Christmas

We awoke to a "snow globe" Christmas. It was really pretty outside with big snowflakes coming down all morning. Kaleb woke up at 5:30, and he didn't even know it was Christmas!! Aghhh!! He could sense something exciting I guess (or how to torture mom and dad!).
He saw his garbage truck from the top of the stairs and screamed "TRUCK! TRUCK!!" That's pretty much all he played with all day. He loved moving the lever to lift the garbage can up and down, up and down .. .... He also got the table and chairs in the background (of the first picture), but not too exciting for him yet.
My parents got us a six-man tent! (I don't know what they're trying to hint with that big of one . . . ?) Braydan was so excited he set it up in the family room (I tolerated it for a day).
There's Braydan trying out some of his other new gear. What a happy camper :) I got spoiled too with lots of sewing stuff I needed. He even got me pins, measuring tape, and other little things and wrapped them all separate in little packages :) We got to talk on the web-cam to both our families, so that helped us feel not so lonely. And later we had a nummy dinner with some friends. We only got stuck once driving home! Good-ol' Buick. Before I went to bed, my missionary brother Josh called and talked to me for a while! What a good Christmas!! We've been very blessed. I'm so grateful we're all healthy and well, we've got a warm home, good job, nice neighbors, wonderful friends, and the best family. Most importantly, we have the gospel! What more could I ask for? (Besides having this baby!!!) Hope you all had a merry, merry Christmas!

Global Warming????

I'm not so sure anymore. We were going to have a Christmas barbecue, but maybe we'll have to postpone it. What do you think?

Washington is really funny. Since it's snowed, school is canceled, nobody goes to work, and church was canceled yesterday. I think Braydan is the only one on our whole street that went to work today. (He almost got stuck in our driveway . . . .but still)

Friday night we had fun decorating gingerbread houses with our friends. Emily made homemade gingerbread and it smelled so good I had a hard time not eating mine. (Mine is the second from the left. The picture doesn't show off the backyard feature: a pool with fish and a snowman). Kaleb snuck a bag of marshmallows and ate almost the whole thing. It was a fun, candy-filled night!

Oh, and I can't forget our phantom snowman. Someone built it in our yard, but we don't know who????

Hope you're all warm and safe for Christmas. It's kinda sad we'll be without family again this year, but I don't think we could drive out of Seattle anyway! Love you all!

Call the Fire Department!

A few months ago (at my request) Braydan converted our gas fireplace into a real one. It took some work....... but since then we've enjoyed some cozy, real fires at night. HOWEVER, this past week we've had serious problems!!!!! So with all the beautiful snow, I thought it would be especially festive to have a fire every night. So does Kaleb. The first thing he does when Braydan gets home is run to him and ask "Dadda, hot please?" He even has a paper stash crinkled and ready to light. Well, for some reason on a particularly cold night a few days ago, Braydan did the normal routine of lighting the fire, but smoke POURED in through the house until we could barely see. All the smoke alarms went off and we ran around opening windows and trying not to gag. I ran upstairs with Kaleb to try and hide in our room, but I forgot that smoke rises, so we didn't stay there long either. Finally, after the fire got hot enough, the smoke went up the chimney like a proper fire should. We did some serious brainstorming about why it would do this and thought we figured it out, but tonight was the third time, even with our new changes, that our fire alarms went off and we smell like a camp fire. Our neighbors probably think I can't cook. After googling about our problem, we learned we have a back draft. The air coming down the chimney pushes the smoke into the house. To remedy this, we have to open a window near the fireplace and hold a burning paper up the chimney to get the air flowing the right direction. Something like that. I hope it works next time!

The Nesting Phenomenon

The other day my friend told me I was definitely nesting. I know you all have heard of it, the curious phenomenon where an already crazy pregnant lady takes on animal-like habits and acts even more crazy in the weeks leading up to delivery. I don't remember suffering from it with Kaleb, but this time I admit that I've been acting a little weird. I don’t know if it’s the stress of Christmas time or because I know (this being my second) what to expect after baby, but I’ve been going turbo speed to get everything done! And doing things that don’t even need to get done! Like yesterday I took down all the blinds and washed them in the sink. After Braydan put Kaleb to bed last night, he came back down and found me hands and knees scrubbing the floor behind the fridge. “Aren’t you tired?” he asked. Of course I was, but seriously, I’d rather do it now then later when all want to do is sleep! In my frenzy to get things done, I finished sewing baby’s crib skirt, sewing the living room curtains and pillows. I’m done with all my Christmas shopping, (phew!) and wrapping. I’ve been having contractions off and on, so maybe that’s what spurned me on. Today the doctor said I'm 75% effaced and dialted to a 1. Not too exciting yet. Anywho, that’s what I’ve been up to. As I’m typing, I’m thinking of this desk I have to dust! AGHHHH!!!! It never ends.

OH, and Kaleb has been getting ready too. He took home the ugliest baby from my Grandma Blodgett's house, one with no hair and it's naked, but he takes care of it, or her as I like to call it. He tells me when she has to go poop and takes her potty, puts on a diaper (sort of), wraps her up, rocks her, feeds her at his highchair, gives her baths, and even puts her to bed. It has Braydan a little worried, but I think it's good. Then he can take care of his baby while I take care of mine!

Meeting Santa

Kaleb met Santa at our ward Christmas party.

He was fine until we stuck him on his lap :)

It was classic. Big pout lip, then crying.

Yes, there's me and my big fat belly. I think I didn't know how to pose for the picture. Kinda looks like I'm secretly afraid of Santa too.

The perfect tree

The Tree! Braydan had to sniff it to make sure it was the one. jk. (It looks a lot later than it actually is outside. Or is that the moon in the background?)

The proud woodsmen.

All dressed up.

I had to take a picture of my beautiful box Braydan finished. I like it stained. It took me a little while to get over my white box idea, but this is better I think. He sanded and varnished it so many times I lost track. I gave up cleaning that area, but now it's smooth as butter and should stand up to Kaleb's abuse. Just ignore all the handprints on the window :) I didn't know it was so dirty till I looked at this picture! Yipes!

And. . . (yes, finally Zach). . . my beautiful coat rack! My brother made this for me and wanted to see proof that I finally hung it and am using it! So there ya go Zachy. I even decorated it sort of : ) Thank you, thank you!! It's very handy and nice.

My Big Boy

So now that I'm posting these things, I'm probably gonna jinx myself and Kaleb will stop being a good boy. But. . . . . for now these are his accomplishments:

1. Sleeping in his toddler bed! I know I've said before that I wasn't in a hurry to try, but I learned an amazing thing on our trip: Kaleb could sleep anywhere! Playpen, floor, car seat, strange beds. . . . He's only been going a week, but so far so good. The first nap we heard this big thud and then crying. He fell out and was a little confused. But after that I just tucked him in tight with a sheet and he does fine. We'll see how long my good luck lasts.

2. Going on the potty. I need to clarify first, I'm not potty-training. Just pre-potty training I guess :) For a month or more now I've been sticking Kaleb on the potty every time he wakes up and before naps and bedtime. The very first time he cried, but I just held him there and told him to push and eventually out came a little poop! He was hooked after that. Everytime something comes out, he jumps off and has to look at his hard work : ) Sorry for the gory details. This past week he actually started telling us " I poop." Which means I have to go! I don't know if it will actually help when I really potty train, but I figure it's worth a try. And, it's nice not having as many poopy diapers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

3. Talking. Lately Kaleb's been a little parrot. It seems he'll attempt any word he hears, even bad ones : ( For example, he heard me say "OH MY GOSH!" once and has been saying it around the house. Whoops. I've been keeping a list of words he can say on the fridge, but I'll spare you. His favorite phrases are "I want to watch fish" (Nemo) And my personal favorite, "I DON'T WANT TO!" Lovely.