Christmas Eve

Greetings!

A quick post to wish everyone a Merry Christmas.

We are continuing a tradition begun last year of having cheeseburgers with onion rings on Christmas Eve. Last year it was courtesy of the dedicated cafeteria staff at Tacoma General. This year we are looking a little bit closer to home! If anyone needs an excuse to indulge in a cheeseburger and/or onion rings please feel free to join in!

I was able to stop by the NICU and ICN this past week to drop off some well deserved cookies and dessert for the staff. While they are on lock-down status because of H1N1, several nurses came out of the units to say hi and ask to see photos of Jonas and Elsa. They were so happy to see pictures of our kids. It was a bit surreal walking down the hallway to the NICU one year later. They have pulled the carpet out and placed hardwood flooring in but otherwise it felt very familiar. It was good to visit and remember that it wasn't that long ago that we judged victories on the minute or the hour. We are blessed to have been in the good care of the staff.

Jonas constantly pulls himself up to stand and balance. He is getting a bit more daring each day. Elsa is just starting to stand up more frequently. I think she is waiting to see how this all pans out for Jonas before committing herself to the process. She is rather clever. Both kids are jabbering away, and as the video suggests, they are really getting good at "dadada".

God Bless to all and Merry Christmas!

Pictures: Jonas and Elsa wearing socks given to them last December; opening Christmas presents; riding double on the scooter--against the advice of the owner's manual; standing up. Video: Elsa chatting it up;

Dan & Mari & Elsa & Jonas