Let it snow...

Everyone is finally getting over the various illnesses running throughout the family, and we are all feeling a thousand percent better. We really enjoyed having Kaijsa here for Thanksgiving and are looking forward to her return very soon! There are parties, open-houses, lots of baking time, and the magic of Christmas coming our way in full force the next few weeks. We've gotten the lights up , the tree sparkling beautifully with visions of Bedford Falls, snowflakes, stars, Superman, and Friends from the Hundred-acre wood, and a few precious pictures. We are still on the hunt for the perfect "Baby's first Christmas" Ornament, but it's likely I'll end up making one instead. Everyone is looking forward to West's first Christmas and though I wish my family could be up here in Seattle to share it with us, I know we'll all be thinking of one another, sharing lots of pictures, phone calls, holiday cards and making the best of the season and all it brings.

Seattle had its' first snow of the winter a few days ago, which was beautiful. Westley wasn't quite sure what to make of it. He seemed very suspicious of all this white fluff swirling around him, falling out of nowhere. Sadly, the loveliness of snow has been followed by a continuing rainstorm that has caused major flooding, mudslides, road closures, power outages, some injuries, and a few fatalities. Hopefully, the rain will let up a bit and people will soon be able to enjoy the winter, instead of having to fear it and wonder what will happen next.

And now for the latest West report! Lately, he's had a fascination with standing with his head and one, if not both, hands on the floor, butt in the air and usually he's either playing with a toy in the free hand or he's spanking himself and has Neal, his blue giraffe, under his head so he can snuggle. He's quite the multi-tasker already!
Well, today as I was listening to him play in his baby jail while I wrote a couple of emails, West proceeded to pull himself up to stand! After a few quiet moments (a little too quiet) I turned to see him pushing Cd's around on the one shelf he could now reach. In my haste to stop him I didn't realize he was standing alone with a firm one-handed grip on the baby jail wall! As soon as I did realize what had happened, as most moms do with milestones, I got a little teary, then gave him tons of kisses, and of course, tried to get him to do it again for a picture to no avail.
He decided to sit down as soon as I noticed he was standing by himself. (This picture is a photographic reenactment of actual events!)
He just looked at me, smiled, and gave me a few nana-nana-na sounds accompanied by a some good juicy "raspberries".
It was a very proud moment indeed!