This year for Christmas we went to the Hill's. Mona came down from Montreal too. It was pretty fun for Jayna to spend her First Christmas with her cousins, Samantha, Brett and Jesse. They are so baby crazy, especially Brett and Jesse, and they just love Jayna. As soon as we get there they give her so much attention and they want to hold, and hug and kiss her, it's really sweet. It was so great to be with family for Christmas, and of course wherever Cassandra is, there is sure to be some delicious food to eat. We have loved living so close to them and getting to spend so much time together.

Cousin Samantha

Jayna with all her presents from Santa, how did he know she wanted Diaper Genie refills?

Jayna gave us the best present ever this Christmas. We had been rocking her to sleep and sometimes it took forever. Finally on Christmas Eve we tried just laying her down in the cradle and she went right to sleep after only fussing for maybe a minute!!

All worn out from opening so many presents

Jayna getting lots of attention from Cousins Brett and Jesse

Our First Christmas with Jayna

This year Gibb had 3 weeks off for Christmas Break. So what else could I do except convince him that we needed to go on a trip, of course. I've been dying to go to New York City, and of course it was the perfect chance, and I found the best deal on tickets...

Also, one of my best friends from High School, Cindy, happened to be living there and very generously offered for us to stay at her apartment, how perfect could it get! So we took Jayna on her first plane ride (which she did amazing on) to New York, New York!!!

Christmas time was the BEST time to go to NYC! Everything was all lit up and decorated, even more than usual. But we were so lucky to have amazing weather while we were there, no snow at all, and pretty warm for December. In the 4 days we were there we managed to see:

• Times Square
• A Broadway Show (Rent)
• Ground Zero
• Financial District
• Wall Street/Exchange Place
  
• Lombardi's Pizza (claims to be the 1st pizza place in NYC and we believed it because they had awesome pizza!)
• Brooklyn Bridge
• Statue of Liberty
  
• Ellis Island
• Rockefeller Center
• Macy's
• 5th Avenue
• Central Park
• Manhattan Temple
  
• Natural History Museum

We also went to some amazing restaurants, two of our favourites were a Brazilian Churascurria, and the Thai place that Cindy and John took us to. Probably some of the best food we ever ate. And of course au bon pain was our staple while we were there.

I absolutely fell in love with New York City, I just loved the energy and excitement there, especially around the Holidays. That's definitely a place I could go back to again and again. And we found out that people are a lot nicer to you when you have a cute little baby with you at all times. Jayna melted tough New York's heart! Our one mistake was bringing our big huge stroller and trying to push it down the tiny and very crowded sidewalks, what we were thinking?

Jayna loved all the lights, when she wasn't covered with a blanket.

Ground Zero was one of my favourite sights. I really didn't understand the tragedy that occurred here until we came to see this, I was very touched.

Gibb's mission, New Jersey!

Wall Street

On the Ferry to the Islands

Statue of Liberty

Ellis Island, one of my other favourite sights

Times Square!!

The Charmin Bathrooms, such a funny place. Right in the middle of times square, they have about 10-15 nice clean bathroom stalls that you can use for free. As long as you don't mind 10 loud people, and a long line up of tourists cheering for you when you go in and out of the stall and then someone going into the stall right after you to clean it for the next person in line. WHOO, do NOT go in there...

Rockefeller Center

Central Park

Natural History Museum

Jayna turned 3 months old and is such a strong girl. She holds her head up so well and is very alert, she doesn't miss a thing, except when she's sleeping.

Poor Little Sweetie

Snoozing with Daddy

Cute sweater from Aunt Mona

All bundled up and ready to go meet the neighbours and say Merry Christmas!
One of our neighbours said she didn't even know we were pregnant and then we came home with a baby...I guess we weren't very friendly before.

Christmas baking for friends and neighbours. This was my first year actually doing "Christmas Baking". I guess you could say I went a little overboard.