My Second Christmas

This was my second Christmas with my Mama and Baba. And Grandma, Pop Pop, and Aunt Doe spent the holidays with us at my home. Santa Claus was very good to me despite the fact that I screamed when I sat on his lap earlier this month. I woke up to so many new toys on Christmas Day. (Side note from Mama - the keyboard was given to her last year but was not age-appropriate at the time, so "Santa" re-gifted it this year. Shhhh. Don't tell Mei-Ling.)

I really love this new keyboard! It plays songs by itself, but I can play some notes on it too.

And Santa brought me a really fun wooden activity center. It has alphabet blocks, an abacus, a maze, some gears that turn and a roller coaster on top! I love it!!!

Yep, these things turn! How cool is that?

Oooohhhhh. I love how these beads go around the roller coaster wire.

Santa also brought me some Elmo things. This is a pretend spray bottle to go with my Elmo broom and dustpan. I already love helping Mama around the house when she is cleaning! (Mama's thinking, "Please, please let this behavior continue through her teen years.")

I decided to take a little bit of a break for milk and cookies on Baba's lap. I'll get back to my toys soon. Oh, and this is my "quit taking pictures while I'm eating my cookie" face. Mama baked some sugar cookies with red and green sprinkles, and I helped put the sprinkles on them!

OK, back to business. What do I want to play with next? My Dora Lego set? My elephant shape sorter? My new flash cards? My Elmo cleaning things? I cannot decide!

Oh, you want me to pretend to spray you with this pretend spray bottle. Silly Baba, I know this thing won't really spray you.

OK, now what is so special about these Crayons? Oh - I see. They are bathtub crayons so I can color all over the tub. Awesome!

I think I want to play some music again. This keyboard looks vaguely familiar. Hmmmm. Maybe I played it in a previous life. ;)

We decided to sit by the fire and let Pop Pop take our picture. It's me, my Mama, my Baba and Baby Yang. We are a happy family. However, I am not happy about having my picture taken right now.

OK, Pop Pop is doing "take two." And no, I still don't want to smile. I want to do something else besides sitting here by the fire.

Well, it is nice and warm here. I think I'll hold my baby while Baba cuddles with me.

Now it's time for a picture of everyone. Here is Pop Pop holding me, Grandma, Aunt Delores and then my Mama and Baba. It was so nice to have them all here for Christmas!

And here's a nice picture of Grandma, Pop Pop, and Doe. They tell me over and over how happy they are to spend time with me. And I love them very much.

Baba has been pointing this "thing" at me all day, and now I see why. It's recording me! So that's how they get me on the television screen!

Well, Christmas Day is almost over. I had a wonderful time. I was surrounded by people who love me and by people I love. My Mama always says to me that I am the best gift she has ever received and that I am one of her greatest blessings. We are all happy that we found one another and have so much to be grateful for. And although Santa brought me so much to play with this year, I still love MY baby the most. Come here, Baby Yang, let me hold you for a while.

No Santa. NO SANTA. NOOOOOOO Santa!!!!!

This was my second year of going to visit Santa Claus. Mama and Baba talked about it for a few days, and I was very excited. We arrived at the mall and began to stand in line. Every time I saw a glimpse of Santa, I was happy. But then as we moved up in the line, I noticed that every little boy and girl who sat on his lap started crying. Why? What about this large, oddly-dressed man was so scary? Well, whatever it was, it happened to me too. I smiled until the moment Baba sat me on Santa's lap. And then, I just started screaming. Mama and Baba came over and tried to make me stop crying, but I just couldn't help it. So after about 5 minutes, they gave up and came and sat beside Santa with me. I look tired in the picture, don't I? How would you look after 5 minutes of screaming? :) Mama said, "At least we got a picture." And I do look pretty cute in that dress, don't I?

Stay tuned for more pictures from Christmas Day at our house! Santa Claus was VERY good to me this year. I might actually sit on his lap next year without screaming.

Sometimes, Pictures Are The Last Thing On Your Mind

We had a GREAT time at the Cone family Christmas party this year! At last year's party, I wasn't walking yet, and this year, I ran around the room and had a blast with all my cousins. Unfortunately, all that running around meant that it was tough to get any good pictures of me. Mama and Baba had a difficult time but did manage to get a few. Here is one of me and Mama. Something else had caught my attention, and nothing could get me to look toward the camera!

And here is one of me and my Pop Pop. He fed me lots of crackers at the party. I love crackers!

I also found a new friend at the party. A DOG! I chased the dog around the room most of the night and finally got up enough nerve to actually pet him! He is my new best friend.


I also ended up spending time with my Baba, of course. He fed me more crackers.


There was a lot more that we did at the party. I saw all my cousins that I already met last year and then met a few more this year! Mama has been coming to this same place for the Cone Christmas party every year since she was a little girl. I plan to do the same thing.

My Christmas Portraits Are Here

I am happy to share with you my 2007 Christmas portraits! They were taken at my school. I am wearing a beautiful dress and bonnet that my Mimi bought me last year that I have FINALLY grown into! I had a good time smiling for the camera and prancing around in my dress and bonnet.

And here is another nice picture. I am starting to understand this "picture taking" thing and will smile and say "cheese."

Stay tuned for more holiday pictures. We went to the Cone family Christmas party last night, so we should have some really good pictures from that to share soon!

We Had A Great Thanksgiving In Tennessee!

Hello everyone! We had a great Thanksgiving in Tennessee with my Poppy and Mimi, my brother Xavier and my aunt, uncle and cousins. We spent 5 days with them in Memphis and had a great time. I got to meet my new cousin George too! Here is a picture of my first time meeting him (Poppy is holding him).

And here is one of us on Thanksgiving Day at the Doughterty's home. Kim and Mimi prepared an excellent meal for us. Here is a picture of Mimi holding me.

And then I decided to go back and join Poppy and George. Poppy said that it's difficult to hold an infant and a squirmy toddler at once!

Ah, that's better. He has a good grip on both of us now!

And then I went for a visit with Uncle Buck. I usually don't go to anyone besides Mama and Baba, but for some reason, I was perfectly content on Uncle Buck's lap (probably because he's a really sweet man and children can sense those things.)

Here is my brother Xavier on the left and cousin Will on the right. Unfortunately cousin Jack was napping while all the pictures were being taken.

Back at Mimi and Poppy's house, I loved playing hide and seek. Mommy obviously had just "found" me.

I also love their New Orleans brick floor. And I spent a lot of time playing on it! It is so pretty!

I love the way it feels!

Poppy knows I love cell phones - especially the pictures on them.

And I also love their tall chairs! And Mama and Baba are never too far away when I'm sitting up that high.

Mimi decided to dance with me. I love my Mimi. And Mimi loves when I grab her around the legs really tight!

OK, now it's Baba's turn to hold me. I love my Baba too. Mama is really happy now that Baba doesn't look like a goat. Or maybe it was that he shaved his goatee off after Thanksgiving. That's probably what she meant.

Poppy decided to read me a story about a snowman! I now can say "Frosty The Snowman."

Baba knows that a little tickle will always bring out the BIGGEST smile.

Here I am with my brother, Xavier, and my baby doll - Baby Yang. I usually don't let anyone else hold her, but I do let my brother.

I really love when I get to spend time with Xavier. I am lucky that he was able to spend a whole week with us after Thanksgiving. I frequently walk around saying, "My Xavier, My Xavier" - especially when I can't find him. I was sad when he went back home.

\Do you notice anything different about Baby Yang? My Mommy bought me some new clothes for her! I love clothes! And shoes. My nightly ritual is to try on every pair of shoes in my room before I go to bed.

Baba and I spent some more time together.

And he made me laugh - again. As usual!

You may wonder why there are no pictures of Mommy. That's because she is always the one taking the pictures! We are also sorry that we didn't get any pictures of Aunt Kim and Cousin Jack, but we will try to get some next time. Thanks to Mimi and Poppy for inviting us to stay with them and also to Aunt Kim and Uncle Buck for the wonderful Thanksgiving dinner. We are back home now and will have more pictures soon of my Mommy's family Christmas party and then, of course, of our Christmas festivities at home. Yuletide blessings to everyone!