Merry belated Christmas!

From Christmas2008

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! (Greg, this Rosa photo is for you)

For the first time in my adult life, I didn't have to travel for the actual Christmas day. It was nice. We did, however, get an early Christmas when we went to Missoula to see Matt's parents Dec. 21-23. It was a LONG trip back, and we broke the CV joint in the car when we returned, but we still had a great time.


Even though Anne Marie wouldn't talk to Santa, he took pity on her and was VERY good to her this year. Her favorites: a set of doll accessories (stroller, playpen, bouncer, tummy time mat, nuk), a big bundle of blocks and a Memory game from her Grandma. She impressed me with that Memory Game! My mom got out a set of the little cards with five matching pairs. She didn't miss one. She remembered where every match was every time. That girl is observant. I have to be careful.

Her doll stuff has shown me how precise a toddler can be. When Santa put the stuff under the tree, he stuck one doll in the play pen, another in the stroller, another on the tummy time mat, etc. Now, that is where each of those dolls belong. Bobbi must sit in the stroller, but cannot go in the playpen. Susie cannot leave the tummy time mat. Anne Marie was a bit sad that the playpen was so small. She loves to sit in them!

From Christmas2008

Every day since Christmas, Anne Marie has spent the entire day "playing toys." She's still excited and overwhelmed, and her birthday is less than a month away. She loves her new shoes, and wouldn't let me take them off for a nap yesterday.

From Christmas2008

We had a very white Christmas- it didn't stop snowing and blowing the entire day. In the afternoon, we built a pretty good snowman (almost Snowzilla :)) In my honor, Alex and Matt made it pregnant.

From Christmas2008

I was really excited about the sling I got for Christmas. I had a ring sling with Anne Marie, and I never really got the hang of it. This one is awesome, and I believe it will be really necessary with a toddler still in s stroller. I practiced with Freddy, and he stayed in there for more than an hour!

From Christmas2008

No Santa!

I have no clue why I obsess over this. My daughter is scared of quite a few things. She wants nothing to do with any stuffed animals that move or talk, although she loves ones that just play music. She doesn't even want to go into Costco for fear that she might see that Kota Triceratop or the big stuffed dog that obeys commands. So why would I think she would like Santa?

And yet, I keep trying. First try, Festival of Trees. We waited in line, and when we got there Santa (who had a real beard and looked just like a regular old man) said "Hello." Anne Marie said, "No Santa." There was no scene, just vigorous head shaking. He asked her if she wanted to sit on his lap, and she said, "No Santa." So we walked away, and she waved and said "Bye Santa." Then it was a repeated "No Santa" through the entire festival.

Next attempt: day care. They had photos with Santa when you picked up your child. It was a fundraiser: $2 and they print you one and send you a copy via e-mail. I figured since her classmates were doing it, she would be pumped. So we looked in the window, where her little classmate Adam was just leaving Santa. "No Santa!" We went inside. "No Santa!" After we left, I told her how Santa comes to our house and brings us presents. Probably to the shock of the parents around me, I told my not-yet 2 year old that since she wouldn't talk to Santa, he had no idea what to bring to her, and that he was probably really sad (see how sick and manipulative Santa makes me). Then I told her Santa was one of the fun parts of Christmas. "No Christmas," she says.

So today is Book Babies, one of her favorite weekly events. Santa is coming. I told Anne Marie Santa might be at Book Babies, and asked her if she wanted to say hello. She said, "No Book Babies." I might be giving up.

Happy Birthday Matt!

From Father's Day and swimming in the backyard

Happy birthday Matt! Here's 20 things I love about my man (he's 33, but we want him to feel younger).

1. He gets really excited for his birthday. It's sweet.

2. He goes to whatever class or workshop I deem necessary for the two of us. Marriage class, birth class, baptism class.

3. He does the dishes.

4. He's a hard worker.

5. He has always supported me in my faith. He's not Catholic, but he says prayers with Anne Marie and goes to church with us whenever he isn't at work. He also gets excited about spiritual events in the lives of his children.

6. He either gives Anne Marie a bath or puts her to bed almost every night.

7. He keeps his promises.

8. He cares deeply about his family and friends.

9. He's a funny guy.

10. Mood swings don't phase him... too much.

11. He talks to his little unborn son.

12. He's not afraid of a foul diaper, or even a turd in the bathtub.

13. He's good at beer-making.

14. He loves to read, and he's cultivating that love in his daughter.

15. He makes us feel safe and loved.

16. He has great, thick, wavy hair - maybe he'll pass it on to Thomas Bean.

17. He won't ever stop learning.

18. Even though he hates school, he's still going- a great example to his kids.

19. He can really barbecue.

20. He's a great person to emulate. Anne Marie is currently wearing his hat and walking around with her play cell phone clipped to her pants- just like her papa.

Bossy girl

I've done a lot without posting... gone to Missoula for a football game, eaten turkey, gone to Jackson for what was likely our last romantic getaway for several years, and witnessed Anne Marie go in the potty two days in a row without us planning to train her. But I haven't really felt bloggy.

Tonight, Anne Marie gave me some fodder. She is a busy little girl, and she spends a lot of time putting her babies to bed with blankets. She'll set them out across the room, and say "Good night" to each one. Then the blanket goes over their head.

This evening, she was putting Freddy (the cat) to bed. She used five washcloths from the folded laundry and laid them on top of the already-asleep cat, saying "nice and warm, OK?" Bubba (other cat) thought it would be a good time to attack, and whacked poor Freddy. Anne Marie took hold of Bubba, looked into his face and said, "Bubba get off him. Bubba, say sorry Freddy, OK? Foot hurt." Hopefully Bubba learned his lesson. I couldn't stop laughing.

Big girl bed

Last night was Anne Marie's first night in her big girl bed. The crib came completely down, so it was a "do or die" moment for us. Luckily, no one died. :) Here's Anne Marie setting up her dolls on her new pillow.

From big girl bed

Then, the Angelina Jolie lips pose on the bed:

From big girl bed

Giving it a good jump:

From big girl bed

Bathed and ready for bed:

From big girl bed

And waking up refreshed in the morning.

From big girl bed

We've ordered her a special princess comforter and pillowcase, so there will be even more excitement soon.

Waiting for excitement

I'm in Boise with no camera and a daughter who loves to sleep in, so I'm taking a few minutes to post things I'm grateful for while I wait for some excitement:

1. Hotels with Wi-Fi.
2. A husband who doesn't mind if Anne Marie and I head off to Boise and leave him with a messy house and two dogs.
3. Online banking

Grateful

I actually got on here to post something deep, but it seems like just the act of logging in makes me feel better enough to not go deep. Jeni posted three things she is graeful for on her blog, and she's planning on doing it every day in November. What a good idea! Here goes:

1. I'm grateful I have a child who isn't an early bird.

2. I'm grateful that, thus far, both Thomas Garbanzo and I are healthy and happy.

3. I'm grateful for a quote I read today that made me feel better about my constant crying and giggling. "Oh honey, it's alright you cryin' and don't know why. Sometimes when a pregnant woman is cryin' over nothin', she cryin' for her baby because it can't cry yet, and when she laugh over nothin' she laugh for her baby all happy in there." The quote made me cry, then it made me laugh. :)

Halloween fun

First, I would like to give a shout-out to all those who put jaw breakers in Anne Marie's bag. That means candy for mama! :)

We had a great Halloween here. On Tuesday, we went to Book Babies, where there was a Halloween parade, and I got the chance to take some photos of Anne Marie in her duck costume.

From Ducky Halloween

On Halloween, we started in Old Town. The thousands of people made me forget to take photos. About halfway down the block, Anne Marie realized she was getting candy in her bag. Her eyes lit up, and she started saying "Suckers! Candy in there!"

Then it was off to Grandma's (no one trick or treats in our neighborhood), where she got to knock on her first door.

From Ducky Halloween

It was awesome.

From Ducky Halloween

From Ducky Halloween

From Ducky Halloween

Child of the corn

From pumpkin patch

Remember how the children of the corn were all super-blonde? That's what I was thinking about on the LONG corn maze we did last week.

We went to a really cute, homey pumpkin patch, where Anne Marie picked out two pumpkins- one for her and one for her baby brother. It took awhile because there were nearly unlimited choices. We also got to see the farm animals, and Anne Marie sat still for a face painting, to the amazement of the face painter. I tell people she's not really a run-away type, but they don't believe me.

From pumpkin patch

From pumpkin patch

It took me forever to post this because we were down sick last week (I still am down, and see no immediate recovery). Anne Marie got her second double-ear infection in October, and was in so much pain that she didn't sleep AT ALL for two nights. Now she's on antibiotics again and seems to be feeling pretty good, although she has become a tylenol addict. Every morning, nap time and evening, she starts crying, "hurt! Medicine!" Yesterday when I didn't relent (she was a happy baby until she saw the bottle), she actually asked me for ear drops. What child WANTS ear drops?

Anyway, I'm waiting for that golden moment when her immune system, which has taken a serious beating, starts giving her super-immunity. Everyone tells me if she is this sick now, she'll never be sick later. I don't really believe them, but I'm hoping.

Dang!

Denise wanted me to take pictures when it snowed. So, on Saturday afternoon, I took this:

From albuquerque and snow

I had to do something artsy, because in reality, there was only a bit of snow on the ground.

From albuquerque and snow

So imagine my surprise when I woke up this morning to this:

From albuquerque and snow

Dang! I'm not sure if I'm ready yet. October is kind of early for snow like that. Usually, we get a bit of snow early- just enough to cover grass blades, then it goes away until after Thanksgiving. This stuff is going to be around awhile.

On a sunnier note, I had a wonderful trip to Albuquerque last week! Here's the highlights:

We left Thursday night and stayed in Price, UT. Definitely nothing to note there.

The next day, we stopped at Arches National Park on the way to NM.

From albuquerque and snow

Anne Marie loved the picnic.

From albuquerque and snow

But her favorite part was the dirt.

on the ground...

From albuquerque and snow

Down her shirt:

From albuquerque and snow

And on her shoes.

From albuquerque and snow

I had to include this- I told Matt to pose by the beauty of nature. I did not purposefully place him next to a fallic rock.

From albuquerque and snow

Here's what Anne Marie did much of the way.

From albuquerque and snow

Finally, late at night, we got to Greg and Denise's house! It was a surprise for Greg, and when he opened the door, he just kept staring at us.

The next day, the poor almost-30 year old had to help prep for his birthday barbecue.

From albuquerque and snow

Roxy did what she could.

From albuquerque and snow

I was so happy to see Denise!

From albuquerque and snow

The barbecue was awesome, and I got to see one of our good friends, Andy. I feel sad now that I didn't take a photo! The next day, I got to spend a relaxing time with friends.

From albuquerque and snow

Anne Marie was as excited as Greg about his birthday cake!

From albuquerque and snow

She ate two pieces.

From albuquerque and snow

Greg liked it too.

From albuquerque and snow

All in all, a great weekend!

From albuquerque and snow

On the way home, Anne Marie partied like a rock star. She looks so much like Matt in these pictures:

From albuquerque and snow

From albuquerque and snow

From albuquerque and snow

Going all pioneer in Pocatello

From Emily's yummy life

Yesterday, I got to feel like Mrs. Ingalls on Little House on the Prairie. Our dryer broke, and Anne Marie and I hung our clothes out to dry. Thank goodness we have a house with a clothesline. I'm guessing not everyone has such things anymore. We're going to get a new dryer, but I really love the smell of my clothes when I take them off the line. They are less wrinkled and smell super-fresh.

Of course, my self-sufficient pioneer woman life was short-lived. I put a pork tenderloin in the oven, left to go look at dryers, and when I came back, it was burnt almost beyond recognition. So, in very un-pioneer like fashion, we went to Wingers.

In other news, it's the season of sickness again. After being well the entire summer, Anne Marie got her second bug of September, and it turned into a nasty double ear infection. The dr. said her throat looked bad too, but there wasn't much point doing a step culture because he was giving her antibiotics anyway.

I've come to the conclusion that it's the college students that bring sickness to her daycare. She went to daycare all summer, and never got sick. But the school year starts, and her entire classroom is sick. They should put a sign up in the Student Union Building - don't cough on the toddlers if you happen upon them on campus.

Drugs are amazing. On Saturday afternoon when I took her to the doctor, she couldn't really even stand on her own, and she cried nonstop with pain. One day on antibiotics, and the girl seemed completely cured. She slept all day Saturday, however, and I am feeling the aftermath. Last night she was up until well past midnight. I want her to get well, so I let her sleep in. Wouldn't you like to be doing this at 10 a.m. ?

From Emily's yummy life

Belly photos

Admittedly, I was about 20 pounds heavier when I got pregnant with Bean than Anne Marie, so I was a little chunkier, but this pregnancy, I started growing much faster. Although nobody else probably noticed, I started noticing clear back in July. Behold, the evidence.

18 weeks, Anne Marie (then known as Stubby)



19 weeks, Bean


I just noticed the shirt makes it look like my chest is crooked. I assure you, they are still in a somewhat normal position.

18 weeks, me trying to show as much belly as possible with Anne Marie (stubby)



With bean, not trying nearly as hard:



I hope this helps, Jeni! It's funny. I have photos of me every week practically from 12 weeks on with Anne Marie, but this is the first documentation for Bean. I'm a bit less camera excited now, I think.

Bean update

I still don't know what Bean is (known by Matt's mom as L.L. Bean, and as "the bean' to my grandma), but at last I have a set appointment! So I will let the world know Oct. 7 as long as Bean lets me know. I think I'll just die if he/she does not carry my exhibitionist gene.

Jeni asked for photos, and so I'll take some tomorrow. This time around, I am a house! I've gained five pounds, compared to 15 this far with Anne Marie, but it looks more like 40. Hopefully people know I'm pregnant, not just fat. :)

At the doctor's today, everything looked pretty awesome. Usually she tells me the heartbeat is "cute." This time, when it was between 130 and 140, she agreed with me that it sounded like a boyish heartbeat. I honestly don't care whether it's a boy or a girl (although I wish I knew now), but I have this weird idea in my head that two girls would be easier than a boy and a girl. The only other gender issue is that Bean will be a tiebreaker. Counting animals, we are tied. We have a girl dog, two human females, one human male and two male cats. Bean will give one gender the majority. It probably doesn't help on the male side that the cats are both neutered and incredibly effeminate though. They also have a love for each other that goes WAY beyond brotherly love.

I'm not coherent anymore, so I'll go. More later!

Memories and prayers

One of my best friends had her first baby yesterday morning. It's a boy, named Anthony, and both mom and dad are excited. But a September baby definitely wasn't what they were expecting. Anthony came 13 weeks early, and measured in at 2 pounds 3 ounces, less than half the size of Anne Marie. There were some tiny babies in the nicu when we were there- I remember a set of twins that didn't seem any bigger than their parents hands- but they were 3-pounders.

Mom and dad say the baby is fine. I had to smile when I told him I'm sure he had a rough day, and he said, "Yes, but it was wonderful in retrospect." They both have a great attitude. They have a small baby, but he is alive and doing well, and she is absolutely fine now. That's what they see.

If everyone could say a few prayers for them, it would be great. They are in for a long haul, and they don't even know it yet. Anne Marie was only in the nicu for 18 days, and it felt like an eternity. This little guy is going to have to grow a bit longer.

There's all sorts of things you aren't ready for when you have a baby early. You aren't prepared to cry when you leave the hospital with balloons, flowers and no baby. You definitely aren't prepared for the coma-like constant trips to the hospital every three hours, or the guilt you feel when you skip one because the nurses tell you to stay home and sleep through one. There's the pumping at 2 a.m. because there isn't a baby home to take milk straight from the tap.

There's also all this stuff you don't know. I remember visiting Anne Marie in the morning after she was born, looking at all the blanket-covered isolettes with unseen babies inside and thinking, "at least she wasn't bad off enough to go into one of those." I had no idea that those isolettes are a sign that your baby can breathe completely on it's own and no longer needs the constant eye of a nurse. Anne Marie got to go to one after four days.

Listening to Tanna yesterday brought back a lot of memories. She seemed really happy, and I'm impressed by how much stronger she is than I was. I'm hoping all goes well for her, and I'm really hoping her little boy gets to come home soon. They are already outstanding parents.

Potty training

 

I'll be the first to admit that I have NO IDEA how to potty train. But Anne Marie has been telling me "I poop," right before she poops, and seems excited about her little potty, so I thought I would at least make an attempt to change the potty from a place to store toys to a real potty.

Last night, we were upstairs when Anne Marie said, "I poop," and grabbed her butt. So I ran down the stairs, grabbed the potty and ran back up. She had already gone, but I thought I would stick her on the potty in case she had some more business to do. She sat for awhile, got up, giggled and pooped right on the floor. Matt caught her mid-poop, and stuck her on the potty. She sat for a bit, got up, walked around for a minute, then did it again! Uggh. I'll potty train again later when I have a stomach for it.

Anyway, here's a recap of the happier parts of our week. We went to the fair and had a mother-daughter hike.