Christmas Part I: Departure in MD, Arrival in Rochester

So it's been so long since we last updated that we're going to need to do a several part series. The nearly ten-day trip to Rochester (the longest we've been away from MD in a couple years) has seemed like eons in terms of socialization, Miles' development, aesthetic experiences with snow, and... PICTURES!
First, we took Miles to see Santa Claus at the local Bass Pro, since unlike the stingy, grinchy Annapolis Mall they were willing to allow him free access and a picture of the experience (Santa, your agents at the Mall have compromised you!):

Next, Miles checks out the effects of the Nor'easter here in MD the weekend before we left:

What's all this, please?

In Rochester, Miles became introduced to his Grandpa and Morai and dressed in strange, festive clothing (Why have so few pictures of Morai survived on our camera??):

Miles quickly became overawed by the novelties of a sky full of snowflakes and a spacious, colorful house he's never seen before. Apologies for the sideways nature of this, but I can't help including it since he was so enthusiastic:

Look what Santa brought!!!

More pictures and fun discourses to follow, but here's something of our morning. He figured it out faster than I'd thought he would!

Seeing Holidays with new eyes

I've been telling Miles how much I love this season and how much he had to look forward to since he was about two weeks old. I remember pacing the sidewalk in the heavy heat just outside our apartment this summer pointing out the oak leaves and explaining that they were going to turn color and fall off and, what's more, that I was looking forward to it. That would signify Miles' first Thanksgiving and, more gloriously, Miles' first Christmas.

I thought it would be awesome singing Miles Christmas songs and showing him lights and taking him to church. I did not count on wanting to take him to see Santa Claus or wanting to buy him everything he could learn to want. I had great plans to teach Miles unselfishness in the face of poverty in the world, that life is more than the material, and that what mattered at Christmas was to be grateful for the gift of Christ and to enjoy the blessings of family and peace. I did not reckon on the powerful emotional urge to make his eyes light up with gifts on Christmas morning and to try to work out what he might say to Santa so I could anticipate it. Good thing I have at least one more year before he'll be aware of Mummy's attitude. HELP fellow parents! How do I not make my life about buying him presents? Besides not being able to afford to shower him with stuff, my ethos does not support getting him used to expecting such showers. But the idea of surreptitiously finding out what he asked Santa for and making that appear, to his visible wonder and delight on Christmas morning, is SO DELICIOUS. I really really have a strong urge to get him stuff he wants! I need an attitude change by next year...

Look... don't you just want to buy him everything?? :-P

Anyway. As it is, Miles has enjoyed a peaceful Thanksgiving in VA with Tita, Uncle Ninja, Grandma and Grandpa (Jon and I were there too). Mummy made a pie, which is always a drama, but which worked out pretty well this year. Thank Grandma Revell for the recipe! We had a lovely time at Tita's house eating delectables, watching The Princess Bride and playing Nintendo (holiday classics). Over Thanksgiving, we also saw Joel, Bri and Isaac and Leah, Matthew and Abigail during two separate trips to Eileen and Cappy's (Jamie was there too, challenging all to a game of Wii like the Black Knight at the crossing). Glorious times abounded. We were forced :-) to help the Rizzos get rid of their Thanksgiving leftovers TWICE and we were received with much hospitality. We love our family!!


Now we are hurtling toward Christmas. It will be a modest one, on our end, as we are still somewhat underemployed. But I'm pretty sure the best blessings of Christmas are easier to receive when money is in shorter supply. Besides, Miles hasn't yet learned how to ask for anything besides food :-P

He rolls over!

and again...

Warm Weekend in NC

That's literally and figuratively warm. Alas that such a lovely town as Durham should have a climate that causes one to sweat in the middle of November! We went down there with the single intention of enjoying the company of all three Nickoloffs, and that we did very well. What a laugh to see the babies finally seem to recognize each other as human beings and to reach for each other, grab each other, karate chop each other... it's all affection, we know this. We intend to make fast friends of the little people.



The big people had a fair good time too. We did whatever occurred to us at any given moment, for the most part. This included two separate women's shopping trips, games: skip-bo! (ah, the memories!) and pig-tossing (ask me!), Vietnamese food and some good old vegging out to The Office and Eddie Izzard, comic genius. We couldn't have ordered a better weekend or one that more exactly suited our needs of the moment. We are grateful for the luxury of it.

Check out alternative coverage of the event here.

TEETH!

I know we gave you all some warning of this, but I just had to show the evidence so you all believe me. He cut these three weeks ago. He's significantly less uncomfortable than he was and slightly less inclined to bite me just for the experiment of it. So we're all happier :-)
Don't you all think that, in that second one, Miles looks unbelievably like my father??

Anyway, here's another couple cute ones. Check out Miles' first read (totally not set up by Mummy at all or anything :-P )

Also, behold Actual Size:

New Data, 4month visit: Miles is 15lbs 3oz (55 percentile) and TWENTY-SEVEN INCHES TALL (97 PERCENTILE) like where in the gene pool did THAT come from?
Coming soon: pictures of marvelous visit with Uncle Matthew, Aunt Leah and Abby!!

Halloween with a Baby or Miles at my Mercy

I must say I enjoy that, though Miles can't yet really enjoy Halloween, go trick-or-treating, or have any consciousness that Mum and Papa are dressed weirder than usual, at least I get to have complete say-so (if you don't count Jon's opinion) over what costume he wears. To indulge me, Miles kindly and benignly appeared as Baby Harry Potter (with his pumpkin suit on undernearth). We attended our friends' Halloween Party which was a fabulous mixture of being able to see the adorable children who came to the door and to offer them candy and yet still be able to have adult fun inside. Very fun costumes (Jon went as the font, Comic Sans) and fun-er repartee and consumables. Hooray for Samhein!

(Click on them for a close-up. And if you don't get the costume, you need to get reading!!)