Santa Came! And I Heard He Was Up Really Late!

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and all other celebrations to all! We were able to actually pull off our first Christmas! We had a wonderful, wonderful day. Jia decided 6:05 am was a good time to wake up (not that I looked at the clock or anything) so we preceded on 5 hours sleep to creep downstairs to the bounty that Santa was kind enough to bring. Our first Christmas with Jia. What can I say? Happy? Tired? Fulfilled in ways that can't be described? The joy of parenthood is immense. You can't possibly explain to someone who isn't a parent the joy of having a child. When I was single (even married) and childless, I was ok. Really. My life was always so full. I've always had many friends; good, funny, dear, loving friends. And a loving, caring, funny family. And Terrell - what a wonderful, loving husband. That truly is enough to fill a life. However, parenthood is different. I won't take the time or try to find the words to explain how. It just is. There are many ways to live life and many ways to find joy. I've finally found my way. A wonderul husband and a little girl. Love to all of my friends and family.

All I Want For Christmas

We clearly have. Although I think Jia had to get a few things straight with Santa. Apparently all went well since it ended up with a kiss.

Life with LaLa

I love these pictures. You can see our little firestorm LOVES how she spends her very busy days with her Aunt Lisa. I think I need to get better at this mommy stuff - Lisa always knows just how to keep Jia occupied! Maybe I just need more practice! Enjoy the pictures!

543 emails, a Cold Grilled Cheese Sandwich and Burned Soup

That describes work this week and my dinner tonight. Add to that a neglected dog, a sore back, an equally neglected (and ever patient) husband and that pretty much explains my life at the moment. Oh, and an average of 5 hours of sleep at night and 2 brownies during the day. But in the midst of the storm Jia is stunningly thriving. She now understands EXACTLY what you are saying. You may be thinking, wait, she's only 18 months old, how can that be possible? But she does. How do we know this? Jia - can you say water? Waa . Kitty Kat? Kitty Kat. Cow? Coooow (multiply this by 25 words at least). Jia, do you want to take a nap and lay your head down? She proceeds to bedroom and places her head on the bed. Jia, are you done eating? "All done Momma" (really). But don't think for a second we have a Stepford Child. The independence and natural testing are increasing at a rate almost as great as the number of work emails I get everyday. Oh, the electrical cord is something that will get Mommy running - fabulous. What's this? Diaper Genie? Excellent. Hu midifier? Ditto. But then there are the kisses. I hug Jia and rub lotion all over at bed time after her bath. She has to have at least 3 kisses during this time. Full on, head back, germy smooch. And we wonder why I'm sick all the time. Best germs ever. A few random pics - those who know me will see that Jia is most definitely my child by the looks on her face. heh heh.