Thanksgiving in Michigan

This weekend Elsa took her first long car trip to visit our family in Michigan. She was an amazingly good baby as usual, sleeping the entire five-hour car ride, both ways. On the way home she started fussing exactly one exit before we got off the highway in Mequon, which means that I was tired of being in the car long before she was!

Thanksgiving was fun and chaotic, with a total of 18 people at dinner, not counting Elsa and Carter. Here's Elsa with Aunt Ellen in her pretty Thanksgiving dress and matching shrug.


And here's Carter in his Thanksgiving outfit, complete with turkey bib and turkey butt.


Elsa was very accommodating during dinner itself, sitting happily in Carter's travel swing, smiling away at the orange fishy, while Mommy and Daddy pigged out (especially Daddy). Later she showed off her newfound skill at babbling, which I'm sure we'll get tired of soon, but right now it's amazingly cute. She also got to meet her Great Grandma for the first time—here are both the babies sitting on GiGi's lap.


On Friday, we headed out to Spring Lake to visit Grandpa and Grandma J., where she helped Grandpa celebrate his 60th birthday. We got him what every Grandpa wants—an iPod Nano, of course! Here's Elsa cracking up at Grandpa.


On Saturday, we hung out with Aunt Ellen, Uncle Dave, and Carter and did fun stuff like get pedicures. Okay, Elsa and Carter stayed home with the Dads for that part, but I promised Elsa she could come when she gets a little older. Elsa also got her very first Christmas presents ever. Aunt Ellen and Uncle Dave got her this fun choo-choo train, which plays songs about animals, beeps, and moves by itself (she got to open it a little early because it's too big to take home on the plane with us when we fly to Michigan the week before Christmas).


She likes watching it move, but Mommy has to help her press the buttons for now. I'm sure I won't get at all sick of hearing the songs about how tall giraffes are (the answer: Very, very tall) and how fast hippos can run (the answer: Not fast). We reciprocated with a present for Carter—a toy tool bench. The tool bench also plays some pretty annoying and ridiculous songs, so Aunt Lee got some good payback on Aunt Ellen with that one.

Elsa also got some cool retro Golden Books from GiGi, two of which I remember reading when I was little, and a stuffed parrot from Great Aunt Nancy.


Sunday was Carter's baptism, and Bob and I were honored to be Carter's godparents. Elsa and Carter both behaved very well during their first ever Mass. Elsa got a little fussy at one point, but then quieted down while watching all the people go by for Communion. She also attempted to sing along to the recessional hymn—so far, she can't really carry a tune. Here's Carter in his cute little baptism suit.


Here are Elsa and Carter before the baptism. This picture cracks me up—I wonder if it will be predictive of their future relationship? : )


And here's Elsa trying on Carter's baptismal bonnet (which he didn't wear because it's much too silly). I think she looks a little bit Amish.


We loved spending the weekend with everybody and can't wait to see you again in a few weeks! Elsa says, "Baaa blaah gaah," which I'm pretty sure means, "I miss you all!" : )