Sunday, December 7, 2008

Near Christmas Disaster

Note to self - don't let a 7 month old play with Christmas ornaments on the tree. We picked up our tree this afternoon, and after an hour or so of lightning, decorating and admiring our best tree in 5 years... enter Kate. She was having a blast jumping in her jumper as we decorated the tree and listened to Christmas music. After the job was done, we thought, "Wouldn't it be cute if Kate sat next to her first tree and played with an ornament? It would make for a great photo."

We did get some great photos, however we also got something unexpected. Kate was playing with a Mickey ornament, Anna was right next to her and I was snapping a few photos. Next thing I knew the tree was on a downward spiral toward my head. With cat-like reflexes, I moved the camera with one hand and caught the tree with the other, saving near disaster by inches. The aftermath? A few ornaments rolling around on the floor and Mickey's head still hanging on the tree while his body was on the floor. Apparently, Kate decapitated Mickey and pulled the tree down at the same time. And we thought we wouldn't have trouble with a kid and a Christmas tree until at least our second Christmas when she was walking! I guess that's the beauty of being a first time parent.

Hours before...

Minutes before...

Seconds before...

The act caught on camera! I think I took this as the tree was coming down.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Kate's First Words

To most, it probably sounds like jibberish, but to her proud dad she is saying "Da Da". Baby talk for Daddy!

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Thanksgiving

It was a Davidson family Thanksgiving this year. My mom's side of the family is from Savannah and everyone was getting together at my grandparents' house for the festivities. It was the first time we were all together for a holiday in about 13 years. Several spouses and babies have been added since then!

We drove down through typical Atlanta holiday traffic and made it to Savannah in about 4.5 hours. We had a great time hanging out with family and hearing what people had been up to over the last few years. The meal was awesome---you'd be hard-pressed to find a bad meal at the Davidson house. My friends Greg and Tamara Feightner joined us to celebrate their first Thanksgiving as a married couple. It was really special to have them there!

We left Savannah and headed to Athens for the UGA/GT football game. We took some smaller highways and discovered there is nothing between Sandersville and Athens. Kate was grumpy, hungry, and tired, and we struggled to find a safe-looking place to stop. Listening to a six month old cry for over an hour straight can really wear a person out!

We woke up Saturday morning to rain and cold. The Dawgs played the Jackets in the rain in 40 degree weather. I chose to stay at my parents' condo with Kate and enjoy the game on tv in the warm condo with a mug of hot chocolate. Given the outcome of the game, I'd say I made a good decision. UGA lost the annual rivalry game. It was a sad way for them to end the season, especially with my favorite player (Mohammed Massaqoui) having his best game of the season, and probably his career.

In the end, we had a great time with family, had a great tour of the state of Georgia, and made it home safely with some time to rest before the work week began.

Here are some pictures from Thanksgiving.