Fun in Michigan

We had a great vacation in Michigan. Joe was able to stay for 3 weeks - and it was so nice that he didn't have the stress of work or school to deal with over the holidays. He got a lot of bonding time in with Elodie, and she sure loves her Daddy to pieces!

I love how she puts her arms out like she's really flying. :) And I also love her new Paula Deen Ho Ho Ho Ya'll Christmas bib.

We were able to check off everything on our to-do list, which included mainly FOOD! We went to Bilbos, Sweetwaters, Bells, Panera, Taco Bobs, Qdoba, Smashburger, Red Lobster, Beaners, Papa Johns, and Olgas (and since I stayed a little longer, I was able to squeeze in Shermans and the new Chicago Style Pizza restaurant!). I don't know how we didn't come back to Japan 20 pounds heavier... yikes we ate a lot of food while we were home. People often ask us these 2 food-related questions:

1) What was the first thing you ate when arriving back in the U.S.? Answer: Taco Bell (and the last food I ate was Wendy's).

2) What food do you miss the most in Japan? Answer: TURKEY!

Anyway, I was fortunate enough to be able to stay an additional 3 weeks. It was difficult to be away from Joe for so long... I got to experience what it might be like to be a single parent (NOT fun!). But Elodie and I needed to stay the extra time so that we could get her second round of immunizations. It was nice to spend a little extra time at home after the holidays, to relax and leisurely visit family and friends. The holidays get so crazy sometimes with all of the running around, so the extra down time to visit people and run errands is always nice.

Elodie hanging out with her Great Grandparents. Thanks for coming to visit us!

First time sledding! Uncle Brian and Aunt Danielle bought this little baby sled for Elodie and then took her sledding. She seemed to really enjoy it! :)

We loved being home and visiting with family & friends! The hardest part about living in Japan is being so far away from everyone. Here Elodie is hanging out with her Great Uncle Marc and cousins Nick and Kevin.

Thanks for the great vacation everyone! We had a wonderful visit and can't wait until next time... Love you all!

4 months

Happy 4 months to our growing baby girl! This past month she started making little giggle sounds, and then finally had her first real laugh on December 20th with her Grandma in Michigan. She also had her first pediatrician appointment in the U.S. on December 21st, where she received her first round of immunizations. It was horrible to watch her cry and see the look of betrayal on her face... she had never cried so hard before! Through this though, she discovered that she has a strong voice - now she steps up her cry when she wants something. She weighed in at 13 pounds 2 ounces, and was 24.25 inches long, which are both in the 75th percentile.

Sporting her new pink Converse shoes that she got for Christmas, thanks Auntie Rachel and Uncle Alex! Her pink leggings make her legs look extra long and skinny. But we're all pretty sure that she's going to be a tall girl thanks to her very tall Daddy.

Professional Pictures

We had professional pictures taken of us as a family as well as individuals of Elodie over Christmas break. Megan, from Give Me a Shot Photography, did a fantastic job! She suggested that we visit a Christmas tree farm to take outside photos - which turned out super cute! Wish that there would have been snow on the ground, but we lucked out with good weather. Afterwards we did a few individuals of Elodie in her home studio, which also turned out great! She is about 3 1/2 months old in the photos.

We love the photos and are really happy with how they turned out, thanks Megan! Below is a preview of our favorite pictures. There are about 175 total, so it is very difficult to choose our top ones. I'll be posting more on FB as well as our shutterfly site. :)