Christmas Break - Part I

David had 3 weeks off from school, so we packed up and headed to Utah to spend Christmas with the Baileys. It was very fun and relaxing, especially for David. He had worked so hard in school, it was nice to have him back for a few weeks. We flew directly to Salt Lake which was very nice, and Isabel was amazing on the plane. She fell asleep in my arms while the plane was taking off. She woke up for a minute so her ears could pop and then she fell back asleep for another hour. That left an hour on the plane where she proceeded to wave at all the people around us and she got pretty good at it too (wrist flick and all).
It was great to be around family and just relax. David was able to do some coyote hunting and ice fishing, and I will post those pics later. He was back to his old self and wasn't stressed about school at all. Isabel had so much fun with a crowd always watching her and laughing at her. We got to see little Camille (sam and coley's little babe) and got some cute pics of the two of the girls in matching outfits (total coincidence, they weren't purchased together). We had lots of fun eating out at all our favorite Ephraim restaurants and seeing some old friends.
We have discovered that Isabel LOVES music. At Rachel's Christmas choir concert, any time there was music being played or sung, she was jumping on David's lap. She even tried her hand and conducting the orchestra. She would wave her hands back and forth really fast and then jump up and down and repeat that until she tuckered herself out. It was greatly entertaining and it was fun to see Aunt Rachel perform.
Camille still has David's old walker from when he was a baby. So we got that out and let Isabel try it. She sure liked it but couldn't get very far wearing just her socks. So I decided to put on her shows and show her how to REALLY cover some ground. Well I put them on, and then the phone rings, so I go to answer it and am distracted for like 3 seconds. Isabel took off, plowed over a kitchen rug and took a tumble down the step that leads into the family room. She went head over heels and got stuck still sitting in the walker, but upside down and trapped under it. She started screaming and was so scared. I was pretty freaked out too, but luckily she just had her ego bruised. But she didn't want to get in it for a few days cause she was still mad!
Isabel learned her share of tricks while we were in Utah also. Grandpa Bailey taught her how to flap her jaw open and closed like she was talking with no sound, just the occasional noise from her lips smacking. It was so fun to do it to her and watch as she looked at you and tried to mimick it. She also learned how to blow great big rasberries at any occasion she could.
She watched some people blow bubbles with gum, and then she would try to mimmick them by sticking out her tongue. It was so cute!
She is learning so much and growing like crazy. She is still little miss petite, but I think she is such a big girl. She is now 17 1/2 pounds (I know, but it is big for her). You can tell she is just soaking everything up and trying so hard to do things. It was great to be around family and let them see how much joy she brings to those around her. She learned that it is lots of fun to make people laugh and went through a few silly laughs (she now has a normal laugh, no more strange old man laugh). We had fun playing out in the snow with her and taking her down the canyon road on a sled, which she loved. I think she may be a thrill seeker like her momma!