Promised pictures

OK, I know you all are here for the pics, so I'll try not to blabber too much. All in all, we had a great trip. Ari was fantastic. I said to Tony that I hoped she would be herself while we were there, and that the new environment and unfamiliar people wouldn't freak her out. I wanted Mom and everyone else to be able to see Ari the way we always see her--her fun-loving, babbling, goofy self. And Ari exceeded my expectations. Sure, she was a little hesitant at first, but by the end of our visit, she had warmed up to everyone and was freely giving out hugs and kisses. (Well, she doesn't actually give kisses yet, but she gives you her cheek and allows you to kiss her.)

The sleeping issue wasn't that bad either--as long as one of us stayed with her until she fell asleep. There were only a couple nights where she woke up during the night, but she was easily soothed. I'm sure the fact that we were all sleeping in the same room helped, too. Last night at home was a little rough too, so we obviously still have a ways to go in "fixing" this sleeping issue.

Ari did well traveling, too--much better on the way down than on the way home. But again, who can blame her--being strapped in a carseat for that many hours would drive anyone nuts. We ended up making quite a few stops on the way home--one at a rest area for the sole purpose of letting her run around and burn some energy. (And it worked--she took a nice long nap in the car right afterwards.)

Ari wasn't too impressed with Thanksgiving dinner--all we could get her to eat was corn. Crazy kid.

Personally, I loved having 5 full days to spend with Ari. I can't remember the last time I had that many full days in a row with her--maybe right after she was born? It was great getting to spend so much time with her. I am really amazed at how much she is learning and changing every day. She is adding a lot of new words to her vocabulary, and trying to imitate us as well. I asked her to say "sock" the other day, and she replied with "soh." Last night, at Wendy's, she was signing and saying "more" at the same time.

On another note, Tony's mom looks fantastic. She is officially done her chemo and radiation, so her hair is starting to grow back and she's regaining some energy. She really looks so good, and it was great to spend some time with her. I know she loved getting to see Ari too.

We also got to meet our new nephew, Michael. He's already about 4 months old, and I swear, he has more hair than Ari does--little curls and everything. He's such a sweetie--he gave me several big, gummy smiles while we were there. (And don't go leaving me notes asking me if I have "baby fever" now or if this makes me want another one, because I'll tell you right now, the answer is no and no.)

All right, enough from me--I'll let the pictures tell the rest of the story...

Here's Ari with her cousin Taryn. We brought along a couple of Ari's toys, and this ball popper was a big hit with the other kids (Taryn, as well as Tony's cousin's kids).



Ari wasn't used to the concept of sharing... (There was no real drama--she just kept looking a little surprised and slightly annoyed that someone else was comandeering her toy.)



Ari and Taryn got along really well. Ari loved giving her hugs--probably because Taryn is the closest one to her size. It was really sweet too, because Ari would actually wrap her arms around Taryn and give her a real hug--when she gives hugs to adults, it's usually just her resting her head on your shoulder and maybe putting her hands on your shoulders too. (I don't know why Taryn looks so serious in this picture.)



I don't know what Ari was saying in this picture, but I love Taryn's smile.



We celebrated Christmas with Tony's family on Saturday, and Ari made out like a bandit. She needed a little help opening gifts--not because she couldn't tear off the paper, but because she's so easily distracted.

I know she's not doing much in this picture, but look--hair! And I love the way her eyelashes look.



She really dug this toy--it's a Leapfrog "Fridge DJ" and it lights up and plays music.



She seemed to like this outfit...



... but then decided that the box was much more fascinating. (She had it on her head at one point, but I wasn't fast enough to snap a picture.)



Here she is figuring out her new toy from Grammy--it's one of those riding car-type things. She was a little cautious getting on and off, but I'm sure she'll have the hang of it in no time.



Here she is modeling her new hat. Every time I look at this picture, I think she's about to burst out rapping.



Chilling in her new rocking chair--with ottoman! Can you believe it? I don't even have an ottoman...



Checking out her princess stool (which I'm sure she will use to get into everything she can't yet reach)...



Notice the chair she's sitting in now? Yes, it's a different chair than before. So she now has 2 chairs. Which I'm sure she will soon learn to use, along with the stool, to get into everything.



We went out to dinner at Cici's Pizza. I haven't been to that place since college, and man, have I missed it. You can't beat all-you-can-eat pizza, salad, pasta, desserts and a drink for less than $7. Anyway, when we were mostly done eating, I took a few pictures of Ari.

Looking less-than-thrilled to be having her picture taken. (I'm sure this is the exact face I will see when she's a teenager.) Also, I swear she's working on her 2-year molars already--that finger is constantly in her mouth.



Ignoring me, and drinking her sippy cup.



I thought she was laying her head down because she was tired, but after a moment, I realized she was licking the table. Yes, licking. That's her new thing now--licking things. The collars on her clothing, toys, tables, food--whatever. What a fruitcake.



Look at those rosy cheeks...



Finally paying attention to me--and trying to grab the camera, of course. (Or maybe she's about to start chanting, "We're number one! We're number one!")



I love this picture--Ari, Tony, Tony's mom, and Nan. Four generations.



Mom wanted a picture with all her grandkids, but Ari was trying to escape (and was, apparently, quite excited about it). But when you're done laughing at my goofy kid, check out my cute little nephew.



Free at last! (Or maybe she was tackling Taryn. I'm not sure.)



I hope you all had a happy Thankgiving, too. Do you realize that one month from today, Christmas will have come and gone? I have so much shopping left to do, including for my impossible-to-buy-for husband. And he already got my gift (on Black Friday) and is, of course, gloating about it. I need some brilliant ideas--pronto.