Our Christmas Weekend

Get ready for some pictures here over the next week. Lots and lots and lots of pictures, in fact. To say I went a little crazy with the camera this weekend might be a little bit of an understatement.

But, in my defense, we did quite a few picture worthy things in the last few days, so it's not really my fault. It's the Christmas season.  Brigid's almost first Christmas season, actually, since she wasn't much more than a baby lump last year. And everything we do? I feel the need to document it.

Plus, she's just so darn cute. Always.

Anyway, for Christmas this year, my sister got Steve a gingerbread kit, so he and Brigid could build a house together, and he decided Saturday morning was construction time. Notice Brigid is still in her pjs?  We get a slow start on the weekends around these parts...

Brigid was much more concerned with the decorations than the basic construction of the house.  That's my girl!

She's very helpful, that kid. She wanted to make sure her dad was doing it right...

...and I'm not so sure she thinks he is!

But she got him back on track.

It's not quite what the box promised, but I'm impressed with the effort on the finished product, anyway.  Apparently, the icing is a lot tougher than it looks. In fact, after all of the work I saw go into it, I'm almost afraid to eat it.

Almost.

When mom's away...

...Brigid plays with trash!

She looks comfortable, no?

Actually, this box is not trash. It was emptied out solely because Brigid was fascinated with it. And while I've been working late this week, this is what has been occupying her time, I guess.

I am so glad I bought her things that I wanted for Christmas. She is obviously easily pleased with anything...

Bath Time!

Tuesday night, as Brigid sits in a draining bathtub, making as much of a mess as she can in the little water that is left:

Me: Ready to get out, Bug?

Brigid: Na (accompanied by a very emphatic head shake)

Me: Come on, kiddo.  It's time to get out.

Brigid: Na (more head shaking, this time accompanied by fake splashing)

Me: Aren't you cold, Bug?  There's no water left!

Brigid: makes Brigid kissing faces at me...

Me: Aw, does mommy get a kiss?!?!

Brigid: Na (now with head shaking, fake splashing, and giggling)

Me: Do you want to go get your monkey?

Brigid: turns and immediately reaches for me to get her out of the tub.

Moral of the story?  Brigid is rotten, her first word is apparently no, and mommy gets no kisses, but the monkey gets priority response.  And on a completely related note...I maybe need to look into picking up another damn monkey or two.  Think it will have the same effect when we're discussing curfew sixteen years down the road?

This and That

Anyone know of a good recipe for this?

Oh, white elephant gift exchanges...you slay me so!

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Ever tried to give a toddler an angry look after she hits you in the face with a toy, only to find it impossible not to laugh at how funny she thinks she’s being?

Yeah, me neither.

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I think we should all try to be more like this guy:

And I really think your neighbors would agree.

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Once again, dad needs to step away from the business of toddler fashion decision making…

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I went out twice this weekend. Twice! Friday night, Steve and I went to the Cirque Dreams holiday show with his mom and sister, as part of our Broadway series in Atlanta season ticket package. I have to say, this is not on my list of shows I’d like to see again. It was like a compilation of cheesy basketball game halftime shows, with a quick change act, some jump-ropers, and a bicycle thrown in for good measure. All we needed was a dog chasing Frisbees, and my night would have been complete.

The highlight of the night? Well, for those of us not sitting next to him, anyway? The crazy man in our row who became just a bit too involved in the show (in every show, basically…he’s a season ticket holder too, so we’ve had some experiences with him), to the point that he jumped out of his seat at the slightest provocation, while shouting ‘COME ON!’ (loudly, I might add) at every change of clothes the quick change artists presented to the audience. Seriously, has he never seen America’s Got Talent? This stuff is old news, man.

Saturday night, I went out with some friends for what was supposed to be dinner and drinks at a small Mexican restaurant. Except that we had an hour+ wait for a table, so it turned into drinks and dinner. And by the time we finally sat down to eat, I was so hungry, I basically ate my weight in chips and cheese and guacamole, in addition to my dinner order. And when I finally came up for air, I was so tired and full that I wanted nothing more than to be magically transported to my bed, no travel necessary. In fact, my car was at my sister-in-law’s house, and I legitimately considered sleeping on her couch or calling Steve to come get me because I couldn’t fathom how I was going to stay awake for the three mile drive back to my own house. That’s how tired I was after dinner.

So, imagine my shock when I got in the car and realized that it was only 9:30! On a Saturday night!

My college self would be so embarrassed of me right now.

Decisions, decisions

So, as I was going over the journal I kept while I was pregnant, I realized something...

I was a whiny, obnoxious git.

This whole flashback thing might not last very long.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

I went to the doctor today, and the forms I had to fill out asked me if I had any new medical information to add…surgeries, illnesses, etc.  I wrote that I thought I was pregnant.  After I peed in a cup and the nurse came in to take my blood pressure reading, she said “Happy birthday and congratulations.  You are definitely pregnant.”  Good times.  She also proceeded to ask me if this was a good thing or not.  She looked relieved when I said yes.  I’m supposed to go back on March 13^th for all of the baby tests, so that’s something to look forward to.  The only problem is that my doctor doesn't deliver at Northside Hospital, which is apparently the only place I should ever consider giving birth, according to everyone I know who has ever given birth in the city of Atlanta.  So there may be a change in doctor in my future…

I decided to tell immediate family, once I received the official confirmation, and since everyone would be calling to wish me a happy birthday anyway, today seemed as good a time as any. All in all, everything went pretty well.  My family is excited for me (apparently, Mary is in a little bit of shock, too, but that’s just because she’s used to being the baby, I think), and I have some people I can call and complain to. Only 2 more months before I can tell everyone else!

Thursday, February 19, 2009

I was fine in the morning, followed by nothing but nausea all afternoon.  I hate progesterone. 

Friday, February 20, 2009

Morning sickness today, perfectly fine this afternoon.  Oh, the unpredictability.  Mom called today to see how I was feeling.  She’s mad because I won’t let her tell the rest of the family the news yet, but apparently she’s made up for it by telling some of the teachers she works with, instead, because she said she had to tell someone.  Getting a little antsy, that one...

Asleep on the couch at 9:30pm.  I told our friends Steve was sick, so we couldn’t go out with them. I am a rockin’ good time these days.

  

Saturday, February 21, 2009

We toured Northside Hospital this afternoon.  I was the only member of the group who wasn’t due in the next month or two, so when it came time for my introduction, I made sure everyone knew a possible doctor switch was involved, so we were getting a head start.  I’m sure they all thought I was a complete tool.  I blame Steve.

Asleep on the couch at 10:30.  My sister is going to have an awesome time when she comes in next weekend!

The Month That Was - November

Brigid can point out her nose, her eyes, and her belly button.  She can also show you mommy and daddy's nose, eyes, and belly buttons, if you ask her.  She poses for the camera.  She asks for nom-noms when she gets hungry or thirsty.  She can open doors without any help from anyone, which stresses me out to no end.  It's a lot harder to corral her these days, what with all of the walking and the houdini-ing out of belts and straps and entire rooms now.

Brigid made her fourth (Maybe?  I can't quite keep track these days...) trip to Indiana.  She celebrated her second Thanksgiving, in much better fashion than her first.  We decorated for Christmas and visited Santa Claus, and generally set the poor kid up for a lifetime of over-excitement regarding my favorite holiday.  She loves the Christmas tree and the Nativity set and all of the singing stuffed animals.  Her dancing?  Maybe the funniest thing I've ever seen.

We've officially  moved from baby to toddler, which is a little more than I was ready for, but once again, I haven't been ready for any milestone we've hit, so this shouldn't come as a surprise.  

Steve and I snuck in a date night at the end of the month, leaving Brigid with his mother so we could go see a movie together.  This whole date night thing?  It might be something we need to start doing more of.  For people who are always in the same area at the same time (and I do mean always, since he works right down the hall from me), we really don't see that much of each other.  It's kind of weird...

But November, it was a pretty good month.  This next month?  There are parties and presents and a children's mass on the agenda.  A possible visit from my parents to look forward to.  A couple of days spent at the lake with all of Steve's family. Another new year to start.

I can hardly wait!

FYI - I finally set up a Twitter account for the blog, if you're interested...@taralynn404.  Stop by and say hi!

Thanksgiving Pictures

Oh, Thanksgiving.  So much food, so much family.  So much fun!  The drive is a little long (or, a lot long, if you ask Steve, as he is responsible for all of that driving...), but so worth it.

We spent Thanksgiving lunch at my Grandmother's (on my dad's side) and Thanksgiving dinner at my Great-Aunt's (on my mom's side), and Brigid did not stop walking the entire day.  Back and forth and back and forth.  Over and over and over again.  In fact, that's pretty much what she did the entire week.  We just walked circles around the house.  I wish my pedometer wasn't broken, because I'd like to know just how far I walk in a given day with that crazy kid.  This whole mobility thing is exhausting.


Not exhausting enough to help Brigid sleep much on the ride back to Georgia, unfortunately, but we made it home without too much trouble anyway, thanks in large part to a steady stream of children's videos on the Durango tv.  Of course, Brigid now starts pointing at the screen and grunting the minute we get in the car, even for a five minute drive, and the only videos that seem to calm her down are the Sesame Street performances by Jason Mraz and Feist, or the opening number from The Nightmare Before Christmas, but I guess that's just the price we pay for family tranquility in enclosed spaces.

This kid would be a lot of trouble if she wasn't so ridiculously adorable...