Leo's Holiday Party

Earlier this month, we went roller skating with Leo's preschool class. I have to admit - I thought this was going to be a disaster. Preschoolers...on roller skates??? But I was so wrong - he had a blast. It was ok for me to be out there in my tennis shoes, so I got to help him - and he was actually pretty good. He picked it up quickly! He thought it was fun, but of course the highlight of the party was the cookie he got for snack time. Henry rode in the wrap and slept through the whole thing. I had no idea that Plano had a roller skating rink, and the decor was definitely a blast from the past. I felt like I was at a 5th grade birthday party in the 80s again.

Happy Henry

I think one of the most fulfilling and rewarding moments in life is when your child begins to respond with smiles...

Christmas in Louisiana

We went to Monroe for Christmas this year. The drive over was quite the challenge with two little boys. A trip that normally takes about 5.5 hours took about 8.5 - but we all made it in one piece! We started out with a bonfire on Saturday night. We had a wonderful time roasting hot dogs and making smores. Christmas Eve we opened gifts from family and then woke up on Christmas day to all kinds of treats from Santa. Thank goodness he got the message that Leo is into CARS!!! The biggest hit was the Mack the truck playset and the CARS movie. The other big hit of the holiday (for Leo) was opening everyone's gifts for them.

A Lazy Saturday

ICE at the Gaylord

On Dec. 16th, we went to the Gaylord Texan Resort in Grapevine to see the ICE exhibit for Todd's holiday party. We had a great time! It was 9 degrees in the exhibit, so Henry stayed home with Brooksie and Papa. They gave us parkas to wear in the exhibit, and daddy warned Leo NOT to lick any of the sculptures! It was beautiful and VERY COLD! After we toured the exhibit, we had a lovely meal in The Riverwalk Cafe, and I was able to meet many of Todd's new coworkers. The highlight of Leo's evening was riding the glass elevator about 6X!

Trains at NorthPark

We met some friends to see the trains at NorthPark on Friday, Dec. 15th. Leo loved it. It was very detailed and lots for a little boy to take in. After the trains, we went to hear Santa tell a story. Leo was NOT interested in getting close to Santa, but did agree that he seemed like a nice man...from a distance. Once again, Henry rode happily in the wrap until he was ready for lunch. Of course that was Leo's favorite part of the whole day - Chik Fil A!!

just our latest happenings...

Thought that I should just type a little - instead of just adding pictures.

Leo is doing great. He absolutely loves school and keeping busy. He goes to preschool on T/Th mornings, MDO from 9-2 on Wed., and every other Thursday, he does a little gymnastics class at lunchtime. The gymnastics is probably his favorite. We are planning a birthday party at the gymnastics place for January, and he is very excited about that. He recognizes all the letters, and I have been practicing with him on sounding out words. Right now, I do most of the sounding out.

We are going to start a swimming class through the parks and rec in January. We used to swim together every Wed. afternoon at an indoor pool, but that just isn't feasible right now. He misses swimming, and I don't want him to forget all he has learned before next summer.

Henry is doing well. Just growing and growing. I have seen some very slight signs of reflux, so we went ahead and put him on Prevacid. We also tried soy, but that did not agree with him at all, so we're back to regular formula. He has a head full of hair, and loves to be in the swing. His absolute favorite place to be is on Mommy in the Moby Wrap. Wearing that wrap has probably been my absolute favorite part of these first few weeks. Not only is it a lifesaver - it's just such a wonderful feeling for him to be so close and content. He is sleeping pretty well at night. Last night he slept from 10pm-3:30am!!

The most challenging part of this so far for me has been dealing with all the logistics of getting us places. We just have more paraphernalia and there are lots more steps involved to getting anywhere. So far we have lost Leo's glasses and my cell phone. I had to replace the cell immediately, and I guess we'll be getting new glasses soon if they don't turn up. Also, on these frigid days, getting in to preschool has been miserable. The wind is blowing...trying to get Leo out and in his coat and then keep him out of oncoming traffic...get Henry in the wrap while he's arching his back b/c of the cold...getting the stroller out if I can't get him in the wrap...

We did away with the Graco baby seat. After having Leo in his Britax, I just couldn't go back to that thing! So we ordered him a new Britax Marathon in Luau print, which Leo informed me is "girly." :) But it is so much nicer and easier to get him into - now I just keep the Graco carrier in the back of the car for carrying him into places if I absolutely can't use the wrap.

Today is my birthday, so we are going out tonight. Leo is going to Sitters - hopefully they will be watching Cars! We are going to Ralph and Kacoo's for seafood - yum, yum. So far, Henry is such a good baby in restaurants. Just sits in his chair and sleeps while we eat. Quite a new experience for us!

Leo's sculpture

Leo told me he needed more hangers for his "sculpture." This is what he made.

Some brother pictures

Bathing in the sink

After daddy manhandled our baby tub and broke part of it, I decided I would try bathing him in the kitchen sink. Other mommies always tell me how convenient this is. Hmmm, not for us. First of all, I always heat the bathroom, so this was a rude awakening! Then, he is slippery as a greased little piglet in that water, and of course has no concept of sitting up. So he was just a limp noodle. At one point, I even let his face hit the water - eek! Thank goodness Todd was home. So, needless to say, we have a new baby tub.

Thanksgiving

We stayed here in Plano for Thanksgiving this year - we just weren't up to traveling so soon after the birth. We went to a great buffet at the Southfork Hotel, and then we did some decorating around the house for Christmas.

Some Henry pics

Leo is at Brooksie and Papa's this week, so Mommy and Henry have had some alone time. I have really enjoyed him - he is a good baby. He eats, sleeps, and loves to be held.

Two Little Men in the tub

A little Henry update

Henry is doing pretty well - he has been a little fussy in the afternoon, so we are watching him closely to see if we think this is the reflux that we dealt with when Leo was a newborn. After being fussy yesterday afternoon from about 4-9pm, he slept peacefully the whole night with just one 2am feeding. On the recommendation of my OB, I'm going to buy some "Gripe Water" and give that a try during the next fussy episode. His little face is broken out in the newborn pimples, so I'll get some better pictures when that clears up.

Leo's Latest Activities

Leo is totally into jigsaw puzzles these days. He rediscovered some that he had received as Christmas gifts and worked them nonstop for several days - even though they had pieces missing. We went to the toy section at Target and couldn't find any with less than 24 pieces, and I was very doubtful that he could work one with that many pieces - but he surprised me and worked it in just a few minutes!
This is Leo's latest self-portrait from preschool. This is a big improvement over the squiggles I was shown at the first parent/teacher conference, and the first time I've seen him put something close to his name on his paper!

Great baby invention!

We love our new wrap! Much more comfortable than the Baby Bjorn style. I'm planning to use this for getting out of the car to take Leo to preschool, etc. instead of the heavy carseat baby carrier.

Our boys at 3 days old

Can you tell they're brothers?

Making Cookies

On Monday, Leo and I had a great time making chocolate chip cookies. His favorite part was putting in the chocolate chips - and snagging a few, of course.