Merry Christmas all!

I hope your stockings were full and your spirits bright. I know Kevin and I had a truely magical Christmas with our little one. This kid loved opening presents. We gave her every piece of wrapping paper and ribbon and she just laughed and laughed and laughed! I think the hardest part of the day was deciding which adorably cute Christmas outfit she would wear. Each seemed to be cuter than the next. It’s a minor miracle she survived the day unsquished. Let me tell you, it took all my strength not to just hug her to pieces!

Leina attended her first Christmas Eve party at Grandpa Jerry & Granny Carla’s and I think she enjoyed herself. So many people to watch and all the lights and decorations, she was in heaven. She ended up passing out on my shoulder for a while but then woke up ready to continue partying. The best part? By the time we got home and got her to bed, it was 10:30 so the little munchkin ended up sleeping through the night! That’s right, she didn’t wake till 7am the next morning.

Merry Christmas Momma! I think those eight hours of sleep may have been the best Christmas present. Ever!

I’m heading out to see the Return of the King (or, according to Kevin, ROTK). Kevin saw it opening night with Josh while I stayed home with the kid so today I turn the tables and head to the theatre with Todd to watch the final installment on the big screen.

So this morning, over breakfast, Kevin decided to prep me for the big viewing. Knowing I’m a bit fuzzy on the whole trilogy fine points, Kevin decided to lay a little foundation to help me through this movie.

“OK,” he began after he finished his sausage “you remember Gondor, right?”

“Um,” I stalled for time as I racked my brain, “which one was he?”

Kevin’s jaw dropped and his eyes rolled around their sockets. Clearly this was the wrong answer.

“Gondor is a place not a person Chrissie.” With an exasperated sigh he reached for a pencil and scrap paper. “OK, you remember Rohan, right? And where the orcs lived? Well next to them and across the blah blah blah blah.”

I swear I had a Charlie Brown moment. Kevin was speaking but I couldn’t focus. I could feel my eyes glazing over and my mind begin to drift. Could be some early form of adult ADD but I’m not sure.

“Signal fires…blah blah blah…orc attacks..blah blah blah.”

I must have managed to kept my eyes open and nod in all the right places because there was suddenly silence and Kevin was looking at me, expectantly.

“Right, got it,” I jumped in “Gondor is a place and there are signal fires.” I smiled hopefully and glanced at the clock. Amazingly, Kevin’s whole lecture only lasted 5 minutes. I could have sworn it was longer.

“So, when’s a good time to take a pee break during the film?” I ventured, hopefully.

I guess this wasn’t the question Kevin was hoping for because he got up and cleared the plates muttering something about people not appreciating the true brilliance the Tolkien realm.

Yup, can’t wait! Mordor…place not person. Got it!

Thanks to Mike Wilson for actually checking our site out and letting us know all the links were messed up – one little typo, who would have thought…

They’re now all fixed – just for you Mike – since you’re the only one looking, I guess.

The rest of you can just be happy with Chrissie’s blog.

Thanks Mike!

I’ve got bad news.

The Christmas tree was put up and decorated without incident. Yes, I know you are sad. I know you are longing for the annual Christmas Tree story. But you know what? Leina has taught me two very simple words.

Good Enough.

I know, I know, for a stubborn Taurus with a wicked traditionalist streak, this may sound impossible but I have found myself saying “good enough” alot this Christmas season. I’m just grateful to have any tree really. It’s a minor miracle it’s up and lit so who am I to grip over size or type? It also helps that Kevin pulled a rabbit out of the hat and found a very fine tree. Talk about coming through when the pressure was on.

Leina doesn’t seem too interested in the tree. I thought the lights and such would amuse her but no. She still prefers to play with a Luna bar wrapper or the tv remote. That tv remote is her all-time favorite toy right now. If she’s getting grumpy or out of sorts, I just pass her the remote and she settles right down. I see she has my remote hording gene. I’ve actually taken an old remote and tossed it into her bin’o toys figuring if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.

Even more amazing, all our Christmas cards and packages have been mailed! Yes, that’s right, I’m officially finished with all my Christmas shopping and can now kick back, relax, and listen to my Muppet Christmas Carols CD. Life is good. Even more exciting, Kevin managed to wrangle vacation time so that he’s off for the whole week of Christmas! For the first year ever he doesn’t have to work the day after Christmas. Instead, he’ll have nine whole days to spend with this little chunka-chunka.

Ah, what a very merry Christmas this will be!

Yes, we are back in the land of rain and gloom. Poor little girl. She’s been put through the wringer. First she gets ripped away from the sunshine and extra loving from the Tutu and thrown back into chilly old Portland. To make matters worse, she has her four month check up right after we get back and has to have the dreaded shots. Four of them. Bam, bam, bam, bam. All in her little chunka chunka thighs.

Lets just say, she is not a happy camper. She’s disorented and grumpy. Not a good combo.

But the good news is that she is still growing like a weed. She clocked in at a little over 15 lbs which puts her in the 90th percentile for weight. She’s streached out to a whopping 25 inches too. I’m told her next trick to come sometime in the next two months is turning over. How very exciting!

So this weekend we’ll be taking (and posting) the four month Pooh picture. It’s also set up the tree weekend as we rev up for Leina’s first Christmas! I’m seeing a ton of pictures here!

It’s so odd to think it’s Christmas. I remember last year at this time I was so horribly sick. I had morning sickness and the flu both at the same time. Because of mini-me, I couldn’t take any medication so I spent most of the holiday lying on the sofa, holding my stomach, and groaning.

I thought I’d make it up this Christmas. I had all these visions of home made gifts, lavish house decorations, yummy fresh from the oven treats and my little angel dressed up in bows and ribbons. HA! How far from realistic was that?!?! Instead, I sit here still in my nightgown, hair uncombed, not a decoration in sight unless you count the haphazardly strewn baby toys and diapers.

However, my baby girl is dressed to the nines. Every day I put her in a new Christmas outfit. Her cute little cheeks in a “baby’s first Christmas” gown are all the decoration I need this year. Guess my Martha Stewart Chirstmas will have to postponed one more year still!

Tomorrow we pack up and head back to Portland.

This has been the best visit. I got to see Daniel and baby Sammy, spend time with my parents, and Leina got tons and tons of grandparent love.

She has come so far these last two weeks. (I think it was all that grandparent snuggling!) She loves toys and playing. She can lie on her back, kick and coo all by herself now. Let me tell you, the ability to self-entertain is way up there on my scale of developmental steps. We also appear to have mastered the fussy period.

Yes, that’s right, lately my sweet little McNugget has blown through that awful window. She’s been able to stay up from 4-7:30 without a nap. When she gets fussy, she gets a boobie snack and this seems to power her through. No more of the dreaded scream fest. Instead, she just plays and laughs right through those twilight hours. I only hope that once we return home she stays on this schedule. If not, I have warned Kevin that Leina and I are coming back here. It’s so nice not to have to listen to her screaming in the crib. To have her, instead, sitting in bouncy chair watching us eat or prep dinner is much more desirable.

Ah, my sweet meats, you are growing on me so quickly!