12-22-10

Here are a couple of terrible photos from my phone. I'm having too much fun christmasing to remember to use my camera!

Christmas time is for:

Spending all day in comfy new wintery pajamas



Spa day with my favorite Heide ladies. (I was so relaxed, i actually fell asleep during part of my facial! excuse the weird face)



Putting gifts under our tree. I'm so excited about giving gifts!



Weve also been up to lots of other things. Hiring a nanny so I can work part time at Liliana's. Attending a Santa-sing-a-long. Being surprised by a generous and thoughtful client. Wishing it wasn't quite so cold. Being thankful.

We are busy and snuggly and happy.

12-14-10

Charlie and I went to rock n glam today so I could get my hair done. I have to admit, I was pretty terrified he'd be terrible but he did great!


He even helped sweep!


I wish I had a cute pic of the new hair, but all Ive got is this one lily took tonight. Darker and shorter. Just something new.


We are totally loving the holiday season this year. So much Christmas spirit.

Joy to the world!

12-11-10

snow day!

charlie is in LOVE with snow. hes been looking longingly out the windows at it for days but I didnt have any sort of snow clothes for him, so he didn't get to play in it right away. anyway, hes found his element!

and given the 12+ inch blizzard we're having tonight, i assume we'll be enjoying another snow play day tomorrow.

snow angel. she thought of doing this all on her own!


it was cold.

how old do they have to be before i can just send them outside to play in the snow and i stay in and make hot cocoa, because im excited for then. i got snow in my pants and was cold the whole rest of the day.

12-4-10

As a mom, most firsts are great. First smiles, first steps, first hugs.
Not great? First flu as a family of four. Ew.

2 days of flu means Charlie went straight into disposable diapers, lily wore whatever mismatched, too-small clothes she found up in her room. I wore a dirty pajama shirt all day. We were quite a wreck but my kids were snuggled and comforted and I didnt die, despite my super sad "I want my mooooommmy" at some point between running to the bathroom and crashing back in bed.
I got hit the hardest and had to really rely on Dave (also sick, but not as weak/vomity). Its times like that, where I'm vomiting into a bowl while nursing a sleeping baby that I'm so, so thankful I've got someone to hold my hair and take care of my vomit bowl. I love you dave! Thanks for taking good care of us!

Lily took this:





Also, so glad we got our Christmas tree up before we got sick, because we've all been laying on the couch staring at it for our sick days!





Thank goodness we are on the mend today.

12-2-10

I have read a lot of information on the tiny screen of my iphone, nursing charlie back to sleep at 2, 3, 4am. At some point, after hours of googling "infant, must be touching mom 24/7" or "infant, no self soothe skills", I read an analogy that stuck and comforted me in my tired and hopeless state.

Something about new souls. New, empty little wonderful souls that we get to fill. The idea would be to fill this little soul with love, comfort, respect & trust. Obviously when they are new, empty little vessels, you've got to just pour that love in, and get very little back. They are empty, after all. But soon they start to fill and find their own footing and need less and less from you and grow up to be amazing super balanced genius people and cure cancer and find a way to create world peace and sustain life on other planets.. or..well.. I read it at 2am, I may be remembering it wrong.

But it helped me because it's not that I couldn't handle that particular night-feeding, or that he needed to be worn in a carrier for 8-12 hours a day. It's not that he screamed unrelentingly if he was unhappy, or that I didn't seem to know how to help. It's that I could't see an end in sight, and I wasn't sure how much more I had to give. For some reason, thinking of his empty little soul really helped. (also made me wonder about reincarnation-Lily came with a prefilled soul!)

Anyway. I think it took one year. Im calling it: As of Charlie's first birthday, this kid has been bouncing back the love. His cup overfloweth. He is loving life, he's engaged in the world around him, he's funny and smart and sensitive. He's independent in exploring and playing, and he is truly a joy. I'm not the only one who's noticed. He's turning into an awesome little man.

12-1-10

Oops! Alright everyone. November was a busy month. I fell off the blogging wagon. New month. New resolve. Almost a new year!

I'm trying to find a rhythm that works for continuing this blog through next year. Daily is getting to be a bit too much for me (obviously, since I hardly posted this month) so i'm trying to find my groove.. We'll see. I'm promising once a week and hoping for more.

blame the kids. they've been downright adorable, no time for blogging, too much hugging, kissing and playing.

11-30-10

We enjoyed a morning at the Childrens Museum. We've been trying to "save" it as much as possible for enjoying this winter when we cant play outside, but we've already been several times since they reopened in August. So fun!

This time we met a few baby friends there, and though the museum really is geared more at older kids, they had a super fun time.

Also, I happen to love the names of all the babies:

Charlie, Lily, Quinn and Daria.

Charlie loves water. Splashing friends with it, pouring into and out of things. Fighting about who gets which measuring cup. Love.

My Lily loves the shadow room.

and the "princess bridge" where she like to have deep introspective thoughts

Charlie loves this cool telescope

and the biiig open space (local peeps, this place was EMPTY, even though it was the weekend, because we were there at about 10am. It was MUCH busier by the time we were leaving at 11:30-12)

Childrens Museum: Conquered

to be continued.... all winter long... because we have a membership, and it is awesome there.