Santa came early!

On Tuesday when my dad picked me up from work, he told me that Santa had visited them during the day.  Unfortuanely, Bobby and I were at work and Gia was sleeping, so he just had to leave our gifts under the tree.

Gia, Bobby and I had a slew of gifts waiting for us!  Santa's instructions were that we could open them anytime we want to, preferably before Christmas.  So, we opened Gia's gift and I opened one of my gifts.

 

Gia was pretty excited to get her book (she loves books!) and wanted to read it right away.  Another highlight for her was ripping the paper.  She so carefully examines the paper and rips it strip-by-strip.  This is also what happens to the toilet paper when we forget to close the bathroom door (like we did a few days ago).

I got "Miracle of 34th Street" in my box.  Later, Gianna brought a present to Nana and Papa Joe.  We figured it was meant to be (although the truth is that she probably just wanted to rip the paper again), so we opened that one, too... it was "A Charlie Brown Christmas."  My parents said that I definitely needed all the classics to prepare for next year when Gia will be watching TV. 

Nana & Papa Joe are here!!

My parents finally got here on Sunday morning... now Christmas can really begin!!  We've been counting down the days to their arrival for what seems like months, and I am so glad this time is finally here.  I had decorated their room with lights, candles, and candy on their pillows, and I had a present wrapped for each of them under the tree.  I even had one for Bobby :o)

Right off the bat, Gianna took to my parents.  I had been showing her their picture on the fridge (and of course, Skype) to the point where she could point at their picture and say their names, so when they walked in the door I think she recognized them.  She went to my dad right away and started following him around saying, "Papa.  Papa."  Then she would say "Nana" and point to my mom to be held.  It made us all so happy to see her enjoying them.  They have just been playing with her and treasuring her company.  

Even through being sick, they have been so good about getting up early with her and playing with her all day (and I do mean ALL day because she skipped her nap today!  She was too exctied to sleep).  My mom has an ear infection and my dad has a cold, but they are so glad to be here that you'd never know it!  Poor Bobby is sick now, too.  We're all going to be better by Christmas, though!

I had to go to work today, sadly, but when I got home, the festivities began!  Dad and I went to Walmart to pick up a Christmas gift for Gia and some other stuff, and then we got Chinese food for dinner.  We all ate, Bobby went to a meeting, and we played with the baby & decorated cookies.  Gianna wanted to just sit with Nana and read a book, so Nana took a break from decorating to spend time with Gia. 

We've been enjoying being together, watching Cake Boss with the tree & garland all lit, eating sugar cookies & Christmas M&Ms.  We've been teasing each other about Christmas gifts and playing lots of Christmas music (classics like Frankie & Dean Martin).  I am so glad they're here for Christmas!

 

18 months

I feel like a bad mom, missing the post for Gia's 18 month milestone!  She turned 18 months on November 30 (well, 31st, but there is none), and I was waiting until her doctor's appointment to put up this post.  Of course, life happens, and I forgot.  But here I am writing it now!

So, the measurements from the doctor are:

Height:  31 3/4 inches (50%)

Weight: 23lbs 2oz (15%)

Head:  60%

Yeah, her weight is a little off from the rest of her, but she looks okay to me & the doctor wasn't worried, so all is well.  She's just not a big eater, and she runs around a lot buring off the calories she doesn't take in.  Here are some things from this past month:

Saying 40+ words now, some two-word sentences

Likes to play "catch me"

Can easily point to pictures in a book and say what it is (ball, puppy, baby)

Can point to pictures of people and say their names (Papa Joe, Nana, Mama, Daddy)

Learned how to say "La la la"

Started really singing to the radio

Doesn't sleep in much anymore

Got into 18 month clothes

Still wears size 4 shoes

Still delt with her discomfort and anxiety about her exema (which we have now solved).

Started "reading" to herself.

17 months was a lot of fun.  She started playing more and understanding new things, wanting to play on the bed a lot and read books.  She hates brushing her upper teeth now for some reason, but hopefully that will change.  She calls for Nola and tells her "No" and "Down" when the dog is being bad.  Her hair keeps growing, so I can do new, cute things with it!  She is just a joy in our lives, and I'm so excited to see her grow in her communication skills, and to see what kinds of things will interest her in the next 6 months.

A Puppy for Christmas

So, we have a new member of our family.  She is a chocolate lab/golden retriever mix, and the sweetest dog you'll ever meet.  She's 2 1/2, and her name is Twix.  She was owned by an elderly lady who could no longer take care of her, and the lady had named the dog Twix.  It just happens to be my favorite candy bar, so I liked the name.  Someone said that "Twix" probably came from the fact that she is chocolate (lab) and caramel (retriever) mixed, and that's how she got the name.  Creative.

I had mentioned to Bobby about going to this South Ogden adoption event on Dec.1 so that we could get Nola a buddy, but Bobby wasn't very into it.  Then he found out they were giving away free hotdogs, and Santa was going to be there (for Gia), so he was excited to go.  We walked in, and there at the door was a lady holding Twix.  The dog was beautiful and sweet, just the right size and temperament that we were looking for.  Bobby wanted to look around, but I convinced him to wait & ask about Twix.  The lady said that someone was interested in her, but she wasn't adopted yet.  So, we snatched her up.  I can't believe we did it, but we did.  I found out later that Bobby's decision about a second dog changed for Twix because he has always wanted a chocolate lab. 

  

I waited to write this post about Twix because for a few days we weren't sure if it was going to work out.  Nola is an extreme Alpha dog, and she didn't like Twix much at first.  She growled a lot, and the two of them got into a fight over food the first day (causing Gia to cry hysterically and freak out).  I was not a fan of keeping Twix, and I really went back and forth on whether we should keep her or not.  Anyway, day by day things got better, and now Nola is totally fine with Twix, so she's staying :o) 

Twix loves to cuddle with us... I mean serioulsy cuddle.  She will literally jump in my lap (all 50-60 lbs of her) and just lay there.  She follows us around a lot and begs for food in the kitchen (we're trying to break her of that habbit, but I have a feeling she's used to getting a lot of table scraps).  She doesn't jump or bark, and she is wonderfully patient with Gia.  I'm so glad she is part of our family now.

 

The Perfect Christmas Tree

So, in my earlier post I said how picky I am about our Christmas tree, and how we were having trouble finding a good one.  Well, we went back to Lowes the day after Thanksgiving (where we go every year), and this time they had a larger display of unbundled trees.  And we did it.  We found a great tree.  It is full and a good height, and it smells good.  

We put the lights on (sucessfully the first time) but debated puting ornaments on because of Gia... I finally decided that I didn't want to go another year without seeing our ornaments, so I put them on (excpet the lower branches, so that Gia couldn't pull them off).  So far Gia has been great about it.  She carefully touches the ornaments and listens when I say not to pull on them.  She would rather smell the tree anyway than play with the ornaments, ha ha.

Here are some pictures of our 2012 tree!

In the years past, Bobby and I have had a hard time putting the tree up because they are so awkward to get into the stands.  But this time, they bundled the tree for us & we kept it that way until it was in the stand.

Our tree is really a great size for our house.  The first tree we had in Utah was huge, taking up the entire corner.  This year it is full, but still leaves room for Gia to run around & play.

First the lights....

Then, the ornaments...

And finally, our little angel put the star on the tree.  Well, she posed for the camera as if she was going to.  Daddy had to help her out a bit.

Gianna's favorite thing for days afterward was smelling the tree.  I taught her that it "smells pretty," and she has been sniffing it every since.  She gets really tickled after smelling it & will do it over and over again.  So cute.

Even Nola loves having the tree.  Every year, she finds her spot right underneath it.  

I could have Christmas without the perfect Christmas tree, but I'm so thankful that I have a husband who is patient and lets me be picky.  I thought maybe I was the only one who dragged her husband around from place to place finding a tree, but then I watched the Christmas episode of Duck Dynasty.  Apparently Mrs. Kay is picky and takes Phil around looking for the perfect tree, also.  Bobby and I laughed a lot over that episode.  If Duck Dynasty wasn't my favorite show before, it sure is now.  Good to know I'm not alone.

Molars and Mullets

From birth my daughter has had a mullet.  It's just gone from a rat tail, to now a full blown mullet.  Business in the front, Party in the back!  I can't bring myself to cut her hair at all, so it just keeps growing, and boy is it cute.  Here is a side view of her hair:

She has also started getting her molars!  She doesn't even have all of her other front teeth, and she's already getting molars!  So far she has 2, with another one pushing its way through.  She's been chewing on her fingers (as you see in this next picture), which was our first sign that they were coming.  She never runs a fever when cutting teeth, but this time she had a 102.3 fever and was so miserable.  The great thing about teething fevers, though, is that a little Advil takes all the symptoms away.  Anyway, look closely and check out her molar in this picture:

The molars are awesome because she can now eat some raw veggies (up until this point I have had to steam all of them), and it makes eating in general easier for her.  However, they seem to be coming in early, and I'm not ready for her to grow up yet!  I can't believe how fast she is growing and changing.  I love this stage of her life SO much, and I just want to freeze-frame it. At the same time, I'm so proud of who she's turning in to, and I can't wait to see her make an impact on the world.

Here are some more pictures from our "photo shoot" just for fun.

Papa Joe bought her this outfit before she was born.  It was the first "gift" from him.

Gia's "cheese" face.

Gianna was trying to tickle herself.

I'm not sure what she was doing here, but it's a classic "Gia face" that she makes when she talks.

She loves her shoes, and she can say the word really well.

 

 

There's no place like Boone...

So, Bobby and I went Christmas tree shopping today.  It's one of my favorite things to do at Christmas time, but it sure is a challenge out here in Utah.  

When I lived in Boone, my parents and I (and then Bobby with us) would go to a Christmas tree farm, where all the trees were beautiful and full, cut one down and put it up in our house.  The tree would stay fresh all season long and into January, and it was always just perfect.  Here in Utah, things are a bit different.  The trees out here are not the same as NC trees.  They are either less full or have flimsier branches.  The thing that makes it hard for us to shop for a tree around here is that I am so extremely picky about my Christmas tree.  

So because I just can't handle having a "not perfect" tree for Christmas, we have gone to Lowes and Home Depot the past 2 years to get our tree, which is shipped in from other states.  They aren't NC trees, but they're close.  It cost more to do that out here, but for me, it's worth it.  So today I thought we'd beat the crowd and get our tree before everyone else.  However, Lowes and Home Depot both let me down, so we went out to a "pick and cut" lot out here.  I knew we probably wouldn't find a "perfect" tree, but what we found when we got there was not at all what I expected.

Here's some pictures of what we had to choose from:

Bobby said, "Look Lins, I found the perfect tree!"  

It was hilarious.  We laughed the whole time.  Despite the fact that we did not get our tree today, we really had a lot of fun.  Bobby is so sweet, he said that we can try again on Saturday (and he doesn't love to shop for trees like I do).  If all else fails, we'll go to Sam's and get a bundled tree. :o)  To my Boone friends, don't take your tree farms for granted :o)  And to my Utah friends, do you know of a good place to get a tree?