I hope Olivia brought her Thanksgiving pants

Last Thanksgiving, Olivia was a bit too young to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner. In fact, she was just 8 days old. I was overly-hormonal, exhausted, and in pain from my C-section. But so happy. So very, very happy.

Ironically, I have no pictures of Chris and I with Olivia… must have been the sleep deprivation that prevented me from going, “Oh hey! Can you take one of the three of us??”

But of course in my (probable) sleep deprivation this year, I didn’t get a four-generation picture either.

I look forward to this meal every year. My mom makes incredible carrots, mashed potatoes and stuffing. The turkey is heavenly. Olivia had no idea what she was missing last year.

Until now.

The stuffing and mashed potatoes were her favorite. Figures. In fact, she had seconds on stuffing. She loved it. LOVED. IT. I didn’t get more pictures of her eating, because, well, Thanksgiving dinner. But trust me, Girlfriend was satisfied.

Olivia’s cousin joined her this year, and he probably was a bit jealous that he didn’t get any.

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The next day (Mama chose sleep over Black Friday shopping), we went with my parents and my sister, her boyfriend and their baby to the Macy’s 8th floor Christmas show.

I used to go every year when they changed the show yearly, but the last… six years? or so, it’s been the same generic Christmas show, so we stopped going. It was good timing because we just found out Macy’s in Minneapolis will be closing next year. So looks like Olivia got in one show. Ironic, because this was another experience I wanted to have with my child.

Ignore my weird smile. This was literally the only picture she was looking at the camera in.

Olivia was fascinated with the lights and movements. She just stared the whole time, turning her head this way and that at everything going on.

After the show, we bought gingerbread cookies and Olivia tried one for the first time.

She was a trooper. Afterward, we all went to Acapulco and Olivia got in a 40 minute nap in the car. She got her very first kids meal: a quesadilla and Mexican rice, which kept her from screaming for a good 25 minutes. (Another sentimental moment I wish I would have taken a picture of.)

Chris was off for six days so we got in some good quality family time (and got some much needed projects done, including hanging up the canvases for the photo wall in our bedroom). Olivia loved the quality time with her daddy. The only thing we didn’t do was–GASP– put up the Christmas tree. We are promising ourselves this coming weekend we will do it. It’s just going to be massively child-proofed.

Because of, well, you know.