It's Already December?

How did the past few months get past me?  Really, it seems like just yesterday it was, I don't know, September, or something.  And now, it's December 1st.

Since I've always been somewhat of a planner, most of the holiday shopping is complete.  I did much of it online, some of it over the last few months, and have only a few more things to buy.  So I'm thrilled about that.  But I'm not happy that I still haven't figured out what to do for holiday greeting cards.  Last year was simple:  Patrick was a few weeks old and I "staged" some shots, uploaded them, sent them to whichever online site I used, and poof! in a few days, I had photos greetings and envelopes.  Easy enough.

This year, things are different.  Patrick is mobile.  He doesn't sit still for more than a few seconds and he knows when the camera is on him, so he quickly wipes any trace of smile from his face.  The other thing is that he's not quite walking yet (more on that later), so every photo is going to have to include a prop to keep him up.  Or, I can quickly go back to photographing him in his high chair (which, let's face it, I can create an entire album of shots of him sitting in his high chair, straps clearly visible over his shoulders, keeping him in, because if we don't use them, he will stand up and hang off the back of the chair, eliciting the fear of God in my little heart!),  So to sum it up, I don't know what I'm going to do.

I am also skeptical of the Santa Claus photo, because I truly think Patrick is going to FREAK OUT when he sees the man with the beard.  He's at the stage where he remembers people and sometimes has a little bit of stranger anxiety (or maybe it's separation anxiety - anyway, something like that) and clings to me with all his might, sometimes taking strands of my hair with him and leaving me half-deaf from the screaming in my ear.

But he's cute and Mike and I renewed his contract for another year, so we'll somehow manage all of this.  :)

We are also in the midst of meeting and possibly hiring babysitters so we can go out for a few hours at a time without having a whole production of 1) what can we do with the baby? and 2) should we ask Grandma or my aunt and if so, we have to drive about an hour to get to either one of them, so then our two hour outing turns into a whole day affair (not exactly what we were looking for).  But I am finding it hard to find someone suitable to watch my PERFECT PRECIOUS MILLION DOLLAR TWENTY POUND PUNK for a few hours.  Do all moms feel this way?

Honestly, look at him:

Could you leave him with just anyone for a night at the movies?  I didn't think so.

And before anyone comments, no, the boy didn't eat that entire banana split ice cream thing - to continue celebrating the holiday weekend, Mike's entire family (mom, sisters, brother, respective spouses, close family friends) got together for an early birthday celebration for Mike.  This was dessert for the entire table of the eight of us.  It was a mishmash of bananas, vanilla and chocolate ice creams, whipped cream, nuts, cherries, cookies.  And underneath it all was fudge.  Patrick and I enjoyed some of the vanilla ice cream and whipped cream.  Delicious!

Oh, obviously I decided to keep on blogging.  I appreciate everyone's comments and emails.  :)