Merry Christmas

We wanted to take a photo for our Christmas letter and decided to try using the timer feature of our camera. Timed photos are always a challenge - but add a baby and pet to the mix and the results are disastrously comical.

This one could have been really cute, but for some reason the camera took it all fuzzy.

Not too bad either, but Sydney wasn't looking at the camera and Richard is covering Eric's face.
In an effort to get Sydney to look at the camera I tried shaking toys in front of her face. But I didn't get it down in time and that may have caused the overexposure.

So close...this one would have been perfect except in a effort to get me to smile Eric was making innapropriate comments* and so I'm trying really hard not to laugh which makes me look really angry. :)

In the end we ended up having to simplify the picture (sorry Richard). View the final shot in our 2009 Christmas letter.

Rocky Road Cookies Take 2

After seeing my cookie disaster earlier this fall my friend Kyra sent me a silicone baking sheet...so I'm either tenacious or insane and decided to try the rocky road cookie sandwiches again. I followed the recipe to a tee and made sure I creamed the butter and sugar until it was light and fluffy (a step I didn't do as thoroughly last time). It worked! The cookies turned out just like the picture. :) View the original recipe from Rachael Ray.

Milestones

Sydney is growing up fast! Below are a few milestones from the past month:

She has much improved head control...

She can sit up with assistance...and yes, I am a horrible mother with no regard for her safety and allow her to sit on an elevated surface in her Bumbo. I also let her play with fire. :)

One day while driving back from breakfast, Sydney "found her voice" and just starting jabbering away...every since she's been much more vocal and talks to herself quite a bit.

She also ate her first solids (rice cereal) a couple days ago! (thanks for the cute bib Auntie Amy!) The first day she didn't seem too thrilled, but the second day she was very happy and ate up every bit. I'm thrilled as she has always been on the small side and I'm hoping this will fatten her up. :)