Meeting Santa

Christmas festivities followed suit this year, with Christmas Eve at Grammy and Papa's house and Christmas Day at Grandma and Grandpa's. All the usual characters were present, though we did have a surprise visitor on Christmas Eve ... SANTA!

He was making the rounds that night, delivering toys to good boys and girls, and didn't want to miss Calvin and his cousin, Ava.

Ava had visited Santa a few times throughout the holiday season, but this was Calvin's first face-to-face meeting with Saint Nick. It was a little overwhelming at first.

Santa came to the front door just before dinner with candy canes and a gift for both kids. Cal accepted the gifts, but stayed on his Dad's lap for a few minutes, before warming up to the jolly old chap. In the end there were high-fives all around and even a photo op on Santa's lap.

Unfortunately, Papa missed the whole thing. He was upstairs taking a nap ....

Photo Shoot with a Nearly Two-Year-Old

I was looking forward to our Christmas picture this year. Calvin is nearly two and adorable, and I'm pregnant but it's not obvious to the naked eye. Plus, it could be our last Christmas photo as a threesome.

However, my mental image was far from reality. It seemed that holiday decorations set Calvin into motion. He would squirm and squint every time we were near a Christmas tree, dance and groove around lighted fireplaces.

Here are the results of an official attempt at a family picture:

For the record, I love these pictures. They capture Calvin's playful personality, but don't fully represent him ... you know, for those bizarre non-blog-followers who get only one picture a year.

So I found a shot we took on a hayride this past fall. See -- without a wreath in sight, he's as calm as a cucumber. And cuter than ever.

Celebratory Lunch

When Dr. Peterson confirmed that we were pregnant with Calvin we celebrated with lunch at the Lake Geneva Pie Company. Mmm. Good sammies, good quiche, good soups and, of course, good pie! So it seemed appropriate to celebrate the good doctor's confirmation of this pregnancy with lunch at the same place.

Thanks to an especially snowy day, Calvin joined us for the appointment. It was fun -- and somewhat surreal -- to introduce our little boy (our baby-no-more) to the woman who delivered him, the first person to see and hold him, really. And he handled himself quite nicely throughout the appointment, with a little extra attention from dad.

Good thing he was there, too. Because our appointment ran long, Eric needed to get back to work for a meeting, so it was Calvin and I who shared a celebratory lunch. Cal opted for ham and cheese quiche; I the chicken salad croissant. Yum. Anyone else getting hungry?

Changes Afoot

Alright, so I'm lacking a picture that would allow this post to make sense. But since I can't seem to TAKE said picture, and it's holding up additional posts, let's do without it for now.

Question: What's different about this picture? (Imagine a pic with me & Cal)

Answer: Calvin's body isn't the only one changing daily.

Mom's belly is growing rapidly with a little one inside. If things progress on schedule, Calvin will have a sibling by the end of June.

Similar to my pregnancy with Calvin, I've been pretty sick. Though this is definitely a different experience with a toddler running around. Laying low or sneaking in a nap is difficult with an active morning and a work-filled afternoon. But we've made it through the toughest part, I think, and we find ourselves, once again, cautiously hopeful for the miracle of new life.

Lipstick Model

So Calvin found my lip gloss and put it to good use.

He has played with chapstick for a while, now, but the effects weren't quite as obvious as tinted gloss.

Beautiful, huh? I'm afraid he might have a future in modeling.