Christmas 2010

So Christmas snuck up on us this year. Kevin commented the other day that that having a baby right before the holidays is maybe not the best time..... but then again is there ever a perfect time? And he certainly is the perfect gift :)
Anyways, I did all our Christmas shopping with two trips to Walmart on the two Saturdays before Christmas. This procrastination caused a fair bit of stress as Kevin and I struggled to determine if we had bought the right gifts and especially the right amount of gifts for our kids. This is really a tough thing for a parent to figure out. On the one hand you want them to feel that excitement of Christmas when they awake to find they got everything they asked for and more and then on the other hand you don't want to raise kids who expect to get whatever they want and you don't want to have to top yourself every year and you certainly don't want Christmas to be all about the gifts- right? So anyways, simply because of a lack of time- we had a "simpler" Christmas which in the end was just perfect.

So Christmas Eve, I made a turkey dinner. It turned out to be quite good. I have definitely become a lot more confident and competent in the making turkey dinner department. Its a lot of work but I do enjoy the finished product. While I cooked Kevin took the kids to Burger King to get out some of their Christmas energy. We had the Thomas' join us for dinner and then the kids acted out the nativity- 4 seperate times we acted it out so that each girl could be Mary. It was really cute and different every time- sometimes there was a sheep, sometimes a donkey, sometimes a cow. Then we opened our Christmas jammies from Grandma and tucked the kiddos into bed. Heres a few nativity shots:Then on to Christmas morning...
Emmitt was the first to awake which meant Kevin and I were actually waiting for the kids to wake up instead of the other way around. We didn't have to wait long... before we knew it they were all in our bed.... so cute and so excited!

Brielle's gifts were a mermaid, a play doh set and a princess tent.Makennas big item was Go Go my walkin pup.
And Brayden got an electric scooter... which clearly he was excited about!
And here they are with their stockings...
I just thought these hats were super cute so I, I mean, Santa had to get them.

Christmas day was really wonderful. I love staying home playing with happy kids and their new toys. It was fun and relaxing. We went to the Thomas' for dinner and some Wii. Everyone was happy so it was a perfect day!

2 Months Old

This time around I was only one day late for the photo shoot but look I captured some smiles!

2 Month Old Check Up Stats
Weight: 13lbs 6oz 77th percentile
Height: 24inches 77th percentile
Head Circumference: 15 3/4 inches 40th percentile

Random

This morning I made the kids Cream of Wheat for breakfast for the first time ever. I read to them the boxe's boasts about nutrition and gave each of them a spoonful of brown sugar to stir in. Brielle gobbled up two bowls, Brayden complained but ate it, and Makenna said it made her feel like she might throw up. too funny.

Bell Elementarys Holiday Boutique Humor

So every year the elementary school here has a holiday boutique where they essentially bring in a bunch of dollar store junk and push the kids to bring money so they can buy gifts for their families. I begrudgingly let my kids participate. They each earned $5 to spend so I sent them off with their money and their envelopes and what did they come home with. Well Brayden came home saying he needed more money to finish his shopping and Makenna came home with 3 presents... for herself!

My first reaction was anger and disappointment- then of course I had to laugh- it is pretty funny. So over the weekend, the kids decided to return what they had bought so they could accomplish what they originally had set out to do. The second time around they had much more success. We had a great Christmas.

Then this morning Makenna asks me if Grandma is healed from her surgery (she had a knee scope recently) and I told her she was healed mostly but still sore. Then Makenna tells me

"I can't wait to give Grandma her present I got her. I thought she would still be in the hospital when she got it and I told everyone that my grandma has a hole in her knee. I was trying to get them to give it to me for free."

-I dont know where she gets that from :) What a crack up.

A First and a Funny

I thought I should record that yesterday December 4th, 2010 Emmitt gave us his first indisputable totally legitimate smile. Sorry no picture yet. I'll work on that.

Yesterday I was calming a fussy Emmitt when Makenna said:
"If I was zero like Emmitt, I would be having the time of my life"

That was ironic and hilarious to me considering just a few days ago she wrote the following Christmas list:
1. Just Dance 2 the Wii game
2. Chixos
3. to be a teenager

Does she want to be zero or a teenager- it seems to her anything would be better than 6 :)

One Month Old

So my goal is to take a picture of Emmitt at his month birthdays in the same spot, wearing a white onesie, and next to the same teddy bear(for scale of course) so I can see him grow. Well I was a couple days late for the one month photo shoot but trust me he looked the same a few days earlier :)And lest you think, he is really a stable little guy- here are the pictures that followed:

My Life Saver Awards

Life with a new baby and three other kids can be a bit crazy. Lucky for me, I have found a few things that are really helping me through...

So in first place, my most miraculous life saver- da da da da...

My Chiropractor- yet again working miracles in my life. Emmitt has now seen her two times and after the second visit he slept that night a huge record breaking 5 HOURS! This is a pretty significant leap from doing 1-3 hours (with 3 being the exception and 1 being common) that he usually does with fussy periods in between. Last night I didn't get a 5 hour stretch but I got two three hour stretches with a completely calm relaxed baby eating and going right back to sleep. It's a definite noticeable difference. He even slept after 4am without being held which he usually never does. For some reason his digestive system goes crazy between the hours of 4 and 7 am and usually he is so gassy that he can't settle at all.
So thank goodness my sleep life is gradually improving because sleep deprivation has some undesirable consequences... exhibit A:
I thought it was only boys living on their own for the first time that make this mistake but its also apparently sleep deprived mothers that do it as well. Yes I put dish soap in the dishwasher...ooops!

Okay back to my Life Saver Awards.

The Silver Medal goes to:We just signed up this month and the timing couldn't have been better. We get movies through our Wii so Brielle is totally occupied whenever I need her to be... it's a life saver! Its also been nice for Kevin to have something to distract him while he stays up late with little Emmitt. I'm looking forward to the days when I can stay up past 8pm so I can enjoy some movies too... maybe some day!

And in third place, my latest baby discovery: the sling!
I started using the "Sevens sling" but felt like it wasnt big enough for me or baby:

Then I bought the balboa baby sling and the moby wrap. I think I will take the wrap back- it's cool but the two times I tried it out, Emmitt wasnt a fan and its pretty bulky to tote around. (In case its been a while since you have seen me, that is only me in the first picture- I haven't undergone any makeovers or plastic surgery ...heeheehee)

Typically my babies have gotten big so fast that baby carriers haven't worked for me and my aching back but since Emmitt needs to be held or rocked to stay asleep during the day- the sling is super handy- especially around dinner making time. Its also been fabulous for trips to the store since he cries in his car seat but sleeps almost instantly in the sling.

And that is it... my coping secrets in a nutshell...