A new kind of Christmas!

I look forward to teaching Josie the true meaning of Christmas as she gets older.  I look forward to telling her the story of Jesus's birth and having her be a part of mid-night Christmas services.  Feeling that special spirit of wishing a Merry Christmas to friends right after midnight, while singing in candle light outside!  Obviously I have fond memories of Christmas growing up!  I remember being in awe of the story of Jesus's birth and the events leading up to it (and still am).  I look forward to making special memories just like these with Josie, and adding in our own traditions as we go! 

I also look forward to making FAMILY a huge part of Christmas!  I want Josie to know that Christmas and family go hand-in-hand.  And naturally, we look forward to doing the fun, more contemporary things surrounding Christmas too, like Santa and Elf-on-a-Shelf and watching Frosty the Snowman and singing silly children's carols! 

 Brandon and I decided years ago that we didn't need much for Christmas, in terms of gifts.  The things we needed, we got.  So the exchanging of gifts between the two of us has become less important.  As a child, climbing out of bed and running downstairs to see what Santa (or even Mom and Dad) had left was so exciting.  As I grew older, I was more excited to witness Christmas through my nieces' and nephews' eyes.  This year I am so excited for Christmas morning!  Not for any gifts Brandon and I might receive, but to see Josie as she sees her new gifts.  I have that giddy feeling welling up inside....I cannot wait to be a part of Josie's Christmas morning.  Even now, she is too young to really understand what's going on, and for that reason, we are only getting her a few items.  But, I still can't wait to see her little face when she sits on her monkey rocking chair or gets to enjoy her new stuff.  It's so fun.......and exciting! 

The point of this entire blog could have easily been summed up in only a sentence or two, but as usual, I have become long winded.  So here it is.....

Experiencing "Christmas as a parent" will be the new and exciting Christmas for me!  Seeing the excitement and joy on Josie's face is going to be even better than any gift I could have ever asked for!  And I truly believe it will only get better as she gets older and we add our own family traditions! 

Now...a couple of pictures!  I was so excited to take Josie to see Santa this year!  I just knew I would get that crying baby in Santa's lap shot!  While we waited in line, Josie laughed and waved at Santa!  Each time he would look up at her she would squeal with delight! But, the second I placed that child on Santa's lap, everything went downhill....quickly.  Here is a picture of Josie and Santa!  It amazes me that she still looks cute even though she is crying! 

This little Christmas dress was made by Jo's Aunt Bug!  It's so freaking cute I can hardly stand it.  Obviously we would like to get some more pictures of Josie in this adorable outfit.  Maybe one where she is actually smiling!  Here is another picture, just to show off how cute this outfit really is!  Sorry it doesn't show her face, Aunt Bug!

Oh my gosh...so cute!  Our tiny little Santa's helper!  This little tiny lady is by far the greatest gift her Mommy and Daddy could have ever received! 

Ahhh....I do love this time of year! Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year!!



Hair Hair everywhere

I find it hilarious that my 12 month old toddler has more hair than most 5 year olds.  She was born with a head full of hair and it has grown and grown and grown.  We were rocking some pigtails by 5 months of age and a full pony tail by 8 months.  Most kids don't have that kind of hair....but our Jo is EXTRAordinary!

This morning I bribed her to stay still with a biscuit while I recreated a cute hair style her Nannie did while we were home for Thanksgiving!  It doesn't look nearly as cute as her Nannie's, but I tried.  So...maybe an A- or B+ for effort!  While we were home for Thanksgiving Nannie and I gave Jo's hair the slightest of trims...just to even things up a bit.  You would never have known and it looks much healthier!

(Don't mind the scissors there on the table within arms reach of the 12 month old.  Ha!)

She looks like such a big girl with her hair done in braids (sorry I don't have a picture of the front....but trust me...it's cute).  All this hair and the pretty auburn color gets the kid a lot of attention, but she carries it well!  We sure do love this munchkin!  Now...I just need someone to have the patience to teach me other ways to do her hair...and her to have the patience to sit still while I do it!  If I have to bribe her with a biscuit each time, we might be in trouble!  Have a happy Monday!

Oh, November

Oy vey....

November has been a forever long month packed FULL of lifetime changes.  So much has happened this month I hardly know where to begin.

For starters (naturally)....our little peanut pumpkin turned one.  *tear*

Have some, Daddy!

Hahaa...I love this picture.  Girl loves her cake, just like her mama!

Her birthday was so special!  I spent much of the days leading up to her birthday reminiscing about those final days before she arrived and how anxious and scared and excited we were! Thinking about how I felt the day my water broke and recalling her labor!   Remembering how it felt to be pregnant, which....by the way...I truly miss!  Everything about this past year has been incredible!  Her daddy and I say on a daily basis how lucky we are to be her parents.  She is such a good little girl with a great disposition!  We are, without a doubt, blessed!

During the month of November our little one has perfected the art of walking.  She still has her wobbly moments and relies heavily on crawling, but she is capable of walking (not that neither her Nannie or Nana ever allow her tiny feet to touch the ground).  Our little lady also said a very final and happy (for Mommy and Daddy's wallet) good-bye to formula!  We are strictly whole milk!  Now...if we could just get her used to drinking her milk out of a sippy cup! 

This year we spent Thanksgiving with Brandon's folks up near Chicago.  We had a wonderful trip and tried to soak in as much Nannie and Papi time as possible.  Wednesday through Saturday morning Josie had her Nannie and Papi all to her self....and it was fantastic (although we missed the rest of the family)!  On Thanksgiving, Nannie made a delicious meal that we ALL enjoyed, even Jo.

Nannie gave her a little plate, piled high with stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, turkey, green beans and sweet potatoes.  Josie used her spoon and fed herself, then moved onto the more age appropriate- shoving handfuls of food in her mouth.  She loved it.  I swear every time I turned around last week she was eating.  I guarantee she gained a pound in the 4 days we were in IL.  For a little girl who barely broke 19 pounds by her first birthday....that's a lot of weight in only a few days! 

And finally (I won't touch on this long) earlier this month we had to say good-bye to our sweet dog, Noah.  He was the most amazing dog.  Loyal, gentle, smart (sooo smart), sweet and funny.  If any dog EVER had personality, it was Noah.  It was tough to say good-bye and let go, but it was the very best thing for him.  He will be missed (and is missed daily).  Until I see him again.....No dog could ever compare...and I am glad!  We love you, Noah. 

I am currently working on getting our house ready for Christmas.  We will be doing lots of decorating this year.  I am looking forward to taking Josie to see Santa (which I am certain will end in tears).  We are so excited for the holidays!  So much to do!  Brandon's family will be in town for Christmas!  We will all be together and although I know it will be CRAZY CHAOTIC, it will also be so much fun. 

Parental learning curve....

I hate to say it, but up until this point Brandon and I have really prided ourselves in not being overly paranoid parents.  We don't jump up and make doctor appointments every time our peanut sneezes.  Even on the two occasions she has ended up with the stomach virus, we both recognized there was nothing the doctor could do for her, we had to wait it out, and making an appointment was just a huge waste of time.  It's a bit of a pet peeve of mine to see or hear parents who take their kids to the doctor over the silliest and simplest of things.  But, whose to say what is "silly" or "simple".  I thought I knew.....until this week.

This past weekend Josie started running a low grade fever.  She was a little whiny, but no major symptoms, other than the cold she's been living with for the past few months (daycare babies and winter don't mix well).  We knew a stomach bug was going around her school, so we just assumed she was fighting something off.  Monday morning we dropped her at school and by 10am I received a phone call from her teacher. She was pretty sure Jo had the stomach funk.  And sure enough, by lunch time I had to go pick her up.  No big deal right....it's the stomach funk and there isn't much we can do about it other than wait for it to pass through her body.  In my mind, that explained the low grade fever. 

By Tuesday morning Jo's cold turned into a pretty rough cough.  By Tuesday afternoon I was a little concerned about the cough and decided to make an appointment. Not 30 minutes after making her appointment the school called a said a kid in her class had RSV. 

So, there we were, Tuesday afternoon in the doctor's office.  Not for the stomach bug that was running my kid ragged, but for a cough.  It should be noted that I didn't think I would ever be that parent.  Taking her kid to the doc for a cough.  It's a cough.  Man am I glad we took her in.  Our little peanut was pretty sick. I know, because that was what the doctor kept saying..."She's pretty sick".  Positive for RSV, stomach bug, double ear infections, oh...and a small touch of viral pneumonia. 

I guess the point of my blog is.....
There must be a HUGE learning curve on children's illnesses for first time parents.  I pray that is the case and we aren't just total dummies.  Maybe there is a "Parenting for Dummies" book we can buy?  Oh great....apparently there is. 

Who am I kidding? I won't read that book.

Being proud of ourselves for not running to the doctor with each sneeze was working out great, until our kid ended up with a laundry list of illnesses and us with nothing more than our stupid pride.  I am not saying we will call the doctor at the first sign of snot from this point forward, and we certainly will NOT be investing in industrial rolls of bubble wrap, but we will try to be more aware of how her "not feeling well" might be more than a simple cold. 

Needless to say, our sick peanut did not get to do the door-to-door Trick-or-Treating we had planned.  Instead we took her out, to one house, then had her back in her pj's in the warm house.  Below is one of only a few pictures of her in her lamb costume!  She's pretty cute, even when she's sick!

My very first "baby"

About 2 months ago we learned that my sweet dog, Noah, had lymphoma.  I was a complete wreck when learning this news.  Noah has been an amazing dog since day 1.  He's smart, and strong, but totally gentle.  He's cuddly and a complete coward (most of the time)...but that's why I love him.  Once a leaf fell from a tree while we were at the park and it nearly scared the doggie pants off of him.  True story.

Noah has been by my side through good and bad, and like most good dogs, he has always been stubbornly loyal!  He may play fetch with any stranger, but don't be mistaken, he's a mama's boy through and through.  We have a bond I didn't know dogs and owners had, until I had a dog of my own.  I guess this is what has made this so hard.  I have to make decisions that are good for Noah, not for me.  Selfishly...I want to make the decision that mean I get more time with Noah. But, being a good doggie mama means sometimes making the toughest of choices...... and about 4 weeks ago we chose to stop his chemo treatments.  The vets initially told us we might have anywhere from 2-6 months with him before the cancer came back and made him sick again. 

Noah returned to the vet today as he had a rough week.  We think our time with this sweet and amazing dog might be drawing to a close.  I imagine we only have a matter of weeks and my heart breaks.  Obviously I never assumed it would be easy to say good bye, I just never imagined it would be so hard. 

Here are a few pictures of my very first baby!  The sweetest creature who initially taught me a little about responsibility!  I sure hope his journey to the rainbow bridge is pain free and peaceful!  And full of love!  I will certainly be meeting him there one day with a ball in hand! 

We love you, Noah.  I silently pray all the time you know that.  Josie thinks you are funny and laughs at you often.  You are so gentle with her...and I can tell you adore her!  You are loved...by all of us and basically all who have ever met you!  Thank you for being a good boy!  Always!

Update- The Crying Game

Oh My.....
As you may have read in my last post, we set out re-train Josie to sleep in her crib all night long.  My mind was set on the "cry it out" method.  So, Brandon and I put on our "tough love" pants and decided that Thursday night would be THE NIGHT our lives changed, at least in terms of sleep/exhaustion.

Night 1:
Dear Heavens......I had no idea my daughter could be as stubborn, hard headed and strong willed (I know...it's all redundant) as her father as this!  75 minutes.  75-stinking-minutes.  That is how long our kid cried, refusing to give in and fall asleep.  I can't tell you how many times we questioned the "cry it out" method or how many times I wanted to crack and pick her up and concede to her sleeping in our bed until she leaves for college. 

To put it bluntly, the first night was hell. Once she finally gave in and fell asleep, she was much easier to deal with the rest of the night.  She woke up a couple of times, but was able to self-soothe within only a couple of minutes.

Night 2:
I was dreading night 2.  She started crying when we went into the nursery for quiet time with a bottle and I just knew it was going to be a repeat of night 1.  Night 2 crying lasted all of about 4 minutes.  4-amazing minutes and she didn't wake up once until 5:30am.  Say hello to a full night's sleep!

Night 3:
Approximately 37 seconds of crying.  And OUT! 

I am not saying the "cry it out" method is right.  Especially not for everyone.  If you had asked me on the first night I would have warned you to stay away. Stay far, far away! And I am certainly not saying our issues are solved.  Night 2 and 3 Josie was exhausted, so I am certain that helped her fall asleep quickly.  I am sure we will continue to struggle with these routines and practices.  But, as of right now.......it works.  It's tough, it's sad and can be heartbreaking, but it works.  A rested (or semi-rested) mama is a much happier mama!

Who's the Boss?

She's 10 months old and totally running our house.  If Super Nanny was still a show, we would be the perfect candidates.  When that show first came out I would shake my head at these "so called parents" who just couldn't seem to grasp the simplest of routines and disciplinary actions with their children.  If the baby doesn't want to sleep in her crib, you let her cry it out, as hard as it may be, until she learns to self-soothe.  Duh, parents.
Ahemmm...

We "trained" Josie to self-soothe around 6 months of age.  By 8 months old she would wake up in the middle of the night, cry for a couple of moments, then drift peacefully back to sleep.  I wish I could say at 10 months old she was continuing those practices. 

Now you are about to hear every parent's story excuse........About a month ago she got sick.  She had that disgusting cough and running nose.  She would wake herself up at night because she was so congested and couldn't breath.  We put her in our bed to prop her up and hopefully open her airways.  It seemed like it took her FOREVER to get over the cold, and honestly, it was a long time.....nearly 2 1/2 weeks.  Trust me, 17 days is plenty of time to completely ruin any routine, even those you thought were ingrained into their DNA's. 

Once she got over the cold we set out to "re-train" Josie to self-soothe.  The first couple of nights were hard, but I felt like we were making progress (although slight).  Then, BAM.....the freaking disgusting stomach virus hit us and we scurried through nearly 5 straight days/nights of diarrhea.  Poor babe.  She might feel terrible during the day, but hey....she's sleeping like a champ at night....in our bed.  

Oh....how foolishly we bragged about how well our child slept through the night at 6, 7, and 8 months. FOOLS! We were sooooo naive!


Now, here we are, back to trying to let her cry it out.  Some nights I have no problem letting her cry for 5-10 minutes, but it kills her Daddy.  Some nights he wants to let her cry it out, but it breaks my heart.  I know we have to get on the same page and trust me, we understand that she is totally manipulating us with her cries.  But...holy cow...this SUCKS!  And she can go 6 straight minutes with the most dramatic cry you have heard from a 10 month old and not take a breath.  She's good.  Really good.  And we are weak....there...I said it!

Thankfully her terrible sleeping patterns don't effect her cuteness.  I KNOW.....huge sigh of relief, right?
Here are a couple of new pics!

The only thing cuter than a baby in a Bear's Jersey..... 

Is a baby in blue jeans, with her high top Converse!

Wish us luck as we head back into the baby hell trenches tonight to put this child to sleep.  I know one thing for sure, we won't make the mistake of letting the little booger in our bed next time around!