Oh, Christmas Tree!

When Dan and I first moved in together, and I got to decorate my own Christmas tree for the first time, I was so excited! I went to Target and picked out all different shades of blue and silver balls, lots of snowflakes and crystal garland. I bought only white lights. MY tree was going to be pretty, minimally decorated and most importantly color-coordinated. No tacky ornaments for my tree!

You see, I had always thought the tree at my parent's house was over-trimmed and the colored lights were tacky. (Sorry, Mom! Please keep reading!)

I kept my tree "perfect" for a couple of years. Then, people started buying me ornaments. (As people do when you have your own home and Christmas tree.) Was I really not going to put on the Hallmark ornament my mom gave me when we bought our first house? What about the White House ornaments my mother-in-law buys for all the woman in her family every year? And the ones my sentimental husband bought me to mark various phases in our relationship?

So, I put them on. Reluctantly, but I did it.

Then we had Abby and along came the "baby's first Christmas" ornaments. I was slowly caving, as Abby gave her Daddy a new ornament every year. This year? My tree is a smorgasbord of ornaments. But, Abby and I decorated the tree together this year (my goodness, is it harder to decorate when you have a 3 year old who wants to help!) and she always loves to ask "who buy me this?" or "where you buy this mommy?." It was nice to be able to tell her the story behind that house ornament, all the White House ornaments, her baby ornaments and whatever else we pulled out of the box.

Then, as we were almost finished decorating, I came across the ornament she bought Daddy last year. It's two polar bears (a Daddy and a baby) playing, and when you pushed the button on the back, you hear "Merry Christmas, Daddy!" in that sweet two year old voice that is no longer there.

As I put that last ornament on the tree, I did it with tears in my eyes.

Now, I get it. Gone is the "perfect" minimalist tree. Instead, I have a new "perfect"* filled with memories.

*Though, it still is pretty color-coordinated. (And, now I don't see Mom's tree as over-stuffed. Just filled with a lot more stories. But, I still think the colored lights are tacky. Sorry!)

The Elf lives on!

Growing up, we had the original "Elf on a Shelf." You see, starting the first day of December, a little elf named S.P. Bacon (short for Santa's Pal Bacon) would come visit our house and leave a piece of candy under our pillow if we did our chores. (For me, that meant making my bed. By the time my brother and sister came around, he came regardless. Otherwise, my sister and I would get candy and my brother never would have.)

S.P. Bacon was very close to the big man up north, and reported back on how we were doing each day. You know, the whole "naughty or nice" thing. S.P. Bacon always brought us a little present on Christmas and added a little note to Santa's letter.*

Ol' S.P. was always exciting in our house, so imagine my joy when a package arrived this year from the North Pole. In the box was a little elf and a book called "Elf on a Shelf." We read the book and waited for the day after thanksgiving. Sure enough, Friday morning there was an elf on our shelf. Abby was thrilled! As was Mommy, because he told us his name was in fact S.P. Bacon! After all these years, I finally got to see what the little elf looked like! (also much to my excitement, he didn't come with candy.)

All day I warned Abby that S.P. was watching and she had to be nice, not naughty. Dan even used the phrase,** but was convinced it was an empty threat. He didn't think she really "got" it. However, shortly after we'd put Abby down for bed, she started to cry. It was her sad cry. When I went up to check on her I discovered she was scared that S.P. Bacon was going to leave while she was sleeping and not be there when she woke up. She DID NOT want S.P. Bacon to leave her! I explained how he worked again, and promised he'd be back in the morning.

For the next 20 minutes we heard, "Mom! Is S.P. Bacon still here?" "Mom! Where's S.P. Bacon?" Even one "Mom! Is UPS Bacon here?"

Eventually she fell asleep, but the first words out of her mouth this morning were, "Mom! Is S.P. Bacon here? Can we go find him?"

Yeah, she gets it.

Dan might not get it, but Abby and I do. The magic of the season is upon us!

*Santa left us a hand written letter each year to tell us how proud he was of our various accomplishments. It even had big squiggly writing, since the elves write it. And, obviously, elves have squiggly writing.
**My husband is not a creative person. He does not understand the appeal of S.P. Bacon. Then again, he doesn't understand any type of imaginative play or imaginary friends. He's just missing that chip. Thankfully, I have it. (You could not grow up in a house with my mother and not have it.)
***My mom and I were introduced to S.P. Bacon through a family friend. However, the little Mexican man named Pedro, who lives in the sombrero at South of the Border, and travels in the little planes at the beach to make sure you're behaving on vacation, bringing a treat every night after dinner? That one my mom met personally. As crazy as he thinks S.P. Bacon is, Dan thinks Pedro is down right absurd. But, again, I think it's fun. (Though I apologize to all the parent's we go to the beach with, who's kids will be introduced to Pedro because of me. At least the Elf thing has already become commercialized.)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

in the spirit of the holiday, here's a few things I'm thankful for this year:

- Obviously I must start with my wonderful family, friends and such. You know, all that sappy stuff.

- Playhouse Disney. Without which, I would never be able to shower, clean, cook, play on the internet or feed my son.

- Moby Wrap. Without which, my poor back and arms would be killing me and my daughter would never be able to play outside with her friends.

- Coffee. Specifically my keurig. I'm only sleeping in 2 (3 if i'm lucky) hour stretches. Enough said.

- DVR. I go to sleep shortly after Dan gets home and Abby goes to bed. Usually, this is 8:30ish.

- My toaster oven. Without which, my daughter would not eat. I don't have time to cook anymore!

- Preschool. Abby goes two days a week from 9-12. Enough said?

Kinda pathetic, huh? Oh well. Eventually I will emerge from the survival mode I am currently in. Though I'm enjoying this new life, I'm really looking forward to living and not just getting through the days.

(I almost hate to put this in writing, but we've had almost 3 whole days of 3 hour stretches between feedings. I can even get a 4 hour stretch most nights. We're also working on a pretty good routine. Then again, we're getting ready to travel for Thanksgiving. This inevitably means chaos and a crazy schedule for all. Oh well, tis the season!)

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone! I hope your list is a little less pathetic :)

The Salgado Kids Go to the Doctor!

Abby had her 3 year checkup yesterday, and Austin had his 1 month today. They both did really well* and checked out healthy! While I'm not one for comparing my kids to others, I am very numbers oriented, so here's the stats:

Abby
height: 39.5in (94th percentile)
weight: 34lbs (80th percentile)
shots: 3 plus bloodwork, She didn't even flinch at the finger prick, she said "ow!' with the first shot, yelled "OOWW!" at the second and started to cry at the third. Pretty good for a 3 year old :) As promised, she was rewarded with a scone and apple juice from Starbucks.

On a side note, I asked if they could predict her adult height since she's so much taller than all her friends. Their best guess is somewhere around 5'10"

Austin
height: 22in (60th percentile)
weight: 10lbs 15oz (70-75th percentile)
shots: 1 and he screamed his little head off. Poor guy! He's been sleeping ever since, hopefully this doesn't mean a long night is ahead.
When they told me his percentiles, I responded with "Short and fat!" The nurse looked at me like I was nuts, but of course I was used to Abby. She wasn't even on the charts until she was close to 1 years old.

Healthy and happy, just the way I like them!

*Those Berenstain Bears are really quite helpful. Sure enough, the doctor did everything they do in the book, and even in the same order. Abby was prepped for everything and did great.

Dress in matching outfits, pose, say cheese, and stress out Mommy for the xmas card picture!

Growing up, my mom would start working on our Christmas card pictures some time in September. She would shop around trying to find the perfect color combination that would work for all three of us, one that we hadn't yet used, and the perfect location. Then we'd all head out some weekend in November and spend a few hours smiling for the perfect picture. "Perfect" meaning something where all three kids were looking at the camera and you couldn't see that we still had the tags on our clothes. (Mom might have returned them later.)

We hated every second of it. Though, we always got great compliments on our Christmas cards.

So, now that I'm a mom of two, what did I do? I went to three different stores to find the "perfect" outfits (but I took the tags off!) Then I spent 30 minutes posing my kids to get the "perfect" shot.

Crazy, I know.

While I didn't get one perfect shot (or even one "good enough" shot), I did get a few I could cut and paste to use. You don't really think I'd post them though, did you? you'll have to wait for the card in the mail, otherwise what's the point?

Instead, here's some we didn't use!

Austin: 1 Month

Austin,

Just one month ago you officially joined this family. Welcome! It's only been a short time, but what a difference you've made already!

I can't believe how much you've changed already. You were holding up your head just a few hours after your delivery, but you're really starting to really strengthen those muscles. When we put you on your tummy, you already push your head up a little to look around. Especially, if your sister is laying next to you- you love to watch Abby! And you love to be held up on our shoulders so you can push up and look at us. Your alert periods are starting to increase in length and we seem to be settling into a little schedule/routine. You're usually alert and happy for 1 1/2 hours 2-3 times a day. (Except for yesterday. Yesterday, you woke up at 6AM and didn't go back to sleep until almost 11AM. Boy, was I tired!)

At the moment, your eyes are still very blue (yay!) but I've started to notice a little brown creeping in when the lights are just right. We'll see. I'm still holding out hope that they will stay blue, but I'll love them however they turn out.

I mentioned nursing issues before, but I think we've figured it everything out. You still can get a little lazy with your latch in the very beginning (ouch!), but you quickly adjust and continue on like normal. Now, we just need to work on the length of time you nurse. Currently, you only eat for 15 minutes or so and then you're hungry again 2 hours later. The times when I can get you to fully feed (20+ min) you can go 3 to even 4 hours between feedings. (I'd really appreciate more of those stretches. Mainly, at night. Please?)

So far, you're still pretty laid back. When you wake up and are hungry, you don't have a lot of patience. (wonder where that came from, Daddy?) Otherwise you only fuss when you're gassy, which seems to be often. I'm hoping you're only reacting because the feelings in your tummy are strange and not actually a problem. You also still hate diaper changes. Regardless, everyone always comments on how easy you seem. And they're right, so far, so good.

It's been quite a month, but I am SO happy you're actually here with us. I can only imagine what's to come!

Love you tons,
Mommy

Happy Brithday to Me!

HELLLLLLO 30!!

Today I am 30. Finally!

A few months back, I made the comment to Dan and Kelsey that I was excited for 30 because I didn't like my 20's. Dan got offended because as he said, "we met when you were 18, our whole relationship was in your 20's." What I really meant was that I didn't like to tell people I was 20. The 20's to me felt too young for where I was in my life. That, and all my friends are in their 30's and I usually felt embarrassed to admit my age.

However, when I look back, my 20's was a pretty damn good decade. I met Dan (technically I was still 18, but whatever.), I graduated college, moved away from home, started working, got married, moved, bought a house, got a dog, had Abby, quit my job, moved again, and had Austin. Dan, Abby and Austin. Not too bad for a 20-something.

Regardless, I still am excited for my 30's. As I've said before, I'm finally in a place in life where I can stop looking forward and just enjoy life as it is today. And I'm not as embarrassed to admit my age.

It's funny. Last year when we moved, my big hope for myself was that I would find a small group of women in Raleigh. (This was a BIG stretch for me. I've always been one to keep to myself. I have my 2 close friends, but that was kind of it.) Never much for a party, I was hoping I'd be able to have a few girlfriends to go out with and actually celebrate my milestone birthday. I didn't anticipate the whole new baby aspect, but I am happy to say that my goal was accomplished. I've been lucky enough to find a great group of women that would have certainly partied it up with me (again, there's the whole new baby thing. And who am I kidding? Partying it up for me means 2 glasses of wine.)

Speaking of the new baby, while I hadn't pictured a new baby on my 30th, I certainly couldn't imagine anything better. I don't have any big thing planned, just a normal day with my 2 beautiful children and wonderful husband. (and maybe a little Gray's Anatomy with the girls? We'll see how Austin does and how much energy I have.) But, then again, what more could a girl ask for?

Happy Birthday to Me!

Happy Birthday Abby!

Dear Abby,

Happy Birthday! How in the world did you get to be 3 already?!?

While I was good about taking pictures of you, I never wrote much down. However, it's never too late to start. And it's been quite a year to document!

One year ago we were living in a barely furnished apartment, still driving around trying to figure out this new place we were living in. Now? You've flourished in our new town. You've got a great group of neighborhood friends, you're loving preschool, and you've even got a new little brother to dote on. (and boy do you dote!)

With every year that passes, I think "this is the best yet!" And it really does keep getting better. Gone is my baby girl, and in her place I have an independent, very opinionated, yet mostly sweet, little girl. I really have been amazed at your independence lately. You do so much on your own: you can get your own snacks and juice boxes, you go to the potty on your own, and I've finally gotten comfortable letting you go upstairs by yourself to get something or play a bit. (I realize that we've probably been a little too protective on that last part, but you unfortunately inherited your mom's clumsiness) You've also really gotten into the self play recently, and are perfectly content playing with your princesses and castle or in your kitchen. You've even started to make up little games.

Of all the new things, I've probably enjoyed your verbal improvements the most. Last year you'd just started to put together sentences and phrases, but now you have full on conversations and monologues. You have original thoughts and are always asking questions (your favorite is why? but that's another story. Today we had a whole discussion about animal noses after you noticed Daisy Duck didn't have a nose.) Your thought processes constantly amaze me, and often make me laugh!

While we certainly have our moments (they don't call them the terrible 3's for nothing!), you've really been a blast lately. We took you out to dinner tonight for your birthday at PF Changs. You certainly share your mom and dad's love for the restaurant. You tried everything and loved the spring rolls and honey chicken. (though not the sauce they mixed- "it was TOOOOO spicy!")

All in all, it's been a great year! I love you tons, and you are still the BEST birthday gift I've ever gotten. Here's to another fabulous year!

Love,
Mom

(I sign this Mom and not Mommy, as you're currently making the switch. You seem to think Mom is much cooler than Mommy. However, I still get a few mommy's, particularly when you need a little extra attention.)

Big Sister Abby

If you recall, prior to Austin's arrival I was very nervous about Abby. I was worried about how she would react to the changes in her life, and how I would handle the lack of one-on-one time. Turns out, everyone was right. I didn't need to worry about her. Abby is a WONDERFUL big sister.

Abby first met Austin in the hospital. Granma and Granpa (Abby doesn't pronounce the "D") brought her in the day after he was born, and she was so excited! She brought flowers and a stuffed animal (apparently both her ideas) and ran right to his cradle. No one else in the room mattered but Austin. After Daddy helped her "hold" him, she was in full big sister mode. In fact, when a nurse came to take Austin for his hearing test, Abby broke down in tears. She did NOT like that someone was taking her little brother away from her.

Two weeks later, she is still enamored with him. Abby loves to help with diaper changes (she gets me clean ones and throws away the dirty ones). When he's finished eating, she loves to help burp him. In addition to patting his back, she'll sit in front of him and hold both of his hands while I burp him. She talks to him and plays patty cake. When he's alert, she loves to shake toys and rattles in front of him. Before bed and naptime, she has to give Austin a kiss goodnight. All in all, she can't get enough of him!

And he LOVES her back. Abby's voice was one of the first he reacted to, turning his head in her direction when she speaks to him. He loves to stare at her.

Like I said, I didn't really need to worry about the sibling connection.

It hasn't been all easy though. Abby has had a little trouble understanding that I can't play with her all the time and we are working on her patience. The fact that she can't have what she wants at the exact moment she wants it is probably the biggest adjustment for her. However, we're working on it. She's slowly gaining some independence and is doing much better than I had expected. We still have the occasional meltdown, but they are becoming shorter and less often.

The only other area we're not thriving, is in my relationship with Abby. Because I'm nursing, my connection with Austin is still very primal*, so I'm very protective of him and my patience with Abby has been a little short. Thankfully, I don't think she's really noticed. I've been very conscious of this and have tried to focus on only her when I can. I've also tried to keep her routine in tact and to do things like bath and bedtime by myself. As a bonus, it's given Dan some quality Austin time each night as well.

It's been two weeks since we've been home from the hospital, and a week and a half since Dan's been back to work. I think we're doing pretty well, considering.

*Having babies makes me appreciate evolution even more. It's amazing the reflexes and instincts that come from both Austin and myself in the last two weeks. Science is amazing!