Christmas at Aunt Jamie's

We enjoyed a wonderful evening at my sister Jamie's on Christmas Eve. The kids loved opening all of thier wonderful gifts and playing with them all of course. The kids made out like bandits (as usual). One of Josie's favorite gift there was a 'sit and spin.' She loves this toys! She is constantly playing on it making herself "dizzy" as she tells us. Thanks to everyone for all of the wonderful gifts!

Here are some photos of our fun evening.

Santa Clause Came To Town!

We hope everyone had a very joyous Christmas season. We sure did. With great food, friends, and family, what more could a person ever wish for?

Josie enjoyed Christmas very much this year. With every year, watching her and her Christmas excitement gets better and better. It is hard to believe that this was Josie's 3rd Christmas. Can you believe it already? Her facial expressions and the excitement that she got when opening presents was priceless. She made sure that she got every last bit of wrapping paper off of her gift before she would ask you to open up the package and get out her new and exciting toys.

This year like last year, Santa Clause made a quick visit on Christmas Eve. This year, we celebrated at my sister's house since my father sold his house this fall. A big thank you goes out to her for all the yummy food she prepared for us. It was an excellent evening and Santa even found the house!

A big thanks goes to Santa for making a visit again this year. Josie and Jacob could not believe the big guy in red was there. When Santa knocked on the front door, we all thought they were going to go crazy. Jacob and Josie both ran and hid. Not because they are really scared of him, but that he was taking Josie's binkies this year and Jacob's diapers and they were not ready at that very minute to give them up. We had to explain to them that Santa would be back later after they were sleeping and that they would not have to forfeit thier items that very second.

Here are a few of our wonderful Santa photos.

Feeling Better

Even though Josie has not physically gotten sick in the past 12 hours, she is not 100% up to par yet. You look at her poor little face and you can tell she is beyond wore out and has a paleness to her. I think she is on the mend. She is acting like normal, but Mommy knows when that is not always the case.

Sick Little Girl

I know I have not posted pictures from our holiday fun, but right now I am lacking some time. Josie played hard out in the snow today, which I do have pictures of and then later this evening became ill. It is very weird. She had gotten up from her nap and was playing not very hard or anything and I was in the kitchen looking for something to make us for dinner when she came into the kitchen then seconds later...lost her cookies all over the floor. She started to gag and I looked at her and said are you ok thinking she had taken a big drink and it went down the wrong tube. Seconds later, I mean it was a good 3 feet of projectile vomiting. Clear across the kitchen floor it went. I yelled for Brent as I scooped my little girl up and headed for the sink where she continued to get sick. Poor thing. She had it everywhere all over her clothes in and even in her hair. She then told me "feel better, tummy hurt, I sick." Brent and I cleaned up the hug mess, which I was very proud of since vomit is one of my weaknesses and I did very well. Brent got into the shower with her and she seemed to be fine. I do not know what it was that caused it put I hate not seeing her feeling well. This was the first time she has ever gotten sick in this form and I know it will not be the last one. She laid on the couch with us and we watched Peter Pan the first time she has ever seen this and while watching the movie it happened again. This time it was mostly water thank goodness.

She did not want to go to bed even though she did not feel well and was really tired. She got out of bed once when I thought she had finally fallen asleep and headed straight for our bedroom. I followed her and asked her what she was doing. Her response was "I sleep in Mommy's bed." I asked her why she thought she could sleep in my bed and her response was "I sick Mommy. I sleep in Mommy's bed?" After this being over an hour after we first tried to lay her down I gave into my sick baby. I told her ok, but later I will put her in her own bed and she agreed.

I just hope it was just all the fun in the snow and lack of sleep she has been having that caused this and not the flu. We will have to see what tomorrow brings for our sick little girl.

Merry Christmas

We here at our house would like to send a little Christmas cheer to all of our family and friends this Holiday Season. We wish all of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I hope Santa was good to all of you that have been good yourself all year long.

Here are some photos that we took ourselves for our Christmas card, but did not make the final cut. Enjoy!

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Please Santa!

This photo like a lot of others makes me laugh. We took these photos ourselves using our extremely expensive camera that allows you to take your own photo via a timer. This was one of the photos that was taken. We had been taking photos for a long time just trying to get the right one and so we had to make it fun for Josie. So, in this photo she is saying "please" as in "Santa please don't take my binky!" If only her little bargining worked. Which what she doesn't know is that it will not. You know Santa will be the bad guy for taking them away not Mommy and Daddy. It just makes me melt when she does this to me and of course I give in to her every wishes. What is an only child good for, right?! Things will change when the new baby arrives. We will have 2 spoiled children instead of one!

Santa's Coming?!

Doesn't this face just crack you up?!

As promised in a previous post, I would disclose the Santa story. You know the slight fear Josie has of Santa. Well, every parent has their sneaking little tricks to get their child to break a habit or do something. Since, Josie has had a chapped chin from her pacifier, I told her before Thanksgiving that this year Santa was going to be taking all of her binkies and exchanging them all for presents. At first she was ok with the whole idea that was until I think she realized what that actually meant. I kept reminding her everyday that Santa would be taking her binkies this year. So, when we went to the Santa Clause Parade after Thanksgiving she had a slight meltdown. When I told her that Santa was coming she started to cry and hold onto my leg for dear life. I asked her what was wrong and she said "Santa take my binky!" I wanted to cry laughing. I had to then reassure her that Santa will not take her binkies until Christmas Eve so she was ok for a little bit longer. How cute!

So, then a few days after that we were going to go and see Santa for the very first time face to face. I asked her what she was going to ask Santa for this year and she said "Santa, no take my binkies. Please!" Again, I wanted to die laughing. I had to let her know that he would not take them that day either and what would she want to ask him for and her response was a "cook." In other words a play kitchen, which Santa's little elf (aka, Mommy and Daddy) are getting her from Santa.

So, each time we go and see the big guy in red she is a little skeptical at first, but then he gives her a candy cane and she is smiles from ear to ear.

Hopefully, this binky trick will work and we can get rid of it for good. She only takes it at bedtime or nap time, so lets just hope it does. She had one that she had bit a hole in the end, so we cut off the nipple portion and she through it across the room and stated "broke. fix. New one." I told her that it can not be fixed and she responded "buy new one." I then had to come back and tell her that they no longer make then anymore." She did not like that response at all and went and found one she had hidden somewhere. What a little stinker!

Deck the Halls

This year Josie got into the whole decorating of the Christmas tree. Last year, she was excited and loved the lights but did not help that much. This year was the opposite she could not wait to help. She put all the ornaments on the tree. I should have taken a picture of that it was hilarious. All the ornaments were only like 3 feet off the ground and there was nothing on top. Of course, Daddy then helped her move some up towards the top. What a nice Daddy! As far as Christmas decorations go, I do not have much up. You see the decorations are up in the rafters of the barn and be being pregnant can not climb up and down the steps carrying these tubs and we all know Brent will help, but he feels that all the decorations are to much so I only had him bring down a few. There was not much in them, but with Josie's little fingers lots of stuff would get broken so I was not complaining. Please that just means more to pick up after Christmas. There is one thing I have to have him go searching for and that is our stockings.

I purchased a new stocking for the baby, but do not have ours out. Even though the baby is not here he or she still needs their own stocking. I even purchased the baby a gift even though they can not open it.

I hope everyone is enjoying all of their Christmas decorations and lights. We love to admire our tree.

"Doctor said no touch!"

On Monday, I was able to get Josie into the doctors office. What a miracle, I call and get a same day appointment. Brent of course had to take her since I had to work and he was off, but we got her in. Josie has had a chapped chin since before Thanksgiving. Brent and I think it is from sleeping with her pacifier. Good thing Santa will be coming soon to help us out with that issue. I have been putting lotion, neosporin, Brent tried chap stick, and I even purchased all-purpose Desitin to help with the problem. Her chin heeled up for the most part all but one spot. The spot remains bright red. As red as Rudolph's nose and no matter what I do it just simply will not heal. I did not want to get our Christmas card photo taken until it was better. Usually we take the photo over Thanksgiving weekend, but this year with her owie we held off to allow it to heal. I told Brent Monday morning that I was tired of this spot and that I had tried everything and nothing was totally working, so to the doctors I sent them.

They weighed her as they do at every appointment. But that is all that they did was her weight since it was not a well-child visit. Guess how much our little girl weighs? She weighs in at 28 pounds. She sure does not feel like it. When she turned 2 she weighted 26 1/2 pounds, which means that in the last 3 months she has gained 1 1/2 pounds which puts her around the 50% for her weight. Brent told her she needs to lay off of the french fries, because she is addicted to them. When you ask her what she wants for dinner when dinning out her response is always french fries and that is the first thing that she eats is all of her fries gone. Brent keeps telling her she is going to have a getto booty if she does not lay off of them and she just laughs at him.

So, the doctor looked at her chin and told her "No touch." It is not healing properly because she must be messing with it all the time. I do not see her touch it that often and when I did I made her stop. So, he prescribed her some meds to help it heal and get the redness away. We have to put the meds on it and put a band aid on it before bedtime. However, when I go in to check on her before I go to bed the band aid is no longer on. She takes it off and messes with it when she should be sleeping. That little devil. So, I remind her "Doctor said no touch" and she will repeat it. During the day, she needs her kind reminders and all you have to say is "Josie what did the doctor say" and she will tell you "doctor fix my chin, no touch."

Hopefully, we can get it better soon. From putting the medicine on it all week it is getting better, but is not 100% gone yet. Perhaps, by the end of next week it will be.

Busted!

Josie cracks us up. She is constantly saying things that make you pee yourself laughing and just doing crazy things. Just take a look at this face. The other morning she got up a little early and told me "I'll be right back!" as she does a lot. This is one of her favorite sentences to say. When she came back this is the face I saw. Not the clean face that she left the room with, oh no that would be to normal. I asked her what she had all over her face and her response was "donut yummy." She had moved her little stool over to the counter and got into the powdered donuts that were on the counter. That little stinker! I told her she was busted because she left evidence of the donut all over her face. I put her up in front of the mirror to show her her face and she said "funny Mommy silly." Man, what a kid would do for a donut.

Breakfast With Santa

On Saturday, we ventured to Brent's work for thier annual Breakfast with Santa. 8 AM rolled around way to early. My work Christmas party was on Friday night, so we got home and to bed after midnight and Josie didn't get to bed at Grandma and Grandpa's until late, so we were all dragging in the morning. Josie wanted to watch her cartoons in Mommy's bed as she does every morning when she wakes up at 7 AM. However, she did sleep in until 8 AM Saturday. Yeah! It is wonderful that his work does this.

Josie enjoyed the yummy food of eggs, rolls, and biscuits and gravy, all the kids running around, and who could forget the big guy in red. Josie has seen Santa now a total of 3 times this year and he will make at least one more appearance before Christmas. She is shy at first, but as soon as Santa gives her her Candy Cane she is good to go. She is doing better since I have scared her about Santa, but that will be in another post since I do not think I posted that hillarious story of her fear of Santa. Enjoy the photos of the 2009 Breakfast with Santa.

Glucose Test

Today, I took off work to have a 3-hour glucose test performed. Let me just tell you it is not the highlight of being pregnant. They normally have you take a 1-hour test, however with Josie I took the 1-hour test and failed, so I had to have the 3-hour one done. This time the doctor just bypassed the 1-hour and went straight to the 3-hour. Good plan, but a long time to sit in an uncomfortable waiting room chair. So, today I was at the hospital for my 3-hour test promptly at 8 AM. Yuck! My day off and I had to be there at 8 AM, so much for sleeping in on my day off. I had to schedule an appointment for this test my doctor stated, so when I called they told me my choices were simply 6, 7, or 8 AM. Are you crazy?! Of course, I was going to choose the 8 AM. Just in case you are not familiar with this test, you have to fast for 8-12 hours. This means no eating or drinking anything for that period of time prior to the testing. That means no water even. You go into the room and the lady pricks your finger and gives you a reading (mine was 87), then takes a tube of blood. Yuck again! I hate needles. Then, she makes you drink this really really nasty drink that makes you want to gag and throw up on the spot. Last time with Josie I just chugged the entire 8 ounce bottle, but got really sick to my stomach in the middle of the test and was on the verge of tossing my cookies and they had to put me in a dark room with the air cranked and such to keep me from doing this. So, after you drink the gross drink they send you out to the normal waiting room and call you back every hour. Every hour they take a new tube of blood to see how your body reacts to the drink over a period of time. They do this for 3 hours. So, over the period of the test I got 4 needle sticks. YUCK!

I did feel sick to my stomach again like I did with Josie, but not as bad. I sat in a chair away from the windows that was letting sunlight in, as far away from the heater as possible, and wore pants and a tank top that way I could keep myself cool.

While I was waiting and had about 1 hour to go, this for better choice of words dirty lady came in to have a 3-hour test done also. It was 10:15 AM! Her doctor never told her that she had to make an appointment and she said that she had fasted, so they went ahead and let her get the test done. Let me go back to the main point of this little side story, ok the lady was in really need of a shower and her hair washed. Bad! But not only was it her there to wait for 3 hours, oh no that would be what normal people would do like me, but her husband, mother, and 14 month old daughter. All 4 of them needing showers remind you. The mother briefly talked to me when the daughter and the husband went in the back to get her first blood taken. The mom stated that all of them were going to be there with her for the full 3 hours. Crazy, I thought. Why on earth would you want to sit her for 3 hours if you did not have to. I mean don't you have something better to do. The little girl was carrying around a tub of cookies eating them and then offering them to me. What a tease. Here I am after not having anything to eat since 10 PM the night before and they are eating in the waiting room. Give me a break here!

When I left the lady who was drawing my blood for the last time told me I was lucky, because it was going to be a long afternoon with them in the waiting room until 1:15. I mean who on earth can wait until that time to eat. It is like snack time by then after breakfast and lunch. I was really glad I only had to sit there with them for 1 hour, 3 hours might have killed me.

I do not know the results of the test. I will get them on January 5th at my next appointment unless things come back bad then they will call. In other words, if I fail they will call me, if I pass they will just tell me everything was fine in January.

So, what did I do with the rest of my day...Christmas shopping like everyone else. I thought it was a weekday and in the middle of the day, no one will be out. Well, I was wrong. I guess everyone took today off because the traffic was horrible and the stores were packed. I finished all of my shopping though. YEAH! I had only a few thing purchased prior to today, so it was a very perductive day, but a long one. I had a list of who and what I need to get and stuck to it. I got home from the test and shopping around 5:30 PM, but hey I do not have to fight the crowds any longer. I am done!

Santa Train

Ok, so we have seen Santa riding on a sleigh, a firetruck, well now a train. Or as Josie calls it a Choo-Choo. Last weekend, Santa came to town riding a Choo-Choo. Differnt I know. So, we ventured to see Santa arrive in town riding the Choo-Choo. Not a good idea, well it is, but not totally. It was extremely cold out last weekend and the wind was blistering. The train was to arrive at 9:35 AM, so Josie and I got there at 9:15 AM. I mean Santa was not to be there for another 20 minutes and it was so cold out I did not want to stand outside in the cold longer than we had to. Well, by the looks of it when we pulled up we were late to get in line. People were lined up a pretty good distance. It took us around 1 hour and 15 minutes to get up to see Santa once the train arrived.

The train pulls up hosting Santa and people and their children board the train get their photos with Santa and off the train they go. We had to wait an hour and 15 minutes outside in the cold to see Santa. Josie refused to wear her hat and mittens. She was so excited when Santa pulled up, but did not like the waiting her turn in line. I did not blame her since it was really really cold outside. Brent was out of town hunting, so I could not con him into standing in line while we waited in the car or anything. No, we just froze our behinds off.


Josie getting on the train after waiting for over an hour in the freezing cold weather.


Look at that face! She was ready for a nap and cold by the time we got on the train.


Cheese! Look at her force that smile. She was not a happy camper at this point. To long of a wait.


Leaving the train.


Playing with the Polar Express flashlight Santa gave her.


Can you tell she really enjoyed her Candy Cane Santa gave her.










Santa waving as he gets ready to depart.


Bye Santa!