Thanksgiving!

Well we had another terrific Thanksgiving at our house. It has been a super busy few weeks leading up to it, but it is over and everyone is gone and I am able to get some rest again :). Don't get me wrong though, I loved every minute of it!

My sister came to visit for the holiday and arrived last Wednesday. We did a little bit of everything and I think she enjoyed her visit. On Saturday she got to watch Calli play in her last soccer game and score her first goal! It was very exciting and so fun to see how much she has improved from the first game to the last. She loved playing and got a trophy at the end of the season. On Sunday we decided to go to a minor league hockey game. It turned out to be really fun. For $12 each we got a game ticket, a hot dog, chips, drink and pre-game skate. We got to go ice skating before the game! This was Calli's first time skating and she loved it. Daddy had to hold her hands and keep her up the whole time, but she had so much fun. After that we just enjoyed the game. Funny enough, it was the Sharks' (my favorite team!) minor league affiliate team come to town to play. So of course Allison and I (and even Calli) had worn our Sharks gear (we won too).

Monday was spent doing all my Thanksgiving shopping and planning everything I would have to do the next few days. Richard's parents and grandmother also arrived that afternoon to spend the holiday with us. Allison and I had discovered something really exciting earlier in the day: there is a BJs Brewhouse in town! Apparently it had quietly opened it's doors in July and I couldn't believe we hadn't known this whole time. This is one of our favorite restaurants and one we always frequent when we go back home to California for a visit. So now we have our very own BJs here. It was yummy of course.

Tuesday my in-laws spent some time with the kids while Allison and I went to my doctor's appointment. I was sixteen weeks along and we got to hear the baby's heartbeat for the first time. I have my BIG ultrasound on December 12th and we decided we will be finding out the baby's sex this time (if she cooperates that is!). We are very excited for that in just two weeks. So after the appointment Allison and I went out to lunch and did a bit of shopping. We decided we might have enjoyed ourselves a bit more if we weren't so sick. See, we have been passing this cold around the house for almost a month now. It started with Serena and she was very sick with a cough and stuffed up nose. It was a horrible experience and we didn't get much sleep for a few nights. After she started to get over it, Calli caught it and then gave it to me. I have been fighting this sickness for nearly two weeks now. It seems to change though, I developed a cough a few days ago that is really annoying me. I just can't seem to shake this. Calli and Richard are all well for the moment and Serena seems to be almost better, aside from her runny nose (yes she picked up the cold a second time). I will just be happy when we can all be healthy. I know it is that season for getting sick, but I could use a break. It didn't help that Calli had been sleeping in our room so Allison could have her bed. Calli would wake up coughing every night and therefore, wake us up too. I was glad to have her back in her own room last night and she didn't wake up at all (and I got some much needed sleep!).

On Wednesday we went and saw a Thanksgiving play that the Backyard Theatre puts on for kids. It is a really cute place and Calli attended Princess Camp there last summer. We had also seen two other plays and loved them. Calli loved this one as well. We got some lunch on the way home and Richard got off early and all spent a great day together.

Thanksgiving came and went quickly and it is always bittersweet. I spend so much time cooking and preparing only to have the food gobbled up in about fifteen minutes! I started cooking on Tuesday (cranberry sauce and sweet potato casserole), continued on Wednesday (jello mold, Ladyfinger cake and french onion dip) and finished the rest on Thursday. We had a little bit of everything you could imagine and it all turned out pretty good. My stuffing was a little dry, which I am still mad about. But everything else was great and all so yummy. We have lots of leftovers of course so we will be eating turkey for the next two nights. Yum!

Anyhow, we had a great time celebrating with everyone and had to say goodbye yesterday. I took my sister to the airport yesterday morning and then we were able to spend the day with Richard's family before they left that evening. We ended up going to Bass Pro Shops, which is this huge store that sells things for outdoors. Calli and Serena got to meet Santa; Calli loved it, Serena not so much! But I got a cute photo out of it. We also got a great GPS yesterday, our Christmas present from Richard's parents. That was very nice of them and I love it!

So here are some pictures from our Thanksgiving!

Allison and Richard cleaning the turkey the night before Thanksgiving

Serena's first Thanksgiving!
Calli, Serena and Grandpa Bob
Daddy and Calli

Serena enjoying the ads from the paper

Calli eating the appetizers

Auntie giving Serena big kisses

Allison and me cooking in the kitchen

Ta-da!

I couldn't have done it without her!

Calli enjoying her Thanksgiving food (ta-da!)

Serena eating turkey for the first time

Everybody enjoying their Thanksgiving food

Grandpa doing Calli's hair

Calli toppled out of the chair and took the cushion with her (she landed under it). I thought I would snap a cute picture with her head poking out, but this is what we got when Richard lifted it up.

Calli and Serena in their matching outfits

The girls meeting Santa Claus

I am still alive!

I know it has been awhile since my last blog, but things have been so busy here. We've been passing a cold around the house, that Serena has managed to catch twice. I am currently under the weather and hopefully on the mend. Being pregnant and sick is NO fun. I am pretty much exhausted all the time. My sister is here visiting too and now so are Richard's parents and grandmother. Everyone came for Thanksgiving of course, so I have been busy trying to prepare and do everything. I am excited for the holiday, but will be glad when it is over too.

Well that is the abbreviated news from here, I will update more next week when I have a minute.

One of Those Days...

I am having a cranky day. In fact, I have had to apologize to Calli a few times for snapping at her when she didn't deserve it. At least she is old enough to understand when I tell her "Mommy is just feeling really grumpy today". Kids at this age are so sweet because you can scold them one moment and they will be your best friend the next. It's like they forget in that short moment that you have been acting not so nice.

Anyhow, my day didn't start off well. When I was in the shower at 6:30am I managed to somehow pull a muscle in my neck. Everyone knows how uncomfortable and painful that is throughout the day. Hopefully it will feel better tomorrow. However, it did not bode well for the rest of the day. Serena was super cranky throughout the stores we went to today and not even her pacifier made her happy. At Target we got icees and popcorn and brought them in the car. Calli managed to spill half the popcorn all over the back seat. Finally we came home and I sat down in the living room with the kids. Calli brought her RED icee in the living room, which when I glanced at it, thought it would be a bad idea, but I stupidly let it slide. Not a minute later she spilled a few drops on the floor.

So that is where we stand now. I feel like I have a million chores to do including laundry, vacuuming, sweeping. But I am so tired and have this pounding headache, I don't feel like doing anything.

Serena was sick for the first time over the weekend. I was lucky with Calli; she didn't even get so much as a cold until after her first birthday (I can't help but think maybe it was because I breastfed her almost six months and couldn't even make it to six weeks with Serena). Anyhow, she woke up Friday morning not feeling too well, but took a good nap that morning. That night, however, she slept until about 3am before waking up coughing and feeling sick. I managed to rub her back and she slept another hour. Then I was up again rocking her to sleep in my arms. I have to admit, that was not so bad. She does not like to be rocked to sleep anymore so anytime I get to rock with her is sweet. Plus at that point I just wanted to do whatever I could to make her feel better. I placed her in her crib but she woke herself up coughing a short while later. Richard and I were both up around 6am. He got up with Serena and I had to take a shower and get Calli to her EIGHT AM soccer game. Serena did not really want to nap that day and I was worried how the night would be again. At least it was a weekend though and I had Richard to help me. I was exhausted. Being pregnant and not getting much sleep doesn't mix too well. Serena slept much better that night though, but I could not still. I was just worried about her. I got a nap the next day and she was feeling MUCH better. Now she is pretty much over everything and is her usual, happy self.

She has been pulling up on everything as of about two weeks ago. Her favorite toy now is Calli's old Laugh and Learn Table. She loves it! She can pull herself up and stand to play with it. She has also been babbling a lot and her favorite word is "DADA". If you say "mama" to her she will respond with "dada". She is funny. Calli's first babbles (I don't consider them words as babies don't even know that they are saying anything at this age, it's just noise) were MAMA and she has turned out to be more of a Mommy's girl I think. So I wonder if Serena will be the Daddy's girl. Who knows.

I got the girls their Christmas dresses yesterday. They are seriously too cute for words. They are matching, but different colors; Calli's is red and Serena's is green. They have that white fur-type trimming around the bottom of the dress and sleeves. I love them! I can't wait to get our family Christmas photo taken at the end of the month.

In other news, my sister is coming out to visit us for Thanksgiving. That was originally the plan a few months ago; she had booked her ticket and everything. Then she couldn't come and I was sad because I haven't seen her in a year and she hasn't even met Serena! So Richard and I bought her a ticket to come out and she is able to take the time off work to be with us. She gets in next Wednesday and is staying through the day after Thanksgiving. We are so happy to have her here.

Well, that will be it for this blog. More later! No pictures yet. Our camera is apparently fixed already and in the mail - hopefully it will be here today!

Seven Months!

Dear Serena Camille,

Today you are SEVEN whole months old! How did you get to be over half a year old so fast? You have grown so much and changed a lot, even just in the last month! You started crawling two months ago (army style!) but have since began to do the regular ol' baby crawl a bit more. But still, when you want to get somewhere fast, you go back to the elbow over elbow crawl and just scoot faster than Mommy can keep up ;).

A few days ago you started to pull up to stand too! You first used people, always crawling over to Mommy or Daddy and pulling yourself up on us. The very FIRST place I saw you standing was in your crib though. You were very tired and for some reason not wanting to take a nap. I let you be for a few minutes and you were MAD to say the least. When I went back in there to comfort you, you were standing holding onto the crib railing with fat tears running down your chubby little cheeks and a "Mommy, why?" expression on your face. I had been frustrated when I walked in the room, but seeing you like that melted my cold, cold heart of stone and I scooped you in my arms for a hug. I also realized it was probably time to lower your crib mattress! Since then you have started pulling up on the couch too and taking a few tentative steps holding on to it if you see something you have to have. Just think, in a few short months you will take your first steps. Will you be an early walker like your sister? Time will tell.

Over the weekend you developed quite the adorable little personality! You started babbling "dada", "baba" and "gaga" sounds while smiling and laughing more. You think you are the cutest thing! (you are). Momma has been encouraging the "mama" sound and Calli has encouraged "calli" but so far you aren't biting.

This month you were on a veggie strike for a little while so you didn't eat as much solids as usual. I think you have straightened out a bit though. You are still not a fan of the Gerber puffs, so we tried Cheerios; you did not care for those much more. You tried yogurt for the first time a week ago and love it. You also really love water now. You are decent at using the sippy cup, but like it when Mommy puts some in a straw and puts that in your mouth. Your first Thanksgiving is coming up soon and I was hoping you would be able to eat some of the food since you are going to be nearly eight months, but I am not so sure now. I suppose I am too anxious to get you on table foods and should just back off a bit. But it's been two years since I've been through this so cut me some slack okay?

You celebrated your first Halloween on October 31st, 2008 and were a ladybug, along with your big sister. We took you out trick-or-treating with Calli, sitting in your stroller being cute while she ran up to the houses. You were content the whole time, just swinging your little legs back and forth and enjoying the walk. Next year you will be trick-or-treating right alongside Calli!

Well, it has been a pretty fun month with you. We went through some not-so-great weeks where you were extra cranky and I was sure you were teething. But alas, no tooth has popped through and you have returned to your happy ways. Who knows when those pearly whites will make an entrance??

Love you!

Mommy

Halloween Photos

Calli with the haunted house we made

The girls getting dressed to go trick-or-treating
Ready to go!
"Cool costume Sis! Mind if I take a look?"

Cute little ladybug. This is probably my favorite costume ever!

"Can we go trick-or-treating now Mom? Please, please, please???"

Mommy and her little ladybugs

And we're off! Starting our trick-or-treat journey

Serena enjoying her candy bag (it was just for looks; no, we did not actually collect any candy for her)

Calli started the night holding her pumpkin bag, but by the end it was so heavy I had to drag it around for her!

The first house (oops, no one was home!)

Checking out all the candy Calli got

Serena wants some candy too, "share with me, Sister!"

Calli got to eat one piece when we got home

Serena wanted a piece too ;)

And that was our night! We had a lot of fun trick-or-treating. Calli got scared at some houses and refused to go up, but she loosened up as the night went on. The first house we went to she ran up and immediately said "trick-or-treat, thank you!" It was cute and funny. She finally learned to separate the two though and did really well. Everyone thought she was just too cute. I sure am going to miss the days of having little kids when everyone squeals "ohhhhh how cute!" When does that end?? I would hope never, but they grow up eventually.