The long trip…

It’s been a while since we wrote you, little guy. Let me translate for your cousin Ian if he’s reading – “Yo, it’s been a grip since we holla’d, shorty boo. Our bad, playa.” 

Your Dad and Mom have been watching The Wire and are feeling a little thuggish.

We do apologize, but you’re just a little demanding of our time right now.  Mom and Dad sometimes sit around just a little bit brain dead (not to mention deaf, you little shiva of the tympanic membrane) when the day is done  – and your blog is the last thing on our minds. However, you have a burgeoning fan base that we have to satisfy with all the latest – so here it goes!

In the months of November and December you traveled approximately 6500 miles, splitting time between airplanes and automobiles. It may be closer 7k if you figure in all the in-between running around we did! We hit 10 states in total, though you dozed away most of the miles, and we saw all sorts of family members. Now that we’re back in the city of good neighbors – Mom and Dad don’t even want to think about another trip anytime soon!

 That’s a really rough map…but it gives you the general idea…

 The first stop was Florida, where you were doted-upon by the West Palm/Stuart crew over Thanksgiving. Your mom and dad shot a wedding and got to have their first night with an overnight baby sitter!

Later, early on in December, we headed to Baltimore so you could meet Oma and see the family there. Baltimore was a blast, and we think you’re getting the hang of the plane thing…

You met your cousin, Arielle, too, at stop four. You two are gonna cause some ruckus in your day…

It was really exciting for Mom and Dad to meet little Arielle (as well as see her parents!), since we got a sneak peak at what you’ll be like in a few more months…and we think we’re tired now!

Alan cooked a delicious frittata and we got to relax a bit in Virginia – we’re sure you’ll see lots of your cousin as the two of you grow up so close together in age.

You obviously love Arielle.  Apparently, she’s delicious:

But, then again, everything is delicious right now as those little teeth start to pop out:

Mmmmmmm, delectable chime garden…….is it just us, or does that one yellow flower have an, “Oh Crap! A Baby!” look etched on its face?

But, lest we digress, since we are discussing your adorable female cousins – we’d be remiss to post a couple from your photoshoot with the irrepressible Mackenzie Jude Gorton when she visited Buffalo.

 You look pretty excited about the costumes…either that or you’re scared for you life because of the narrowly avoided “mackenzie the steamroller” incident…moments before:

Your mom says the next frame is Jim’s hands flying in for the rescue…

But now we get to the reason we spent so much time traveling – Christmas! Anyone reading this can still request a “RAINDEER“ card – and we’re sorry we missed you on our list!

We went to Tennessee for the Yule this year, and decided to drive it out. We stopped off in West Viginia about halfway and you got to spend a day in the mountains. Nana Marty’s cats didn’t really know what to make of you.

After leaving West Virginia VERY early in the morning, we arrived in Tennessee and got to stretch our legs for a bit before driving some more. First, we went to Gatlinburg to see the lights and decorations there. 

 You can thank your cousin/auntie Meg for most of the snapshots!

The sleigh shot, of course   Clearly, your dad went for the “hipster camera geek” pose – your mom the “damned proud mama” pose – and you the “I’m in a penguin costume and I can’t move, wtf!” pose…

Then your Mom somehow successfully kept your Dad from buying a huge, yee haw belt buckle and we walked around looking at all the lights.

This is you and your mom exchanging silly looks in the Hard Rock while one of your non-visible hands is successfully depilating your father’s chest. Doesn’t Daddy look happy with his little hair-grabbing peppermint here?

We had several adventures in and around Tennessee, including another heart-wrenching loss by the Bills (but the Titans won, so Dad got to be half-happy)…and finally, the day for presents came! Your Mom and Dad grew up opening stockings first before attacking the tree…and this year you got your own little stocking….

…and presents galore…You got a lot of really neat stuff from all of your family and friends.

Dad and you both got in some “tummy time.”

The day after Christmas, we went all the way to Alabama, by way of Nashville (where your Dad was excited to show you around). You met even more family in Huntsville, including another cousin, two uncles and an aunt (and you saw your ever-adoring Great Grandma again)! We’re saving all of the pictures with you and family until we have everybody – then we’ll do a great big blog entry. You sure have a lot of people who love you and care about you, pal…The three of us are really lucky to have the extended family that we do – even if it takes 7,000 miles to see them all!   

Well, that’s all for now… So, so long from your Mom and Dad, little Danger – and we’ll be back to write again soon.