Catching up after Christmas

Hi family and friends,
So I have become so bad about my blogs, but trying to catch up now.  We had quite a wonderful holiday season and 1st Christmas for Harper.  Christmas Eve we hosted our annual paella dinner with lots of wonderful jamon serrano, cheese, olives, red wine, paelle (duh!) and yummy desserts. 

Jamon serrano y manchego

La paella

There were soooo many gifts, a very generous family.  Harper enjoyed the packaging and bows more than the presents themselves (to be expected), but recently has come to really start playing with them and loves to push his trike around.

Auntie Erin and Harper

Not so sure about this present, likes the bow better!

Christmas at Nana and Grandpa's

Harper did come down with a cold over the holidays-boo and it came back again, but he is now almost all better and he has been such a trooper.  After the new year we took a family trip to Reno.  Chris, Stacie and Logan stayed with Casey and Brendan, Harper and I stayed with Pat.  We all had a great time: nice walks, John's ribs, bowling and lots of laughs:)  It is so nice to be around so much family and at one point Harper had 5 aunties in the room (1 aunt, 2 great aunts and 1 great great aunt).  Harper was great on the trip up and back, but we made sure to give him a nice long break at a restaurant both drives. 

Bowling in the ergo in Reno

This past weekend we took a trip to the bay area to celebrate Laura and Chris' new arrival in March with a couple's shower.  Laura makes for one cute pregnant girl.  They didn't find out the sex of the baby, but recently decided to find out with their guests at the shower and had cupcakes made with either blue or pink filling (they gave the secret ultrasound pic to the baker in a sealed envelope) and then everyone at the same time bit into the cupcakes and along with the happy couple found out they are expecting a baby boy!  I feel like blue is the theme this year with most of my friends having boys-Harper will be hard pressed to find a girlfriend;)  We had some accidents through the weekend (a hotel guest backing into our car while we were in it in front of the hotel), a spilled milk bottle and then later an iphone being immersed in the milk sitting in the diaper bag pocket, etc, but for the most part a fun time. 

Trail walk with dad and Gracy

Harper updates:
9 months and counting
22.6 lbs
27.5 inches
crusing around furniture
putting EVERYTHING in his mouth
eating everything (definitely not picky and we feed everything we eat blended in the bullet)
babbling a lit, (dada being his favorite, but includes mama, baba, and other word sounds)
4 teeth and counting (doctor says he is getting a whole bunch)
holding arms up to be lifted

**Funny story about the phone incident:
So long story short my new iphone died after being put into a pocketful of milk so I went to the apple store to get help.  When the technician came up to me here is what followed:
Technician: So tell me what happened to the phone.
Me: It was placed into liquid
T: What type of liquid?
M: milk
T: (trying to be funny) What type of milk? 2%, 1%, fat-free? (laughing)
M: (deadpan) breastmilk
T: (backing away from phone and not laughing anymore) really? hmmm...ummm...did you umm clean it up?
M: you mean did I wipe it? yes I did.
T: oh, ok, well thanks for being honest
-guess he had never heard that one before.  at least he finally did pick it up and help me:)