beanski

christmas, part ii

The theme of Christmas, Part II was "The International Falls Emergency Room." For those of you that have been to International Falls, you know this isn't a good thing. It's like pulling in to Super America and hoping they have full-service but having to settle for self-service.

First, Taber cut his foot with an ice auger. That's right, AN ICE AUGER. Thank sweet Jesus it was just a "cut" and not a "cut off." This is not Taber's first run-in with the ice auger. He and the ice auger seem to get in to a lot of trouble together. The best part of the story, other than how he described the chaos in the ER, is that he woke Annie up from a nap to tell her that he thought he needed stitches and that he was going to the ER and she said "OK" and went back to sleep. A pregnant girl needs to sleep, I say. It only took three hours to get four stitches. Almost a stitch an hour. Not bad.

Then Miss Sarah came down with a NASTY cold. We're talking body fluids pouring from every opening in her body. She was not happy about being sick and decided it was a good time to go on a hunger strike. For you nursing mothers, you know this is not a good thing for mom. Jen, Annie and Sarah headed back to the ER. Annie killed time with the nurse talking about how her super smart husband was in a day earlier for stitches in his foot and the nurse said, "Oh, he was the ice auger guy. We gave him a lot of shit about that one." Meanwhile, Sarah is still moaning and Jen's temperature starts rising. Jen's temp went from 100 to 103 in the time it took for the ER to find the time to see Sarah. By that time, they decided they might as well check Jen in too. So Sarah and Jen both visited the doctor, not only did Jen have Mastitis but she got the pleasure of dealing with a sick kid too. Sweet. Good thing Rama was there to hold her for the better part of a whole night so Jen could sleep. It only took them four and a half hours to get through the ER. Which is perfectly acceptible. I mean, if you cut your arm off, it would be cool to wait for four and a half hours, right?

Other than these minor inconveniences, we had a good weekend. The boys had fun together. Charlie told Annie that "Griffin was his best friend" which made all of us want to cry. They took the boys sledding before we got there so hopefully someone will send me some picture of that (HINT, HINT). They liked their toys/clothes and spent most of the weekend fighting over who got to play with the sweet noise-making motorcycle. Renee slept like a big girl and let my mom and my sisters actually hold her so we're moving up in the world. I didn't get many pictures. I was too busy making fun of my brother-in-law for cutting his foot with an ice auger. That's right, an ICE AUGER. OK, I'll let it go now.

Charlie opening presents. His eyelashes are a special, special thing. He's going to drive the girls wild.

G-money tenderly opening his gifts.

Miss Sarah. I ALMOST caught you smiling.

Sarah again. Because I like her today.

One of Renee, well because she's my kid.

Finally, the best one. This is totally THE Griffin look. It cracks me right up.
 

christmas, part i

Pictures of random holiday decorations. Because well, I like that sort of thing.

Our Dr. Seuss Christmas tree:

We headed to the cities over the weekend for Christmas with Ski's family. It took us almost four hours to go 120 miles but we made it. I counted no fewer than 17 cars in the ditch and spent much of the trip wondering what I would do to save Renee if we spun out. Scary. The trip started out with rain in Duluth turning in to this roughly 10 miles south:

Then we got to see Miss Lucy so that made the trip worth it. She's getting SO BIG. She's SWEET. Like Elliott was, but maybe even sweeter. I didn't hear a peep out of her all weekend. Unlike some other six-month-old I know. Not to mention any names but her name starts with Renee.

Aunt Jill & Renee. I couldn't resist the hat. I mean I know it's totally corny but I am so uncool at this point that it doesn't matter. I've been putting that hat on her every five minutes for the last month. She has not caught on to how silly she looks. And I like that. So, I keep going back for more.

A couple of the girls because who doesn't like two cute baby girls that are almost exactly the same size? If you're bored, then you are a communist.

Nena and the babies. Nena is the most baby crazy woman in the WORLD.

By now you're saying "There's more?" Hell yes there's more. It was my baby's first Christmas. I'm not even close to done. By Sunday I'll have at least this many pictures of the other side of the family. I like the fams that much.

The Whole Crew of out-laws. I mean, in-laws. I'm still trying to recover from the shock of how fat I am. Get ready for at least 49 fat posts next year because it is not my mission in life to de-fatify. Anyways, I digress. The out-laws. I mean, in-laws. Damnit, I did it again.

Aunt Jill, Uncle Greg, Elliott & Lucy.

Nena, Grumpa and the bambinos. Not the greatest picture but well, I screwed up the ISO. And because I can't go back in time this will have to do.

Uncle Colin and soon-to-be-aunt Brooke. Again, wrong ISO. DUH! They're cute anyways. I like that Aunt Brooke. More every time I see her. Nice to have some new female blood around.

Elliott being Elliott-shy. He's such a nice little boy. Polite even with his Christmas presents from Santa.

The controversial gift. A Brown's jersey in a Steeler household. OOOOOOO. They must really like you, Brooke.

Renee and her uber cool mom dishing on some carrots. AHHH YEAH.

This is why I only bought Renee a stocking, some socks and a book. Yikes. We have an 1800 square foot house chalk full of baby paraphernalia and we haven't even gotten to Christmas, Part II. I'm scared. She's such a lucky baby.

Did you catch the Cabbage Patch doll? No? Then you're not looking close enough. I personally was pleasantly surprised they are still manufacturing Cabbage Patch dolls.

Finally, Renee, Daddy and her very first Christmas present in her Christmas outfit. Complete with her very own SmartWool socks. I just love her.



      

Ski and I started our holiday dinner tradition. Prime rib, Holiday Salad, Bread and Olive Oil (I LOVE Davero Olive Oil) and Balsamic marinated strawberries over ice cream. All of the recipes turned out DELICIOUS. Oh me oh my I love to eat.

That's all for now. You're sad, aren't you? If you read this far, you deserve a gold star. I'm in a weird mood tonight and need to go to bed. One too many Summits. Oops. Don't tell. 

the minnesota way

I used to pride myself in being a true Minnesota girl. I would attack winter activities with gusto, assuming everyone who complained about the weather and the snow were just big whiners. I loved to play in the snow. I would get outside right when I got home to shovel. And I enjoyed it. Snowblower? Who needs a snowblower? Snowblowers were for sissies. When summertime hit, I would refuse even the idea of getting central air because you know, "I'm too tough for that and after all, you only need it for a like three days a year." We Minnesotans are tough, you know. We pride ourselves on it. We all talk about air conditioning like it is this huge luxury and a total waste of money. And we adamantly refuse to cancel school even when there are 15 inches of snow on the ground. And another 24 on the way. It's the way we are built. It's been engrained in our culture since we were born. My husband, a Pittsburgh native, thinks this is all totally insane and cannot even BEGIN to understand someone actually wanting to shovel. Or someone thinking air conditioning is anything other than required.

All of this is my preface to saying the older I get, the more I think the Minnesosta Way is a load of crap. I'm tired of being tough. I'm tired of the snow. Our snowbanks our almost as tall as me and it is only December. Two Christmas trips in two weeks in the middle of two snowstorms. And one six-month-old baby. I'm tired of worrying about whether Renee will end up sitting in the ditch for two hours until a tow truck can make it to pull us out. I'm tired of getting home from work and having Ski spend two hours outside shoveling instead of spending time with his wife and baby. I'm tired of not being able to get my car out of the parking lot at work and being late to pick up Renee from daycare. Poor me. I keep telling myself that it will get better once she's big enough to come outside and play while we shovel and I did throw my stubborn-ness out the window last summer and got central air and I don't feel even the tiniest bit guilty/wimpy about it. It was SOOO worth it. The purpose of this post is just to say 'I need a break from the snow.' Weather gods, if you are out there and you are listening, could you just hold off of the snow dumping for a week or so?

I am still working on the 'Christmas, Part I' pictures. Hopefully I can get them done before 'Christmas, Part II' this weekend. I know you are all on the edge of your seats in anticipation. At least I know my mother is.

happy holidays

Wishing you a bright, happy, joyful, blissful, energetic, glutonous, exciting, scrumptious, hilarious and overall totally awesome holiday. May Santa bring you what you are dreaming of and may he bring me a tall glass of wine, a lump of cheesy potatoes, one entire sausage roll and a plate full of my mother-in-law's chocolate chip cookies. Amen.

the christmas card debacle

My sister-in-law emailed some hilarious pictures of her attempt to get Elliott and Lucy together in a picture for her Christmas cards. I would love to know how parents of multiples get a decent shot when most of mine turned out like this:

Can someone please tell me why we're doing this? The sooner you face the fact that I refuse to relent, the better.

She finally relented to my crying and took off that ridiculous, itchy Christmas dress. Wow, I really need to go on a diet. Oh what the hell, it's Christmas, hell yes I'll take another piece of cheesecake.

No more questions, please.

Put your dukes up, daddy.

Word to your mother. Are we done yet? I'm officially out of ideas with which to ruin your attempt at a Christmas card picture.
    

seven things

Kim posted this on her blog and I thought it was interesting to see what is on someone else's dream list. When it comes down to it, I'll buy stuff for Renee long before any of these ever become a reality. Like for instance, one or both of the $250 carseats I'm going to have to buy in the next couple of months. I don't even know why I even take the time to think about this stuff but it's fun to dream. Or perhaps there is some rich celebrity out there reading my blog, feeling festive and wanting to spread Christmas cheer. Or maybe Santa is real.

Shootsac: Totally frivolous and totally unnecessary but so freaking cute. Thanks a lot, Tara.
Lens: Hell will freeze over before Ski will even entertain this as an idea but oh how I do want it. This is also Tara's fault. You are no longer allowed to bring your camera equipment to my house or to talk about gear with me. You have TOO much more disposable income than I do. It's just not fair. I just stomped my foot like Charlie does when he doesn't get his way. Poor me.
Snowshoes: Winter gets oh-so-long here in northern Minnesota and I start to go stir-crazy. And I haven't totally talked Ski into moving to California. Yet.
New House: A house sort of like this on a bigger and much more private lot. With lots of room for oversized kid's toys. And a view of Lake Superior would be nice. Or in the case of the move to California, a view of the Pacific. Sign. me. up.
Dutch oven: I've wanted one of these for my Sunday soup making for a long time but just can't pull the trigger.
Sporty Coat or Dressy Coat: I can't decide which. The Project Runway lover in me wants the J Crew one but the practical, snow-shoveling, broomball playing girl in me wants the Wintergreen. How about we just say I want both?
New Wardrobe: I have about 3 shirts that fit me. And 3 pairs of jeans. I have a meeting with the client tomorrow and NOTHING to wear. I don't even have a single pair of dress pants. Or a skirt. What a slob. The problem is that I don't even think to buy clothes for myself anymore. I go straight for the baby section. Every. single. time.

yes renee, whatever you want.

I'm concerned about my inability to resist the batting of the eyelashes.

couldn't live without it

Someone asked me the other day which baby items have deemed themselves "must-haves." This is based on one baby and one baby only...and on only the first five months of her life. My sisters and everyone else I know would have widely varying opinions. I'd love to know what you could not live without, especially if you have a say, six months or older baby. Maybe I can limit the amount of money I waste testing out every option under the sun.

BundleMe - It was worth every penny of the $40 I paid for it. True, it was about 1/3 the cost of the infant carseat itself but if you live in northern Minnesota and have to lug your baby to and from daycare every day, trust me, it's worth it.
Bouncy seat - I have previously mentioned my infatuation with the Bouncy Seat so I won't bore you again other than to say I almost gave up on it too soon. I had it packed away at about 10 weeks because she barfed so much when I put her in it. That would have been one of the biggest mistakes OF MY LIFE. She's five months old and she still sits in that thing every. single. day.
Sleepsacks - $20 a pop might seem like a lot but in my opinion, totally worth the money. The whole risk of SIDS aside, they have saved me many trips in to make sure she hasn't kicked off her blankies in the middle of the night.
Rear-View Mirror - I admit it, I'm a control freak. I need to know what she is doing.
California Baby Calendula Creme - Works on everything from diaper rash to cradle cap to eczema. I tried no fewer than 10 cremes on Renee's eczema until I found this miracle product. As a bonus, it is all-natural, organic and smells good too.
Trumpette socks - They fit, they stay on and they are so damn cute. I am partial to the Mary Janes but they have some nice boy options as well. The "toddler" variety fit my preemie baby at five months so buy one of each size. Why do baby socks never fit the right age? Another post for another day...
Hanna pajamas - OK, I admit it, I was skeptical of my mother-in-law and sister-in-law about Hanna. I couldn't imagine paying a small fortune for a single piece of children's clothing that they grow out of WAY too fast just because it is "organic." But then they bought me some and the quality is FAR superior to any other kid's clothing I have. The PJs have open feet and they are generous with the sizing so they last for a LONG time. We've been through two sizes of GAP/Old Navy in the time it took me to go through one size of Hanna. I obviously obsess about their sales and have been known to waste entire work days competing on ebay...otherwise we would have to sell our house to support my Hanna obsession.

The rest of the things are pretty common sense: burp cloths (A LOT of them), rectal thermometer, snot sucker, multiple waterproof mattress pads for the crib, every baby needs a mobile, EVERY mother needs a glider, and plenty of sweatpants and long-sleeved onsies (I have a hatred of short-sleeved onsies in any size smaller than six months - really, what is the point?). I think that's it. So far. What couldn't you live without?

five months

Somedays I look at Renee and she doesn't really even seem like a baby at all anymore. She seems like a person. Each day we get more of glimpse in to what kind of person she'll be. So far we're pretty certain she's stubborn, strong-willed, lazy, a little bit shy and definately afraid of strangers. In addition to these, she's so stinking sweet and loyal. Her whole face lights up when I pick her up from Becky's and one of my favorite parts of the day is when daddy gets home from work. He says "Hi, Little One, How was your day?" and she gets this huge grin on her face and screeches and squeals. Her and Ski's relationship has really developed a lot in the last month...instead of wanting me all of the time, there are times she just wants to "go for a ride in the Daddy chair." Ski looked at me the other day and said, "I just want to hold her and squeeze her because I love her so much today." It makes me melt.

Speaking of the screeches, she really loves her voice right now and will spend hours laying in her crib trying out new sounds. I keep saying "Mama" over and over but I pretty much just get "WEEEEEE" back.

While I would choose to stay home with her at least part-time if we could swing it financially, I think she really likes going to daycare. All of the little kids there FREAK out when they see her yelling "Nae is here! Nae is here!" and jumping around like maniacs. And she usually smiles when she sees them. This is saying something because she cries when someone she doesn't know even talks to her. Touchy, touchy.

I was planning on waiting until six months to start solids but the old cow was having a hard time keeping up with the milk supply and Renee would stop everything she was doing and stare at Ski and I while we were eating. A week and a half ago, I put her in her High Chair and gave her a spoonful of Rice Cereal. She opened her mouth and ate it like she'd been sitting around waiting for it for months. Ski and I just looked at eachother like "How the hell did she know how to do that?" Apparently, she was ready. She gets super excited when I put her in her High Chair. We haven't delved in to the world of vegetables and fruits yet but I'm fairly confident she'll be just as pleased with those. The girl loves to eat. I feel the need to document the fact that her poop smells exactly like noodles. I had this roommate my freshman year of college that ate noodles and butter like every day and would leave the leftovers sitting on the stove for days on end. Renee's poop smells EXACTLY like that. Smells are weird. They can totally trigger memories that you haven't thought about in ages. I'll sure miss the noodles when she starts eating more solids and they start smelling like rotten eggs. For now I can still call her The Noodler. And yes, I just spent three sentences talking about the aroma of my baby's feces. Deal with it.

Renee managed to roll over from front-to-back a few times this month and for a while was really interested in at least trying to roll the other way. For the last week or so she hasn't been interested in either and screams when I put her on her stomach. Physical activity is not one of her strong points. I have to keep reminding myself that developmentally she really is only four months old when I want to push her to do more tummy time. Or when I compare her to her six-weeks younger cousin who has been rolling over both ways for like two months.

She's a pretty good sleeper at night but not a very good napper. Most nights she'll sleep from 8 until 6 or so with the occasional "I'm just checking to make sure you're still there" 3AM wake-up call just to keep it interesting. I almost died when my sister told me that Sarah naps for like four hours in the afternoon. I'm lucky if I get 3 X 45-minute naps during the day...most days it is more like 2. I think it's because she's nosy. She gets this from her Auntie Annie....the girl who opened and rewrapped all of her Christmas presents every year and is incapable of even taking a pee without the door open because she's afraid she'll miss something.

She's madly in love her with her reflection. Put a mirror in front of her and she's happy for AT LEAST twenty minutes.

She still LOVES the bouncy seat...by far the best $30 I have ever spent IN MY LIFE. She's still too short for the Exersaucer and the Jumperoo. It's not like I thought she was going to be tall or something as her tallest blood relative is like 5'10" but at this rate she's going to be walking before she can bounce in the Jumperoo.

After all I do for you, you BETTER love your life.

Still slacking on the Doggie picture but I'll get there. I took them on time. I just haven't gotten them off the point-and-shoot in time.

My favorite this month. The dress is the cutest thing I've seen in a long time...doesn't she just look like she knows something that you don't? Somedays my only wish would be to hear her talk.

my first tree (and first lead poisoning)

On our way to get the Christmas tree...I don't know what you guys are so excited about, this is boring....zzzzzzz....

The Tree hanging out the back of the Honda in the middle of a blizzard...baby still zzzzzzzzing....

Oh, THIS is what you guys are talking about. The lights rock. Do you mind if I chew on this cord?

We were in such a hurry to get the tree before the snow (we got like a foot of snow on Saturday) that we ended up with a real winner. I used to pride myself in being able to pick out the prettiest tree in the place. This year, it's Dr. Seuss-style. I'm not kidding. I would post a picture of it but we were sitting around admiring it's lack-of beauty last night and all the lights went out. Ski went over to the wall to unplug it and when he touched it, the plastic plug was so hot, it melted to his fingers. This prompted us to read the directions on the energy-efficient bulb box that I had just purchased and it said that there is lead in the plastic casing on the lights. Really great that I had my five-month old baby holding the strings mere hours before that. So now we have a totally decorated tree covered in lead sitting in our living room with lights that don't work. And since I have so much spare time to screw around with the stupid Christmas tree, I think I might just leave it like that. Am I the only one that finds it absolutely ABSURD that we can't find a better material with which to make Christmas lights than lead that causes birth defects in infants and small children? I mean, I can send an email to someone in CHINA in SECONDS and our Christmas lights still contain lead? COME ON. Am I the only one that had no idea this was the case? I did some internet research and it appears this information broke in 2003. I wonder where I was. I think probably sitting at the Brewhouse playing cribbage with the Yesbergers, drinking delicious IPAs and stouts and not giving a rip about lead. Oh, how the times have changed.