Christmas Update

Well, the festivities have come to an end and I must say that we had a fabulous time! Our Christmas started at my Dad's house on the 23rd for a visit with Grandma D's son Dan.

Abby meeting Uncle Dan and Amber for the first time

Abby in some of her Christmas attire

Gramps got Abby a Santa suit--we enjoyed our early visit with little Santa!
Amber's dog, Bear, has a suit of his own! So fun!!

Next came our Christmas Eve visit at the Johnson's. We kept it simple and had yummy pizza and salad from Benito's. This was a great idea because we had more time to visit and less clean up...I think we are on to something here! Anyway, here are some pics of the evening:

Abby and Nana

Here is a picture of Chrissy and Mark's kids:

Julia, Gracie, Connor and Brendan

Abby was in the middle of a 2 hour nap, we got lucky!

Chrissy opening gifts for her newest addition, due in May.

They just found out on the 23rd that they are having a girl--finally!! CONGRATULATIONS Chrissy!!!

The news of a girl is starting to set in...so exciting!

Opening Abby's gifts:

With a little help from her cousins :)

We had hoped to make it to the 6:30 Christmas Eve Mass, but Abby slept too long. So, we decided to go to the 10:00 Mass thinking Abby would sleep through it since it would be way past her bed time. Boy, were we oh-so-wrong. I hung out in the hall for the last half...maybe next year we will make it through it!

Here is Abby with our friend Erin before Mass started.

Needless to say, Abby was super sleepy and we had a bit of a rough night. She has started to come down with another cold and was a bit "Snarphy" so I suctioned her nose after feeding her...BIG mistake, Huge. When I laid her down, boogers shifted and she started to gag. Next thing I know there is a stream of vomit spewing from her mouth, across her mattress and down the side of the crib and her cute Christmas sleepsack. Most of you realize how hard it is to change crib sheets so you completely understand having Abby sleep in our bed for the night.

Christmas morning was the best! Abby slept in til 10 which gave me time to shower and make breakfast before our festivities began. Since we have our own kids now we decided that we will be staying home on Christmas Day. I took full advantage of this and bought all of us new PJs to hang out in for the day, which was great. I think we are going to make this a little family tradition!

Abby and Daddy in their PJs in front of the big tree

Since we are staying home on Christmas Day, we decided that part of our new tradition would be inviting our parents over for a visit if they would like. Both our parents decided to take us up on the offer, though the Johnson's were not able to make it because MJ's dad wasn't feeling so well. My dad and Dara came over about 11:00 and much to our surprise, they were not alone:

Here are some of the pics from our visit with Santa:

Truly Priceless!!

Since my mom is in Virgina, we Skyped her and chatted for about an hour. I love the Internet and modern technology--it makes keeping our long distance family informed so easy and fun. Sometimes it is like Grandmama is right here with us!

Well, our Christmas fun continued on the 26th with a family visit to my Dad's house. Dara made a great turkey dinner with all the fix'ins as well as Christmas cookies and chocolate pie. Yummm!!

Here is Peanut in the reindeer outfit from Aunt Wendy. So cute!

Abby and Aunt Wendy:

Gramps got Abby a GIANT stuffed caterpillar who he named Sir Webster of Oxford (Webster because he has the alphabet running down his back). Webster is about 8 feet long, super fluffy and very colorful.

Abby loves Sir Webster already!

Our Family

(Sir Webster is in there too!!)

Santa was a very busy man this year! He managed to have time to show up to this Christmas celebrations as well! And yes, his reindeer were there too! I think my brother and sister enjoyed the visit as much as we did the day before!

One Last Grab at Santa's Beard:

All in all this was a PERFECT Christmas! It was great to be able to share Abby's first Christmas with our entire family so they could be part of the memory and joy that this special day brought (and I'm happy to share it with you as well). I hope that you had a wonderful Christmas tool!

Merry Christmas!

Hope you had a wonderful Christmas! I'm working on a little video of our day and visit from Santa himself. Keep an eye out for an update to this post!


Merry Christmas!!

Rolling Update

It is SUPER official now! Abby just rolled over, on her own--without a single squeal or complaint! No push from mommy (I was busy wrapping Daddy's Christmas presents), no uneven floor to assist! Totally on her own! I can't tell you how happy I am to be home to witness this for myself! Marisa, if she has done this before at your house....don't tell me, just let me live in my little world of happiness ;)

Abby, Mommy is so VERY proud of you!

Visit with Santa

One of the best things about having a child is reconnecting with the magic of Christmas. I can't tell you the last time I went to see Santa or the joy that the visit brought me--seriously, it has been that long. All that changed last week when we took Abby for her first visit with Santa.

I was a little scared because I wasn't sure how it would go. You know how you always see the babies crying on Santa's lap out of fear? I thought there was a good chance that that would be Abby--I assumed the beard would scare her. But, the mall was 45 minutes from the house so Abby took a nap on the way there and then was all smiles from the moment she saw Gramps and Aunt Wendy (actually she stared at Wendy for awhile trying to figure her out but then it turned to more smiles). Michael and I quickly put her dress on and took her to see Santa while Gramps caught it on the video camera.

Abby went to Santa without a single complaint. Actually, I think she enjoyed her time and conversation with him. Santa told her all about leaving out some Chocolate Chip cookies and a big glass of milk for him to snack on while filling her stocking and she just sat and listened with a smile on her face. Then, Santa talked to Michael and I for a bit. I was amazed with the twinkle in his eye, joy in his words and love in his heart. Santa truly made this a memory for a lifetime and not just another picture.

So, without further adieu, here is a picture of Santa and Abby:

OH Pics

What a fun weekend! I think that Abby and Kate are going to be good friends--Kate just loved to be close to Abby and got sad when she left the room. It was so cute! Here are a few pics of our bow-loving babies:

I love the big bow, thanks for lending it to us for the day! I'm going to have to order some big ones for myself.

Michael and I had a good time catching up with Ande and Ben. I can't believe that we haven't been down to see them since before MJ popped the question! Here is Abby and Ande:

Here is Kate with her fish finger puppet book. She sure did love to try to grab the fish as it swam. So cute!

A big Thanks to Ben and Ande for letting us stay at their place and for the chiming bells--Abby played with them all day today!!

OH, OH, OH!

Hello from Median, Ohio! We are here visiting with our friend Ande and her little girl Kate--you might know them from her blog. We left late last night (so Abby would sleep on the way down) and got here about at about 11:30. We visited for a bit then hit the hay. Today, we are hoping to eat at The Cheesecake Factory then do a little site seeing. Pics of the day will be coming soon!!

Check Your Mailbox

Our Christmas cards were mailed today!!!!!!!! I can't wait for you to see them! We decided to go all out on our Christmas cards since we didn't do birth announcements and I must say they turned out pretty good! I'm posting some of the rejects from our photo shoot as to not completely spoil your enjoyment of the card...Abby was clearly annoyed by her teething, she wouldn't stop sucking on her lower lip or fingers and the drool was a bit out of control at times. Oh well. Check out the cuteness:

Chillin' in the "snow"

Yummy Finger

Chewin' My Lip

Found My Toes!

When Did I Grow a Beard?

Are We Done with Tummy Time Yet?
I'm Gonna Roll Over and Nap Now, K?

Needless to say, by this point she is ready for a nap. Still, so cute!

Roll with it

Abby is starting to get the hang of rolling over! It has been a slow start since she used to hate being on her tummy. But she is learning to deal with it and manages to hang out on her tummy for 3-5 minutes at a time. We have been working on rolling from front to back, but usually she gets too mad, arches her back more than I have ever seen and forgets to try to roll. So, like a good mommy I gently push her hip to show her how it is done.

Well, today we were taking some pictures with her on her tummy and of course, she rolled over 3 times! Of course she did it the one time I really didn't want her to! I must be honest, she had a little help from the uneven surface she was laying on, but hey she did it without mommy's little push :) So, I declare today as the first time she rolled over. I tried to get the next one on video, but needless to say, it was back to the old ways. Oh well, consistent rolling will be here in a week or so!!

Momma Needs a New Job

So, this week is what I call my "Week From Hell". It happens the second week of the month, from August to May. No, it has nothing to do with the reproductive system--that would be too much information!!!

This is the week that I have my night meetings for work. They start at 6 p.m. and run for 3 hours on average. Then I get to drive home-read 10 to 30 more minutes. I start the week in Oxford, then Wednesday I'm in Brandon, and Thursday I attend the meeting in Clarkston. Luckily, this year I had Lake Orion switch their meeting from the 2nd Tuesday to the 1st Tuesday of the month, so that helps break it up a bit. I hated this part of my job last year--and this year I loath, despise, and detest this part of my job. I hate that fact that 3 nights this week I will have to miss my evening with Abby. It is so sad to not be able to spend the end of the day with with her, cuddling in the rocker after a good feeding while singing our lullaby's. I just have to remind myself that it is only 4 nights of 30 each month...that is until I have to do a training or a committee meeting.....

Thankfully, I get a break in June and July. Working is for the birds--hope I win the Millionaire Raffle in January.

Thanksgiving 2009

It is hard to believe that one year ago MJ and I realized that our Journey to parenthood had begun! Amazing how fast that went.

Our first Thanksgiving as a family was a great one! The festivities started bright and early with Michael heading off for the Turkey Trot and Abby and I heading out to Great Grandma Davis's house for a visit with her and Grandma Kat. It is always a pleasure spending time with them and I'm so happy that Abby gets to see Grandma Kat this much already. Since Grandma Kat lives just out side of Vegas, I wasn't sure how much Abby would get to see her, but this is 2 times in less than 2 months--Not Bad!!! Next, we met MJ at the house and headed over to his parents' house for Turkey Dinner. Grandpa Wally was there and was funny as ever :) Michale's mom did a great job cooking dinner--it was a pleasure to eat a delicious dinner without having to do all the hard work!!

The fun continued the next night at our house when my family came over for pizza and games! My brother and his girlfriend won Clue then she took first in Monopoly too! Hey, I came in a close second...Abby had a great time visiting with everyone--Grandma D and Gramps couldn't get enough as usual :) They are so stinking cute with her! Though seeing my sis with Abby is amazing and my brother...who would have thought he would love her that much! I am so lucky to have such a loving family!


Saturday, we headed to Fun Town for our second-annual-post-Turkey-Day-chicken-dinner-at-the-Muth...Frankenmuth that is. We start out by shopping at Birch Run then meet up with our friends Paul and Aimee for the oh-so delicious chicken dinner. After dinner we head over to Bronner's, the world's largest Christmas store. We picked out our Santa of the year and ordered Abby's ornaments! I can't wait to get them and hang them on the tree.

Mommy, Daddy and Abby with the Nutcrackers outside the Bavarian Inn

Abby with Paul and Aimee

Outside of the Christmas Wonderland

Our Santa for 2009

Sunday kicked off our Christmas celebration--we started putting up our trees. Yes, plural. MJ has a tree with all kinds of "fun" ornaments and I have the serious, themed tree. I'm sure the kids will like Daddy's tree more than Mommy's, but that is ok--I love my tree. I went with the red tree this year. It looks good already and it is only half done!


Here is a little video of weekend highlights. It's a bit cheesy, but fun. Enjoy.

As Thanksgiving passes I feel the need to mention all the blessing in my life. There are so many things I am thankful for this year:

*Our healthy, happy baby who has brought more joy than I could have ever imagined

*My wonderful husband who loves and supports me through all the challenges that parenthood (not to mention life in general) presents

*Our families who love Abby almost as much as we do

*My two understanding, fat cats who still love me even though I spend less time with them than I used to

*My job and the opportunity to be at home with Abby 4 full days a week

*My good, old Jeep who keeps on trucking even though it has 133,000+ miles on it

*A home full of love and memories

*All my friends who continue to be a part of my life--no matter how crazy or busy things get

*My overall good health

*A gracious God who keeps granting me blessing after blessing

*And much, much more.

Hope your Thanksgiving was a perfect as ours!

Surprise

Happy 30th Michael and Mark! Stacey (Mark's wife), Chrissy (their sister), Mitzi (Mom) and I planned a surprise b-day party for the boys a week before the actual big day. I think Michale knew more than he is willing to admit-- you be the judge:

Either way, a good time was had by all!!! Here are a few pics from the evening:

Birthday Boys Michael and Mark

Happy Siblings

Mark, Chrissy and Michael

Hey, you got lucky--only one candle!

Happy Birthday to You!

Also, a BIG thanks to the ladies for all the hard work (you too Auntie Jeanne)!!!

Work Update

Working S-U-C-K-S!!!! That is all I have to say about that for now.

Snarphy

Do you ever get that head congestion that settles in the back of your throat/nose that no matter how much you blow doesn't go anywhere but still manages to drain into your throat? You know that yucky, phlegmy, makes-you-cough-and-sniff-all-time head cold. Yuck!

Well, this is what Abby came down with this past week. It is so sad to listen to--when she lays on her back it all drains down the pipes and makes her cough, or worse gag and dry-heave. I keep trying to suction it out, but nothing will come. I know it is in there because most of the time you can hear the snot/phlegm catching in that place that is not really your nose or throat. This is what I have started to call a Snarph. Poor Michael heard me talking to Abby about her snarphs and being all "snarphy" and did not realize that it is something I completely made up. The funny part is he had been referring to her "snarphs" to other people and needless to say, they had no clue what he was talking about...Sorry Michael!

Anyway, I took Abby to the dr. and he did the flu test just in case (never thought it was the flu, but better safe then sorry I guess...). I'm happy to report that she is flu free but still fighting a case of the Snarphs with the help of a decongestant ;)

Not So Joyful

Ladies and Gentlemen (are there any reading this???), I am sad to report that the end is here :(

Today was the last day of my maternity leave and "stay-at-home" mommy-hood. Needless to say, I have cried on and off for the last three weeks--more so the last two days. I am so very sad to return to work because I hate to leave Abby for 8+ hours a day. However, I am happy to report that we are very fortunate to be able to have a parent with Abby 6 days a week: Michael is home with Abby on Tuesday and Thursday, I am working from home on Wednesday and Friday which leaves us needing a sitter on Monday. Luckily, our good friend Marisa has offered to watch Abby on Mondays!!! Knowing this, and the realization that I will be with Abby more than I will be away from her, should make the return to the working world a little easier to adjust to.

Wish me Luck, lots of it!!

Abby Moves Out

I am a procrastinator at heart, I know this and now you do too. There are MANY things I have been putting off these last 3 months--buying new pants because I know that I will lose more weight (have to start working on that one...), buying new shoes because I know my feet will shrink back to my old size (keeping my fingers crossed on this still), getting the Jeep looked at and oil changed because I am afraid to hear what they have to say about the beast with 133,000+ miles (come on Jeep, two more years)--but what I have been procrastinating the most on was moving Abby into her own room.

You see, it's so nice to have her there at the foot of the bed in her bassinet: When she wakes to feed I don't have to go down the hall, when she poops and wakes herself all I have to do is crawl to the end of the bed and put in her pacifier, when I haven't heard a peep out of her in 9 hours I don't have to go into another room to make sure she is ok. She is always right there--it is so nice to have her so close all the time. I really didn't want rush putting her into her own room And besides I want to have her room done before she moves in...

Well, at almost 3 months Abby has grown so much that there is barely enough room for her in the basket, which kinda makes the move necessary at this point. So, I have spent the last two days getting rid of all of my excuses for not having her in there yet: finishing and hanging the curtain, putting away all of the clothes and gifts she received and moving all the stuff from our room to hers. Most of the excuses I have used to delay the inevitable are gone and Abby spent her first night in her own room last night.

I wasn't sure how her first night in new surroundings would go--after all this new room does not look or smell like Mommy's and Daddy's room--so I had to do a little planning. For the past two weeks we had been spending time in her room each day; I got her ready for the day there, had her in the room while I cleaned and organized, and laid her in her crib while awake as often as possible.

All in all, I think her first night went pretty well. I figured the transition would be a little more work than the average night due to her new surroundings, but in the end we managed to escape any major drama! She went down with ease, but woke 5 or 6 times within the first 2 hours. I got to thinking that she might need a little more Mommy around so I put the little 8x8 blanket down as a sheet under her head so that my sent was there to comfort her. I think it worked! After putting this down she did not wake until 1 am. Not bad... She woke again at 3:30 for her pacifier, at 4 and 6 for a feeding. At 8 a.m. she was a happy camper.

Tonight went much better: Down at 7 and have not heard a peep from her since! Good work Abby! Your are a big girl now with her very own room!!

Happy Halloween

Fall is here and so is Halloween! Abby had a great time showing off her wardrobe this week, take a look:

Sunday afternoon we headed to a pumpkin patch to pick up some pumpkins to carve. Unfortunately, they only had very small and very large pumpkins left. We'll try elsewhere, but we did get some great pictures:

Tuesday, we enjoyed the warm weather and took some pictures on the front porch. We're glad that Daddy picked up some mums, they made a great back drop :)

Wednesday:

Just chilling on the couch on this rainy afternoon. Abby loved the tiny pumpkin and her legwarmers!

Friday:
Play time! We had fun talking to out toys and each other:

Saturday:

Happy 1st Halloween

Here is our family photo

In the car seat before we head to Gramps and Grandma D's house.

LOVE the hat!

Trick-or-Treat!

This was Abby's fist ever "trick-or-treat"

Abby was their 1st trick-or-treater of the night too.

Here is the little monkey!

Next we headed to Paul and Aimee's house. Daddy passed out candy with Paul while the ladies hung out inside. Here is Abby at the end of the night. She was pretty tired and ready for bed.

All in all we had a great week and a super Halloween. Hope you did too!