A New Kind of Christmas

This year, Mike declared that Christmas just isn't the same. That's due to the ridiculously mild weather we're still enjoying and the fact that we're "grown up". He said it's just not the same when you grow up. Then, I quickly reminded him that it would be exciting in a new way. While we've always enjoyed giving gifts, being the lesser of all grown-ups in Christmas past means we are often the recipients of the Christmas treasures. Now, we'll be enjoying the giving part of the season even more as we've joined the ranks of parents. I imagine next year will feel even less "the same" for us.

While Garrett's first Christmas was this year, he barely was awake for his showering of gifts at the three Christmases we've celebrated thus far (pics as proof below). Next year will be different as he'll be moving and likely able to open his own gifts! He'll be more expressive and able to show excitement (we'll work on gratitude once he's talking) and that will make the holiday that much more exciting. It will be hard to keep him out of his presents. If he's anything like his daddy, this won't be a phase he ever outgrows either!

This year, we have to thank everyone who made his first Christmas special. We got to spend time with family the entire holiday weekend. We made it through a 2 1/2-hour trip to see his daddy's side of the family. He made it all the way there and we only had to stop once on the way home-super trooper! We enoyed company and exchanging gifts and updates with those we don't see much other than this time of year. We were burdened with a bout of food poisoning OR a flu bug but blessed to be with Mike's parents for some extra hands for the babe and extra care for the bigger babe: his father. We missed out on a lot of good food due to the ailment but we made out like bandits when counting our blessings in recovery (and were reminded of such when struggling to fit all our treasures into an suv that can fit 8 people).

While the time and fellowship spent with friends and family were the best gifts this year as in all years, there were many sentinmental treasures for Mommy this year that I must mention. This year, all the "you're a mommy now" gifts were much appreciated. This includes the ring that holds Garrett's birthstone, the bracelet that holds a picture of my two favorite men, the cookbook for $5 dinners (I've always been cheap but this is awesome now), the bubble bath that holds a sliver of promise I might get time to take one in the near future, the bracelet bearing G-Man's initial, the clothing that says a mommy can still look good, and the gifts that told us to still have a life (dinner & a movie, Daddy?). Then, we shockingly added a big screen TV to the list of goodies! Top it all off with getting to spoil my boys and capture some of these memories on camera, and I'm one lucky lady!

Our greatest gift:

Sleeping Beauty!

DIY Infant Toys: Black & White

With my little guy becoming more and more interactive all the time, I keep looking for things that he'll love. So far, his favorite is plain old paper he can rustle with his feet! Go figure. However, I also want to give him some more personal and developmental toys to play with. I know they can only see black and white for a while and then red starts to show up for them. I also read that they love to see faces. Being that he only has a few in his daily life, I wanted to give more to look at.

I had registered for these cool Stack n' Smile photo blocks from One Step Ahead (on Amazon) and got them as a gift. They let you add your own pictures. So, I printed the whole fam in black and white. I then took plain labels and wrote our names in red ink so he can eventually start to differentiate. The last of the four blocks (6 sides on each) has pictures of body parts with labels also. See below for pictures. I even added pictures of himself. Who knows how well he can see in the mirror when I show him? :)

I also wanted to make him a black and wait flip book. So, I went to Dollar Tree to look for stencils. What I found was even better. This was a banner for classroom use already printed and in black and white. So I just cut it apart and go through them once in a while like flash cards. Don't worry; I'm delusional enough to think he's learning the words but what else does he have to look at? The ceiling, that's what! These cards can also be colored in, so when we get to the point of learning colors, they'll be that much more useful still!

I can't wait for him to get more playful. He's probably annoyed at how much I try to engage him now when he'd really be fine to just stare at me and Daddy, let the dogs lick him once in a while, and kick paper in between naps and feedings! :)

Recipes to Share: Chicken Cordon Bleu at Home

 A fancy dish at home that actually isn't that difficult is something I'm excited to find and share. Some chicken breasts, Aldi's cheap swiss deli slices, one of those 88-cent bags of Buddig ham, 2 eggs and a $1 bag of croutons make this dish.

4 chicken breasts, sliced like a butterfly and beaten a bit flatter
1 pkg sliced ham
1 pkg of sliced Swiss cheese ( 6-8 slices)
1/2 pkg of croutons, crushed
2 eggs mixed with 1/3 cup milk (making egg wash)


Preheat oven to 350. Fill the chicken breasts with 2-3 slices of ham-enough to cover the full length of the meat in it's opening. Cover ham with cheese slices, cut in half-probably 3 halves to cover inside surface as well. Close the chicken breast and tie shut with string for baking. You can also try to use toothpicks along the edge but you still have to dip and coat all four. Dip each in the egg wash and then coat in crushed croutons and place in baking dish.



Cook for about 45 minutes and serve with the string removed. It comes out looking yummy and really difficult. . . not that it was THAT easy.

A Smiling Heart

I didn't even know a heart could smile. My heart gushed with love the moment he was born even more than it already had for my husband, family, and friends. However, I'm not sure it's ever smiled like it did this morning.

I wish my eyes had a camera. I know some developmental websites say that he should be cooing and giving more facial expressions including smiles at this stage, but it's not been terribly common as of yet. This morning, as Mike and I got him dressed and ready to go through our morning practicing our new routine that will officially start when I go back to work next Friday, we got one: A BIG ONE!

Alas, I have no doubt I will spend many of his next waking hours trying to replicate it to no avail. Well, it may be replicated but will undoubtedly not happen when there's actually a camera in my hands to capture the moment. If only my eyes had a camera to capture the smile that crosses his face and spreads across my heart. . . If only! Once we get one on film, I'll be sure to share it!

The New Normal = No Normal

It started in pregnancy. No matter what you were experiencing that you thought might be weird, the doctor inevitably told you it was normal. If you were up 5 pounds while your pregnant friend was up 15 at the same point, that's normal! When baby came, it continued!

No matter what the concern, I'd hear two things: "There is no normal" & "Oh, that's normal". Don't those two cancel each other out? I mean if there is no normal but you constantly tell me my kid, concern, issue, or situation is normal, you're contradicting yourself. I'm so sad I'm a black and white person because parenthood is going to kick my butt! Gray areas abound and no one has a straight answer to save my life. His legs are skinny-no, they're normal. These diapers don't fit, that's normal. Normally, those diapers would fit at his size.

I have found there's a breed that will tell you what's NOT normal. Moms. Other moms will tell you it's not normal for your kid to do things their kids didn't. Okay, not always, but it happens. They will tell you it's not normal for your kid to do the things you take for granted; sleep without binky, sleep "through the night" already, etcetera. That's fine. I'm coming to know there's no normal and that it's different for each kid, each mom, and each family.

I can't pinpoint a routine for the life of me. I've been taking notes on his nap times and feeding times so I can try to tell his sitter and his daddy what to expect when I'm back at work (in T minus 11 days sadly) but there's no normal, no routine to speak of, and every set of notes differs. Sleeping and eating are the biggies at this point and everyone wants to know how it's going (even those who won't be caring for him any time soon). I feel compelled to have an answer and make it seem like there's a norm to share but there just isn't. Some people seem to understand that and others don't. I certainly didn't before him and even was delusional to think that routine and norm would be established before going back to work. WOW-I've learned a lot and nothing at all at the same time. How's that for contradiction?

If my new normal is no normal at all but it results in staring at this, I'm soooooo over NORMAL!