2010

Not going to lie...
2010 started off horrible.
Really, really, bad.
And your talking to someone who spins a 'glass half full' on just about everything.
I was sick, so sick, and pregnant.
I was one more caugh and throw up away from the ER.
DJ was sick.
Molly even spent part of New Years Eve at the vet, after the ear off her favorite stuffed bunny disappeared...
DJ and I woke up on New Years day to coughs, colds, and a vet bill for the stuffed ear that had gotten stuck.

None of this compares to what the first few weeks of the new year would bring us...
A routine spaying led to us almost losing our sweet Molly.  A mistake at the vet led to our Molly getting so, so sick.  We still are not 100% sure of what happened, but we have our suspicions.  We know, a misdiagnosis led to a sever infection.  A miss communication led to our puppy suffering for days before the infection was treated.  All of these 'misses'  led to telling a pregnant woman that her 1st baby....will hopefully, maybe, pull through this. Obviously, Molly is fine.  After two weeks of trips to the vet every.day, and penicillin shots every.day, she did pull through.  Her fever went away, her shaking went away, her incision stopped bleeding.  She is physically healed, but if you know our Molly, she has some severe separation anxiety.  We complain about her barking, about her need to always be by us, but we love our 1st baby so much!

Our 2010 didn't slow down as soon as our Molly got better, but it brought with it the most amazing change in our lives.

We spent the beginning of 2010 preparing for our sweet baby boy...
January and February were filled with showers and getting the nursery ready.

...of which I did not blog about because the only reason I got off the couch in the last few months was to throw up...

March

Karson Allen Craig arrived on March 1, 1010.  At 10:26 pm.  Three weeks before he was due. 

The end of March, our sweet Molly finally had her bad leg repaired, when she had an artificial ACL put in. 

This time at a new vet, and Mommy insisted on an antibiotic post-surgery.

 Karson took his first trip to Wisconsin, when he was only three weeks old. 

He met his very special Gigi, and the rest of our Wisconsin family.

It took me until April to write about them...but March was filled with all things baby.  Basking in the sun on our table, first baths, and bringing our baby home.

April 2010
Nothing I blogged about in April, actually happened in April.

If you have ever juggled a newborn (who doesn't nurse or sleep well) and a dog recovering from having a whole drilled through her knee..you understand.  I remember waking DJ up, the night after Molly's surgery, telling him to pick the screaming baby, or whimpering dog.  Because he obviously wasn't able to nurse the baby, the job of comforting Molly was his for the day.

  So there you have it...that was our April.

 

May 2010
 My dream of what being a SAHM would look like came true, on sunny spring afternoon outside with my sweet baby and Molly.

 We took our first family outing to Tulip Time, and Karson joined Aunt Katie and I on a coffee date.
 May was still a little crazy...so not much blogging.

June
 Karson went on his first airplane, and traveled to Colorado.

He met his cousins Jaelee and Jax, and his Aunt Mandi and Uncle Tommy

 He also went on his first camping trip, and saw the Mackinac Bridge, and went on his first boat ride to Mackinaw Island.

June was full of lots of firsts.

July 2010
We took Karson on his first of many beach days, to our favorite beach.

 He celebrated his first 4th of July at Aunt Katie's parent's house for the 4th of July parade.

 Went camping trip to Traverse City with Aunt Katie and Uncle Shawn.

Where Munchkin almost ruined any chase of Aunt Katie having kids.

{ear infection Uncle Shawn...ear infection}

August 
Tommy and Mandi came home with the kids for a week long visit.

Filled with family time, and playing with the kids.

 Karson joined us on our annual camping trip to Silver Lake with friends.

Who are more like family than they will ever know.

 September 
Held another trip to Wisconsin where I captured this precious moment between Munchkin and Gigi.

 Karson enjoyed my favorite place, and made me love it even more

We enjoyed our last camping trip of the year with Auntie Leesha and Uncle Brian.

{Jayda and Molly too}

 October 

Karson participated in his first Memory Walk in memory of his Great Grandpa Sullivan.

We put our house up for sale, and went Apple Picking.
...our house is still for sale...

November
We handed our sweet baby over for surgery.

We learned not to leave a drink by the computer, went to Wisconsin to celebrate Gigi's birthday, and went Trick-or-Treating at Aunt Pat's.  {all of which I never blogged about...oops} We went to the Santa Parade and celebrated Karson's first Thanksgiving.

December 2010
Karson got to play in the snow for the first time.

 He met Santa Clause.  And made it clear that he really didn't like Santa Clause

 And celebrated his first Christmas.

He went sledding, had his first & second colds, went swimming at the aquatic center (twice), and saw Christmas trees from around the world.

2010 brought with it so many changes, and so many firsts.  We have made more memories, that I will never forget.  From spending time outside in my parent's back yard, to realizing that you don't have to be related to be family.  2010 started out rough, and ended in my favorite New Years ever.  Karson woke up just in time to celebrate the new year at Auntie Leesh & Uncle Brian's.  I sat in their living room, surrounded by friends {aka...family}, with a sleepy baby snuggled in, with his blanket and bear on my lap, a champagne glass in my hand, and cheered as the clock hit 12:00.  I am sad to see 2010 go, because it brought with it so many firsts for our family, but I am so excited to see what 2011 will bring.

Learning to Like the Water...

After the last visit to the Aquatic Center, I have vowed to make it a weekly thing.

I was a lifeguard for years.

I taught just about every kid in my hometown how to swim.

I will not have a kid that is afraid of the water.

{one of those...I will eat those words some day...}

I think not having a fear, but having respect for the water is so, so, so important! 

This is how today's visit started...

 With some help from Aunt Katie and Auntie Leesh...

{have I mentioned how much I we love them...}

Some extra love from Mommy...

Comfort from paci...

Some tickling from Auntie Leesh...

 Lots of clapping and cheering from Mommy {behind the camera} & Aunt Katie {behind the video camera}...

 Munchkin finally relaxed and had fun splashing in the water.

A small victory...but this Water-Loving-Mommy will take it!

YAAY Munchkin!!

...now to get him ready for Great Wolf Lodge this Spring!

He looks like his he freezing. He wasn't.  Mommy was obsessing over keeping him warm...not sure why he looks blue in the pictures.

Also...Remember Cliff? The sweet baby on my side bar?

Have you heard about the $1 Push?

What’s The Great $1 Push?

Check it out here & enter to win a SILHOUETTE die cutting machine too!!

Christmas Pizza

All of my extended family lives out of state.
Which left just my parents, brothers, and I on Christmas.
According to my Mom, we used to have big dinners on Christmas.
Truthfully, I don't remember them.
I do remember the Christmas she had the stomach flu.
I remember her laying on the couch while the boys and I played with our toys next to her.
I don't remember exactly how the story goes...if she made pizza that year, because she didn't have the energy for a big dinner...
Or the next, because she realized how nice it was to not spend the day making a big Turkey dinner.
Either way, I know we didn't have turkey when she had the flu.
And that is how Christmas Pizza came to be.

My Mom realized she got to spend more time playing with us, and less time in the kitchen if she made her homemade pizza, instead of a turkey dinner.
And any kid I know would pick pizza over turkey any day!
One year she told us she was going to make a big dinner.
The boys and I told her absolutely not, we want Christmas Pizza!

I never had to leave my house on Christmas.
I never had to get out of my pjs.
I have had Christmas Pizza for as long as I can remember.
As a Mom, I don't want Karson to have to leave the house on Christmas.
I don't want him to have to get out of his pjs.
And I want to spend the day playing on the floor with him, instead of spending the day in the kitchen.
If I have it my way, we will always have Christmas Pizza for dinner.
And until otherwise noted...if you want to see us on Christmas, you can head to our house.
Because Munchkin is staying put!
The way it should be.
Her homemade pizza is another one of those family recipes that I have no idea where it came from.
But I know it is good.
And super easy.
And really, really, really, good!

Christmas Pizza:
Mix
1C warm water
1pkg dry yeast

Add
3c flour
1tbs crisco
1/2 tsp salt
Let rise for 1-1/2 hours

Brown 1pkg breakfast sausage
Add
1sm clove garlic minced
1 lg can tomatoes
'some' minced onion
 sorry...it is how my Mom cooks and therefor how I cook
1 tbl oregano
Simmer 1 hour

Spread dough on a pan and cover with sauce. Bake 350* until almost done.
again, no time 'It's done when its done'
Top with pizza cheese, and return to oven until done.
Always enjoy on Christmas. :-)

  

Instead of spending my day in the kitchen yesterday, I got to do a whole lot of this...

 This is the only picture I have of Karson and I yesterday.

It was probably around 4:00.

And it is exactly how I want to remember our first Christmas as Mommy & Munchkin.

I am still in my pjs.

Granted, he got dressed, because it is too hard for him to walk in sleepers.

But he is comfy.

We spent the day cuddling on the couch and playing on the floor.

I did not spend my day in the kitchen cooking.

And we ate Christmas Pizza for dinner.

Baby's 1st Christmas

When your a kid, you think nothing is better than being a kid on Christmas morning.

Then you have a kid of your own, and you realize, being a Mommy on Christmas morning tops being a kid.

It tops just about everything.

And your talking to someone who had wonderful, tradition filled Christmases as a kid.

If fact, this is the first year ever Christmas has been different.

While we missed Grandma Nana, we know she needed to spend Christmas with Jaelee and Jax in Colorado.

Christmas Eve will filled with all of our traditional Christmas Munchies. Grandpa came over and munched with us.  Karson got his first bites of Christmas Meatballs and Christmas Chicken Wings.  We had plans to go to church, but lost track of time...oops.  Really, Munchkin has a bad cough, and I hate when people bring sick kids places.  So it is good we kept him home.  I insisted on putting my baby to bed on Christmas Eve.  I told him all about Santa landing on our roof and how tomorrow was Baby Jesus' Birthday.  And when he is older, we will have a big party for Jesus on Christmas. After lots of hugs and kisses, he went to bed.  Out came the fondue pot for the adults.  YUM.  My dad, DJ, and I ate more fried food than we should have.  It was yummy!  DJ and Dad decided they are taking over the fondue pot when Mom is home next year.  No forks.  Free for all. Get ready Mom!  After we had our fill of wonderful fried food, Santa arrived.  He filled our tree with presents, while Munchkin was sleeping.  Mommy did not get sentimental about it being his first Christmas.  ...because who gets all sappy about putting presents under their tree.  right....

DJ went to bed with strict orders: "Don't you dare get my baby out of his crib on Christmas morning without me!"

Munchkin didn't sleep well...probably because he was so excited about Santa coming!  Or because he has a nasty cough.  We had to wake him up this morning.  I couldn't wait to show him what was waiting for him.  We just forgot that he saw it when he was up in the middle of the night.

We ate coffee cake with my Dad.  Who had been sitting in our driveway for 10 minutes before we woke up.  ...oops!  We let Karson open his presents.  He was so excited to open them at first.  But it got old, and he just wanted to play.  So it literally took us all day to open gifts.   

if there are doubles...sorry...enjoy my sweet boy twice...

By 9:00 it was morning nap time, and more coffee for Mommy time!  DJ and I ate breakfast and played the Wii.  Today we learned that I am not very good at Super Mario Brothers.  I die.  A lot.

Munchkin woke up not feeling well.  Really, kids should get an out on Christmas.  They shouldn't have to be sick.  He really just wanted to snuggle with Mommy and Daddy.  Thank goodness for the two new Praise Baby DVDs Santa put in his stocking!

 Mommy and Daddy fought over took turn snuggling Karson on the couch.

 Soon after getting up he went back down for another nap.  Mommy made Christmas Pizza.  In an attempt to make this not the longest post in history, I will post the Christmas Pizza story later.  It is YUMMY!

 Munchkin woke up feeling a little better and we played.  He loves his new table, and his ABC Magnet.  I had planned on putting it on the fridge, but realized when I was putting it up that it would fit on our door.  PERFECT!  

In case you were wondering.  He pulled the base off the door, bent down and picked it up, and stood up on his own.  That is a first!  And doing it with a toy in his hands proves the kid has it all figured out, he just likes to surprise Mommy!

I don't have many pictures of Karson playing, because I was too busy playing with him.

{One of the perks of Christmas Pizza!}

He got an extra long bath with Daddy with his new boats, and bubble octopus. 

 My house is quiet now.

Even the dogs are out cold on the couch.

I have added my third entry into my Christmas Memory Book.

I can not wait for next year, and the next year, and the next...

I can not wait to tell him more about Jesus' Birthday, and how special that is.

I can not wait until he is old enough to have a Birthday party for Jesus.

To leave out cookies for Santa and Reindeer food for Rudolf.

And in case you were wondering what Munchkin got for Christmas.

Here are a few of the toys that were wrapped under our tree.

Merry Christmas

Love, 

DJ, Kelly, Karson

& Molly too

Sledding

In our house, we love snow.

Love it.

We do not like to drive in it.

But we love to play in it.

Karson already has a pair of skis.

I was so excited to take him out on his new sled he got from Grandma Nana and Grandpa.

 He LOVED it!

{So did Molly...we she just liked getting to run around the house, and in the field behind us.}

 He was peeved when we were getting him ready.

Thus the paci.

Don't let it fool you.

There is a smile behind it.

 Am I getting sentimental about taking Munchkin sledding for the first time?

YUP

Love, love, love, sharing one of our loves with him.

Snow and Lake Michigan.

 I will miss the country because of this when, and if, we ever move.

 It is beautiful. 

And Mollers can run around the house, and we don't have to worry about her running off.

 So maybe we are weird.

Because we love the snow so much.

 Or because we bring our almost 10 month old out in the snow.

Because finding boots that would fit an almost 10 month old, that are snow proof, was next to impossible.

 But Karson fits right in.

In our crazy snow loving family.

Because he loved the snow too.

After he was done sledding, he played in the driveway for a while.

The fresh air must have worn him out.

He cuddled up on the couch with Daddy when we came in, and fell asleep.

Way before nap time!