December 26 = Christmas II

My parents left in the morning and Zachary's parents got there soon after!  After they brought in as many presents as they could carry, we had leftovers for lunch and then got down to business!  Liam didn't get quite as much of his nap as he should have but he did a good job opening presents and even helped with a few of Malia's.  Liam got a cool easel with a whiteboard on one side and a chalkboard on the other side- it also came with letter and number magnets- it was an instant hit!  He also got some red chucks and a really cool alphabet bag- it unzips to all of these pockets, labeled a-z, with a tiny object that starts with that letter.  Right now he loves playing with the little pieces but it will be great when he learns his letters too.  Malia got lots of cute clothes and cool toys- including a little play floor piano that she can kick to make lots of music.  My favorite gifts were a new pair of Toms shoes and a Jeopardy daily calendar and Zachary got some warm winter clothes and a lot of books.  We also got a book with pictures from throughout the year- some pictures in the book I had never seen!  We hesitated to stay in Annapolis for Christmas because we were worried we wouldn't be able to spend enough time with family but we were so blessed to be able to see both of our immediate families and spend great quality time with them!

December 25 = Christmas!

Malia slept through Christmas Eve night like a champ!  I woke up at 7:00 and was the only one awake so I read the Christmas story in Luke like I do every Christmas while I pumped of course and then made my new favorite breakfast- an English muffin with Nutella and Matthew, sleeping on a mattress in the living room, didn't hear me cleaning out the dishwasher or the toaster go off.  Zachary woke up and fed Malia and came out to join me which signaled to me it was time to get everyone up!  So I turned on Pandora and turned it way up and sure enough, everyone got up around 8:00.  We opened presents- Liam got his annual Hess truck from uncle Matt, the traditional Dr. Seuss book from my parents, and some really cool toys that I had put on Pinterest that I thought would be good for his development.  He also got some cool TMNT clothes.  Malia got some really cool toys- one being an colorful octopus that plays peekaboo- and lots of adorable clothes.  I got a beautiful ruby necklace because that's Malia's birthstone, really awesome Sanuk yoga mat flip flops, two cardigans and a lot of leftover containers!  And who can forget the chocolate covered cherries?!  Zachary got a Duke shirt and a gift card to Dick's sporting goods.

After the presents were all opened- we headed to IHOP which is a tradition Zachary and I started a few years ago- we've gone three of our five Christmases together now.  Liam kept his elf pajamas on from the night before and spread lots of Christmas cheer to the waiters and waitresses having to work on Christmas morning.  When we got home it was time to start preparing more food even though we were pretty full at the moment.  Growing up, we always spent Christmas Eve with my dad's side of the family and Christmas day with my mom's side.  My grandma and aunts would make snacks for us the "nosh" on throughout the day.  So keeping with that we made some cheese dip, sausage balls, a pork tenderloin and lots of baked goods my mom and brother had made the week before.

We had my dad's favorite Christmas movie, A Christmas Story on in the background as well as lots of NBA action and then tuned in to watch Zachary's school, George Washington, win a basketball game that night.

Unfortunately I don't have many pictures because we had my parents' video camera rolling the whole time so we did preserve memories but none I can share here!

Posting that first picture reminded me of another Christmas soon to be tradition that we started this year- Zachary wore an "ugly sweater" and plans to wear the same one every Christmas- should be interesting!

December 24 = Christmas Eve

It's Christmas Eve!  The day started off pretty normally- Liam had a speech appointment that Grammy and Matt took him to and Gramps stayed home with Malia so Zachary and I could go to the gym without any babies.  We got home, showered and then my parents and I went out to participate in my dad's favorite Christmas tradition- Christmas Eve last minute shopping!  We went to Target and they got Malia some rattle socks- very cute- and I got her something for her new crib that will be in her new room very soon- after my family heads home, we're moving Liam to his room and Malia into hers.  When we moved in, we made the room with the crib Malia's room- we made it pink and green and just had Liam sleep in it thinking that by the time she was ready to move into her crib, he'd be ready for a big boy bed.  We were wrong.  So we were very lucky and had a crib given to us that we've put in Malia's room and we need to move Liam's crib into his baseball room.  It'll be a big adjustment for all of us!  But I digress.  Then we came home and opened a few presents.  Uncle Matt got Malia some adorable red pants with white "fur" on the bottom so we paired that with a funny bib Great Granny Jean got (Liam has worn it too).  

Dad and Zachary made dinner- it's a marinated grilled chicken recipe that I have no idea how to spell but it's delicious.  So we had that, rice, and green beans.  Liam loved it which is always a good thing.  We were planning on going to Christmas Eve service but we weren't sure if they would have childcare so my parents decided they wanted to stay home with the kids and Zachary and I didn't want to go if we were the only ones going so we got them dressed up like we were going and then took tons of pictures.

Then we started a new Christmas tradition that I hope we will continue every year.  I had gotten a movie for us to watch a few weeks back- Despicable Me II- and I got Liam some new PJs.  Malia already had two sets of Christmas PJs so we got them both festively dressed and sat down to the movie.

December 23 = Reflection Day

I was listening to "Mary, Did You Know" today by Pentatonix- it's beautiful.

Mary did you know that your baby boy will give sight to a blind man?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will calm the storm with his hand?
Did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod?
And when you kiss your little baby, you've kissed the face of God.

So Malia is not Jesus but when I was listening to this song, I looked over at her and she was laying on her blanket, staring at her hands.  I started thinking about what those hands would do one day.  Would they do what my hands do every day, prepare food for her babies, change their diapers, encouragingly pat them, pick up the same toys a million times a day?  Or maybe she'll be a nurse one day, and they'll give medications, change IVs and hold the hands of scared patients.  Maybe she'll be an accountant or a CEO or an architect or an engineer.  Whatever she is, I know she'll be great at it and she'll have all my support.

I pictured her giving a speech in front of her classmates at graduation- she may have been the valedictorian or maybe the class president- but in my daydream, I thought to myself, I'll be so honored to be the one that kissed those cheeks and fed her and patted her to sleep. 

And that helps me understand the true meaning of Christmas- to think that Jesus came into the world the same way Malia did- well without the c-section.  But He was an innocent, sweet baby who stared at his hands, I'm sure. 

December 19 = Nap on the Floor Day

Liam is on the go all the time.  Yes.  All toddlers like to move and are very often on the go.  However.  Liam.  Does.  Not.  Sit.  Still.  Ever.  Except for today.  He didn't get a nap in the middle of the day so he passed out around 6:30.  I tried to wake him up to move him to his crib but he did not appreciate it and went back to sleep.  He stayed here for about an hour and a half.

Then he moved his feet, just like he does in his crib every night, to get more comfortable.

 
 Then he woke up and realized the floor wasn't the most comfortable place in the room to be.

In the meantime, Malia decided to, instead of resting, work on sitting up in her rock 'n' play.  She's growing up so fast!

December 18 = My Gym Day

As part of the Anne Arundel County Infants & Toddlers Program, we get to go to My Gym twice a month.  They put out different equipment each time we go so it's always fun and it's a great way for Liam to practice his emerging gross motor skills!  Today, he played on a slide, a lot of stairs and he got to play in the ball pit- Malia joined in as well!

December 17 = Christmas Party Day

Similar to the Thanksgiving party a few weeks ago, Liam's preschool class had a Christmas party today!  We got there early and waited eagerly in the hallway.  Two of the parents were ten minutes late because their baby had a dirty diaper on the way out- been there, done that.  So by the time the parents were able to come in, the kids were a little restless.  Liam saw his Daddy and it was over.  He came and sat with Zachary in the audience and while some parents were pointing out to the teacher that they were missing one of the students, they started without him.  He did enjoy the cookies afterwards though!

December 16 = 5 Months Old Day!

Malia is five months old! While she is still our smiling sweet little thing, she also has shown us a serious side- she is serious about her toys, her bottle and her sleep- she knows what she wants! I'm expecting some teeth to come through any day now but she's taking it all like a champ. Her eyes are still a gorgeous blue like her Daddy's and her smile becomes more expressive and heartwarming every day. I am so in love!

December 15 = MRI Day

When Malia was in the hospital for her seizures, before they discharged us, we had to get a routine x-ray.  When they got the results, there was an abnormality- one doctor said there was a space between two of her ribs on one side.  Another said there was a mass and scared us pretty badly and then a third said that there was extra space between the two sets of ribs.  So we had no clue what was going on but we were glad to be getting an MRI to check out what was going on and get some answers.  I wrote about Liam's MRI experience a bit ago and this one was similar- no milk after 4 a.m. and Zachary and Malia had to be in Bethesda (45 minutes away with no traffic) at 7 a.m.  The anesthesiologist got stuck in traffic and was very, very late.  Zachary spared me from most of the details but they ended up having to put the IV in her head but he said she did pretty well with it.  They told him the same thing they told him with Liam- that when she came back from the scan, they would give her two hours to wake up and if she wasn't awake by then, which she probably wouldn't be, they would have to wake her up to make sure everything was fine.  Like her big brother, Zachary heard her chattering on the way back to the room instead of being knocked out like the doctors expected.  The initial results showed nothing to worry about- who knows how three different doctors had three different opinions and apparently none of them were right.  But we are just thankful everything is fine and that our baby girl is healthy!  While Zachary and Malia were in Bethesda, Liam and I had a normal Monday.  I took him to preschool and got some child free shopping done- much, much easier that way.  Then I picked him up and we had a long overdue Chick-fil-a date, just the two of us!  We came home and he got a nap and Zachary and Malia came home soon after that!

Waiting for the anesthesiologist to get there.

Nothing like a mommy/son Chick-fil-a date

She makes everything look cute!

Resting after a long, tough day with her praying teddy bear they gave her at the hospital

December 14 = Try a Different Church Day

I love Trinity UMC but we had been considering lately trying to find a church that has a little more child friendly atmosphere.  We got a newsletter in Liam's preschool folder inviting us to try their church so we did.  Liam was still the only child under five there and they like for the kids to sit with their parents at the beginning of the service, until children's time when they are allowed to go back and play.  This isn't the best scenario for us since Liam has a terrible time sitting still and being quiet.  The sermon was great and the people were friendly but the stress of keeping Liam quietly entertained for the first 20 minutes makes this church not quite the right fit.  But we have pictures of two cute kids all dressed up!

December 13 = Go Navy, Beat Army Day

The Army vs. Navy football game is one of the biggest sporting events of the year.  Zachary would like to go one year but right now with these two little ones, it's not really practical.  However, that didn't stop us from watching and cheering on the Navy from home!

Our cheering wasn't in vain- We Won!

December 9 = Dress up the Cats Day

We have two small stockings for Joey and Marley.  Just like with Zachary's presents, I couldn't wait until Christmas to give them theirs.  They each got a battery powered toy- Joey got a bug and Marley got a mouse- that you can turn on and they scoot around the house, prompting the cats to attack.  But the more exciting presents were new collars and some collar attachments:

December 6 = Get in the Christmas Spirit Day!

Zachary and I have spent most of our Christmases traveling to NC.  Having recently gotten back from a trip to NC during which Liam nor Malia slept very well and Liam did not eat very well... and the ride back was nightmarish... we decided- after making sure our families would still come see us- to stay in Maryland for Christmas.  So not only did this mean no packing and better sleeping and eating but it also meant there was a legitimate reason to get a Christmas tree!  We've never really had to have the artificial tree vs. real tree conversation but I grew up with artificial trees and he grew up with real trees.  But marriage is all about compromise ;) and he knew I would love the way the tree would make our house smell so we headed out to Target (of course) and got lights and a tree stand and a few other things and then headed to the tree lot.  I was hoping to make a huge spectacle of choosing a tree- letting Liam walk around and see if he gravitated towards one... taking lots of pictures... but it was cold and when we left Target it started raining so Zachary let me pick one and we headed home to decorate!

They are such a pair.

We got a few battery powered stars to put in the window- they were a hit with Liam.

Missy Mae supervising.

Reaching for the button to turn the lights on...

Success!

Liam telling us what color each of the lights were- he loved them so much!

Santa's helper relaxing after all her hard work.

2/3rds of our family- just missing Marley & me.

December 4 = Red Bow Day

Malia is the most precious baby girl I've ever laid eyes on.

Grabbing those adorable feet was more important than staying upright.