43 Months - January 2011

Well Christmas finally came and went, and it really was a lot of fun this year. I can honestly say, too, that my favorite part of the whole season was getting to set out presents for you and Tess on Christmas Eve and then waiting for you to wake up on Christmas morning. I get up around 4 a.m. most days to work on the computer, and occasionally you will hear me and get up pretty early too. Not Christmas morning though! I get working away looking up at the door every 30 seconds I swear thinking you were awake and it was go time. Nope! Me and your dad finally had to wake both you and Tess up at 6!

I guess I should back up and start off with some of the other fun things we did like when you got to see Santa at the Pollock family Christmas Party. Cousin David played Santa this year because we figured you and Quade were getting smart enough you'd recognize Grandpa Rob. David did a great job, and you were so excited when he walked in the door!

I kept trying to convince you of some things you wanted to ask Santa for like, hey don't you want some puzzles or maybe a play hut to play in? But no, all you wanted was a Buzz Lightyear. Luckily Grandma Hillier had gotten one for you so I knew you were getting one, just not from Santa. Unfortunately for Grandma, though, you still think Santa gave it to you, he just left it at their house for you to open a couple days early! We had a fun time celebrating with my family, and then you and Tess even got to spend the night there.

Christmas Eve we made some cupcakes and frosted them together and sang Happy Birthday to Jesus. Then we all snuggled up in blankets and watched The Grinch. You have been OBSESSED with the Grinch ever since. Daddy accidentally deleted the Jim Carrey one from the DVR, but you still watch the old cartoon one probably once a day. You've got parts of it memorized, and it doesn't help that Grandpa Hillier taught you some of the words to the song. Your favorite line is "You're a bad banana with a greasy black PEEL!" Me and your dad just laugh cause it sounds so cute when you sing it.

After we all opened our presents on Chrismtas morning we got ready and headed up to Panguitch for Christmas breakfast. We got to see what Quade and Bosten got and then opened more presents from Grandma and Grandpa Veater. You and Quade spent the rest of the day riding around on his fourwheeler together. It was pretty cute. We spent a couple nights there and had fun before we came back home to let you guys play with your new stuff. All in all it was a really fun few days.

Not much has gone on since then. We've gone back to our usual routine and daddy is even about to start back to work after having a month off. I'm not sure what you are going to do when he isn't here all day. He is definitely your favorite, and wherever he is I can be sure that's where you are too. You went fishing together at Panguitch Lake the other day and you caught a fish but dad didn't. We were talking about it on the way home and how you two would have to go out again and you said, "Yeah, and maybe you will catch one this time dad!" The way you said it was so funny we just laughed. I learned real quick buddy that fishing with your dad isn't fun unless he's caught at least one, but I think he'll do better at being happy for you than he is when anyone else outfishes him.

As I'm typing this I've been home alone for about 31 hours straight now, and let me tell you I am as excited to have you all home as I was to have some alone time. Your dad laughed when you were getting ready to leave because I was mauling you and Tess to death even though that morning I'd been yelling at you to get dressed for preschool. It's true that I definitely need a break from time to time, but just about 10 minutes after I get it I am ready to have you home. You are such a sweet, funny little kid, and I'm so glad you are MINE.

Love you bud,

Mom

19 Months - January 2011

Well you can call it self-fullfilling prophecy or just the fact that I'm starting to figure kids out a little bit, but right on schedule this month you turned into a monster. You are still as sweet as can be when you want to be, but here's a confession (and don't use this against me in the future) - you're 19 months old, and I am afraid of you. You've gotten very, VERY good at knowing how to get what you want and NOW. I'm trying my best to make sure you don't always get your way, but when faced with the alternative (screaming, flailing tantrums), I admit that sometimes you definitely win.

I also want to tell you here that your dad will take any excuse to torture you when you're mad. He thinks its funny. He does it to me. One time this month I even had to pick you up and move you out of the room because he was causing you to be hysterical. I know it is hard, but when he does this (and I'm sure Logan will inherit this lovely trait), just try your best to ignore them. I know from personal experience that if you get more mad, it only makes them laugh harder, and that is an awful cycle to get started on....

The incident above happened after your dad woke you up from this nap. He really ought to know better, Logan and me are the same way when we get woken up too early.

When you aren't being a terrible almost two-year-old, you've been quite fun this month. You got to see Santa about 3 times and each time you impressed me with how unphased you were at being placed on a stranger's lap. It shouldn't surprise me though because at church you will go to anyone who happens to be sitting close by (And nursery has been no sweat! We'll see how it goes next week without Logan in there...).

After your turn on Santa's lap at the Pollock Christmas Party you were watching the other kids getting presents and walked up again hoping to get another one yourself.

Your vocabulary keeps getting better, but one of the phrases that you say the best is "See ya, " and it is SO cute. It sounds a little like Shee ya, which only makes it more adorable. One day we were just hanging out at the house and you picked up this pumpkin, put on your summer hat, picked up your keys, and walked around grining and saying Shee ya, shee ya for about 10 minutes.

You also love to say Cheese! and did a great job when we got our family pictures done this month. Almost every time you see a camera you flash this silly face and say Cheese!
Cheesing it up at our little family birthday party for Jesus on Christmas Eve.

A couple favorites from the family photo cheese session...


You are definitely not a morning person so I was worried about waking you up on Christmas morning. Your dad and I decided on 6 a.m. if Logan wasn't already awake, and when the time came we sent him in to wake you up. He shook the rails on your cage once or twice before heading towards the door saying, "She's not waking up, let's go!" After we got you out of bed and you saw that Logan was opening presents you perked up a bit, but we're still not entirely sure you wanted to be awake...
Santa got you a tea set, some blocks (so Logan can't stop you from playing with his becuase now some of them are yours), and some puzzles to do. Dad made you a toybox too that we painted purple and had Aunt Lisa help us with a stencil to paint your name on with silver. They turned out nice! Grandmas and Grandpas spoiled you pretty good as well. I'm excited for next year when you start "getting" Christmas a little more.

You and I also got the fun experience of spending the night in the hospital just recently too. You'd been sick and one night after I'd been asleep for a couple hours your dad came in and said he was worried about how fast you were breathing. Long story short I took you to the ER and they diagnosed you with RSV. We ended up getting admitted and didn't get back to sleep until 4:30 a.m., AFTER you had decided to throw up all over both of us, resulting in me wearing scrubs for pajamas and you wearing a way-too-big hospital gown. It was definitely not a fun for anybody, but the worst part was when they stuck a tube down your nose to suction out all the mucus. I had flashbacks to when Logan got his tongue clipped as you looked right at me screaming bloody murder while I held your hands, and we had to do that multiple times! Yesterday I took you back to the Clinic for a recheck and had the ER nurses suction you again. You wouldn't even look at the PA in teh Clinic who had seen us in the ER. Can't say I blame you though. Ugh. Let's not do that again, okay?

Even though you've entered your terrible two's, this month has still been fun. You love people and have personality to spare, which definitely makes for some good times around this house. I'm bracing myself for the next year or so (or 18!), but I'm also looking forward to them too.

Love you sis,

Mom

Waking up on your own schedule - happy!

Before church wearing mom's shoes (and yes, I did do your hair that day).

Wearing a lovely ensamble which includes Logan's old hat, a cape, and pajamas.