Christmas 2011 in Pictures!

 Our Christmas week has been full and so much fun!

We started on Thursday night, where we took a trip to town where they have a giant star lit up on a cliff.  It looks so magical from far away, and the town is so pretty from up there!  We knew Reilly would love the Christmas lights from way up high.
 

Look how teeny Daddy and Reilly are under the star!

  

 Her face in this picture makes me laugh!  Mommy and Reilly overlooking the town!



Blurry, but the lights were so pretty!

 

 Us with the star!



When we were leaving, Reilly said, "Bye sarr!", and then blew it kisses.  Then we went to Wal-Mart for some last minute things, like milk, and to Dunkin Donuts for some ice cream and a munchkin for the little lady.  She passed out in the car on the way home, and stayed asleep all the way to her crib!  It was such a fun night.



The next day was Christmas Eve, and I had a list of things to be wrapped/painted/baked/cooked/prepared.  Hubby helped me a lot so I didn't over do it, which was so great.  I concentrated on drinking a lot and sitting when I could, to keep little new baby happy in there.

For dinner, I wanted to make something special.. So I put a pot of homemade sauce on the stove at 9 am, and prepared braciole to go in the sauce at 11 am.  I had never made it before, but heard how amazing it is.  I used my grandma's recipe, and was so nervous for this undertaking.  I had never even eaten it before, I was just banking on everyone else, mainly my mom, saying braciole was so good.  Putting raw onions and bacon into the sauce made me nervous, so I cooked it for a good 5 hours in the sauce.

Let me tell you...it was amazing!!  The meat absolutely fell apart with a fork. The bacon, breadcrumb, onion and cheese made the most delicious filling.  I'm so glad it was such a success!!  I made a simple salad, and zucchini chips as an appetizer.

This is the face Reilly makes when we tell her to smile, and I don't know why, but we laugh every time.



All DONE!  And all covered in sauce, and ready for her second bath of the day!




By the end of the day,  I was exhausted with barely enough energy for the wrapping and preparing, but was so excited for the next morning!  I was having Braxton Hicks, so Hubby kept saying "What else needs to be done, please sit down."

The next morning, Hubby and I were lying in bed awake at 5:30, way to excited to sleep.  It was so much fun being Santa and getting everything ready for our girl!!  She finally woke up at 6:15, and we were so excited to show her what Santa had brought her.  She piked up her first present and right away said, "Open it?  Help you?"  So we helped her open her first gift, which was really a gift of necessity - some more forks.  But nonetheless, she was obsessed with them!  She was so excited and wanted them out of the package right away.  When I asked her to smile so Mommy could take her picture, she did this:

 She knows how to work the camera, man!

 Here she is opening a painting from Mommy!  It's all her favorite guys from Sesame - a decoration for her room-makeover when her new sibling comes.  She loved it so much and named and kissed every one of them.  (Post to come on Christmas paintings for this year!)

 Modeling her new smock!

 Life-size elmo sticker book!

 Oh, the excitement was endless.  Here are Daddy and Reilly coloring later, trying out all her new stuff!

 They are such cuties!  We watched the Lion King together, another treat from Santa!  I just love this picture, so snuggly.  That pillow was also from Santa (Reilly calls it "Abby", it must remind her of Abby Cadabby?), for Reilly's big girl bed!  Which she will be moving into in about 2 weeks...God help me, I will cry!

 

Speaking of cutie..check out her Christmas dress!!  I could just melt when I look at her with her little shoes.  She was looking at Dada, which is what made her smile so big!  She felt very pretty, when we put on her headband and special shoes.  She ran to show Daddy, so proud.

I told her to go get Santa and take a picture with him, and this is where she decided Santa should be in the picture. LOL!

 Later in the afternoon, we went down to Hubby's family's house and had dinner and chased Reilly around, while the boys played their new hunting video game.

All in all, it was such a fun and relaxing Christmas!  And we have more celebrations to look forward to, and lots of more gifts to exchange!  I am so excited for our festivities this week!