Christmas Present Videos

Christmas present videos can be found in the You Tube link in the right hand column. Thank you to all our family for sending such wonderful presents for Truitt for Christmas. He is very blessed!

Joyeux Noel Already!

UUUUGGGGG!!!!
It has been 3 days now and Blogger will not let me post our Christmas Morning video! It is so sweet I wish I could show all of you, and alas all we took were videos of gift opening, no stills! Here are some of the highlights of our Idylic Christmas 2008...

...Staying up after the little one went to bed to set up the presents for Christmas morning, another milestone in the parent club for sure!
...The pitter patter of his little feet coming down the stairs on Christmas morning
...seeing him discover the cat is dressed like an elf
...listening literally to the directions we gave him and tripping over his surprises under the tree
...staying in PJ's the entire day, eating too many sweets, and taking a big family nap in the afternoon!

Joyeux Noel a vous et la votre! Merry Christmas to you and yours! Hope is was filled with wonderful memories you will hold dear forever!

More Elf Fun!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

We've been Elfed!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Twas the night before Christmas...

Truitt opening his Christmas Eve present, Firetruck slippers!

And the Final Count Is...

21.5 Inches!

Our lamps in the backyard looked like little gnome hats poking out of the snow!

The car buried.

And Boy has it Been Snowing!

Friday Morning Snow Video:

Saturday with a mere 8 inches, and we thought that was the most of it, Hah!



Stephen up shoveling the flat parts of the roof off, thank you for taking care of us so our roof doesn't fall in! Sorry you have to do it again today! The Kiss song above is for you Honey!

Here's Penny chomping the snow as it fell. Truitt and I tried to play in it but it was too deep for him, he couldn't even walk. So we went and said hello to the neighbor's out front and then went back inside.


Truitt and I snug inside while Stephen worked outside.



Saturday night we had the neighbor's over for a hearty dinner. It seemed so "Dickens-ish" as they tromped over bringing their goods, covered in snow, and the aroma of the pot roast wafting about us. It was wonderful to share this snowy, blistery night with great food and wine and even better company!


By Sunday morning...

Penny was not sure what to do or where to go.

That's right 12 inches!!! And we got about another 6 inches last night!

Sunday afternoon we watched the snow fall and drank hot chocolate. Truitt learned how to say chocolate, "cockolate".

See that look, that's a sugar induced bought of crazy about to tear around the living room!


Sunday night snow shoe walk around town:

Our "Bench" Measurement:

Sunday

Monday (today)

Stay tuned...more pics to come as soon as I can tromp outside. This is just nuts! La Foulard!

Une Meme a Moi!

I have been tagged for my first Meme by the Duchess . Doesn't that sound so official!
(www.theduchessofearl.blogspot.com , also in my blog roll to the right.)

Here are the rules:
1. Link to the person who tagged you and post the rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself.
3. Tag 7 random people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs.
4. Let each person know that they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Here is my Meme:

1. Despite my love and adoration of gourmet food, I also LOVE corndogs. The crunchy sweet dough and salty dog, dabbed with mustard is undeniable! (Tator Tots and Onion rings could also be added in with this)

2. Once while was I volunteering for the Summit of the Eight in Colorado before starting college, I got to call the White House and speak with Clinton's personal secretary (only to verify a fax, but still it was cool!)

3. I have never made a souffle. They totally intimidate me and freak me out!

4. I tried out for Nickelodeon when I was 12 in a contest and made it to the second round.

5. I once won a screaming contest at the zoo. I was about 9 or 10. My Dad was very proud. His self defense lessons weren't a total waste!

6. In 7th grade I won a writing contest about Martin Luther King Jr. and got to meet Colonial Powell. Again, thanks Dad!

7. I cannot stand tarragon! The cooking shows I watch say that it is related to basil, so if you like one, you'll like the other, but I cannot stand the stuff, it tastes so vile to me! I know, so very un- French of me!

Well, that's my meme!
So, tag! your it to: Pearl, Stacey, Rebecca, Tina, Jenny, Lynn, Rochelle
And Merci Mme. La Duchess!

Munchkin in the Snow!

The snow came! I was so excited for snow, I just love the snow! They said it would come on Saturday night, but it didn't arrive at our house until late Sunday. I was was getting very upset that we weren't going to get any, but by Monday morning this is what we had. Luckily I bought a snow suit for Truitt last month in hopes of taking him up to the mountains for some sledding, so if we don't make it up, or just go once, at least I will feel like it got used, and it is sooo big (the pants come up to his armpits!) , I am hoping it will last for next winter too.

We had fun watching him explore the snow. He loved snowballs, loved watching Penny run and eat the snow, loved watching the trucks go by (nice and slow!), and he didn't slip once on the ice! Maybe Stephen will have a snow board buddy in the future? After about a half an hour it was time to go in (temp was about 20!). And with pink cheeks and cold fingers he went very relunctently...we had to entice him with a bath!

PS- The Ludacris music above is from the end of the movie "Fred Claus" which we rented over the weekend. Truitt was busting some major moves when he heard the music. It is one of my goals over the next few days to get this on film!!! It's absolutely hilarious and adorable!

The Holiday Season Begins: an essay in pictures, mostly

Last week my kitchen counter looked like this:

As Thanksgiving came and went, I was fighting a cough and an ear infection. After four calls to the doctor and three doctor visits, this was the proliferation of medicaments I accrued! Each call added another layer of treatment! I couldn't taste for Thanksgiving (what a bummer!) And I couldn't hear for Christmas Carols at the Christmas tree lighting (maybe not such a bummer?).


But Now....
This week my kitchen counter looks like this:

Wow! What a difference a week and the right antibiotics makes! Christmas music plays from the radio almost all day long, and baking is in full swing. My sister came for her annual pre-Christmas visit this week and helped me get organized, relax a little, and get me totally into the Christmas spirit. We had a fun time making sugar cookies, orange cappucino brownies, regular brownies, and chocolate caramel pecan clusters. She is home now and is sorely missed by all, creatures big and small! This weekend we are expecting a snow storm, and I am so excited to hunker down at home and continue the holiday festivities: put up the rest of the decorations, wrap presents, and bake (chocolate peppermint thumb print cookies, chocolate peanut butter balls, and I might tackle some home made ravioli)!


Here are the past two weeks in pictures:

Truitt enjoying Thanksgiving dinner in the same high chair I once sat in for the same family gathering!

My prego cousins and I at Thanksgiving. Jeanette is due in April, Me in March, and Nikki in February! Three babies in three months! The next family gathering in May should be alot of fun!


At the town Christmas tree lighting:

Here comes Santa, on a firetruck. Truitt really only cared about one thing, and sorry Mom, it wasn't Santa!

The town tree gets lit!

Christmas tree cutting day:

Truitt's handprint in the frost.

Truitt and Daddy walk home from breakfast.

We all pose with the tree.

Truitt learns to say "cheese" for the camera.

Decorating Daddy for Christmas.

Truitt's turn to be cute!

Truitt in front of the tree. Yes, we stayed in our PJ's for most of the day while we decorated, it was a blast!

A Peek at Baby B

Yesterday we had our 23 week ultrasound. It was amazing to see the little bugger arching it's back, pulling it's feet up to it's mouth (almost sucking on it's toes!) sticking out it's tongue (!!!), turning it's head towards the wand, and even seemingly smiling at the camera!

You probably noticed we didn't find out what it was (all the "it's"). The sonographer didn't even look, so no one knows, which makes it a lot easier to not think about, or not have the temtation to call the doctor in a moment of weakness and find out. I did have a moment of weakness as we walked up to the appointment, but Stephen asked me which surprise I want more, and I want the delivery room surprise the most!


This little one has the same type of face and nose as Truitt did. In fact these ultrasound pictures look just like Truitt's. I wouldn't be surprised if they look alot alike, which is fine with me, 'cause my little guy is so cute, if I do say so myself! The only "bad" news we got was that Baby B is in a breach position, but the sonographer and the midwife assured me that this is fine and the baby still has a ton of room and time to turn. Truitt was head down from the get go, so this is new for me. They said not to worry until 37 weeks, but I hope this little one turns way before then! Otherwise Baby B is perfect: a four chamber heart, a healthy brain, no spots on the kidneys or spine, two arms, two legs, two ears, two eyes! But I won't feel totally secure until I hold this precious little one in my arms and count the fingers, the toes, and give it a ton of kisses!

Truitt Update...18 months today!

Our little man is officially 1 1/2! In just six months he will be two and a big brother (I foresee much change/ growing up in the future!) We don't have to go in for his next check up until he turns two since we were in for his one year check up at 15 months.
So here are a few of the latest...

Words (20):
gog = dog; mama; mommy; dada; car; uh-ohh; eh-ii = ready; eehh= set; go; ouw = any of these: ouch, out, up (will say uuhh for up if asked to); ii-eee = kitty; ha = hot; eye= hi; ba-bah= bye; baa= ball; wow; oohh;loves to say the "T" sound; also says "oh si" alot, after making a mistake, or dropping something, I am afraid to know what this is, but I am almost positive it is "oh sh#t"...nice!

Also yesterday (11/18) he repeated "oui" for me at the breakfast table!

Occasional words (4):
daddy, guck= truck, fu-gu or just Ooohhh= firetruck, heeeyy= helicopter

Signing Words(11):
Milk, Please, More, Bath, All Done, Hot, Water, Cracker, Eat, Shakes head no or yes, and will also sign please at the same time if needed. This week we are working on help and thank you, he is almost there!)

Maybe someone out there with a speech background knows if signing words count as words as far as language acquisition and development goes?

Teeth (12):
In the front, four on top and four below
one molar on the lower left side
one molar on top of each side
Another coming in just this week on the lower right side

Height: 32.75 inches
Weight: 22.5 lbs (with clothes and diaper)
These could be slightly off as I was trying to do this myself with a squirmy one!

He knows a lot of head and body part words and loves to have us ask him to show us.

He can follow almost any command we give him. (11/2) I asked him to throw something away in the garbage. I wasn't sure what he would do, but he went right to it and did it! He is really into helping right now, well except for cleaning up his toys, he doesn't understand that at all! I did sing the clean up song today and he just stared at me with the strangest look on his face, almost saying "how do you know that song!?" (like he would know it from somewhere else!)

He seems to be imitating what we are saying, every day there seems to be little phrases he will repeat. It is never the same phrase, nor is it clear. But the intonation and syllables and basic sound is the same. The words don't stay around, and when we make a big deal about it he seems to be a little embarrassed!

He learned how to play "ready, set go" with his cousins when they were here in October, and now he loves to do this when we go on walks.

He loves to dance and sing. He has even come up with a few of his own moves. We have tried to get it on video, but he usually stops when the camera is out. As he plays his xylophone he will sing along (which he is doing right now as I type). Hopefully we can get some of this on video soon!

He has been taking his naps in his big boy twin bed with a rail attached to it since about September. He usually wakes up, gets out of bed and goes right to playing! Sometimes he wakes up a little grumpy, but that is definitely not the norm. It is fun to see him be able to do some things so independently.

He is understanding more and more about going to the bathroom. He has shown interest in this area since he could crawl. At that time he would crawl over to the changing station and get me a clean diaper after he pooped. He started hiding while pooping as soon as he could walk, and still will not poop if he can't have some privacy or alone time. Now he sits on his potty while we use the big toilet, he'll even read a magazine while he sits there! He also wants a piece of toilet paper when we get ours, or he'll get it for us too. He'll throw his paper in the big toilet and wave bye as we flush the toilet.

He found one of the vacuum attachments last week and will walk around the house making a distinct vacuum sound while pretending to vacuum.

Books in a Bottle gets away

Mary on the beach with her awesome walking stick

Tiffany holding up a cool ladder washed up on the beach. We both wished we could atke it home and do something cool with it!

A tree washed up on the beach!!!

A view of the debris on the beach

Mary, Tiffany and I with the Pacific Ocean

Last weekend I went to Lincoln City on the Oregon coast overnight with my book group. We were very lazy, but it was great to get away and have a full night's sleep without any interruptions! Saturday we had lunch at Blackfish Cafe, yummy! Then we spent the rest of the day shopping! By 4:30 we were exhausted and starving, so it was back to the condo for pizza, movies and lots of talking. Sunday we took a walk on the beach, which looked more like a disaster scene from a movie, due to a storm earlier last week, ran back to the outlets for a few more things, and then headed home! Truitt didn't even blink when I walked in the door, but Penny was thrilled I was home, at least I got some excitement from somewhere!

Saturday night I also spent some time making a schedule for Truitt and I and writing down some goals for us. It has helped a lot and we have had a much better, more well rounded week!