Updates

We got to see my extended family, who came to visit, a few more times after Christmas was over.  This was taken at a Macaroni Grill, which we drove all over to find.  We were going to go to Cinzetti's, but the wait was over an hour so we drove all the way down the road looking for another italian place.

Robin and I did a lot of Christmas crafts last month.  You can see the pictures of them where I blogged about them on Science Fiction Mommy.

We also decorated the driveway with sidewalk chalk for Christmas, including tracings of Robin that became elves.

We went to Zoo Lights a few days after Christmas.  Going by ourselves turned into meeting Dan and Theresa there, which turned into Dean's entire family except Kathy.  It was a nice evening for it--it was still relatively warm before the cold snap.

These are the foxes that tried to move into our yard before the snow really started to fall.  We chased them off (and have only seen them a few times since.)  Robin really likes them, and keeps looking out the window and calling "fox!!!"  I wouldn't really mind, except I'm worried about them really setting up house here--I was concerned that one might be female and pregnant--and I don't want a protective mama nipping at us (especially Robin.)

We finally got some snow to play in!

Robin has really been enjoying his trains, and has discovered that his creative abilities to build tracks are much better when not hampered by keeping the tracks on the table.  He'll make tracks that go all over the place, and he seems to enjoy making them more than running the trains on them.  They don't last long before he salvages pieces to start building another.

Dean and I have joined in a bit, helping him connect separate sections into big loops, and we enjoy trying to make everything connect--though it's a losing battle, since Robin just wants to take them apart and do his own thing again.

Snow Vulcan, or Snow Yoda, depending on how you look at him.  The neighbor rang the bell the other day, and it was quite warm out and thawing like mad.  The snow had been too dry and cold to pack well when it fell, but the thaw made it perfect.  Robin wanted to run around outside in bare feet, but after a few minutes of chatting I insisted we go inside for his shoes and snowpants.

 

We'll have the ultrasound for the new baby next week!  It's been moving like mad, and I felt it much earlier this time (probably because I knew what I was feeling.)  Dean has even felt it a time or two.  I'm looking forward to when it'll be big enough for Robin to feel.  He knows that Mama has a baby in her tummy, but I know he can't really know what that means yet.

Christmas!!!

We all had a good time this Christmas, and for the first time ever, we opened our gifts to each other first thing on Christmas morning!  (Usually we haven't done that until all family stuff is over.)

Santa brought Robin a Thomas the Train tent, which he played with while we prepared the traditional sticky buns for breakfast.  Robin l-o-v-e-d the sticky buns and wanted to eat his weight in them.

Here we are opening our family gifts

After breakfast and gifts, we went to my parents' house for Christmas dinner.  I didn't take many pictures there, I'll have to steal them from somebody else.  I did get a couple group shots, though, before people dispersed.

We also got "4 Generation" photos for each side of the family.  It's probably been a year or more since we did that.

Then we did a gift exchange with my family.

We took the train tent with us so Robin could play with it some more (and so my engineer Dad and uncle could help us figure out how to fold it.)  Ama and Poppa even joined Robin inside!

I was sick on Christmas, and was pretty worn down by day's end.  I had to have Dean drive home, and both Robin and I snoozed along the way.  Robin insisted on wearing his sunglasses even though it was after dark.  Here he is, asleep in the back seat.

Then, the day after Christmas, the festivities continued!  Dean's family came over, and we exchanged gifts with them.

Our haul

Lastly, we went to Dean's parents' house for lunch.  What a full holiday!

Starting to Show

I believe this has happened earlier in this pregnancy than the last, but then, I started the last pregnancy with a flat stomach and unfortunately didn't start this one that way.

Robin is funny.  He sees Dean taking a picture of my stomach every Sunday morning and wants a picture taken of his stomach too.

Dean and I went to our friends' annual Gingerbread Party last weekend.  We made a Borg cube and the Wolf 359 Massacre.  Click here so see the pictures I posted at my other blog.

Some highlights from the last month:
Much taller than he was last time he stood next to the dinosaurs at the Mueseum

Everybody wear a hat!

Mowing the snow (the only dusting we've gotten this year, anyway)

We went to Longmont's Holiday Parade with my parents again this year.  Robin enjoyed looking at the lights, especially the fire trucks!

Santa!!!

We took Robin to see Santa on Tuesday!

It was the shortest line we've ever waited in.  We asked if they have patterns for when it's busy versus when it's not, and one of the employees gave us a few ideas to keep in mind next year.  Strangely, though, she didn't say anything about the time of day we went, so it must have been a fluke.

Since the line was so short, we had much more time to play than we expected.  We spent some time playing with the fake snow at the Ice Palace display ane then explored the new play area.

The play area used to be giant breakfast foods, and now it's Looney Tunes.  Dean wondered how many of the kids even know who the Looney Tunes characters are.  Robin had fun though, regardless.

Our little climber took one look at the stairs to get up onto this mountain and decided it would be more fun to use the sign as a ladder.  He inspired many to follow him.

Finally, we sent a letter to Santa through Macy's Santa Mail.  We did a tiny bit of shopping, but weren't inspired by very much and we had to get Robin home for his nap.  Overall, it was a good day.

Thanksgiving pictures!

Here are the promised Thanksgiving photos.  Dean's sister hosted this year.  She purchased her own condo this summer, so it was the first time she had her own space in which to host a holiday!

 I don't have any good photos of us at the table this year.  I decided I would steal them from my mom's camera, but haven't had the opportunity yet.  Here is Robin, Dean and I at Kathy's.

 The Lewczyk Clan

 The Rhoadarmer Clan

 No Cochrans this year, the party poopers!

After dinner we decided to take a walk and went to the playground in Kathy's complex.  Robin has never had such a large entourage at a playground before, and thoroughly enjoyed the attention.