Is There Anything Better…

… than a happy baby! Robert has been in such a rocking good mood this weekend. He’s always been a really easy, low key baby but lately we’re getting a lot more smiles. And talking! That kid can chat up a storm. At the preschool he talks the other kids’ ears off. At home he’s talking to Jim and I and also to the zebra on his swing. He just chats up a storm and he loves it when you join in the conversation. He has discovered his hands. I swear it looks like he’s on a little baby acid trip. He’ll stare at his hand and open and close it, then it’s time to chew on it. He’s also getting ready to start grabbing things. He’s definitely showing a little more coordination with his arm movements. It’s such an exciting time! I just wish it would slow down a bit!

Big Person Day

Today has been a grown up day all day. Started out by finishing up our wills, advanced directives and power of attorneys so that we can get them notarized tomorrow. All documents we hope we never have to use but ones that have to be made, especially now that Robert is here. On paper it looks like he’ll be provided for pretty well if we die. We are definitely worth more dead than alive right now if you don’t factor in future earning potential. My goal is to start doing mroe of he wealth building this year now that we’re finally settled in the house, etc. so that maybe in a few years it will be more economically beneficial to live.

We went to brunch with Renee and had a really good time. We were there forever just catching up. Afterwards we ran over and browsed the after Christmas sale at Barnes and Noble and I picked up a couple of new calendars.

Came home and I printed all of our newly written legal documents, sorted them and flagged pages for signatures. I also set up our new Microsoft Money accounts and paid the bills for January. Always nice to have them paid before the month actually begins.

I finally got smart and printed contact sheets of all the pictures we have of Robert. I’m getting ready to curl up on the couch and decide which ones to order for his scrapbooks. I also decided I was going to make contact sheets of all my digital scrapbooking stuff so I can get it into a binder and also get those files more organized on the computer by categories. Hopefully I can get some of them printed off tonight. If not, there is always next weekend.

Christmas Scraps

Thanks to the miracle of Quick Pages I am getting the Christmas pages scrapped. Robert is only 2 1/2 months old but I’m already 8 months behind in scrapping! Time just seems to fly and by the end of the day it seems I’m too tired to really be creative. It doesn’t help that my digital files are such a mess I can’t tell what kits I have, etc. I think I’ve figured out a way to get them a little more under control… now I just need the time to organize them.

The Reindeer page is done with the Rudolph Quick Page. All other layouts are 12 Days of Christmas Quick Pages.

Happy Restful New Year

A few months ago we got a memory foam topper for our bed and it has really made a difference in how we’ve slept. So, I got to thinking, how would it be if we had a memory foam bed??? Bragada, the original memory foam people are having their year end sale so this lovely mattress is on it’s way to our house now! No shipping or sales tax and a reduced cost. I love a bargain! In my mind I didn’t just spend $1400… I saved $700. Jim is so excited he’s now asking when is it going to ship?

Robert and Jim are playing right now and I’m downloading some kits so hopefully I can get started on some Christmas layouts. I also need to go through the photos and get a Shutterfly order in since I bought a prepay plan last month and have 500 prints purchased.

I was going to run to Baby Gap tonight to look at their clearance rack but I was just too tired so I came home. Maybe tomorrow I can run out for a while.

On the Road Again

I’m actually not going anywhere, but when I’m ready to I’ll be able to find it. My last gift from Jim arrived today. A GPS system for my car. This actually will come in handier than I thought at first. I often have to deliver stuff for my job and sometimes places are hard to find or it’s easy to miss a turn. Now with vocal turn by turn direction I may never be lost again.

It also holds pictures so it can be like my own personal digital picture frame. Leave it to me to find an alternate purpose for an otherwise very practical device.

Getting Back In Order

I want to be scrapbooking right now but I’m too tired. Got home and have barely had a chance to sit down since I walked in the door. First order of business was to put together Robert’s high chair since I unpacked it last night so I could get the box to the curb today. I’m proud to announce I think our house was the winner for biggest pile on the block for free trash day. Perhaps I’m getting a bit too competitive.

Next I vacuumed part of the living room so that I could get the child gate put up so Robert has some floor space that is his and Harley can’t bother him. We put him in there tonight in his bouncy chair with his new musical light show and that kept him very entertained.

I got Roberts toys and clothes put up and assembled his puppet theater. I think New Year’s Eve Jim and I might have to entertain him with a little puppet show. I know in the future he’ll get hours of entertainment out of it. And if he doesn’t, Jim and I will.

Moved Cosmo’s old condo to the basement rec room and put his new condo in place. Last I saw him he was napping on the top. It’s a lot wider than the old one so he doesn’t have to ball up quite so tight. It’s also well out of Harley’s reach so he can rest more peacefully.

Got files for work copied on to the jump drive. My goal is to produce three tri-folds tomorrow. We’ve got an accreditation visit in two weeks so EVERYONE is busy, busy. I’m just going to shut my door and hunker down. I think I have most of the text written in various places it’s just laying it out and getting the right graphics. It doesn’t help that not all of our photo release forms are in order so trying to figure out which photos I can use right now is a bit of a process. Would help a lot if I knew all the client’s names.

Maybe this weekend I’ll get some scrapping done.

Merry Christmas to Me

What a day. Jim & Robert woke me up at 7am to open presents. UGH! I didn’t get to sleep until after 2:30am so it made for a short night. To make things worse, Robert fell asleep mid-package opening so we had to put him back to bed and try again later. Jim liked all of his gifts. I got a pair of diamond earrings from Cosmo and Harley. A great Aigner purse from Robert, some foot spa Bath & Body works stuff from Santa, and an IOU from my husband. LOL He started his shopping late and his present for me didn’t arrive. He did tell me it’s a GPS system… I know I will use that! I’m constantly having to deliver proposals for work and sometimes the places are hard to find.

After presents were opened and Robert was napping once again, Jim decided to take a nap. I worked on a layout of Cosmo and his new condo and got things ready to go for this afternoon – loaded the presents, got Robert’s bottles and bags ready, etc. At noon we headed over to my Aunt’s house to have Christmas dinner. We had a good time, everyone loved their gifts but I was exhausted when we got home. I kept telling Jim I was going to take a nap.

Then Robert was fussy so he needed my attention. Got him settled and decided we might as well un-decorate the tree since tomorrow is free trash day and it would be nice to get the old tree out (we’ve officially decided we need a new one, now we’ll be forced to do it next year or go without a tree). Mid-way through de-decorating Jim got sick. He’s been in bed all night. Vomiting, achy and, gee it’s horrible to say this, but he’s been whiny! Why are men such babies! Take some tylenol, crawl in bed and go to sleep. I don’t need updates on your condition, I know you’re sick. I have vomitted before, I know it’s no fun, you don’t have to explain it to me.

To add to my short fuse of sympathy Robert has spent the whole night wanting to be held, falling asleep then waking up 7-10 minutes after you put him down. He is finally down for the night, I hope! I’m going to go grab a pillow and blanket and bed down on the couch for the night. This is the first year in almost a decade that I’ve worked the day after Christmas… yuck! I want to be home playing with my new presents!

Hurry Up Morning!!!

OK, I admit, I’m the biggest kid when it comes to Christmas. I can’t sleep! We spent 10 hours out at my Mom’s house today and had a really good time. My nephew Donald is so wonderful with Robert. They napped together! It was so cute. My niece Erika, who is now 15 and growing up way too fast, and I took a few minutes out of the day to run to the outlet mall. That place is dying fast! We ran into the Gap first. I found one cute onesie for Robert but nothing else. We did find a shirt and two sweaters for my niece and we got matching lip balm. Then we headed over to Eddie Bauer. They’re going out of business and I cleaned up! I got new jeans for Jim and I both, several turtlenecks, polar fleece, a new vest for me and one for Erika. We had some time to talk and that kid is dealing with a whole lot more than she should have to. The good thing is she’s really looking to the future and has a plan. She’s also become incredibly articulate. We talked about her Dad and I think she was really needing some one on one time.

Erika made her world famous chocolate white chocolate chunk cookies when we got back and they were delicious! We enjoyed them over a game of Sorry.

For dinner Mom made her usual prime rib and potato casserole with all the trimmings. It was really good. The kids liked their presents. When Erika opened her Dallas Cowboys shirt she exclaimed, “Finally!”. Yes, it’s time we remember Donald isn’t the only Dallas fan in the family (their Dad was a HUGE Dallas fan).

We got home around 11. Jim was disappointed to see that his last gift for me has not arrived yet. I’m absolutely dying because it’s the one thing I have no idea what it is. Jim put Robert to bed while I went to work getting things ready for Santa. Pictures have been taken of the tree with no gate around it. The living room furniture has been rearranged. The video camera is on the tripod and in place. Robert’s papasan chair is in the place of honor in front of the tree. His first Christmas will be well recorded. Now it’s the waiting game. Waiting for morning. I’m so excited I can’t sleep. It’s not like Robert will have a clue of what’s happening but for me the best gift I ever got will be celebrating his first Christmas. Pictures will be taken. Scrapbook pages assembled and one day he’ll look back on them and know that we did everything we could to make the first Christmas a great one. He’ll know he was loved. He’ll know his mommy has some serious spending habits when it comes to Christmas…

We Believe!

In our house, we believe. That includes Harley and Cosmo. They began their Santa watch at 9:30am this morning. And in our house, if you belive, your stocking will be filled. Cosmo is definitely my child… he has already found (and played with) his gifts. Even the new tower that was “hidden” in the garage. But then a cat of three will tend to go snooping when given the chance, and to him the garage is a magical place.

I’m starting to believe some stuff this morning too. Basically, I’m believing we’re getting old and this marathon two days of running is going to have to stop soon. Today we will be at my Mom’s from noon until ???. We used to stay out there until 10pm and then head to our church for the 11pm service and then home to open presents so we could sleep in Christmas Day before heading over to my Aunt’s house at noon for more festivities. Of course, I was always off the week of Christmas in the past. And we were younger. And we didn’t have Robert. I’m thinking we’ve got one or two more years of this running and then I’m putting my foot down like my Mom did so many years ago when she decided we did not leave the house Christmas Day. People were welcome to come over but we weren’t going anywhere. What’s the use of getting a lot of cool new things when you just had to leave them to go visit someone? Of course, you were getting more cool, new things where you went too. I’m already thinking that I’m not going to get a chance to play with my cool new stuff before I go back to work on Wednesday. I’m not sure we’ll make church tonight. 11pm is awfully late, especially for Robert. I love that service but perhaps it will have to be put on hold for a few years until he’s older and has more stamina.

The Last of the Christmas Gifts

Well we made it to church this morning and did our duty as the new parents at the advent wreath. Robert decided to make his performance extra special. We’re standing up at the wreath. Jim is lighting candles. The minister is reading the litany and I’m holding Robert for God and the congregation to see. All of a sudden I felt a little rumble from his seat and his face lit up in a big old smile. Yes, my son pooped all the way through the lighting of the advent candles. And he was proud of himself to boot. What’s worse is it wasn’t his usual poop… this one was extra odor added. Ah, the wonderful family memories. I’m just thankful that the microphone on the podium didn’t pick up anything audibly.

This afternoon I finished up the last of the creative parts of the Christmas gifts. This included two enclosures for some of Jim’s cigar gifts and a card for Aunt Sue & Uncle Ross. They are major animal lovers so each year we make a donation to the animal shelter in their honor. They seem to really appreciate it. This year I made a card using Heather Ann’s gift tag design that I just printed larger and added Harley and Cosmo’s picture.

The other picture is the tumbler I made for Aunt Barb from Robert using Shabby Princess’ Silly Boy Nut Nut kit and Kate Teague’s tumbler templates from Two Peas website.