Thanksgiving, Early Christmas, and Baby Boy!

We've been throughly enjoying the holidays! Thanksgiving was a lot of fun, and we also celebrated an early Christmas with the Peters side of the family this past weekend.

We are also very excited to welcome our baby boy next April! I'm 22 weeks along today, and still feeling great. He's been a very easy baby so far, and this pregnancy has been even easier than Mackenzie's, since I got morning sickness and was very tired with her pregnancy.  Jeremy and I are still figuring out a name, but luckily we still have a lot of time. We've just begun talking about it with M, and now she tells me there's a baby in my tummy all the time. I hope she's excited to play with her little brother. I've been dressing up her dolly in boys clothes so she's ready!

Baby boy Peters at 20 weeks

Mackenzie had a little Thanksgiving play at her daycare too, and her class dressed up as farmers. That's her in the hat in the front. 

My little Thanksgiving farmer

We also celebrated Dee Dee's birthday at Le Cheval restaurant along with my parents. It was a fun night, and I'm so lucky to have such great family who enjoy each others company. Its great that my parents and Jeremys parents really know each other now, and M loves having all of "her people" together in one place. She took each of us for a tour outside of the restaurant after we were done eating.  

Dee Dee blows out her candles with a helper

M plays with leaves with our neighbor Chloe

Look at that full moon Mama!

Reading stories with Daddy

Mommy baby selfies are so much fun!

Princess playtime with Daddy

M loves to help in the kitchen and will drag her little stool across our floor just to get a better spot. When I'm cooking in the kitchen she'll run in and ask if she can help. She will sing "you can be a big helper in your family!" when she comes to help, one of many little tunes she's learned from her Daniel tiger cartoons. I have to come up with inventive ways for her to "help" in the kitchen that keep her involved without making a huge mess!

Helping Daddy in the kitchen

We spent Thanksgiving day at the Ranch, where Judy grew up and where Mackenzie's Great Grandpa Wallace still lives. We had a group of 16, considered small by Wallace standards!

Loves coconut cream pie just like her Papa

We also visited the Struckmeyers (Jeremys Aunt) the next day for Brunch. We had a great breakfast, and M got to play with Annalise. Jeremy's cousin Alex also took us for a little ride out to see the sheep grazing on his land. 

Playing with Annalise

Getting ready to visit the lambs. Bundle up!

Silly faces by Daddy and baby

My friend Adriane is a very talented photographer, so we did another Christmas shoot with her for the holidays. I think our pictures turned out great this year, especially since M can smile for the camera now. 

Judy is a kindergarten teacher, and so she has lots of great ideas for kids, as well as great books. She wrapped up 30 books for the month leading up to Christmas. M gets to unwrap one at bedtime every night, after she's gotten ready for bed of course. I almost think it's more of a gift for me and Jer since it makes bedtime fun for her - no more whining! And we get to read something new. 

Thanks Dee Dee! 

Excited for her book basket

SO happy to make cookies!

Right before her 2nd haircut

Her new little bob haircut at the library

We also had a very fun playdate with friend Maeve this past week. Maeve's mom is my cousin Maggie's sister in law. We met them at Maggies wedding in Seattle a few years ago, and were delighted to learn they live in Orinda. Maeve is really close in age to M and they play so well together.

Eats way more food when she "helps" cook it

Loves to eat flour too. A side disadvantage of helping!

This past weekend we celebrated an early Christmas in Lodi, where Jeremy's dad grew up. It was a great weekend and we hope to make it a tradition every year. Its just nice to sit by the fire, enjoy all the Christmas decorations, good food, good music and good company. 

M by the Christmas Tree

Scott and Judy

Judy and Roz

M admires the Christmas stockings

Loves the air from the bellows 

Our big helper assists Uncle Scott in making ice cream

Papa gets all the stickers. Mommy gets none. Can you tell I was jealous?

Family dinner. M's little head is next to mine, she was too short!

Ecstatic about her new princess castle tent, from Scott & Roz

Very seriously driving the lawn mower

Visiting some neighboring chickens

more fun selfies

Chasing the camera

We also went wine tasting. And by "We" I mean everyone else. I do miss wine. But it was still fun to be there are see everything. And I did sneak a sip of Zinfandel. So good!

Fast asleep on our drive home, with her new stuffed skunk!