Christmas with the Bragdons

This year the Bragdon family spent Christmas here in WA with us.  Mom has been here since early December, but Dad and Anoli were able to fly in a few days before Christmas.  We used those first few days to do some last minute Christmas shopping, spend a day in Seattle, and hang out with Ruby.

Aunt Anoli bonds with her new niece.

I don't know who was happier that Opa (German for "grandfather") was in town: Ruby, who was often lulled to sleep in his arms, or the dogs who were getting some much needed attention.

It was a first-time trip to Seattle for Mom, Dad, and Ruby, so we hit a couple of the major sites, including a ride on the ferry (Ruby is obviously not so sure about this mode of travel...check out the expression on her face)....

....the Space Needle....

...and Pike Place Market.

There was lots of joking and acting up....

.....family photos...

...and holiday merriment.  Mom and I pounded out cookies for some of the Christmas events.

Christmas morning began with a huge family breakfast and then a little photo shoot with Ruby under the Christmas tree.  Unfortunately, she wasn't really in the mood, so it had to be cut short for a feeding.

Then it was present time!  Noa got some Seattle Sounders gear from Anoli.

Since they enjoyed a Tron movie marathon recently, Anoli decided it was time for she and dad to sport matching "Flynn Lives" shirts.

Ruby was not in the mood for her new stuffed monkey, but everyone else thought it was cute.

Later, we enjoyed a Christmas feast of turkey and all the trimmings.  Like many Bragdon gatherings, it started out quite tame...

...and quickly morphed into an exciting event, thanks to some party poppers and silly crowns.

Although Ruby won't remember it, I'm so thankful that her first Christmas was rich in time spent with family.  It will truly be a Christmas we treasure for years to come.

Christmas Greetings from Us to You!

My friend Connie made this movie and I just had to share.  I love it!  Merry Christmas!

To make your own, go to www.jibjab.com.

Christmas Decor Tour

Our house is in full Christmas mode!  Anoli and Dad will be arriving this week, our Care Group's annual Christmas gathering is in a couple of days, and we are preparing Christmas cookies and cards for distribution. There was no way I'd be able to decorate the house without my mom, who has been staying with us.  I love how everything turned out.  Let's start with the tree - I went with a woodland theme this year, but included splashes of red in honor of Ruby's first Christmas.

Here's a close up of one of my new ornaments for the woodland theme.  This squirrel is the perfect addition to our tree since this year Gunnar has decided that it's his mission in life to chase the squirrels in our backyard.  I'll always think of Gunnar bounding through the yard in pursuit of his prey when I look at it.  And, no, Gunnar has not caught a single squirrel yet.

Here's another view of the tree next to the couch.  On the wall is the wreath I used last year on the front door.  This year I added a "ruby bird" to the wreath and I also placed a festive throw pillow on the couch.  After looking at this photo, I realize I could use some solid red pillows.  Maybe next year....

The mantle is one of my favorites.  I've had the garland for years and it looks perfect here!  I'm also partial to all the sparkle up top.  The picture does not quite capture it.

The stockings ended up in the dining room since we didn't want to crowd the mantle.  I picked up the glittery letters at Target and love them!

I'm using the same display as last year for Christmas cards, except this year it's in the big living room with the addition of some Santas I had collected over the years.

The Willow Tree Nativity scene is also in the big living room.  We set up a table nearby with a Christmas puzzle, which has been a fun project at night and allows us to use that room a lot more than usual.

My woodland theme was carried over into the entryway.  We combined all the trees I had accumulated through the years, some random pine cones, and some deer to create this little scene on the black dresser.  

And we took a cue from the Washington baby shower and created a Christmas candy bar on the counter!  Unfortunately I didn't take a picture of this as soon as we made it, when it contained a lot more candy.

Noa did our outdoor light display this year.  He did a fabulous job and even worked late into the night one night to complete it.  Each year we hope to add more lights, especially since we live in a neighborhood that has a lot of light displays.  Sorry for the blurry photo - I'm still learning how to take a decent picture of Christmas lights at night.

Finally, we placed wreaths around the house in order to make some of the empty areas feel a little more festive.

1 Month

Yesterday Ruby turned one month old.  So many veteran moms told me this would happen....time would fly and she would grow up much too soon.  I decided that I wanted to document her growth in monthly photos using a 12-month onesie that she would eventually grow into. The monthly photo shoot was quite the undertaking with a newborn, the dogs, and working with the natural "sunlight" here in the pacific northwest.  This is what it looked like in our living room:

And here's what we ended up with....Ruby at one month old:

Here are her one month stats:

Age: 1 month

Weight: 7 lbs, 7 oz

Length: 20.5 in.

Sleep: one 4-hour stretch in the night, otherwise 2 - 3 hour naps

Eating: exclusively breastfed, will accept a bottle

Appearance: blue eyes, light brown hair

Ruby has started to develop some head control and seems less fragile than even a week ago.  She accepts a pacifier and makes this hilarious sound with it that reminds me of the Three Stooges.  Ruby is still wearing newborn-sized clothes, although she just outgrew a bunch of newborn socks.  She will focus on random objects, seems to enjoy music and car rides, and can escape almost any swaddle with her overactive arms.

We fall in love with this little peanut more and more each day.  She is truly a blessing.

Hampostle Thanksgiving, Oma Visits, & Ruby Updates

I still can't believe we're partially through December already.  Christmas is around the corner (yeah!), but I still feel like it should be late November.  The last couple of weeks with a baby have flown by.  I was really fortunate to have Noa home for a little over a week on paternity leave.  It was definitely a challenge for me to adjust to him being back to work.  I love having him home.  He is such a great dad and a huge help to me as I adjust to motherhood and recover from the delivery.

We were so fortunate this year to spend Thanksgiving with Mike and Jess again (Hampostle reunion!!).  I know they were excited to see us, but even more excited to meet Ruby.  It was awesome to have extra help around the house and have company for Thanksgiving.  Jess couldn't be happier holding Ruby.  She was always snuggling the little peanut.

Mike and Noa had their projects, of course.  First, they made Irish car bomb cupcakes (sorry for the blurry pic).  Named after the drink, the cupcakes are made with Guinness-infused chocolate cake, a chocolate ganache filling with Irish whiskey, and a vanilla buttercream frosting made with Bailey's Irish Cream.  They are delicious and do not have a strong alcoholic taste, just the underlying flavors.  I highly recommend them.  In fact, I recommend that Mike and Noa make them again soon!

They added 3 recessed lights and a chandelier in Ruby's room.  Love the headlamps, guys.

The guys put up our Christmas tree.  We went for a real tree this year since my family, from New England, will be here for Christmas.  It just wouldn't be Christmas with my family without a real tree.  I love the smell of fresh pine.

Jess took lots of pics of Ruby.  Here are a few that I love.

We didn't forget the obligatory Thanksgiving meal photo.  You might remember from years past that our Thanksgiving tradition with the Apostles is to go non-traditional for the Thanksgiving meal.  Like last year, we bought a bunch of different tapas-style foods for the meal.  It was delightful.

The dogs were not ignored during their visit.  Jess made sure of that.

We had a great time together as usual and the time went by much too fast.  I'm glad that we remembered to document our time together with photos.

After a teary good-bye (don't you hate it when friends leave?) I survived the week by having friends over to visit and help out, meals were delivered, and my mom arrived at the end of the week.  It's been awesome having her here since she is more than willing to take Ruby while I take a nap or shower.  Plus she helps make sure we are eating well, that our house stays clean, and she even helped me decorate the house for Christmas (photos coming soon!).

Here's sleepy Ruby modeling one of the outfits Oma (German word for "grandmother") got her.

Oma made her this colorful quilt, which was perfect for photos of the two of them.

Now that her umbilical stump has fallen off, Ruby is able to do tummy time.  The dogs think it's an all-inclusive event.

And lastly, here's a photo of Ruby just for cuteness sake.