Merry Christmas! Happy New Year!

Dear Aydin,

What an exciting few weeks we've had. The holidays were super-fun. We spent Christmas in North Carolina at your Mimi and Papa Skip's. Check out the humongous tree they got!


Your grandparents in the holiday spirit:


You got to meet your cousin Fifi (Sophia) for the first time, too! She's about a year and a half older than you are.


The difference in age is significant now, but just wait till you're a little older! I'm sure you're going to be best buddies. The next time we see Fifi, she'll have a baby brother on her hands. (His in utero name is Gaylord. Let's see what his post-delivery name turns out to be!) That's really exciting news for all us Hinshaws — with so many women in the family, we were beginning to wonder if there would be anyone to carry on the family name.

Christmas was a blast. You met the extended Hinshaw family for the first time: your great-grandmother Gigi, your great-aunts Sharon and Amy, and your second cousins Paige and Samantha. Here's the whole gang on Christmas Eve:


Your parents enjoying Christmas Eve dinner:


Here's you and Gigi over at Donny Buck's on Christmas Day. We had pole beans, green beans, collards, cabbage, turkey, ham, stuffing, bar-b-que (with a SC-style sauce), sweet potatoes... it was a feast! I've never seen so many Crock Pots in one kitchen at the same time -- there were about 8.


Meeting Gigi for the first time. Doesn't she photograph well?


Do you see Mommy's Garfield ornament? She made that from a pencil eraser in the 2nd grade!


Mimi and her two grand-daughters. Can you tell which one lives on the East Coast and which on the West???

Here you are on Christmas Eve before your famous 5-hour nap. We put you down at 6 and you slept till 11pm. Cousin Fifi was especially good about respecting your beauty sleep. She asked after you a lot, and understood completely when we told her you were taking a nap.

You and Mom hanging out by the tree. You've got long, elegant fingers, my dear!


Sophia ripping into her loot on Christmas Eve:


Her great-aunts got her some killer dress-up clothes. Nice feather boa, Fifi!


What a wonderful photograph of you and Mimi. You were over at Donny Buck's when this picture was taken.


On Christmas morning you got lots of toys, like a musical aquarium to play in your crib and a jukebox that helps you learn numbers, colors, and letters. You got an interactive puzzle too, and lots of new clothes. We really needed the clothes because you're growing like a little pumpkin! You're already wearing 6 month clothes at 3-1/2 months. We're looking forward to your next doctor's appt to find out how much you weigh. We're thinking you're already over 14 pounds. Can you believe you weren't even half that when you were born?

Fifi's got great rhythm!

You and Papa Skip on Christmas Day:

Fifi's baby brother doll meeting you for the first time:

Chillin' in the kitchen:


We had really nice weather, too. Look how pretty it was just after Christmas!


At Nanan and Dede's you had a great time too. We met your extended DC family too and got to see the new house your Aunt Hilary and Uncle Cinar just bought on A Street. We hung out there on New Year's and as always, you were the belle of the ball. Your Nanan and Dede gave you some wonderful gifts too, especially a pewter cup and spoon and some patent leather Mary Janes.

That's your Great-Aunt Sally and Aunt Hilary with you at your Nanan and Dede's house after Christmas. They host an "open house" every year so we can see everyone. Great-Aunt Sally got you a great teething rattle and a pink romper with "Takoma Park" on it. Takoma Park, MD, is where Sally and Dan live. The rattle is great because it's a yellow plastic circle with a frog in it. It's the first toy you've been able to pick up and hold onto all by yourself — and then actually rattle it. Thrilling!

This is my favorite photograph of you and your Dede. You loved looking at the lights on the tree.

You hit some incredible milestones over the last few weeks too! You've been sleeping really well at night, usually going to bed between 7-9pm, waking once between 1-3am and then again between 4-6am. That's considered great by most pediatric experts! You've been drooling like crazy, so that means you're beginning to teethe. I can't wait to see your first little tooth! Let's just hope you don't bite mommy too hard when you're nursing.

On New Year's Day you rolled onto your side for the first time. I wish I had a picture of it. You were in your crib, enjoying the crib mirror / patterns game your Nanan and Dede gave you before the holidays. I was putting your clothes away in the dresser. One minute you were lying on your back; I turned away; the next minute you were on your side! I missed the actual rolling but sure enough, you were on your side, enraptured by the colorful pictures on the toy. Here's a family picture of us on New Year's Day, after we got back to Brooklyn:


Yesterday, January 6, you laughed out loud for the first time. Your dad was holding you facing out and I was making funny faces at you. You just let loose a 3-pronged laugh and your dad and I stopped in our tracks. It was the most joyous thing we have ever heard. I can't wait to hear more laughter from you! Here's you on January 3rd, grasping both the giraffe and the monkey at the same time!


On the tummy time front, you're making huge progress. Before we went to NC / DC you were struggling to hold your head up for very long. Now you're able to lift your head about 55 degrees. You can stay there a few minutes at a time before tiring out. Mom has to make tummy time more of a consistent activity so we're going to prioritize that this week.


You also love to push down with your legs to a standing position. You are VERY strong, you know! We are fairly certain you're going to be an early walker. We've also learned that now that you can face outward in the Baby Bjorn, there's no more facing inward. You love to look at the world around you and take it all in!

Of course, everyone loves to see you too. Your eyes are so beautiful — a lovely shade of blue and almond-shaped. You are so expressive too. Your father thinks you're going to become an actress because you have such a preternatural gift for facial expression. I'm fond of the half-smile. You cock your eyebrows a lot. It's quite fetching. Maybe you're just imitating your silly mother, but I don't think so. You were a born communicator, visually and orally. You coo, bark, mew, and razzle constantly. You love to chat with your mom and dad. Yesterday you even cooed while you were nursing! That was new. You make "g" and "m" sounds really well. Occasionally I hear a "b' sound too. So exciting! We can't wait to see what you accomplish next!