Monday, December 29, 2008

Conclusion - noun. con-clu-sion, the last main division of a discourse, usually containing a summing up of the points and a statement of opinion.

Our Christmas day was pretty slow, as were the days that followed. We got to enjoy the mid-70 degree weather on Christmas day with a walk, which was super nice (even though I prefer snow!). We took on the mall and even Target the day after Christmas to see what they were offering in sales. We got some great stuff at Target and tried to see 'Benjamin Button', but, a certain one year old baby had different plans. Caleb headed back to work today so I'm going through pictures and trying to catch up on house duties and laundry that I've been ignoring since before Christmas...Here are some pictures of our past week.
That wall needs some art! It's our very orange wall in X's room, you can see him crawling around behind me. I was getting him ready to go to the Christmas Eve service at church. That orange was on the wall when we moved in, the other walls are super bright yellow, which I'm planning on painting over, I think the orange will stay.
Here's a picture of our super cute house, you can even see some pf the lights from the Christmas tree through the window on the left. I love my wreath!
This is a random modern house just a couple blocks from ours. We like to drive around some of the random streets in our neighborhood to see what we can find, there is such a wide variety of architecture around here. Most of the houses are 20's mill houses that have either been refurbished or new houses built to look like them, and every once and a while a modern house is thrown in.
Can you believe this big boy??? Facing forward already.
All stripes on our Christmas day walk. We kept him in those pj's most of the day because they're so cute! That is a baby scarf made by our friend Stephanie, she sent two for mama and papa and on little one for the pumpkin. How cute!
We call this cupboard X's 'office', he gets to work very seriously when he's in there. It's hard work making big messes.
Here he is again, off to work. I think he almost got it all.

Friday, December 26, 2008

Receive - verb. re-ceive, To take into one's possession (something offered or delivered): to receive many gifts.

A super busy Christmas week followed by a super slow Christmas day! We were blessed enough to have Caleb's mom come visit the couple days prior to Christmas (she left Christmas Eve). We had so much fun getting to see X play with his Grandma, whom he hasn't met before now. We made a wonderful Christmas dinner on Tuesday night followed by some gift openings and then a relaxing time watching some movies. Here are a couple pictures from our Christmas celebration...
Caleb made an awesome cranberry sauce from fresh cranberries...I've never had them that way, I've only ever had the sauce that comes out of a can that's shaped like the can.
Look at our food! I got many gifts from Caleb this year, a couple of which were some really great kitchen pans I asked for. I really wanted to roast a ham, so he got me a roasting pan. Also, I made roasted sweet potatoes and bananas, yep, bananas...so good, ask for the recipe.
Flooper even got to open gifts. I mostly opened it but she ate most of them that night.
X is officially a pro at opening gifts now. Since he had lots of practice over his birthday he got right to it.
Papa got X his first tool kit, he got right to work.
Mama didn't see X behind her and accidentally hit him on the head...Caleb caught the response, classic.
X loved all his presents. He's the best at responding to seeing something he likes, he giggles like a maniac.
One of my many, many gifts, a gift certificate to the local coffee shop 'Smelly Cat', the BEST hot chocolate I've ever had. Seriously. I also got a beautiful necklace from Tiffanys, a TON of clothes and some great kitchen stuff I've been wanting for a long time.
Here's X-man, playing with one of his new toys. When the music starts playing he starts to dance to it, so cute.

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Yuletide - adj. yule-tide, Christmas or Christmastide; the feast of the Nativity of our Savior.

Christmas tree oh Christmas tree!!! Since we decided that we would be spending our Christmas in Charlotte we, more like I, felt the need to get a tree, even if it was WAY later than I would have wanted. Of course, had I had the foresight I would have gotten a tree in November to enjoy it for as long as humanly possible. And since the sanitation department will be collecting trees the first week in January I won't be able to enjoy it until Valentines Day, like I had originally planned. Yes, I'm that bad. We found the perfect tree and X even wore his lumber-jack outfit.
Searching for the perfect tree.
Look at the camera little one! Caleb looks so cute in this picture!
We found it! My favorite tree, exactly how much I said it would be too.
Me and the little man.
We were a little concerned about how to get the tree home, but the guys at the lot were professionals, they tied the tree to the roof of the Cabrio and we cruised home.
Papa and Xander enjoying the new tree.Here's an iPhone picture of the tree with the lights off. Usually I'm an all-white-lights and all-white-ornaments kind of girl, because when I cast the vision to those who dare to help me decorate I say, 'Just like Cinderella's dress', but I didn't mind branching off into some blue led lights and some pretty blue bulb lights. So, here you have it, the worlds most beautiful tree.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Hectic - adj. hec-tic, Characterized by intense agitation, excitement, confused and rapid movement, etc.

We always have busy weekends, one thing after another. That's how we like them but they always go by too fast. I think weekends should be 3 days instead of 2. We headed for The Counter, our new Saturday tradition, a custom burger bar, where we always eat too much, but it's SO good, X loves the sweet potato fries. From there we walk to the mall and took on the Christmas shoppers, a very busy day at the mall. We had dinner at the NODA pizza joint with a couple of Caleb's friends from work, (jacobchills.com was there!). And, my favorite part of the weekend, our church had it's Christmas service a couple weeks early to hit up those who would be traveling and gone over the holiday. X loved their pretty tree and all the Christmas lights, we had lunch there and went home and passed out. Well, we did that, Caleb went to the mall again, to get presents for me!!!
How to keep a baby busy: lemons!
Playin' around with mama, I love to hear him giggle.
Have to get bundled up before walking to the mall, it's only about a block but it's been pretty cold here lately. Not this week, but last week.
Having dinner at Revolution Pizza, a nice big group, and really good food!
So cute in his sweater vest, at church!
I had to watch him close, he liked to pull the balls off and carry them around.
A really great Christmas service followed by a really great pot-luck lunch!

Acquisition - noun. ac-qui-si-tion, The act of acquiring or gaining possession.

How to open presents, like a one year old...(with a little help from mom). Obviously, this is the shortened version, it takes a one year old quite a bit of time and help to open packages, and the prize is the journey, they don't really care what's inside. Xander was a champ, he likes ripping paper anyway. His Grandpa and Grandma in Minnesota sent him some presents and a pretty card with sparkles. This is his practice for Christmas.
Just enjoying the pretty boxes.
Mama's first tear...He didn't know that was possible and got excited.
Keep going...
Almost done with one!
One down one to go, much more efficient at the second one.
Ta-da! An adorable little outfit. X kept playing with the empty boxes and ripped paper.

Friday, December 12, 2008

Heartbroken - adj. heart-bro-ken, Crushed with sorrow or grief.

We had our first 'health emergency' as parents the other night. Poor little Xander has been battling a cold since Thanksgiving, I think being around all those people and maybe being in the rain at Stone Mountain really did us all in. I've been feeling pretty sick as well but I never got a fever. I was giving him Tylenol to try and battle it but apparently I wasn't giving him enough. The bottle is covered in warnings about giving your child the right amount, so I've got this major fear of overdosing, apparently it's a ridiculous fear. So, his fever was up and down for a couple days and I was keeping an eye on it closely. On Sunday it started out low; 99.1 and steadily increased until around 11:30 that night when he was burning to the touch and his temp was 104.6. Thank God for Caleb and his level head we headed over to the ER, I was in a controlled panic...
To make a long story short, we arrived at the ER, filled out paperwork, talked to the nurse and found out that I could have been DOUBLING the amount of Tylenol I've been giving him. She gave it to him and while we waited about an hour and a half for the doctor his fever went down, of course. I guess all parents have to go through this. The doctor informed me that there is no reason to panic about temperatures until it's over 106, good to know, would have liked to know before deciding to spend hundreds of dollars on a little bit of baby Tylenol.

Here's a very sad picture of a sick boy in the ER. Look at how adorable he is in that peach gown!

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Birthday - noun. birth-day, A day marking or commemorating the origin, founding, or beginning of something.

Can you believe it? I cannot believe my little baby boy has been in our life for one whole year!!! Happy birthday my X-man! So much has happened since you've been born. We've been to NYC, to Minnesota a couple times, we've moved and made many new friends! You're a big boy now, time to start carrying your own weight, all 20 lbs...
Just home from the hospital and time for bed with Papa. I remember he wouldn't nap in his little bassinet, he would cry when we put him in it, then I grabbed him and nestled him near his Papa. Still awake but very content. He was ALWAYS so adorable, probably the cutest baby ever.
Now look at this little boy. Such a grown up. Now he's a very busy guy, playing and walking and waving and clapping and trying to talk. I can't believe it! ONE YEAR!!!

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Sparkle - verb. spar-kle, To shine or glisten with little gleams of light, as a brilliant gem; glitter; coruscate.

The colors of Christmas according to Crate and Barrel. I love that store and I love Christmas. I get giddy looking through all the Christmas ornaments, even though I only buy the silver/white ones...no color on my Christmas tree. But I can't help but get drawn to the glitter and sparkle of all the beautiful colors on display. I grabbed the camera to see if I could capture a piece of the beauty.






Thursday, December 4, 2008

Sale - noun. Offered to be sold; made available to purchasers.

I've finished another owl piece to go with the first one I blogged about a couple weeks ago...I'm selling the new one, and actually both, if the price is right. I'm more attached to the first one. Give me a ring or email or whatever and we'll discuss.
This is the first piece. Larger owls in larger panes of glass.
There were 8 panes in this window so the owls are smaller and cuter. I love those little owls!

Thankful - adj. thank-ful, Aware and appreciative of a benefit; grateful.

It's been a very busy week-or-so! Thanksgiving was so much fun. We got to spend a very long weekend with a big part of my family (only one brother and wife couldn't make it). We left Wednesday morning when Jack (3rd older brother) and his family swung by Charlotte and picked us up for a ride into Atlanta. They showed up, we had muffins and orange juice and we headed down the road. Unfortunately, a 4 hour drive turned into a 6 hour drive while the babies enjoyed screaming at each other! We still had a good time though and we were excited to see everyone when we arrived. We had a good Thanksgiving and a really great small Christmas celebration and on Friday we had a rainy time Stone Mountain. A very fun weekend, full of board games and laughter, here are some pictures...
Isabella and Evan enjoy running around our little house before our long car ride. I'm sure they enjoyed the break from their even longer car ride.
Me, Misha and Courtney take some time to cuddle with the Ugly Doll between our Trivial Pursuit game. I'm not sure about Misha's expression here, clearly didn't approve of something.
These two were inseparable the entire weekend! And so cute! Isabella and Avery could be sisters...
Me, X and my dad, prepared for a big Thanksgiving feast. About to head over to the club house to meet up with the rest of the family.
Me and Misha.
My beautiful family, I love those guys so much!
I mean...
The moments of Xander and Evan noticing each other were adorable and usually pretty quick, that's why the picture is kinda blurry. That's Xander stealing Evan's paci.
Don't mess with me...I'm gangsta.
Nate and Ariel supplied all the kids with Bangladeshi clothes. They were so cute together! Ashi, on the way left, was SUPER cute in her baby sari...it showed off her favorite part of her body, her belly.
We're so excited to be surrounded with Christmas lights.
I mean....SO EXCITED.
I'm a tree hugger. But really only a Christmas tree hugger.
Caleb...bought X a coon-skin hat. Yikes. But it was so cute! I'm pretty sure he liked it too, when it wasn't on him he was playing with it and tried to put it back on himself.
Everyone was singing 'Happy Birthday' and he couldn't quite figure out what was happening. He just stood there looking at everyone. It was adorable. We let him go after the cupcake and he didn't waste any time. He didn't even taste it, just grabbed, squished, smeared and threw.
Here's the little one with Uncle Nate, waving goodbye! Poor X (and poor me) managed to catch a cold while we were away, no fun at all. We're currently holed up at home trying to get better.