HO HO HO

*SIGH*Ah Christmas- the roar of a birchwood fire, the smell of a fresh frasier fir, and the sight of your 9 month old baby puking all over her brand new, shiny, red piano.

So it was a great day until the piano incident. And even then, Helena was just smiling away. I will thank her someday, for helping us to create the most memorable Christmas of our adult lives, and for living up to all the cliches about babies and holidays.

In the meantime, our condo has turned into kid-crap-central. You name, we have it. Huge, oversized, stuffed animals? Check. Loud toys? Check. Toys with a million pieces that are impossible to contain? Check, check and check. Helena's thoughts on this transformation? She's busy playing with her shoes and some junk mail, let me get back to you on that.

We made it!

Our Thanksgiving adventure was a success: I gained multiple pounds and Helena did not have an in-flight meltdown. The only moment of frustration I encountered was at O'Hare when the security guy told me that Helena needed to take her shoes off too. Um, really? Because you think that 1) she looks suspicious and 2) that you could really squeeze some harmful materials into two inches of rubber? Normally, I would have questioned his judgement but I let it go and Helena went barefoot on the way home.

So it was good, but I can see why people with babies aren't earning a whole lot of frequent flyer miles. I'm holding out for that 'beam me up' technology for our next trip.

Wings

Tomorrow, Helena will take her first trip on an airplane. She's not excited either, don't be fooled by her happy-go-lucky appearance above.

I am already keenly aware of subsequent blog entries revolving around this adventure; being harassed by the TSA for having too much baby food, sitting behind an I-don't-cover-my-mouth-when-I-cough-and-sneeze kind of passenger, and of course Helena's ear piercing musical offerings for the cabin and crew. This better be the best turkey I have ever eaten.

Merci Jean-Claude (1935-2009)

My freshman year at Virginia Tech I had no idea what I was going to do so I was in an exploratory ciriculum. One of the courses I took studied Jean-Claude & Christo's Running Fence, as shown above. I was fascinated- totally hooked on the life-changing effect that art can have on the individual. To this day, I credit that course and more specifically that single piece of art as two of the most influential experiences in my life. If you can, rent the documentary and see it for yourself. The beauty of an 18 foot tall, white nylon fence running 24 miles across Sonoma and Marin Counties in Northern California is inexplicably breathtaking.

More coffee

See this guy? That's how I feel BEFORE my morning jolt; like a big, fanged monster, ruthlessly gulping down any and every hot beverage in sight, growling along the way.

The other day I stopped into my favorite local coffee shop and asked for a large coffee. I normally get a small or maybe a medium, but never before had I ordered a large. It had been quite the night. The barista hands me the cup and I give him the first-day-on-the-job look and say, "No, I'm sorry, I said a large." Totally rattled, he apologetically took the cup back and went to the stockpile. "Ummm, this actually IS the large cup." All I could muster was an, "Oh" punctuated by a big sigh.

New Photos

So I've been lazy about blogging, but I have not been lazy about snapping photos of Little H. Enjoy!

http://gallery.me.com/kristen.hagan

Helena's First Halloween

Halloween is my new favorite holiday!