Six Months Old Today!

Today, December 21, we celebrate the Winter Solstice - the shortest day of the year. We also celebrate Ainsley's six month birthday! Ainsley was born on the Summer Solstice, just 54 minutes after the official start of summer.

It's hard to believe six months have gone by already. Ainsley continues to charm and thrill us each and every day. She is turning into quite a little lady, with such a fun personality. She loves to laugh and dance, and she still goes to anyone who wants to hold her, grinning the whole time.

The dress in her pictures may look familiar, but you only get one first-Christmas dress, so you might as well wear it as much as you can!  And I just think it's so pretty, so I'm going to put Ainsley in it every chance I get.  :)  Happy birthday, Baby!

Ho, Ho, Ho!

Today, we took Ainsley to visit Santa.  She went right to Santa when he reached for her and grabbed onto that thick white beard.  Ainsley might not be able to tell Santa what she wants for Christmas yet, but boy, was she cute!  Merry Christmas!

O Christmas Tree

Last weekend, we took Ainsley to the Christmas tree lot to pick out her first Christmas tree. 

Of course, Ainsley helped us decorate the tree, too. It's amazing how everything becomes new again...

An angel on top and an angel beneath the tree.  Merry Christmas!



Christmas Pictures

Now that Ainsley is almost six months old, we discovered it's slightly more difficult to get good studio portraits. She wanted to look at / grab / chew on EVERYTHING! And she definitely wouldn't sit still. :)

So some of these turned out really cute for official six-month portraits. Others simply capture our inquisitive little girl exploring the world around her. But all of them are classic Ainsley.

Movin' On Up

Nathan put together Ainsley's high chair last weekend.  Now she eats right up at the big people table.  Such a big girl!

Notice how we get messier as the meal progresses.  :)

Through a Child's Eyes

For our first official Christmas activity, we took Ainsley to the tree lighting at Legacy Village.  It was advertised as a two hour event with marching bands, the Singing Angels and other performers. 

Unfortunately, when we arrived about 15 minutes prior to the starting time, not a single parking spot could be found.  Cars were lined up, weaving through the various lots, looking for any place to park.  Police were directing traffic as cars continued to pour into the facility.  We basically drove in one entrance, snaked around the entire complex, and drove out the exit on the other side. 

We still wanted to show Ainsley the lights at Legacy Village, so we took her back later in the week when it was much less crowded.

Ainsley got her first experience of the magical wonderment that is Christmas.  We can't wait to share the rest of the Christmas season with our precious angel and together, experience it through the eyes of a child.

Ainsley's First Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!  We spent Ainsley's first Thanksgiving with Nathan's family at Chez Wills West.  It was an extra special Thanksgiving, because we have so much for which to be thankful this year - good health, good jobs, a loving family, and of course, the newest addition to our family, our littlest pumpkin, Miss Ainsley. 

Mommy and Ainsley



With Aunt Meghan and the formally monogrammed "W" bib



Well, everyone else was eating turkey...



Smiling with Grandpa





Rocking the fleece hoodie vest with Nana



Five Months Old

Happy five-month birthday, Ainsley!  Ainsley is more amazing every single day.  She continues to chew on things, including her entire fist, but no sign of any teeth popping through yet. 

Ainsley is such a sweetheart and has a smile for everyone, from her baby sitter to the members of my church choir.  She is so in tune to what is going on around her, and she reacts to little things, such as a wink.  I swear she has started to give me kisses on the cheek, just like I give to her.  But maybe she's just looking for something new to put in her mouth.  :) 

Just lounging around on the glider

First Solid Food

This week, we introduced Ainsley to rice cereal. I wasn't sure how she would do at first, but there was no need to worry. I couldn't feed her fast enough! She started to fuss because I took too long with each spoonful. The funniest part was when she grabbed the spoon and started feeding herself!

Here's a video clip of Rice Cereal: Day Two. Ainsley definitely understands how to use a spoon.

Halloween Fun

Ainsley was a pea pod for her first Halloween.  She almost slept through trick-or-treat, but woke up just in time!  Grandma Molnar visited the week of Halloween, too, which made things extra fun.

Baby's First Halloween

 

With Grandma Molnar at the North Chagrin Reservation

 


Trick or treat!



Daddy's little sweet pea

Ainsley's pumpkin


We picked out our pumpkins the weekend prior.  Ainsley was very curious about everything at the pumpkin patch.