Merry Christmas!

My boys! :-)

Noah's second Christmas came and went...a bit faster I feel than last year.  Quite possibly due to the fact that we stayed home this year and did not drive to the west side to visit my family for the holiday.  We made this choice obviously because my C-section was scheduled so close and I don't know how comfortable I'd be doing a three hour drive on Christmas day only to be in the car again the next day followed with a large dose of stress getting the house prepared.  I'm happy to report that as of tonight (only about 36 hours from my C-section) the house has been cleaned top to bottom, laundry is in the dryer, two freezer meals were made, groceries have been bought, Christmas decorations are down, a baby swing is in the corner, and I feel as ready as I can be.  Nerves are starting to set in...not really regarding the actual C-section but really just to hear that our baby is healthy.  Those are the words I look forward to the most on Wednesday morning when I will be lying on the operating table...also if it's a boy or a girl!

Sleep deprivation is obviously NOT something I look forward to especially since Noah is on a great sleep/nap schedule that I too have adjusted to.  Nick and I were just discussing today how we're going to juggle both kids next week and are both a bit nervous how more difficult this will be with Noah in the picture.  I think it will just be getting through those first 2-4 weeks that will be crucial for us to find a new routine...and this quite honestly may be my last post for that amount of time!  Finding time for myself will be even more rare and taking advantage of any amount of sleep will take a priority I'm sure.

Trying to get a cute shot with my son...good luck!

But back to the reason for this post...Christmas highlights!  Noah (at almost 20 months) was far from interested in opening any of his multitude of presents unfortunately.  It didn't matter how much excitement and attention we gave to the wrapped gifts, he was more interested in playing with his old toys.  Perhaps next year will be a little more eventful and Nick and I will open less of Noah's gifts :-) Here are some pictures to highlight our Christmas 2011.



Nick and I usually open gifts between us on Christmas Eve morning since Christmas Day is filled with visits from his parents and usually visiting mine.  Here is an attempt at getting Noah to open a gift...


 

The best Christmas picture we could get this year...keeping still and smiling are not things we can do at the same time yet!  His little outfit was too precious along with that crazy hair from nap time :-)  I love this guy!!!



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Christmas day gifts included lots of Elmo memorabilia! He thought the slippers were a little strange :-)





 

Nick decided to pose for the camera...since Noah was MIA after opening that uneventful gift :-) Yes, he's looking a little scary here and overenthusiastic

Wooden blocks from his great-grandmother were a hit!





 Long story short, it was a quiet Christmas but perhaps that is just what we needed considering the next few weeks and months will be far from that welcoming a newborn. 

10 More Days with my "Baby"

Only 10 more days for Noah and Mommy to have "just us" time...so we're making the most of it! As of late, I have to admit that my extra dose of being tired at 8 and a half months pregnant (and thanks for those occasional 5:30 a.m. wake up calls, Noah) this last month doesn't help that we've been watching Sesame Street episodes and Baby Einstein videos a bit above average...However, with the weather being cold, rainy, or snowy our options at home for entertainment have become a bit more limited.

Here are a few things we have been up to!

In this video, Noah recognizes different vehicles like "ambulance", "taxi", and "boat". I'm sorry...but I'm impressed! We love wooden puzzles lately :-)  His vocabulary is just beginning to expand on a daily basis which is so exciting to see.

The first snow came a few weeks ago...and I bundled up the little man for some time outdoors. Getting him dressed for the occasion took about 15 minutes...and actual time outside before I couldn't handle watching him slip on ice and snow any longer...10 minutes. But was still able to get a few adorable pics of his first outdoor snow adventure with snowpants!

Cookie making with his pal, Ray, was also a fun activity that Noah surprisingly enough was able to sit through.  I am thinking the lure of delicious frosting had something to do with that.  It really showed me that I need to start including him more in the kitchen helping me stir and measure/pour ingredients.  Pancakes may be our next project in the kitchen. 

Cookie making materials are out and we're ready to go!

Look at the concentration :-)

Delicately putting sprinkles on his cookie...followed by a well deserved licking of the fingers :-)

Enjoying the fruits of our labor!


Crafts have also been on the agenda this month. Wish I could say we do a craft every day...but let's be real. Noah is still definitely at the age where following multi-step directions or sitting contently at the table for long periods of time coloring are not on his radar.  We made these garden stepping stones as a Christmas gift for the grandparents (sorry if I ruined the surprise, Mom!)...wish I had more pictures to document that Noah did in fact help place the decorative stones on it, however, I attempted this project alone after breakfast one morning with him.  Since the project did not involve food...the attention span was a little more limited and rocks almost made it in the mouth! I picked up these kits @ JoAnn's and thought they turned out okay.  In hindsight I wouldn't have made the mix so runny...and placing Noah's hand flat was a task that took some coaxing and patience for both Noah and myself. However, it's a memory that I think the grandparents will appreciate.

 

Recently Noah has also become a little more "cuddly" after nap time and before bedtime.  His pacifier and blanket are with him at all times and he seems to call out "mama" a lot more frequently if I am not in the room.  Some may call this intuition that he knows another baby will be entering the picture soon...but I'm not sure I buy that. We do talk about the baby a lot and when I point to my stomach and ask "Noah, what is in here?" he answers, "baby"...even occasionally giving my tummy a kiss. However, I don't think he quite understands how different his world is about to become in a few short days. 

Without getting too emotional, I am also trying to wrap my head around how different my world will be in a few short days.  I was just mentioning to Nick how fast this time has gone with Noah as our only child...he won't be my little "baby" anymore but instead will be my oldest child.  Last year at this time he was crawling...now he runs, talks, and laughs. Next year he'll be holding conversations and getting ready for preschool.  It is very cliche, but time does move by way too quickly so keeping up with this blog to record all the cuddles, projects, ups and downs, activities, and memories I have with my children is so important to me. 

Finally, another thing Noah and I will be enjoying and savoring over the next 10 days ...nap time!