Celebration of Lights

The Tuesday after Christmas, we loaded the girls in the car to head to the Hartwood Acres Celebration of Lights.  It was recommended from friends as a "must-do" during the holiday season.  Boy oh boy, Christmas lights galore!

I didn't have high expectations, and had never been to Hartwood Acres (big local park), so really had no idea what to expect.  We were very pleasantly surprised!  It was a ginormous extravaganza of lights, with different themes throughout the park (12 Days of Christmas, a red & green forest, dinosaurs (huh?), elves working, etc.). 

The road through the park is about 3 miles long, and took us probably close to an hour!  Scott and I had our holiday coffee drinks and enjoyed the lights, reflecting on how our annual holiday date (in Chicago with dinner at CPOG and then Lincoln Park Zoo Lights) has happily morphed from a date night of just the two of us to a family affair, as the girls enjoyed the lights from their car seats (well one of them did, the younger sister luckily (for us) slept through the whole drive).

The one disadvantage was that the park opens at 6pm, so we left our house at 5pm, which meant no dinner for Brooke beforehand.  We arrived home at 8pm, and though Scott carried a sleeping Brooke up to her bed, she awoke and wanted dinner.  Thus, here she is sitting at the table with her glow light necklace (handed out at the end of "drive").  Hopefully we can do this again next year! (rumor has it this might be the last year)

Merry Christmas!

Ah, the annual holiday portrait.  Well, it takes many shots to get both girls smiling and Maddie also looking at the camera. 

After some tries we got a good one.

Christmas fun began on the 23rd with Grandpa, Mimi and Hank coming into town.  On Christmas Eve the girls opened their annual holiday pajamas.

Next, cookies and a glass of milk were left for Santa, and carrots for the reindeer (Rudolph the Reindeer Nose as Brooke calls him).  Only crumbs remained the next morning...until Maddie came by and swiped those up with her tongue!

Christmas morning, Brooke was a little apprehensive to come down and into the family room, as she thought this stranger Santa was still in the house.  But low and behold, he was not, but there were a bunch of presents under the Christmas tree!  She proceeded to help everyone unwrap their presents as the morning unfolded.  Here she's helping Grandpa.

Keira enjoyed spending the morning next to Maddie...

...who got a goose (stuffed toy) for Christmas and was very happy...though the goose was laid to rest a few days later due to many holes eaten into it and stuffing removed/eaten.

It was a wonderful Christmas and we look forward to the years ahead as the girls better understand the holiday.

Merry Christmas to All!

Seeing Santa Claus

We took Brooke and Keira up to the neighborhood community center to see Santa Claus.  I talked it up with Brooke for a couple days, and she seemed pretty interested.  As we waited in line in the hall she danced around in her dress and looked at the other children in line.  However, once the line moved into the room where Santa Claus was sitting, and Brooke caught sight of him, she slowly but surely hid behind me and refused to look at him.  She had no interest in sitting on this gentleman's lap! 

Keira stepped right up (well, was carried right up) and provided her Christmas wish list to Santa.

Maybe next year we'll get both girls together on Santa's lap.

Thanksgiving 2010

Back in Chicago for Thanksgiving, Brooke helped Chief put up a hook in the closet.  Chief and Grandma just moved into a new house so little odds and ends like this are being found as they settle into their new digs.

The impending holiday season, and time with both grandparents, called for some cookie baking!

Thanksgiving morning, Brooke started the day off by watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, in Chief's bed with him. 

Keira enjoyed Thanksgiving as well. We are very thankful this year to have her in our lives.

The evening ended with the sisters "playing" together!  (ah, warms Mom's heart!)

Minneapolis and Back

During Thanksgiving week, we made a quick trek up to Minneapolis to see some of Jen's family, especially her soon-to-be 96 year old Grandma.  It was indeed a quick trip (drove up Monday and back Wednesday (8 hour drives)), but quite worth it as we were glad to see family up there.  The girls did great in the car too!

Brooke enjoyed time with her 2nd uncles, as Uncle Randy reading her a book, and she hid under pillows with Uncle Bill.

Keira was tickled to meet her Great Grandma.

Brooke "visited" with Father John, who is Grandma's brother, and is the priest that married Mom & Dad.

Here we all are with Grandma.  Happy (early) Birthday Grandma!

Keira's Baptism

We baptized Keira on Sunday, November 21st in Chicago at St. Scholastica, where Brooke was also baptized.  It was a wonderful event and good to see family so everyone could meet Keira (if they hadn't already) and see how Brooke was growing.  Here she is receiving the baptismal water, with no crying!

Our little family: Brooke, Scott, Keira and Jennifer

 The godparents: Tim and Kelly, with Keira.  We thank them for agreeing to be an important part of her life.

The grandparents took turns keeping Brooke quiet and entertained.  Here she is in Grandma's arms.

The party afterwards was nice, and also served as an opportunity for everyone to meet the latest Steeves baby, no not Keira, but Conall!  He was born 3 weeks earlier.  Happy Dad Brad introducing him to folks, and Mom Heather spending quiet time with Conall.

Mimi and Keira.

Smiling Grandpas.

Our New Baby!

Meet our new baby, the smiling and giggling Keira!

It's been a glorious week of a brand new Keira.  Last Friday (Nov. 5th) she became a new kid -- tons of smiles, laughing and general happiness.  Someone told me that one day the colic would just disappear overnight.  It pretty much has (still have bits of crying here and there, but I think it is typical baby crying) and life is so much better!

We REALLY like this new little girl we have!  Here she is working on sitting by herself.  After about 5 seconds she topples to the side.  Hopefully by next week we'll be a little more sturdy.

Keira's First Meal

Keira's first meal of "solids" (aka watery rice cereal) went about as expected: lots of confused looks and spitting out of the food.  At first, she was quite happy to be sitting in the high chair, looking around the kitchen.

"Hmm, what is Mom mixing up over there?"

Trying her first spoonful, and not looking too excited about it.

Brooke served as the cheering committee!  (she is a cheerleader you know (see Halloween posting))

The peculiar looks continue...

Update: after a week of rice cereal, we've given up and moved onto oatmeal cereal, as I don't think I ever got one spoonful of rice cereal into her.  Lots of spitting it back out, or at Mom (by inadvertently blowing raspberries).

Keira is 6 Months Old!

Keira is now 6 months old -- wow, have these months flown by! 

Our well check appointment went well, here's the update:

Weight:  14lbs 10oz (25th percentile)

Height:  25 1/2 inches (40th percentile)

Head:  42cm (37th percentile)

We looked back at Brooke's measurements at the same time, and errily similar!  Brooke was 14lbs 9oz and 25 1/2 inches!

Happy Halloween!

Halloween festivities continued on Saturday, with party at the local park district.  While it was a bit chilly, we had fun on the hayride, "painting" a pumpkin, decorating a cookie, playing on the playground, and Brooke even tried the moonwalk bouncing house thing...though she crawled in the "door" and immediately froze up, so Mom had to coax her to the side then out.  Guess it was a little scary, especially with big boys jumping around.  She also could not be convinced to go into the "haunted tunnel." 

However, the highlight was the "train ride". She had lots of fun, though the pictures don't show many smiles.

On Sunday, Brooke started the day sporting her Happy Halloween shirt.

Keira wore her Halloween onesie.

Later, picture time on the porch by the pumpkins!  Brooke was an Iowa cheerleader...Fight Fight Fight for Iowa...

Then trick-or-treating! As kids started coming to the door Brooke couldn't wait to head out!  Mom had to hurry to put Keira to bed before going out with her.  Brooke REALLY enjoyed the trick-or-treating, and by watching other kids she learned to run from house to house.  After each house she'd say "No going home, next house".  We went down our street and another street, and by the time we got home she was saying her feet hurt.  But she sure was excited about the candy...which is odd since we don't give her candy.

Happy Halloween!  Note to Mom, next year, get warmer costumes!