Wordless Wednesday: Christmas Traditions

I grew up "moving the mouse" to count down to Christmas.  This year is Alaina's first year helping to "move the snowman."

She also likes to pretend the little snowman is a telephone.

I love seeing four stockings hanging on the mantle.

Not a Christmas tradition, but a nice shot of Joya enjoying her very best friend, the singing/blinking star.

Quick 5

1.  My dear friend Becky has been doing a feature called the Quick 5 on her blog for a long time now.  She usually posts it on Friday and uses it as a quick update on her family or whatever else she is thinking of.  I love it.  And so, inspired by her, I may just steal it and make it regular feature here.  I think I may be able to come up with five things to say each week.

2.  Joya is so smiley.  I was hoping that by naming her Joya she would be a little person filled with joy.  Well, she just may be.  It is so cute, except when she's smiling at me when she's supposed to nursing.  Then it's just messy.

3.  I caught Alaina starting to climb up our bookshelf this morning.  Scared the life out of me.  That bookshelf is not stable enough for a 28 pound toddler to climb.  I gave her a lecture and prayed that the Lord would protect her life, since she is filled with foolishness, and I can't watch her every second of her life.

4.  We're going to go look at a town home tomorrow.  Not to buy, just to rent, but I'm excited about it.  I have searched the entire Denver-metro area (via internet) and have not found this amount of space for the amount of money they are asking in rent.  I'm hoping it will work out.

5.  Which means we might be moving mid-January.  I think moving is a little like childbirth.  A crazy amount of not-fun work, but you forget about what it truly entails mere months after the event, and so you are willing to do it again. 

Hmm.  This quick 5 is not as good as Becky's but it's my first one.  I'll get better at it, I promise.

Oh Toddler

A conversation held in our house yesterday:

rustle, rustle, rustle

"Alaina, what are you doing?"

"I busy!  Stay there!"

Of course I had to go see what she was getting into.  It wasn't anything bad.  This time.  But the whole exchange unnerved me.

One Month Stats

I took Joya to the doctor today for a slightly unnecessary well-baby check-up.  Our lovely pediatrician told me at our four-day-old check-up that I really didn't need to bring her in until she was two months old, but she would be delighted to see us if I wanted to come in sooner.  Well, I was concerned that Joya wasn't getting enough to eat.  Not only do I have to practically force-feed her, but when she does nurse she only nurses for a grand total of about 8 minutes.  I'm not kidding or exaggerating either.  So to the doctor we went.

Joya now weighs 9 lbs, 11 oz.  That's about a 2 pound weight gain since her initial visit.  I'd say (okay, the doctor says) that she's getting plenty to eat.

She also was 22 inches.  I think.  Joya wiggled around a lot, and at first the nurses thought she had grown 3 inches, but that's crazy.  They settled on 22 inches.  All I know is that she is long enough to fit in a 3-month outfit.  She doesn't exactly fill it out yet, but her toes reach all the way down to the bottom of the little feet. 

And, Alaina touched a fish in the exam room.  It was a good check-up.

Doing What Little Girls Do

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

The girls and I went to Kohl's yesterday.  I had something I needed to return, but it turned out it didn't come from there.  No worries, because it's "fun to walk at Kohl's" (according to Alaina.)  She's right.  Especially now, when everything is decked out for Christmas.

We ended up back in the home section, looking at Christmas decorations.  And I found the perfect ornaments for the girls this year.  And they were 40% off, so I ignored the fact that it was only November 8th, and bought them.

I love them.  And I'm actually a little sad because Joya's Baby's First Christmas ornament is way better than Alaina's.  I think I might have been in panic mode when I bought Alaina's, because it wasn't the greatest, but it was one that said "Baby's First Christmas."  Oh well.  It is what it is.  I love Alaina's ornament for this year, so maybe that will make up for it.

In other sad news, I don't think we'll be able to put up our Christmas tree this year.  Our tiny place has gotten much smaller with the introduction of Joya and all the paraphernalia she comes with.  Adding a tree would cut Alaina's already tiny play area in half.  So because they are young, we will probably just forgo that joyous tradition.  We'll have to admire the ornaments as they sit on the counter this year.

Aren't they great?

 

Growing By Leaps And Bounds

Today at lunch, Alaina used a big girl cup for the first time.

Also, after room time, I found her with her pants completely off.  She's never done that before.  Thank goodness she left her diaper on, because it was dirty.

She's getting so big.