Home for the Holidays

It was our first Christmas as permanent Pittsburgh residents and what a great past two days we shared with family and friends. Christmas Eve was spent at Tom's Aunt Ellie and Uncle Tip's home, followed by Christmas day lunch with my family at our house, and Christmas day dinner at Tom's parent's home. Patrick was one exhausted baby after two days of over stimulation, but he does love his cousins.

(Note from Patrick: I got a red wagon from Santa. All I really wanted was a case of jarred bananas and some A&D ointment, but I guess this will be fun during our zoo trips too. Also, my parents are holding all my toys hostage in something they call "the toy box". I will free them from this toy prison...)

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Happy Birthday, Tom!

Tom turned #32 recently, but is still as sprite as a 30-year-old. Happy Birthday, honey! We celebrated with date night (glorious, uninterupted dinner) and ended the evening with cake at Tom's parent's house. I don't yet have the photo of the cake I made, but to heighten the suspense, it was golf themed complete with coconut green grass and a brown sugar sand trap.

Tis' the Season

Signs around the Pohl household that the Christmas season is upon us:

AND....


F-R-A-G-I-L-E-- I think that's French

At least SOMEONE seems to like my cooking

Patrick is NOT a picky eater- he will eat anything that is not nailed down as is apparent in these photos and video. He tried chicken for the first time lately, and shocker, he likes it.

Stranger Danger

Patrick's first visit with Santa was pretty uneventful. I knew the tears were going to come out, but the former agent in me is happy my child doesn't easily bond with strange men wearing polyester and a fake beard.

Say it, Don't Spray It

These days, a familiar sound is invading the silence: in the car, in the crib, on the changing table. It still makes me laugh even though I have heard it a million times.

Oh, Christmas Tree

Yesterday we headed out in search of our Christmas tree-the only artificial thing in our household this Christmas will be my new blond highlights. After a careful selection process, we picked a little guy that fits just right. Our only concern? The tree may not be big enough for Santa to find room for all of Patrick's presents.

I hope you are not too busy to enjoy first snows, the smell of a Christmas tree lot, the ice skating rink downtown, or a cup of coffee with a friend. Is 2009 really coming to a close?

Happy 6-Month Birthday!

Patrick turned 6 months old today, which means Tom and I have made it 6 months as parents. Patrick celebrated with a trip to Home Depot with Daddy. Luckily, it is looking like Patrick inherited the Pohl genes when it comes to athleticism and coordination because he has already been doing pretty well at sitting on his own. We still have lots of tip overs (as captured in the last photo), but he is learning. We cannot wait to see what this guy weighs in at during his 6 month check-up on Wednesday.

P.S. The mohawk is sadly and slowly disappearing this week.

Christmas Came Early

The day after Thanksgiving, four of my six nephews and my lone niece converged on our house for an early Christmas present exchange. My brother Dave, his wife Ally, and my nephew Chase and niece Kate all live outside of D.C. and don't make it up to Pittsburgh very often. As a result, the kids always exchange and open the Christmas gifts they got for each other the day after Thanksgiving while their family is in town. Patrick was the new novelty this year and loved all the attention, especially from his cousin Kate who helped feed him a bottle and helped change a wet diaper! Grandma Jeanne and Grandpa Leyden were there, along with Aunt Karen, Uncle Damon, and cousins Nathan and Jack.

Give Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving to all of our family and friends!

I am thankful for so much that I won't even attempt to begin to list each thing here, but I will say that I have the worldest greatest husband and I am grateful for all that he does for our family.

Now eat a lot of turkey and take a long nap.

Who Doesn't Love a Parade?

This past Saturday, Tom, Patrick and I strolled down the street to the Aspinwall Thanksgiving/Christmas parade. Tom is a volunteer firefighter for Fox Chapel and was beaming with pride as the Fox Chapel Fire Department rolled past. One might think nothing could top fireman throwing free candy to the crowd, but then behold, the "4 for $2.00" pierogie sign. As you can tell by the look on my face, it was the perfect ending to Patrick's first parade experience.

Not Everyone Can Handle Fame

Luckily, Tom and I are two pretty grounded people and have been coping well with our new found celebrity. Apparently someone had not tipped off the photographer that Tom and I were only mingling with Mississippi high society due to the generosity of my former boss who provided us with two free tickets to the Madison County Foundation Gala. It was one of our last events in Mississippi and we found out recently that we had made the society pages.

Tips for Safe Driving this Holiday Season

As Thanksgiving and Christmas approach, the Pohl household would like to present these brief but important driving tips:


Never drive angry (note Patrick's cheerful attitude as he approaches the wheel).




Using BOTH hands, securely grasp wheel to maintain firm control of the vehicle.





ALWAYS use a hands free device if operating a cellular phone.

SAFE TRAVELS !

Happy Birthday, Friend

On Halloween, Patrick and I were lucky enough to get to celebrate an early birthday for my dear friend Gretchen. No celebration would be complete without some PF Changs and a stop at the mall- birthdays are glorious in your thirties. Happy Birthday Gretch!
Love, Carol

Ladies and Gentlemen, the World's Cutest Lion Cub

Patrick's first Halloween was a success- he was officially, hands down, the cutest child EVER (or at least so say the lion tamers). At 5 months old, costume selection is limited to a few predictable characters, but I think Tom and I did a pretty good job accessorizing Patrick's costume. Luckily, our little cub was not too wild that night.