Christmas-y Things

A couple of days ago, I put up our Christmas tree...that is, I took it out of the box and plugged it in - no ornaments this year, no way! As in years past, ours is a fiber optic Christmas tree:

Even without ornaments, Caleb is fascinated with the twinkling lights.

Our Christmas shopping is now 54% completed. I have determined that the only perfect Christmas or birthday gift is a puppy, assuming that the person to whom you're giving the gift wants and can accept a puppy. Christmas shopping is hard! We went to Dadeland Station today and it was just packed! On a THURSDAY midmorning - and it's more than 3 weeks until Christmas!

The other day, I asked Caleb what we should get Grandpa for Christmas (it doesn't matter which one, he gave the same answer for both of them), "A tie." he answered matter of factly. :) What a kid! Everyone else, he says, gets "Apple Juice".

Annalise is turning 6 weeks old this weekend. That's the end of the newborn period, right? Well if it is or if it isn't, she is plumping up and is looking more and more like a regular baby. She occassionaly gives us some real smiles. Her baby acne is cleared up and I think her hair is starting to fall out. It is funny to see her and Caleb together. Since she can't say all the silly things he does, she gives me the impression of being very serious...but I know better :)

(And FYI - I've gotten back to updating the Leah's Kitchen site, so if you're hungry and stumped, check it out!)

Funny Things Caleb is Saying These Days (Part 2)

Caleb’s vocabulary has just exploded. I can’t even begin to tell you how many words he knows or how many words he uses in a sentence, but I can tell you that a lot of what he says is very hard to understand.

1. Ouch-hurt! When he has a hurt place, he’s not sure how to describe it, so he cries out “Ouch-hurt! Ouch-hurt!”

2. Mickey Mouse’s House – this is where his friend Nicki lives – get it? Nicki’s House and he says Mickey Mouse…her mom is so amused

3. Oop – He either can’t or won’t say the “s” sound when it comes at the beginning of a word – this is Soup. He also can't (or won't) say the "f" sound, so Smiley Face is "Miley Ace".

4. Hoggy Mako – I have quizzed him repeatedly to decode this one. I have no idea what Hoggy Mako means.

And he has the same answers to many questions:

What color? Is always “Green”
Where? Is always “Miami!”
How many? Is always “Two”
What do you want? Is always “Apple Juice”
and of course…
When? Is always “RIGHT NOW!”

Beth's Wedding

There are several good reasons to have a beach wedding - it's beautiful, if guests show up late they can join the crowd without looking awkward...and if a toddler happens to pee in the sand, no one really notices. Ok, what really happened was the restaurant where we ate lunch didn't have a changing table, so we changed Caleb's diaper in the car. Rob suggested I use the backseat, but I insisted that I could easily change his diaper with him standing...only I didn't get it on just right, so we had a little accident - right in the middle of Beth's Wedding.

Beth was one of the students involved in BCM at FIU when I was working there. She was involved a lot both years. Casper was involved sort of on the fringes the second year - and all this was 7-8 years ago and I never dreamed they'd pair up, but I found myself today at their wedding.

It was a typical beach wedding - that is a little more casual than a church wedding. During the reception, Beth and Casper danced to "I've Got You, Babe" - which they added a lot of flair to.

Beth also danced with her dad - they made a show of dancing to a sappy song, but the did the twist (to "The Twist"), which I thought was very appropriate considering Beth's family's creativity. (Once when I lived at the BCM, Beth hosted an 80s party, I worked hard to "boof" my hair, but the humidity flattened it!)

While we were there (Crandon), we took the opportunity to let Caleb walk on the beach. That black and grey bundle strapped to me is Annalise. I'm using my Maya Wrap about 10 times more this time around.

There is also a carrousel on Crandon Beach.

It was an exhausting day - not much shade and even when I could sit down, Annalise preferred that I pace around or do the "mommy dance" - that sort of stationary jiggle you somehow automatically know will sooth a baby. I could have gone to bed the minute we got home...except for two little people refreshed by naps in the car... :)

Oh and just in case you missed it...ARKANSAS BEAT LSU yesterday!!! ha ha ha ha ha!!!!

Subtropical Thanksgiving

Happy Thanks- giving from Miami! Our local weather- man said we have the best holiday weather in the nation - I guess that is if you like picture perfect blue skies and a pleasant 80 degrees... :)

Here are some pictures from our Thanksgiving feast:

Green bean casserole - nothing against the green beans, but for me this dish is all about the french fries onion rings!

Sweet potatoes - a good excuse to eat marsh- mallows and pretend it's not dessert. Cranberry sauce - straight from the can - Caleb's new favorite food.

Stuffing and Rob's dad's onion casserole - a concoction of small onions, croutons and brown sugar.

Not just pumpkin pie - eggnog pumpkin pie! yum!

And of course...
TURKEY!!! A whole bird - for two adults and a toddler!

And Thanks- giving past! (2005 - Caleb was 2 months old).


And two little cuties I'm VERY thankful for!

Cold Snap

It must have been bitterly cold where ever you are because we dipped into the 50s this weekend in Miami.

Mako just turned 4 years old, but he was all puppy when he felt the cold air.
He can run really fast!

(You really should click on this picture so you can see his ears!)

Here's Caleb showing off his jacket.

I'm finding having two kids to be different than I expected, my friend Renee said she felt like a real mom once she had two kids, but I don't feel particularly mommier. It is really different than having your first baby - with a first baby, you have the (I use this term loosly) luxury of focusing on your baby - no one is begging for crackers or unrolling all the toilet paper as you endlessly nurse your baby. It is stressful to have only one baby - but mostly because you're tossed out of the hospital on your own to translate all your baby's cries. I am so relaxed this time!Caleb is who keeps me anxious. I feel like I have one mission when both he and Annalise are awake - keep him from hurting her - whether intentionally or unintentionally. The funny thing is though - that when he does hit her or something, she cries (of course) and it's like I can see the future and she's 4 and he's 6 and and he does something cruel, but relatively trivial and she coming crying to tell on him. Ah well, so is life...

I am getting more done than I expected before my mom left. I did a load of laundry this morning, baked a pie for a potluck tomorrow, and actually swept the downstairs floor - ok, about 1/3 of the downstairs floor, but it's a start! Not to mention that we have actually eaten hot food for the last 3 nights - and I cooked on 2 of them.

Christmas Wishes

Rob and my mom both told me that in the last week, they both asked Caleb what he wanted for Christmas and he said, "A Choo choo train" to both of them. Curious, I asked him what he wanted for Christmas this morning.

"Apple juice," he replied.

"Apple juice?" I said.

And then as an after thought, "and cookies!"

Pumpkin Ice Cream

Rob took Caleb to Coldstone the other night. He let him pick the flavor of ice cream and 3 of the 4 mix ins (Rob wanted pistachios to be one of them). Caleb picked Pumpkin flavored ice cream, Kit Kat bars, Reese's Pieces, and Marshmallows (plus Rob's pistachios). It was...interesting. The ice cream, at least, tasted just like pumpkin pie.

Around the House

I know these kids grow quickly, but can you believe I've already had to set aside some of Annalise's clothes? My mom is going home tomorrow. I know that lots of people manage life with a toddler and a newborn just fine, but it really seems overwhelming at this point. Yesterday my mom was folding a second load of laundry when I said, "Mom, you just seem to be able to get so much done." (i.e. so much more than I can).

And she replied, "Compared to Nanny, I don't get much done."

I looked down at the pink bundle in my arms, thinking something essential to housekeeping degrades generationally, "Poor Annalise," I said, "she has no hope!"

Otherwise, Caleb got a professional haircut.

Annalise has baby acne.

And the Robbins family converged on the brown couch for a family portrait - minus the dog.

A Few Pretty Much Unrelated Pictures

We're trying to make up for lost time. While I was in the hospital, my mom wasn't able to take many pictures, so we took some today. I guess it's not too big of a deal, most pictures of newborns are of them staring at something or sleeping, so it's not like Annalise is constantly doing something new and amazing....not yet!

We are so blessed that our dinner group is providing dinner for us this week. Also the family I babysat for happens to be going out of town this week and is going to have their cleaning lady come over on Thursday to clean my house.

This is Annalise in a pretty little dress she wore to church when she went for the first time - which so far is the only time, because it was also the dress she wore to the hospital when I went to the emergency room later that afternoon. She eventually spit up all over it. We had been in such a rush, we didn't have an alternate outfit for her, so Rob and my dad had to dress her in the extra clothes I had for Caleb in the diaper bag - a grey Mickey Mouse shirt - size 2T! She was still cute, but she looked like a boy.

I'm not sure how the pumpkin got on Mako's pillow, but I just thought he looked so cute cuddled up with it. :)

Me and Annalise - I'm so proud of her - she went back to nursing just like we'd never stopped.

Caleb is amused at trying to fit into the infant carseat. It does make a pretty good rocker for him.

Caleb gave Annalise this balloon in the hospital. I think they are going to have fun together eventually. Today Caleb hit her on the head (repeatedly), stepped on her feet, and stole her pacifier. She is going to be one tough cookie.

Going Home

About half an hour ago they came and took my iv out, so it is real - i AM going home today :) And even better: they are changing my antibiotic so I can nurse Annalise when I get home. I am so looking forward to getting home so I can hold her and tell her over and over again that I am her Mommy. She was only 10 days old when I got here, now she's 16 days old. I've missed almost half her life at this point. Once I get home and get into our regular routine, I know it won't take long before this seemingly long week will seem like no time at all. But perspective is something that tends to be far sighted.

Something that was funny that happened here, when Caleb came to visit the first time, he brought me a balloon with a bear on it that read "Get Well Soon!" I'm sure it won't come as a surprise that when my mom said, "What do you want to tell Mommy?", he said, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" :)

Update

It is Sunday and I am still in the hospital, but I finally have pretty solid hopes of going home tomorrow. I think I must have been much sicker than I realized. At one point I felt like a mystery diagnosis type because none of the doctors seemed to know what was wrong. I definately had a kidney infection, but I also have an ovarian cyst, which may or may not have ruptured or sprung a leak and the fluid may or may not have irritated the surround organs and that may or may not have been a contributing factor to my health woes this week! All I know for sure is that I was hurting really bad and now I feel fine. Well almost fine. Vegging for a week leaves you pretty weak.

Mom and Caleb and Annalise came to visit yesterday. Rob and I took Caleb on a walk around the nursury and he wished each an every baby "Happy Birthday" individually ;) He is such a funny little guy. But he is going to be a challenge when my mom goes home. As she says, "He is an octopus!" Somehow he has his hands in everything at the same time.