Movies Watched in December 2013

1. Beasts of the Southern Wild
2. For a Good Time, Call...

Very pathetic month. I watched Beasts of the Southern Wild while we made pierogis all day. It is streaming on Amazon or Netflix. I forget which one. For a Good Time, Call... was on cable and I watched it streaming via HBO Go. It was a funny, raunchy comedy with a little bit of heart. I liked it. There's some romance, but it's really about the friendship of two women who seemingly have nothing in common except that both need a roommate.

Books Read in December 2013

1. We Are Water by Wally Lamb
2. Holiday Games by Jaci Burton  (NOTE:  This is part of the Play By Play series.  The order of which can be found here.)
3. Divergent by Veronica Roth  (NOTE:  This is part of the Divergent series.  The order of which can be found here.)
4. A Christmas to Remember by a handful of authors - Jill Shalvis (a short story part of the Lucky Harbor series), Kristen Ashley (a short story part of the Chaos series), Hope Ramsey (a short story part of the Last Chance series), Molly Cannon (a short story part of the Everson Texas series and Marilyn Pappano (a short story part of the Tallgrass series.
5. Holiday Kisses by a handful of authors - Jaci Burton (a short story part of the Kent Brothers series), Shannon Stacey, Helen Kay Dimon (a short story part of the Holloway series and Alison Kent
6. Christmas on 4th Street by Susan Mallery (NOTE: This is part of the Fools Gold series. The order to read the books can be found here.)

This month looks grander than it was.  The first book was for book club and took me the majority of the month (and some of November) to read.  The others were almost all Christmas novellas plus Divergent which continues my Young Adult trend.  I can't help it.  There is a lot of good, quality Young Adult novels out there.  For once, I read all of my Christmas books during the holiday season.  I rarely do that, but I had more than usual this year so figured it would help me end up in the Christmas frame of mind.  Plus, all the happy was a nice follow-up to the book club book which was a little heavy to say the least.

Week 24

Week 24 has nothing major coming up - little bit of growth, fleshing out.  The baby is the size of a cantaloupe (according to this site which seems very big.  Then again, I seem very big.  I have my next appointment at the end of the month and then the glucose test will be directly after that.  Fingers crossed though, worst case, I imagine I'll take the 3-hour test and it's nothing I didn't do before.  I'll just miss my carbs.  A lot. 


The baby moves a lot - usually in the morning, after lunch and late at night between 11PM and 1AM.  I could barely sleep the other night because of the jumping jacks.  It has to be jumping jacks because there was just pokes and kicks everywhere. 


I'm still wearing a mix of maternity and doctored regular clothes.  I'm probably at the very end of being able to fit into t-shirts though.  Sweaters and longer shirts are working fine still though.  If I can get through the worst of the winter with what I have, I'll be happy.  Hopefully, March will be mild so I can wear dresses and skirts.  I may just have to buy a pair of maternity tights at some point, but that's not so bad. 


My mind is still reeling how fast the time is going.  My goal is to get all my birthday presents and Easter presents out of the way because the Spring is a busy time for that type of thing.  A big goal is to really go through and purge all the girl items we've been saving.  I did some Fall cleaning last year, but I need to be a little more thorough this time.  As with last time, I'd like to have everything all set by 4 weeks before due date.  We were ready 2 months beforehand last time not including the little things.  I'm thinking 4-6 weeks realistically this time. 


I'm not too daunted by the idea of 2 children.  It'll be difficult.  I mean, I'm not naïve, but the benefit of the 6 1/2 year difference is that Little Miss can do so much independently.  I anticipate some adjustment of course, but I know it would be more of a challenge to have two children completely dependent on their parents.  On the flip side, of course, is that they will be 6 1/2 years apart which is a lot.  Pros and cons.

Thursday Tidbits

My little widget says the baby is using his hands which is funny because I swore last night he was clawing his way out.  Husband was asking if there was some kicking movement, but I said nope, more like a scraping.  That was typical for Little Miss, but this is a first of the baby. 


Since Monday, Little Miss has been perfect though.  Tuesday was pleasant and then she was allowed to pick out Mother-in-Law's birthday gift.  She was very focused and knew exactly what she wanted to get so we did that yesterday.  She's been eating very well all week in part due to the fact that she has a new love affair with ham (I don't blame her).  She's also back to eating cheese after a break. 


The apartment, for the first time in awhile, isn't a total pit.  There is still too much in it, but we have to organize our storage unit eventually anyway so the boxes from Christmas can sit in a corner for now.  It's physically clean at least.  Plus, if we're not putting the Christmas stuff away, Little Miss gets a little extra time with her Christmas tree.  It takes no time to dismantle it so she can have it until we make the trip to storage.  At this rate, it could be until March. 


I have snowman plates that I usually use in the winter.  This winter, they are not coming out.  I'd take them out now, but I know they won't be put away in March so why bother.  I'll just take a year off. 


Oscar nominees are out today.  I have to figure out if I can see at least one or two movies before the awards.  I saw very few of the big movies.  Of all the movies nominated, I saw Captain Phillips and Frozen (Best Picture and Best Animated Film).  I'd see a couple of others if given the opportunity.  We'll see.  It'll depend on timing and what is still in a conveniently-located theater.

Good Golly, Make It Stop

I don't see how the teen years can be worse.  I pick up Little Miss at 6PM from Extended Day.  She is the happiest kid on the planet.  We talk all the way home.  Then, in the elevator, I thought her say a bad word.  So, I ask her what she said, and she refuses to answer.  I told her she isn't in trouble, but she needs to own up to it.  She never did, but she broke down in tears at the thought of being in trouble.  This is at 6:30.  I make her dinner, and we write a couple of more Thank You notes from Christmas, and she's ok.  Then, at 7, she won't eat and starts crying again.  She's been crying and sobbing her heart out for the last hour.  We finally brushed her teeth (while she cried) and put her to bed where she is currently crying.  Good golly.  I'm exhausted.

It sounds like Husband is having better luck and more patience than I.  That said, I took over homework last night due to a breakdown on both their parts so   I guess it all evens out.  She's still crying, but I have doubts that she'll throw up over it at least.  Night is young though.  She could go either way.

Weekend Update - Girls' Weekend

Last Thursday night, Husband flew to Vegas for his annual Boys' Trip.  Little Miss was looking forward to our weekend together.  On Friday, she was such a good helper getting herself all ready for school.  Friday night, we mostly just hung out on the couch.  I let her sleep in our bed at night. 


Little Miss slept late on Saturday.  We had a nice breakfast and then went to skating lessons.  She did awesome again.  Afterwards, we had a little snack and then she stayed to do the public skate and went around the rink for 3 laps.  Because public skate is included in the lesson, I let her dictate how long she wanted to stay.  After, we went grocery shopping.  It took forever.  She had to go to the bathroom twice (twice!) while there, and it was crowded.  So, by the time we got home, I just heated her up leftover pasta despite buying her dinner at the store.  After, she helped me clean and put away laundry a little.  She at least did the things she is responsible for like her room and then she lost interest in my things halfway through.


On Sunday, she helped me dust and sort my socks which is a task unto itself.  Then, we had lunch and went to a playdate with a classmate from school.  The girls seemed to have a really fun time.  Then, Little Miss and I went home to get ready for a friend to come over to view the Golden Globes. 


Little Miss may not be an adventurous eater, but the girl does like to try free samples at the grocery store.  I wonder if I can get the grocery store to plan what it gives away when we go there to introduce new foods.  This week, we got some deli ham which isn't new, but she doesn't usually like lunch meat.  She's since eaten a half pound of ham since Sunday. 


Husband came home Monday afternoon in the nick of time.  I needed trash taken out, lightbulbs replaced and the toilet fixed.  Also, I finally took down Christmas so the tree needed to be removed.  The apartment is just about back to normal.  It should be closer after the long weekend when I have a block of time to reorganize a bit.


It was an exhausting weekend full of running around, but it was worth it.  I also made some homemade chicken nuggets last night for Little Miss (which I don't count as new food) and she declared them "the best".  So, some days I get things right.  Last night, during homework, Little Miss wrote three full sentences, spelled words correctly that I didn't even know she knew, and just wowed me with her knowledge.  Based on an article I read about preparing for First Grade, she's well on her way. 

Side Dishes of Note

I'm not even going to bother posting a recipe because I changed it or it's so very basic.  Last weekend, I bought a pre-seasoned pork tenderloin.  It wasn't my original plan, but it worked well.  As sides, I roasted broccoli and made mashed potatoes.


For the roasted broccoli, I made florets from a handful of heads of broccoli.  I sprayed a baking sheet, drizzled olive oil down and maybe salt and pepper.  I added 4-5 garlic cloves and stuck it in the oven at 425 degrees for 20 minutes or until it started to brown.  After it came out, I sprinkled some lemon juice and parmesan cheese.  The original recipe had some lemon zest and pine nuts, but I didn't want it too lemon-y and I was too cheap to buy pine nuts.


For the mashed potatoes, I boiled mashed potatoes and then added a heavy cream, butter and roasted garlic mixture.  Beforehand, I threw 2 heads of garlic in a 425 degree oven which nicely preheated it for the broccoli.  Then, I threw the liquid in with the drained potatoes and whipped.  I don't normally whip as I prefer mashed, but there was a mess and a minor kitchen disaster so I ended up whipping them.  They still tasted good.  I cut back on the amount of heavy cream and butter than the recipe called for so they weren't as moist as they probably could have been, but they were still good.  They could have used some salt, but I notoriously don't salt anything.  I salted the potato water, but I can see where some salt and pepper would add a lot to the dish.


I have never roasted broccoli before, but I think it was delicious and really flavorful.  Potatoes are potatoes for me.  We agree on roasted potatoes more, but mashed potatoes are a nice treat every so often and really hit the spot.

Weekend Update - Ice Skating

Last weekend went by in a blur.  On Friday, I worked from home because it was super icy in my neighborhood, and I didn't want to risk the walk to work.  Schools were closed.  However, Husband took Little Miss into work with him so I got to actually work in peace.  I partially tidied up the apartment after work hours.  Husband and Little Miss came home late, but we had some family time in the evening.


On Saturday, Little Miss had her first ice skating lesson.  It went well.  Only a few kids had ever been on skates before so Little Miss was a little ahead of them, but she enjoyed herself quite a bit.  We went home, had lunch and took a nap afterwards.  Then, I woke up and went to bookclub while Little Miss had a Daddy Night. 


At around 2:30AM, Little Miss woke up upset over something.  Husband was begging her to let him know what was wrong so he could fix it and, around 3AM, the fire alarm went off.  As it is better safe than sorry, we bundled Little Miss up (luckily, she fell asleep with her clothes on) and walked down 16 flights of stairs to the lobby.  By the time we got there, we were told it was a prank.  Luckily, we didn't have to go outside.  Little Miss loved walking down the stairs.  As a treat, I brought her something to drink and a snack as incentive.  I grabbed a few other things like my purse and phone which I did not grab the last time we evacuated, but I like to think I have the capability to learn.  We all went back up (by way of elevator) and went right back to sleep - and slept late on Sunday morning!


On Sunday, it was a very lazy day full of good intentions.  The only thing that really got done was some grocery shopping, and there wasn't much choice in that matter.  Next weekend should be fun though.  Husband is going to Vegas on his annual boys' trip, and Little Miss is looking forward to a girls' weekend.  We'll see what actually pans out, but it should be fun regardless. 

Week 23

Week 23!  That's just ridiculous.  The doctor appointment last week was uneventful.  I'm measuring exactly where I should be.  The doctor is pleased with size and shape and weight.  Baby still has a heartbeat.  We're in good shape at the just barely over halfway point.  According to this site, the baby is the size of a grapefruit (though according to other sources, the fruit can vary - staying with this site to be consistent) and should be around a pound or a pound and a quarter.  As with last time, no swelling of the ankles.


I'm still fitting in prepregnancy clothes more or less - no to the button-downs or some of the shorter shirts. With belly band help, I can still wear the slim cropped Gap pants I bought last week. My goal is to still fit into these pants afterwards. Otherwise, the sale wasn't helpful. I should be able to which would be great because I bought like 4 pairs. I was so excited they fit because it's so hard to find maternity pants, and it is too cold to wear a skirt or dress. This will become more challenging in the next month or so, I'm sure, but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.  My skin has been dry so I've been trying to be better about moisturizing. Other than that, no other symptoms other than ones that will never make the blog.


The baby is still active, much more active than Little Miss even at her most active. She stretched and rolled, but this one is a kicker - in the morning, middle of the afternoon and late at night. It's a lot like clockwork. She's been super cute with her baby brother. She talks to him and treats him like he's a person already - saying goodbye or goodnight, giving kisses. It's very cute. She's been very accepting of my limitations and has really become quite helpful around the house. She cleans her room more than I clean mine. She picks things up off the floor. I'm sure she'll not be as enthusiastic once he's here, but I have confidence she'll still be a pretty good helper.


We have a name, it's the boy name leftover from Little Miss. As with Little Miss, I won't use it regularly on the blog, but it's not a secret. I think I even have a nickname for him eventually for blog use, but I may keep with tradition and call him Baby for the first year as I did with Little Miss. Then, I'll transition to a nickname that fits him.

Weekend Update - Christmas!

Christmas week was a blur. Little Miss had off from school. She came to the office with me for a couple of hours, but she had a lot of Daddy time. On Tuesday, we went to Christmas Eve Mass at church after I worked a half day. Then, we hosted the In-Laws and Brother-in-Law, Sister-in-Law and Nephew for dinner. On Christmas, we opened a lot of presents and then went to Brother-in-Law, Sister-in-Law and Nephew's apartment for dinner. The kids played very well together and were very patient to open presents. Little Miss received the soundtrack to Frozen which has been playing non-stop since Christmas morning. She also received ice skates, books, clothes and other items. All were big hits.

The day after Christmas, we went to my parents' house and met up with them and Sister, her boyfriend and Nephew. We didn't do too much that first day, but the kids did open presents and played. On Friday, the crew went skiing and snowboarding while Husband and I took Little Miss ice skating. She loved it. We forgot her helmet at home, but she did great. She got right back up again every time she fell - and she had a couple of bad spills. We felt bad. She fell flat on her face which left a mark (or three) and then fell a final time that resulted in the end of skating.

On Saturday, Sister, her boyfriend, Nephew and Little Miss went tubing. It was a beautiful day, very mild so it wasn't bad sitting out and watching them. This baby has been inconvenient in my winter sports schedule. After 2 hours of tubing, Little Miss wanted to go ice skating and then skated for a couple of hours. I don't know how she did it. We went to the house for dinner and then took off for home.

On Sunday, Little Miss and I slept late and then went to The Kennedy Center to see the Mo Willems's Elephant & Piggy We Are In a Play! We had a blast. Little Miss loved the Metro and shuttle. She made instant friends with a little girl on the shuttle. I was a pushover and bought her a plush Knuffle Bunny which hasn't left her side since. It was a really great holiday, and I'm trying not to think about the zoo next year will be with a baby.

Week 22

Month 5?! How did that happen? Based on this link, the average fetus measures about 10.5 to 11.8 inches and weighs about 12.7 to 20.8 ounces. There has been a lot more activity in the last week or so, more consistent movement. There seems to be a little in the morning when my alarm goes off, some after meals, but the big party is usually between 10-12 at night. Some rolling but mostly strong kicks whereas Little Miss rolled a lot and stretched, but she wasn't a kicker.

The belly has expanded as expected, but I'm still mostly in non-maternity clothes (which doesn't mean that my 2 pairs of maternity pants aren't appreciated). I'm trying to squeeze in as many months as possible in non-maternity clothes with the aid of elastic bands and my belly band. It's so hard to find maternity clothes that aren't too big or way too long, and I refuse to spend the money to alter clothes for a couple of months. My winter coats should work through the thick of it. My mom bought me a trapeze coat which is adjustable, but it's not as warm as my other coats, and it's a walk to and from the Metro. I'm more active this time around with the walk to and from the Metro which helps, I think. I'm still awkward enough that it makes me question the importance of anything I drop on the floor. Fun time though. This is the time where you start to look pregnant but can still do things without being a total cow.

My next appointment is tomorrow actually. I'm thinking things should go well unless the doctor wants to discuss the ultrasound a couple of weeks ago.

Week 21

Week 21 information can be found here. In short, the average measurements are 10.5 inches and about 12.7 ounces, and he's big enough now that you've probably been feeling his movements. Based on last week's measurements, our weight is slightly more than that, but we're doing well on size so far.

I've been feeling a lot of activity though it was quiet yesterday. This morning, I felt movement higher up so there's movement all over the place. Before this morning, all the kicking has been very low. Little Miss finally got to feel the kicks. I think she was expecting something more exciting. She keeps asking Santa to get toys for her baby brother. We did get a stocking. Santa isn't bringing toys, but the little boy will be getting his first Jets onesies. Little Miss should be satisfied with that unless I find some little toy to put in the temporary stocking.

I've grown quite a bit in the last few weeks, and it may freak me out that we're only halfway through. Still, it is a comfort to know most of my maternity clothes are still too big. I can still wear a lot of non-pregnancy clothes - shirts, cardigans and jeans if I'm creative. I have been itchy with the growing, but it hasn't been unbearable if I remember to moisturize. I didn't get any stretch marks the first time, but this time, I can see some. The funny thing is that my stretch marks are clear so you can only see them if the light hits them just right, just around the belly button. I moisturized a lot the first time. Not that anybody sees my belly, but I'm glad they're not completely hideous. I mean, it's worth it for a beautiful baby blah blah blah.

Oh, we do have a name.  That part was easy.  We had a boy name and a girl name when Little Miss was born.  We just carried over the boy name.  Having a name and gender helps me a lot.  Otherwise, I'm not one of those mothers who just bonds with the being growing inside her.  I kind of ignore it most of the time except when I have to (not gracefully) get up from the couch.  Generally, it's not until we meet that I connect though.  I need a face because the 3D one doesn't do it for me.  Even then, I remember being like "wait, we did that" every time I looked at Little Miss as a newborn.  Bizarre.

New Foods Report

I was on my own for dinner the other day and wanted something quick and easy so I tried this. It wasn't bad. When I heated it up for a second little bowl, I did add some chicken stock I had leftover. It helped. It actually did get better for leftovers though with the chicken stock and some salt and pepper. I notoriously don't salt and pepper anything, but this one needs a little taste. I bet a little crushed red pepper flakes would be good, too.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces sweet Italian sausage
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 cup vertically sliced onion
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 1/4 pounds tomatoes, chopped
• 6 tablespoons grated fresh pecorino Romano cheese, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 cup torn fresh basil leaves

Preparation

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Remove casings from sausage. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add sausage and onion to pan; cook 4 minutes, stirring to crumble sausage. Add garlic; cook 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes; cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in pasta, 2 tablespoons cheese, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese and basil.

On Sunday, I made a salad to go along with this dish my friend made.  I think they complimented each other nicely or could be combined if you're creative like that.  It was super easy even if it's weird to cook a salad.
 

• Roast cubed butternut squash for 45 minutes in 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon maple syrup, salt and pepper.
• Prepare bed of fresh arugula (I used mixed greens.).
• Lay roasted squash over arugula.
• Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of toasted and slivered walnuts over squash and arugula (I used slivered almonds).
• Drizzle dressing over top and sprinkle fresh grated parmesan or pecorino romano over it.

Recipe for Dressing

• Good olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup apple cider or apple juice or orange juice
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons minced shallots
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Combine the apple cider/apple juice/orange juice, apple cider vinegar, and shallots in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the liquid is reduced to about 1/4 cup. Take off the heat, whisk in the mustard, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Serve while squash is warm: it will slightly wilt the arugula.

It was a little more mustardy than I care for so I made a quick little vinaigrette with the cider vinegar.  I think any slightly sweet dressing would compliment the squash, but I also think the salad stood on its own.  That said, I could have been happy with just the butternut squash for lunch so I suppose it depends on your preference.

Weekend Update - It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Last Friday, it's a pretty good bet that I went to bed early. I don't remember. Friday is usually the day I try to do as little as possible. On Saturday, Little Miss and I sort of met friends at the Botanical Gardens. We met up with friends, but Little Miss was collecting stamps so couldn't stop and chat and then they had to go. Afterwards, we met with Sister-in-Law and Nephew though. In the meantime, Little Miss and I took lots of pictures and enjoyed the unseasonably warm weather. The four of us went to lunch and then Little Miss and I went home. I napped, and she may or may not have. That night, Little Miss went to bed while I stayed up and watched Saturday Night Live while it actually aired on television. Weird!

On Sunday, I woke up with Little Miss for our morning routine of playing board games.  I lost as is tradition - and not because I fix the games so she wins.  Then, I had a Christmas lunch with my friends.  Yummy food, good friends followed by gifts and pedicures is the way to celebrate a holiday.  I'll post the recipe in a separate post in case you want to give it a go.  We've been on a good new food kick lately.  I've decided that Husband and I need to try a new food a week instead of Little Miss (or in addition to anyway).  We've fallen off the new food wagon.  When I got home Sunday, I tidied a little when I realized how little time I had to do so this week before we hosted Christmas Eve and played more board games with Little Miss.  She received Monopoly Junior for Christmas so far, and I've lost a couple of rounds of that game.  The rules are much easier with the junior version, but the kid will be a great Monopoly player.  She hates spending money and is very particular on what she purchases.  She's an evil landlord, too. 

Week 20

We're halfway there! Not scary at all. Really. You can find more information here, but we had the big 20 week ultrasound. The radiologist and tech estimated the baby weighs about 13 ounces but is measuring a couple of days behind where we are which is normal and doesn't mean too much. It's not an exact science and the due date is probably a little off. It was confirmed that it is a boy (again). He is still very active, mostly at night. All the ultrasound photos were blurry because he was constantly moving hands, legs and body. Everything seems to be progressing as it should, no cause for alarm.  Unfortunately, Husband had to work and couldn't make the ultrasound, but I brought my mom.  It was nice to have someone with me, and she had a lot of enthusiasm and would have asked the same questions Husband would have had.

Poor Little Miss is very eager to feel the baby move and hasn't had any luck so far.  Maybe this weekend, I'll have a bit of chocolate and see if she'll get lucky.  He seems to quiet down whenever she is near or talks to him.  Last night, she was quiet so he didn't know she was there and she just barely felt some movement. Next doctor's appointment is in two weeks.

Weekend Update - Christmas Preparations

I'm pretty sure we did nothing on Friday which is our favorite activity - though I think I tidied up a little. On Saturday, Little Miss was picked up at noon to do some holiday preparations with the In-Laws and to spend the night at their apartment. This gave Husband and I the oppportunity to make and freeze 211 potato and cheese pierogi. Husband made the filling the night before, but we have a nice system down to making them. I hooked up the iPad and watched a movie while he watched college football. We were a well-oiled machine. We were done in time to watch Saturday Night Live. 

We slept late on Sunday. I hit the grocery store in the afternoon and then Little Miss came home. The weekend seemed like it flew (because it did).

Week 19

The baby is the size of a mango which always makes me want to have a margarita because that's how I like my mangoes. He is 6" long and about 8 ounces. You can find more here.

Last weekend, there was definitely a party in my tummy (inside joke for those who have the Yo Gabba Gabba soundtrack). Even Husband got to feel a few kicks and said he expected the baby to break out of confinement at any moment. It's been pretty quiet since then though. I felt some flutters with Little Miss, but she wasn't a kicker. This is quite unmistakable.

The doctor appointment was pretty uneventful. I gained a little weight from 4 weeks ago, but I lost a little from 2 weeks ago, but overall they were happy. I'm much bigger despite my weight dipping ever so slightly. I fit into practically nothing except the same few pieces of clothing, but I don't quite fit into maternity clothes which is so very helpful. Hope work enjoys the few outfits I wear because they'll see them a lot. Maybe I'll buy some scarves or big earrings to throw them off.  This time, he found a heartbeat right away which was nice and less stressful.  We have our big 20-week ultrasound to check on the development and verify gender next Wednesday.  So, that'll be our next milestone and opportunity to exhale a little more.

 

Weekend Update - Breakfast with Santa (and Nephew)

On Friday, I met a friend for dinner (well, she had a snack and I had yummy Pad Thai) and a movie. It was really relaxing and fun. The local theater was redone early this year and now has full recliners so you get a nice roomy, comfortable seat. You do need to reserve your seat so you have to buy your parties' tickets together, but it's a small price to pay for the ultimate comfort.

A long time ago, we promised Nephew that he could have a sleepover. We had already rescheduled a couple of times, and it finally happened.

He arrived on Saturday, and he and Little Miss played really well together building with this fort kit we have (it's really giant tinker toys). Then, he brought a SpongeBob gingerbread set to decorate. The three of us did that for a few minutes before the kids got bored, and I had to finish it up. I'm blaming the kids though because it looked like a 6 and 8 year old decorated it. They probably could have done a better job.

They bickered a bit the rest of Saturday, and we thoroughly underestimated how long the bedtime routine would take, but they finally fell asleep. They have totally different sleep habits between lots of night lights and very few night lights, between silence and music. So, it took awhile for them to settle down.

On Sunday, they woke early and played. Husband and I lounged in bed for a little while, but then it started to snow and the kids were super excited and came in to tell us. At that point, we got up and got ready for Breakfast with Santa. The kids were great (though ours was admittedly cranky). We had French toast or pancakes, sausage and juice and then the kids met Santa. The pictures came out really cute. After Nephew headed home, Little Miss and I baked chocolate peanut butter cup brownies and then took a little nap. Then, it was dinner, eating the brownies and bedtime again.

The power went out Sunday night a couple of times so Little Miss was a little unsettled, and we all slept poorly, but Husband and Little Miss stayed home which probably helped. Little Miss had a snow day while Husband had a delay but worked from home. I was jealous, but I had a lot of work to do and got most of it done so it all worked out for the best.

Oh, I forgot!  Saturday morning, we finished decorating the tree so we're officially decorated for Christmas.  We have a handful of Nativity scenes, one of which is the Fisher Price one.  It is a massive set that spans most of our living room.  It was nice to see it get some play this year for the first time in the 3 years we've had it.  Now if only Little Miss wouldn't set off all of the sound features at the same time, we'd be good.

Make Room

We haven't really put much thought to where to put the baby.  To start, he'll go in our room so Little Miss can get some sleep because someone in the apartment should.  Little Miss asked where he would sleep when he came.  He said he could sleep in her room.  She would just need some room to get out of bed.  So, she gestured and said, "Here could be the crib" and then another gesture, "and here is some room" and then another gesture, "and here's my bed."  We thought it was very generous of her, and she may have to share her room, but he wouldn't start off there.  When we told her how often babies wake up in the night, she agreed.

When You Should Call for Your Mommy in the Middle of the Night

Last week, Little Miss went to bed late after our Hanukkah party.  I was frustrated because I hate to get up out of bed when I'm sleeping.  Also, I knew Monday morning was going to be challenging because she went to bed late.  Husband offered to get up, but she told him she needed me.  So, I was ready to sternly tell her to go back to sleep.  I went trudging to her bedroom and, when I got there, she was covered in her own blood (well, I like to assume it was her own).  I'll give the kid this one.  Good call on calling for Mommy. 

She stayed pretty calm though her eyes showed a bit of panic.  I got her tissues while I stripped the bed and, once she was done with the tissues, we washed her face and hands up and got new pajamas.  She went to bed pretty quickly after that, but I left her some extra tissues just in case.

The next day, Husband said he could have helped her, but she told him it was big so she needed Mommy.  It's flattering, but I also really love my sleep.