On Thanksgiving...

Fall has been so beautiful here in Charlottesville. This was my first autumn here and these are some pictures I took just from our back balcony.

I had to work on Thanksgiving and the two days after, so Steve and I decided to celebrate our little family Thanksgiving on Wednesday before Thanksgiving. It was a fun day.

Here we are hanging out groggy in the morning in jammies!

Here's Steve doing some Thanksgiving cookin' with his happy helper!

Then while we waited for the turkey to cook, we took a trip to one of our favorite parks!

It was such a gorgeous and warm day that Steve wore shorts! It was perfect weather-- crazy for the end of November! We loved it!

Here's a hungry Eliza and Steve.

Here's our spread of goodies. Steve made a lot of it! Eliza and I were spoiled with the classics: Turkey breast, mashed potatoes, Sw. Potato casserole, rolls, carrots, homemade cranberry sauce, etc. Yum Yum!

And here's my strawberry pie with homemade whipped cream!
It was a great day!

And here's me after 3 days of work in a row... so tired!

Here's what Eliza's been up to lately:

Playing with jingle bells, a new favorite toy we found at the mall!

Watching Baby Einstein and playing with blocks.

Recovery from a yucky cold and her first ear infection!! :(
which is the biggest reason I haven't blogged in a while...

Chewing on markers-- why do babies love markers so much??
She's currently teething her fourth tooth, can you tell?? She chews on anything within reach.

Trying to steal mommy's fancy Lindt chocolates-- good taste already, Baby!

Just chilling out with another marker....

And playing a mean air guitar.

And giggling and chewing on daddy!

Death by Chocolate

I'd like to dedicate this post to our dear, little and "ferocious" dog, Mika, who had a near-death experience this week after consuming about 12 oz. of semi-sweet chocolate chips that I had left out (apparently 3x's the toxic level for a dog his size)! Sorry, Puppy!

Mom has tried to convince me for years that chocolate is bad for dogs, but I never really believed her until Monday night when I was scooping up puddles of melted chocolate mixed with canine stomach acid off of our carpet and bedspread. YUCK!

And then the trip to the 24 hr. vets office in the middle of the night where they wanted to hospitalize Mika overnight and then the next day and ruin our Christmas by charging us >$600 for his medical treatment (Sorry, no).
As soon as I brought him home from the vets, he ran immediately to sniff the trash can and then the place he had previously found the vomit-inducing chocolate.

So this one's for you, Mika! We're grateful for how patient you are with a baby who constantly is in your face and grabbing your hair and tail and ears. And for how much entertainment you provide her! And for what a good snuggler you are! And for your canine-vacuum cleaner skills helping to keep our house clean by licking up all the crumbs! And how well behaved you are for a half-blind, half-deaf, grumpy old-man, rescue dog.
I'm grateful for my little "velcro" dog who would never leave my side if I'd let him.

Here's a fun summary of papillons (mika's breed) that Mom found, if you're not familiar with them.



Meet the Papillon -
The distinctive pointy ears shaped like butterfly wings and framed by sprigs of hair have earned the papillon (the French word for butterfly) its name. Papillons are known as cuddlers, but they're selective about their companions. Although they're devoted pets and protective of their owners, papillons are not as friendly with strangers, and they tend not to socialize well with other dogs. Considering their toy size, papillons are surprisingly agile and athletic. They are usually easy to train, but housebreaking can sometimes be a challenge. One thing owners can surely appreciate is the breed's clean reputation -- although regular grooming is necessary, these dogs carry very little odor and need infrequent bathing.

In case you can't tell, that's Mika's head sticking out from where he's curled up with our couch throw. Eliza is dancing with joy.

On a ROLL!

Guess what I did today?

First I went to the doctor's for my 6 mnth check-up!
I am...

Height: 26 3/4 in
75th Percentile
Weight: 17 lbs. 11 oz
75th Percentile

All my busy-ness has gotten me leaner (and proportional weight/height)!

The doctor was very impressed with how good I was at sitting up very steady with no help needed! She also said I was great at my consonant sounds like Mamama and babbaba and at making good eye contact-- a sign of being well bonded to my parents! Which is why I won't let mommy out of my sight if I can help it!

You can just BARELY see one of my teeth if you look closely!

Then when we were getting me dressed to leave,
I decided to roll over!!!
from my back to my tummy! Like it's no big deal... who knows why Mommy and Daddy were cheering so much!

Time to baby proof the apartment! Cuz I'm ready to move!

Cute Sunday outfit from Oma!

Check out some of my favorite games:

hanging upside down

and couch standing time!

Have a great week!