The Making of a Christmas Card

It's that time of year!  Time for the obligatory Christmas card.  This was the events that led up to it.

It started with the lights on the tree.  They are just asking to be touched.

He helped unpack the ornaments.  Fun stuff!

Then he helped Daddy put ornaments onto the tree.

Then Mama started trying to get posed pictures.  This led to a meltdown.

A complete and utter meltdown.

After a nap, we tried sitting with the snowmen family.

It got a little too personal.

So we moved to the floor.  Maddux wanted in on it too.  But he looks drunk.

Then we pulled out the string of lights!  Oooo!  But the daylight behind wasn't right.

So we tried at night.   So bright!

Look at the glow! And the little piggys! 

We took many pictures.  

He was really enjoying himself this time.  It was hard to decide.

But this one made our card.  Minus the baby pen.

Meeting a Snowman

J made a new friend.  He was wary at first but he grew to love the snowman.

Hmm, who are you?

Are you real?

Oh!  You are real.  Interesting.

I think I like you.  Let me show you how much.

We need some alone time, Mama.

And then he showed the snowman his Christmas lights.  The snowman watched with intrigue.

Look, I'll show you.

See?  They're shiny.

Whoa.  I'll hold them up for you.

Do you like them Mr. Snowman?

I've asked J what we should name the snowman.  He hasn't answered me yet.

In Excess

I know many of you out there probably have this problem with your kids and I want to know:

What on earth do you do about it?

The issue:  Too many baby clothes.

I am in such excess of them.  They are taking over my closet in trash bags, plastic bins, and just piles.  What do I do with them?

I have pretty much kept everything for the potential of a second child but then what if it's a girl?  What if the sizes don't match with the season?

Should I keep them?

And if I do, what do I do with all of them? They are taking over my life.

I have such wonderful family and friends who have given me all of these clothes and I appreciate it so much.  I am just overwhelmed with the amount.

Should I pick through them and weed out those that are either beginning to show wear, that I may not like all that much, or just say the heck with it, you're out?

Does anyone have any tips on how to organize and store with limited space?

It really gives me a panic attack looking at all of it and trying to think about what to do with them.  So much so that I basically shut down, shut the door, and pretend all of it's not there.  Until I have to go into the closet again.

I need help.

And baby clothes that have itchy tags in them should all be burned.

Where did you go?

Hello.

How have you been?

It seems life has gotten in the way for me.   But that's good.  It meant time with M and J and just being us.  A lot has happened in the past few months such as:

J got his first molar.

J went apple picking for the first time!

J started walking.

J has increased his vocabulary to Mama, Dada, Hi, cheese, shoe, What's this?, moo, roar, up, and Goldfish (as in a favorite snack cracker).  It sounds more like ga-sish but he's working on it.

J transitioned to the young toddler room at day care and is loving it.  He's really thriving.

J went trick or treating for the first time.  He was a lion.  Roar!  He was thrilled.  See?  There were even tears of joy.

J has discovered Thomas the train.  The end.

I got a new job!

I have two more classes until I finish my bachelor's degree!  Four long years and I'm almost there.

I have had thoughts.

Lots of thoughts.

Such as:

Short sleeved sweaters are stupid.  Are you hot or are you cold?  If hot, why would you wear a sweater?  If you're cold, a short sleeved sweater is useless.  And short sleeved turtle neck sweaters?  What are those?  Don't even get me started on sleeveless turtle neck sweaters.

Haagen Dazs ice cream is colder than regular ice cream.

Is it weird that I think that?

Don't answer.

I'm still deciding if I like goat cheese.

Changing J's diaper is now like trying to rope and hold down a calf that is awaiting to be branded.

While J is awake there is no more sitting down, drinking a cup of coffee in peace, going to the bathroom alone, reading an email, eating a bite of anything, or keeping the toy area neat for even two seconds.

But it's awesome.

This is a great age and we are loving every minute of it.

Especially bed time.  It's the best time of day.

Hopefully I'll get on here more because I do have a lot of thoughts.  Sometimes they plague me and I need to get them out.  It's better to voice them here where I cannot see your facial expressions of disgust, confusion, and sympathy as I do from M.

Feeding J: More New Foods

It was a struggle there for a bit.  J wasn't interested in eating 'table' food.  But pretty much right around his first birthday, the floodgates opened and this boy wanted real food!

Some new favorites:

Pizza
Blueberries
Toast with butter or peanut butter
Peas! (picks those out from the carrots and green beans)
Baked beans
Corn
Feta cheese
Sundried tomato and spinach ravioli (he went mental for these)
Graham crackers
Ice cream
Bread
Pasta
Macaroni and Cheese
Mandarin oranges
Cucumbers

Not so much:

Cream of Wheat
Watermelon
Kiwi
The cupcake from his first birthday (what?!)

He's also doing really well with the milk.  Except that he likes to spit it out while using the sippy cup because he thinks it's funny.

We were told at his 12 month check up that he needs to put on some weight so we have to put a tablespoon of heavy cream (blech!) into his bottles (he still needs the formula at this point twice a day for weight gain) and put butter and olive oil on anything and everything he'll tolerate it on.  Sometimes I put some in a jar of food and mix it around.  The poor child but he eats it.  I would throw it across the room and pitch a fit.

He eats the school breakfast and lunch now and is doing really well.  I'm happy about that.  Now as we enter toddlerhood, he needs the calories and food for the energy he's going to use up.

No rest for the weary.

A Wish

A wish for my boy.  In honor of his first birthday.

Be Happy

I want to tell you something so you will thrive and be happy

This world is full of chances so take a dive and be happy

My wish for you is that you follow your heart and dreams

Doctor, athlete, chef? Dream it, even if it’s one or five - be happy

Life is big and if you get the chance to sit or run,

Run! Run fast!  And shout out loud you’re alive! and be happy

Show the world who you are; smart, joyful, full of love

Keep your head held high and morals inside and be happy

You are strong, you are beautiful, you’re always laughing

Please keep faith, hope, and love by your side and be happy

I want you to know the world is yours so grab ahold!

I hope you take a leap and believe that you can fly - be happy!

We love you now, we’ll love you then

Be honorable, be respectful, and be full of pride

And be happy.

Copyright 2013  Noelle Donahue

Tread Carefully

I am going to warn you, what you are about to see is horrific.  I cannot believe it myself that this occurred and in my own home.

There are some things in life you wish never to see.  There are things that you wish you could un-see if you ever did see it.

This sight transcends all prior abominations that my eyes have beheld.

Tread carefully.

Please be sure you want to see the abhorrence and terror.

This malady happened several weeks ago.  We were just spending time as a family.  And then it happened.

M and Jackson were on the couch.  Just hanging out.  I turned away for a second.  When I looked back, my sight was almost wielded into hysterical blindness.

M, my husband, my love, the father of my child, was doing something abysmal.  Something that the tiniest of boys should not yet be introduced.  My baby has been tarnished.

They were....

They were...

I can hardly get the words out.

They were...looking at the Victoria's Secret Swim Suit catalog!!

AHHH!!!

My eyes have seen Satan.

My boy may never be right.

My boy even seemed to enjoy it.

Maybe he was looking at it and thinking he was seeing his Mama.  Because I'm all taut, tan, and well-endowed.

Heh.

That would have been weird though.

Jackson may never be the same.

Swim Class

J has started a baby swim class.  I wanted to get him into the water early so he doesn't develop a fear of it.  Too many family members on my side don't know how to swim and are scared of the water.  I did not want that to happen to J.

So we enrolled him in Water Tots!

He wasn't quite so sure when he first went into the pool.  It's a little bigger than his tubby, you know.

But then he made a splash.  Oh boy!

Now it was fun!

He swam.

He kicked.

 He hung onto a noodle

He laughed when Mommy and Daddy blew water bubbles.

Then he got cold.

Then he cried.

And then he was done.


This is the story of every swim class.

Portraits of a Sun Hat

No words.  Just photos today.

Randomness

Some days I have all kinds of irrelevant and random thoughts swimming about in my brain.  I thought I would share some of those golden nuggets with you today.

It's your lucky day!  It's like you won the lottery.

And I'm a weirdo.

Random Thoughts

Sometimes when I see a discarded grocery bag, I feel like I should snatch it up so I can use it to pick up after my pet.  Is that weird?   Don't answer that.


I stick my finger up J's nose way too often.


Dog's feet smell like Fritos - and mostly when they're sleeping.  I have found this is not specific to any breed.  It's universal across all canine varieties.


Corn Chex cereal tastes like the Bugles snack chip.

Now that I have a kid, I've realized something.  When someone is talking to you about their kid, it is so difficult not to interject with how your kid did it, or what they like, or what they do.  It’s so hard to keep your mouth shut and just let them talk about their own kid.

Water chestnuts are spongy and gross.

Sometimes I go for a jog.  Then I die.

Then I eat Peanut M&Ms.  Peanut M&Ms are of the devil.

I over share pictures on Facebook.  And I don't care.  Hide me, de-friend me, cut me out of your will if it annoys you.  Just being real.

Please don't de-friend me.

I don't like it when my teeth feel dirty.

I have just sucked 3 minutes out of your life.  Please don't hold it against me.

Did it really take you 3 minutes to read this?

You may want to block this blog from your browser or internet searches after this post.  I completely understand.  I am crazy.

Crazy.  Like in this photo.  I put this coat on and it made me break out into a white girl dance.  And M questioned his decision about marrying me.  And I frightened the dog.  

And my brain malfunctions.

But please don't leave me.

Goodbye.