Baby's 1st Holidays!

Holiday Update ... Better late that Never?? hehehaha. Well here ya go! ... Brady's 1st Thanksgiving and Christmas!

Did you all have a good turkey day?? (Or do you remember your turkey day??) We did! Scott and I cooked again, as we've been doing the last 3 years.  We actually really enjoy it, we may not have a lot of room, but we have a lot of love (and a big island that holds lots of yummy food).  It was just 5 of us (mom, dad, and Uncle Scott came over) and Brady so this year I decided that instead of making enough sides for each person to have 2 of their own, we would just make a couple (which for a Minneci/O'Connell meal means like 6) and the delicious turkey and homemade apple pie for dessert (with a Christmas movie of course!).  Brady did not get turkey sooo it may not be fair to say he "experienced" his 1st Thanksgiving, but he looked cute and hung out with us anyways so here's some pics to remember the 1st!

Christmas was a little more fun (duh!) We took Brady downtown (his first ride on the el! -- he was amazing, sat in my momma's lap the whole time looking around and then falling asleep! haha) to see Santa at Macys (he was soo good, he even laughed on Santas lap and had no intention of being down sitting there!), went to the Zoo Lights (thank you kind warm Christmas weather), and attended Christmas's on the 23rd (at the O'Connells), the 24th (with the Morans), and the 25th (at the Minnecis).  We even took Brady out to midnight mass where he slept through the first half like a little Christmas angel and when he woke up just smiled and stayed quiet during the second half (a little Christmas miracle.)  Santa (and gramma) brought him waaay too many toys and we now host a small toy store in our condo, but all in all, it was a perfect 1st Christmas and my heart couldn't be any happier. :)

Posing as an elf

Happy Santa

My Christmas babies :)

1st Picture with Santa!!

Going to see Santa

1st El ride ... City boy!

After seeing Santa ... all smiles :)

Zoo Lights

Christmas Eve :)

Opening Santa's presents!!

....all by himself...

hmmm,what's next?

Christmas morning with Grampa :)

1st Christmas :) 

 

 

I hope your holidays were filled with as much fun and love! :)
Merry Belated Christmas and Happy Belated Thanksgiving! ;)
Can't wait to share all the incredible ways Brady is changing through the new year ...

A whole new year ....

One of my many New Year's resolutions, is to not forget about my blog.  Not because my life is *oh so important* to be sharing with you ;) but because I need to force myself to write down the little things so I remember them as time is slipping away rapidly.

My little nuttypoo is 1 week away from 5 months old! Can you believe it!? I simply cannot.  He's just the most awesome and I shall share some holiday pictures soon. Promise. (new years promise! those are real!)

So the other day we rang in 2012. How old does that make me feel? 12 years since the millennium! And it's not like I don't even remember 2000 -- I was almost out of high school already at that point.  Feeling old.

I hate New Years Eve.  Did you know that about me? I have since I was much younger.  (Not like super kid little because then it was fun -- you get to stay up till midnight and eat junk food!)  But at least since I was a teenager, I have hated New Years Eve.  First off, I am not now, nor I have ever been a big fan of "change".  I'm just not good at it.  I find comfort in the way things are and get anxiety about change -- really rather it's good or bad change, I just get major anxiety with it.  And changing into a whole new year, well that's a lot of unknown change. The worst kind.  Then there's all the expectations that come along with the New Year.  There's expectations to have "super fun and cool plans" on New Years Eve, there's expectations for the big moment at midnight, and there's expectations for the new year ahead.  It all gives me a lot of anxiety.  For many years (call me a dork if you must) I have been craving for the New Years when I had the perfect excuse to curl up on the couch and do nothing on New Years Eve. No anxiety, no expectations.  But there is never a good excuse to do that without feeling like a dork.  Until you have kids.  Then it is *totally* acceptable (esp. in my thwarted mind) to stay home on the couch while your babe sleeps peacefully.  So I am actually extremely happy to say that this year, I *finally* got the New Years Eve I have been secretly craaaaving for the last oh 14 years or so ... I snuggled on the couch with my husband and watched a movie while our baby boy slept peacefully away, rang in the New Year's with a kiss (and only a hint of new year expectation anxiety-- I mean this very well could have been the last New Year we ever have if the Mayans are to believed ... ) and was cuddled up warm in my bed by 1am. 

Finally, perfection.  Couldn't ask for anything more. :)

Happy 2012 friends! Hope it found you happy and healthy and stays that way all the way through ....