Our Day

We had a very productive day. Here's what we've accomplished today:

1. I got a haircut - and I got bangs! Unfortunately, the guy cut them to go the wrong way (not the way my hair naturally parts), so my bangs will probably have grown out by the time I get my hair trained to go this way.

2. We shipped several boxes of borrowed newborn and maternity clothes back to their owners (thanks to those of you who loaned, and be on the lookout for a box coming your way!).

3. We sold a bunch of books that we purged from our bookshelves. In preparation for the move (and since we got quotes from movers), we are trying to purge as much as we can. We took a HUGE push cart full of books over to a store that buys them. While it was a difficult process deciding which books to give up, we were pleasantly surprised to get almost a hundred dollars for them!

4. That book money will offset the cost of the new couch we bought today (our Christmas present to each other)! It will be delivered to our new apartment in February. And it has a sofa bed for your visiting pleasure...

(This is a picture of our new sofa, but I'm not sure why those black lines are showing up... They aren't there in either the real picture or on the couch itself.)

5. We took yet another huge push cart full of clothes and books to the Salvation Army.

6. Thomas got two new sport coats thanks to birthday and Christmas gifts, Macy's excellent holiday sale and our friend Mike Kass' surprising sense of style and stamina in department stores.

Now, we are enjoying a bottle of sparkling Shiraz to relax and celebrate today's productivity. Who knew that they made red sparkling wine??

A Chicken Dance Christmas

Enjoy this video of Carter and one of his favorite new toys!

More Christmas Pictures

Here are some more pictures from our Christmas weekend. We are headed back to NYC early tomorrow morning!

Carter's First Christmas

Carter has had a wonderful first Christmas.

At first, he seemed to be most interested in the wrapping...


But he got into the gifts as they came unwrapped.


He could hardly CONTAIN his excitement over the chicken dance Elmo that Aunt Ashley and Uncle Park gave him (video of that forthcoming).


But the biggest excitement of all was meeting his cousins! They certainly enjoyed playing together.

Christmas Eve

Last night, we got all dressed up for church.

Then we went over to Park & Ashley's house for Christmas Eve dinner. Carter stayed there while we went to church (thankfully, the 8pm service instead of the 11!). Park and Ashley were quite disappointed that Carter slept the entire time we were at church. We were quite pleased.

After church, we came home to Cart Cart and Nonna's, where Carter played in his new Christmas pajamas (a Stegall family tradition). Sure, he should have been in bed, but...it's Christmas!

Christmas Eve Eve

We had a relaxing day at Nonna and Cart Cart's house today.

Carter did some posing in front of the Christmas tree this morning.


Although his highchair seemed a bit too big at breakfast this morning, we did manage to make it work for him by dinner time!



And Carter was quite happy to finally meet his Aunt Ashley!

Safe Arrival

We arrived in Atlanta last night - only 45 minutes late. We brought all cameras and cords, so we expect to keep blogging while we are here. After a rough time getting to sleep last night (probably due to being over exhausted), Carter seems to be settled in and very happy to see Cart Cart and Nonna. We'll post some pictures soon!

Early Christmas

Since we are traveling to Atlanta for Christmas, we had an early Christmas at home last night. We opened up all the presents we aren't taking to Atlanta with us. After some initial trepidation, Carter embraced the gift-opening (more accurately, he embraced the paper that the gifts were wrapped in, but he also seemed to enjoy most of the contents, save one stocking stuffer).

Really, mom? Socks? For Christmas??

From his Grandma Bronwyn and his Grampa Ron, a Spuddy Buddy - a stuffed Idaho potato!

Carter got several good books. Two favorites from his cousins Eleanor and Thomas, a good night New York City book, and from his father, a copy of 1,000 Places to See Before You Die. They are going to start checking things off the list very soon!

Look at all that loot! (Won't he look sweet in his new lion shoes from Mama Helen and Daddy Phil?)

Carter's Christmas has already been great - and it's still officially days away!

Thomas' LARGE Christmas

Thomas has had a large-tool-riffic Christmas so far! Since we are traveling to Atlanta for the holiday, we have had early Christmas celebrations at home with Joo, Patrick & Kirstin and ourselves. Thomas was MOST pleased with his super-sized level from Patrick and Kirstin. Note that I didn't even capture the whole thing in the picture! Not only is it a very pretty blue and made of aircraft metal, but it also has 10 leveling positions (we'd be quite pleased if someone could tell us what those might be - we can only come up with two or three...) And then tonight he opened up a gift from Mama Helen and Daddy Phil - the biggest speed square he'd ever seen. It's a happily large Christmas for Thomas.

Good Sitter

Carter has nearly mastered sitting in the last week or so. He's figured out how to bend his knees to give him a sturdier base. He definitely prefers playing in this position!