We had a great Christmas! This year we did something completely different: we took a trip to Asheville, North Carolina! Utaka and Shauna drove in one car, and Mom and Dad drove in another car, and Matthew, Thomas and I took US Air to Charlotte, where Mom and Dad picked us up on the way. The locals were all saying how warm it was, but to us folk from Florida, even 50 degrees caused us to put on heavy jackets and bundle up the little one in a snow suit! We stayed at a place called the Madison Inn and Restaurant, 
which was very nice. They decorated the place to the nines -- Christmas trees with tons of ornaments, animatronic Santas, singing wreaths, and lights everywhere, inside and out. It was so beautiful! Anyway, we had a great time. There were warm leisurely breakfasts in the morning at the inn, seeing the Biltmore estate (twice!), going out to Asheville and Black Mountain the town for shopping and sightseeing, poking in all the gorgeous little shops, having dinner in town or at the inn, and collecting in our room at the end of the day, after Thomas was put to bed,
to eat Christmas cake, do jigsaw puzzles, chat, watch TV and try to figure out how to play cribbage. A perfect end to a busy day. What a great little area that is. I would love to go back there again! Here is a photo of Thomas and Matthew at the Biltmore.
While we were in Asheville, Thomas really got a handle on walking while holding onto our fingers. We walked all the way around the inn one day! He is very opinionated about where he wants to walk, charging this way and that, spinning ninety degrees suddenly to change direction, going up and down and up and down stairs, dropping to his knees and crying out with frustration if we prevent him from going where he wants. You can see a video of him in action on the website. At his last pediatrician appointment, which was about a month ago, she gave him an assignment to learn three body parts. Now he knows nose, head, eye, ear, and sometimes toes. We also ask him, "Where's Mommy/Daddy/Grandma/Grandpa/Uncle Utaka/Auntie Shauna?" and he can point to the right one. And if we're standing in front of a mirror, I can say, "Where's the baby?" and he gets a big grin on his face and points to his reflection. He's also started this new thing of holding onto his nose with his whole hand and saying in a slightly muffled voice, "doo doo doo." It's almost as if he's trying to say "nose" but he's holding onto his nose too tightly so it comes out "doo" instead of "no[se]."
Thomas is pulling hair these days, so today I had a haircut to give him less of it to grab. I went to a slightly fancy place (for me) and she did a great job. Pictures later! I think he's pulling hair because he's teething again. Lots of drool, crying at naptime, chewing on fingers, lumps under gums. It looks like the upper canines and perhaps first upper molars are the ones on the move this time. They've been coming for months, so I won't predict any eruptions this time! We will wait and see.
to eat Christmas cake, do jigsaw puzzles, chat, watch TV and try to figure out how to play cribbage. A perfect end to a busy day. What a great little area that is. I would love to go back there again! Here is a photo of Thomas and Matthew at the Biltmore.
While we were in Asheville, Thomas really got a handle on walking while holding onto our fingers. We walked all the way around the inn one day! He is very opinionated about where he wants to walk, charging this way and that, spinning ninety degrees suddenly to change direction, going up and down and up and down stairs, dropping to his knees and crying out with frustration if we prevent him from going where he wants. You can see a video of him in action on the website. At his last pediatrician appointment, which was about a month ago, she gave him an assignment to learn three body parts. Now he knows nose, head, eye, ear, and sometimes toes. We also ask him, "Where's Mommy/Daddy/Grandma/Grandpa/Uncle Utaka/Auntie Shauna?" and he can point to the right one. And if we're standing in front of a mirror, I can say, "Where's the baby?" and he gets a big grin on his face and points to his reflection. He's also started this new thing of holding onto his nose with his whole hand and saying in a slightly muffled voice, "doo doo doo." It's almost as if he's trying to say "nose" but he's holding onto his nose too tightly so it comes out "doo" instead of "no[se]." 
Thomas is pulling hair these days, so today I had a haircut to give him less of it to grab. I went to a slightly fancy place (for me) and she did a great job. Pictures later! I think he's pulling hair because he's teething again. Lots of drool, crying at naptime, chewing on fingers, lumps under gums. It looks like the upper canines and perhaps first upper molars are the ones on the move this time. They've been coming for months, so I won't predict any eruptions this time! We will wait and see. 
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