Holiday photo attempt

Romi came over with her camera to help us capture some family shots for a holiday card to send to you. It was not easy herding cats! We did manage to pull it off, sort of, so keep an eye on your mailbox. In the meantime, here are some photos that came out of the experience but didn't make the final cut.

Goof.

Creston has learned to crawl since the last post. We have battened the hatches. And everybody's eating yogurt and bagels and Sammy is very pleased with the results of these eating experiments. We are all looking forward to vacation and (hopefully) snowy VT and NH.

Hoping for a new camera for Christmas

Better fuzzy than not at all? Camera is busted, phone'll have to do. Cute all the same. Creston has a new wrinkle-nose grin which is quite fetching.

Thanksgiving

We headed up to Burlington, VT for Thanksgiving. We found lots of family, fine food, and many things to be thankful for.

Grandma and Grandkids

Cousin Cora and Ivy.

Cora is getting ready to be a Big Sister in addition to being a Big Cousin. Any day now!

It was very cold up there and we went for a walk to get some hot chocolate and hot cider. Big Creston didn't drink anything and Baby Creston liked to chew on an empty cup with his rosy jowls.

Back on the home front, Creston is catching up with Ivy in the mobility department. She crawls everywhere and into everything. Creston is starting to crawl now and soon it'll be true mayhem.

Creston likes to eat. He also likes to talk and pull funny faces while he eats, the whole thing makes for quite an adorable mess.

Ivy on lookout.

Ivy and Sammy having a moment.

Reading the Sunday paper is not quite as relaxing as it used to be. More exciting, though.

For those of you following this sort of thing: Creston is now a hefty 20.5 lbs and Ivy is a peanutty 16 lbs. They are quite a pair.

Pennsylvania comes to town

Great Aunt Karin and Great Uncle Rick came to visit from PA. They carried away our beautiful lead-painted chairs just in the nick of time; these nibblers are now crawlers.

Ivy and Creston are about to outgrow the hats that Karin knit before they were born. Here's a parting shot of Ivy in her Karin hat and her Cousin Cora parka and her Cousin Thomas/Emmett green pantalones. Dressing these kids is like a family reunion.

Thanks for the visit, Karin and Rick! Don't lick the chairs. XO

Hot Spot Tot Lot

Chris has been taking Creston and Ivy to the playground by Brooklyn College, otherwise known as the Hot Spot Tot Lot. It has those baby swings, which is key at this point. This is what they look like when they head out on the town.

They are still a bit too small for these swings, so you'll notice all manner of sweatshirts and towels snuggled in around them.

And when we are not at the playground enjoying the swings, we are in very deep thought.

Green beans, more yoga and matching sweaters.

These are crappy iPhone photos but we like them anyway.

Sir Creston with a chin full of green beans.

Creston and Ivy standing up in Creston's crib - Chris' finished mural in the background.

Ivy doing what she does.

Cousin Sonia knit a pair of matching sweaters.

Bye!

Here we are

We wouldn't blame you if you'd given up on tracking our progress, but we're still progressing! Lots has happened since our last update. Erika went back to work, Chris started working really hard at home, visitors came and went (Uncle Jordy from Alaska!), Creston and Ivy started sitting up and eating "food" and, in the past two days, Ivy has been showing off the sharp beginnings of her very first tooth.

Here's Great Aunt Janie who came back for more love. She visited with Cousin Jane and Brandon and their new baby, Henry. Our camera is broken and moody, so unfortunately there aren't any pictures of Jane and cute lil' Henry.

But here are Brandon and Ivy.

And Aunt Catherine came, too. It was a regular family reunion. Here she is with Ivy.

Ivy on the left, Creston on the right. Creston's drool is generally out of control.

Grandma Carola came to town and split her time between standing at the stove and sitting on the playmat.

Last weekend we went to Brockton, MA for Chris' cousin's wedding. Lots of family was in town including Rylee, Creston and Ivy's cousin. She is 3 weeks their junior.

Gran Leah with all of her grandbabies.

Life is busy with exploring new things...

Practicing downward dog...

And looking cute at the doctor's office.

Can't promise we will update you again before November hits, but we will do our best!

Oh, California!

Steph and Emile got married in California and BOY was it great. It gave us a wonderful excuse to spend over a week out there, catching up with people and places. First off, we stayed in San Francisco at Bonnie and Shelley and Ollie's place. Here's Ollie, he's showing the young ones how to sit up. And he shared his toys nicely.

Bonnie and Creston

We hung around in Dolores Park

Here are Chris and Ivy with Chris's old friends Ted and Klara. We learned all about hair care products for mixed race kids. We are waiting for our own babies to develop some hair (and maybe the ability to speak fluent German, like Klara).

Ivy and Josh. What does she think of him? Hard to say.

Then we checked into the Ritz-Carlton in Half Moon Bay. Not too shabby! We got a cheap room because a friend of Chris's works for Ritz. All of the power went out in Half Moon Bay while we were there; although it wasn't Ritz's fault, they gave us extra glasses of wine and glow sticks. If you have to be somewhere when the power goes out for a few hours, we recommend a Ritz. Ivy and Creston are impressed with the bed. It was pretty sweet.

After Half Moon Bay, we sped North. We stopped at Bodega Bay to give ourselves a little break and a dose of ocean and sand.

Steph and Emile's wedding was in Mendocino County, by Point Arena. We stayed in one of a row of perfect cabins at a place in Gualala , CA. There were goats and rabbits and chickens and an organic farm where we were free to pick vegetables, cut flowers and choose eggs. We could hear seals and see the ocean. It was heavenly. It was a short but precarious walk to the beach from there.

Then we came home and Chris started his new life as a Stay at Home Dad. Good luck, Sir!