HOLIDAY DRESS

We had a photo shoot in November for our Christmas cards. I thought I should post some so you could see Stella in her beautiful holiday dress just one more time. Ashley and Ava came with us. If I am in the picture then Ashley took it, and if I am not, then it was me. Enjoy Christmas without snow...my kind of holiday!

HO, HO, HO

Well everyone, it is official--Stella has had her first Christmas! By the end of the day, I was surprised at Stella's unwrapping skills. Of course, she was all about the paper, with every gift. We spent the morning at our house, where Stella opened her one gift from Mom and Dad. Then we went over to my parents' house and spent the rest of the evening with them. It took a very long time to open all the gifts, what with all of the baby (and other) interruptions. But we finally got our few gifts opened and received.

We hope that all of you had a wonderful day and can look forward to the coming year with anticipation and joy. We have been so blessed to have the most awesome baby in the world join our home, and we hope that everyone can be as lucky as we are. Merry day-after-Christmas!

Stella with her new toy--play keys with pictures of Mom, Dad, and aunt Heidi--on Christmas morning. Grandma's tree with all of the unopened gifts.

Checking out the Sallay family stocking from Santa.

My mom gave me this ornament, and then told me that it wasn't mine to keep and that I had to put it on her tree. So I took a picture.

FIRST CHRISTMAS EVE

Stella is WAY too young to have any idea what all this Christmas business is about. Yet, she seemed to enjoy opening up a few gifts on Christmas Eve. Aunt Valerie, who does hair, styled Stella with a holiday look, and it made her appear quite festive the rest of the evening.

Stella has a wish list that is managed by her DVD-addicted father, full of movies that Brent feels are important to a child's development. He put the Blu-ray version of WALL·E on the wish list with this comment: "If someone does not get me this, I will cry real tears. And I have a blocked tear duct. Please buy me this, my life is hard enough already." Thankfully Grandma and Grandpa Sallay responded and gave Stella the movie she was so desperate to own. Aunt Valerie and Uncle John got her The Fox and the Hound, and Aunt Kathy gave her a teddy bear since Kathy also got a teddy bear on her first Christmas. Thanks everyone for their great gifts!

"What is this pretty thing? A present? What is a present?"

"Yay! The Fox and the Hound, a gift from my wishlist!"

"Everyone keep your distance...this is MY copy of WALL·E, and I REALLY wanted it!"

"A soft Teddy bear to cuddle with! Thanks Aunt Kathy!"

CLASSIC SANTA

While we were over at the Sallays for Christmas Eve, Brent's mom brought out this picture. It is of Brent and his younger brother Dave. They were living in Turkey at the time so Brent is about 7 or 8 in this picture. I just had to share. The only way I could like this picture more is if Brent were screaming and crying, but I guess he was too old to be scared of Santa.

A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS

I like Christmas as much as most people. However I have never been able to fully appreicate the holiday because I hate the cold and snow that goes with the celebration. I am more of an Easter girl myself. Yet there are a few things that are special about Christmas that I love and look forward to every year.

1. My Christmas cards. I love to send them, and I love to get them. At our house they get displayed on the back of our front door, and when it is time to take them down it is so sad to see a plain old boring white door again. Each year I usually write a very detailed, hilarious letter sharing the events of the year. I skipped it for 2008. Perhaps my extremely comprehensive blog made me feel like it would be repetitive. I decided not to do something I didn't feel like doing just because I always do it. I swear to never be a slave to the demands of the holidays. Christmas is supposed to be fun!

2. Ever since I can remember I have been terribly tickled by Santas in a star shape. They are exactly what they sound like--a Santa Claus with the head and four limbs forming the five points of a star. You would think these guys would be all over the place each year, but they're NOT. They are really hard to find and so I am always thrilled when I find one. If you ever see one out and about, please buy it for me and I will pay you back.

For Christmas Eve I have dressed Stella in her blue holiday wear, shunning the traditional red that she wore to church. Because she is still too little to run away from me I had her pose with my two favorite holiday treats. We really wish you a Merry Christmas, and hope you look forward to reading about Stella's first ever Christmas day!

FIRST RICE BOWL

I have put off feeding Stella solids as long as I could because honestly I didn't want the hassle. Feeding Stella a bottle is so stinking easy, and she loves them so there seemed to be no reason to traumatize the both of us with rice cereal.

Today we went to Stella's six month appointment and I decided we should give it a try. At first she seemed confused, wondering why we were messing with this instead of the bottle that was just right next to her. But after a few bites she was in love. She kept grabbing the spoon and the bowl and smacking her lips with each bite. Just wait until I give her something with flavor. Oh, my baby is growing up too fast, but it is so cute to watch each new adventure.

FLASH DANCE

While I was making dinner, Brent had Stella with him upstairs. When he brought her down I discovered this:

Hey Stella, the '80s want their dance uniform back! I DIED of laughter, and had to share!

CHRISTMAS SUNDAY

At church, Stella and I both showed our holiday spirit with our shoes.

LOOK WHO'S SITTING!

Our baby Stella is growing so fast. She is starting to practice the skill of sitting up on her own. It isn't without a few falls, but she is getting better everyday. Of course...she looks beautiful during her practice sessions as this photographic evidence shows:

SIX MONTHS AGO

Today is Miss Stella's six month birthday. I thought I would bundle her up "Christmas Story" style and get some snow pictures. Six months is my favorite age for babies, and I can't believe that my little one has already reached this milestone.

At six months Stella:

• gets crazy excited for her books especially if Daddy is doing the voices
• has become an expert grabber, and she loves to grab and pull hard on mommy's hair
• can touch her toes, and sometimes pulls off her socks
• can sit up for a few seconds on her own
  
• is showing signs of being ticklish
  
• goes absolutely crazy for photographs and has her own photo book that she loves to play with
• doesn't cry when her mom wants to bundle her up and plop her in the snow for pictures
  

She is growing and learning every day, and we can't wait for her to share her first Christmas with us!

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION

If you ever watch Channel 2, and don't have a DVR and therefore catch commercials...you may have seen my dad's new television ads. My dad has sold one of his buildings, and is closing down Salt Lake Antiques. The very store I have slaved my life away in for the last 10 years. I am thrilled, but I am sure there will be some sadness in the end.

For this new ad, Dad wanted the babies in the commercial so he could say: "I am going to sell everything except these two grand babies!" So, Ash and I dressed up our kids in their finest holiday wear and we headed down. We got exactly 1.5 takes before Ava started to get mad, but I think we got the shot. So keep your eyes out on Sunday the 21st for Stella's four second network television debut.

STELLA GRINS

Post production time for Stella was spent smiling and cuddling with her Gramps, and looking entirely adorable in the process.

AVA IN THE SHOP

Before we started filming, Stella was napping and Ava was being cute so I took some pictures of her throughout the store. A special note about her dress...I saw this dress at Janie and Jack, and fell in love with it. But Stella already had a Holiday dress. (Yes, I know it is hard to believe, but I DO think she only needs one.) I told Ashley about it, and she told me that she already bought it for Ava. Perhaps Stella can borrow cousin's dress one day.

RELATIONS

Not long after we met 10 years ago, Heidi and I determined we were long lost sisters. When Cy was born I realized just how much that was true since I really did love him like he was my real nephew.

I was going through some old pictures, and realized how much baby Cy and baby Stella look alike. See if you agree....maybe Heidi and I really are sisters. (I hope this doesn't mean that these two can't get married.)

Baby Stella at 5 1/2 months:

Baby Cy at 5 1/2 months: