A Very Merry Christmas

We did Christmas in two parts this year: Part 1 in Oregon and Part 2 at home in Seattle. And since we started decorating the house as soon as Thanksgiving was over, we enjoyed every minute of the holiday season. Sonia was especially excited about Christmas this year, since it was the first time she really asked Santa for something (with encouragement from us of course!) She really wanted "stickers, a puzzle, and new barrettes" - and you guessed it, Santa came through! She was on the nice list this year. Santa didn't forget Neal, who scored a new rattle and some plush toys of his own.

While we were in Medford, we had a chance to celebrate with all of our SEVEN cousins! We even got to meet our newest little cousin - Nathan! And we had a special visit from Auntie Lolo and Mike too.

Our trip to visit our neighborhood Santa was less terrifying than last year's!

On Christmas morning, Sonia was absolutely convinced she heard the reindeer on the roof - and the fact that all the snacks we left for Santa were eaten were proof of it! She loved opening all of her and Neal's gifts and even cleaning up all the wrapping paper. Is it too early to start chores?

Our little guy turned 5 months old on Christmas Eve, which is so hard to believe. And in spite of settling in nicely to his new daycare routine now that I'm back at work, continues to be a happy happy baby who loves to eat and sleep through the night! Hooray!

We started a new tradition this year - having Indian food on Christmas Eve. While in future years I plan on cooking, this year we ordered in...yummy!

Best gift ever for an energetic toddler - a trampoline!!

Thanksgiving in New Jersey

We headed east to New Jersey for 10 days over Thanksgiving to spend time with everyone. While we were there, we were so lucky to see so many friends and relatives. It was Neal's first plane ride and he slept the entire way (thankfully both he and his sister have inherited the Mohan sleeping gene!) Aparna spent the weekend with us after Thanksgiving and she and Sonia were so happy to reunite. And Neal loved being cuddled by his Dodamma too. Our trip went by so quickly, but thankfully it won't be too long until we see Ammama and Tata again!

 

We love Beth!

 We love Dodamma!

 Christmas PJs!

 Janice and Herman came to visit

 Tata and Neal have quite the bond

 Mom and daughter couch time

 All dressed up for Thanksgiving!

 Family shot

 East coast Fall is the best

 Tara Kakki came to see us!

 Edamame...mmm

 

 BOMA reunion - at the Rus in NYC

 Snoozing

Neal is very interested in the Princeton local paper...

Siblings!

Sonia loves having her baby brother around all the time. She loves to kiss and hug him and tell people that she "loves her baby brother." It's really sweet, and it is apparent Neal reciprocates the feelings - he (almost) always smiles whenever she is near. Here are some fun sibling photos.

 Bedtime!

All dressed up

On our way to the Orchestra - we love Tiny Tots!

October - Part II (Halloween)

Sonia had so much fun this year on Halloween, since it was the first time she had eaten candy as a whole meal. We went to Queen Anne Ave for trick or treats, and she filled up her Elmo bag to the very top. Her favorite was the Snickers bar, but the lollipop was a close second.

October Fun - Post 1

We had a very eventful October, so I'll break it up into a couple of different posts. Earlier in the month, we headed over to Bainbridge Island. Sonia sees the ferry boats on her way to school every morning, so a family trip on the ferry had been a long time coming. Over in Bainbridge, we stopped off at the farmer's market and the children's museum, before heading home. It was a great way to spend a Saturday!

Ammamma came to visit the week before Halloween, and we had a great time playing with Sonia and Neal. We carved pumpkins and made baklava, and had a blast at gymnastics. What a fun week!





Guess who turned 3 months old?? That's right!

Smiling Neal

Neal is already 12 weeks old and is quite the smiley baby. Here are some fun pictures!

Pumpkin Patch

It's Pumpkin Patch time! We took advantage of a sunny day and headed on our annual visit to Carleton farm to pick out our family pumpkins. Sonia loved running through the patch trying to find the perfect pumpkin, and Neal enjoyed taking a snooze.