Abby Lee

A weekend in Connecticutt started out with a painful drive. We started out on a thursday afternoon and drove up to Maryland. Abby cried the entire first two hours. It was quite painful and annoying. Luckily things got better and she stopped crying. Although it was a concern on Thursday night. Anyway. We spent Thursday night at Matt and Ruth's place in Annapolis and talked Brad (ruth's son) into driving up to Connecticutt for the weekend. It wasn't very hard. After an enjoyable evening in Maryland, we spent all day in the car on Friday. It was a pleasant drive for Jason though because he had Brad to talk music and books with. I usually spend my time doing homework. Which is what I did this time as well. We arrived in Connecticutt by 4 PM and found our hotel. It was awesome. We each had our own fireplace and everything. The first night was dinner with Jeff & Becka at the Italian restuarant. Jeff and Becka picked Ruth up at the airport and out we went for Italian. It was great food. We decided on Friday to call it an early night because the boys had stayed up late on Thursday. And we knew we were going to have fun on Saturday.

Saturday morning, Abby awoke at 7 just like usual. Ruth and I had made a plan that we were going to take the car out and go looking for a Target. After driving around for an hour and a half and not finding anything resembling a Target, we got Dunkin' Doughnuts coffee and headed back to the hotel. Mom, Dad, Mary, and Paul showed up at about 12 Noon and of course new exactly where the Target was. In the opposite manner than Ruth and I travelled. Jason and Brad went to Target to get gift bags and a couple of other things. Before too long we were on our way to Jeff and Becka's friends that were hosting the party. It was a lot of fun. Baby Lake got some amazing gifts. And I did pretty well as well. I got a couple of party gifts because I knew the answer to a bunch of questions. Go Me.

After loading up Jeff's car with fun new baby gifts, we headed over to Jeff and Becka's place to check out the nursery and hang out for a while. Amazingly enough, without any sort of plan, Abby and Baby Lake have the exact same crib and changing table. What are the chances of that. The nursery looks awesome. They have decided on a jungle theme for the nursery and a sort of ocean theme for the bath time. I personally found an awesome robe for the baby to where. It is really cool. After spending time at the house, we eventually went back to our hotel.



We light a fire in the fire place and spent the rest of the nigth talking and enjoying each others company. We obviously took some pictures and wanted to share. Unfortunately we forgot to break out the camera to capture prego Becka but hope that we can find a picture somewhere to commemerate the weekend. After a late night talking and laughing, we awoke in the morning to a good breakfast and got on the road for the long drive back. Luckily Brad was with us to help take some of the brunt of the long drive. Upon our arrival in Maryland, we attempted to call in sick but were denied. So we got back on the road and drove the final 4 hours home, getting there at about 10. What a long drive...but what a load of fun. We saw snow, we laughed a lot, and had some great italian food. Thanks for a great weekend.

Bruise Lee is how we have affectionately been referring to Abby after this past week. Last Saturday she fell on the stairs and hit her head, resulting in large goose egg and bruise in the middle of her forehead.

The next day she tripped over a blanket and ended falling into a box and skinning her cheek. Three days later she was climbing over my back and fell face first into the carpet, giving her a nice red spot by her eye.

The worst, however, was yesterday when we were on our weekly walk around downtown Henderson--including a visit to the local library where Abby likes to play with the stuffed animals. We were two blocks from home and Abby was running along with us to keep the pace. Apparently she was going too fast to catch herself when she tripped and did a faceplant into the rough cement of the sidewalk.

I was right there and saw the fall and new it wasn't a good thing. She skinned up her forehead--right in the place where her bruise was just starting to clear up. She also skinned the top of her nose, resulting in a bloody nose. As you can see, she looked horrible. She is, however, a tough little girl and doesn't let much get in her way--even injuries. In all of her falls this week, she has only cried for a short time and has been quickly ready to get back to her play. Even on the last block before home--with skinned up face and bloody nose, she wanted to get down and walk the rest of the way.

This last picture was taken this morning. I fear this is only the beginning--especially if her childhood is anything like mine. Emily does say that we have similar temperaments, so . . .

As usual, Jason and I started our christmas drive in the early after noon and ended it in the early morning, but this time our trek was to Michigan. As we left on Thursday afternoon, we weren't sure if we were going to drive the whole way. I knew that we would because Jason likes to drive at night. I on the other hand like to sleep at night. We arrived at Grandma & Grandpa Lee's house at around 4 or 5. Grandma Lee was wide awake. This was a good thing because Abby, also decided that it was time to wake up. Jason took a nap upstairs, and I cat napped on the sofa.
Honestly, we spent our first day sleeping.

Our second day, we had to go shopping. I say it this way because, Jason and I had completed an all day shopping event earlier in December but when it had come time to purchase his families gifts, he decided to wait. So on December 23, we did a whirl wind shopping trip in 45 minutes and got everyone's gift. I honestly think that we did an outstanding job. The gifts were all really good.

Christmas Eve we went to church and Jason saw a couple people that he remembered from when he lived up in Michigan. The afternoon was spent watching the Bears (of course) and then a game of Mexican Train. At the end of the evening we got to open stockings...yoyos, card games, and those spongy animals that grow in water for everyone.

Christmas started out with some awesome baked orange french toast.( I think that was what it was. either way it tasted awesome!! Way to go Julie. Add it to the awesome breakfast recipies). With Jason as Santa, the gifts were unwrapped, and everyone got bundles of gifts. Abby of course raked in the most presents but that is to be expected. Grandma Lee got her tons of noisemaking toys!! The one below was her and is her favorite.


The rest of the week was spent relaxing, watching CSI: Miami, and eating a lot of really good food!! We had a great time, saw a little snow. One of the most memorable times was the walk in park with Abby. For the most part the experience was great. The downers were the floating boardwalks that liked to spit cold water up at you when you walked on them.

Abby's favorite experience of the week was discovering the empty cabinet in the living room. The first time she climbed in and we shut the door she cried hysterically. After that one time, she would shut herself in there to play. It was super cute.

Also while up in Michigan, we met up with our good friend Ryan Taggert. It was great to see him and talk about old times at camp and what he has been doing since.

Our second thanksgiving was with my family. Grammie & Pop Pop(we have renamed you) came down early. In fact Jason and I were sitting at our living room table, finishing up dinner and I was fretting about our apartment not being clean. Jason of course was calm and not stressing about it at all. His regular temperment and attitude. I went out to our back porch for some reason and heard a car horn honk. I thought to myself. It would be just like dad to honk the horn in order to get our attention because he knows our door bell is broken. So I decided to check our parking lot to see if it was my parents. And it was. I couldn't believe it. They said that they were going to arrive on Sunday mid day, and yet here it was 7 o'clock on Saturday night! Oh well, the apartment was going to have to stay a mess.

Grammie & Pop Pop were ecstatic to have Saturday night with Abby just by themselves. Although exhausted from their long drive down, they spent the evening watching Abby run around.

Sunday, Jason went to Raleigh early to pick Mary up from the airport. Grammie and Pop Pop took Abby for a walk, while I did homework. The rest of Sunday was a blur, with Jason and Pop Pop heading to Wake Forest to watch the Bears and Mary & Grammie playing cribbage and watching Abby, while I continued to do homework. That night we opened Christmas presents. This was the Lake family Christmas because Jason, Abby, and I were heading to Michigan for actual Christmas.

Monday came and went, Jason and I worked, while Grammie, Pop Pop, Abby, and Mary went down to visit the Knapps. Dinner was at Hazel and Bernard's House(Abby's baby sitters).

Tuesday, Grammie & Pop Pop left to go back to Vermont, and Sue flew in from California. Wednesday, Matt and Ruth arrived with Brad and his girlfriend (sorry, I can't remember her name). Dang it was a full house, and Abby loved every minute of it.


By Friday morning, everyone was gone except Sue. We spent Friday relaxing and watching Cars. It was a good day to relax after all of the guest that had come to visit.

Saturday, we headed to Durham. Sue's college roommate, Julie came up and we were able to eat some Cosmic Catina Burritos for lunch. God, I love that place.

Sunday evening, Sue and I headed into Raleigh so that I could drop her off with my friend Emily Sheridan. Since Sheridan lives in Raleigh and Sue's flight was leaving at 6 AM. We had prearranged for Sue to stay there for the evening. It was a good night. We went out to dinner. It was the first time in a long time that I had gone out to dinner without Abby or Jason. It is amazing what changes occur when you get married and have a baby. It isn't bad, just different.

When I finally got home, this is what I found. I wouldn't give it up for anything.