Christmas Recap

Back to work today!  I’d be lying if I said I was looking forward to returning.  It was just so nice being able to spend every day with A and W.  We had a great mix of extremely busy days and lazy days.  I also enjoyed sleeping in (which meant staying in bed until 6-6:30) and even squeezed in a nap one day… bliss.  It was wonderful.  Our Christmas spanned 3 days and seems like a whirlwind as I think about it.  W was perfect and I think he really loved every minute – and all those presents.  He was definitely on Santa’s nice list.  Without further ado, a little recap…

Christmas Eve has always been reserved for my side of the family.  When we bought our house, I mentioned to A that I really wanted to have my family over on Christmas Eve (we typically alternate houses) so that’s what we did.  My extended family tries to get together every year, but my aunts and uncles in northern Wisconsin and Florida usually only make it to town every other year.  They were here last year so weren’t able to make the trip this year.  As a result, it was a smaller celebration with my mom, aunt, uncle, and 4 cousins, but it was great.  W had fun opening a few presents, my sweet cousin brought me some sparkling apple cider (so thoughtful), we ate LOTS, and called it a night.  Oh!  One thing I have to mention.  We decided to keep dinner casual – a few appetizers and pizza.  Well, when it came time to order the pizza, the first 4 places we tried were closed!  Oops!  I didn’t expect that at all.  My family was really sweet and said they were fine with appetizers or even frozen pizza, but we tried a fifth place and they happened to be open.  I guess not many people order pizza on Christmas Eve.  Lesson learned!

 Me and my handsome Christmas boy

 He's a pro as present opening!

I was so so excited for Christmas.  I couldn’t wait to watch W’s face light up when he saw what Santa brought.  I previously found a Little Tykes ride on fire truck at a consignment sale.  It was in perfect condition and I couldn’t wait for W to see it in front of the tree.  He did not disappoint – all smiles and climbed into his truck right away.  Melted my mommy heart.  I think W played with the fire truck for about an hour and a half and then it was time for church.  After church, in keeping with our routine, we headed to Starbucks for bagels and apple juice.  Then we headed home and by some Christmas miracle, A was able to get W down for an early nap.  As soon as he woke up, it was off to Nani and Papa’s for a big dinner and more celebration.  Dinner was delicious.  It was wonderful to be surrounded by family.  My brother even made a rare appearance.  There were so many gifts and we all had a great time.  We eventually headed home with full bellies and a car full of toys.  After some downtime at home, we decided to open our stockings.  Is open the right word?  We still hadn’t opened any of the gifts to each other or from Santa and we were in no hurry.  W was enjoying his fire truck and other gifts and it seemed silly to take him away from playing to open more gifts.  Not to mention, he was totally spoiled at Nani and Papa’s house with so many gifts already.  So we just did stockings and saved everything else for the following day.

 WOW!!  What's this?!?!

 Gotta make sure blankie makes it into the truck.

 I think he likes it. :)

Opening presents at Nani and Papa's house

Then, the day after Christmas, I declared I wasn’t cleaning and wasn’t changing out of my comfy clothes.  Grandma G came over for a big breakfast  - casserole, waffles, sausage, bacon, and bagels.  We finally opened gifts to each other and W opened his gifts from Santa.  The rest of the day was spent relaxing and playing with all those new toys.  We even played outside for a short time since the weather was really mild.

 Santa brought me SHOES!!

It was probably my favorite Christmas to date.  I ate waaay too many cookies, received amazing gifts, and even got to watch television and a movie!!!  But really, what I enjoyed most was spending the week with my favorite guys.  I loved watching W open presents.  And I’m so so thankful that W and I were able to spend quality time together before baby #2 arrives.  And although returning to work this morning was tough, my heart is full and the holiday bliss has not yet worn off. J

Christmas 2013

Greetings from the arctic!  It’s been insanely cold.  The wind chill has been in the -40 range.  Apparently that’s cold enough to make boiling water instantly turn into to snow, cause frostbite in about 10 minutes, and turn your eyelashes into icicles.  School was canceled for 2 days and I was told to work from home.  It was definitely nice to work in my pjs and have extra time with my guys, but I think we’re all a bit stir crazy.  This morning as I headed to work, my car said it was -11.  So it’s still extremely cold, but not as windy.  Having extra time at home meant we actually had some time to organize and clean up the house a bit.  Gosh, did the house need it!  We packed up the ornaments and the tree yesterday.  It made me sad.  That final piece of holiday bliss is gone.  No more twinkly lights. L  But it reminded me that I still hadn’t written my holiday recap on the old blog.  So here it is…

 

Christmas Eve was spent with my side of the family.  We went over to my aunt and uncle’s house, which is only about 10 minutes from us.  Another aunt and uncle were in town from Florida and it was the first time they met W.  I was a little nervous about how W would hold up.  He hadn’t taken a second nap that day.  But he was awesome.  He even took a nap on the couch while everyone talked and laughed around him.  We had a great time.  Ham and delicious sides were served.  One thing that I really love about my family is they keep my laughing.  And there was no shortage of laughter that night.  Between the Christmas trivia game, my cousin thinking there was a reindeer named Dixon, and finding the pickle, I laughed all night.

 

 

Christmas morning, we went to mass.  I was a little disappointed – there were very few people at mass on Christmas.  Our church friends must have gone to Christmas Eve mass.  Even the usual choir was different.  Oh well.

 

 After mass, my mom came over for breakfast.  Breakfast casserole and pancakes were served.  Very yummy.  I think we need to make Christmas breakfast at our house a new tradition.  I really enjoyed it.  We also opened gifts and watched W check out his toys.  He enjoyed ripping up the wrapping paper, but had no idea what was going on.

W eventually went down for a nap and we got ready to head over to A’s parents’ house.  We picked up my brother from the train station on the way there.  My mom, brothers-in-law, sister-in-law, and niece and nephew were also there.  Another delicious meal was had – turkey, beef, and yummy sides and lots more presents were opened.  It snowed much of the day and it was just beautiful.  Like something out of a story book.

 

All in all, it was a perfect Christmas.  I’m already looking forward to next year.  Christmas with a little one is just so much fun.  Every year, I promise myself I’m going to finish everything (shopping, baking, wrapping, cards, etc) early and it never ever happens.  I’m sure the next Christmas will be no exception. J

Weekend Recap

Another crazy busy weekend come and gone.

Friday was my work holiday party.  The food was amazing!  Yum!  I tried every single dessert.  I also ordered W’s birthday cakes. (Yes, cakes.  As in 2.  We’re having a very small family party on W’s actual birthday and a larger party in January.  People told me he would hate his birthday being so close to Christmas.  Oh, really??  How many people get 2 parties??  I think he’ll be just fine.)  Anyway.

I have to admit, I was in a really bad mood on Saturday.  W was up during the night for hours again.  This is always tough on me because it takes me a long time to fall asleep.  So I was up even longer.  After an entire week of crappy sleep, I was just exhausted.  We had plans to meet Santa on Saturday at the bank where W’s grandpa works.  It snowed the night before and was still snowing that morning, but we made it eventually.  And shockingly, W didn’t even cry when he met Santa!  He was nearly hysterical the weekend before.  Maybe he just liked this Santa better?  Afterwards, we enjoyed breakfast/lunch.  I had hoped to accomplish a bunch of errands, but the snow put a damper on those plans.  W hardly napped and it was a long day, but fun nonetheless.

 

Saturday night, W slept through the night!!  Halleluiah!!  Sunday, we went to church and had plans to go grocery shopping and then head to A’s parents’ house to celebrate his dad’s birthday.  But W fell asleep in the car after church so we decided to head straight to A’s parents so W could nap.  After a week of poor sleep, I didn’t want to take any chances with missing out on a nap!!  So we dropped W off, stopped at Starbucks to grab a quick drink and sort coupons, shopped, returned to A’s parents’ for snacks, pizza, and the Bears game.  We had cake and watched A’s dad open gifts and then I baked cookies for what seemed like forever.  But I had so much fun!  My mother in law and my niece helped and I now have 60+ cookies ready for the cookie exchange (plus an additional 2 dozen cookies that got tossed because they didn’t turn out).  It was a great day!

4 days of work and I’m off until after Christmas. J

Weekend Recap

In a word, this past weekend was wonderful.

It started off with a Friday work potluck lunch.  My colleagues are hilarious.  They are seriously some of the funniest people I’ve ever met and I thoroughly enjoy working with them.  I think I laughed almost the entire lunch.  The food didn’t disappoint either!  Stuffed cabbage rolls, fruit, rice, pasta, sandwiches, flan… yum.  And now I need to not eat for 5 days to make up for all the calories I consumed.

Saturday, A and I attended a wedding and W had his first sleepover at grandma and grandpa’s house.  I was told he was a gentleman and I’m so glad he had a good night.  And it was awesome to have a night off from our parenting duties.  I really enjoyed the wedding.  The bride and groom are the sweetest.  The groom, who we don’t know well, came over to us before the ceremony to tell us that he remembered attending our fall wedding and thanked us for attending his.  Adorable.  The bride was stunning.  Her dress was gorgeous – totally my style.  The love they share for each other was just so palpable – you could feel it by observing them.  I know, without a doubt, they’ll be together forever.  The reception was fun too.  We got to spend time with friends we hadn’t seen in years.  A was especially funny and kept me laughing throughout the evening.  Such a fun night. J  Obviously, I suck at sharing pictures.  I’d love to say I’ll post the ones from my camera, but I don’t want to make any promises I can’t keep.  So here’s the one and only photo I took with my phone.

 

Sunday, we had breakfast with Santa.  W did NOT like Santa.  I tried to sit him on Santa’s lap and he screamed.  It was sad (ok, I’ll admit, I actually thought it was really funny).  I rescued W from Santa and we ended up with a Santa family photo – not what I envisioned, but it will have to do. J  We also adopted a family through Catholic Charities and had to drop off the gifts yesterday afternoon.  And it snowed!  We got about 3 inches of snow - it looks so pretty and festive.

It was a crazy busy weekend.  I don’t feel like I had any time to relax, but it was lots of fun.

I hope to do a photo dump soon because I feel like pictures really tell a story, but since I write on my lunch break and never on my home computer that seems unlikely.

 

Today is a gift and that's why it's called the present...

I haven’t really been in the mood to blog lately.  I’m not sure why.  Part of me is overwhelmed with the holidays.  I just feel like there is so much to do and not enough time.  The late Thanksgiving holiday certainly didn’t help.  My mind constantly wanders to the shopping that needs to be done, the presents that need to be wrapped, the party that needs to be planned.  I keep telling myself to slow down and enjoy the present.  All of the things on my to do list will be accomplished eventually.  Easier said than done.  Yesterday, the following quote appeared in my FB newsfeed:

“Sometimes we get so caught up in what’s ahead that we forget how wonderful it is to just live in the moment.  Stop, listen, and enjoy the here and now.”

It makes perfect sense.  I want to enjoy the pre-Christmas festiveness with my nearly one year old.  This is the only Christmas he’ll have as a one year old.  Yes, there will be more Christmases to enjoy down the road, but each one will be special and unique and I want to enjoy THIS one in all its glory.  So I need to take a deep breath and stop worrying, stop planning, and just enjoy.

If I’m being completely honest, the decision of when to do IVF again has been weighing on me heavily.  My heart and my head are saying two different things and that’s never good.  I’ve been praying about it and trying to gain some clarity.  This is a big decision for sure, but I’m not sure why it’s causing me such anxiety.  Hopefully I can put all IVF thoughts on hold for the time being.

Here’s to making an effort to enjoy the present and trust that God has a plan for our family…

 

 

 

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree...

I had to take a little hiatus because I got sick AGAIN.  Two colds in less than a month.  Not fun.  Here’s hoping I’m done being sick for awhile.  I really don’t want to go for the trifecta and make it three in a row.  Unfortunately, it appears baby W caught my cold.  Breaks my heart. L  I hope he gets over it quickly.  A said at least we’re getting the sickness out of the way in time for the holidays.  I hope he’s right!

Our weekend was very low key.  I’m glad we didn’t have any plans since I’m still recovering from the plague.  Because we had a free weekend, we decided to decorate for Christmas!  Don’t worry, we’ll still be excited for Thanksgiving and all that yummy goodness, but I love that our house looks so festive.  I love the glow of the lights on the Christmas tree.  I love the smell of the cinnamon candles and the sight of the pretty garland on the dining room table.  So what if I want to be in a festive mood a little earlier this year?  It brings me joy. 

Baby W likes to look at the tree, but he wasn’t as excited as I thought he’d be.  I wonder what he’ll think of the presents…??

 

Yesterday, we had terrible storms.  It was nearly 70 degrees – unheard of for Chicago in November.  Just a few days ago, temperatures were in the 20s and we had snow.  Even though there were strong winds, downpours, and lots of thunder and lightning, no major damage occurred.  We were lucky.  The central and southern parts of the state weren’t so lucky.  There were several tornados that touched down and towns were destroyed.  People were injured and a few lost their lives.  Very sad.  I’m thankful we had little damage, but feel terrible for those who lost everything. L

On a brighter note, some of our best friends have twins on the way and tomorrow they’re telling me the gender.  I CANNOT wait to find out.  I know both babies are the same gender… I’m dying to know.  At first I thought 2 boys, BUT I am usually wrong so then I thought maybe two girls.  The way Megan is carrying makes me think girls, but the morning sickness makes me think boys.  Long story short… I HAVE NO IDEA.  Eeeeee… so excited to find out.  I can’t wait to meet them!!

 

Also brighter... Baby W has been sleeping through the night!  Yay!!  But I'm sure I just jinxed it.

I promise the tree is not leaning - bad camera angle

 

 

My little kissy face <3

 

It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas...

I’m actually considering decorating for Christmas this coming weekend.  I know, I know, respect the turkey, don’t be in such a hurry, one thing at a time, and all that… I kind of hate myself for even thinking it.  BUT I am super excited for Christmas this year.  I can’t wait to start new traditions and experience all the merriment with Baby W.  Having the house decorated and the tree displayed in all its glory just makes our home feel so warm and festive.  Besides, our weekends are always chock full with plans, chores, errands, etc.  I blink and the weekend is over so I might as well do the Christmas thang while I have some time, right??  There’s no telling when my next free weekend will be.  And but also… Baby W turns 1 five days before Christmas.  That means I have to prepare for both family Christmas celebrations and a fabulous birthday party.  I’m already overwhelmed.  So yeah, I think Christmas is happening in our house this weekend… Go ahead and hate me.

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way…

 

^ Why yes, those are Christmas pjs.  The only time his hair is straight is after a bath.

Happy Christmas... Errr Halloween!!

While the rest of the world is celebrating Halloween today, I’m ready for Christmas.  I know, I know, one holiday at a time.  But we celebrated Halloween over the weekend with a fun little parade and trick or treating so I’m kinda feeling like been there, done that.  Yesterday, A brought in the mail and I had no less than five toy magazines/kids clothing magazines.  All advertising deals on toys, cute holiday outfits, and the cutest Christmas pjs.  I have to admit, it made me giddy.  There’s nothing more exciting than Christmas through a child’s eyes.  As a little girl, we always had a family Christmas party.  I had a younger brother and 5 cousins all around the same age.  We all got presents from our grandparents, aunts, and uncles.  We were spoiled.  I remember walking into my aunt’s house for the Christmas party and seeing a room full of presents.  It.was.awesome.  We’ll teach W all about the birth of Jesus, how it’s important to remember those less fortunate and make sure they have a Merry Christmas as well, we’ll tell him about Santa, Rudolph, and Frosty.  But let’s be honest, every kid looks forward to the presents.  Last year baby W was 5 days old on Christmas.  This year he’ll be 1 and won’t understand what’s going on, but I’m still insanely excited to celebrate with him.  And truth be told, W has been wearing reindeer pajamas for about 2 weeks now…