Baking momma

getting ready to host a new years day brunch tomorrow with a bunch of muffins,  quiches, and bloody marys. 

Christmas in France

Here are a bunch of random pics from Christmas spent in Sanguinet in the Landes country an hour south of Bordeaux near the Atlantic ocean. Four days of celebrating Steph's grandmother, Yvette's, 90th birthday and Christmas.  I'm sure we'll post more pics and videos later.

Steph's uncle and aunt, Michel & Christy

Maya, Frank, and Ben

Oliver & Steph

Steph's grandmother Yvette (aka Mamie), Steph, and Steph's mom Claudette

Steph's brother Frank with Oliver, Maya, and Mael

Steph showing Oliver to her grandmother Yvette after the flight, this was a present for her 90th birthday.  Her husband Pierre, 92, is seated right behind her.

Champagne and little quiches after the flight

Ben and Oliver

Steph's aunt Christy

So many oysters....this scene repeated for many days

Steph's Cousin Alex (right) and girlfriend Florence.

Ben and Oliver picking out an after lunch treat

Steph's grandmother Yvette

France!

we arrived in france yesterday. the trip went pretty smoothly considering Oliver stayed awake most of the time, but he did pretty well. it's actually kind of exciting to travel with him and have him see  the world.


 

 

 We arrived yesterday afternoon and quickly had wine, cheese, bread, and sausages. Oliver's papi and mamie are really enjoying seeing him more aware and smiley than last time they saw him in Austin.

Steph and I had gone almost 30 hours without sleeping more than 10 minutes at a time, so we were very tired. Oliver sensed it and gave us a great gift...he went to bed around 7pm (france time) woke up to feed at 10pm and 1am, but then slept til 9am!!!
8 hours straight!!!  We are still a bit tired, but I imagined much worse. Tomorrow we head west to see the rest of the family, the first time they will see Oliver! I think we'll stop at the medieval castle-town of Carcassonne. (Dad, you remember this town, right?) We'll try and get some good pics of Oliver there while we eat mussels and fries.  

Grand Piano

One of my student's mother gave me a very sweet Christmas present for Oliver. This little baby piano* has been handing down from one baby to another since the 80's. 

Here is the story for the records:

"The Little piano That Could spent the 1980's and half of the "90's" in the family of Shelly Booth. She had about six kids who all delighted in the little piano. I, Margaret Smith, met Shelly in 1996 when my son George was one year old. When she gave the piano to me her kids cried so we had to sneak it to my car for a quick get-away. George enjoyed it for years and handed it down to Cooper when he was born in 2003. It was then passed to True Noonan Lamb until he turned six this year. 

We are passing this piano to you for your first born son and whom ever else finds there way into your family in the future. 

We ask only that you pass it forward when the time comes. Have a lovely holiday and bless you and your family.

Margaret Smith and Melissa Minton"

*(look under the big piano)

4 Months

Oliver is 4 months today. We went to the pediatrician yesterday and he is still holding in the 90 percentile in weight at 16lbs 12oz. He's healthy and he's been very sweet and smiley. Although... he didn't really like the vaccinations yesterday and he's been a little grumpy since!
Hopefully he will be happy again before we leave for France on Monday. We are a little worried about the long 3 flight trip over there but we are super excited to celebrated my Mamie's 90th birthday and spend time with the family.

3 Month+ pics

Oliver is getting big fast.  He's reaching and grabbing more, laughing more, and seemingly gets more adorable every day.

Here are a few recent pics of our precious.