It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

I had plans. I wanted to take the kids to a Christmas Tree Farm, cut down the perfect tree amidst snow flurries, and spend the remainder of the day in front of the fire, listening to Christmas carols, decorating the tree, and sipping hot chocolate. In reality, our tree was purchased in a parking lot and sat outside for a couple days in the rain. When we finally erected it in our living room, there were no carols, no hot chocolate, and no fire. It was done in haste while both kids were napping. We even had to stop decorating the tree midway through because we ran out of lights. It took another couple days to get back on track. Our Christmas tree is finally up and fully decorated, more or less. I'm looking forward to seeing it with all the kids presents under the tree. Here is a picture.

We woke up to snow this morning. A couple inches which looked beautiful from inside. Once outside it was extremly wet and heavy and stuck to the snow shovel. Within a hour it changed to rain and typical of New England weather, the perfect snow developed a thick hard icy crust and the roads got nasty. Today was a day for that fire, hot chocolate and Christmas carols I've been thinking about.

Even though I had other plans, they were not unenjoyable. This morning our church's Moms and Tot's group had a Christmas party which included a visit from Santa. I decided to take Nicholas for some fun and one-on-one time. Nicholas was more impressed with the Pepperidge Farms goldfish, candy canes, and Hershey's kisses than with Santa Claus, although he was very happy with the Matchbox car Ferrari he got from Santa (supplied by Mom of course). Following the party Nicholas did attend school for a few hours while I ran some errands but I rejoined him at school for a Parents Invitation to decorate cookies. Nicholas and I decorated our own cookies with frostings, gels, and sprinkles in a variety of colors. They didn't quite resemble Christmas cookies as they did tie-dyed shirts but they were yummy.

Even though Christmas hasn't even arrived I'm already looking forward to next year. One of my favorite photographers has turned me on to the Elf on a Shelf family tradition. It looks like so much fun!

6 for Six

1. I had my company holiday party on Saturday night and my babysitter canceled on Friday. Thankfully Mom and Dad stepped in to take care of the grandkids for the evening. Not sure what it was but for some reason Alexa was not pleased when Mom said hello. Every time Alexa looked at Mom (at least a half dozen times) she started crying. The "I'm scared" and "what are you doing to me" cry. For those of you who have not met Alexa, she rarely cries. Seriously. This was such a shock to us. On top of Nicholas having a stomach bug which kept us up all of Friday night, Jim and I began to wonder if we were not meant to go to the party. We decided to take our time, be late for the party, and put the kids down ourselves.

2. Alexa has started solids and she's doing beautifully. As most parents, we were excited to reach this milestone. We timed it so that Jim and I were both present, that Alexa was recently napped and hungry, and grabbed the camera to capture the memorable face she made tasting her first bit of rice cereal. And what did we get? Nothing. No reaction what-so-ever. I suppose that's memorable in itself. In addition to rice cereal, we started sweet potato. Again, we grabbed the camera in hopes maybe a stronger (and better) tasting item would get some reaction. Nope.

3. Overall, nursing Alexa has been a breeze. There are times when she nurses that reminds me of the crawl stroke. She'll take some gulps then turns her head to take a breath of air. I find it incredibly funny and endearing. Well in the last few days she has begun to bite. Talk about OW! My nursing bible (A Nursing Mother's Companion) says it's a sign of teething and the phase should end once the tooth errupts. I have yet to see those white buds or feel anything but I will be relieved to get beyond this phase.

4. Alexa has a passport! I can't believe she's only 6 months and already has a passport. It took me 16 years to get one! We got a wonderful opportunity to take over a friend's timeshare week in Aruba. Considering our last trip there in March when Nicholas developed a 105.3 degree F fever for 3 days, you'd think we had learned our lesson and decide to leave the kids at home. Nope. Although, we will be bringing a huge supply of alcohol gel and antibacterial wipes and wipe down everything the kids touch for the entire trip. Wish us luck.

5. Santa has been very good to Alexa this year. Nicholas' first Christmas he got 2 gifts; an exersaucer and a toy moose. Not the case for Alexa, her stocking is chock full of all sorts of girlie goodies. Then, of course, if Nicholas has one of something Alexa has to have one as well. It would have been much easier had she been a boy. But I'm glad she's not. I can't wait to dress her in a tutu!

6. Alexa has her 6 month well baby Doctor's appt on Thursday and I will probably be lectured by Alexa's pediatrician. I've (we've) been bad about her "sleep training" (as her pediatrician calls it). She is still waking up twice a night. I recently purchased Dr. Ferber's book and I am following some instruction from him but we need to be stronger. I just keep hoping for a miracle and she'll start sleeping through the night of her own accord. It could happen before Thursday, right? I want to avoid the reprimand.

Meeting Santa

I admit it, I've been hyping up the holidays, especially Christmas. I've pulled out all our children's books about Christmas immediately after Halloween and trying to get Nicholas excited for a visit from Santa Claus. I don't think he quite grasps the concept but he does like the idea of presents.

In continueing the hype, we decided to brave the crowds and go meet Santa at the mall. Luckily much of our worry was for naught because the line was only 8 or so people long when we arrived. Just enough time to get Nicholas familiar with Santa but not too much to wear out the novelty. As we wound our way in the line Nicholas would wave to Santa and say "hi". Santa would wave back when he could and give Nicholas a wink causing Nicholas to duck behind my legs out of shyness. As expected, Alexa was an angel and perfectly happy to be held by anyone whereas Nicholas wanted nothing to do with sitting on Santa's lap. He was fine with sitting next to Santa and we caught one good shot. yay! Here it is...
If you're curious, Nicholas' shirt says, "I've been naughty(scratched out) nice all year". Very appropriate.

Nauset Pics

I mentioned that we went to Nauset beach over Thanksgiving to take some photos. Here are a few of my favorites. She really captured Nicholas to a "T".

How many people does it take to photograph a toddler and infant?

In my case, four.

And how long? 45 minutes

Imagine you go to Picture People with a coupon for a free 8x10 and all you want is a simple pic of your two kids sitting together. Nothing fancy, just one pic.

Then imagine your toddler wanting nothing to do but peek behind every curtain, pick up every snowman, jump off every stool, and watch Happy Feet while your infant is too tall for the infant seat and throws herself out of it every 5 seconds. Our poor photographer had to rally 2 other people to help the situation. I'm trying to get Nicholas to sit still by bribing him with candy and have my hands at the ready to push him back into position. First helper has her hands at the ready to catch Alexa when (not if) she wiggles out of her seat. Second helper has all sorts of toys/props/etc trying to get Nicholas to look at the camera and smile. Finally the photographer.

After 45 minutes we were all exhausted and sweating (except Nicholas of course) and called it quits.

Guess how many shots they could show me? 5! And only 2 shots of the two of them together. Oy vey.

Thankfully we got one decent shot. (Want to see it? You will. Be patient. ;) )

I just needed one more person there; someone passing out wine.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is up there in my book if you want to rate the holidays. What's better than spending your days with family, sleeping, feasting, watching tv, and throw in a little shopping if you dare?

Well, that's exactly what we did this Thanksgiving with my family sans Andra (we missed you!). I spent Thanksgiving day making stuffing, taking a leisurely walk with the kids, scoring a few Black Fridays deals early online, and eating to my hearts content. To answer your question; yes, Jim and I did start a diet yesterday, and yes, I am currently daydreaming about the chocolate chip cookies Catherine made last week.

Nicholas reached a milestone over the weekend. While at the cape he slept in a twin bed! No falling out, no getting out, with only a few wakings. All in all a very good transition. Looks like his crib will be going bye-bye soon.

The rest of the weekend was more of the same with a quick trip to Nauset. Brrr. Poor Alexa was sleeping so soundly when we got there and mean mommy that I am, rudely woke her by opening the door to chilly gusts of wind. I don't think Catherine enjoyed it too much either. Our once "Polar bear' has gone soft living in Hawaii. It was actually a very sad visit. The extensive beach that once was is nearly gone. I wish Nicholas and Alexa could have seen it like it was when I was a kid.

Now back at home, the Christmas decorations are out (well most of them at least and I do still need to get the rotting jack-o-lantern off the front stoop). Nicholas find the Nutcrackers "scary" unfortuantely. Hopefully with time he'll find them more amusing or at least tolerable. We are planning on getting our Christmas Tree this weekend. I'm wondering if I need to put a gate up around the tree or if a couple of firm "Nos" will be sufficient to keep the tree up. Ho ho ho.

For the record, I do try. I brought my camera I just don't know why I never took any photos. Here's the only one I caught all weekend. Although I am anxiously awaiting photos from our resident family photographer Catherine.

How typical.

Alexa's baptism

This past weekend we had Alexa's baptism. Thank you to everyone who shared the occasion with us. It was very special to have you with us. An especially big thank you to Catherine and Tom for being Alexa's godparents (and for making the long trip Catherine).

The baptism itself was a special mass held on Sunday afternoon with one other family. Alexa was dressed in a Christening gown from our family. Mom is unsure if it was mine or Catherine's. It was a beautiful eyelet gown and bonnet regardless and I'm so glad it fit her. Per usual, Alexa was very good during the ceremony. She fussed a little bit out but overall I couldn't have hoped for better.

After the ceremony we had family over for a luncheon and cake at our home. Kids and toys (and a couple dogs) were everywhere!

Here is a picture of our family with Father Bova Conte.

More pictures from the afternoon;

http://share.shutterfly.com/share/received/welcome.sfly?fid=0de8f39b9926014526cd1d30d33b21f1&sid=8Abs27Zu3ZNX-g

Moms day off

I believe it is important for moms to take time for themselves regularly. I try to take at least a couple hours each week. Somedays I can't get out the door fast enough, others I circle back for extra kisses from the kiddos. I miss them when I'm out but I know I am a happier mom when I get me time.

Since Jim was gone all last week I decided I needed something a little more than a couple hours at TJMaxx. I planned a day of massages and shopping at the outlets with Eve. What a fabulous day. Here are some of the highlights from the day, positive and negative.

- Able to listen to music other than 'Old MacDonald' and 'ABCs'.
- Enjoyed mimosas in the lounge pre-massage (don't say anything...we snuck them in).
- Pumping in the changing room of the spa, and getting walked in on.
- Enjoyed a meal without having to play 'airplane' with food my food.
- Shopping for 5 hrs straight with no interuptions or crying involved.
- Coming home to 2 kids who can't wait to see me.

I'm thinking this is going to become a regular event. ;)

5 for 5 (months that is)

Well, 5 months tomorrow. I can't believe Alexa is 5 months old already. It's all a caffienated blur to me. In honor of the milestone here are 5 stories about Alexa.

1. Alexa has a bad diaper rash which is not going away. It's been over a month, the poor thing! She's been to see the pediatrician twice and we're on our third type of medication to try and get rid of it. The problem is the rash is localized perfectly in the folds of her legs so it gets no "air time" unless I'm holding open her legs and have her adorable little chubby rolls pulled back. Thankfully it's not bothering her but the fact that she has dealt with it for so long makes me feel like a horrible mommy.

2. During breakfast yesterday morning I had Alexa on my lap and a plate of eggs and toast in front of me. In the moment I put down my fork to take a sip of coffee, Alexa grabbed my fork (held it perfectly, too) as if to say "let's eat". Looks like we'll be starting those solids soon.

3. Alexa loves watching her brother and tends to laugh at him constantly. I'm not talking about those tender smiles with a giggle, I'm talking full on belly hysterics which go on for minutes at a time. We don't know what it is about Nicholas which sets her off. One day just watching him eat breakfast was enough for a full 5 minutes of entertainment. Last night Nicholas was being his usual self and hamming it up in front of a mirror. Just watching his "play peek-a-boo with himself" routine kept her going for a while. Those are the moments I wish we had built in video camcorders.

4. Like many second children, Alexa wears a good number of hand-me-downs. Much to the dismay of her daycare providers her hand-me-downs are boys clothes from her brother. Whenever she's brought to daycare dressed in a girly flowered outfit Alexa's teachers squeal with glee (honestly). Talk about making a mom feel guilty. It's not that I don't enjoy buying and dressing her in girls clothes. I'm just trying to hold off a little until the point where she doesn't outgrow her clothes within a weeks time.

5. Alexa is not fully onboard with this sleeping-through-the-night routine. I have to admit I'm partially, if not fully, to blame. It's hard when you're alone for 5 nights straight and both kids are waking up 3 times a night (Nicholas from a cold and Alexa just because) not to give in to her demands to be fed whenever she wakes if it means I get an hours more sleep.

Here are a couple recent pictures of the kiddos;

Tummy time....

A real smile for the camera on Halloween morning.

Bed-head. All he wanted was juice when I wanted to take a picture. He was not happy with me.

"Are you doing something bad?", "Yeah"

Jim is traveling again and I am playing the part of "single mom" this week. Typically I don't mind when he travels since it's usually during the week where I have the refuge of work and daycare. This time he left bright and early Saturday morning leaving me alone with the kids for the entire weekend. When he told me his plans a wave of helplessness and fear overcame me. My unease was rooted in the fact that the "terrible twos" are upon us. On Nicholas' good days I can expect at least 1 tantrum. And I'm talking the full out screaming, tears, kicking, hitting, screaming, throw himself on the floor kind. The cause, at least this week, has been my refusal to allow him to eat chocolate or candy for breakfast. You shouldn't be surprised that he's been asking to go trick-or-treating and to Halloween parties almost daily since Halloween. Looks like he got my sweet tooth.

On most days it seems that Nicholas' vocabulary has been shortened to one word..."no". And I'm sure like most boys, Nicholas behaves more like a Tazmanian devil rather than a 2 year old child. So tonight when all went quiet except for a little russling behind the loveseat where only my purse resides, I had to ask, " Nicholas, are you doing something bad?" Imagine my surprise when my answer was not the old hat "no" but a "yeah". I still don't know what he was doing. My inquiry must have ruined the excitement of whatever it was because he ran away faster than I could move off the couch.

It's 8 pm now, both kiddos are in bed, and my fear of doing it all alone was for nothing. So while the rug still needs to be vacuumed and the bathroom desperately needs cleaning, I managed some Christmas shopping, grocery shopping, yardsaling, and clearing the leaves from our front yard on top of the normal routine, and we had fun doing it without a single tantrum all weekend.

All Hallows Eve

What fun our evening turned out to be. We had decided we were going to go trick-or-treating to a few (5 or so) homes for the experience and photo ops and just take a walk around the neighborhood. By the time we were dressing the kids into their costumes Nicholas finally got excited about going trick-or-treating. On our way out we ran into our neighbors who have two boys, one just a few months older than Nicholas. We ended up touring the neighborhood together and I think Nicholas enjoyed having a fellow toddler around. While Nicholas was a little shy and some of the more gruesome Halloween decor did not go over well (He's still talking about the lifesize mummy!) he did enjoy digging into the bowls of candy!

Alexa was her usual laid back self. Luckily her costume kept her nice and toasty warm as well. Not surprisingly she did fall asleep shortly after our depature from home and slept the majority of the time.

Here's Alexa dressed up as a monster although she is the furthest thing from a monster. Maybe she should have been a doll or a sugar cube. She is the sweetest thing!

Walking from home to home.

Nicholas digging into the candy basket a third time! The friendly neighbor kept offering so of course Nicholas would oblige.

Heading home...

Happy Halloween!

Three Halloweens come and almost gone although tonight will be our first Halloween trick-or-treating. We'll see how it goes. Toddler's are not known for being cooperative especially when costumes are involved.

This is Nicholas' "smile" for the camera. Please excuse the chocolate stain on his costume. Bribery is the only way I can get him in this thing. Oh the power of chocolate.

Alexa's first time in her costume. We'll see if we can still get her in it. She's growing like a weed!

Happy Halloween everyone!

Teasers

The photographer from the portrait party we attended last week has posted a few teaser photos on her photography blog.

Can't wait to see the rest.

http://cordelephotography.blogspot.com/

is it luck?

As parents of two young children we don't get out much. Instead of heading out to hip and trendy restaurants or bars with our friends like we did in our "youth", we spend our evenings watching Netflix DVDs and play the occaisional Scrabble game. This weekend we got in a Scrabble game, our first since Alexa was born. Jim was solidly beating me by 30 points when I procured the "z" and "q" and was able to rally back with a few strategically placed simple words. I claimed my win was all due to luck as any good wife would do. I think it has more to do with the fact that I finally learned how to play the game after getting beaten too many times to count by Andra when we were wee lasses.

Today I was reminded of just how lucky I am. While I should and do consider myself lucky in many respects, today it has to do with two things; my job and Alexa.

While I like to complain about my job, and who doesn't, today I am grateful for it. This morning I heard that my previous boss and long time mentor was laid off. I had contemplated working for him when he left but changed my mind after finding out I was pregnant with Alexa. Whether it was out of apathy, or my current great health care benefits and flexible working schedule I am so lucky I didn't leave. If I had I'd currently be looking for another job instead of another home.

I could never consider myself unlucky when it comes to Alexa but after hearing how other moms battle colic, I consider myself very lucky with Alexa! Nicholas had colic. For 6 weeks he would cry for no reason between the hours of 6 pm and 9 pm. Never fail. I know others have experienced worse but that was hard on us nonetheless. With Alexa, we have experienced none of that. She falls asleep so easily at 7 pm. Wakes for feedings after 6-8 hrs but falls right back to sleep. It's very rare that she cries without reason or cannot be soothed with a hug from mommy. How lucky are we!?

Alexa's appt and a photo shoot

Boo. My baby girl is not so little anymore. At her 4 month appointment on Friday, Alexa weighed 15 lbs 5 ounces and measured 25 1/2 inches long. That approximately the 90th percentile in each! Well, no one can say that she's not getting enough to eat. I wonder if I need to cut back on my cookie consumption. Overall the appointment went very well, except for the vaccinations which is to be expected. Our pediatrician was very adamant about us being firm in our "sleep training". So far I think he'd be happy. After his recommendations and guidance, Alexa started sleeping in 6 hr stretches after only 3 days of "training". Fingers crossed the next step to 12 hrs will be just as smooth. After that we'll be on to starting her on solid food. I can't believe she's at that age already. Time is going by too fast.

Sunday we participated in an event called a portrait party. Essentially this is a mini-photosession with a professional photographer. The party took place at a local farm which should be perfect for some great fall shots. Unfortuantely it was bitterly cold and windy. The minute the shoot was done we rushed inside for some hot cider and doughnuts. Despite the poor weather, I am very hopeful and cannot wait to see proofs. I'll share them as soon as I can.

Copy Cat

Nicholas cracks me up sometimes. Maybe a month or so ago Nicholas wanted to get Daddy's attention. Instead of calling out "Daddy" he called out "Jim" in the short 'I want you now' tone of voice that I'm usually the one using. Jim didn't find it quite as funny as I did.

Over the weekend, Nicholas had his latest 'copy cat' moment. When Nicholas is in my way I sometimes say "beep beep", similar to his big digger truck in substitution of "back-up please" or "excuse me". So in true mommy fashion when I blocked his way Nicholas told me "beep beep". I was proud, embarassed, and tickled pink all at the same time.

These are pictures I took Alexa's first week of school. She's already changed so much but I love these. Nicholas loves his baby sister.

Happy Four Month Birthday!

Alexa is 4 months old today. It was tough at first but we've gotten into a groove. So far having two kids isn't much more work than having one; unless they are both screaming at the same time. Alexa is doing very well. We're currently working on getting her to sleep for longer periods at night in her crib. So far she's still waking every 3 hours which is very tough on mommy. We have her next Doctors appointment on Friday. Can't wait to see how much she's grown. Here are some photos I took last night of her in her brother's chair to document the milestone.

The jacket is something her grandmother got her. Yes, totally impractical but utterly adorable with those bunny ears, and oh so soft.
Look at this smile!

Happy Birthday Kaylee!

My niece Kaylee turns 1 today!

This is a recent picture of her on her way to daycare for the first time. Isn't she beautiful? We can't wait to see you (and the rest of the family) at your birthday party tomorrow.

This is a picture of Nicholas and Kaylee at Nicholas' birthday. I think there is a resemblance there.

Apple Picking

One of the few joys about living in New England is going apple picking in the fall. Not only to enjoy the few beautiful and warm days left before the snow falls but for the promise of yummy treats. This past weekend we met up with friends Tom, Eve, their son Enzo, Steve, Cathy, and their daughters Caitlyn and Hailey for just that on a cool, crisp, and sunny Saturday.


Nicholas spent his time split between enjoying the stroller ride and running amok as most toddlers do. He loved picking apples off the trees and we tried a variety of apple called Honeycrisp. The name speaks for itself and has become a family favorite. Alexa spent most of the morning taking a well earned nap, waking just in time for lunch.

In addition to the orchard Tougas Farm has a pumpkin patch where we got to see what we think were grouse running around and a farm stand providing cider doughnuts, apple crisp, apple cider and a bunch of other yummy treats. may not have been the most healthful lunch but that's what these occaisions are for, right?

With our big bag of apples more yummy treats to come. Two of our family favorite apple recipes are apple crisp and apple spice bread. I also want to try making "mini caramel apples". I found a great recipe for these in an issue of Family Fun. I hope to have some time to make these with Nicholas over the weekend. I hope everyone is enjoying the beautiful fall weather!

(Thanks to Tom for taking pictures 1, 2, and 5 above!)

Welcome!

I am excited to start this blog about our life with Nicholas and Alexa. I am hoping this will be a great way for family and friends to read up on the little ones, if and when you are interested, of course.

Nicholas is now 2 years old, or as he calls it, "2 old". The time has flown. I can still remember his birth like it was yesterday. I do not miss those crying colicky nights though! Nicholas has become such a little man. While he may be small in stature (only 9th percentile in weight and 53rd percentile in height) he is a big guy at heart. He loves to run fast, everywhere. At meals he sits in a big boy booster chair, uses utensils (mostly), and has graduated from a sippy to drinking out of a cup! He is a typical guy in that he loves his planes, trains, and automobiles. He knows the names of almost every type of truck we pass and enjoys pointing each and every one out; dump truck, pick-up truck, phone truck, you get the idea. Emergency vehicles became a favorite after Alexa's birth and he's now a fan of "Choo-Choo Thomas". He's a talker too. I really enjoy being able to have full conversations with him even if he doesn't usually agree with me. Nicholas has been a wonderful big brother. He showers Alexa with hugs and kisses. I am sure this will be short lived but I'm enjoying the stage nonetheless.

Alexa is 16 weeks old! She has one of the sweetest dispositions and is always smiling. Her laugh is absolutely precious. Alexa is defintely bigger than her brother was at this age. At her last appointment she was in the 51st percentile in weight and 93rd percentile in height! So far she has been doing very well at daycare and has started to grab and play, especially with my hair. She also loves watching her big brother. Like Nicholas, Alexa's a talker and will coo to us and herself for a half hour at a time. The only area in which I think she could do better would be sleeping for longer periods of time but that's not too unusual at her age.

I hope to update this blog at least every week for those of you that are interested in reading up on and seeing photos of my little ones.

Thanks for caring and enjoy!

~Christina