There's No Place Like Home...

...for the holidays. We just stayed home for Christmas after going to see Chris's parents the weekend before. Chris went in for a few hours Christmas Eve but we just relaxed the rest of the weekend. Hopefully next weekend the weather will be nicer and we will go drive through Zion's or the Grand Canyon. If anyone is around or wants to come down, just call!

Remember this?

Well, he's quite screeching and has a new habit.

It's quite impressive - he can wiggle his uvula (you know - the thing that hangs down in the back of your throat, go ahead and try it). I didn't really know it was possible but I came to find out that more than half the Gappmayer clan can do this little trick. It's quite a bit quieter than the screeching.

But I have a question for those of you who go to church for three hours every week. When he does this in church or just babbles or squeals, he's obviously happy but he can get pretty loud. Should I take him out of the meeting? If he's loud during Sacrament Meeting, I usually go to the back of the church. But during Relief Society (when all the women meet alone), it's a smaller room and I think it's really distracting. Sometimes I wonder if the women are turning around and looking because they're annoyed or because they think it's cute. Sometimes he "talks" for half an hour. Shouldn't I take him out?

Thanksgiving and Christmas

All four babies born between October 2007 and May 2008 were at my in-laws for a Christmas party Dec. 20. They are sure growing up fast. The craziest part is the fact that my three sisters-in-law are all pregnant again! I love how in the picture above three of the four babies have their hands in their mouths. I'll be really glad when Max is done teething.
Max got so tired over the weekend that he just laid across Chris' lap at the party Saturday night. He would never, ever do that at home. We went up on Wednesday for the adults' party and Max got dragged everywhere and anywhere over the next couple of days. We got to see lots of friends and family and he was a trooper, but it wore him out.
We didn't set up a Christmas tree at home this year so we borrowed my in-laws for a few pictures. My awesome and very talented sister-in-law cut my hair on Thursday too. THANKS ANTHEA!!!
The picture above is the only one out of a dozen or so that we took that turned out AND didn't have Max's hand in his mouth.Chris' Grandma Healy crocheted Max this ball. Max loved it! He loved seeing her at Thanksgiving too (as in the pictures below). I was so relieved he was a in a good mood for both visits. Christmas was a lot better than Thanksgiving as far as sleeping through the night, but naps were still erratic and shorter than usual. He was really fussy right before we went over and I thought he would just cry the whole time. He held off until he was alone with his parents again though. :)