You have to love a new year. Luke's favorite holiday is New Year's, and after all of these years, I have never known that... until now, 2009, when I finally asked him; after putting a poll on our blog for favorite holidays. Now, since he has told me why it's his favorite holiday, I feel as my own opinion has been forever chanbged. The new year, to Luke, is a new opportunity, a new time, a new chapter in life. Whereas for me, I have always felt as though it took something special, different, or drastic to 'close a chapter' and to 'start a new one'... but now, I feel as though he is right:
A new year is indeed, and by default, a new chapter. Which makes it very special, indeed.

Welcome to the new chapter in your life.
I have been so busy being busy, that I haven't been blogging. Vinny is SO BIG: SIX funny little teeth popping out, two bottom, two top, and two new top ones coming in causing him all sorts of crankin'... he's cruising around the house from one piece of furniture (or someones knee) to another "handle".. and soon, I'm sure he'll be stepping out on his own two feet, free handed. We can't wait! He gets more interesting by the moment! He 'squeezes' you for hugs, bats his eyes at kisses, hates pureed baby food and only wants table food... he loves our Lennycat- and Lennycat is so very tolerable of Vinny. They share the same favorite pillow. Otis and Mr. Nubbs, on the other hand stay high and dry of the baby (and drool). There is no toy that can occupy V long enough, and no toy better than any adult item (TV remote, coffee mug, cell phone, purse... and on and on). He's a constant hurricane in our home, and one of his activities is pulling items off of shelves, coffee tables, desks, couches, tables and the likes. He hasn't breathed the sound "Ma" or "Mama" for months, I think he realized he could say it at four months, and has decided to save it for extended (later) use. Dada, is of course his default noise.. and more recently Gaa, Caa, Goo, and every possible combination of those three sounds. So we have been so, so busy baby-proofing everything- and learning how to adapt to an ever changing baby. It is comical, how stubborn we are, as adults, because Vinny brings out the 'slow to adapt' part of our personalities. After a new milestone for him, there is this 'parent lag time', which can be a period of one or two days, until the realization finally sinks in.. IT'S TIME TO ADAPT, MOM and DAD! I'm a whole new baby from yesterday! For him, one time on a new trick is all it takes... but for me... one time on a new trick is still surprising and after seeing it twenty times... finally, I adapt. Ha! It's fun, and it's fun to always try and keep up. The new thing this week is climbing onto furniture. V hikes his leg at everything, and No- not to pee on it, although he may, if we let him run around naked, like he wishes.. but he hikes his leg, in an effort to hoist himself onto the sofa, the coffee table, etc.. and is successful, if there is a boosting object. Of course the scary part is that the next action he takes, once on the couch, is to hoist himself up and over the back, or the arm of the couch.. which would promptly land him on his head if we let him do as he pleased. So.. it's a never ending chase. The best chase of our lives though.

The new year is going to be an interesting, and inevitably difficult one. Between the life changes we've incurred, and the helter skelter economy- it's sure to be a challenge. We are hoping for the best for all of our loved ones- may we all enjoy this new chapter in our lives.