TRAPPED

I think we may have slightly traumatized Jane with all our Santa talk. She was too scared to sleep last night and cried for at least 2 hours. She kept saying she didn't want him to come in her room. I think he may have redeemed himself this morning with her awesome toy haul.
We have been having a blizzard since yesterday but still thought it would be a good idea to try to visit some friends tonight for a yummy dinner. BAD IDEA.
About 2 blocks from our door we got stuck in a huge pile of drifted snow. Luckily (said sarcastically) we brought a frying pan (we don't own a shovel...so innocent) to help scoop us out. Scott got our of the car while I rolled the car back and forth about 4 inches for like 10 minutes. Then, like a Christmas miracle, 3 guys came out of a house with a shovel and dug us out for 10 minutes. The whole time Jane was saying, "This is supid, mommy", while I'm hoping she is not really saying what I think she is saying. Yep, she was saying "stupid" and she learned it from us. Lesson learned.
Anyway, she was so worried about the car not working and "Where's daddy?!". 20 minutes and 2 blocks later, we were back home having our own little Christmas party.
Nebraska is awesome (said sarcastically).
Merry Christmas!

P.S. Keep your fingers crossed that this baby doesn't come until the plows get to work.

Merry Christmas!

From Christmas Card 2009

Only Adults Wear Watches

I guess I'm an adult then. Or I was.
Jane took my watch a few days ago trying to make me get up from a nap and play with her. I should have, but laziness won. And that means I lost. I lost my watch. Toddlers.
Then, last night, on a last minute run to Target to get some ink so I could make my Young Women's handouts, I decided to treat myself to a new necklace. While analyzing all the options, a couple of kids (by kids I mean teenagers...guess that makes me old) walked by talking about watches and how lame they are. One of them said, "Ha ha ha, only adults wear watches, ha ha ha." What does that mean? Since when is it lame to be aware of the time? I've actually had the same watch for about 18 years (yeah, that's pretty lame), which means I was wearing one when I was in middle school. Was I even nerdier than I thought I was?
So, I guess I should thank Jane for making me cool again. Or maybe now I just look like an old lady trying too hard to look cool. I just can't win.

First Barf - Warning...GRAPHIC

This morning Jane was having her usual milk and watching a movie while we were "working on getting up" (don't judge, we are slow morning people). After a little while, she runs into our room saying, "mommy, my wet!" and "my milk spild". I notice she really was soaking wet down her front and saw white stuff in her nose and down her chin. Innocently, I was thinking her diaper had maybe sprung a leak that had somehow traveled up her chest...I know, so innocent.

Now, let me just explain. Jane has NEVER thrown up. She takes after her daddy who last threw up when he was 8 or so, besides one exception, he did it again ONCE while on chemo. I've thrown up more this year than he has his whole life! So, we are so proud of our Iron Stomach Jane.

I followed her out to the front room where I found a crime scene. It still only looked like her milk had spilled all over the carpet. I didn't even notice a stink. I started to clean it up, and Jane happily got me some towels, acting like her usual chipper self. After a while I started to notice that the "milk" was a little bit thick with some tiny chunks. Huh, that's odd...

Then I went to change her and then scrubbed the carpet some more. This is when I started to suspect something suspicious. This milk stinks...like...barf!!!

Regular me could probably handle the smell better, but pregnant me...not so fun. (No, I did not barf in response, as I'm sure a few of you are hoping so that this story gets more interesting.)

Then we went back to normalness. I gave Jane some water hoping she'd feel better soon. I came over to the computer to type up this inspiring story to share with you all. Jane wanted me to read her some books, so I paused at about line 2 of this tale and sat her on my lap for story time. We read The Twelve Days of Christmas (which I like to sing instead of read, and Jane likes me to read instead of sing) and then she ran to get another book. As soon as she brought the book over to me and sat on my lap (at the computer desk) up came the chunky milk! I didn't know what else to do but pull her back from the computer (save the expensive stuff first!) and put out my normal-sized hand to capture all the projectile fun. I just know realized that my shirt smells lovely...It was yucky, but she handled it like a champ! Out came about 3 hand fulls (which obviously did not all fit into my 1). I was able to hold the chunks and we wedged out of the cramped computer area and started to run to the bathroom. She barfed once again on the way (which I just realized I didn't clean, ew) and then I grabbed a little plastic basket from her play kitchen which came in handy 2 times while getting to the bathroom. Then I got her to stand by the toilet and get some in there. I have to now admit that I am so proud of her. She didn't cry, she immediately wanted to play. And during the "act" she was stoic and even aimed at whatever I told her to without objection. Good girl.

So, while I wrote this she was hosing off in the shower with daddy. I'm not sure what I can do to capture more before it hits upholstery or carpet. By the way, any hints on how to clean it out of the aforementioned?

(P.S. I stand corrected, she did throw up once while Scott was holding her, but it was just a little and Scott handled it all alone. Then she slept like usual.)

(P.P.S. This post is an obvious example of first time parent's issues/bragging. I'm sure you won't have to hear about girlie number 2's barfing experiences.)

Halloween (a little delayed)

Jane LOVED Halloween. She was so excited to go trick or treating. During the actual experience she was a little shy, but for days she couldn’t stop talking about it. She kept saying she wanted to go trick or treating and trying to put her costume on. I’m glad she was so in to it. People who don’t like Halloween are lame. My favorite memory is still when Scott dressed up like a woman in a nasty dress with a nasty purse and a long nasty gray wig and didn’t shave his beard. He worked as a teller at the bank all day like that! Some customers were actually irritated with him and wouldn’t let him help them. Lame-O’s.

This year Scott went as Lt. William Riker, I was Saturn (big belly - you have to take advantage of the bulbousness!), and Jane was a cow. JK, she was a lion. The cutest lion ever. She said she wanted to be a "roar" and when we picked it out from the store she wore it all around the store until we bought it. Cutie patootie.

Action shot.

Enjoying the spoils.

Escape of the Toddler

Jane has figured out how to escape her sleeping prison. Not that she doesn’t like it in there, it’s just that she doesn’t like to wait for us to come get her anymore. I’m actually surprised she braved the escape at all. She is not one of those monkey type toddlers. She is pretty cautious and doesn’t climb crazy things. This week though has been a growth week for her. She climbed the drawers in the bathroom to get up on the counter and also realized that she can climb out of bed all by herself. It’s more my fault than hers. During one of her naps this week, she was yelling to get up (“I wanna wake up mommy!”) and I didn’t feel like rushing in to get her. So I yelled, “Just climb out!”, while lying on the couch (I am 8 ½ months pregnant – no judging please). Next thing I know she opens her door and runs out, “I did it!”. So, now my fear is that she will never sleep again and will escape in the middle of the night. Oh no, my friends, she is well trained. I forgot how much she loves to sleep (like her mommy). She goes down when we ask her and now each morning wakes up at about 7:45 am and runs into our room to declare she wants some milk. Seems rough for us (I hear many of you scoffing) since she used to sleep until 8 or 8:30 am, but it could be worse. Hopefully she won’t wake the coming-soon baby each morning. We’ll have to work on that. I’m debating over teaching her how to open the fridge to get a sippy of milk by herself each morning…hmmm.

11/29 Update:
Jane snuck out of her bed during nap time today. I only knew because I heard her grabbing a balloon that she was playing with. Scott went right in and put her in her bed and she was MAD. But after about 20 minutes she fell asleep and stayed put for a full nap.

Lately, every time she yawns she immediately follows up with, "I'm not sleepy, I wanna wake up." Just in case we were thinking about putting her in bed I guess. She's good at covering her bases.

The Naughtiest Thing - Yet...

Jane has decided this week that she THINKS she no longer needs naps...just as mommy is realizing that she and #2 DO need a nap...so, tragedy (or rather, the inevitable) occurred. While mommy "layed down" on the couch, Jane went to town. I keep forgetting to lock the games cupboard and that was her destruction of choice for the day. I thought I heard her in it, but didn't think much of it because she "knows" not to play with certain games...whatever. I got up after about 45 minutes to find the horror of all horrors had come true. The worst game of all to clean up? One of Scott's obscure faves, Therapy. It took me 45 minutes to clean all this up. Not sure it was worth the nap...

Apple Jack Festival

Each year we go to the Apple Jack Festival and have fun
eating everything apple.