallen in love with our house all over again. It's amazing what a change as simple as moving your furniture around can do! On cold, blustery nights, the living room used to be impressively colder than the rest of the house due to the large, old windows. Now, it is the warmest part of the house thanks to the roaring fireplace. God is so good! Is it possible to thank Him enough? I really don't think so.
To document, I took a few pictures of the cozy layout that I shall now share with you.

Used to be the living room, now the office space/reading area/ play area

The snuggly, cozy living room!

A view of the whole front room.

In closing, I wish to also show you pictures from this past Wednesday, when we got to watch miss Madilyn Jane for an hour or so. 

  Noah was all like, "hey boo, let me hold yo' hand". And Madi was all, "I don't really care either way."

Then, Noah was all like, "GAAGAHAGADAA", and again, Madi was unimpressed. That there is a hard baby to impress.

A few of my favorite things

I have a two songs from The Sound of Music stuck in my head. yay!
Noah is now a prolific roller. I am happy to announce that as soon as I lay him down on his back he either kicks up his feet to munch on his toes, or he flops onto his belly. It can be hazardous, as sometimes, when he has just eaten, he spits up a little when he rolls onto his tum-tum.
Today I went to Walmart. One of the necessities I had to get was dog food. (our hounds go through bags of dog food so very fast). I decided to grab the largest bag of pedigree available, which just happened to be on display in the main isle. As I parked my cart and made room for the 20+ pound bag of kibbles in my cart, I glanced around and wondered to myself, "I wonder if anyone will offer to help a lady with a baby haul a huge, heavy bag of food into her cart."
Nobody did.
Chivalry is dead!
Now, I'm going to put the pile of to-small baby clothes in Noah's closet into my new storage tub I just bought.
Merry Christmas!

Cheeseburgers, nanananananana!

Noah has a new face to make:

 I haven't the slightest idea what this sour-taste face means, but he looks like he just bit into a lemon. He makes it mostly while in his high-chair, but we managed to capture the look as he was rockin' it on his changing table. Another cute photo op; we went to Target then Walmart to look over "big-boy" car seats. On the way home, Noah did his usual routine of getting fussy and then going completely silent, as though a switch had been flipped. When we got home and opened the car door, this is what we saw:

 

 He konked out in the middle of chewing on his book.
And then, friends, a final look at what happened this past weekend.

My sister was in town. We went to movies, chatted about lives, and ate some frozen yogurt. And then she made me a brunette. 

Disney scores again!

oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my

My sister and I went to see "Tangled" today. It's Disney's version of the story of Rapunzel. It was adorable! I laughed so much and I cried twice. It hereafter ranks up there with the Little Mermaid and, as hard as it is to believe, Beauty and the Beast. I loved it loved it LOVED it. It reaffirmed my belief in princesses and fairy tales and perfect hair in aforementioned fairy tales. And, as when I watch the golden oldies, (Beauty and the Beast) I am inspired to see Stephan as my handsome Prince Charming.

I love love! Love is the best! 

Snickerdoodles!

I dislike being a complainer, but I hate colds, so here goes:
I HATE COLDS! I hate having a cold. I don't even like being cold.
That's enough of that.
I hope that everyone's Thanksgiving was as splendid as mine was. That would mean that everyone had a huge turn-out with all their family there (except Taylor. *frowny-face* love you, cousin!) and that there was an ostentatious amount of food, including many incredible desserts. I was surprised that not too many family pictures were taken. Yes, there were several, but usually there is at least an hour set aside for the capturing of our massive family in pictures. At least we got our immediate family's picture taken. (Christmas cards, yay!)
Now, my family is coming to our house, from where we will set off to the Christmas tree farm. yay! more pictures!

SHOOT!

Well, friends, Noah has show his first sign of weakness and imperfection; He has a cold.
It's no more than a slightly runny nose and a irregular cough, but still, as a first-time mother, it is my obligation and duty to panic unnecessarily.
This post is dedicated to how cute Noah is. I give you photographic evidence:

Noah's first piggy-back ride. (footed sleeper)

 Again, the footed sleeper as well as the slightly orange nose.

 This is daddy's new toy. It's a man-trike, a tricycle for adults.

 Noah wanted that bell soooo badly.

He wouldn't look up even for a second to take a picture. And yes, Stephan is kinda in his undies.
I thank God for how wonderfully he has blessed me. Such good looking boys for me to love on!

trial stocking, take dueaux

SO,
As previously blogged about, I have a sewing machine. Today, the lovely, gracious, and adorably round Ashley "Ting-Ting" Johnson came by to help a sister out and figure out how to thread this thing up. (Bless you!) Once the machine was ready to go, I excitedly decided to attempt my first sewing machine-made stocking. My second stocking-making attempt resulted thusly:

Again, the materials used were fabrics I had lying around the house, specifically, a pillowcase. The red satin ribbon I bought from Walmart. This stocking took about an hour to complete, whereas the hand-stitched one took about four. However, this stocking turned out a lot rougher than the last. I have my suspicions as to why: firstly, the pillow sham fabric was much sturdier than the pillow case, allowing more structure and less give when being handled. Also, that sewing machine is strong-willed, and it will probably take me several more trail crafts before I can make those stitches as straight as possible.
Expect more pictures of my sewing adventures. For now, I leave you with another picture of my latest creation:

Notice the little photo-bomber in the background. :D

 

Cling-on

I have discovered something. I am a pretty social person.
sometimes.        mostly.

Blessed Sunday to you all, multitudes of readers! Church was moving, as usual, and now I am home by my lonesome because Stephan is helping somebody move. I dislike going to church by myself. I feel like half of me is missing. Well, I guess I feel that every time Stephan's not around, but it's especially noticeable at church. I hereby dedicate this post to my loving husband, the second best thing God has ever done for me.

If I had known the man that God had planned for me to marry, I would have never dated in high school, because all of those boys seem so silly when compared to my husband. I remember when I used to try to imagine who God had picked out for me. I wondered if he was someone I already knew, or someone I had never met before. I'm actually very glad it was the later. A large part of me wanted a foreign, exotic-type man. Isn't God neat? He brought Stephan from South Africa to a small church in Tyler, Texas for me to fall in love with!
By no means is my husband perfect. He is just as flawed and sinful as I. however, he really does complete me, as hokey as that sounds. He is driven, determined, a go-getter, pessimistic, realistic, and an entrepreneur extraordinaire. Whereas I am laid back, optimistic, idealistic, and not to sure of what I can accomplish. Stephan encourages (sometimes pushes) me to be better and try harder, so that I have done things that I didn't know I could. (keep an entire house clean. woah) I like to think that I have done and continue to do the same for him. Except, instead of pushing him to be more, I encourage him to enjoy life more? We go nicely together, and it's one of the things in life that assures me that God is sovereign and more than capable of running my life for me. Yay, God!!
And now, look at what we have made!

 Our little orange-nosed boy is a miracle! So much Stephan is in him! He already studies things as though he's trying to figure out how they work. And he's so handsome! (watch out, lady-babies) I am glad to see some of my qualities in him as well. (Noah's a snuggler)



So, thank you, Lord, for this family you formed. Thank you that, since before time began, you had us planned out and pieced together. I am definitely looking forward to what You have in store for us!

 

Must remain umble

I get annoyed when people pronounce humble wrong.
Pride can sneak up on a person at random times. For instance: I just brought home my mother's sewing machine (yay!), but while I was upstairs at the shop, I found an unused computer chair. I asked mother if I could take it as well, and she said I could. So, not only did I get a sewing machine, which I need Ashley Johnson to come over and show me how to thread up, but also, I got a computer chair, the likes of which Stephan and I have been wanting for years! Now I feel cursed pride welling up inside. "Won't Stephan be so proud of me?" I think to myself as I type comfortable at the computer desk.
What?? NO, COLETTE, BAD!
Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast, save in the death of Christ my God! Why on earth would I be proud of a sewing machine or a seat? I don't even know how to work that there sewing thingie yet. Let me refocus my thoughts. Yay, God! Your mercies are new every morning and you provided a beautiful day for your people to live.

I made sugar cookies last night. Now, I am handing them out to anyone and everyone who will eat them. Otherwise, I will devour them all myself. And get wider. boo.

Tomorrow, Noah and I will be receiving a visit from a friend who we have not seen since the day after Noah was born. Mrs. Reaninne and her baby girl, Claire, are coming over to visit, chat, and eat my sugar cookies. I bet Claire has gotten so big! It's crazy how it seems like a baby grows much more noticeably when you don't see it for a long stretch of time.

One last story before I sign off; I just switched Noah from his Johnny Jump-up to his exersaucer so that he could be closer to me. Now, he's trying his best to jump in the un-giving exersaucer, and the result is tragic and hilarious at the same time.

A blurry picture of how much Charlie loves Noah. (Noah's got Charlie by the scruff, and Charlie's all, like, whatev)

call me Martha!

I have some super crafty and creative friends.
These friends 'o mine are amazing women that posses the abilities that I envy, mainly a flair for arts and crafts. Not the noodle necklace, paper snowflakes-type arts and crafts, I'm talking about decorating and sewing and creating with other nifty resources. SO, as this Christmas rolls around, I set a goal for myself: make my family's Christmas stockings. Stephan and I have perfectly fine store-bought stockings. The problem was, how would we find a stocking for Noah? Should we search for a look-alike, or maybe just get a cutesy, childish stocking. No! From now on, the Du Toits will have hand-made (with love) stockings for us to cherish forever! And the great thing about this plan is the foresight! Now, with every addition to the family, I can make a new stocking to match the rest of the family's. Tomorrow I plan on fetching my mother's sewing machine, which she kindly offered me when she heard of my plan. Then, I need to find the fabrics to fit the plans I have mapped out in my mind's eye. As for today, and the reason for an early post about something not that important, I give you, ladies and gentleman, my free-hand, hand-stitched trial stocking:

Yes, it's rough. Yes, it's simple. And yes, I used a bandanna and an old pillow sham to make it. STILL, I'm ridiculously proud of my little stocking. I think I'll keep it. Toby needs a stocking.
I feel so house-wifey! 

My little man

Noah got an early Christmas gift from Bebe this past week: a pair of baby boxers.
Of course, Pictures were taken of my little redneck couch potato.

 Today, friends, I did something amazing. Before I got married, my mother gave me her recipe for lasagna. (my mother makes the best lasagna). Since then, I have repeatedly tried to replicate mom's delectable pasta, but have come up short. I have never gotten it just right, and I never could figure out what I was doing wrong. Then, tonight, I did it. I added more meat and sauce, I seasoned the meat and sauce more, and I made the layers thicker. The result was an delicious and hearty lasagna that will last me for a week! (maybe)
Then Stephan gave Noah a tiny jug. We've been working on the sippy cup, but this was just cute.

 I'm gonna go take a shower. later, friends!

well look at that, it's sunny

I am not ashamed to say that I am a fair weather cowboys fan. I will cheer with the rest when they are winning, and I could care less if they are losing. loosing? Wow, I don't know how to spell that right.
Tonight, I got to babysit my nephew and niece, as they were in town. Previous to that, I went to Sam's with mi madre. I LOVE going to Sam's club. Especially with my mom. That is a generous woman, right there.

Friends, if you ever think you are bad at grocery shopping, possibly even the worst, you are wrong. Stephan and I, mainly I, are horrible at keeping our fridge and/or pantry stocked to an acceptable capacity. Ramen noodles and condiments are the contents of the previously mentioned storage units, as well as Noah's baby food. ( I will NEVER let my baby go hungry. It's not even a possibility). This means that, in the very very near future, Stephan and I will be breaking the bank at our local walmart or Super 1. This might be the most epic shopping trip of our married lives thus far.

Now, I go. Goodnight.

MMmmmm, tuna

Tuna helper, it's what's for lunch.
(bleh!)

Mistletoe and Magic was fun. Saw the sights, smelled the smells, ate the samples, and enjoyed the company of, first, my mother and then later, Mrs. Lindsay Hammons. My mother and I found a plethora of goodies to buy for family and each other. (mostly for Noah). But it wasn't until I went with Lindsay that I found what I truly needed from that expo... a sock monkey hat.

Of course, it was the only thing I wanted that I did not actually buy. Now, I am saddened. Maybe I can find one on the internet. Or Santa might get it for Noah for Christmas.

I love my husband. He's a good man and a keeper, indeed. When he's not enabling me to be the best mother and Godly, caring woman I can be, he's making me laugh.

And then, because I'm sure everyone is wondering about him and why I have not mentioned him in a while, I give you my cat, the slob.

apparently, Mr. Charles Fluffo Du Toit had one to many last night and couldn't make it to the bedroom. We found him downed in the hallway. Don't worry, he slept it off and now he's right as rain, if not for a bit of a headache.

Now, off to feed me baby.

mamby-pamby

Excited about tomorrow!
I love the holiday season. I enjoy the festivities and the atmosphere and the smell. Yes, it may very well be a monstrously huge distraction from the reason for this whole season, but I still do enjoy it.
All this to say, the holiday season officially starts tomorrow for me. I am going to Mistletoe and Magic! a tradition dating back years and years, Mistletoe and Magic is the mothership for Christmas shoppers. It's essentially an expo for boutiques, specialty shops, and family-run-type stores from all over America. There are free samples, beautiful sights, and fantastically festive scents. I don't think I have ever actually spent money there myself, but my mom LOVES this place. In short, I'm super excited about tomorrow.
Today, Noah got to hang out with his friend Grayson.

That is special because Grayson is a rare anomaly amongst babies born this year; he, too, is a boy. Noah and Grayson are buds. And boy does Grayson LOVE the johnny jump-up.
Law and Order, SVU is coming on. I've gots to go!