Christmas at The White House started early with many fun and special festivities on Christmas Eve:





Before the church service...sitting on the bar and playing with the doggie xylophone




Our little family started the day out with a 9:30am church service at St. Andrew United Methodist Church. We had visited this church before (on our unending quest to find a "home" church), but found it particularly enjoyable on this day. Jillian happily sat in Daddy's lap all throughout the service. She watched and looked as if she was listening for almost the first half, and then we gave her Cheerios during the sermon, so that we could pay attention and enjoy the message. During the last hymn, as it was being played through before the congregation joined in, Jillian really and truly sounded as if she was "warming up" her voice as the three of us stood waiting to sing...and sure enough, she also sang along when we began to sing! Needless to say, this year's Christmas service went much smoother than last year's (we went to an 11pm service and ended up having to leave early)!




Later, around noon, my Dad, Brian, Balinda, and Gunnar came over, and we all enjoyed watching the babies interact. It was entertaining to watch how Jillian and Gunnar interacted much like an older sister and an "annoying little brother"...not that I would know anything about that :)







Jillian and Gunnar demonstrating what the next couple of hours would be like: Jillian trying to "read" and Gunnar trying to play with her!







Uncle Brian & Jillian and Grandpa & Gunnar (we think Gunnar looks a lot like my Dad - what do you think?)




Gunnar had fun attempting to steal Jillian's sippy cup and Jillian would snatch it back; Gunnar pulled on Jillian's dress sleeve and crawled up behind her and grabbed her butt (okay, maybe that's not like brother-sister stuff...); Gunnar kept coming up behind Jillian while she was reading with her back to him - only to receive a look from her as if to say, "You again? I'm trying to read!" :) It was very cute.







Notice ALLLLLL the books ALLLLLL over the floor. They started out all nice and neat, lined up against the wall...why do I even bother? ;)




Unfortunately, Brian and Balinda had to leave a little early, but after Jillian had a power nap, my Dad, Richard, Jillian, and I had an early dinner at The Black-eyed Pea.








Jillian patiently waiting to go to lunch...




Though it was a little rainy going in and out of the restaurant, my Dad was such a gentleman and held his umbrella over me as I got Jillian in and out of the carseat (Richard was being a helpful husband getting all of our gear out of and back into the car), and then held it over the two of us as we all walked into and out of the restaurant. I just thought this was such a sweet gesture, yet one that is so like my Dad :)







Talking to Kitty and hugging Kitty :)







Me, Jillian, and my Dad




After our yummy meal, the three of us headed back home to prepare for Christmas Eve Family Celebration Round 2. Richard's family came over around 5pm and we had tasty nibbles and fun conversation before deciding to open presents.




Before gift opening, Jillian decided to show off her ability to stack the rings.







Stacking rings takes a lot of effort and concentration...







There! That looks good...








One last ring will complete my masterpiece!







And now, moving on...









Getting the hang of unwrapping presents!







Trying out the new, little car (and the horn!) that Grandmom and Granddad White gave her!








Richard's brother, Christopher, opening a gift from us







Jillian hanging out with Granddad. I think the second picture says, "Parallel play at its best" :)







Jillian and Grandmom looking at each other with such serious faces - Jillian's expression is too cute!







Jillian hinting us that it's time to be done with the festivities for the evening!

Wow, this look is so priceless. This little, mini-tantrum started when Mommy dared to eat a Kashi granola bar in front of Jillian. She followed me around as I ate it, crying and finally pointing at the wrapper when I laid it down! So I gave Jillian a little cup of Cheerios to nibble on, and she sat there, in front of the fridge until she finished them! I so wish I had gotten a picture of that - it would've made a perfect "After" shot to go with the "Before"!!! Welcome to the world of toddlerhood, I suppose :)

From last weekend...



Jillian loves laying in her Daddy's lap!



Following Daddy-Daughter time, Jillian got to open a Christmas present that arrived from her Aunt Tanya!



Here she is, practicing for Christmas Day:







Jillian with her new tub toy and Beginner's Bible - Thank you, Aunt Tanya!!!!

Aunt Tanya is also so thoughtful in helping Jillian (and Mommy & Daddy) save for her college - we really, really appreciate her being so sweet in contributing!!

From last week...



Still getting over the cold, but still cute :)






I'm amazed at the fact that Jillian's immediate reaction to seeing this Christmas bow on the floor was to put it in her hair...isn't it cool that she knows it's a bow? Because it certainly doesn't look anything like her hair bows!






Chillin' out in Daddy's lap :)











Um, I'm all out of apple pieces...

Our newest, fun game to play with Jillian is the "Where's your...?" game. Here's how we play:



Jillian, where's your head? (pats head)




Where are your eyes? (blinks eyes! So cool that she does this - we didn't teach her to do this, so it's pretty funny and impressive that she always responds this way!)




Where's your nose? (sniffs - also funny, because we never taught her to do this, either! We've always pointed to it, which she sometimes does as well...she'll also sniff if you say the word "booger")



Where's your tummy/belly? (pats chest, sometimes belly)




I finally got video of this on Christmas Eve, right before family came over - I love this video, because it also has her saying "mama" and "dada," as well as identifying Grover and giving him a hug (another new thing she does!)








Though it's not caught on video (yet), she's doing other similar things that are equally cute. For example, the other day she was pushing around her LEGO bucket (this and "reading" are her favorite activities), and I realized she wasn't wearing her socks. I said, "Jillian, where are your socks?" - she immediately looked at her feet, sat down and touched them, as if to think, "I swear they were just here..." :)



In response to "Where's your hair?" she will pull her hair gently, as if to show it to us! No CLUE how she learned this...we think maybe because we talk about her hair when we comb it and put bows in it)




It's so adorably amazing to watch our sweet baby girl learn all of these things!

You've probably noticed that I haven't blogged about Jillian lately. That's because there hasn't been much news to tell since she's been sick since last Monday night. At that point in time, she had some coughing in the middle of the night - a sound so foreign to us (thank goodness!), that we both looked at each other perplexed! To be cautious (and fair to all the other mommies and babies), we didn't go to Gymboree the next day...we have since learned that that was a very good idea.



When I last blogged, I mentioned that we started giving her Rescon GG, and I suppose it's been helping, but her nose has still been running like a faucet!!! To make matters even more messy, Jillian is teething like crazy! Richard finally suggested to the dense mommy (me): "Should we maybe put a bib on her?" Definitely a good idea. Between the clear snot AND insane amount of drool, the child looks like she poured a cup of water on her shirt! I should've taken a picture of her shirt today, but perhaps tomorrow will offer an opportunity (or perhaps I'll remember the bib!).



Anyway, one huge problem with her being sick is the little sleep she's getting. She's coughing so much, and often times, so hard, that it wakes her up! Bless her heart :( My sweet baby is learning it's no fun to be sick. I called the nurse yesterday to see if there was anything else we could do, and she suggested that we try giving her 1/2 teaspoon of Claritin for kids every 24 hours. It should dry up all that drainage and hopefully lessen the amount of stuff that goes into her throat that makes her cough. We think it's working...seems that now the drool is winning out over the leaky nose. Hopefully it will begin to work with minimizing the coughing, too. I absolutely hate to see and hear her so miserable!



This morning, I had an 8am doctor's appointment to get a pain in my right side (flank area) checked out. I had to wake Jillian up around 7:15, and the whole time we were at the appointment (which was actually a while - had to do bloodwork to make sure I wasn't pregnant before then getting an x-ray, and then waiting for the doctor to look at it), Jillian was zombie-like. Her eyelids were red, she was sucking on her thumb, and she didn't even wave "hi" to anyone :( She was also in her pj's, so that definitely added to her tired look.



So the pains I've been having are most likely what I thought they would be: muscle pains. I wondered if they had anything to do with my surgery (and they still may - that can only be confirmed by a fasting sonogram - something I couldn't get b/c I had had breakfast), but the doctor thought that the fact that I'm only having pains when I sneeze, laugh, cough, or perform certain movements means that it's musculoskeletal - something not uncommon in young mothers toting around heavy babies. He gave me a list of back exercises to do and told me to apply heat - either in the form of a hot bath or heating pad - and take Ibuprofen, Advil, or Aleve as a preventative measure. I'm also supposed to "lift with caution" (in reference to Jillian). The back exercises were somewhat similar to yoga, so I went ahead and did that when I got home...Munchkin took it upon herself to sit right next to the side of my head when I was doing the relaxation portion on the floor at the very end of my session...somewhat defeating the purpose of those last several minutes, but it was pretty cute. And I did my 40 minute elliptical workout, just being careful not to make any movements that would aggravate that area. Anyway, I feel sorta bad about going to the doctor and getting x-rays and stuff done only to confirm what I thought it was, but I needed to make sure it wasn't anything more serious (he ruled out kidney and lung stuff). I also wanted to know that it was still okay for me to continue working out daily, with the occasional yoga session. Which brings me to another point - they say that it takes a certain number of days of doing something for it to become a "habit," and I think I've reached that point with working out. It feels weird when I haven't worked out by noon, and I never feel as good throughout the day when I don't workout. Anyway, I guess Jillian and I have gotten into a little bit of a routine in the mornings:



She wakes up around 8 or 9, we eat breakfast, play for a little bit, then she gets in the exersaucer and "reads" while I workout for 30-45 minutes. Then, depending on how tired she's acting, we'll either play more, or she'll go down for a nap. Then, during her nap, I shower, get ready for the day, and hopefully get some stuff done until she wakes up. We eat lunch, get her ready, and then run any necessary errands or play around the house/get stuff done until Daddy gets home! Whew! Just thought I'd lay that out there, since this blog is somewhat like another form of her baby book!



Here are some pictures we took recently...before Jillian got sick:





Swinging last Monday before getting sick...





Doesn't she look like a baby doll sitting in that swing?





Posing before Mommy goes out to meet up for a Holiday Girls' Night Out with Tara and the gang!





With a rediscovered toy...Jillian has mastered stacking the rings!



Okay, gotta go get some knitting done!

UPDATED WITH COMPARISON PHOTO!



Jillian after a nap over the weekend:

















Does this remind anyone else of one of those greeting cards that has a cat on it with messed up hair?

But you'd never know it!!! This is only the second time Jillian has been sick. The last time was back in June when we were at a wedding in Arkansas. It all started Sunday night, around 3am. Richard and I woke up to the sad sounds of Jillian coughing in her crib. We were worried about her, so we brought her to bed with us. Apparently, she interpreted this as playtime, because she kept trying to play the "where's your nose" game...I'm thinking this is because many mornings, after she wakes up and before I'm ready to be officially out of bed, the two of us will hang out in the bed. Anyway, I don't know how much time passed before I decided that having her in our bed was pointless, but eventually, I took her back to her crib where she went back down until around 9am. All yesterday, she sounded congested, with some random coughing. But last night seemed to be better with less/no coughing in the middle of the night (more snoring and weird sounds, though).



Today has been a dream with Jillian! If I didn't know she was sick, I'd say she's happier than she's ever been, which says a lot! She's definitely goofier - we went to run errands, and she was having a grand ol' time, laughing into the left side of her carseat. I couldn't figure out why, but everytime I turned around to see, she would either laugh more or wait for me to say something to her (like, "you're a nut, Jillian!) so that she could laugh at me! I have never seen this child laugh more than she has laughed more today! She didn't even throw a fit when I left her in our bathroom in the exersaucer while I went to pick out some clothes for the day! Usually, she likes me to be in her line of sight when she's in there. I could go on and on about how happy she's been today, but you get the point...I hope this is just how it is at this age (and forever) because I LOVE it! Today has been a blast!



Oh yes, and we got some Rescon GG (per the nurse's suggestion) to help break up her congestion, etc. Hopefully it will help our little munchkin :)

...And our first Christmas Party to host, too!



This past Saturday night, we had our friends and family over for a fun Christmas party! Everyone brought something yummy to nibble on as well as a gift for the kids at Children's Medical Center.





Of course, it wouldn't be a party without Mr. Travis Beach, Jillian's unofficial boyfriend. Jillian and Travis had a great time hanging out:








He even tried to put the moves on her!








But Jillian explained to him that she's just not that type of girl







Then, they moved on to the bucket o' Legos




Where Jillian modeled her Christmas dress




Later, they engaged in some parallel play





And finally, some interactive play at the Leap Frog Learning Table




Thank you to everyone who came and who participated in our little toy drive! We had a wonderful time visiting with everyone and hope you have a wonderful Christmas and a joyful 2007!



***Thank you, also, for ALL the yummy food! Tara, I know I've already told you this, but bringing over that whole plate - full of fudge - was evil. It will definitely be a Christmas gift that will stick with me for a while...unfortunately!

This past Saturday, we had our Christmas portraits done at the most amazing place! Portrait Innovations was great - thank you for the suggestion, Meg! The had a nice waiting area that was very open and although crowded with lots of families, still not all that bad! The very cool thing about this place is how much space they use AND that they have one person taking the pictures, while another does their very best to get your child to smile! Granted, we ended up spending more than I'd like, but considering the number and quality of photos you get, it's not all that bad. AND, we got a disc with all 56 of the pictures they took (even though we only purchased 5 different pictures) so that if we decide to later, we can print more!



Here's the very best part: you don't have to wait weeks to get the pictures...we only waited maybe 30 minutes for excellent, portrait quality pictures!



And while we were waiting, we hung out at the nearby Starbucks...






Jillian happily ate apple pieces while we enjoyed holiday beverages (I had peppermint hot chocolate and Richard had caramel apple cider)...notice the adorable dimple in the picture on the far left :)



Check out these blue eyes!






Priceless picture with Daddy...






And some with Mommy...







Being silly with Mommy and showing off our matching left cheek dimples!

Last Wednesday afternoon, Jillian and I ventured out to North Park Mall to see Santa Claus. Understand that this is no ordinary Santa Claus - this is a nationally known Santa Claus! Anyway, we saw him last year and we visited him again this year...only this time, we learned from last year's mistake...we went in mid-week, in the middle of the day, in the earlier part of December!



Here's my little angel with Santa:






And just for comparison, click here to see Jillian with Santa last year :)

We had a fun time last week at Gymboree, hanging out with Savannah and Camille (Ava was fighting a cold), and later on in the week at Savannah's house for a playdate!



Some cute pics from last Tuesday's Gymboree:









Jillian modeling the new stroller we got...I got sick of pushing the big Graco around and opted for a smaller one that is way more maneuverable!

I've always found it difficult to bathe Jillian in her little blue tub, but up until recently, I've been pretty okay with the fact that Richard does Jillian's baths. However, I started to feel like maybe I'm missing out on some fun, so I told Richard that even though he's cool with giving her baths in the little tub, we're moving on! Besides, she's big enough, right?

Anyway, she had a pretty fun first time in the big bathtub last Monday, December 4th :)

Yesterday, my Dad, Brian, Balinda, and Gunnar came over to celebrate Thanksgiving a week late...we were planning on celebrating the Sunday after Thanksgiving, but Richard was sick with a temperature at that time.



It worked out well, though, because it gave me us time to pull out the china and flatware...for the first time! Yep, got married in August 2003, and we're just now using our stuff! It was so exciting! I cleaned everything before and after we used it, making sure to take good care of it, and it felt so special!



So anyway, Brian, Balinda, and Gunnar (bbg) got here first, and I was so excited to see "little" Gunnar!!!! He's such an adorable chunk!








Brian says they've heard him called everything - sturdy (that's what I initially said), meaty, big boy, juicy, and healthy. The child has huge hands and feet! And while some have commented on Jillian's "cankles" (calf/ankles), Gunnar's got her beat in that department! He's such a happy, friendly baby. When the two of them met, they really didn't know what to think of each other. Not that they hadn't already met - but this time, they were both more active. Here's video of this meeting:







Oh yes, and I must mention the fact that the instant I saw Gunnar, I said, "You look JUST like your Daddy when he was little!!!!" I kept saying this over and over again - it's just weird to see a baby that looks like what your little brother looked like as a baby...I should find a picture comparing the two...



So first, Brian and I fed our darling babies:








Anyway, the two of them got alone okay - not a whole lot of playing with each other, but Gunnar really enjoyed chewing on Jillian's Legos. He also liked her Neurosmith Musical Square...











...and later on, stole her Target Toy Catalog!!! After seeing the video and the way Jillian just let him have her beloved catalog, we noticed that she has a fairly passive attitude, rather than the typical "alpha" personality of a firstborn (maybe it's not typical?)








And now, the grand finale that any member of the Dalton family should surely enjoy ...a boatload of family pictures...different combinations of me, Richard, Jillian, Brian, Balinda, Gunnar, and my Dad...Enjoy!

Today, Jillian and I went to play with Stathia and Dominic. Stathia went to Austin College with me, where we were both in the choir, both were music majors (her piano and I voice), and we both worked in the music library.



Dominic is 16 months old and very much a boy! He's walking, "vroom, vroom"-ing, and dumping things out! Jillian sort of sat back and took it all in (as she normally does).



Here are Jillian and Dominic demonstrating that they both inherited the music genes:




Thanks for a fun time, Stathia and Dominic!

When we got home, Jillian and I decided we'd ask Daddy if he wanted some Mexican food...after finding a coupon for a new place called Planet Burrito, we then thought it would be fun to invite our good (18 weeks pregnant) friend, Tara :) So we met Tara and had a yummy meal and great conversation. Jillian was especially toddler-like throughout the meal, throwing her sippy cup, snacktrap, and toy cellphone on the floor repeatedly...yes, I know you're wondering, "well why in the world did you keep giving those things back to her?!" - and the answer is, I don't know. I guess it was just me trying to carry on a conversation while somehow letting Jillian convince me each time that she was really going to hang onto the object...eventually, I just held her, and that worked for a while...until she convinced me again (!) that she needed one of those objects...followed by throwing them on the floor. It was at that point that we left :)



Jillian is pretty good about going to other people, but it doesn't hurt that Tara is such a sweetie and is getting ready to have "Baby Bee" in early May!








What a special treat to have Tara back in town for the holidays!

That's right, Jillian said "Mama"!!! Yesterday, Richard stayed home from work because of the bad weather. We had a fun snow day and late in the afternoon, we all napped. When Jillian woke up from her nap, I brought her to our bed to hang out with us. As the three of us were laying there, Jillian said, "mama" - Richard and I said at the same time, "Did she just say 'mama'?" It was adorable and very quiet, but she said it!



This morning, after Jillian and I laid in bed playing, I picked her up to take her to her highchair, and on the way there, in my arms, she said very quietly, "mama" - it just melted my heart! After she was in her highchair, I asked her if she could say it again, and she just started saying, "mama, mama, mama, mama..." Those were the sweetest words I've ever heard!



Tonight, before meeting Tara for dinner, Richard was holding Jillian in the recliner and said, "Can you say 'Hi, mommy'?" - I swear she repeated "Hi, mama" back! Here's the proof (yes, I'm kind of obnoxious in this video...sorry!):







Jillian is such a sweet, little punkin' and I'm thrilled that she has added this special word to her vocabulary!