1st Trim

For 13 years I have been going to the same person, Mike, for haircuts and color.  So it was only natural that Mike be the one to give Shannon her first trim. Her hair was growing in what you might call a mullet style and we didn't think it flattered her very much. So we had him trim a little off the back and a little in the front. 

This is the AFTER picture uploaded in the wrong order. 

What a cute bob!

Sitting still while mommy sings in her ear.

This is the BEFORE picture with mullet in full force.

Getting consultation with her stylist to choose the 

best cut to flatter her face!

Busy Baby...

...are the perfect words to describe Shannon. The older she gets, the busier she gets!  We joke that Todd had wanted a girl because "girls are so much more calm than boys".   Be careful what you wish for! Of course we love and adore her, she just keeps us very busy as well.  Here she is playing at grandma and grandpa's house with everything BUT a toy. 

Shannon loves to help... help make a mess. Putting clothes away is not a chore I can get accomplished when she is around. She just loooves makin messses!

She has been "walking" along furniture and things she can hold on to such at the toilet!

At her 9 month check up the pediatrician suggested we start introducing table foods, a little something at every meal.  We were excited to try this new change and watching our little one grow.  Shannon wasn't quite ready for this plan though. Not until recently has she been interested in trying.  Now she will try stuffing, mashed potatoes, and avocados... sometimes on her own and sometimes on the spoon.

Change of Scenery

With the cold weather hindering any playtime outside, I think we were having a bit of cabin fever. So, we headed out to a mall to meet grandma and grandpa and hang out.  It was a pretty standard visit. We ate lunch in the food court which had a giant indoor merry-go-round. Since it was right after the holidays, there was some exchanging and deal shopping to be done. It was clear Shannon enjoyed being out and about looking at all the people. My mom and I took turns getting chair massages (thanks mom!) and grandpa headed out to do his own thing. It was a welcomed break.

Adam

Each year we wrap up the holiday season with Adam's birthday, he was born on January 3rd. Fun for a child, hectic for his parents! He is the son of Todd's sister and this year he turned 13!  Now that Todd and I have been together (dating and married) for 12+ years, it has been fun for me to watch Adam grow from a sweet little boy to a delightful young man.  I think I've known hom since he was 18 months old! 

Adam just loves Shannon. He is so attentive towards her and although this day was about him, he spent a lot of time playing with Shannon.  The train around the Christmas tree was the hit of the night. It would go around the track and stop in front. You then had to push the button and it would make 1 more trip around. Shannon was fascinated and would have sat there all night long if she could have!

Extended Visits

As I've mentioned before, we often have a lot of family to visit around the holidays and it's hard to fit everyone in within the "2 day" time slot. So this year we took the pressure off ourselves and spread out the season by visiting some family after Christmas.  

On New Year's Eve we went to visit my grandma and have dinner.  She usually makes pasta and meatballs as a traditional dinner, but this time she changed it up as the baseball players like to say.  When I was a child and my cousins and I would sleep over at my grandma's house, she would sometimes make potatoes and sausage.....yes, just potatoes and sausage and we loved it every time.  This time grandma was so pleased to "surprise" us with that meal instead of her ole stand by. Homemade Italian bread cookies topped off the evening for dessert (ans some to take home too!). Grandma is always so delighted to see Shannon and feels so good when Shannon will smile and go to her when she holds her arms out. 

I missed my cousins at Christmas as well, so a week later we headed to Sandra's house to hang out with just us girls (Aunt Marilyn, Aunt Julie, Mar, Sandra and I) and the kids.  I enjoy days like these. They remind me of family events when I was young, eating, hanging out, eating, talking, eating, and just being with family.  Sandra's children Sarina (4) and Caleb (18mo.) exchanged gifts with Shannon as did all of us. Shannon napped (of course) for part of time after Caleb woke and we enjoyed lunch and dessert.