He finally got the hang of unwrapping gifts this time. 
And thought he was quite big in his great-grandmother's rocking chair that he can now get in and out of by himself.
The funniest part was Warner's reaction to Cameron. She's definitely the biggest dog he's ever seen, and he's never sure what to think of her.
But by the end of the weekend he was quite confident around her.
Warner woke up to a pile of toys on Christmas morning. 
We weren't sure what kind of reaction he'd have. He looked at the toys, then went straight for the basketball and put it in the hoop. Pretty funny. The basketball goal and popcorn popper are so far his favorite gifts.
He also likes his new Jack in the Box, but we have to turn it for him. Thankfully he's not freaked out by the clown that pops up - I must admit, I'm a little spooked by it.
We opened gifts, ate breakfast, and played until my parents and Kevin's parents arrived around noon. 
Warner opened more gifts (noticing a theme here?), then took a big nap. That evening I cooked dinner for my parents and Justin. We made a turkey (our first attempt) and it turned out really good! This might become a tradition. 
Whew. It's been an eventful week. Warner and I drove to Muncie last Tuesday. We hit freezing rain 2 hours into the trip, which turned the roads into a solid sheet of ice. I drove the rest of the way with a death-grip on the steering wheel while listening to Warner whine/cry/yell in hopes of getting out of his car seat. It took us 2 1/2 hours to drive 35 miles. I finally gave Warner a whole bag of Goldfish Crackers to quiet him (it worked) and he stuffed himself silly. He's still finding Goldfish in his car seat nearly a week later, which he thinks is really neat.
He enjoyed the family as usual. Here he is helping make cookies at Aunt Kathy's house.
And sitting on his pile of presents with Emme on Christmas Eve.
Kevin had to work Christmas Eve so we drove back home late that night to spend Christmas morning together as a family.
He gets to sit on their lap for dinner, refuse pants after a diaper change, and generally be rotten when they're around. Exactly what grandparents are for.
Abby once told Linda: "Nanny, I love spending time with you. You let me do whatever I want". I'm sure Warner will say the same thing one day.
Sunday night we went to Abby and Ashley's Christmas production at their church in Lexington. The girls did so well singing and dancing.
Warner didn't want to leave Aunt Leslie's house that night. She always has "little kid" toys for him to play with along with Abby and Ashley's toys. The girls certainly love him.
and upside down.
I'm not sure why, but Warner has been doing this latest trick for a few weeks now. It must be neat to see everything from this angle.
However, once he got to Santa's lap, the fun was over.
It was much safer to observe Santa from a distance ...
Maybe next year.
Drinks in the Walnut Room at Fields/Macy's (we were going to do lunch but the wait was 3 hours. Yikes!):
Shopping, shopping, and more shopping (all of the streets and stores were so pretty, decorated for Christmas!):
And dinner at one of MaNell's favorite restaurants.
Meanwhile, Warner spent the weekend testing Kevin's patience. He refused to eat anything other than graham crackers and/or macaroni and cheese, threw multiple fits, woke at 6am each morning, and generally wore my poor husband out. Looks like I won't be enjoying another "Mom's weekend away" again any time soon.
We visited my Grandma Holbert at her nursing home on Tuesday. It was the first time Warner met his great-Grandma. Unfortunately she has dementia so she didn't remember me, my mom, or my dad (her son). But we were thankful for the opportunity to visit her.
My Mom and Aunt Kathy happy in the kitchen. 
My Dad and Warner playing after dinner.
MaNell and I on Thanksgiving. She dyed my hair that day. I'm a brunette! Ha!
Melanie and Katie doing their "best cousins" picture. Whatever.
Warner playing with his cousins, Nanny, and Grammie at Aunt Leslie's house.
Alright, spoon is in hand. Not quite sure what to do with it, Warner decides to just use his other hand to feed himself.
Yes, that is the plan. Just eat with the left hand. 
Wait, the spoon is coming toward the mouth ... no, that's your nose Warner. The spoon goes to your mouth, not your nose.
Maybe next time.
Warner is fascinated with the computer. Our Mac has a program called Alpha Baby that essentially locks the keyboard and mouse. It brings up shapes and letters whenever the keyboard or mouse is moved.
It's a tough job, but somebody's got to do it.
Kevin's parents came up Saturday to watch Warner so Kevin and I could go to a wine party. He loved the time with them (as usual) and we enjoyed the night out.
The party was a wine tasting of sorts, where each couple brought an unmarked bottle and we then voted on our top three favorites. A $10 bottle (Elvis "The King") beat out the pricey ones, so maybe Kevin will quit making fun of me for buying cheap wine now!
Like....
After running 3 miles with his Mom,
Grocery shopping with his Dad,
Being fed his favorite snack (cheese and crackers) out of his high-chair,
Playing in the kitchen cabinets while his Mother prepares supper, and
Wearing whatever his Mom and Dad can wrestle on him. Warner will let you be the judge.
My cousin MaNell and I have always been close. With an 18 month age difference, mothers that are very close sisters, and a childhood spent living nearby, it's not surprising. But after losing Meredith, I am even more thankful now for our relationship. 
We got to see our Muncie family, including Great Grandma and Grandpa Warner. Warner was partial to my Aunt Kathy, probably because she looks and acts so much like my mom. But the peanut butter, brownie, and ice cream she fed him probably didn't hurt either.
