Christmas picture blitz 2006

Caleb's first attempt at Mimi's piano: a natural!! (he likes the dark notes best)
I think she likes it:
Playing with the cool red paper. Nevermind all the cool toys strewn about...
This is me after NO sleep:
This is me sicker than a dog but very excited about getting a piano!!

My two EXTREMELY cool but slightly retarded siblings!
Caleb's first hammer- he likey!
And he's also a walking blockhead!! =)

My roaming thought process:

This was my thought process as I figured out my Christmas surprise:

1. Greg is buying me a piano?
2. He said we are going to Frisco area - Stan and Toni's house in McKinney maybe? They just got a piano given to them and maybe Greg bought it from them?
3. Marshall's parents meeting us? Greg bought Heather's piano?
4. He said he's not spending much at all and warned me not to spend much on him - giving it to us? Or maybe he's lying so I won't figure it out...
5. trading the old bedroom furniture for the piano?

Come to find out.... NONE OF THE ABOVE!! Although, trading for Heather's would have been a sweet deal for her! haha

I GOT it!!!

We went ahead and left for Tyler on Friday since Greg was feeling better (stomach bug) and all went well there. We decided to come back Saturday because Caleb did not sleep at all by himself... he slept a little with me on the couch, then he slept between us in the bed... So after a day of dragging butt we decided to come on back home..

And it's a good thing we did, because at 2 am I started the yuckiness. It was coming out both ends and that's all I'll say... I felt AWFUL pretty much all day Christmas Eve. About 4:00pm I was finally able to keep enough down to take some Tylenol and that helped a lot because my back and legs were aching from dehydration. Then about 5:30 I think, I got up from another nap and found that my sister had arrived. I knew she was coming, but I didn't know that my dad and stepmom were coming (we had just seen them at their house 2 hours away 2 days before) Well, Greg summoned me out into the garage where I found my dad and stepmom drying off and polishing my piano!!!! (It had been raining, and they picked it up from Plano) The piano belonged to my stepmom - she got it when she was 12. It was at her sister's house where her kids weren't using it, so they decided to let me have it. She said she wanted to keep it in the family, which I think is cool because I'm not technically her family.

I couldn't believe Greg kept it all a secret from me, and it wasn't even his idea! I was complaining to him all the time that I wanted a piano SO BAD, and out of the blue my dad called him one day and asked if I wanted it and when they could coordinate the dropoff. Turns out my stepmom read my blog from a couple of weeks ago and got the idea... I LOVE HER!!!!! Thanks, Mel! :)

Greg is in bed with a stomach bug. Caleb is in bed because he's a baby and he sleeps a lot. Why am I not in bed? Because I like being up late for no good reason. And it doesn't happen very often. And I'm going to regret it in the morning. Or maybe at midnight when one of my boys wakes up either throwing up or throwing the pacifier out of the crib. We shall see.

Not sure how either of them are sleeping anyway since the neighbors are outside partying. Or whatever they do. Ahhhhhh, this is my life.

I made some gooooood pecan brittle (and I keep saying "PEEE-cahn" in my head which is so un-southern) and some alright cracker candy and now I'm going to have to throw it all away because there are bugs in the air at my house. The nasty invisible kind. I fully expect to be throwing my guts up by this time tomorrow.

Caleb has about 4 days to learn how to walk or he is going to miss his deadline!

I just realized that there is class of blogger that I fit in. I am not a funny blogger. I don't think I'm even a funny person irl. I'm not witty or clever or cute with words.. I like to use sentence fragments. to get my point across. (that was clever wasn't it?) I always thought people didn't get my humor, but the fact is, I'm not humorous! Now there's a realization I'm glad it didn't take my whole life to figure. I have a dark sense of un-humor. And I live in a world that doesn't get it. Yes, I figured it out, and now I can make peace with it.

Well, goodnight then. I'll be bright and shiny in the morning, unless I'm puking my guts up.

I NEED a piano

So if anybody wants to find me one, I'll love you forever!!

We just got home from spending a morning with my Grandma and Grandpa. Greg helped get the Christmas tree out of the attic and I helped fluff and ornamentize it. Then I played the piano while she played the organ, although I was just barely keeping up on the piano... which only reinforces my notion that if I want my ability to stay alive, I NEED a piano to practice on at home... that's really all I want. I have been having that craving for several months now.. really off and on for several years. Now it won't go away. I have been checking sale ads for a while but it's so hard to spend money we don't have... grrrrrrrrrrr. anyway, I'll stop whining!

walkin'

So, Caleb is now walking like a pro behind his push toy. I have a video of it too I'll have to post. Tonight he used me to stand himself up and immediately let go about five times. He stood each time for about ten seconds without freaking out or falling or even rocking too much. I'm not expecting steps by Christmas, but lots of standing... ooooooooh, help us!

Caleb's Christmas wish/need list:
*BIG bibs - the kind that are made from towels and pull on over the head
*brown or black classic Robeez shoes size 6-12 months
*a ride-on toy, preferabley one that grows with him and one that has a long handle for me to push without bending over
*12 month blanket sleepers
*learning toys, preferably ones that DON'T require batteries!!

This one's for Aunt Melody

My babbling cutiepie

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Santa Baby picture post

The best we could get with such a wiggler:

I will not smile, but will a smirk do?

Alright, close-up time

This is the last one...

That's enough - I'm outtie. Ciao ciao!

Saturday Night

That's what tonight is. And there's lots of excitement to speak of. We did dinner (pureed peaches, vegetable chicken dinner from a jar, and a few cherry puffs), watched a little baby Einstein, we did bathtime, and now we're playing in our pjs before bedtime.

As I type my back is turned to Caleb but I know exactly what he's into by the sound of rustling paper... he's cleaning out the shredder can, piece by shredded piece.

Next week, (December 18th) we are going to see an opthamologist about Caleb's weepy eye. I've read something about his eye condition, and out of 5 symptoms, he has four. I'll repost that right now:

Dacryocystitis is an infection of the tear sac that lies between the inner corner of the eyelids and the nose. It usually results from blockage of the duct that carries tears from the tear sac to the nose. The blocked duct harbors bacteria and becomes infected. Dacryocystitis may be acute (sudden onset) or chronic (frequently recurs). It may be related to a malformation of the tear duct, injury, eye infection, or trauma.
This problem is most common in infants because their tear ducts are often underdeveloped and clog easily. Babies often have recurrent episodes of infection; however, in most cases, the problem resolves as the child grows. In adults, the infection may originate from an injury or inflammation of the nasal passages. In many cases, however, the cause is unknown.

Signs and Symptoms
· Generally affects one eye
· Excessive tearing
· Tenderness, redness, and swelling
· Discharge
· Red, inflamed bump on the inner corner of the lower lid

Detection and Diagnosis
During the exam, the doctor will determine the extent of the blockage. Cultures may be taken of the discharge to identify the type of infection. The doctor will also determine whether the infection has affected the eye.

Treatment
The treatment for dacryocystitis is dependent on the person's age, whether the problem is chronic or acute, and the cause of the infection.
Infants are usually treated first by gently massaging the area between the eye and nose to help open the obstruction along with antibiotic drops or ointments for the infection. Surgery may be necessary to clear the obstruction if medical treatment is not effective and the problem persists over several months.
Before surgery, the doctor may treat the child with antibiotics to make sure the infection is cleared. The operation is performed under general anesthesia. The tear duct is gently probed to open the passage.
For adults, the doctor may clear the obstruction by irrigating the tear duct with saline. Surgery is sometimes necessary for adults if irrigation, or antibiotics fail to resolve the infection or if the infection becomes chronic. In these cases, dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) is performed under general anesthesia to create a new passage for the tear flow.

My poor little man... I'm pretty sure he'll have to have the surgery. But my friend who's husband is an eye doctor says the surgery is a last resort for infants but if he doesn have to have it it's not too bad and he should handle it well.

My Elf Name

Your Elf Name Is...

Happy Twinkle Wink

What's Your Elf Name?

Caleb's First Santa Experience

This weekend was filled with cold. We bundled Caleb up in his cute santa suit that I bought for him last year and went down to the neighborhood amenity center to see Santa. Caleb was so cute and he didn't even cry. He didn't smile either, but that's alright. He was still cute!

Then it was dress rehearsal for Journey to Bethlehem. Three hours of standing around in the "village" making a mental list of what we're going to need for the real thing when we are standing out in 40 degrees for 4 hours, 4 nights in a row. Hmmmm, sheepskin boots, hand warmers, thermos of hot chocolate, something to sit on that looks halfway authentic...

It's grocery game day!

At this moment Caleb is using the windowsill as a teether and pullup bar. Greeeeeeat.

Nine Month Old Conversationalist

(Yes, I let my son go without pants in November! Especially when it's 80 outside!)

Caleb's newest trick is babbling non-stop. He talks to his toys, the things he sees out the back door, me and daddy, the books on the shelf, Ladybug, EVERYTHING! It is the cutest thing. He has tones of voice and everything. I think it is SO cute. Did I already say that? Here are the stats from his 9 month checkup:

height: 26 7/8 inches
weight: 18 lbs, 2 ounces
Head Circumference: 18 3/8

He also got round one of a flu shot and a Polio booster. He handled those really well, as always.
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I am hosting the neighborhood Bunko at my house tonight. So far only 5 people have responded to the evite (including me!) that is pretty horrible! You have to have at least 8 people to play a decent game, and 12 - 16 is better. I hope there are just a bunch of slackers out there that didn't respond to the evite and are going to show up anyway.