Dear Mom and Dad...

Dear Mom and Dad,

Ok, so I totally see where you're coming from. I get it. You don't want me to wear Lovie out and wind up having to get rid of him leaving me devastated with no one there to comfort me. However, your little "stand in" you produced the other day isn't going to work. I'm not a newborn anymore, guys. I know stuff. I crawl, I eat Cheerios, and I even drink from a cup (sometimes).

1. Size: Lovie is cute and tiny. This guy's blanket practically covers my whole body, and his head is twice as bug as Lovies.

2. Color: Just because he's blue, doesn't mean he matches.

3. Blanket: There's lace on his blanket. Last I checked, I'm a boy. There's no room for lace in my crib.

4. Arms: He's arms are flopping around. Lovie's arms are gently grasping his perfect little blanket.

5. Bow: Fake Lovie is wearing a bow. Really?

Mom and Dad, I love you for trying, but this stunt double is way off. Better luck next time.


:)
Andrew

Snuggle me, Daddy.

Flashback to freshman year of college: I got the stomach bug, and it was ter-ri-ble. I was throwing up, shaking, and crying. I was sick, and my mommy was 3.5 hours away. I remember feeling so pathetic, but all I wanted was mommy. Who was going to check on me? Who would get a cool wash rag to hold on the back of my neck as a held the bowl? I think the feeling of loneliness, coupled with the sickness, was what sent me over the edge. I called Mom, and she had me close my eyes and hold a cool rag on my neck. She talked to me and was transported to my dorm room. Her mommy magic worked, as it always has, and I felt so much better. I just needed her.

Flash forward to molar number two: Andrew's misery was apparent. He couldn't play, he couldn't eat, and he definitely couldn't sleep. We tried everything: Lovie, Lady, teethers, blankets, rocking, Baby Einstein, ibuprofen, but nothing worked. The only thing that worked for Andrew was Daddy. So that's what Andrew got. There are schools of thought that say it's spoiling him, but how could we withhold the one thing he needed?

So here was the scene last Sunday afternoon as the second molar made its way. At first, the two boys just laid there and snuggled. At first, it appears they are sleeping, but they weren't. They were calm and still and quiet and lovey, but they were awake. You can see in the second shot that Andrew's eyes are open. However, by the third picture, Daddy and Andrew had snuggled their way to sleep. And that's how they stayed for two hours.

I love my two boys... even when they don't need Mommy.

:)

Anne

Socks are fun.

I can't even describe how much fun Chris, Andrew, the sock, and I had tonight. Here are a few clips to prove it. (And we didn't even start taping until we knew that we struck gold.)

:)

Anne

Shacklett Family Christmas

And how did we finish off our whirlwind Christmas day? Well, we packed up the family and headed out to Arlington for a few days of fun! (At first, we meant fun facetiously because of the incoming molar, but it wound up being tons of real fun! Ha, ha, Molar! You can't spoil Christmas this year!)

Anyway, Lady spent sometime with Grandma Mary and Uncle Riley, so that Andrew could get all the attention in Arlington. When we arrived, we jumped right into presents. Having napped Andrew was ready to go... although he had no idea what he was ready for. We opened gifts and Andrew spent time on laps all around the room. Of course, he chose to spend most of his time with Grandma, and that's how it should be. Although, I don't know that he was a fan of the Santa hat she insisted he wear, but he does look super cute in it!

Everyone was really generous with their gifts for Andrew. He got lots of really cool new clothes and some super fun toys. He also got a few books! He's a big reader. He just gobbles them up.

The next night, we all went to Risky's to eat BBQ ribs. Even Andrew indulged in the messy goodness.

Above: Andrew made a GIANT stinky diaper at the table, so they put him in jail? Or not. Either way he loves being held over people's heads.

Left: Andrew wore his thug sweats with his new shirt from cousin Cory. Way cool. Thanks, Cory! Right: Grandma Sharon (Saint Elizabeth?) and I get our heads right to play a little poker. Hmmmm... Who won that night? That's right Shackletts- it was all me. Thanks for your money!

We watched some Christmas comedy specials and played some Catch Phrase, which is way fun. (Thanks Mom for getting us the game!) And then we decided to head to bed around 2 am. Needless to say, we all enjoyed sharing the holiday together.

Thanks for everything, Shackletts!

:)

Anne

Christmas Day

Well, Andrew gave us a wonderful gift on Christmas morning. He let us sleep in until 6:45! It sounds like a joke, but we rejoiced when comparing it to the 5 am mornings that filled the rest of the month (and the 2 am scream fests to bring in the new molar).

Since we were all rested, opening presents together was so much fun. We started with stockings, of course. Andrew had a few baby books that talk about baby Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. He "read" (and by "read" I mean chewed- see below) them for a minute, and we moved on to gifts. On the left, Andrew opens his stocking, while Lady looks on with envy. Did we forget her stocking this year? Oops!

After stockings, Andrew showed less anxiety with opening presents in our quiet, familiar surroundings. He didn't actually do any of the opening himself, but that's what big sisters are for. Right, Lady?

Chris and I exchanged gifts, and we packed up the crew to go to Grandma Mary's house for brunch and more holiday cheer. Although we were all sad Tim and his girls couldn't join us for the festivities, we all enjoyed ourselves and loved our gifts!

Here is our one posed pictured before everyone tore into the presents. The candids tell the story after that. (By the way, the kids were all in their pajamas to start. Andrew soon crawled out of his, so we just let him be. Don't judge. If you read an earlier post, doing naked stuff is so much cooler... So- naked Christmas it is! yay diaper butt!)

Ok... so I must end here for now. If you have lost track of the timeline, we have had Christmas morning at our house, and we just finished brunch with the Gesino family. Does Christmas end there? Absolutely not my friends. We still have Christmas with the Shackletts, the Stockyards, and ribs... Stayed tuned for more.

Until then, here is some bonus footage from the bathroom. I neglected to share the simple pleasures of toilet paper. It makes you wonder, "Was that the toilet paper I used the last time I was at their house?" Hmmm... You may never know. But needless to say, I am becoming a pro at re-rolling it.

Please don't squeeze the Charmin.

:)

Anne

Baby's 1st Christmas

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, and Andrew settled down for his first cut of hair... Andrew had his first Christmas, and what a whirlwind it was!

In the span of the past week and a half, Andrew has hit lots of milestones and had tons of fun. Sometimes he had a little too much fun, and that made for interesting exits from places, but all-in-all, he was a trooper!

Here are the highlights!

1. Andrew's first haircut: Andrew, although fully able to rock the baby mullet, said goodbye to his shaggy do and opted for a cleaner cut. I thought that I could cut his hair and after one clumsy clip, I called Grandma Mary to finish the job. Andrew watched the Elmo Song on Youtube about 20 times to help him stay still, and Grandma gave him a sweet style. Once Grandma left, I cried because he now looks like a little boy and not my tiny baby. In a BRIEF moment of weakness, I thought, "I need another one because Andrew is growing up so fast"... Let me reiterate it was a BRIEF moment. We are just fine with one. Anyway, Daddy was the photographer, so he snapped all of 1 picture of the entire event. You'll see the new hair in action in the Christmas pictures.

2. He started work on a molar. Two words: awe some. This bad boy tooth is taking FOREVER! Poor Andrew doesn't know what to do; however, he has mastered the full blown tantrum with legs and arms flailing and head rearing back. Aww, my little man is growing up. I have no pictures of this, but there will be showings nightly from 5-8 pm... and sometimes an encore between 1-4am. Yay, us.

3. Andrew's first Christmas Eve at Great Grandpa Gesino's house: We arrived at 6:30 for dinner and presents and tons of babies! My cousins all had their little ones, so the kids 5 and under were under foot no matter where you turned. Here's the rundown: Andrew- 10.5 months, Wyatt- 1 month, Ellie 2 months, Chelsea's son- 7.5 months (oops I forget his name, but he's so cute), BLT, the triplets- 18 months (each), Taylor- 3 years, Macy-2 years, and Jackson - 5 years. All the babies checked each other out and took turns burping and making diapers.... It was the perfect Christmas celebration. What about presents, you ask? As soon as the wrapping started being pulled from the presents, he flipped out. Apparently, Andrew is the only baby who doesn't enjoy playing with the wrapping. We went home, and he got to open them in the morning.

More to come...

:)

Anne

O' Toilet Bowl, O' Toilet Bowl

O' Toilet Bowl

(sung to the tune of O' Christmas Tree)

O toilet bowl, o toilet bowl,

How shinning is your porcelain.

O toilet bowl, o toilet bowl,

I'd like to scale your basin.

Each day I fight to sneak a peak,

You're there so my 'rents can take a leak.

O toilet bowl, o toilet bowl,
How shiny is your porcelain.
O toilet bowl, o toilet bowl,
I'd like to scale your basin.

Right next to you is toilet paper,

It adds some fun to my bathroom caper.

O toilet bowl, o toilet bowl,

How shinning is your porcelain.

O toilet bowl, o toilet bowl,

I'd like to scale your basin.

The only time I give you a snub,

Is when I see the giant bath tub.

Here are some fantastic toilet/bathroom moments.... Enjoy! Also, he does stick his hand in, but luckily he never reaches the water... or at least that's what I told myself. From now on, lids down ladies and gents.

:)

~Anne