Glædelig Jul!

Merry Christmas!!

Ann and Bug

We had such a nice Christmas this year! Matthew's sister, Ann, is here visiting us from Bloomington, Indiana where she is going to school at IU, working on her Master's degree. We have not seen Ann in about a year and a half. The last time she saw Olivia, Olivia threw up on her and she has never seen Graham. Ann is just so fun and laid back and the perfect addition to our Christmas celebration! We went to Sweden the day Ann arrived, December 17th, for an early Christmas at Lars' and Ulrika's house. They went to China for Christmas to be with Matthew's other sister, Lee and family. We spent Christmas Eve and Day with just our small group. Ann leaves on New Years Day so we still have a lot of fun time with her this week.

Olivia was so excited to decorate the tree. As per the Cox tradition, we had Cheese Party while we decorated the tree. It is the best tradition ever! We listened to Christmas music, ate all kinds of cheese and crackers and chips and meatballs with Julmust and Fanta. Olivia really put up so many of the decorations and was very serious and methodical about it. The three of us were kind of being slow and silly and eating and Olivia was really concentrating on it. It was so cute!

In Denmark, the traditional Christmas meal is Flaeskesteg (pork roast) with potatoes, candied potatoes, red cabbage and Ris Alamande (like yummy rice pudding). Matthew makes this every year and it is perfection!

Christmas Eve

Christmas morning

Olivia with the reindeer Ann gave her for Christmas. She loves it!

Olivia and her new backpack. She looked so old when she put this on.

Happy Graham in his new Christmas clothes from Grandpa and Grandma Cowgur

This is Olivia from last Christmas, 2010 at our apartment (we used a lovely branch as a tree).

Today, one year later in the same dress and socks. I can't believe how much she has grown!!
It was a great Christmas and I am looking forward to New Years!

Video of our apartment- do yourself a favor and turn OFF the sound. Olivia is in the background whining that she wants to watch the video I am filming.

Merry Christmas until next year!

This is NOT blood

Olivia has started to no longer take naps. I write it so simply and without emotion, but that last sentence is one of the saddest I have ever penned (can you say "penned" if you type it??).

Olivia still benefits from a half hour or so break in her crib with her pacifier of quiet time (so do I) so whether or not she takes a nap, she goes in her crib every afternoon.

In a should-have-been-unrelated-matter, Matthew got Olivia some markers. Olivia has used markers before and, of course, loves them but she does not own any by design because they make such a mess.Well, Matthew got her some and after she used them I put them on top of her dresser where she couldn't reach them.

Matthew put her down for her nap. We heard her talking and stuff and even yelling out at one point but nothing alarming. I went in there to get her after awhile and this is what I found (besides her 80's bedhead hair):

I jumped a little but was not too freaked out by what she had done. Apparently when she is in her crib she can reach the top of the dresser. Awesome! She was not at all troubled by what she had done- which surprised me as I thought about it. I would have thought she would be laughing and proud of herself. The great thing for me was that she only drew on herself. Not on her white crib or sheets or the white walls or the natural wood floors or even her clothes. Crazy kid!