Christmas Day 2010

We woke up early and and all gathered in one room to wait for the okay to go see if Santa came. I will never how precious my little boy looked as he got a glimpse of Christmas morning...

The fun started early and didn't end!

Boys may not ever grow out of trains...

Santa brought the right gift in his stocking. He didn't even want to open the other presents. He played all day with these.

And made time for a tea party with Aunt Gi, Aunt Grace, and pudding.

He found this gift in the Bluegrass room that Santa brought:)

Phew! He likes them:)

My happiness was watching him with these all day. Its incredible how easily joy comes to you when you have children. I am so lucky to be his mom.

Got to sneak away with Ange and Joe for Christmas Day mass and pipe time:) Meet Sherlock Hemlock.

Christmas Evening feast:

Christmas day pajamas from Nanna and Papa and a piano lesson:)

I wish the joy of Christ's birth, and the joy that he allows on this day could spread throughout the year. I would take a day like this over and over again. 

St. Louis - Christmas 2010 Part 1

 "Bear" goes with us everywhere now. He usually rides in the carseat like so. 

This was the first five minutes of our trip to St. Louis for Christmas:)

Breakfast with Uncle Pete and Paul the morning after we arrived:) All Zuniga boys love their cereal.

Baking cookies with Grace and Gi. 

Grace very seriously asked me to wear this apron so we could match. I was humbled by the fact she saw me to be small enough to fit.....hmm. I love the way children see things.

Painted nails and very thick lightbulb cookies.

Annual trip to Barnes and Nobles....we were thankful for the train table in 

the kids section:)

 Gabriel had such a good time that he didn't want to leave. I literally had to drag him kicking and flailing out the door as customers sympatheticaly watched the poor mom with the kid with the meltdown:) Thankfully Uncle Phil was there to help get him to the car. (Gabe was home sick)

 Cookie Decorating at its finest!

Andrew and I took a picture of eachother at the same time with our cameras cuz we're cool like that;)

I laughed throughout this cookie contest event because the creations were most original and creative this year....and maybe a little absurd. Some worthy of note.....Phil's "Pregnant Tricia" cookie, Paul's Nutcracker cookie, Madeline's perfect bell, and Grace's giant candy cane.

We had events and fun planned every night....although it changed by the minute, it was just so enriching to be around my whole family. Each and every one of them are such a big part of my heart:)

Seeing Snow for the first time through his eyes.

This year jolly old St. Nicholas granted me one of my ultimate Christmas wishes...A White Christmas:) We woke up to snow Christmas Eve in St. Louis and I knew Gabriel would love it. He had never played in the snow before so I was lucky to get his reaction on tape...

Dad was still sick that day but he made it a point to be a part of Gaber's first snow experience, cuz he is a supper daddy:) And its reasons like these Gaber and I love him so much...

Cousin Love

We love having cousins down the road. Christiana was feeling friendly and gave Gabriel a ride, which he took full advantage of as you can see.

My Pet Rocks

Gabriel has been busy scouring our gravel driveway for the perfect rocks to put in his little bug catcher.

Oh how I love little boys! He wonders why I follow him around, but patiently puts up with me laughing at filming everything he does:)

Pumpkin Patch Round 1

Our family is a little crazy about Fall and all its festiveness. We bake massive amounts of food and put up hay barrels in our yard and such. So, naturally there will be several trips to the pumpkin patch. We know a very kind man who owns a pumpkin depot near by and he lets us head out to his patches and fill our cars with pumpkins and gourds of every kind. I know....so cool.

Gabriel had so much fun in the hay maze..

Of course we got in there with him:)

Notice my concentration. It is hard to pick the perfect little gourdy pumpkins with the right amount of color and texture....;)

The smile that makes me die a happy death every day of my life...

Could these boys be any more handsome?!

Gabriel has been carrying around his little gourd and trying to throw it like a ball. Amusing.

Without a camera you have to rely on your memory.

My memory...something that is slowly slipping through my clenched fist. I am trying to hold onto it tight but something about pregnancy and loss of brain cells..


Maria is borrowing my camera, and I had a few moments with Gabriel this weekend that I want to remember forever-so I have to record them with words:)


Playdough
Julie works for the Parents as Teachers program and comes to visit us once a month to teach us about what Gabriel can be learning at his age, watch his progress, and learn how to make hands on learning activities. She brought him a batch of play-dough. I have never given it to him before simply because I knew he would eat it.... tasting has been his way of learning since he was tiny. In fact, if someone asked me what type of learner he was - auditory or visual- I would say "He's a taster." Anyways, I felt like he had matured enough to let him try:D when I gave him a clump  of play dough, I showed him how to squish it with his hands. He proceeded to imitate me and take his chubby little hands (with dimples) and press down as hard as he could. He started to giggle at the feeling of it. It was a giggle of new discovery. These little moments make me want to keep him small forever. He only tried to eat it once, and when he discovered it was salty, he didn't try again...


Hiiii
I have always greeted Gabriel with an excited Hiiii! whenever I see him peek his head around a door, get him up from his nap, out of the car, etc. A few days ago, I walked in the door and he gave me a very enthusiastic hiii! I melted. You tend to forget how much they pick up on. Their little minds are always at work and you never know when they are going to start being a small mimick of you;) So, for the past few days he has greeted everyone he is excited to see with a heeeey! or hiiii! (extra long vowel sounds)

Watching Toy Story on the football field. This was one of those moments too...I wanted to bottle him up and keep him like this forever and ever! He was so happy to sit on his own little chair, eating his own bag of popcorn. I don't know what was cuter...the constant popcorn stuffing or his squishy little feet swinging...