random thoughts scattered throughout so many photos

Happy New Year!
In general, I need to be shoved like dead weight into anything new or different....so New Years is always melancholy for me. I always like the old year and hate to see it end...2008 was great for our family. We were extremely blessed in many ways. However, with the arrival of our baby boy...2009 is sure to be great in many ways, too. I guess my favorite part of looking toward a New Year is the list making. No resolutions for us really (not that we don't need them) but we try to go out to dinner and make a list of goals and things we'd like to do. Some of them we accomplish, some we don't. It's fun to make the list and also fun to go back over last year's list to see which things we did/didn't do. Tommy's are generally business related and mine are generally home/photography/creative related. Together, we come up with some marriage and parenting related goals. Some are very small (paint the foyer) and some are much bigger (get up one hour earlier in the morning) That, in case you were wondering, would be a huge accomplishment for the two of us. We might even get crazy and try to make it into our seats at church without missing all of the singing! Anyway, I am looking forward to some changes in my photography business, completing some creative projects that are on my list, becoming a stay at home mother of two, etc. We are also planning to take a trip without the kiddo(s). Yikes! I have yet to spend ONE NIGHT away from baby girl!
Here are some photos from several different Christmas celebrations...

Uncle Jus reading the Christmas story to Isabella. Notice the colorful things on her back? Tell ya later...

Ready to open some gifts on Christmas morning....(these are very out of order)

Doing her favorite thing....climbing on me.

Me...reading my stocking note from Thomas.

Isabella checking out a stocking stuffer... a big girl toothbrush!
How did Santa know that she would cut SEVEN teeth at once this holiday season?

More fun looking at the stocking stuff!

Her "very, very excited, I can't believe it" face! She really liked this gift....a Weeble Castle.

She had opened all of her gifts and is making the "more" sign. Spoiled much?

A Little Tikes Blackberry. (She quickly tossed it aside and crawled after the real thing!)

I love this face. So, so sweet.

Daddy assisting with the opening....

Again, the colorful "things" on her back. I can explain...they are actually thong underwear that my mom purchased (they were on sale, I needed some new ones, I know..TMI) for me and they turned out to be Isabella's most favorite part of Christmas. She continually put them on her back like a backback and crawled around the house. We would take them off and she would find them and put them on again. Though it is tacky, it was hysterical....and they were brand new...so we let her enjoy a few days of it. It is certainly something I will be documenting in her baby book. They have since been put away and she is not at all pleased.

Getting a kiss from dada at Meme's house.

Acting silly with momma...

Entertaining everyone...

Tommy's grandma gave her a baby doll and the only part she cared about was the baby's bottle...I think it made her miss her bottle. She kept trying to drink the fake milk.

Check out her paci in the above shot!

Tired eyes, Christmas Eve...

Looking at all her new books at Meme's house.

Milk mouth....

Pepper...enjoying the Christmas chaos...

Opening her gift from Ansleigh....good thing it wasn't breakable.

And a few other random thoughts...
You simply must go see Marley and Me (and/or read the book) Tommy and I saw it and were both sobbing in the theatre. It was fantastic! It was also the first movie we'd seen at the theatre in THREE YEARS! Isn't that crazy? We aren't huge movie goers and usually wait to see things on DVD.
Speaking of movies....we watched several others during our time off work. Below are our reviews...
Dan In Real Life= Pretty good. Tommy liked it more than I did.
88 minutes= Pretty good. I accidentally fell asleep at the very end. Al Pacino rarely disappoints.
Traitor= Not so good.
Love Actually (We were sooooo looking forward to this as we had heard great reviews!) = We both hated it!
The Women= Seriously? The worst movie we've seen since Dr. T and the Women.
Marley and Me was so great that it made up for all the sub par choices, though. We are also looking forward to seeing Nights In Rodanthe when it comes out on DVD in February.

Hmmmm...what else?
Isabella is cruising the furniture and clearing all surfaces. Our coffee table officially looks like it just got delivered from the store. We emptied the drawers, shelves, top....everything is gone! No more throwing things off for us to pick up! She also has quite a mouthful of teeth...and they all came in at once. Her hair is growing, too....we might just force it into some pigtails just to show it off.
Baby boy Floyd is growing, growing, growing....He is moving all the time and it is a feeling that I will always cherish. Each time I feel him, I have to smile. I always think the same thought, "Hi there." We will soon need to schedule our 3D ultrasound. That is exciting.

Better get to bed...students return tomorrow and I am supposed to be working on that 09 goal of getting up earlier. Perhaps I'll start next week?

All the best to you and yours in two thousand and nine.