Winter...

I know this update is long overdue, but the truth is that not much has been going on the past few weeks.  With the bustle of the holidays behind us, we are just trying to pass the winter weekends with a few fun activities here and there.

While Jeff was out of town on a ski weekend, Nora and I enjoyed bagels and hot cocoa for breakfast.



Then we went to the Butterfly Pavillion, where Nora was in no way interested in the butterflies, only in the indoor play area.  But hey, it passed the time!

Next it was off to Target.  Nora thought that playing with bandaids in the cart was a great idea!

Nora used the broom she got for Christmas to help pick up after the tree.

Jeff took Nora to the pool one morning, she was quite prepared for a swim before even leaving the house.  Never mind they had to stop and get the car washed along the way too!

Well, we don't need to say much about the last Packer game, but Nora was excited to wear her 'football shirt' and it was a nice opportunity to visit with the Berg family!

Aside from this, we are still busy getting ready for the next big arrival.  Nora has taken to playing in the baby's room frequently, and thinks all the toys in there should be hers.  She hasn't climbed in the bouncey chair or swing yet, but it's only a matter of time.  Nora still thinks it is a 'boy baby' in Mommy's belly and that she has a baby in her tummy too.

We learned this week that I will not be needing a c-section after all.  This had been a very real possibility the past few months, so we are very relieved and happy that won't be necessary!  Five more weeks to go...

Christmas at Home

After being out of town for four straight weekends, it was nice to be home for the Christmas holiday.  No plans, no parties, just us. 

On Dec. 23 we still needed a Christmas tree so we went to Home Depot in hopes of an inexpensive tree, given that it would only be up for a week!  Home Depot was out of Christmas trees...so we noticed the grocery store next door still had some outside.  I mean, how lame is it to buy a tree at a grocery store??  Well, turns out we didn't actually to buy it; they were all free this late in the season.  I guess there are benefits to waiting so long!  We ended up with the nicest 9 ft Douglas Fir we've ever had-smelled great, perfectly shaped and solid branches.

At the tree lot

Wouldn't be Christmas without gingerbread men!

It was undoubtedly a white Christmas here in CO!

The neighbors built a sledding hill!

 
On Dec. 24 we finally had a chance to put together Nora's new bedroom furniture.  We've had it since September and have slowly worked to clear out my old office and repaint it.  Nora immediately liked her room and cuddling in her new bed, but it would take about a week, and her old bed getting 'broken,' before she'd sleep in her new bed.

Christmas morning, Nora woke up with bad bedhead, but we figured it was best left rather than combed out.  After unwraping each gift, she wanted to open it up and play with it before moving on to the next.  It was very cute, and it took at least two hours to get through the gifts under the tree!

Posing under the tree

Playing with her stamps

The Ikea train set was a hit

Getting into Uncle Bruce's present was tough...

but well worth it...her very own CD player!

Playing with her marble run

Dec. 26 we decided we'd slept in our own beds too many nights in a row (5?, 6?) so we went to Beaver Creek.  Jeff had to work up there a few days and Nora and I tagged along to hang out in the mountains.  Jeff took Nora skiing, but after one run she was over it.  However, she was quite interested in the warm chocolate chip cookies!

 
The following day she tried out her new snowshoes from second cousins Eli and Charlie.  It seems so simple to walk with them on your feet, but getting a two year old to walk with their legs apart is more challenging than you might think!

 Jeff has several long ski weekends planned for January.  Other than that, we are are busy getting ready for the baby!  So much to do in the next few weeks:  prepare the nursery, wash baby clothes, stock the freezer, stock up on household items, finish some cleaning projects, decorate Nora's room, the list is endless.  Oh yes, and we should probably decide on baby names...