Christmas

Split second of cuddling. And, Coranelle has finally started enjoying stuffed animals. She likes her bunny. We call him Mr. Pib. He was a gift from the Pottery Barn and has PB embroidered on his foot. He is exactly Coranelle's size right now.
Her new jean jumper from Grammadele. Very cute!
Laughing away. I love this picture!

I got the idea to do this questionnaire from Heidi's blog (www.nothingbutbluesky.blogspot.com). But, she called it a Christmas meme. And to be completely honest, I have never heard of a meme, nor do I know what it is. So, I am calling it a questionnaire. Nonetheless, I thought it was a fun idea, so here goes...

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?
Mostly wrapping paper. It is fun to see all of the unique kinds of paper that family and friends pick out. Although, for those really awkward, hard to wrap gifts, a gift bag is okay. Especially if you are re-using them and have so many hoarded up in your basement that your husband wants you to sort through them and throw a bunch away.

2. Real or Fake Tree?
I liked our real tree as a kid, when we had one. But, we have a fake one now, and I like it just fine. We only have to spend money on it once, and saving money when we are living on one salary seems like a crucial thing. The ornaments and lights make it unique and special. And, I think Coranelle likes the one we have.

3. When do you put up the tree?
Usually we put it up after Thanksgiving or early December. I love turning it on at night and reading under a blanket by the twinkling lights.

4. When do you take the tree down?
After New Years, I think. It's only the second year we have had our own tree.

5. Do you like eggnog?
Not at all. Hot chocolate, apple cider, gingerbread latte, sure... but not eggnog. I once ordered a vanilla shake at McDonalds and got eggnog instead and it was a huge disappointment.

6. Favorite gift received as a child?
We got a pipeworks set (I think that was what it was called) as kids. These were large, various sizes pvc type pipes and hinges, platforms, wheels, etc. We could make lifesize cars, slides, tunnels, etc. It was a great activity for the four of us to build together. It is the one toy I really remember receiving. I wish they still made them so we could get them for Coranelle some day. Does anyone else remember these?

7. Do you have a nativity scene?
Nope. But, I used to enjoy arranging our glass nativity scene when mom was decorating for Christmas. I don't mind nativity scenes, but have thought about them differently this year after some of our recent sermons. The nativity scenes make the night of Jesus' birth seem very safe and pristine. Yet, when you think about Mary going into labor in a dark, cold, dirty cave- without a midwife, or doctor or any help, it's pretty terrifying. Soon after, Herod was calling for all infant boys to be murdered. And, the shepherds and wise men had not yet heard of Jesus' birth. I cannot imagine the fear and pain that Mary and Joseph were dealing with on that Holy night. It was pretty scary for me, and I had multiple nurses, a OBGYN, my husband, two moms, a hospital room, and modern technology aiding me. It makes me realize how humbly Jesus came into this world. I am not sure nativity scenes really capture that for me.
Hopefully, I did not just offend anyone. I am just thinking aloud.

8. Hardest person to buy for?
Steve and Rebecca. Rebecca knows what she wants and I don't often get it right. Steve rarely needs anything, and won't make requests. They're hard!

9. Easiest person to buy for?
Ryan- I listen throughout the year to little things that spike his interest and stash away ideas here and there. I have a hard time sticking to my budget.

10. Worst Christmas gift you ever got?
I desperately wanted some overalls when I was in 4th grade. They were in style. My stepmom at the time picked them out for me. She didn't have any girls and she meant well, I know she did. But, the overalls didn't have a big. They just had straps like suspenders. I didn't have the heart to exchange them, even though I was very disappointed. So, I wore them to school. I got teased a lot. I felt obligated to keep wearing them because they were a gift and a nice brand. Every time I put them on, I dreaded the day ahead.

11. Mail or email Christmas cards?
I love getting them in the mail. My mom used to hang a red ribbon on the sides of the doorway into the kitchen and pin the cards up as we got them. I loved reading the letters and looking at the pictures every day, hanging along the doorway. I still love to get them and hang them on the fridge and comment on how grown-up everyone's kids are getting.

12. Favorite Christmas Movies?
The Holiday, Love Actually, The Polar Express

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?
November... or when I get inspired by a fun gift idea(which might be in June)

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?
Don't think so

15. Favorite things to eat at Christmas?
Pepperkaka cookies, because they remind me of my Grandma Corky and of making cookies with my mom. Plus, they smell so delicious! Mom came to spend the day with us this past Friday and we made them. I enjoyed rolling them out, using fun cookie cutters, tasting the cinnamony dough and chatting with mom.
And, hot chocolate, made with milk and with whipped cream on top.

16. Colored or clear lights on the tree?
Colored. And, I love the big bulbs. But, I do have fond memories of our chili pepper lights as a kid.

17. Favorite Christmas songs?
Oh Holy Night

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home?
Stay at home. I love waking up and coming downstairs to open stockings and have breakfast in our flannel pj's.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer?
Dasher, dancer, prancer, Vixen, Commet, Cupid, Donner, Blitsen, and the most famous reindeer of all- Rudolf
Not sure I spelled those right.

20. Angel on the tree top or a star?
Whatever you have. We don't have a tree topper, and I don't mind.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?
Christmas Eve with the Morks. Christmas Day with my family. Stockings Christmas morning.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year?
Everyone acting as if Christmas is about buying things. I really dislike that. And, I dislike that so often, the holidays bring about stress and family tension.

23. What do you enjoy most about Christmas?
Being with my family. I like that Ryan takes time off and we can spend time together as a family. I like going to church and singing hymns. I also like getting together with friends for dinners and catching up. This year, it will be fun to have Coranelle's first Christmas. I also like the chance to step back to reflect and remember the significance of our Savior's birth.

24. How did you find out about Santa?
I think that it was at lunch, in 3rd grade. I think I knew in the back of my mind that Santa wasn't real. But, my friend Lauren started teasing me and Erin about still believing. I remember being disappointed that I could no longer pretend that he came to fill our stockings every year. I actually remember getting into a heated fight about it. Now, it brings back smiles. Love you Lauren! Do you remember that?


So, that was fun! Feel free to copy and paste your own "meme". I hope this week is full of all of the good things that Christmas beholds.

Things that make me smile

Here are a few things that have made me smile in the last few days:

1. Sitting by the fire with my family while it is snowing outside (we did a lot of that this weekend)

2. The fact that Coranelle let Lesley and Heido hold her this weekend without much fuss!

3. Our Charlie Brown Christmas tree and its bright lights that Coranelle is so excited about.

4. My new sponge mop and the yummy, natural, lavender cleaner I bought. Is it sad that I am so happy about a mop? I have chosen not to use the swiffer mops because they have crazy chemicals in them that I would rather not have my soon-to-be crawling daughter getting all over her hands (and mouth). So, I found an "old fashioned" mop and some great cleaner and it makes me so happy to have clean and good smelling floors.

5. The perfect baby food I made this weekend. It's Gerber smooth- unlike my peas and carrots. Ryan bought me some butternut and acorn squash this weekend and I have made tons of creamy, smooth baby food. Coranelle really likes it and that makes me happy.

6. Living in Broomfield. I was at the Rec Center today, just walking around the track inside since it is 7 degrees out. Sometimes, walking around in tiny circles and pushing a stroller can get rather boring. But, I never fail to be amazed by how friendly people are in Broomfield. As I was walking/running, other walkers and runners were talking to me and making converstation about Coranelle. I ended up having fun conversations with quite a few elderly couples out for a walk.

7. Which Wich makes me happy. It is a sandwich shop out here that I really enjoy. When you choose your sandwich, you fill out all of the options on a paper bag with a magic marker. Then, as your sandwich is made, your bag slides along a "clothesline". When your sandwich is done, they put it in your bag. They are very yummy, as are their shakes. We went last night with Bruce and Heido and I got a delcious Caprese sandwich and Ryan and I shared a Chocolate shake.

8. Evenings like last night. Bruce and Heido came out in the snow to have dinner with us and hang out by the fire. We chatted and played with Coranelle. I really appreciate when people are willing to just hang out with us and our baby- especially since having a baby seems to have excluded us from many of the previous hang out invitations we used to receive.

9. Shopping for Christmas presents for people and finding little things that I think will make people smile.

10. Reading Harry Potter. I never read them before now and I am currently reading the last book. They are turning into books that I can sit in bed and read late into the night. Very fun!

11. When people post comments on my blog. It's always a fun surprise to check back to a posting and see a friend or family members thoughts waiting there for me!

That's all for now. Hope you are all enjoying your holiday season.

1/2 a year old!

Everything goes in the mouth!
Having some peas and carrots on Thanksgiving with Grams. She didn't eat much. Too many people for Coranelle!
Sitting up all by herself and playing with that pacifier. New hoodie from Grandmadele.

Last night when Ryan came home from work, Coranelle abruptly ended her nursing session to show her dad how happy she was to see him. He's been home for a week, so when he left for work yesterday, we both missed him a lot. Upon coming through that door, he received lots of smiles, laughs, excited squeals and arms and legs flapping. It was really very precious. On Sunday night, while baking monkey bread, we were listening to some tango music. The three of us had a little dancing session around the kitchen. While I was unsuccessfuly trying to follow Ryan's lead and holding our beaming daughter, I took a mental picture of the scene. I will remember those simple, precious moments forever.

This past Sunday, Bruce and Heido came over to watch Coranelle while Ryan and I went to watch New Moon. Yes, I admit it. I read the whole Twilight series and loved it. And Ryan has already been kind enough to watch the first movie of the series with me at home. On a side note, I really enjoyed the movie. I think that the books are well written and the movies are well donw with some unique cinematography. Despite the fact that the books are vampire romances, there are some famous themes- family fueds, tragic love stories, etc. that make them relatable and enjoyable. So, we made a little date out of it. I was worried about Coranelle crying the whole time for Bruce and Heidi, seeing as crying is an understatement for what she has done every time I tried to hand her off to anyone in the past week. But, they played with her on a blanket for a long time and she never got fussy. Then, she took a nap for them. It was great to get away for a little bit and know that she wasn't screaming the whole time (which I knew from periodic texts from Heidi). Ryan and I know that we have to work on leaving her more often so that she gets used to it. I am never worried about her safety when we leave her with our parents. I know they will do an awesome job with her. I just worry about other peoples' sanity with my touchy child. Coranelle also made it through the church service again on Saturday night. The nursery workers said she only cried half of the time this time. So, we're getting better. :-)

We went to the doctor yesterday for Coranelle's 6 month check-up and tons of immunizations. She immediately melts down when she sees the nurse. Does she know that they are going to come put her in pain shortly?! She now weighs 13 lbs, 5 ounces. I was just hoping for 12 lbs, 12 ounces (which is doubling her birth weight). So, I was pleased. Apparently though, she has moved from the 9th to the 6th percentile. I explained to the pediatrician that she nurses every three hours still, and eats solids twice a day. When I try to nurse her in smaller time spans, she refuses. So, he admitted that she will probably just be a skinny girl. She is now 26 1/4 inches long ( 66% percentile) and her head is in the 58th percentile. Coranelle did great with our pediatrician, talking and playing with his tongue depressor. It was nice to be able to talk to him without her screaming. Ahhh, we have come so far since the first few months. Other than her low birth weight, she doing well except for her sensative skin and some rough spots. We are thankful for a healthy, growing girl. She is now sitting up all on her own for long periods of time. She can grab her pacifier and put it in her mouth the correct way. She is taking lots of interest in peoples' faces and is very aware of the world around her. This morning, she was showing interest in her stuffed animals and music boxes for the first time. It is very fun to see her growing up. Next steps are mastering that sippy cup, and getting over this stranger/separation anxiety.

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!

Pictures!

Practicing sitting up while on vacation. The wipes are such a cool toy! She can sit pretty well now!
All by myself Momma! Wow, they grow up fast!
Checking out the whole scene in the Glenwood Hot Springs.
I think she liked it!
Mom and daughter.
Ryan and Coranelle hanging out at the coffee shop while we wandered town.
Taking a chilly walk through the canyon.
Our cabin in a very beautiful location!
The favorite toy!
Reading in our cozy little cabin!

vacation

I write today's post from our little cabin in Glenwood Springs. Coranelle is taking her afternoon nap (hopefully) and Ryan and I are enjoying some down time. We are both reading Harry Potter and love the chance to read and relax a little. Ryan took the whole week off for Thanksgiving, and I am very thankful for that. I think it has been awesome that Coranelle is spending a decent amount of time with someone other than me. Ryan hung out with her Saturday morning while I went to Body Pump. He's been getting her out of her crib and dressed every morning. I turly hope that this will help her be more willing to go to other people. Last week, I had two friends, as well as Rachael, Stefan, Bruce and Heido try to hold her. To my dismay, she cried for all of them, within a few short minutes. Sigh. The only person she would go to without a fuss was her uncle Josh. For some reason, she never gets upset with Josh. At the church nursery on Saturday night, we didn't get called out of the service- which was great. It was a wonderful sermon and I enjoyed the chance to listen to it and sit by my husband. But, the saint of a worker that was spending time with Coranelle said that she cried off and on the entire time. Thankfully, she stuck with it. Did anyone else have these issues with their little one? How long did it last? What else should I try?

On to more positive things... We are on vacation! Our first vacation as a little family! We booked a cabin in Glenwood for three nights. It has been very cold here, but beautiful. I am thankful for a chance to be away and spend quality time with my hubby and daughter. The snow and frigid temperatures have not prevented us from bundling up and going on nice walks through the canyon and in town. We went and got coffee in town yesterday and wandered around the sports store. I told Ryan, I think I have come to Glenwood Springs more than 20 times in my life. It holds lots of great memories with many different people. It was a perfect length of drive so that Coranelle slept a good way, and then I went back and entertained her for the last 45 minutes of the drive. The first night, she slept horribly, as did we. I don't know if was strange sounds, lights, or her pack n' play, but she was up every hour from 9pm-2am. Whew! I hope that she can learn to sleep in different places, thought. Last night, she did much better, only waking up once. We put a dark green blanket over her pack n' play to shut out the light. We also turned off the noisy furnace and we all slept better.

Later today, after her nap, we will head into town and go to the hotsprings. I LOVE the Glenwood hotsprings and cannot wait to introduce them to Coranelle. Hopefully, the cold outside temperatures don't take away the fun!

Since being away, Coranelle has really improved her ability to sit up alone. She can do it for about 30 seconds before she reaches over for something and tumbles. She also did well in another restaurant on Sunday morning. We met one of Ryan's friends who just had a baby and enjoyed breakfast at the Huckleberry. Coranelle did a great job! She really is so much easier to take places and so much more enjoyable these days. She still is a mess if she gets over tired, which leaves me to planning my days around her naps and nursing. But, if it means that she is not melting down, it's worth it. I don't think I ever knew how much of this first year would be spent organizing my life around her need to nap after having been awake 2 hours and having to nurse every 3.

Regardless, her naps while on vacation have given us an opportunity to relax and rest and enjoy some down time. I am so glad that Ryan took the week off. It will be really hard to have him back to work full-time next week. But, I will soak up this time while I have it. On Thursday, we are celebrating Thanksgiving with my Mom and Steve. Ryan's whole family will be joining us, as well as Claire's. It should be a fun day! It is also Coranelle's 6 month birthday. I cannot belive a half of a year has gone by!

I will post pictures of our vacation when we return. I hope all of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving and feel that you have lots to smile about and be thankful for.

lately

This past weekend was a wonderful change. Ryan was home and we didn't have any projects that were demanding our attention. Therefore, we got to spend the weekend together as a family and it was wonderful. Ryan and I went on a date Friday night while mom and Steve watched Coranelle. She did pretty well and gave them some good smiles and laughs. They found that she did fine, so long as they didn't try to hold her. We got to go to our favorite Mexican restaurant and share fajitas and have margaritas. Then we went to a local coffee shop for some live music and a latte. It was fun to get away for a bit. Coranelle refused a bottle, which I figured. But, she went down to bed and when I got home, I nursed her. It worked pretty well!

This weekend, we also made a run to cost-co, went on a walk together and took Coranelle swimming. Coranelle was pretty happy all weekend and it was fun. At the pool, since there were 2 of us there, we could take turns hanging out with her while the other person got to go down the awesome water slides. It also snowed here again this weekend, so we enjoyed reading and playing by the fire. It was very refreshing and fun.

Some updates on Coranelle: She is now transferring things from one hand to the other. She loves playing and chewing on pacifiers. She's very close to sitting up on her own, but falls one way or another when she gets distracted by something. She's trying to scoot forward on her tummy, but cannot yet get her tiny belly off the ground. She's now eating bananas, applesauce, rice cereal, oatmeal, pears, peas, carrots and yams. A good little eater! I am worried that she is more interested in eating than nursing, so I am concerned about my milk supply decreasing. Either she is just nursing very quickly and efficiently, or there isn't much there. There's always something to worry about. I have tried pumping a few times, but don't get much out. That could be because I have a little hand pump and pump between feedings, but I don't know. I am trying to eat well and drink lots to keep the supply up. Any suggestions or thoughts would be quite appreciated! I am not ready for her to self-wean. Especially since she hates formula and won't take a bottle. Yikes! But, I did get her to drink from a Sippy cup yesterday with some apple juice and water in it. We'll keep working on that. If she'll take milk from it, we might have solved one of our dilemmas.

Coranelle is giggling more. The sound of her laugh makes parenthood so fun and worth while. She loves when you drape a blanket over her and pull it off. I could do it forever to hear her laugh! Last night, Stefan and Rachael came over for dinner and she was a pretty happy camper. (So long as they didn't try to hold her). But, she flashed lots of smiles and played with them. It was nice to have an evening that we could talk to them, without her wailing. It's one of the first times she's been that good and Stefan even commented that his ears weren't ringing this time from her screaming. I like this new phase! Stefan was making Coranelle laugh with all of his faces and sound effects. And, Coranelle loves Rachael and it is clear that Rachael is great with kids. She's got my touchy, little peanut figured out and is very gentle and caring with her.

We talked a lot about weddings last night and it will be fun to see and help everything come together for them. It is so fun to see Stefan this happy. I love the two of them together. I tell Ryan that Stefan has an important role in my life. As my parents got divorced when I was little- we spent a lot of time going back and forth between families. That could have been a lot harder if I didn't have Stefan. He was always there, no matter which house we were at. He was the only other person who knew what it was like to go back and forth and be a part of two very different families. When I was homesick, or missed dad, he was there and understood. He took care of me and kept me company. When we had to adjust to one family after being with the other, he was there. In college, I lived with him and he always made sure I was doing okay. When I was sick, he looked out for me. When I got a concussion, he kept me awake. When I was dating different guys, he gave me advice and consolation when things ended. He's an awesome brother and it is wonderful to see him with someone as great as Rachael. They are so good for each other and it will be awesome to have Rachael as part of the family and a good friend.

Alright, my window of Coranelle's contentedness in her jumpy seat is over. Got to go. Have a great week!

Walt Disney's "Up"

For those of you who haven't seen it, I recommend you do. I am talking about Walt Disney's "Up". This movie came out in theaters right around the time Coranelle was born, so we couldn't go see it. This week, it came out on DVD. Ryan has been talking about wanting to see it for a long time. So, on Tuesday, when I saw it at Target, I bought it and brought it home to surprise him. He was super excited about it and we watched it these past 2 days during Coranelle's nap. The movie is humorous, fun, sweet and very uplifting. I won't give anything away, but there was a point in the movie when the old man was looking through a memory book. Ryan and I both looked at each other and noticed tiny pools of tears in each others' eyes. Yes, even Ryan. Shhhh, don't tell anyone. I am just kidding. I am a firm believer that tears are windows into a person's soul and the fact that this scene made Ryan tear up shows how sweet and incredible he is. Through this sweet film, we realized that it isn't the crazy adventures in life that are memorable, but the every day happenings that make life sweet. At one point in the video, Russel (the little boy) was telling the old man about one of his memories. He talked about how he and his dad used to get ice cream cones, sit on a corner and count the red or blue cars that passed. He said, "I know that might sound boring. But, sometimes it is the boring times I remember most". I thought that was very sweet and very true. Today, for instance, is a rather gray day in Broomfield. We have very little planned except a trip to Cost-Co later. Despite the fact that all we've done is play with Coranelle on the floor, walk to the grocery store, and cuddle up while watching the second half of a movie doesn't mean our day is not a good one. I will remember today and treasure it because Ryan was home with us and Coranelle has giggled far more than usual. Life doesn't require fancy dates, exotic trip, and noteworthy accomplishments. Being with your family makes for a really blessed and happy life.
So, go rent or buy "Up" and then let me know what you think. I hope it brings a smile, or a tear of joy to your day too!
Happy Saturday!