Merry Christmas 2009

Christmas was a very special season in our house this year. This Christmas was highly anticipated by the resident 3 yrd old. Evan enjoyed everything of the season: the advent season and church; Rudolph and other TV specials; baking cookies; visiting Santa and making a list (his list had TWO thing.... a blue basketball and a soccer ball)... and Christmas lights, the tree and mint chocolate candy canes!! From Frosty to the Heat Miser, from stockings to wreathes, from candy to a white Christmas... the day was filled with much joy that you truly do know the meaning Christmas.

Christmas Eve was our typical day.... except we had friends over in the morning who bore presents. That was the beginning of the 'frenzy' known as gift exchange aka... toddler meltdowns :) It was definitely hard to get Evan to nap, but he knew that once he woke up, it would be time to go to church and time for Santa to arrive soon.

Christmas morning was like any other morning. Evan waking around 7 yelling to wake up. So we did. I put on coffee and went to get Haley. It was only then that Evan noticed the tree... 'Santa came.... there's presents under the tree'. And the mayhem began... Evan was very patient and very kind. He'd wait his turn or at least ask who the gift was for before opening anything. And sometimes, he'd even help Haley open her present (especially if it looked big). Unfortunately for Evan, the number of gifts weren't as many as he wanted. But he got his wish... Santa gave him his "blue basketball from the sports store" and the gifts kept coming all day. It was a day filled with candy, cookies, much food and cake.

Dan's parents came mid-morning bring the kids their gifts... and Evan got a kitchen (which he loves) but would love more if Dan and I find the time to assemble it... it's like 1000 pieces.... so we haven't found the time. I swear it'll take all day and night. But we'll find the time....

Christmas dinner was at my dad's house. It was a full house and a long night. Evan had more food, cookies and cake and candy and gifts... a lot of toys.. a LOT of toys.

Haley had a lot of fun too. This was her first Christmas and her joy came first from the crackling paper and then the toy inside. Since she's teething, she loves ANYTHING she could bite on!! And she got a good amount of loot as well.

Our day began at 7am and ended at 10pm (when we finally got home and Evan to bed)....and it was a wonderful day but I know that as the years go on, they will only get better.

Check out the photos: Click HERE

Blizzard 2009

It's been too long AGAIN since I last wrote/typed but better late than never.

So Haley turned 8 months on Dec 5... making her 8 and half months. And what has she been up to you may ask? Physically:) she's getting the hang of sitting on her. She still needs the pillows to catch those falls but she definitely enjoys seeing the world in this new way. And yesterday (12/19) Haley began clapping for her Daddy and Evan. And now, that's one of her favorite things. Although, I do believe she claps to get that reaction out of us... and it's definitely a happy reaction. Haley cut her first tooth on December 11... it was a miserable several hours between 2am and 6am those early hours of the day. But after I checked her mouth at 7am, I felt the little pointy tooth that cut her gum and caused her a lot of pain. And then she was fine the rest of the day.

Of course that teething experience was just the tip of the iceberg :) This past Friday night, was cookie night with our niece Emma... cookie baking and watching Christmas specials. Unfortunately, it was this night or EARLY morning that poor Haley suffered much pain and discomfort from her teeth. Around 4:30 or so, she woke up unhappy and I brought her into our room as Evan slept across the hall and Emma slept by the light of the tree in the living room. And it was about 5:00AM that the pain had gotten so bad, she became inconsolable. And our stress was not only that our little baby was crying and in pain, but we were afraid of waking the other kids in the house. So after a dose of Tylenol, Haley was able to fall asleep around 6:30.... just in time for Emma and Evan to wake.

So how much snow did you get? We got about 16 - 20 inches depending where you measured.
The snow fell at a great time b/c no one had to drive anywhere. We went to bed with an inch or so on the ground and woke up to A LOT more!! This was Haley's first time with snow and she loved it. She sat quietly as I began to shovel the driveway and clear a path to exit. Unfortunately, she used her strong ab muscles and sat up on her own and fell forward flat on her face into the snow.... and wasn't too happy about that afterwards!! She cried and we came back in.

Evan loved the idea of playing in the snow and going sledding and making a snowman. Unfortunately, this snow was so light and fluffy that non of the above was possible. So instead, Evan and his daddy made snow angels and played in the snow. Of course, Evan had to come in once he kept taking his mittens off and his fingers were cold!!

And Dan and I took turns shoveling the driveway and watching the kids. Unfortunately, it was Sunday and the NFL took priority for some.... but the driveway was passable...and the next day the ice coated drive prevented me from going into the office b/c my little civic couldn't make it back up the hill. We now have enough salt for the next month (or at least the next couple of storms :).