Christmas Morning

Hand in hand, the kids head downstairs. I don't think that they totally got it ~ the whole "Santa brought presents" thing. They slept till about 7 and then we snuggled for a bit as a family in bed and headed down to the tree. I am willing to bet that I am the most excited one in the family as I take this pic. 

Julia "unwraps" aka de-sheets her new kitchen. 

Luke checks out his Skuut. "Mama, it has no pedals?!?!?!"

Julia plays the blues. I don't quite know what I was thinking giving each kid a harmonica in their stocking. Disjointed harmonica-ing is the new soundtrack to my life. 

Both kids got band aids in their stockings. Pop Pop gave in to her demands to wear one. That, combined with the new "Mitnens" is quite the look. 

Breakfast with Mom Mom, Pop Pop, Aunt Bec, Uncle Rich, and "Mom Mom and Jule" made our morning wonderful.

Its been two days of painting around here, we are in the midst of a MASSIVE project. After two years of living in an all white house we are insanely grateful to finally have the time and motivation to introduce some color into our lives.  It's been keeping me so busy that I have been (mostly) too busy to be anxious about my ultrasound tomorrow. I know that tomorrow morning I will have knots in my stomach as we drive to see our baby. All I am longing to hear is that the baby is healthy ~ three kids in now and I still get anxious. I think that that is what makes not finding out the gender easy for me ~ to simply hear that our baby appears healthy and on track is really all I need to know at this juncture. I worry so much going into it that the relief from hearing that all is well is joy enough. 

In case I forget to write about this, Jules got her first haircut today.....courtesy of Luke. 

I think that it is official.........

Back to Christmas stuff in a minute, this needs its own post. 

Julia gave me a present this holiday season. My sweet girl decided to wean, at 21+ months.  This is day three of no nursing. I was worried that I might be sad, but instead I just feel proud and grateful and lucky.

From the moment that Jules was born she was a voracious and easy nurser. In all of our 21 months she never had so much as a drop of formula, nor a single issue (like mastitis, thrush, biting, nursing strikes, etc). She weaned when she was ready and on her own terms, and though I am crying now as I am typing this, I am crying not because she is done, but because of what a gift it was to me to share such an easy and fulfilling nursing relationship with my daughter.  Good job, baby girl. I hope that someday I get to encourage and support you as you nurse your very own babies. I love you. 

Christmas Eve in Pics

I'm laying on the couch. Today has probably been the best Christmas I can remember. Christmas is alive to me in a whole new way seeing it through the eyes of my children. I am bone ass weary, but filled to the brim with contentment and gratitude. 

I'm too tired to blog other than to say that I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, and I feel so very lucky to be laying inside my warm home while the wind and rain rage outside.  

Christmas Eve '09

It has been a fantastic few days ~ Swimming with friends and a great playgroup party (round 2) which even included Makin Music and moon bouncing. Errands, wrapping, date night, gym trips and lots of time with friends has made this a wonderful week, indeed. My kids love love loved makin music and seeing them singing and playing instruments with 12 or so of their friends was as much fun for me as it was for them. I am loving all the extra family time with Nate as he is off work and home for almost two full weeks. A girl could get used to this :)

The presents are wrapped, and Nate and I are in mimicking our kids by laying in bed taking a much deserved nap. One present is lost (thanks USPS) but the rest are ready to be put under the tree tonight after Becca's house and church. Big thanks to Laura and Pete for the help in putting together Julia's kitchen on Tuesday night ~ watching 2 guys take almost 2 hours to put it together reinforced the idea that a Christmas Eve present putting together would have been a disaster. We are so parents now that the obligatory several hours have been spent assembling out kids Christmas toys. 

We are hosting breakfast here tomorrow and can't wait to see the kids open their presents. I feel like a little kid again as I watch their joy. Jules walks around saying "Ho Ho HO!" to everyone, and Luke is excited, though I am still not convinced that he actually knows what is going on. 

Wishing everyone a beautiful Christmas Eve and a happy and hopefully healthy Christmas morning. Enjoy every moment ~ seeing Christmas through a child's eyes really is magical indeed. 

Holidaze

Luke and Jules are thrilled with their presents from Grandma and Grandpa. They may just live in front of the tree until Christmas.

They worked together to open their presents. 

Our child labor force hard at work. Making cookies with toddlers is a lot of fun (and a ton of mess).

Julia  experiencing ecstasy in the form of a giant plate of cake at brunch on Sunday, courtesy of Mom Mom. 

Immediate and intense ecstasy sugar crash snoozefest on the 5 minute ride home.

Pre-Christmas brunch with the family at Applebrook.

Every moment until Christmas is booked solid. I just got home from prenatal yoga, and I think that it may be the last time I get to relax until the "holiday" is over. Isn't holiday supposed to be about vacation? Or am I not Euro enough to qualify for that definition of holiday? I'm trying to stay within my little bubble of peace and just take everything as it comes without worrying too much about tomorrow. The kids are healthy. We are healthy. *Most* of the presents have been procured. Deep breaths.  Deep breaths. Thank God for yoga. Thank God for friends, and a helpful husband.  

In totally disjointed pregnancy news, I am feeling great and our ultrasound is scheduled for Dec 30th. Can't wait to see this wee babe and I covet any prayers or good thoughts for a clean bill of health. Though I was sorely tempted, we are not going to find out the babies sex, as per our M.O. The baby is moving around all over these days and I treasure the kicks ~ Nothing else can get me to slow down and smile instantly like those sweet reminders that there is something huge going on within me, in the midst of all of the insanity going on outside of me. 

Buckle your seat belts everyone, it's Christmas week. 

10.30

We had the kids out till 10.30 last night for the first time in their entire lives, and it was well worth it.  I have never felt more proud of my kids than I did last night ~ seeing them interact with their extended family was simply a treat.  I was overwhelmed with gratitude for how adaptable and joyful and just.......easy.........the two of them are.  Nights like those make the three million illnesses and early mornings and diapers and everything else just worth it a million times over. Seeing them give and receive so much love to and from their family members just brought me insane amounts of joy.

We are in the midst of a blizzard. We woke up this morning to an inch or two already on the ground, and have just gotten pounded with snow all day long. We have well over a foot of snow on the ground and it's still coming down hard. A snow day sounds relaxing, no? Instead, it turned into a do house projects, cook and clean day.  We took the kids out sledding, but MAN was it cold. The wind was whipping snow into their little faces so after about 30 minutes we threw in the towel and tumbled inside in a wet snowy mess for some hot chocolate and chicken noodle soup.  Hot chocolate is far and away the best part of sledding with a 2 and 1 year old. 

Hopefully everyone is bundled into their home safe and cozy on this snowy night.  The fireplace is roaring, the snow falling, all of the Christmas lights are on, and our two healthy and happy kids are tucked into bed. I also have eaten my body weight in homemade Christmas cookies thanks to my friend Melissa today. Somewhere between a sugar high and total physical exhaustion, I feel joy. 

So when Santa (or Christmas)

Makes you feel a bit like this:



Do some yoga instead of having a meltdown! Nate and I were looking at the Santa pic last night and laughing ~ somehow even Julia's EARS look angry in this picture.  This picture just SCREAMS righteous indignation. Much to my eternal shame (okay, not really, I'm already over it) I did the toss-n-snap ~ Julia tossed onto Santa's lap while I snapped a picture. Poor Luke was so excited to meet Santa but you can see the conflict on his face ~ It's as though with his sister so beside herself he felt disloyal in smiling or enjoying the moment.

We came home and had a yoga party that afternoon. Big thanks to Jeannie for the book that she gave us for Christmas two years ago about doing yoga with kids ~ the kids love it and its a fun way to kill 30 minutes on a cold winters day. By the time we are done we are always all laughing and refreshed.

Julia doing tree with some support from the armoire. 

Luke prefers to freestyle his tree. He cracks up every time he does it.

Downward dog with a twist.

What practice is complete without some inversions?

Luke teaches Jules airplane.

Nate does not know it yet, but part of my secret plan to dominate the world includes becoming a yoga teacher after I am finished birthing my last baby. Where better to start than at home? I have a devoted following already :)

Decking the Halls

We decorated the Christmas tree last weekend after our breakfast with Santa. An unexpected and totally beautiful first snow of the season kept us company all day long as we listened to Christmas music, lit the fireplace, hung the stockings, and generally made the house as festive as possible.

"Decorating" is a loose term for terribly controlled chaos. Luke calls the ornaments "toys". His method of decorating involves putting ornament after ornament on the same branch. At some point, that poor branch gives up the ghost, tumbling all of Luke's meticulously placed toys onto the floor. Luke cries, then repeats. 

Jules likes to rip the hook off of the ornament, laugh like a little lunatic, and throw it at the tree.

*sigh*. 

It was fun? No, really, it WAS fun! (?). Have I mentioned that Motherhood will wrest every single last iota of perfectionism from your body, even when you relinquish the last vestiges of it kicking and screaming?  My tree is slightly ugly with its very asymmetrically and unscientifically applied ornaments, but truly a creation of my entire family. I have had more perfect trees, but none laden with more love. 

I tried to take a nap today and just found my mind racing. All that we have to do, places we have to go, gifts yet to buy and wrap and meals to make and guests to entertain....... and all that I feel I am doing less than even close to perfectly just kept racing through my brain. I need daily yoga and or meditation right now to remind myself that we are choosing to keep things simple, that perfection is boring, and that we are finding our way and formulating our rituals and traditions as a young, and imperfect family. I'm trying to walk the delicate balance beam between some of the thoughts I inherited from my childhood (make and do the perfect everything) and some of the ideas that resonate with my soul (it's better to stay calm, get some rest and try to enjoy the season than worry about everything being perfect ~ sometimes less IS more). I am learning to figure out what is important to our family (the fourpointfive of us) and how we can incorporate what is important to our extended families (both of them) as we grow and change. I'm three years into this Motherhood gig and still find myself falling ungracefully off of that damn beam as I bridge that gaping chasm between being a child of my family and being a mother to my family. I don't know if this is a transition that happens gracefully for others, but at times my attempt to work it all out is anything but graceful. Nothing like the holidays to remind you of that. 

Luke has a new habit. He comes running to our room and climbs in bed with us a lot of mornings for his last hour of sleep. He snuggles up right in between us, but not before hugging each of us and giving us a big smacker of a kiss. He then usually settles in, takes his thumb in his mouth, and treats us to a warm snuggly hour of sleep. Lately he has added a new component to this routine. He looks over at Nate and declares "I love you Nate", then turns to me and says "I love you Melissa ~ and I love Julia too" ~ Then laughs, throws his arms out to both sides and says "I love my whoooooole family".

THAT could be my only Christmas gift this year and I would be a lucky woman, indeed. 

DC

We had a great time walking around downtown, taking the kids to the monuments, and taking in a Nova/MD game at the Verizon center. Luke kept screaming "YAY, BASKETBALL!!!" during the game, and turned to me, astonished, saying "MAMA, SOMETIMES THEY MISS, JUST LIKE ME!" We got to see Obama's motorcade as he whizzed from Capitol hill back to the White House after lobbying for the passage of the health care bill in the Senate. Whatever happens with all of this health care stuff, kiddos, you caught a slight glimpse of American history in action.

On Monday, Nate worked and I was lucky enough to have lunch with Tamara (due in April) and then spend a leisurely afternoon with Christine (due in Feb) while Ronan and my kids slept the afternoon away. We went out to dinner that night ~ Odj was working so it was Nate, Christine, myself, Luke, Ronan, Julia, and two babies in utero. It was SO Big Love. 5 kids under 3, counting those not yet born but very visibly on the way. I think that Nate rather liked the attention and being the head of our pseudo Mormon family for the evening. ;)

I managed to NOT invade the Pentagon (though I came too close for my liking when trying to find Pentagon City Mall ~ I had visions of how I was going to tearfully have to explain to armed soldiers that I was not a terrorist, just a frazzled PA pregnant Mom dealing with the very confusing DC roads while two kids sang the ABC's at the top of their lungs and every time my GPS told me to make a left Luke started screaming "NO MAMA! A RIGHT! MAKE A RIGHT! I WANT TO GO RIGHT MAMA!").

In new baby news I had a great midwife appointment today ~ 16 weeks now and feeling fabulous. Baby didn't even try to hide from us this time and we got to hear its little heartbeat kicking along at 140 bpm. As I lay in Luke's bed reading to them before naps this afternoon, Trey was kicking me and I had Luke on one side with his legs tangled around me and Julia laying on my arm tapping my belly with her foot. We were like an octopus ~ 8 legs flailing around in one bed. It was awesome. I will never, ever, get enough of baby kicks. I honestly feel so lucky to be a woman and do feel a bit badly for men that they will never get to feel the beginnings of life inside of them. Magical is an understatement.

I feel caught up from our trip ~ after 6 loads of laundry, 140 Christmas cards out the door, and getting the house back together it has simply been a long week. Nate is off on his last trip before Christmas and both kids are tucked safely into bed. Me, my ice cream, and Carrie Bradshaw are tucked into bed as well.

Parading.

This is Julia grasping her weapon of choice should the big guy have approached her at our Breakfast with Santa. To say that the child is not a fan of Santa is the understatement of the year. Had she been able to kill him with the mere ferocity of her glare, she would have. Needless to say, I have a hard time believing that we will have a two child Santa photo op this year. I have tried to talk her into thinking that Santa is cool. Luke and I tag team peer pressure her, lauding the kindness and sheer awesomeness of he-that-is-Santa. She simply says resolutely, "NO" when mention of Santa's lap comes up. When asked why she states, flatly, "I don't like him". Knowing the intensity of her feelings it is hard for me to justify doing the toss and snap photo option. I would feel as though I was feeding her to the wolves. Who knew that Santa could be such an issue to a 20 month old?

Luke and Santa. Luke insisted on showing Santa his pirate shirt, getting nearly naked in the process. Santa made the appropriate sounds of appreciation. When asked what he wanted for Christmas Luke replied, "A Banana!". Could my kid be any easier?

The dynamic duo at the Christmas Parade. We took them to their first art show before the parade with Laura and Chris, then watched the fantastic VERRRRY long 30th Annual West Chester Christmas Parade. All of the town was decorated, and it was a cold crisp night, perfect for parading around town. The kids LOVED it. Luke waved at every single person (and pointed it out to me when they "did not wave back at me, Mama?!". Two classic Luke moments~ Every time a marching band came by he started marching in place in his little fleece pajamas.....and when the Bolivian dancers came and put on quite a show he looked up at me with his eyes alight saying "Mama! Those boys have moves ~ JUST LIKE ME!!!!".

Candy canes were thrown into the crowd. The kids enjoyed them immensely. Until they were dropped, sticky and sweet, into the street, and Mean Mama had to take them away. Then it was a TRAGEDY. Stupid candy canes.

Publish Post

My third "pregnant lady at the Christmas parade" photo.

I have so much to catch up on ~ we were down in DC this weekend and I feel as though I am now totally off track with Christmas preparations. Gah. I guess I should stop sitting here decimating this herd of Animal Crackers and get to work.