Christmas Cookies!

Well, St. Nicholas came on Thursday night and filled our stockings (I don't like the shoes) but we haven't opened them because A has to let mommy and daddy sleep enough so they have the energy to open them. Part of the tradition we are trying to create is also making cookies. We make graham crackers, but since they are rolled we can use cookie cutters and make "mans" and Christmas tees! We also made some jingle bells, but they aren't pictured here.

A few funny things from this week courtesy of A:

•  <person> you have 2 options, go to time out or go set- up church
•  "Why are you up?" asked Chris, "Because the sun is," was the response before 7 one morning. (However, because the sun is down is not a good reason to get ready for bed)
•  Um...just not yet. We hear this when asking to go potty, clean-up, get ready for bed, so just about everything.
•  He has a pooooopy piaper.

G is starting to be awake more, though he still sleeps a lot as he is growing a lot. He is really getting control of his head, so that's a good thing. He is kind of panicky and we think it is from the crushing hugs he gets courtesy of his big sister. She also really likes to give him kisses and often tries to pick him up, not realizing he weighs about half as much as she does.

We managed to not get a lot of the ice predicted in the storm today, it was just a bit wet with some ice, but nothing appreciable and no accumulation except on random trees.

Pediatrician Visit

We all went to the pediatrician today for G's 3 week appointment. He is now weighing in at 10 lbs and is 22 inches. He's grown a lot, and put on a fair amount of weight. The nurse was kind of upset when I told her that he sleeps on his stomach, but since they only theorize that SIDS is caused by stomach sleeping I don't really care. I'd rather be honest and get my hand slapped then lie to the docs. The doc was good about getting A involved in the check-up. He asked her name and his name and let her listen to the stethoscope.

Miss A is doing better with it just being the three of us at home. We try and do one excursion a day and take a nap. She is getting a lot more sleep so I'm sure that helps with the attitude. We also have worked on our Christmas tree a lot this week and are getting ready for St. Nicholas Day, which is Friday. A is getting into St Nicholas Day, so we're excited about that. She also has opted to give honeybees as her Heifer gift this year, but says her little brother can't give anything.

Thanksgiving

I made jerk baked beans modified from the recipe here. I used what bacon we had, agave nectar for sugar, no garlic, but 2 shallots in place of garlic and onion. I also didn't make the seasoning separate. I just put everything in the crock pot. In the seasoning part of the recipe I substituted paprika and some cumin for the cayenne. I also used an entire bunch of green onions up to the greens as opposed to just 2 tsp. Cooked in the crock on high for 6 hours, stirring occasionally.

Overall we had a good day. We played outside in the sunny snow some, cooked some, cleaned some, played some. A woke us up early and was already dressed. Hopefully she won't do the early bit tomorrow, but the self dressing would be nice. We are slowly getting over the jealousy thing, and hopefully will be able to put it behind us soon.

G is doing well. Eats, sleeps and makes diapers. Is overall a pretty chill baby at this point, and hopefully that will last.

As both kids are sleeping I should be too. Hope everyone had a great turkey day and enjoyed a tryptophan nap.

Sheer Exhaustion

A has decided that sleep is for the weak. She has started waking up every 2 hours (max) and not going back to sleep really. Consequently, she has been up since around 3 this morning and kept us up as well. This morning she and I went to the library, grocery store and then out for coffee. We have tried putting her to bed anywhere from 745 to whenever she falls asleep and nothing seems to make a difference in her sleep quality or amount.

G sleeps like a champ currently and we wake him up changing the diaper he inevitably filled. Then he is also inevitably hungry, so he'll nurse himself into a milk coma. The process then repeats with him not quite coma-ing himself in the late morning and early afternoon.

Well, since everyone else here is napping peacefully I think I'll join them.

Interesting Week To Say The Least

This past week has been interesting to say the least. We got to go for a 1 week check-up for G, and he is doing well. He has up past his birth weight already, so we're good to go there. He is slightly jaundice, but that's to be expected from breast fed babies. All measurements look good apparently. :)

A has decided that she wants to be a holy terror. She is very unsure of her place in our new family, but very much loves her little brother. She is finally calling him a little brother, not a little sister. She told everyone that she was having a little sister while I was pregnant, and she seems to want to continue the trend now. She loves to give him kisses and let's us know when he has a stinky diaper. Nothing like a 2 year old to help out on that front. We try and express to her that all of us are unsure of our new place, but that it will just take some time to figure it all out. Hopefully we figure it out sooner rather than later.

Really other than the whole new baby thing not a lot is new here. Here are a few more pictures though. 

Meet G

Welcome our newest addition, G.
8 lbs, 2 ounces, 20 inches long, born 1900 11-12-13

Homework

A has liked doing homework for a while. Last weekend I brought a few pieces of work home to attempt getting ahead for the week and ended up with a chipmunk on my lap trying to help. It was interesting, though I'm glad she can't read quite yet so it didn't break any confidentiality clauses of my contract.

Yesterday we explored the Blowing Rock. My mom is in town and she wanted to go, so we went and had fun. The colors would have been significantly better two weeks or so ago, but you can still get a glimpse of the reds we enjoyed as they are the last to go from the trees.