More pictures!

Hello! We've been having a nice visit with Curtis's parents - they all say hi :)

We made a trip to WalMart and out to eat tonight, and I dressed Lucy up for the occasion :)

And then took some pictures of her in her cute little outfit!

Lucy was up a lot last night; I'm thinking growth spurt...she just seemed hungry! Maybe she'll give me some longer breks tonight!

Merry Christmas!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! Ours was so special. I have to admit, I was the first one up this morning and it was hard not to wake up everyone else!

Here is Toby with all his Christmas goodies:

And Lucy with her Christmas fun (yes she's trying to nurse off the bunny, lol. It was time for her to eat but mama wanted to get in a quick picture :)
Here is a picture from before the Christmas Eve service last night. Not the greatest pic, but it's nice to have one with all of us in it.

A picture of Curtis and my favorite gift this year :)
Toby in his new playhouse on the back porch:
We really did have a great Christmas. We opened most the gifts this morning, then stopped for breakfast (I had made an egg casserole last night and monkey bread), then finished up. Toby had a light lunch to hold him off, then we had a big dinner at 4:30 - turkey, stuffing, green bean casserole, and sweet potato souffle. Yum!

I still hear Toby playing in his crib...I guess just too much excitement to wind down :)

I hope you and yours had a wonderful Christmas. We sure did!

RIP Coral Beauty

I am sad to say we lost our coral beauty yesterday. Curtis rearranged the tank and added some new rock, and with all the murky water, he couldn't always see his fish. Either he accidentally hit the fish with a rock or all the murky water made him sick, either way, he died yesterday afternoon. I think Curtis is more irritated at the monetary loss than anything. We will replace him, sometime after the new year.

But while rearranging he had some fun with the clownfish. They kept trying to attack him (and got in one good bite!)

Toby lounging in his chair and singing to Christmas tunes
Lucy's 1 week picture
A close up of her cute little face!
I can't believe tomorrow is Christmas Eve already. Time has really snuck up on me this week! Curtis and I are both really excited about playing Santa this year...Toby is 0ld enough that he should really enjoy Christmas morning. He has already opened a present from his Secret Santa and he is still loving that one gift - imagine his face when he wakes Christmas morning and there are presents under the tree!

Anyway, have a wonderful weekend! It is rainy and damp here. Go figure - the first day in a week in the 60's (aka, nice enough for Toby to really run around outside a while) and it's damp and rainy. I think the poor boy is getting sick and tired of the house...he pointed to the car this morning and said "Go, go"...not sure where he wanted to go, but he definitely is sick of being here!

My Christmas Babe

More pics :)

Today was good. Last night Lucia actually went a 4 hour stretch! Of course she was probably exhausted from sitting up with Daddy until 2am - she's quite the night owl right now. We're working on that though, and hopefully in a few more days she'll "get it" that day time is for play and night time is for sleep. One can hope, anyway.

We ventured out for the first time today! With Toby I was more than happy to stay home for the recommended 4 weeks, but I feel much better this time around (and I don't trust my husband to buy nursing bras for me) so we made a quick WalMart run. Lucy was happy to nap in her sling the whole trip and Toby sat in the cart seat was usual. It was a quick trip, but it still tired me out and I took a nice long nap this afternoon to make up for it.

Ok, time for an anecdote. When we first brought Toby home from the hospital, we did laundry non-stop. It seemed like everytime we laid him down in the crib his diaper would leak and we would need to wash the sheets so we'd have a clean set for the next time. We did NOTHING but laundry for the first weeks. Now this time we're doing cloth, and while we hoped it might stem some of those leaks, we were fully expecting to do nonstop laundry again.

And we are - but not from sweet little Lucy. No, she has yet to leak through on her sheets, although I'm sure that time is coming soon. The reason we're washing the kids clothes 1-2 times a day is from dear little Toby again. The boy has figured out how to wriggle out of his pants and undo his diaper, and apparently it's his newest favorite game in the mornings and naptime. Of course, he manages to pee all over the bed while the diaper is off, too, so once again, we're washing clothes and sheets ALL the time.

Hopefully, we have a solution. We bought a zip-up pajama from WalMart today and put it on him backwards at bedtime. We don't think he can reach the zipper, so *maybe* we'll be saved from doing yet ANOTHER load of laundry first thing tomorrow morning (we've done his sheets twice already today). The little stinker. You can't help but laugh though - who'd have thought getting undressed would be so much fun?

Taking a Break

My arms are rather full lately :) My daughter, Lucia Nadine, was born last Saturday, December 15th. I did finish one baby hat while in the hospital, but since we've been home I just haven't been in the right mood to pick up my needles. Maybe once I'm getting more sleep and start thinking straight again.

Day 4

I know this is blurry, but I liked the pic under the tree...I may play around and try to get a better pic sometime this week.

This is Lucy and mama yesterday...Toby is in the chair behind us eating his snack :)

We went to the pediatrician today - she's back to her birthweight! Yay! We are also in cloth full time now - and we have no disposibles for backups. She sure has a fluffy bum! But that's ok - she's still too small for 0-3 month clothes, so with her big cloth diapers, the 0-3 m pants actually fit!

Toby had a good day yesterday and today - well, excepting his skipped nap today. Still, he loves Lucy so much already - he was pretty mad when I left with her for the ped's!

Well, enjoy the pics and I will post more another time!

Posting Record

Yes, this is a record breaking 3 posts in one day! But I got a cute picture tonight and wanted to share it too :)

Some pics :)

Ok I have a few more pics! We've been busy with other things and the camera just hasn't been clicking much :)

Daddy and Lucy

Ok, well I thought this one was clear - sorry it's a little blurry
Her coming home outfit :) I made the pants and hat and dyed the shirt myself
Things are going well!

Home!

Ahhhh, we're home! Lucy stayed under the bili lights last night, and when they checked her levels at 6 this morning, she tested low enough that they're no longer worried about her jaundice. They told me what to watch for, and we're taking her to the ped on Wednesday, but we'd probably be going in then whether she had the jaundice or not. She's bfing like a champ! And that is one of the best things to get rid of the jaundice.

Anyway, they released us around 10:45 this morning. I was so happy to get out of the hospital! My internet access gave up last night and I was Very Bored this morning, even with getting everything packed up and ready to go. So I'm happy to be home, even if it means laundry and getting things straightened up. I'm really trying to make myself take it easy - honestly, I feel great, but I know that I can overdo it if I'm not careful. But at the same time, it's hard to stay seated when there's so much to do and I do feel well.

Curtis took Toby on a grocery run, and Lucy is napping in her bassinet. That means a quiet house! I'm trying to enjoy it - I'm sure a quiet house is quickly going to become a hot commodity. Lucy is pretty sleepy today - she's waking to eat, then right back to sleep. I hope that doesn't mean she's saving all her energy for tonight!

I will try to work on some more pics later - hopefully Lucy will wake up enough later to get some pics! She's just been sleeping all day so far :)

Update

Well, we're still in the hospital! I am ready to be discharged, but Lucy's bilirubin levels are high, so they are keeping her under bili lights for now. She is in the nursery under bright blue lights unless I am feeding her. But her levels were just slightly elevated, so the nurses are upbeat that when they recheck her levels at 11 tonight she will be released from the lights and back with mom :) So hopefully we will be going home tomorrow morning!

I am doing really well. Curtis and Toby were in to visit today twice, so that definitely helped to break up the day. I can't wait to get home though!

Introducing Lucia Nadine!

Our little Lucy arrived today! First of, what you all want - the pics :)




And now the story:

Last night (Dec 14th) I sort of thought my water had broken around 11:30, but I wasn't sure. About the same time I started getting contractions at 7-8 minutes apart, but they weren't terribly painful - although they were definitely different from the braxton hicks I had been getting. Curtis and I stayed up a little late, but they didn't seem to be changing so we decided to try to get some sleep after finishing packing my hospital bag. Suprisingly, we both slept rather well! This morning I woke about 6:30, and when I got out of bed, I started feeling the contractions again right away. I started timing them and they were 2-3 minutes apart! I didn't wait long to get Curtis up - I said I think this is it, get up and moving! By 8:30 we had Toby up and were out the door to drop him off at friends on our way to the hospital. By this point the contractions were almost constant and very painful. We got to the hospital and checked in - at 9 I was in triage and the measured me at 8 cm! They very quickly readied a room for me, and in an hour I was ready to push! Lucia took 24 minutes to make her entrance into the world - she was born at 10:24 this morning, weighing in at 8 lbs, 10 ounces, and 20 inches long! She has a head full of hair and chubby cheeks :) She has taken to feedings very well so far.

I am doing well too - this recovery is leaps and bounds better than my recovery with Toby. I hope it continues to go as well. But a short labor after a full night's sleep certainly makes a difference!

Toby spent about 3 minutes fascinated with his little sister - then he was off to explore all the fun buttons of a hospital room :) Needless to say, he and daddy didn't stay too long! They ate dinner with me though.

I haven't heard for sure, but I'm hoping to go home tomorrow. Both baby and I are doing really well so far. Enjoy the pics - I'm sure there will be more soon!

Happy early Christmas to us!

Lights! Lights!

This afternoon we made another trip to the park, then this evening we went to a local Christmas lights show!

It was a small area, filled with lights, and the lights were all synched with music - it was really neat! Toby loved it...he really didn't want to leave.

I took a few photos - not great since it was dark, but something to remember it by anyway :)

There is a chill in the air - tomorrow it's supposed to cool off further. But the chill definitely makes it feel more like Christmas!

Finished Bumblebee Backpack

It's done! This was a fairly fast project, very easy, and very fun!

Here is the front of the backpack:

The back (the straps are really long right now, we're going to cut them shorter after we adjust it to fit him)

And a detail of the zipper:

I really wasn't sure how this would turn out - I'm always nervous when trying something new, but I'm thrilled with the end result. The felted fabric is nice and thick, and is the perfect size for him to take a change of clothes, diapers, and a cup with him to MOPS. I know he's going to love it, and as tempting as it is to give it to him now, I'm saving this one back for Christmas. It's just killing me to wait though, lol!

A pic especially for the Gmas :)

I found this t on clearance last year after Christmas and picked it up - fits perfectly this year! If you can't make it quite out, it says "Look Out Santa Here Comes Grandma" :)

For my bday we went to the park and then out to eat. Toby had a blast at the park - here's a pic

Unfortunantly most my pics ended up blurry that day for some reason, but that is the best I have.

This morning I got a REAL treat - Curtis had to run some errands at work, and he took Toby with him! I've had the whole morning to do laundry, finish wrapping presesnts and get some things ready for the post office, run the sweeper (it's a real help when I can kick Lex outside and Toby isn't fussing at me either on the sweeper), get some other things picked up...of course now I'm pooped, but I got some things DONE. The boys should be home any minute for lunch - good thing too, because I'm starved! I haven't had this productive of a morning in a long time and I have to keep reminding myself to rest a little in between so I don't wear myself out!

Looks like they're home! BBL!

Bumblebee Backpack

It is really coming along! I am so excited about this one. It's done knitting, and is now drying after being felted last night. I am off to buy a zipper this afternoon, and then once it's dry I will sew on the zipper and straps. I think I am more excited about this project than I've been about anything in a long time :) DS is going to love it, and it's turning out better than I expected!

Family Picture

Yesterday was Curtis's work party, so while we were all festive, we decided to take a picture in front of the tree! I was pleasantly suprised that we got a decent picture at all...here it is:

And then we took a few of Toby...Curtis really got some good smiles out of him! Here's my favorite!
Just thought I'd share - hope you all are having a nice weekend!

2 Videos and Christmas Lights

Here are our Christmas lights on the house! Curtis has been hard at work on this project :)

And second of all, 2 short videos! I think these are super cute, but I'm not biased or anything. The first is self-explanatory, the second is after mommy taught Toby to do something naughty, but it was too cute not to video, lol! In my defense, learning to blow is an important life-skill though!

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Horoscope

I'm not much of a horoscope person, but sometimes I check mine just for fun.

Here is today's:

Michelle - Horoscope for Dec 6 "Someone close to you knows just how to bring a little more excitement into your life. You may have been expecting it, but this is the day."

And if that weren't clear enough, here's Toby's...

Horoscope for Dec 6 "You'll have everything going according to plan until someone throws a wrench in the works by having his or her timing all off."

I told Curtis and he just rolled his eyes. I told him to make sure his cell was charged while he's at school today!

In other news, Curtis picked up 4 new fish last night. They are all still alive this morning, thank goodness, but get this: Curtis got up early this morning to study, and while he's studying he hears a "splat!"...checks it out and sure enough the citron goby had flown the coop...THANK GOODNESS he waited until this morning to try this little stunt! Part of the tank was uncovered and the goby made a leap for it. If he'd tried this overnight we would have had a dead fish, or had Curtis not been studying in a quiet house he'd never heard it...or God forbid the dog have been in the kitchen...

Needless to say the tank is completely covered now.

Ooh, I HAVE to try this!

I've been looking for a toddler sized backpack for my son (1.5), but I'm rather picky. I don't like characters and I'm cheap :)

SO.....I turn to my trusty resource, Knitting Pattern Central, and look what I found! This pattern for a felted backpack is too cute! While I love the backpack just the way it is written, I'm going to be cheap and use what I have here at home...some yellow and black, I'm thinking stripes!

I have one project that I've been procrastinating on that I will make myself finish before starting the backpack, just because the lure of the backpack will make me knit faster :)

Maybe, just maybe, I can finish it before Christmas and it can be wrapped under the tree.

The Coral Beauty Reveal

Here is a look at the newest addition to the family!

Curtis bought the Coral Beauty, a type of angelfish, 2.5 weeks ago. The fish has been quarantined in a seperate tank for that time, and has been hiding pretty effectively in there.

Tonight Curtis moved the fish into the main display. He must love it in there because he has been swimming around and really checking the tank out! He really is beautiful, and the pics don't do him justice.

Lesson Learned

Bit of advice here...

Don't start a pair of baby socks, knit 1, then come back and try to knit the other 4 months later with no idea of what pattern you were using.

It probably won't work. :)

You can't really see the differences in the pic, as I strategically overlapped the two, but they are definitely different! Oops! :) Not a huge difference, and they are probably usable, especially if DD has one foot about 1/2 inch longer than the other. LOL!

He finally warmed up to Santa!

We had one failed attempt to see Santa yesterday, in which Toby refused to let go of Daddy and the tears were on their way, so we hightailed it out of there, with the idea that there would be no picture with Santa this year. I know we can always go to the mall, but I can't stand the prices they charge there, and I would like a picture, darn it!

Today though we were at WalMart, and they announced over the loudspeaker that Santa was seeing children, and you get a FREE 5x7 for stopping by. We figured, why not? The store was pretty dead so there couldn't be much of a line.

There was one person in front of us, so we didn't feel rushed to get Toby on and off, so he was able to warm up a little. He still wasn't interested in sitting on Santa's lap, but we were able to get him on the horse next to Santa (quick thinking, Daddy!). I was so pleased with the picture, even if Toby wasn't dressed for Christmas at all, but to get a picture at all made me so happy! Toby even gave the Big Man a high five before we left :)


Today I started my Holiday Baking (hence why we were at WalMart this morning). I started with sugar cookies - I had never made a cutout cookie before, so I was a little aprehensive, but they came out well! They taste ok - like your regular sugar cookie, nothing special, but at least they don't taste bad. And they look good! ;)

I've been practicing to take some nice pics of Toby in front of the year - trying to get the settings right on the camera before we pull out all the props, etc., and this practice pic came out so great I had to share it. There is no way I will ever get this good a smile out of him when I have him dressed up, but oh well, lol!

And finally, a video. Now the video isn't nearly as cute as this is in real life, but you can kind of get the idea. One day this week I asked Toby if he stunk (he clearly did), and he leaned over and smelled himself. I about fell out of the chair laughing. So now everytime you ask him if he stinks, he leans over and takes a good wiff! HAHA!

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

It's a cool day today - cloudy and dark. It was a nice day to start holiday baking! This week is Curtis's last week of classes already. I can't believe his semester is so close to being over...and with that, this baby will be here SOON! All of a sudden I am ready for her...for the longest time I kept thinking I am not ready for 2, but I think I am just to the point where I am so big that I want her OUT!

Have a great week!

Chel