Christmas

Well, we got our tree up and also our nativity. It looks really good. I put on some popcorn garlands and some ribbons. Dan called me Charlie Brown because of the popcorn garland, but I really like it. We also have our s'more ornaments and our blown glass ornaments and the snowflake and gingerbread ornaments. We love it. We put it on the bin so that Charlotte can't reach it. The bottom branches are about one inch above her head.

Here's our mantle with the Santa mantle runner I made last year and the new nativity scene. It looks really good next to the dark wood.

Also today was the first time I've actually been able to do Charlotte's hair! It looked so cute!

Check

I really should have known better!  A word to the wise, when you're running late to catch your flight home from vacation at your parents' house, your husband should always check the areas that you packed and you should always check his.  If, say, you are in charge of packing the things we left in their office and he doesn't do one last check before you leave you might have your glasses left behind.  That's OK, I think I just wear contacts or squint for four weeks until we go back.  If, then, he is in charge of packing the bathroom items and you do not do a final check before running out the door you might find out once you're home that he left:

• your facial cleanser
  
• your razor
  
• your favorite lip balm
  
• your hair spray
  
• your mousse
  
• your hair dryer
  
• your curling iron
  

It's going to be an interesting four weeks.  Does anyone else realize that it's just my stuff we left?  Luckily I have some cleanser (which I don't like as much), and we can have a designated blade for me on my husband's razor, but I think I'm going to have to go buy more mousse and hair spray.  

Teething

Charlotte's been acting like she feels horrible. This is the same way she acted when getting in her two bottom teeth. Dan just got home from a run to the store for motrin. Hopefully it helps her calm down and get to sleep, since she's not been sleeping for the last hour and a half.

I wish I had something awesome to write since it's been a while, but I really truly don't.  We got back from Thanksgiving last night and today we're just taking it slowly.  My husband turned the hot water heater on last night so we would have hot water this morning, but he must not have turned it high enough because when I tried to give the baby a bath I used only hot water and it was still cool enough to make her cry.  So the bath was forgone and now she's napping.  

I loved seeing my family and spending time with my mom.  Just Mom and me.  It felt awesome.  Not only because I had a little adult time, but because Dan was with the baby so I knew I didn't even need to think about her.  She was taken care of.  

Also, Dan and I went out on a date!  We've spent "date" time here at the house after the baby's asleep, but we haven't gone out on a date since she was born.  It was so much fun!  Home dates are good because they're cheap and simple, but it's fun to go out.  

Charlotte did so well with other people this time around.  I think all this vacation time has taught her that I'm not the only person that can love her.  (But I think I'm still her favorite and I like it that way.)  On the plane ride home Dan held her while she was napping and I looked over and saw both of the people I love most in the world sleeping.  There's nothing like a Daddy and his daughter!  No wonder we have so many photos of the two of them asleep!

My sister and her husband didn't come until late Wednesday night and we left Friday so we really only had a day together.  I got really sad when I realized that we wont be seeing each other at Christmas either so that was it for a while.  Oh, but I do love them both.  They both also had tons of fun with Charlotte and I think my sister got a sore arm from bouncing her so much.

We missed seeing Nate, Jenny and their kids and both Dan and I sincerely hope they will be able to make it up the day after Christmas.  Although if they can't we understand, we don't want to put too much pressure on them.  It's just that a whole year of living close to them has spoiled us, we miss them too much!

On the Charlotte front she's gotten a whole lot more brave this past week.  She has realized that if she really wants to get around she's going to have to figure out how to let go of the sofa and still stay upright.  Now, if there's a gap between furniture that she can't quite reach across she's just letting go and hoping that she lands right.  It's pretty funny.  I think she's getting one or both of her top teeth in right now.  On the plane we put an ice cube in a flannel blanket and had her chew on it and she really liked it.  Plus, nursing is getting increasingly uncomfortable.  I think we are seeing the end of the nursing days soon.  She loves bouncing and shaking her head no.  Both are games she likes even more if someone plays along with her (as both Aunt Katie and Uncle Garrett would do.)

Oh our break was good.  It was so short though!  My only consolation is that it's only four weeks until the next one!  I have so many projects to complete before then!  I'd better get going!

YIKES

We went to the mall the other day.  After living in two different places that don't have a mall for two years (a year in each place, not two years in each place) my head started to swim with sheer magnitude of all the stuff you could buy.  Then I went into the Anthropology store.  As I was walking around admiring things I would never be able to buy for myself, I happened upon some of the Christmas items.  A lady next to me picked up a Chocolate bar and asked the clerk if the price marked on it was right.  It was a $12 chocolate bar the size and general shape of a Hershey's bar.  My jaw dropped.  The clerk's response, "Yes, it's $12, but it's really good."  That's right it better be good, for $12 it better be the best chocolate bar I've ever tasted!

Hallelujah Chorus!

Months ago I taught Charlotte to put her pacifier in her own mouth.  It was really fun to watch her go from not figuring it out, to feeling for the right part in her mouth, to the expert she is today.  I did this with the idea that she would learn how to put it in at night so that she can go back to sleep by herself.  Up until now she's not been doing that.  There have always been a few times when one or the other of us has to get up to put the pacifier back in and then go back to sleep.  Not that this is a big deal, because you don't really need to be awake to find a pacifier, but it was becoming a hassle.  

Then came last night.  We did all the same things.  She went to bed at 7 and then I nursed her right before I went to bed.  Then, the next thing I knew it was 6:30 AM and my husband was leaning down to kiss me good bye!  Hallelujah!  She's figured it out!  She can put herself back to sleep!  This is so amazing!  Now if we can just keep this trend going.

Helmets part 2

Thanks for all the great comments.  I just want everyone to know that I'm not the helmet wearer in question here.  I don't own a helmet, but then again I don't really ride my bike so it's a non issue right now.  This is just a question that has come up lately in our group of friends.

To clarify, the question at hand is not whether an adult should wear a helmet.  The question is whether said adult should be made to wear a helmet if they would rather chose not to.

Helmets

Do you think that grown adults should have to always wear a helmet when they ride a bike or are they old enough now to asses the dangers and make that decision on their own?

Live and Learn

This weekend we went to Washington for the wedding of my husband's friend.  I definitely learned a few important do's and don'ts.  I figured I'd write them down so I can remember them as we will be travelling a lot this holiday season.  

Do: Have most things ready when your husband gets home from school
Don't: Take so long getting the last few things ready that you start to be late to the airport.
Do: Go to economy parking, even though it's about a mile past the airport.  It's the cheapest parking lot, cheaper even than the other private parking areas.
Don't: Have your baby get her six month shots the day before you leave.  She might get a mild fever and be achy and cranky.  This isn't fun for anyone.
Don't: Sit in the middle of the plane.  Someone will sit in the third seat in the row and then you don't have any room for the cranky baby to move around.
Do: Bring things for your baby to eat.  When she eats she's happy (which is a lot like her mom).
Don't: Forget to bring food for yourself.
Do: Remember that EVERYONE loves babies!  Especially grandma aged women.  If you feel like talking that's great.  If you feel like sleeping, that's not so great.
Do: Stay at your cousin's house.  He's so awesome and seemed so happy to see us!
Don't: Forget Tylenol.  If you take your baby two time zones away and then make her be in pain so wont sleep.  period.
Do: Spend time with Grandma Whiting.  She is awesome with the little ones!  
Don't: Wait to get Tylenol because it might cost a lot.  Get it anyway.  It'll make a huge difference.
Do: Take turns staying up with the baby when she wakes up at night.  Preferably have a good video.  In our case it was Finding Nemo at Dan's friend's house.  We stayed up and watched it with her at 2 AM until she fell asleep.  Then when she woke up at 5 AM we switched places and the other one watched it with her until she fell asleep.  It's way better than fighting with her to go back to sleep in a place that she doesn't know.
Do: Sit next to a grandma/grandpa couple while waiting for your flight to take off.  They may just give your baby a banana to eat.  Your baby loves bananas.
Do: On the flight home remember to give her Tylenol before the plane takes off and give her juice.  She'll fall asleep for half of the flight and play quietly the second half.  If you can get a seat free in between the two of you for the baby it's even better.  She can sit in that seat.  Or she can look between the cracks and play with the two grown men behind her.
Do: Bring teething toys.  She kept biting everything she could fit in her mouth.  I thought she was only getting two teeth, but those two have broken through and she's still biting everything.
Don't: Just assume that since she's in her own crib the damage done by the two time zones and no schedule will go away.  You will have to reteach her to go to sleep alone.  

All in all the trip was good.  I just would have done things a lot differently.  I don't really like waking up at 5 AM, but I don't think that can be avoided.  

Honors

Yes, that is what Dan received in Anatomy!  Woohoo!

The secret I've been keeping is that Dan's two buddies that he studies with dressed up in costume as him!  The night before Halloween I asked Dan if he was going to dress up and he said, "As myself."  I told him that was a good costume, but I didn't tell him that his costume was going to be stolen from him!  On Sunday I took his belt with his buckle and it was a good thing that I was asleep when he was getting ready in the morning.  I totally would have blown it.  He told me he was totally surprised.  YES!

My morning

I now know why my mom only takes 8 minute showers.

When I went in to the shower the box of Cheerios was completely intact.  The books were in a neat little stack.