Almost 3!!!!

Guess who is almost 3 years old?!?! That's right, it's hard to believe, but our midget will be turning 3 later this month! Wow, how time flies... In just on short year Mia's vocabulary grew from an infant to that of an average adult, she became fully potty trained, and she learned that Mommy & Daddy are totally neurotic and were put on this planet to serve her!

Every day is such an amazing adventure with our sweet angel... Every time we think Mia is headed into some horrible phase that we hear children go through, a week or two later we realize that the phase has passed and our angel has returned. Don't get us wrong, we realize we're probably being set up for the longest and most torturous teenage years a child can have, but hey, let us have our fantasy that our child is perfect!! We couldn't be luckier, or love her more...

Teddy Bear Tea!

Mommy has made it a tradition to take Mia to 'Teddy Bear Tea' at the Ritz each Christmas. This year was no exception... A whole group of Mom's brought along some of Mia's friends, and of course Mia insisted on bringing her Mary Bear! They had wonderful snacks and got pictures taken with Santa. What an incredible holiday season we had...

Christmas Morning!

What a great holiday! This was the first year where Mia really understood what was going on and decided that she absolutely loves Christmas... Don't get me wrong, Hannukah was great, but in her world one gift a day just doesn't cut it! Papa & Grammy came over and hung out, and Grandma & Grandpa drove in from NM. Mia received so many great gifts that she was actually a bit overwhelmed. She was thrilled to receive her first real camera, and spent the entire day taking pictures of her bears and blanket... She also enjoyed putting together her new make believe washing machine and microwave. Of course Hungry Hippo was a hit with Mia & Daddy! Unquestionably, having a child makes the holidays a whole lot more enjoyable. Just seeing her joy is so rewarding... We can't wait for the twins to join us for our next holiday season!

Gerdie the Giraffe!

All I can say is WOW!! Mia received a lot of great gifts this year. However, I'd have to say that Nancy & Eben, and their sweet kids Blaise & Madi, took the cake for the 'over the top' gift of the year... In fact, when they brought Mia her giraffe she was a little overwhelmed by the size. It took her a few hours to warm to her, but now she's obsessed! In fact, as you can see, she is now convinced that riding Gerdie is a good idea... Gotta love the names she gives her animals!

Yummy Dessert!

Good thing Papa was in town to teach the midget the real meaning of Christmas... It's all about the deserts! These two are so close, and this picture says it all. They are just alike... Mia is so lucky to have so many great relatives who love her so much.

First Dance Recital

Mia has dance class every Friday. For the holiday season they put together a recital. You would have thought Britney Spears was in town there were so many cameras and flash bulbs going off! There were four kids in the program, and 17 cameras flashing... Mia did an amazing job and really seemed to enjoy herself. It's truly amazing the amount of activities that Momma balances. During this busy month there isn't a day that goes by without some organized activity such as Kinder Music, gymnatics, dance, swimming, etc. Then, a few cookie parties and play dates are thrown into each day for good measure! Wow, I get tired just hearing about their schedule... All the effort is worth it. Mia is developing at such a rapid pace and loves the social interaction. She's an absolute angel!!

Plane Ride!

Mia is at an age where her imagination is constantly working over time! She is always lining up chairs to make an airplane, or gathering her bears and pretending to drive them to school... Not to mention giving Mommy medical exams or claiming she's the teacher! It's such an incredible experience to see how her little mind is developing. Her vocabulary is also pretty impressive. This morning we were out to breakfast and she asked Mommy for a snack. Stacy opened a bag of pretzels and handed Mia a few. Mia looked at Momma very seriously and said, verbatim, "Mommy, I prefer to have the bag"! Doesn't sound like much, but her selection of words is pretty entertaining...

Here is a photo of Mia at a playdate last week with Momma. Apparently they had this really cool airplane contraption in their back yard, and Mia wouldn't get out of it for hours! Needless to say, we had one ordered by evening... Uggghhh, it never ends! :)

Holiday Carriage Ride!

On Friday night we had a family date night! First we had a seafood buffet at the Club, and then we went on a horse drawn carriage ride. When we walked into dinner, Mia saw a guy playing acoustic guitar and immediately ran over and began to dance! It was so cute... All during dinner she was mesmerized by the music and kept insisting that Daddy take her dancing! The carriage ride is something we've done the last few years during the holidays, and Mia just loves it. She talks to the horse and bounces around from seat to seat! A very enjoyable evening...