Christmas Preparations

I CAN'T WAIT FOR CHRISTMAS! This is by far my favorite time of year. Adam keeps scolding me because every time i run out to run an errand, i come home with another gift for one of the kids. My excuse is...."but it was only $5!" I think Adam is VERY ready for me to be done shopping! My family plays bingo for dollar gifts every year. In the past, we would all go to the dollar store and buy 10 - 15 different dollar gifts. Most of the time they would end up not being used, or a few people would get the same gift. This year, we decided we would all only purchase 5 things, and really put a lot of thought into them. I went out today, after doing a lot of research on some steals, and BOY DID I DO GOOD! I can't wait for people to open my gifts!

I think the nasty bug of sickness has finally started to subside in our house. Adam did get it, and so did Aria. They are both feeling much better. One of the kids will occasionally cough, but that is about all that is left. Thank goodness!! Aria is also sleeping like SUCH a trooper lately. She usually goes to bed around 9 - 10 pm and doesn't wake up until about 7:30am. She eats, and then goes back to bed until about 9:30 - 10:00 am. We are so blessed to have had two kids that are such good sleepers. Asa still sleeps from 7:30 pm, until 9 am. He takes one nap a day from 1:30 - 3:30/4pm.

I am excited to start my new years resolution of working out! I feel like i have been so lazy since Aria was born. Part of it is because when Asa goes to bed, i enjoy sitting and holding Aria. I can't do too much holding of her when Asa is awake because he wants to play. Once Asa goes to bed, i usually eat dinner and then spend then next hour with Aria again because she is awake, and then it is time for me to go to bed. I am going to work in working out starting the 1st of the year...

These pictures are from the hotel and the surprise party for my Grandma in Granite Falls.

This is the day where Asa started feeling crummy. You can just tell by looking at this picture that he doesn't feel the greatest...poor guy!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Wow

After having Aria you would think that blogging would be just as much a priority as it was pre-Aria, however that is not the case. I'll be honest, i love blogging, and reading others blogs, but i just have not had the desire to go online to blog lately. Boo me!

Things around here for the most part have been great. We celebrated my grandma's 80th birthday last weekend by having a surprise party for her. My family headed out Thursday night to Granite Falls, MN and stayed in a hotel. My grandma swims at the community center every morning, so we went to the community center Friday at 6 am to set up for the 7 am party. My aunt and uncle and their family drove in Friday AM, which means they left their house around 3:30 YIKES!! Needless to say, the party was a hit, and my grandma was surprised! We noticed that Friday Asa started not feeling so well. Coughing, runny nose, and just seemed more sad then usual. We made it home from Granite Friday night before the storm hit.

Asa is officially the sickest he has ever been. Adam took him to the Dr today to have him checked. We thought he might have croup, but it is just a bad cold. He has a hacking cough that sometimes seems like he coughs so hard he is going to throw up. His butt is raw and bloody from all of the diarrhea, and his nose runs like a faucet. We feel so bad for him. He has been so good through it all, and will just look at us and tear up and cry. We have had him in the bath so much because that seems to feel the best.

So far Aria has not contracted the sickness. She is such a good baby. She sleeps so well, eats well, and is just really content all around.

Asa still isn't talking much. The majority of his words (which are few) aren't really words, but we know what he means. For example, he will look at our coffee cups and say Ha, which means hot. He also does this to lights, and steam. He does say baba, which is his sippy cup, and can also say dada. He tries to say mama, but it usually sounds like baba. he says papa, which means puppy. He also really loves to hug things. He will pick up anything fuzzy, or that has a picture of something on it, and put it to his cheek and say ohhh. He has been such a good big brother, and really doesn't notice Aria much. He does try to put her pacifier in her mouth if she is crying, he helps us burp her by patting her back, and also helps pat her back if she is laying on her tummy.

I started back to work on Wednesday, however am home today due to Adam taking Asa to the Dr. If Aria wasn't so little he would have taken both to the dr and i would have worked, however i don't think it would have been easy for Adam.

Here is a picture of Asa when we went out and played in the snow.

Aria swaddled laying in her bouncy chair

 This is Aria's favorite position. I know it looks weird, but she loves laying like that and it puts her to sleep every time!

 Daddy and Aria

 I have a picture that was taken professionally of Asa with our rings on his toes. I took a few like that with Aria, but found that i like this one much better.

 Here is Asa at thanksgiving at the Heerens. Sweet chair huh?