progress is...

December 1

WFM

Celebrating my retirement with a pregnancy doorway photo, pizza, a cupcake, and leaving early. So long, friends. See you not at this place.

December 2

Front Porch

Andy was passed the torch to draw names for the Roller Secret Santa. He took his job seriously and after the drawing, had a burning of the names ceremony. (We re-burned at night so you could actually see the fire, but his face...)

December 3

Bathroom

Progress is framing the walls!

December 4

Leena's Room

Story/play time after bath.

December 5

Front Yard

She probably picked up 90% of those rocks and with each one, held it to her head and said (in her language), "hello."

December 6

Kiki's

Not quite getting it.

December 7

Kiki's

This is right before she took about 6 steps, her first real walking progress! It's probably because she has a unicorn on her too-small sweater giving her extra powers.

December 8

Bathroom

Progress is drywall and a shower ready to be tiled!

December 9

Leena's Room

New game: stand in the drawers and pull stuff out of the crib.

December 10

Bathroom

Progress is a tiled shower wall!

December 11

Jason's Deli

Her first experience with chocolate milk. She had a death grip on that thing. Pretty sure her mind was blown.

December 12

Purcellville Volunteer Fire Department

Annual Christmas tree getting (after we skipped last year because of our newborn). Felt great to see family and friends and resume our tradition.

December 13

Brian and Heather's Farm

Exploring nature in the buff. Or just airing out in the unseasonably mild December air after a pretty severe diaper leakage.

December 14

Bathroom

Progress is coming home to painted walls and tiled shower walls!

December 15

Front Yard

She's come a long way in her finger painting skills since the first time we tried. This one is a masterpiece birthday painting for her dad.

December 16

Peterson House

Christmas cookie decoration station with Abe and Robert. And the Christmas playlist that they put together. It consisted of three songs: "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree", "Emmanuel" by Amy Grant, and some weird cat's meowing song. On repeat. For hours.

December 17

Kitchen

Leena's hair and eyebrows.

December 18

Kitchen

Sweet snuggle with her dad. Not much beats when your kid puts her head down on your shoulder.

December 19

Kiki's

It's great having a house with a grandma in it right across the street.

December 20

Kitchen

Christmas cookie production. A new flavor this year and it's definitely the prettiest and very tasty and a keeper!

December 21

The Jefferson

Doing Christmas-y things around town, just because.

December 22

Bass Pro

Again, doing Christmas-y things around town, just because. (But swearing we are not tied to this every year.)

December 23

Cyborg Room

Finally reclaiming our house, cleaning the workspaces, and putting furniture back where it belongs. Hello, wood stove. I've missed you and can't wait to fire you up.

Also, the Bathroom

Progress is a working toilet and a shower that just needs the handle screwed on!

December 24

Peterson House

Christmas celebrations! Leena, truly outrageous. And all we do now is stare at her.

December 25

Schemmel House

Christmas celebrations, Part II. Adah sharing her new drawing table. Not shown, Christmas dinner at the fire station with Andy.

December 26

Kiki's

Christmas celebrations, Part III. Super hero (or villain) Adah. You can see it in her eyes; she's not sure which one she wants to be.

And the bathroom, again

Progress is hardware and textiles hung!

December 27

Attic

Moving the book shelves from wall to stair hole = major piece of mind for mom when we are hanging out upstairs. And Leena is helping (probably not helping).

December 28

Lemon

Andy's farewell dinner with Mom and taking Leena to her first hookah lounge. Which was attached and empty and a good place to let her start to get fussy as we finished up and approached bedtime.

December 29

Attic

Father/Daughter staches.

December 30

Bathroom

Since we made over the second bathroom, we thought we could give the first bathroom a tiny face lift also with a new shower curtain. I still love maps.

December 31

Holiday Inn, Kilmarnock

A New Year's Eve for the books. Early dinner with Andy's folks and asleep by 9:30.