December 2005

December is one of the busiest months for a family, and we were no exception. Between the shopping, decorating, getting pictures, and making the rounds to four separate Christmas celebrations (with one left to go on New Year's Day), we feel ready to get back to normal... though don't get me wrong, we had a lot of fun along the way.

This past month I've noticed several emotional changes in Kyla. She has become more shy than she used to be with strangers and even people she knows, though this usually wears off within a few minutes and she becomes her more casual, vocal self. On an evening where we had a number of guests over for a book party, Kyla was playing with the stereo and it suddenly came on at an ear-splitting volume. We quickly turned it down, but Kyla was extremely embarrassed that she had caused the entire room to jump.

Recently she has begun counting to two, which I think means more to her as a sequence than a quantity. She can also identify most of the basic body parts, her favorite of which is the belly button.

As is tradition when a new year is about to begin, I found myself reflecting on the one that has come to pass and I am amazed by how much has changed in our little family. Kyla has transformed from an immobile baby to an energetic toddler. This summer just as a delicate feeling of normalcy began to settle on our lives, we decided to upend it with the whole home buying and selling process that took far more blood, sweat, and tears than we anticipated. All in all, 2005 was a transitional year for our family and I expect fewer adjustments in 2006... though I could be wrong.