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!!