Last post of the year.

I didn't do a family "This is what we did" letter this year.  We also almost didn't send out cards (just got them today and are in a pile on our table).  So I will do a combined year end summary and Christmas post.

2010 in a quick glance:

January started slow but my little bugger (Elijah) started crawling.  Made life a bit more interesting, now when I put him down, I could not promise he would be there when I returned from the bathroom.  Elijah also had his butt fixed.  It was a quick surgery that I think did us more harm than it ever did Elijah.  He was a cutie though in those awesome PJ's they had him wear.

February was off to the Auto show with little else happening that month.  Elijah kept growing and learning new tricks.

March we celebrated B.J.'s birthday and Elijah learned how to eat with a spoon.  Due to where Easter fell on the calender we celebrated our first Easter with the Okel's and Elijah learned how to fly a kite. 

April we went to Minnesota for Grandpa Berwyn's funeral.  As sad as it all was, it was fantastic to see all of BJ's family.  We spent several days with his cousins, aunts and uncles.  The drive wasn't as bad as expected, however, once your child decides he does not want to be in the car seat any more it makes for a very long ride. 

May was busy.  We had two graduations in May and my first mothers day.  Elijah spent a lot of time in the car but for the most part was a real trooper.  We had a smallish melt down on the way home from Iowa but other than that no problem.  Mother's day was spent feeding ducks and playing in the creek in our downtown area.  It was a nice way to celebrate.  All my family.

June we participated in the annual church mega garage sale.  In that time we also decided the life of my Mazda 626 was getting to be a bit costly.  And as luck would have it my mom fell in love with a very Turquoise car.  We decided to buy my mom's car and sell mine.  Then it was birthday season, Brett's, Elijah's first, and mine.  Some where in there was Father's day too.  Elijah spent his first birthday at the zoo in the most severe weather this area has seen in a while.  Thank goodness though there were lots of houses and places to get out of the rain.  It was the first time in what hopes to be a long continuing tradition. 

July was Elijah's second Fourth of July and he loved it so much more than the first.  It was also a great time to spend outdoors the whole month. 

August BJ and I decided we needed to have a grown up night and we went off to the Black Eyed Peas concert.  We had a blast, and we were even able to drive the Mini Cooper.  I also had decided to leave my job of 4 years and look for a new position.  I left my job and began with a new company in Naperville.  I am very happy with the new decision and even though I miss my old kids dearly, I am falling in love with new ones. 

September was Labor day and lots and lots of labor.  Little man started to walk and life has never been the same since.  At the end of the month we went off pumpkin picking and went to the petting zoo that Elijah's Great-Grandma used to work at.  It was a fun time but it also was the beginning of Elijah's continual battle with illness.  He had is first real fever and still has it to this day.

October we went out Trick or Treating.  Elijah was a big fan of it.  Knock on the door so EEE uh EEE hold out your bag and they put candy in it.  Say A-ooo and do it again at the next door. 

November was a time for food.  Lots of eating, lots of traveling between houses.  Oh and BJ was promoted.  He is now off the production line of the sugar making process and is now on the purchasing end of everything.  He too loves his new job.  I love that he loves it.  Elijah had his first ear infection and managed to survive it real well.

December we were able to meet some of the Blackhawks as well as celebrate our second Christmas with our little man.  We were blessed with many family members and lots of time to spend seeing them all. 

Over all 2010 was a decent year.  Elijah just keeps growing and it scares me how much more growing he has to do.  Good luck in 2011.  See you next year.

Things don't always turn out the way you plan

I had a wonderful Blog about how wonderful my Christmas was, how adorable my child is, and how I all around love my family and blah, blah, blah.  I uploaded all of the Christmas pictures on my camera to show you proof of all I say but then I went and killed my computer.  Apparently the computer was noticing how for the past month + the whole house has been sick.  Well in true family fashion BJ got the flu/bad cold the day before Christmas and on through Sunday.  On Monday he went to work even though he wasn't feeling great, my computer then caught it.  It then decided to refuse entry to the Internet.  Therefore, foiling my plans to share what I had wanted to share.  So instead I will give you my New Years resolutions.

In 2011 I will:
Blog more (than 2010),
Eat less (sugar),
Clean more (during the week),
Watch TV less (decrease # of shows I follow),
Save more ($$),
Weigh less (than ???),
Work hard (at work),
Play harder (at home and on the weekend),
Read more (books),
Clean car (inside and out)

And Happy 6 month birthday to ME!!!  Maybe soon I will get back to you about our Christmas!

Let it begin...

Christmas that is.  For you know, tonight is Christmas Eve, Eve.  In my family we celebrate this day.  This was the day Santa came to my mothers house and delivered our gifts.  Tomorrow we start the Holiday Season and spend it with family.  First we will be taking it easy tomorrow morning then going to my mothers house for Christmas, then going to the 9:30 Christmas service, we will come home and go to bed.  Santa will come then and in the morning we will wake up and see our new treasures.  After showers and  getting dolled up we will jump in the car and head off to my fathers house for Christmas breakfast and nap time.  Then we will head over the Okel family home for dinner.  We will be home some time that evening then on Sunday we will have Christmas with my brother and my step-father.  Then will be Monday and I will be so exhausted but a small part of me will be very sad too.  It will be the second time since being a kid that I will not be going to Michigan to see my family. 

I have a big family, lots of people all around the globe.  Christmas is one of the only times of year that I get to see many of them.  But with my new job, and BJ's job, vacation time really is minimal if any right now.  But without the stress of having to pack for a 3 day trip to Michigan, it just doesn't feel right.  So as I sleep tonight I will be thinking of all my dear cousins and the Collins family.  Merry Christmas!

So thankful!

I am so thankful for being around my family and having the ability to ask them for favors.  Without my family I would be a constant worry wart and not able to get anything done.  All my wonderful mom's are helping me out this week and watching Elijah.  It started with needing someone to watch him on Thursday due to daycare being closed and me needing to work, and turned into Elijah spending Tuesday-Monday at home with family.  Hopefully this means he will get better and I will too.  And although all the Grandma's love spending time with the baby it also means they are unable to get as much done around the house.  So all I have to say is THANK YOU, and I LOVE YOU ALL! 

On a side note, Elijah will have Go Dog Go memorized by the new year! 

Stay tuned for Christmas 2010 and the New Years resolutions of 2011.

Things I've learned this weekend.

1. If you buy candy canes from walmart they will all be smashed to pieces. Good if that is what you were planning to do to them.

2. Parchment paper and wax paper are different things.
3. a child's poopy diaper can be super stinky at 5:00 am.
4. You should not start your car with the garage door closed.

5. I love my mixer, even if I only get to use it once a year.

6. If you refrigerate cookie dough add 1-2 minutes to the cook time, or else you get cookie barf.

7. You should warn the neighbors before you start crushing candy canes in your kitchen. 

8. My kid is always cute even if he is sick AGAIN

9. I don't think all my nativity sets will get out before Christmas.  That makes me very sad but i would rather miss my nativity sets than see the ones broken.

10. It's cold outside.

11. I'm done with my Christmas shopping.

 12. I hate laundry.

Winter weather

Poor Elijah, it take us more time to get ready in the morning than it actually takes us to drive to daycare. 

First I have to catch the boy, then I have to figure out how to get his snow pants on while keeping him in one spot.  Then I have to jam his feet into the little snow boots and zip the snow pants around them.  I have to put on Elijha's had which makes him look SOOO cute because he looks like a lumber jack.  Then I have to get his mittens on, which consists of jamming his hands in up to his elbows and zipping them up.  Then I have to get my boots on, and coat, and scarf and find my mittens.  Then I have to chase the child around the kitchen table and pick him up.  Between my fluff and Elijah's fluff, picking him up is a HUGE challenge.  Then once we get to daycare I have to rip all of the stuff off him and keep it together so I don't lose it before I pick him up.  Some day I will take a picture of him in his gear.  Real cute!

Pleasures of being a parent

Part of the reason I have not been bloging as much this past month is due to the fact that Elijah has really been trying my patients.  I love my baby boy, I love him so much, but when he was sick, and I was sick, he really tried me.  I have to admit, there were many moments these past few weeks that he would wake up in the middle of the night, or super early and just scream.  Since I too was sick I didn't tend to him as I should have, but took him to my bed and hope that I too could get just a smidge of extra sleep.  Then came the antibiotics.  I loved them, for both Elijah and myself, but then came the yeast rash.  Now all of a sudden he didn't want his bottem touched because it was redder than an apple.  Have you ever tried to hold/carry a baby when you couldn't touch it's butt?  Yeah it was not awesome. 

By the end of the day, I was so exhausted and I felt like crap that I didn't want to do anything but sleep.  Saturday, Elijah goes back to the doctor to check to make sure his ears are clear (which I don't think they are) and hopefully we will be back on track for a healthy household.  Cross your fingers.

I Owe You an Appology

I have to admit, since Thanksgiving I have been very bad at blogging.  I sometimes think this is for the better, for I have been ill since about that time and if I would have continued to blog it would all been about how crappy I have felt.  However, I think I might be getting better and back in the blogging mood.  For example, today I though of a wonderful question to post for you.  Due to the ridiculous crazy reflexes of hockey goalies, do you think they are better drivers than the average population?  Just wondering.

I also thought you would all get a kick of of the fact that the doctor put me on a 10 day antibiotic and the pills are so large that I can't swallow them whole.  I first was able to swallow the pill, however, then I started gagging on it.  Then I broke the pill in two which worked for a day or two then I couldn't swallow it.  Now and for the next 6 days I have to crush the pill and hide it in a cup of applesauce so I don't die.  Poor Elijah, he loves applesauce and doesn't get the reason why I am not sharing with him.  Or why I am making a gross face when I eat it. 

Snow: by Elijah

At Halloween Mommy went an bought a big bag of fluffy stuff to make my spider legs out of.  I like to take the fluff out of the bag and spread it around the house.  Mommy gets mad, but I think its silly.  Today we went out to eat and when we were done there was fluffy white stuff on our car.  I wanted to grab it and show Mommy, it would make her laugh to see it on her car.  So I did.  AHHHHH GET IT OFF GET IT OFF IT'S COLD!!!  I don't like the fluffy white stuff outside the house.  What the heck is that stuff?  How did it get on the car? 

Still sick

I am still sick.  All I do now is take care of Elijah and myself.  Spending way too much time with tissues and antibiotics.  I do not have any whity things to blog about but I want to go to bed.  All the time.  So that's where I'm going as soon as I fix some things online.

Parenting issue

Most of you know that I live in the Midwest.  And if you have ever visited the Midwest you know we can have temperatures from 110 in the summer and -20 in the winter.  Personally, I would like to experience the 110 any day instead of the -20, and that was before I had a child. 

When we were pregnant we went to the car seat safety class and learned all about how to safely transport your almost born child in the car.  The problem: during the summer months and when your pumped full of pregnancy hormones, you don't think about what happens when they out grow the bucket seat.  One thing you learn over, and over, and over again is NEVER, NEVER put your child in their car seat in their winter coat.  Because in a car crash, the layers of clothes compress to equal one layer and they may slip out of the restrains.  That's not good.

Now it is around 20 degrees out in the morning and I have to get my child from building to car and back while making sure he doesn't get to cold.  Initially I kept his fall coat on and gave him a hat and once in the car he would wrap his real winter coat around his body.  When we get out of the car, I unbuckle him then "try" to put his winter coat on backwards as we run like mad into the building we were heading to.  However, most of the time he is wiggling too much for me to get his coat on and we typically end up with just the fall coat on.  Today I put on Elijah's snow pants and the fall coat over that so at least he has some warmth around his midsection, but I don't think I could get the car seat straps tight enough. 

Oh and mittens.  Elijah thinks they are funny and will wear them for about 5 -10 minutes or until you are driving.  He then takes the off and chucks them when you are not looking and when you go to get him out of the seat you can only find one.  

When I ask what to do, people tell me just to wrap them in a blanket and run, but have you ever tried to carry a toddler while wearing your winter coat, carrying a huge purse and wearing mittens.  Do I risk the possibility that I get in a car accident and put Eli in his car seat while wearing his coat, or do I just freeze my child until March?  AHHHHH

I think it's dead

Today it was the first snow.  The snow wasn't deep or thick but it was none the less snow.  I try at least 3 times a winter to enjoy the beauty of it.  So there I was watching the snow fall on the pond behind my work.  I was sipping my hot tea and getting ready mentally for the day.  As I watched the snow and the waves I started looking at the trash in the pond.  Then I saw it.  At fist I thought someone hat thrown a turkey in the lake, then I thought it looked like a cat on his back.  At that point I had to go find someone.  The office consensus was that it was a muskrat or something but it stayed and floated in front of my window ALL DAY long. 

I'm still here

Its been over a week since I was here last.  Sorry but the last 7 days + days were crazy. 

Wednesday: I worked until 7 but my last kid left at 1, so I was a bit crabby.  We went out for dinner with the neighbors.
Thursday: We woke up at 7:30 Awesome! and watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade with my little guy.  I don't know what my deal was, but I cried about 10 times.  The worst one was when Santa came.  I was a blubbering mess.  Then we left for the Okel home, where we ate and ate and ate. Then we came home.

Friday: We slept int until 7:30 again it was awesome!  we did some cleaning and then we headed out to the mall to see Santa and Auntie Megan.  We then at dinner at Ed Debbviks where I proceeded to lose the Santa picture.  We bought Elijah a suit and maybe one Christmas present.  Then we drove to see Uncle Brett, Aunt Suzanne, Aunt Kelsey, Uncle Jason and Peter.  That's when I started realizing Elijah was a bit warm.  By 8:00 when we got home, Elijah had a 101+ fever.  I gave him drugs and put him to sleep. 

Saturday: We woke up at 8:00am, and got ready to go.  We headed out to the Children's Museum to hang with Grandpa Brian.  On our way to Grandpa's, Daddy got a flat tire and had to spend the next 2 hours fixing it.  By 6:00 Elijah had a fever again and it stayed with him ALL NIGHT LONG.

Sunday: We woke up at 8:00am and was real happy we had mastered sleeping in.  We skipped church to get healthy and get found Christmas in the attic.  And we started getting it all out.  We then headed out to Target, and to dinner for Great Grandpa Chapman's birthday.  When we got back we started putting up Christmas. (pictures to come when we are finished).

See busy not time to post.