Our new furniture

This table will have seen 5 generations of Sweetwoods once Genevieve is old enough to eat with us. It was a not-so-pretty orange before Ryan's dad refinished it for us, and Ryan's working on refinishing the chairs that go with it. Isn't it beautiful?

We like that it can fold down because our dining area is a little narrow.
And now, what you've all been waiting for...

Ta Dah! Isn't it gorgeous? It's made out of zebra maple and cherry. Ryan and his dad made it themselves. I'm so excited we have such a wonderful family heirloom to pass on.

The pretty wood:

The Missing Picture

Genevieve does this thing that is the cutest thing in the world, and I haven't been able to catch it on film or video. When we say her name or something and she's suddenly happy, she arches her back, brings her hands up under her chin, smiles really big, squints her eyes, and crinkles the bridge of her nose. It's adorable! I'll keep trying.

So here are some other pictures for your enjoyment.

A winter walk. Yes, it's cold here.

She fell asleep on the walk.

My beautiful girl.

Here's Vivi's hair after a bath if I don't brush it.

I'm so lame

I'm somewhat ashamed to say that this year I have gotten sucked into The Bachelor. Hey, I feed Vivi for a lot of the day, and I need stuff to watch! **I don't watch The Bachelor until Tuesday when it posts on Hulu, so NEVER talk about this show with me before Wednesdays!** OK. For those of you who also watch The Bachelor, here's my take on it:

Jake is no dummy. I've seen shows like this before where the guys are SO DENSE. Jake called out Elizabeth (I think that was her name) on her teasing, and he called out Vienna on how she brings it on herself. A lot of times he'll make comments that I think are very perceptive. And I like that he's sending girls home so quickly. He's right -- why waste their time? However, that also means he'll have less time with the girls he does like, since the show will end sooner.

So far, I've been ok with his choices. Except for -- and I know everyone feels this way -- Vienna. Seriously, dude. Let her go. I respect that he's determined to decide for himself and not base it on what the other girls say, but really. We can all tell you're not into her anymore.

I liked Ali at first, but now she's just a brat. Vienna's still there. We know. Get over it. But Jake obviously likes her.

I like Corrie, but I think she'll be the next to go, since the show doesn't spotlight her very much.

My favorite is Tenley. Jake likes her, and she seems kind.

On the castoffs: Jake's right. Ashleigh was smokin'. But they obviously had no connection. Jessie was an obvious choice since we didn't see much of her. Kathryn was a sourpuss with a chip on her shoulder. Elizabeth was a tease and playing a game. Rozlyn was a slut. Ella I liked because she was a lady and didn't drape herself over Jake all the time. But she wasn't right for Jake. And she seriously just left her kid for that long? Michelle was psycho. Seriously psycho.

What do YOU think of The Bachelor?

Christmas Gift

This video is for Vivi's grandma and grandpa Howington. They sent an adorable outfit for her, and this video is me showing it to her. I tried to just email it, but the file was too big. Thanks grandma and grandpa! She obviously loves it!

The Wiggles

Good Morning

It turns out my baby is a morning person. Yet another thing she inherited from her father.

Oh, and you should mute your computer when you watch it. My voice gets high and shrill when I'm so excited to see her.

Giggles

My Happy Girl

Genevieve is smiling away now, but I still haven't gotten any good pictures of it. Why? When my face goes behind the camera, she doesn't want to smile anymore. sigh... I'll have to double team it with Ryan this weekend.

Here's Vivi with Nana and Papa:

And this is what she does almost all day long:

This one's fuzzy because I was trying to hold the camera away from my face and smile at her. But you can see the general idea: