Baby, it's COLD outside!

There is snow on the ground right now and this CA family is trying desperately to stay warm! Our cute little beanies didn't stand up to the cold so we had to buy new stuff for Hadley, we put layer on layer when we head outside...

But mostly we stay huddled inside in Jammies with Hot Chocolate! How long until spring?

Hadley's Room

I have moved before so I was prepared for the sting of leaving good friends and the loss of comfortable and familiar surroundings, what I didn't expect was missing my tiny, run down duplex. I find myself missing our little home almost to the point of pain and long to go back just for a few moments.

I would not say I am a sentimental person regarding places - when I left for college I boxed up all my items, painted the room and told my parents to use it as a guest room and when my mom called asking what I thought about selling her home of 17 years I didn't hesitate to tell her to sell and didn't bother to go say goodbye to it. So these emotions hit me out of left field and I originally brushed it off as part of the move. The more I reflect though I fully place the blame on her -

(it is either that or admitting I lost my mind somewhere over the Atlantic)

It was the first home we brought her home to - what I find myself remembering is the way the light shone in the afternoon on her crib, the garage where I washed her first little onesies in Dreft, the kitchen where I would grab lunch and read for a few minutes when I successfully got her down for a nap, the tiny bathroom with the glass door we had to reach around for her first real bath, the light by my bed which I would use in the early morning and even the cartoons Phineas and Ferb and Handy Manny (did you know that was Fez??) because they were the only alternative to informercials in the wee hours. She made it into a place that I will always cherish.

Her room is the first room we set up in our new house, she actually gets her own room now.

We used the same bedding and added the hooks for her dresses (there are no closets) and paintings over the bed my mother made. I know this home will hold memories for us too as she learns to walk and say her first words while we are here. My friend Ashley has a quote on her blog that I never understood -

"All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another." -- Anatole France

I guess now I do.

Thanksgiving in England

This post is a little late, but we were able to spend Thanksgiving with one of Jamie's coworkers that is also here from the US. She hosted the entire team over to show them a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. It was wonderful because instead of cooking all day I only had to provide the pumpkin pie. I am actually not a pumpkin pie lover so it was the first time I made one, it took 3 extra trips to the store for all of the ingredients. First we were looking for another pie pan (I only brought one), then for ground cloves (they only had whole so Jamie was out in the cold pounding it with a mallet) and then finally for whipping cream (they apparently have 5 types of cream, I got the one that didnt whip the first trip). It was nice to spend the evening with other people and it didn't hurt that the host was an amazing cook.

It was interesting to explain to the English what Thanksgiving actually is, they wanted to know if we sang the national anthem thinking it was a patriotic holiday. The story of the pilgrims sounded a little thin and they kept asking what was the standard tradition that everyone participated in. Basically I realized it really did boil down to a day that our nation gives thanks, with a little turkey on the side. It made me reflect over the last year and what I am thankful for so here is my list -

I get to do what I love. I looked back and I have been so blessed - I loved studying Chemistry in college, I loved working at a candy factory, I loved working on all sorts of projects at a consulting firm and I love being home with Hadley. I am very, very lucky.

New Experiences. I wouldnt say that "rolling with it" is one of my defining personality traits and moving abroad has taught me that dirty dishes do not come attack you in your sleep and if you have pizza two nights in a row the walls don't fall in. Things just don't run as smoothly when you are still figuring out where to grocery shop and how to drive and it is ok.

Friends. I really have the best of friends, those people that entered my life just as I needed them. I am also grateful for Facebook/Blogs/Email/Skype to keep me connected. I love seeing what my college friends are up to, keeping in touch with the ones I just left in CA and seeing the ones in Austin that have known me for way too long.

Austin Girls in October

My family. My Mom gets up early so she can call me because it is my afternoon, she has listened and encouraged me. Everyone in my family came out for Hadley's blessing, I get teary thinking about it because I know it was a sacrifice for all of them and we felt so loved. I could write on and on about how grateful I am for them.

Auntie Amber and Uncle Spencer

I love my In Laws. I really, truly like mine. I find them interesting and while the sheer numbers intimidated me at first (a family gathering is at least 30 people) they are so supportive and try to be involved in each others lives. It has been nice to have "older" siblings and I love that Hadley will have so many cousins.

Cousin Love

And these two. There just aren't words to say how grateful I am for them and how they make life wonderful.

Hadley's first kiss

If you are still reading this, I am impressed. We had a great Thanksgiving and even in another country I am too ingrained to break out Christmas until it is over, so bring on the Christmas music and Muppet's Christmas Carol!

8 Months

Hadley turned 8 months on the 10th and I didn't get around to posting. Hadley had her 9 mos check up a little early since we were in the states and is 20.5 lbs and 28.5 inches, both 90 percentile! Everyone keeps asking how tall her dad is but when we looked up my old baby stats Hadley has only been slightly taller and about the same weight at every age. I was always one of the tallest in my class but then just kinda slowed down... we will just have to wait and see where she ends up! We spent most of last month in Austin so here is what we were up to-

Hadley stared longingly at my mom's dog every morning, Chloe smells and is horrible with children so it was an unrequited love.

Grandma taught her all sorts of useful tricks - how to blow raspberries, sit on her own, shake her head no and then yes and to dance. Grandma also worked on clapping and putting our own binkie in our mouth, but we still have a ways to go. I have been discouraging crawling and teething during the move but she seems to be determined to do both in the next month despite my best efforts, she was looking pretty close to becoming mobile before we left.

She still loves to eat and has started the little puffs and chunkier foods. At the beginning of the trip we would put puffs in her mouth and she would shake and kinda freak, by the end she was lunging for them when we held them up. She still doesn't put much in her mouth so we are taking bets as to when she will figure out she can feed herself.

Every morning she would spend time with my mom while I slept a little longer, it was heaven for both of us. I think she really misses hanging out with her since we came back and their "conversations", we have a chatterbox on our hands (shocker, right?).

She is working on expressing herself and has a new "angry" scream and a "wheezing" sound that is not my favorite and causes bystanders to look at me like I am just standing there while she chokes, which is awesome. She also has the sweetest belly laugh. She is so much fun to hang out with and it is wonderful to see her personality come though.

It never ceases to amaze me that we buy her toys and without fail she reaches for the tags/boxs/tissue/lint/any type of trash to play with instead. Here she found a half empty Dots box.

That about sums it up, she was great on both flights and we are now back in the UK for good and just waiting for visitors!

Sweets for my Sweet

I had been introducing veggies like a good mom but decided on Halloween that she could have her first taste of sugary goodness!

I didn't try sugar until I was 3 and looked how well that turned out! So I figured it couldn't hurt that much, she wasnt sure how she felt at the beginning but I think she caught on!

First Halloween!

Getting in the mood by checking out the Bats underneath the Congress Bridge

Trying on our witchy hat

Modeling the costume

Showing off our first Jack'o'latern and treat bag

Dad filling in as costume adjuster

Ward Trunk or Treat to collect the loot!

We had so much fun with Hadley on her first Halloween! I grew up with amazing homemade costumes so I was determined to make Hadley's first one. My sewing machine didn't make it to England on time so Mom and I got in the car and to head to the fabric store after the wedding. I realized before the car started that sewing a pattern after a busy weekend with jetlag would likely end in tears for me and those around me. Jamie had been asking for Hadley to be a little witch - she developed this little high pitched laugh that he thought was perfect. So we stopped at Micheals and 15 minutes after we returned home I had a costume. We took her little wedding dress and tied tulle the way my crafty friend Hayley showed me around the waist and took a felt hat, cut it up to fit and glue gunned it back together. We thought she was the cutest witch we had ever seen! Hope you had a perfectly spooky Halloween!