Christmas – part deux

While in Asheville for Christmas, about 8 inches of snow fell starting on Christmas morning.  It was so beautiful!  We couldn’t resist the opportunity to take Aiden out in the snow for a few sled rides down the hill on Granny and Granddaddy’s farm.  I held Aiden and Bruno on the sled and Scott pulled us down the hill!  Here are some pix of the snow as well as more fun Christmas pix.

Aiden's first sled ride. I think he liked it!

 

A delightful Christmas dinner

 

Meet Aiden's new favorite friend (Aunt Cheryl's dog, Angus). He might be the sweetest and most patient dog with an almost-1-year-old ever. Angus had an amazing knack of picking up snowball legs.

 

Back in Charlotte, we had about 3 inches of snow on the ground. So we played in the snow again! Aiden, can you say snow angel?

 

"Playing in the snow makes me hungry. Some of Big One's apple jacks should hit the spot!"

 

On Christmas Eve, Aiden strolled all around the farm (with Pop's help of course...see the shadow behind Aiden).

 

"I'm going downhill and I can't stop!!!"

 

Aiden is giving his expertise on how to fix the chainsaw. Cheryl says that the men in some families go hunting to kill a deer on Christmas Eve; but in our family, the men cut down a tree instead. Much better in my opinion.

First Christmas

Aiden had an amazing first Christmas.  He got to celebrate multiple times…first with my brother and his family the weekend before Christmas, with Grandma and Grandpa Wolford the night before Christmas and with the rest of the Williams family on Christmas morning.  He actually got to celebrate twice on Christmas day because he needed a half-time nap during present opening.  He also had the most beautiful white Christmas!  There were 8 inches of snow in Mills River at Granny and Granddaddy’s house!  Thanks to everyone who made his first Christmas so special.  He loved every minute!!!  We are so blessed to have such wonderful and supportive family and friends in our lives everyday of the year and especially at Christmas time.  We hope you all had a very merry Christmas too!

"Thanks for the cool PJ's Grandma!"

 

Merry Christmas to all!

 

"I love this new firetruck! Thanks Grandpa!"

 

The snow started falling first thing Christmas morning

 

"Santa brought me a new rocking zebra!"

 

"Aunt Kimmie gave me a huge white tiger to go with my enormous giraffe in my room! It's gonna be a wild kingdom in there!"

 

Things started going downhill with Aiden quickly and he needed a quick nap before continuing with the opening of gifts. So Bruno got to open his gifts from Santa.

 

"The mommy broke this toy trying to get all the bits out of it, but I still like it anyway."

 

"Don't I look good in this?"

 

"Finally, I got my own phone! Now I can call up all my girlfriends."

 

"My new Alphabet Train kept me entertained for the rest of the weekend!"

Daycare days

 

For Christmas, Aiden wanted to get his classmates a little gift.  So, we gave the Infant class at Bright Horizons some new books.  Here are some pictures of the class (along with his teachers – Jen and Jen) playing with the books after they opened up the gifts.  Although there are the occasional hiccups, Aiden really enjoys daycare.  Apparently, he and the little girl in the middle of the first picture (Julianna) are great playmates.  They are the oldest two kids in their classroom and they “share” toys all day long.  I say “share” because it sounds like they each steal the toy that the other is playing with and then the teachers find an identical toy and give it to them so they both have one to play with.  Aiden occasionally walks up to Julianna and steals the pacifier right out of her mouth.  Pop!  Luckily, he never puts it in his mouth afterwards.  Cleanliness?  Check!  Manners?  Well, we’ll get there. 

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas

The stockings are hung by the chimney (or gas logs) with care.

Reindeer feet!!

Thanks for the fun PJ's Great-Granny!

 

The china that Aiden got for Christmas last year (in anticipation of his arrival). He still isn't allowed to touch it.

Oh the weather outside is frightful.

Addi and Christi Johnson gave Aiden his first Christmas present. Needless to say, Addi needed to show Aiden what to do!

Aiden definitely knows how to play in a box!

 

O Christmas Tree. O Christmas Tree.

First haircut

Recently, I took Aiden to get his first haircut.  His hair has finally come in all over (apart from some mean power alleys).  It was getting so long that he was getting dangerously close to having a rat-tail with bangs in his eyes.  So it was time.  I took him to “Pigtails and Crewcuts” which is a kids barber shop and he LOVED it!  He sat in his little airplane chair and tried to drive (or fly) it the entire time.  He kept looking at himself in the mirror and laughing.  And much to my surprise, he never even tried to grab the comb (like he does with me every night when I comb his hair after a bath).  He acted just like the little angel that I know him to be…most of the time.

The tummy

Now that Aiden is eating a ton of real food, he’s developed a little tummy.  A tummy with which I am a little obsessed.  It is adorable. 

Sometimes, he likes to have his tummy tickled (especially after Scott has had a hair cut)!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGZ-1gw4Ud0

Sometimes, he channels “Risky Business.”

 

 

And sometimes, he likes to show off his tummy all by himself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_n8mTIhqo-E

Go Heels

Over the weekend, we were fortunate enough to see our TarHeels dominate Kentucky in the Dean Dome.  Aiden and I sat in the box for the first half.  He had a great time with Bub eating cheerios out of his cup like popcorn while cheering on the team.  Luckily, Aiden only threw a minimal amount of cheerios on the poor balding gentleman sitting in front of him.  Sorry!!  Scott took Aiden-duty for the second half (although Bub and Granny truly took the majority of Aiden-duty throughout the game) and I got to watch the Heels pull out a victory from the stands.  It felt like I was in college again…just not in a tight skirt with pom-poms and a midriff top…for which all Carolina fans should be thankful for as I am one year out from having had a baby.  Anyhoo, we had a great time at the game and Aiden got to toddle around the offices after the game and entertain everyone.  He made a run for it and tried to give a post-game interview in the locker room.  And as icing on the cake, he got to see snow on our way back to Bub and Pops’ house.  All in all, a very successful weekend.

Getting ready for tip-off. Aiden's got the best seat in the house!

 

Aiden clapped his hands whenever the crowd cheered. A TarHeel born and bred.

After the game, we played in some of Bub's memorabilia. Nice hat babe! (P.S. Thanks for the awesome onesie Frederick family. I'll have to get a better shot later but it says Williams on the back with #4 which is Scott's number from school. Very cool.)

Giddy up lil' partner!

The Leonard Bearstein Symphony Orchestra

Every year in Founders Hall in uptown Charlotte, The Leonard Bearstein Symphony Orchestra has a Christmas concert.  The orchestra is a group of about 15 electronic moving bears who sing and play instruments just like a real orchestra.  My friend, Dana, had the great idea to take her son Graham to see them and invited us to tag along.  What a treat!  The only problem was that the boys’ attention span was slightly shorter than the 45 minute show!  Fortunately, there was plenty of room for them to roam around.  Hopefully, it will help Aiden get into the spirit for him first Christmas!

A rare shot of me and Aiden together. (I am usually the one behind the camera chasing him around!)

 

Graham and Aiden watching the bears. Well, at least Graham is watching.

 

Dana and Graham. Let me just say that some of the outtakes of this were hilarious!

 

Being entertained by the benches near the bears. So easily distracted.

After writhing around on the floor while watching the bears, we came home for a bath.

 

He stole the bath toys and ran!

 

What a good dog. Bruno is SOOOO patient with Aiden. Everyday, Aiden tries to "walk" Bruno while we are getting ready for our afternoon walk.

11 months old

Yesterday, Aiden turned 11 months old.  It’s hard for me to believe that this time last year, I had a huge tummy and was nesting in preparation for the arrival of this little hurricane into our lives.  He is walking all over the place and is developing such a fun little personality (at least most of the time).  Here are some of the many emotions that our little man displays these days. 

Sweet

 

Restless

 

Happy

Thoughtful

Wiggly

Intrigued (by the key chain that I am shaking above my head to entice him to look at the camera!)