December 2004

We packed more activity into December than any other month in Kyla’s life so far, or any other month in my life for that matter.

Obviously Christmas isn’t limited to a single day. Early in the month we took Kyla to get her first Christmas tree. We also went through quite an ordeal getting her three-month pictures taken, as well as pictures of our little family. These photos became Christmas presents for Kyla’s grandparents (don’t we sound conceited). We also took a weekend trip to Whistler, which was my new company’s version of a holiday party (another reason I really like my new job). Linda (Becky’s mom) came with us and watched Kyla while Becky went skiing for three hours, a new record by far for the amount of time the two have spent apart. Obviously we did the rounds at Christmas (the subject of another entry), which was closely followed by Becky’s birthday.

December also brought some interesting changes in our young daughter. Kyla now giggles when she gets particularly overjoyed, which is thrilling to a new parent. She has become very adept at grabbing small objects that are within her reach, which she promptly inserts into her mouth. Often times her fussiness can be subdued by spoon-feeding her ice-cold water, which is an obvious sign of teething.

Her favorite activity is still taking baths, though Becky now joins her regularly. Just taking Kyla into the bathroom and running the water will get her wound up, causing her to squeal with anticipation. I enjoy reading to her, which helps her begin to understand language. Presently I’m switching off between Fox in Socks by Dr Seuss and America: A Citizen’s Guide to Democracy Inaction by Jon Stewart.


We had a wonderful holiday season, but I’m hoping January will be a little less of a wild ride.

Kyla's First Christmas

The holidays have always been a busy season for Becky and I, but having an infant along for the ride makes things more demanding by an order of magnitude.

The first celebration was at my Aunt Judy and Uncle Tom’s on Christmas Eve. Every year, my cousin TJ (or Tom, or Tommy, take your pick) and I, pass out the presents, which easily number over 100. Kyla and her new cousin Rylee were passed around to everyone and her other cousins, Spencer and Alanna, put on a Christmas play for us.

On Christmas Day we had our own little gift exchange, followed by breakfast here with Becky’s mother’s family. Kyla still hasn’t figured out how to open presents, she instead opts to chew on them, which is what she does with pretty much anything you hand to her. We finished the day at Grandma Dot’s where I put together Kyla’s new jogging stroller Grandpa Doug got her while Becky assembled Kyla’s new Learning House.

The day after we headed over Snoqualmie Pass to Ellensburg and my mother’s place where we spent a couple of days eating, opening presents, eating, playing games, and eating. We also took a short trip to Yakima so that Kyla could meet my paternal Grandparents Marian and Larry. They have 16 grandchildren, of whom I am the oldest, and Kyla is their first Great Grandchild.

Finally on New Years Eve we had Christmas number seven with my dad and stepmother, Kerry, who babysat for us the night before while Becky and I went to a movie. This was fairly traumatic for Becky and we hurried home as soon as the credits began to roll, though Kyla didn’t seem to notice.

Overall we thoroughly enjoyed Kyla’s first Christmas, despite its hectic nature, and she appeared to feel quite content with all of the attention she received.