Christmas in Houston

This Christmas was like a return to my childhood ones in California- wearing shorts and white lights on palm trees.  I can say wholeheartedly that I didn't miss the white Christmas experience of Minnesota one bit.
Unfortunately, our holiday experience was marred by Zachary's tonsillectomy on the 21st that stretched  into a miserable two-week marathon of pain.  I never again want to see my child hooked up to monitors showing his heart rate racing above 200 and his oxygen saturation rates in the 70's.  I have gained so much admiration for women whose children suffer from chronic conditions.  I honestly don't know how they do it. 

Random assortment of photos follow. 

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Three!

So, I am now a mama to a three-year-old! Zachary turned three on Tuesday and we celebrated last weekend with a few of his friends at Chuck E. Cheese. Grandma and Grandpa came down from Kansas for the long weekend and we attended the Family Christmas concert by the Houston Symphony. Zachary is delighted by all things music- especially instruments. Pictures to be forthcoming (I hope).

Update

In case anyone is actually still out there, two is hard- not just two kids but Zachary at two. I never believed in the "terrible twos" before, but honestly I am just hanging on by fingernails and praying for age three.

But another reason for my blog silence can be attributed to our cross-country move. We left the cold winters of Minnesota for the blazing heat of Houston. The kids and I have been here two weeks and are still getting used to our new environment. Since I am now officially a SAHM (until I get admitted to the bar and find a job), I will maybe have more time to be a better blogger. Not holding my breath though.

Blessings

It doesn't get any better than this. Every minute, even in the midst of the chaos, I realize how fortunate I am.

Our blonde bombshell

Just to compare the top two are Zachary




and this is our little Caroline

Big Brother

Zachary is a big brother

His little sister Caroline Dorothea decided to preempt her scheduled c-section date of March 1 when my water broke at 6 am on Sunday, February 27. Pictures will soon be forthcoming, but she is smaller than big brother- only 19.5 inches and 7 lbs, 7 oz.

Chugg chugga

choo choo!

Two!

After a jam-packed weekend full of birthday activities (which I will detail soon), my baby turned two today. We visited the pediatrician for his two-year physical and he clocked in at 39 inches and 32.4 pounds. A big boy, indeed!

I do it, I do it!

Zachary do it! I hear this refrain many times a day. Having hit the independence stage, the little man must attempt it all himself. Whether it's putting on his clothes, zipping his coat, pulling toys out, "helping" with the cooking. It's neverending. I want him to be able to be self-sufficient, but it always takes longer (and is inevitably messier) for him to "do it self." I imagine this is how parenting is from here on out.

Big Boy Bed

The transition seems to be working! As excited as I am that it has not been a struggle, when I walked into the "nursery" I got a little nostalgic and weepy that my "baby" isn't there any more. I know there will be another little one in there soon enough but nothing will ever compare to bringing home my first little miracle.

Counting the cards

I am very excited about the Christmas cards I have made at shutterfly. They have these really great story cards that I have included both a Christmas letter with photos inside the card. I use lots of different photo sites, but really think shutterfly has the best selection this year of both photo cards and very nice qualoity stationary cards. Check them out here and here.

I also used shutterfly to make calendars to give as gifts for the grandmas. I had made a calendar for them last year, but this year's was so much easier using shutterfly. Not only is the selection of background patterns more diverse than many other sites, but shutterfly has some unique features beyond just the display of cute pictures. I especially liked the ability to put certain dates on the calendar such as birthdays. And I even got to put pictures on the date blocks. So, for example, I put a picture of Zachary in a party hat on December 6, 2011- his third birthday. I made a point to use pictures from the right month in 2010, so it is fun to compare what he looks like with his pictures from exactly a year before. Try it for yourself
here.

And you too can blog about your shutterfly Christmas card experience and get fifty free cards through this promotion.

Frustrations and progress

Food-throwing. Ugh. Every meal devolves into it. No matter what we try (taking away the food, giving only a little at a time, praising proper eating, etc.) Zachary still seems determined to throw food. Since when he eats is the only time I get to eat, it really makes it difficult to get a meal down.

But to end on a positive note, Zachary has successfully transitioned to taking naps in his big boy bed and we are going to attempt an all-nighter tomorrow night.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

Last weekend, we had our first rather large snow. We are slated to get more this week. Looks like it's going to be a long winter. Sigh. (You can also see what the little man did to his nose by taking a dive on the playground at school- the day before Christmas pictures.)

Zachary's new favorite words

"Boogers" and "kleenex."

More teeth

Another day, another bite. That makes four times in about a week's time. Sigh.

Little vampires

So, poor Zachary was bitten at school twice last week and then on Thursday he did the biting of the kid who bit him, so three incidents in four days (he only goes 4 days a week). I understand this is normal behavior for this age and wasn't too concerned about it.

But then I got another call this morning that he had been bit again by a different kid, this time on the face. Again, I understand that these things happen. But I feel that this level of biting rather than an isolated incident or two requires me to perhaps say something or at least inquire as to what is being done as far as prevention. I feel that it may be a lack of supervision issue.

One of the teachers left last week (abruptly- don't know if she was terminated or left) and I have not been a big fan of one of the two remaining teachers. And I wonder if this is part of the issue or what.

Zachary only has another five weeks in this class until he is transitioned to an older class, so perhaps it's not worth making a stink over? Now, I am wondering if I should start the process of putting him another school now rather than after the baby is born since that is inevitable as we cannot afford two in the current place.

It's always something, isn't it?

Arrgh!

Zachary is quite ready to be a pirate for Halloween. His teacher even tells me that every time they talk about Halloween, he says, "Argh!" We are working on "trick or treat."

Some of the joys of motherhood

(This is not in any way meant to be a complaint; rather, it is just a list of the things about which one must inevitably laugh.)

Figuring out at 3 p.m. that you forgot to put on black mascara despite putting on the white base
Smelling a wonderful cinnamon smell all morning and then realizing it's dried oatmeal stuck to your arm
Having a coworker pull a chunk of muffin out of your hair
Walking around most days with something on your shirt or pants
Getting strange looks for toting a sippy cup into work
Always having a wipe handy
Carrying an enormous purse with its contents spilling out

Such a big boy

Last night I put Zachary in his new footed pajamas as it is getting cold here. They are size 4T! Sigh.