Thursday, October 28, 2010

Days Away from Halloween...


Trying to teach a 2 1/2 year old about Halloween is actually easier than I thought, apparently they speak the language of free candy.

"So Christopher, what can you tell me about Halloween?"

"I knock on the door, I say trick-or-treat, I get a SUCK-ER!!!!!"

"Well yeah, I guess you've got the basics."

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Naming a Baby

Well, it was easy with Christopher. I had spent my whole life imagining baby names, so when I was FIVE weeks pregnant, I made Johnny sit down and decide on a name with me. We wrote out our favorites, compared lists and decided on Christopher for a boy, Audrey for a girl. 33 weeks later, we hear "It's a boy!" and he is instantly Christopher James.

It has not been that easy with this pregnancy. Maybe because I know it is my LAST time deciding on a baby name? Maybe because I know it is a girl, so it makes the name more real or something? Maybe because Johnny is a huge name rejector and says NO to everything I come up with? Anyway, we are down to the wire - 4 weeks until my due date!

So, I will add a little poll to the blog, feel free to vote on your favorite - NO NEGATIVE COMMENTS PLEASE. Remember - you may hate the name and feel like I should know you hate it - but in the back of my mind, I remember every bad thing everyone has said about the names, and it can get awkward if the name we choose is the name you told me you think is boring or stupid or reminds you of a trampy girl from high school...

Friday, October 22, 2010

Vows...


Well, another vow is broken. NO, nothing serious - but I seriously need to stop making vows to myself (silent our otherwise).

The day that my dear friend Kori asked me to be in her wedding, I vowed to NOT be pregnant. The prospect of an open bar is a quality reason for family planning, right?

Here I sit, 8 months pregnant, sipping water from the open bar

When Christopher was a newborn, I vowed to not spank him. Why? Because I, a woman and mother of the new millennium, would use my words and reason to rationalize with my baby as he grew up. As I stared at my tiny sleeping newborn, I never imagined the day (in the not so distant future) when he would possibly run into the street, where cars drive, and ignore my cries of "Stop! Freeze! NOOOOO!" When I finally got my hands on him, after I covered him with kisses, he was lucky I didn't strangle him.

As I stared at that tiny little newborn (see his sweetness in the picture
below), I also never pictured this day.

A third promise - I would never, ever, EVER call my husband "Daddy." I thought it was weird, and for a long time after C was born Johnny was never referred to as Daddy, Dada, Papa, etc.

About a year ago, Christopher was in the bubble bath and wanted Johnny to come upstairs. He called "Daddy! Dad-dy!" Johnny didn't hear his cries for attention so he yelled: "JOHN-NY!" He then spent weeks calling Johnny by his first name, me by my first name. Johnny and I immediately started with "Mommy" and "Daddy" - and now it is just who we are...

Hanging out with "Daddy Johnny..."

My latest broken vow? During the magic of my first pregnancy, I couldn't understand the craziness of other end of pregnancy ladies. I vowed to never complain.

Well... I am sorry and ashamed to say that I am a TOTAL end of pregnancy complainer. "When is it going to happen?" "I'm sleepy..." "I'm hot..." "Acid reflux IS not fun." "Yay, I may be weeks away from delivery, but here I am - still battling morning sickness! Yay, pregnancy can be awesome." "I can't drink at Kori's wedding - whaaa!"

Now, I would NOT change the pregnancy for anything in the world - I feel honored that I can even have children - and then at the end of the 40 long weeks, I get a really awesome prize. BUT, stay away from me until the baby arrives - turns out I am a total whiner.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Strumming Along...


This $10 guitar from Target was a smart purchase. As a baby, Christopher held it and plucked at the strings. Other toddler friends play with it the moment they arrive to our house. I use it to sing my always in tune, written on-the-spot songs.

A sample from last evenings song stylings? Well, first keep in mind that I don't know how to play the guitar, so I just play all the strings and make noise. Then, for whatever reason, I assume a "country" voice.

And begin:

"Oh Christopher, you're my best friend. The best until the end.
Oh Christopher, your feet - they're full of meat!
Oh Christopher, we're singing songs.
Oh Bucky, please sing a-long..."

He smiles and bounces and claps until I run out of random things to sing, he is a good boy. He even asked me to sing the "feet meat" song again. :)

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Sweet Moments with Daddy

Last night after dinner, I cleaned the kitchen while Johnny got Christopher ready for bed. After I was done cleaning up, I went upstairs and spied on a sweet little moment of Christopher stark naked, sitting on the floor, talking to Daddy as his Daddy gently put a new band aid on his toe (he cut a toenail- a band aid is no longer required, but Christopher has become attached to it). C was telling Daddy all about his hurt toe, and Daddy was listening, full of interest...

Then Daddy brought Christopher downstairs and they read a book together. Christopher likes to participate with reading aloud (as you can see from this video), and with my camera phone I caught a cute little moment of them both saying "Sssh!" at the same time in the book. My boys are so sweet!

Reading ME a Story Before Bed...

Back in July, 2009 - Christopher started reading aloud. I thought he was brilliant then:



Here he is, reading to me last night before bed (again - I can't figure out how to rotate VIDEOS, does anyone know how to do that?). He is a genius boy!

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

40 Weeks

Tonight we are going to visit Grandma Barbara and Papa Karlos (also known as Ganma Barbala and PaKarlos).

Christopher is VERY excited to see them, and talked about the visit all night last night.

He also must have overheard a me saying that pregnancy lasts for 40 weeks, and that 40 weeks is a LONG time, because this morning on the way to school he said:

"No school today. I go to Ganma Barbala's house for 40 weeks, ok Mama?"

Playing on a dirt pile at Ganma
Barbala's - no wonder he wants to
stay there for 40 weeks!

Monday, October 11, 2010

ALLLLLL Night

When Christopher is happy and doesn't want to stop doing whatever it is that we are doing, he says "I do this ALLLLL night." So, if you are hanging out with him and he says he wants to stay with you alllll night - you have made him a happy 2 year old.

See below for a video of the cuteness (I can't figure out how to make the video vertical, sorry!):


Friday, October 8, 2010

Todays Perk of Being a Mama - Awwwwww.....


Sometimes your baby does something so cute there are no proper words to describe it.


Thank Heavens that moments like this can be captured for forever...


Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Todays Perk of Being a Mama - Singing along

Christopher is occasionally grumpy during the morning drive to school and work - which I totally understand, I have been known to have a grumpy morning or two... Well, one day the song Mad by Neo came on the radio and he stopped crying and kicking.

Because I stick with what works, the next time he was grumpy in the morning, I turned that same song on.

It worked again.

Needless to say, I have listened to Mad possibly 1,000 times. Sometimes, at C's request - we listen to it on repeat throughout the 20-minute morning drive.

This morning I was humming along. He said "Stop mama, stop!" I stopped and then listened to him as he actually sang along to the words (he knows almost every single word)! He's a 2 year old genius.

It is my goal to catch it on video...

Monday, October 4, 2010

Todays Perk of Being a Mama - Eating Dirt

Last weekend, Christopher and I stayed overnight with my mom and stepdad, Karl (or as Christopher refers to him "Papa Karlos" - which has been shortened to "PaKarlos"). Early the next morning, he convinced PaKarlos to take him on a walk - well, on this walk he discovered a BIG PILE OF ROCKS AND DIRT. Which, as it turns out, is a toddlers version of Heaven on Earth. Karl took a TON of photos and videos, but this is my favorite - here he climbs to the top of the dirt mountain ("I do MY-SELF!"), he pretends to ride a horsey, he eats dirt for the first time - all in his jammies. He came back into the house covered, from head to toe, in dirt and mud - and was as happy as a boy could be.

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Tiny Pink Clothes

There is just something absolutely irresistable about tiny pink clothing... Can't believe that in a few weeks we're going to have a little baby girl wearing these jammies, hats, booties. We can't wait!
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