Monday, December 29, 2008

4 months old

I can't believe my angel is four months old today. It's amazing how much she has changed. I sound like a broken record, don't I? Seriously though, just this weekend alone she had a growth spurt. I haven't measured her yet, but boy she is looking tall.

My little four month old had a great holiday too. I think Christina really enjoyed all of the time she got to spend with her relatives. I loved it as well. The best part though, was yesterday when Christina laughed out loud for the first time!! It was amazing!! I wish I could replay it over and over again. I can't wait until she is laughing all of the time. That sound was just the most amazing and adorable thing I’ve ever heard. I wasn’t lucky enough to have the video camera out at the time (REALLY wish I did), but me, Nik and my Mom were all lucky enough to hear it first hand.

Christina has also been trying really hard to roll over. Even though (I’ve read) it is easier to roll from belly to back, she doesn't seem interested in that. Instead, she keeps trying to roll from back to belly. I even caught it on video! It is so cute. Sorry to tease you, but I don't have the video on the computer yet, so I can't show you. But I will, just be patient :-)

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Miss Chatterbox

Christina met her Aunt Mindy for the first time yesterday! I wasn't there unfortunately, I was at work, but apparently CC really turned on the charm for my sister. Mindy's boyfriend Chris has a fancy shmancy camera and apparently got some really great pictures of my little one. I can't wait to see them!

Besides from smiling like crazy, she was also very talkative. In fact, lately she just loves hearing her own voice. She giggles and squeals and sometimes she screams - but for fun. It's really cute and I finally caught it on video last night. I'll have to get it up here eventually. It is adorable to listen to her go on and on. I wonder what she'll be like when she is actually saying words. If she talks this much now, we might be in trouble, lol.

Tonight, Nik and I will finally make a decision on our new mattress. We've really been dragging our feet on this one. It's such an expensive purchase, I just can't seem to order one already. But, we really really need a new mattress. We don't even sleep on the one we currently have because it is too uncomfortable. We've been sleeping on the futon in the sitting room, which is such a p.i.t.a.

Tonight though, I will officially make up my mind about which one I want, and then we will be ordering our first King size bed. Perfect size for all of the future kids to pile into, lol.

Tomorrow we will be leaving for my Mom's house. It will be Christmas Eve and officially, Christina's first Christmas. I am so excited! I keep telling her that Christmas is coming and Santa is coming. She smiles as usual, not knowing what I'm saying :-) But, she does seem to like all of the Christmas special's I've been putting on for her. In fact she has really grown to love the Baby Einstein Santa's Music Box DVD.

Anyway, I probably won't be back before Christmas so once again, Merry Christmas!!! Have a very special holiday with your friends and family. Ho ho ho!

Friday, December 19, 2008

Happy Holidays

I failed you all, I know. I never did get around to putting together a Christmas card this year. I know, I know. If I was to do it any year, this would be the year to do it. What better way to show off my beautiful daughter, right?

Well, since I have this blog to constantly remind you how wonderful Christina is, I guess I don't really need to show her off in a card.

But, then again, all of my family and friends do deserve a "Happy Holidays" in the form of a card. So I'm sorry I let you all down. I do thoroughly enjoy receiving your cards though. And I promise I will try really hard to get a card out next year.

So, in lieu of a holiday card . . Happy Holidays everyone!!! You have all made this year very special for me and my family. I wish you all of the best in the New Year.

XOXO

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Yes, Virginia there is a Santa Claus

Eight-year-old Virginia O'Hanlon wrote a letter to the editor of New York's Sun, and the quick response was printed as an unsigned editorial Sept. 21, 1897. The work of veteran newsman Francis Pharcellus Church has since become history's most reprinted newspaper editorial, appearing in part or whole in dozens of languages in books, movies, and other editorials, and on posters and stamps.




"DEAR EDITOR: I am 8 years old.
"Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus.
"Papa says, 'If you see it in THE SUN it's so.'
"Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?

"VIRGINIA O'HANLON.
"115 WEST NINETY-FIFTH STREET."

VIRGINIA, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except [what] they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You may tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, VIRGINIA, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Did I tell you?

I fit into all of my old clothes!! Well, all might be a bit of a stretch, but you get the point. I am soooo excited! It was so frustrating having nothing to wear. I only had a couple of pairs of pants and shopping for pants was pretty much impossible. Now, I've got my wardrobe back.

In other news, Christina had her 4 month well baby visit the other day (a couple of weeks early). She is now weighing in at 12 pounds 8 ounces and she is 24 inches long. The doctor was very impressed with how her weight gain has improved. Yay Christina!

Since Christmas is fast approaching, Nik and I were trying desperately to get a picture of CC with Santa. Unfortunately, two times now, we have failed. Both times we showed up when Santa had just gone on a break. I guess we should have made note of his hours huh?

The first attempt, there was a huge line and we weren't about to wait an hour for Santa to return plus another hour to get through the line. The second attempt we were going to wait it out for Santa to return (there was no line), but Christina was so sleepy that she wouldn't have been able to hang on that long. Oh well, there is always next year I guess.

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Update

Christina is the happiest baby I know. I can't believe how much she smiles and laughs. She hasn't actually laughed out loud yet, but she definitely seems to enjoy herself. In fact, everything seems to be funny to her.

She is growing and changing so much every day. She has started reaching out and grabbing things. She also seems to finally enjoy her toys. She actually even picked up her rattle on her own the other day, shook it, and brought it to her mouth. She wants everything in her mouth actually. It is so cute to watch her suck on her little hands. She hasn't yet discovered her thumb, but she tries to get the whole hand in there.

Christina also seems to chatter away more and more. It is great to listen to all of the different sounds she comes up with. She likes to join in on the conversations that Nik and I have. We just love it.

Here are some of the newest pictures:



























Success

I finally got the tree up and decorated. It only took three days, but it's done. Take a look:






Christina seems to like the tree. She likes to look up at the lights, and I think she especially likes the bright start at the top of the tree.

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Happy December

December is a good month . . . holiday shopping, Christmas music, cool weather, and if we are lucky we will get just enough snow to enjoy it and not to dread it (in NJ).

I am so happy to be spending this time with my little Christina. We have been listening to Christmas music and watching the Baby Einstein Santa DVD. I can't wait to watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer with her. Nik and I already watched part of Elf with Christina. Holiday movies are the best, aren't they? Of course Christina doesn't know what she is watching, but we like the movies, so it is fun to share them with her.

One of my favorites is Yes Virginia, There is a Santa Clause. I am sooooo excited to watch that one this year because I haven't seen it since I was a kid.

I'm hoping to get the tree up at the end of the week, and then it will really feel like Christmas in our home. Christina seemed to really like looking at my Mom's Christmas tree, especially the lights. So it will be nice for her to have her own.

By the way, this morning Christina was so adorable and sweet. Actually, she is always in a good mood in the morning. When I was pregnant, I use to love to wake up and lay in bed for a few minutes, feeling her move around. It was the best way to start the day. But now, wow, I couldn't imagine starting the day any better. She is all smiles in the morning, happy as can be. In fact, last night she was cute as a button also. I'm so lucky that she is such a happy baby. She must get that from her Dad.

Oh, and she actually slept through the night last night!! It was amazing. I actually dreamed last night, because I slept long enough to have a dream. I haven't done that in a really long time!!

The only down side to our achievement last night, was that Christina was in bed with me and Nik. Now if I can just get her to sleep through the night in her crib, we would be all set. I'm so proud of her though. This is definitely a big step.

Chocolate Chip Bagels

I didn't even know there was such a thing . . . yum . . .

Panera Bread is my new Best Friend

Monday, December 1, 2008

Black Friday

Did you shop on Black Friday? It seems every year I think that I won't go shopping, but then I give in. I just can't pass up the opportunity.

This year, I wasn't sure that it was going to work out, since I have the little one. But, my Mom and I went together with CC and she was such a little angel.

The first two hours, she slept. The next two hours she smiled, looked around, and enjoyed every compliment she received. This girl was born to shop, like her Mommy
:-)

Not only did I go shopping on Black Friday, but I shopped online all weekend and I'm still shopping today! Crazy, I know. But there are some really good deals out there. Since we have such a tight budget now, we could use all of the savings that we can get.

If you went shopping on Black Friday, was it madness? Luckily, my shopping experience went quite well. All of the employees as well as the customers seemed to be in a very good mood. There was lots of holiday cheer going around.

Speaking of holiday cheer . . we put the Christmas trees up at my Mom's house on Friday too. Yes, trees, she has two of them. We actually need two in that house considering how many gifts there are. They can't fit under only one tree.

I haven't put up my tree yet, since I was at my Mom's all weekend. I need to do that, but I always dread pulling all of the Christmas stuff out. We have this tiny closet with a million and one things shoved in there. It isn't easy getting the tree and the decorations out. Of course once it is all over though, I'm so glad I did it.

It's extremely difficult to do it all by myself and Nik is sick right now, so if I want his help, I'll just have to wait. I am looking forward to taking lots of pictures of Christina with the tree though. And hopefully this year, our dogs won't eat the glass ornaments. Last year I came home from work to find broken ornaments on the floor under the tree, only most of the glass was gone. The only conclusion that we could come to was that one or both of the dogs ate the glass. I knew they would eat anything, but this really put that theory to the test!

The dogs got to chow down on bread that night (per the Vet's instructions). Thank goodness they never showed any signs of internal bleeding.

Oh, the fun.