(4)Christmas(es)

Holidays are complicated with more than one family. You’d think it would simplify when the two families are in different states and you alternate years, but this year it seemed to make things more busy and last a lot longer. I guess its all the packing for vacation, loading, and organizing of gifts. We’ve had 4 Christmases so far, and our presents just for the four of us are still wrapped under the tree back in California. We’re in Utah and have been since Christmas Eve morning. My mom was in California for a few days and she took Garrett home with her. They flew home a couple days before Paul, Addie and I drove out. We left the evening of the 23^rd, and we drove through the night. Paul took the first half and I took over at 11:30PM I didn’t sleep at all while he was driving but I did fine. We got to Bountiful at 4:30AM. Addie did awesome. We only got her out of her car seat once for a diaper change. She was awake some, slept a lot, and didn’t cry once the whole 11 hours. I hope she does as well on the drive home, but I’m not counting on it because Garrett will be with us.

#1. The weekend before Christmas we celebrated with the Whites. We had dinner and opened gifts. I won’t even try and remember all that our (spoiled) kids got at the 4 Christmases, but I went shopping yesterday for a storage bin, and a new cube shelf with canvas totes because I know it’ll take some organizing when we get home. I’m also planning on packing away a few unopened toys that I might re-gift to Garrett on his birthday next year when they are more age appropriate. He’ll never know! I got that cool red canvas wagon for the park and the beach. It’ll carry food, drinks, towels, toys, and babies. I love it. And Paul became and NFL owner. His dad bought him stock in the Greenbay Packers. He is beyond thrilled. (click on collages to make them bigger.)

#2. On Christmas Eve we had a turkey dinner with my family and my Aunt Barbara and Grandma and Grandpa Garrett. Then we did the nativity. It was a little rough this year. Garrett the shepherd was all over the place and baby Jesus (Addie) had the hiccups the whole time. But we made it through. Then we did aunt/uncle/great grandparent gifts. (And about the turkey dinner, I’d love to know if people think that the traditional Thanksgiving dinner should also be the traditional Christmas Eve or Christmas Day dinner. I kind of had to talk my mom into this meal, and I seem to be the only one who really thinks it should be the same.) Anyway, it was a yummy dinner, fun gifts, and good company.

#3. Christmas morning we did gifts with my parents and stockings for each other and went to church. Garrett did great at opening gifts, even though it took him a while. And Addie was all smiles, all day. She’s ‘real’ smiling now, and it’s so fun. Paul went slightly over budget. He does every year. I got a cute cover for my iphone, among other things, and he also made me a Bedtime Caddy out of a tote with a handle. I never make it to bed without several trips to the living room, so the tote is to help me remember vitamins, phone, monitors, chargers, burp clothes, and anything else I may need. He’s so thoughtful. But the best gift, I get today. We went to lunch and got pedicures, and I got tickets to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra tonight at the Energy Solutions Arena!!! I’m so excited!!! If you’ve never seen TSO live, you need to at least once. This is my 4^th year seeing them and it never gets old. Someone asked me once if TSO is kind of like ‘The Forgotten Carols.’ Umm, no. Not even close. (There’s a reason those carols are forgotten.)

#4. Christmas afternoon was spent with my family and my Auntie and Uncle Jon. Yummy food, yummy pie, and some gifts. I love Christmas at Auntie’s. It’s a great way to spend the afternoon. Garrett loved exploring and playing. After his birthday he started understanding the concept of blowing out candles. But now he tries to blow out everything- flashlights, LED candles, and Christmas lights. The picture on the top right is him trying to blow out the Christmas tree. Both the kids zonked out as soon as we got in the car. It was a fun full day.

On Christmas night Paul and I went out to do our Christmas night tradition. Late dinner at Denny’s and a big tip for the server. This is 3 years in a row now and we love doing it. On the drive there and back we talked about what we hope to be able to do to help people more in the future, and how excited we are to get our kids involved in the tradition, and also how we want to think of new ways of gift giving primarily with our siblings. We’re all the type that if we want something we just go buy it, so there’s nothing any of us ever really need come Christmas. We’re working on some ideas to help others rather that giving unnecessary stuff to each other every year.

Anyway, we had fun. And I'm looking forward to the coming years as the kids get older and more excited about Christmas.

Cute Naked Babies

Paul asked me a couple days ago if I had any bath time pictures of Addie. I couldn't remember. But my thought was, compared to Garrett as a newborn, I don't really have ANY pictures of Addie. I didn't believe it when moms said you photograph #2 less. But it's oh so true. Too true. So here's Addie in the bath.And here's her older brother running around naked. And if you're wondering if he walked right over to my Christmas tress and stood there and peed all over them, the answer is yes.Speaking of Garrett running around. Both of my kids have exciting news this week! I mentioned that Garrett stopped even trying to walk once Addie was born. Before that, we had a few weeks of him walking only if we sat on the floor and encouraged him. But once the baby came, it was game over. He became Jell-o legs. My mom came to town last week for a few days and she was watching the kids one evening. She text me while Paul and I were out saying they had a surprise for us when we got home. When Paul and I walked in the door, Garrett came walking toward us laughing. It was so exciting! My mom said she wasn't even trying to get him to do it. She was on the couch with Addie and he was standing playing with a toy. He turned and smiled and walked to her. And then back and forth for about 20 minutes. By the time we got home he was all over the place. Picking things up along the way, going from the ground to his feet without holding on to anything, and the kid is fast! So from the time he first walked, until we could finally say walking is his mode of transportation of choice, it was almost 3 months. Phew! But I think the walking is here to stay this time.

And Addie's big news. (I'm less excited about this one because I don't know if it's as permanent.) She's had over a week of sleeping 6+ hours at night! Usually she wakes up between 6 and a half and 7 hours to eat and go back to sleep, but we've had 2 nights of 8 hours straight! It's amazing what a full night sleep can do for a mom. Garrett was this same way at this age and so many people told me to prepare for the exact opposite because I couldn't be so lucky to have 2 good sleepers, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Day time naps are a different story. Often, but short. Until yesterday. Garrett is in Utah for a couple days and yesterday was our first full day of just Addie and I at home, and she napped long and peacefully. So maybe the loud noise called Garrett is the problem...

Here's a couple videos. (The first is right when Paul and I got home and saw him, which is why I sound so excited.)

{Not} Feeling Christmasy

I told Paul we need to do some Christmas things because I'm just not feeling it this year. I'm not sad it's Christmas time, in fact, I'm pretty happy about Christmas, and I'm looking forward to the next couple weeks. It just doesn't feel like Christmas when you see more lit palm trees than pine trees, and you look for a shady spot at a Christmas parade.But so far all we've done is go to said parade, and go for one little drive to see a popular decorated house that wasn't decorated this year. But that's ok. We're staying plenty busy.

I told Paul several months ago that I'm not committing to anything this year and that it was going to be a low-key gift giving kind of year. So far, so good. But that doesn't mean I'm not busy! (besides the kids.) I made 11 dozen cupcakes in two days for work. I helped with food for a candle light service. I'm dipping 5 pounds of pretzels. I'm shopping for, and putting together a dozen or so gift baskets. I have a few more dozen cupcakes on the calendar in the next week. (all this for work.) AND, I'm getting gifts ready for Paul and the kids, and extended family, some I have to ship. Making holiday treats here and there for parties. Yesterday and today has been picture ordering day, (for gifts, grandparents love pics of their grandkids for Christmas), as well as Christmas and birth announcement designing, ordering, and addressing. Costco card templates won this year, nothing creative. But they'll all be in the mail by tonight! This weekend is wrapping gifts, finish up shopping, heading to the post office, family pictures with the White's, celebrating Christmas with the White's, a rehearsal dinner and wedding for some good friends. Sounds 'low-key' enough, right?

My baby is a month old today, A MONTH! We had some friends over a couple days ago and they said, what is she now, almost 2 weeks? Feels that way to me too! She's growing and doing well. I've talked to a couple friends in Utah the past few days who have asked what it's like having two. And my response is that I keep waiting for it to get hard, but so far it's been easier than I thought it would be. Sure I could use more sleep, I'm busy all the time, I clean up the same messes over and over all day, and I feel like adding one tiny persons wash has quadrupled my laundry. But it's not so bad. Going from one to two has been way easier for me than going from zero to one. I worry less. I don't second guess myself as much. And I really just focus on enjoying it. I have bad moments, and even bad days here and there. (Yesterday I text Paul and told him to hurry and remind me that it's a blessing to be a mom. And when my mother-in-law asked me last night what I did that day, I said, "tried to sell my kids on ebay.") But I love it. I won't be tired forever. And I won't have beautiful little kids who want to be with me every second forever. It's a blessing. Even when Addie spits up on my face at the same time that Garrett dumps a bowl of chicken noodle soup on his head... Little blessings... ;)

Paul was on Garrett duty. I know this looks staged, but I promise this is what I walked into both times.Garrett got his 6th haircut over the weekend. He's so shaggy.Sometimes I let Garrett lay in greasy pizza boxes and I just don't care.

Friday Photo Dump

I've been meaning to blog for a few days now, but ya know, I just haven't. I have Christmas countdown blocks and every time I think to change them I'm behind at least two days, and I could swear I just changed them the day before. Time is flying by.

Both kids are asleep, well Garrett might not be, but he should be, so I'm pretending he is. So, I thought I'd put a few pictures up of the past couple weeks.

Playing at the park.Paul dressed Addie.I was rocking Addie and G came over and climbed up on my lap with a book. Sometimes he's fine when I hold her, other times he WILL NOT have it, unless I'm holding him too.I'll have to tell you sometime about how Garrett suddenly refuses to walk unassisted, now that Addie is here.I love when he's asleep and lets me hold him.I got my Christmas stuff up the day after Thanksgiving. I'm surprised, but Garrett has left it all alone for the most part. (The tags are on the stockings because they're new and I can't decide if I want them.) Paul dressed her again, headband and all. He loves those babylegs. She has about 20 pair, but he always picks those ones.Trying to entertain his sad sister.Bath time!Ready for the Company Christmas party.Twinners for the party.Garrett giving little sis a kiss.Sleeping baby.Garrett cleaning his highchair while I feed Addie.Things are going well. I got so sick one night I wanted to die. Cold sweats, dizzy, shaky. Paul slept in the guest room with Addie and Garrett's monitor and I had 9 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Amazing. Went to the doc the next day and I have mastitis. I'm on a 10 day antibiotic and am doing much better.

Addie is waking about every 3 hours at night and goes back to sleep after I feed her. Except last night, she was up A LOT and didn't want to go to sleep after eating. Hope it's not the start of something new.

Garrett is doing good. Sometimes a little emotional and has been fighting nap time, but it could be worse.

Paul and I have a Nature Sound app on our phone and ipad and Addie loves it! It's my favorite app at the moment, because it does good at drowning out Garrett's noise, and that's hard to do.

Well, I hear a baby...