Thanksgiving 2011

I love holidays.  I love them even more now that I am a Mommy.  I love making little things extra special for my Munchkin.  Growing up, we didn't have family in Michigan.  Which meant holidays were just us.  Which meant we never left the house on holidays, and my Mom was in charge of the entire holiday meal.  I loved helping my Mom make Thanksgiving Dinner.  We have always prepared a lot of the side dishes and pies the night before.  Wednesday night, Karson and I headed over..around the corner...to help Nana.  I figured Karson would just play in the living room while we baked.  I was wrong.  He spent the entire night sitting on the counter helping us.

 What started out as just a night of preparing food for Thanksgiving, turned into a night my Mom and I will likely never forget.  He had so much fun.  He mixed, and stirred, and helped Nana  flute the pie crust.

Of course, I didn't have my video camera or my slr with me.  Because, after all, we were just baking.  Karson has this shy grin and laugh when he is really excited about something.  He loved helping Nana with the pie crusts!

It may have taken us twice as long to make the pies, and the cake, and the corn, but oh my word he had so much fun!

And our pumpkin pies had the cutest Karson finger prints in them!!

Karson didn't sleep thought the night, and after tossing and turning for a few hours after DJ got K back to sleep, I finally got out of bed at 5am.  EARLY!  I had planned on getting up early to make cinnamon rolls.  I just didn't plan on getting out of bed at 5am, after being awake since 3.  But...I wanted my baby to wake up to my Mom's homemade cinnamon rolls on Thanksgiving morning.

 

Someday, I will post the recipe, they are relitively easy, and after growing up with them, even a Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll doesn't taste good!

Nana and Grandpa came over for coffee and a cinnamon roll  in the morning.  It was the perfect Thanksgiving morning.  Have I mentioned I LOVE living around the corner from my parents?!

We watched the parade for a while with my parents, and headed to DJ's parents for lunch.  We ate, Karson played with his cousins, and we headed back to my parent's for Karson to take a nap.  Holidays are hard on little ones, and we are sticklers about Karson's nap! When he woke up, Uncle Steve & Aunt Jenni were over, and we ate Turkey Dinner.  The best part about being pregnant on Thanksgiving...I don't feel full.  I ate a lot...a lot a lot.  Plus, maternity pants =  elastic waste.  Fabulous!  

Our Thanksgiving was wonderful.  I was having so much fun (and was absolutely exhausted :)), I totally forgot to take any pictures after breakfast. We have so much to be thankful for this year!!  I can't wait until next Thanksgiving...when a sweet baby girl will be joining us at our Thanksgiving Table!

21 Weeks

 

I am over half way through this pregnancy already!  How did that happen?!  It seems to be flying by, and I am starting to get nervous about getting everything done.

* We found out last week, Karson will have a Baby Sister!  We are so excited, and although DJ tries to hide it, he is just as excited as I am.

* At the ultrasound, Baby Sister was super stubborn, and didn't want to cooperate.  Everything looks good, and she measured 19w 5d.  I was exactly 20 weeks when I was there. Karson always measured about a week ahead, Baby Sister seems to always measure a few days behind.   She hid one of her arms for the majority of the ultrasound.  We were beginning to think she may be missing one, but she was just laying on it.  We have to go back in January to recheck her heart.  Not because there was something that alarmed them, but because she wouldn't let us see her heart at all. :)  Because of family history, I go to a specialist to have my babies hearts checked.  And of course, she wouldn't let us see it.

* Baby Sister has a name.  But this time, we are keeping it a secret.  I have to say, I love keeping her name a secret until she is here. 

* I have been feeling really good.  As long as I am careful with my reflux I don't get sick.  Except...have you ever tried to avoid foods that are highly acidic??  I have a very hard time with this.  In our house, ketchup is a food group.  I love pizza, and apple juice, and peanut butter, and coffee, and chocolate, and spaghetti...  Needless to say, I have a hard time avoiding the foods I shouldn't eat. 

* I very rarely feel full.  A problem on most days, when I could seriously eat everything in sight.  On Thanksgiving, it is fabulous!!  My Mom and one of my brothers even commented on how much food was on my plate.  I ate it all....and got seconds.  Thank.you.very.much! :)  I have decided it is a must to be pregnant on Thanksgiving!

* Baby Sister seems to be so much laid back than her big brother.  Karson NEVER stopped moving.  At one point, he didn't move for a few hours, and my dr. sent me to the er to be monitored.  If I went into the er every time Baby Sister didn't move for a few hours, I would be there numerous times a day!  If I am up moving around she doesn't move, when I sit down, usually just went I go to bed and sometimes during the day (like right now), she moves around for about 10 minutes, then stops.

* Charlie Horses hurt...especially when you get 4 in the middle of the night.  DJ is stopping on his way home from work for some bananas for me.  Are bananas acidic?

* My insomnia is so much better!  I got to bed between 9 & 10 and get up between 6 & 8.  Except for the nights when Karson is up at 3am...which is like every other night lately.  Then I am usually up for the day at 3, or fall back asleep at about 6 until he wakes up.

* My Mom kept every one of my dresses from when I was little in the Cedar Chest.  We went though them this weekend...and well...they deserve a post of their own.  Lets just say, there are A LOT of smocked gorgeous dresses waiting for Baby Sister to fit into them.

* I figured out what was causing my migraines...my braces.  I called my orthodontist last week and told them they have to come off.  My teeth may not be 110% perfect, but they are 100% better than what they were.  Good enough for me!  Plus...at almost 6 months along, with a 21 month old, I need to function.  Karson doesn't quite understand 'let mommy lay on the couch all day because her head feels like it is going to explode.'  They are coming off Saturday. Yay!

...and with that...I need to go find something to eat...

Lately...

Santa Parade

I swear I have said this 1,000 times.  I am a tradition girl.  And now that Karson is in his second year of Holidays, I love looking back at pictures from last year.  I love comparing them to this year.  I love that he is experiencing his 2nd Holiday season.  Which means, he has now been to his second GR Santa parade.

2010 Santa Parade                                                     2011 Santa Parade

 He loved it, and Mama and Daddy learned a valuable lesson.  When going to a big parade, it is best to not show up right when it starts.  We didn't get a front row seat, so Daddy and Mama took turns breaking our back so Munchkin could see.  He quickly realized Daddy is taller that Mommy, so he could see more when Daddy had him.

Have you ever heard Karson say 'oh wow, oh wow, oh wow, wow, wow?'

Everyone with in ear shot of him has now heard it.  many times.  Needless to say, he LOVED the parade!

And of course, when you see a truck, or a tractor, or a highlow go by, it is imperative that you imitate what a truck says.  And wave your hand like your asking a semi to honk.  It is best when Daddy joins in on the fun...

I'm not sure his eyes could get any bigger...

I am sure an 'oh wow, oh wow, oh wow, wow, wow' followed!

 

Daddy had the camera when the reindeer went by.  I have a lot of pictures of the reindeer.  The guy next to us looked at DJ and said...dude...that is like a 26 point.

 

This year he even stayed awake, and we got to see Santa.  Probably his only time to see Santa this year.  Not because I'm a bad Mom, or because I don't want to take him, but because I'm 100% positive it will terrify my little guy!

Christmas Tree aka 'issmiss eee'

The whole...you can't put up holiday decorations, or listen to holiday music until AFTER Thanksgiving...I don't buy it.  We put up our tree a week ago.

 

 Right when we started putting it up, we got a call from my brother asking if he could stop over. Putting up our Christmas Tree plus a surprise visit from Uncle Ricky and Baby Gavin...HEAVEN!  Especially when Uncle Ricky gets in the Christmas Tree box with the Munchkin.

It has already started.  Karson wants to do everything Daddy is doing.  He was 'hewl daddy' {helping daddy}.

There is not much better than my pajamaed baby putting ornaments on the tree.

Shatterr proof bulbs....genius!   Karson helped put them all on.  On the very same branch.  And when he dropped them...or threw them...they bounced.  Genius!

Story Time

Munchkin is really into books right now.  He loves them!  While I cook dinner, DJ usually takes Karson into his bedroom to play.  An occupied Mommy with food is a bad combination for Karson.  When I went to get them, this is what I found...

Cousin Pictures

For Christmas, DJ's Mom wants a picture of all the grand kids.  Easy enough, right?  Have you ever tried to take a picture of 4 kids under 5?  Not easy.  Especially when a certain unnamed little boy karson has a complete melt down-mommy attack and refuses to be off my hip.  This was the best we got.  Which was also the only one we got.  Because after I picked him up, he sobbed until we got back in the car.  Big alligator tears sobbed. 

Baby Sister

 I am loving all the pink.  I love that Karson has learned to say 'Sissy'.  Even though he has only said it 2 times, and now refuses to say it again.  Stubborn? I also love when Carter's has a 50% off the entire store sale and I have an expired 30% off coupon they honored (because I got it after it expired).  Did I mention it was Grandma Day, and because Nana came with, we got another 10% off? 

sorry phone picture....did I mention they are piled 2 deep?

Baby Sister got majorly spoiled.  According to DJ, he and Karson are moving to the man cave downstairs.

 And while Baby's Sister's wardrobe is coming together quite nicely...her room needs some work.

Hope you had a fabulous Thanksgiving. I will post about your day next week. 

'issmiss ee'

Blogger wasn't cooperating this afternoon, and now that it is, I am too tired to write a whole post.

{please sleep through the night tonight Karson...mommy & daddy are exhausted!}

So I will leave you with my favorite picture from  the weekend...

 

My sweet little boy putting an ornament on our 'issmiss ee' in his jammies.

Karson...

is going to have a...

Baby SISTER!

This Week I....

...convinced my husband the Christmas decorations should go up.  How did I do this, you ask?

...I put them up while he was at work.  And when he came home, I told him the Christmas decorations should be up. :)

...have a little boy obsessed with our plug in fire place. If it is not on, he comes up to me signing and saying 'hewl' {help}, and brings me to the plug.  He loves to watch our fire...err...plug in log with a rotating light.  But that will be changing soon...

anyone with a fire place have any good ideas on how to keep the brick edges, kid safe?  we keep blankets over it all the time, unless a little boy takes them off.

...am pretty sure 'the baby bump' has doubled in size.  Only a few more days until we know if Karson will have a baby brother or sister!!!

...went to Costco with Karson to buy new outdoor lights.  Don't ask what happened to the old ones...

...convinced my hubby to climb up on our roof to put them up.  How I convinced him, you ask?  I have  no idea!!!

...went outside, at dark, with DJ and my sweet boy, to see our new house lit up.  Have I mentioned I LOVE Christmas decorations?!

...ordered this stroller.  The one that, come this spring, will hold both my babies.  I can hardly wait!!

...let Molly out the slider door, and a certain little boy decided it is his job to make sure she comes back in the house right away.  It is his new job.  He takes his job, very, very, very, seriously!!

...set Karson up at the Kitchen table, with markers, for the first time.

He loved them.  But of course, it is more fun to organize them in the box, then actually color with them.

That was, until Mama showed him what markers can do.

He loved them.

He quickly discovered that the colors will also transfer to his fingers, just like on the paper.

Crayola kind of lies.  The washable markers don't just wash off little fingers.  Or Mama fingers.  But he was occupied, and having a blast long enough for Mama to make dinner.

...ran out of eggs, and served a cold breakfast.  We NEVER eat cold breakfasts.

Although, I'm pretty sure he didn't mind his breakfast consisted of yogurt and granola.

...replenished my waffle supply, after the 'cold breakfast morning'.  We have a hot breakfast every morning.  Why?  Because I grew up always having hot breakfasts, and I want Karson to grow up the same.  I don't like cereal, except granola.  I do however love, love, love waffles, and pancakes, and egg whites!  But when you run out of eggs, and you buy your eggs from your husband's coworker that raises chickens, you have to wait until your husband remembers to ask for them....for her to bring them...and for your husband to remember to bring the fresh farm eggs home.  They arrived mid week...and we made these waffles with them this morning.  YUM!

...sat on my baby's bedroom floor, with my morning coffee, while he played. 

I love our new house.

I love that Karson will grow up here.  I love that we are making memories here.

 
I love that Karson's bedroom, technically the master bedroom, is big enough for him to play in, and run around in.

I love, love, love, love, love our new house!!

...and that is what I did this week.