Merry Christmas!

We had a low-key Christmas in Texas this year- just the four of us. Justin was up at 5am as usual but I made him hang out in the front room until almost 8am. We watched lots of cartoons and eventually opened stockings before heading in to the living area to see what Santa brought. He loved tearing through all of the presents- didn't matter if it was his or not- he unwrapped it! Little brother might not find that very amusing next year!

Here are some photos. We hope you had a wonderful holiday as well!

A Train!

Combine!!

Hanging out while Justin opens gifts and plays all day long with his new toys!

Helping Daddy make dinner

Get me out of this outfit!!

Thank you everyone for the Christmas goodies! Justin has been going from one thing to another ever since!

Rainbows and Lolipops

So- when Tara heard about our weekend (last weekend- it has taken me all week to write this one) she texted me and said "I heard your weekend was all rainbows and Lolipops" and I just thought it was fitting.

The good news from last weekend is that Justin had his first haircut that was not traumatic for all involved. I started talking about it a day prior and kept talking to him about how he was going to sit still and be such a good boy when we went to get his haircut- and I decided to try to bribe him- telling him if he was good he could go buy a new truck.

Something worked. He would not sit on the haircut chair but he sat in the parent chair and ate a sucker- which he called a Popsicle (ironically he gets a real Popsicle later on Sunday).

So I tell him how proud I am that he is so good- we go have lunch and he is still good. I should have just went home then- but I take him to the toy store. He is having a grand time- playing with this train set. A little girl wants to play too- so I tell him that he needs to share (he is normally such a good sharer) and he refuses so I say we have to leave and he had a meltdown. I carry him two blocks to the car and he screams the whole way. I just smile at people.

We get to the car and I need to get my keys so I put him down and he is laying on the asphalt screaming.

I pick him up and shove him in his car seat and buckle him in. He is still screaming and tells me his elbow hurts. I look and it and kiss it and tell him he's fine and get in the front seat to drive home. He is still screaming at me.

He says his elbow hurts a few more times on the drive home. Ask him if he can show me where -because sometimes he thinks his wrist is his elbow. He told me he can't show me and I noticed his arm hasn't moved the entire time with that we have been in the car.

So we get home and I look at it- he cries if it is moved- so Dave stays with Kyle while Justin and I head to the ER.

We hung out in the ER for awhile and finally received the diagnosis of "nursemaids elbow" - the doc fixed him up in 30 seconds. It is a dislocation that is common in kids this age. Doc fixed him- left the room and came back with a Popsicle and sure enough Justin reached for it with his hurt arm! Somewhere in the midst of his meltdown I had to pull on that arm just right. I am VERY aware of how I lift and grab him now!

That was only one adventure - we had a few other weekend mishaps too- such good times! Hoping this weekend is better!

Oh Christmas Tree - Quit Falling on Me

Our tree is up - it has fallen over twice though - creating a nice mess - and it wasn't Justin's fault!  We think we have it figured out now..we'll see!

Brothers

I can't help but take pictures almost every time Justin pays attention to Kyle - it's just so cute.

Justin thought Kyle should learn about all of the tractors, trucks, trains, equipment one morning. Here are some photos and  a video.

Tummy time!

One Month Stats

The first month flew by! Here are some photos at one month old! Here is a link to some pictures of Justin at the same age.

Kyle was 9lb 6oz, 21.25 inches long and his head was 15. He's in the 50th percentile for everything. The doc said he was "unremarkable" - in a good way.

Justin at his one month appointment (which was almost a week late) was 12lbs, 23 inches and his head was 16 - he was 90th percentile for everything. 

Lori....Loooorrrriii

Justin is enjoying wandering around yelling for Aunt Lori whenever she leaves his sight...Here are some photos of Aunt Lori and her nephews! We get one more day before she heads back East!

More Photos from Mom-Mom and Pop-Pop's Visit

Thanks Mom-Mom and Pop-Pop for visiting! We loved having you here!

I certainly appreciated the extra hands with Justin and Kyle - and I know Justin rather enjoyed waking you up every morning!

Hold Me

To say Kyle likes to be held is an understatement- he demands to be held.

While I love to snuggle I don't need to do it 20 hours a day. He will not sleep in his crib. He did a little the first week but after that he wakes up within 2 minutes of being layed down (if not immediately).  I have tried swaddling/unswaddling- it doesn't matter. This led to me being in his room all night- either trying to get him back to sleep or just sleeping with him in the recliner.  While I am a pro at recliner sleeping from Justin's sick days - it is not sustainable night after night after night! A 3am google session led me to the product below - and it is working for the time being. It must trick him in to thinking he's being held. I don't like having to use something to get him to sleep and will keep working on getting him to sleep in the crib - but a mommy needs her rest! This is the Fisher-Price Rock and Play Sleeper - should any of you ever be in need of one!

This does not solve my daytime sleeping problem- as I don't want to use this all night AND all day. Just when I think he's out cold and I sit him somewhere for a little nap - he wakes up.  And then I have to get him back to sleep all over again.  It makes it hard to get anything done.  I have discovered he likes loud noises- if I turn on the hair dryer or the vacuum  he goes to sleep- so a white noise machine may be in our future.  I'm lucky to get him to sleep on his own for 45 minutes in the morning and maybe late afternoon - hoping this gets better as he gets bigger! I guess when he goes to daycare in February he will have to get over it- they certainly can't hold him all day!!

Where he likes to sleep

Where he pretended to sleep for 90 seconds.

Just looking cute before he decided he hated tummy time.

The Great Tree Hunt of 2012

We made the trek north to our favorite Christmas Tree farm with Mom-Mom and Pop-Pop yesterday. Kyle was great during our outing- Justin was a bit of a brat on and off. He is rather enjoying flinging himself to the ground when he doesn't want to cooperate- it's so fun.

All in all it was a good day - we enjoyed having Dick and Sue with us on our little trek!

How's this one look? He kept falling on his face running through the trees.

Supervising

He was more interested in the tractors than the Christmas trees..

I thought this was so cute- they tied a little tree to the kiddie car!

 

We stopped at the John Deere store on our way back to do some Christmas shopping. Justin could have stayed there all day. He was on and off everything and checking out all of the toys and big equipment. I definitely know where to take him to waste a day! He was excited to be there again after his trip there with Grandma and Grampa a few weeks ago.

No Santa is not bringing this..he kept getting on it and saying "it's cute"