Trying Something New

My Little Talker

Relativity

It was a cold Christmas day here in Western WA, but coming from MN where high temps were often below zero it actually felt pretty nice outside!

Merry Christmas

We had a wonderful, cozy Christmas all snow-in our home. Church was cancelled because of snow and since most of us all have colds, we figured we'd just stay in today. It is Jeff's last day of vacation before he needs to go back to work. It's going to be hard for all of us to adjust to him being gone all day again, but we're grateful for the time we had together!

We had a lazy morning and ate cinnamon rolls for breakfast. We opened the kids' presents after that and played a bit before naptime. Kaylee loved all her gifts and pretty much all of Hudson's gifts too! :)

My favorite time of the day was when the sun came out and we bundled up our kids to go play in the snow. Kaylee doesn't like to be in the snow. She doesn't like anything on her, be it sand, dirt, water, or snow. She also didn't appreciate being pulled on the sled. But Hudson and I loved it. I bundled Hudson up and wrapped him in a blanket then held him on my lap as Jeff pulled the sled up and down the street. It was so fun for me and Hudson seemed to like it as well. I wished Kaylee would sit with me also, but she just isn't ready for that.

Hudson has been just adorable lately. He is "talking" all the time in that sweet little baby voice of his. I know boys are typically slower than girls in many areas of development, but I think he'll be an early talker. He seems to have a lot to say. He also gets really excited about toys lately. He reaches and leans. His arms start swingin and his legs get kickin. Sometimes his arms get whippin around so fast, I think he looks like some kind of ninja!

Kaylee has been developing in her speech. She is starting to have full sentences even if some of the words are slurred together. It's fun to hear the thoughts that come into her head. Last night she was up and out of her room at 3:00 and when I put her back to bed she told me that my "jammies are nice" and "they're really pretty". It was so sweet of her to compliment me, it made being up at 3 a.m. a little less awful.

It was hard not to go to church on Christmas day. As they say "Jesus is the reason for the season", and it doesn't feel quite like Christmas without celebrating with our church family. But we had our devotions at home and I spent many moments today and in these past weeks pondering these joyous things in my heart.

I pray you also have a very blessed Christmas!

Christmas in Minnesota

Here are a few pictures we took on our trip:

Kaylee at the start of our journey, looking very enthused about the plane ride.
The kids actually did very well both ways. Hudson slept most of the time. Poor Kaylee was very tired but couldn't sleep until the last few minutes of the flight (both ways). But she did wonderful and we're very proud of her!

Grandma holding Hudson:

The girls showing Kaylee how to play with playdough, and Kaylee showing the girls how SHE plays with playdough...

Hudson and I shared a bed every night. We found he wouldn't have anything to do with a portable crib. I got to see why so many women love to cosleep with their babies. I miss cuddling up at night! Here he is sitting up in bed, what a cutie!

Hudson giving Grandpa a big smile:

Kaylee eating some cheese and ready to open some presents:

Here's Kaylee back home being dazzled by the advent candles. I thought it was nice:

I wish I had my camera out more often on our trip. I think we took more video than still shots. I should've taken a picture of all of our incredible meals while home. We had hotdishes, a roast, lasagna, soup du jour a la Thomas, pasta procedure, and pizza! Thanks for all the fine meals Mom & Dad, and you too Uncle Frackie. Now I have to find some bigger pants!

We had a lot of fun playing games and just hanging out with family. I loved watching Kaylee become more interactive with her Aunt and Uncle, and her Maka and Bapa. It was also neat to see her playing with her cousins.

We are so glad we had the opportunity to go, despite the weather and all the challenges of traveling with young ones (who are sick, poor things). Despite the cold, I'm left with such warm memories. This is a Christmas we won't soon forget!

I could go on, but my brain is numb and I'm in desperate need of sleep. So, goodnight!

It's Good to be Home (part 4)

By now it was quite dark and snowing hard. We couldn't tell what was under our tires at any given point along the freeway. Sometimes it was thick, slushy snow, sometimes it was compact snow, and other times it appeared to be relatively bare (but was likely icy).

We kept plugging away mile after mile. It was a beautiful drive. I enjoyed seeing all the snow-muted Christmas lights and the evergreens draped in snow. Kaylee was in the back chattering away so happy and gleeful that she was going back to "Kaylee's house", completely unaware of any danger that night. I love all the trust our children put in us. I love that they can be so carefree at such times. I love that our children feel so safe with us. And I love that I can feel so safe with our heavenly Father at such times.

Jeff really took care of us that night! He drove the whole way - white knuckled, sleep deprived, hungry... We stopped for some fast food in Marysville and I don't think a chicken sandwich ever tasted so good! North of Marysville, the road conditions worsened and we knew it would only worsen the further north we drove. Eventually we had to stop to put the chains on.

Again, Jeff took care of us. He got out in the cold and snow and got those chains on while we waited in the warm car. At one point I looked back at Kaylee as she was examining something on her thumb. Her expression really cracked me up. Jeff was digging in the trunk behind her, wet, cold, and tired in the snow. She had her head tilted back with her eyes looking down at some speck she saw on her thumb, like some aristocratic lady examining her nails while her hired help was struggling to get things done. I guess you had to see it!

I'm not sure how we would've made it back without those chains. We got back on the road again and continued on our way. Eventually we got to Bellingham and were almost to our exit when one of the chains sounded like it was coming off. Jeff pulled to the side and put on the hazard lights. He found a flashlight and some tools and proceeded to examine the chain - always keeping an eye on the road, for there were plenty of cars out on the freeway and who knows when one would spin out of control. I couldn't believe we were stuck in such a precarious place when we were so close to home. I had to wonder if this was Providence as well. Fortunately it was just one chain band that came loose and not the whole chain. We got back on the road and finished the last mile.

We didn't get home until about 10:30 - 8 hours after we landed! Jeff got Kaylee into her pajamas and settled her to bed while I nursed Hudson and rocked him to sleep. We got to bed around 11 and Jeff was asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow. I was still wired from our adventure. I laid awake for an hour or so thinking how good it is to be home!

It's Good to be Home (part 3)

Jeff was well aware of this predicament. He had the car started and realized I didn't have my cell phone with me. So he shut off the car to come get me. On the way I reached him by calling on a pay phone. With me and the kids on the way, he turned back and tried to start the car again. Of course, it wouldn't start. There was just enough juice to get it started one more time. (Thank you God)

I arrived with the kids and we settled in for our own "drive in" movie. We got the car warmed up and Hudson fed while Kaylee watched Charlie Brown's Christmas. Jeff went to return the charger and get our bags. We were well into the second showing of Charlie Brown's Christmas when Jeff returned to check on us. No bags yet. At this point, it's been about two hours. Jeff promised to check back every 15 minutes or so.

In the meantime I called our very, very, very good friends who agreed to drive over and turn the heat back on in our home. We imagined returning during the afternoon with plenty of time to heat the house back up before bedtime. But now it was looking like it might be a long while. I also learned of the worsening road conditions. At this point I was so eager to get home I felt brave enough to tackle any obstacles in our way. I knew if we went slow and easy we'd eventually get there.

Then I realized it's going on 45 minutes and still no Jeff. Hudson was getting very fussy. He needed a nap. Suddenly Jeff showed up with my suitcase and I was elated. But when I didn't see his next to it I became deflated. Jeff said that as he returned to baggage he prayed to God and when he looked and immediately saw my bag, he knew that God was watching out for us. He waited and waited for his bag to come, but 45 minutes passed and he figured he'd better come check on us.

So Jeff went back again and I put Hudson down in his car seat. He cried for about 5 minutes and I held his hand as he eventually went to sleep. Now we've seen Charlie Brown's Christmas 3 times and I talked her into putting something else in.

Finally Jeff came back with his bag and we were free to leave. What a relief! We landed at 2:30 and here it was 6:30 before we finally got on the road.

But weren't home yet...

It's Good to be Home (part 2)

We waited until almost everyone else was off the plane before venturing off ourselves. We always end up finding something tucked between a seat or on the floor. Once off the plane we noticed some other parents waiting for their strollers. This is usually the first thing off the plane and they're usually right there waiting for you. We waited and nervously noticed the iced over windows, wondering how the roads were going to be. So far we heard mixed reports. These people ushered us off the ramp and we continued to wait for about 20 minutes for our stroller. I thought, 'Okay, well at least by now our baggage should be ready.' Oh, if I only knew!

We got to baggage but we couldn't find our bags. We waited around and tried to keep the kids entertained. After an hour of waiting, Hudson was getting very fussy in the carrier (and my back was aching!). We decided to take the kids to the car so it can be warmed up, I could feed Hudson in private, and we could put on a video for Kaylee. Unfortunately our coats and hats were in the suitcases we were waiting for. We dashed out as quick as we could only to discover that our car's battery was completely dead. So we dashed back in and I continued to watch the kids while Jeff went about finding a way to jump the car.

Up until now I had remained fairly calm. I was grateful to have been able to fly back to Seattle and I figured any delays were God's providence. Whenever something happened, I would thank God for keeping us in His care. But things were getting worrisome now. Hundreds of people stood around a baggage carousel that wasn't moving. Darkness was settling in and the snow continued to fall.

Apparently because the airline had cancelled all its flights, all the checked baggage had to come back from loaded planes. Somehow that made the whole system slow WAY down.

Pondering these things, I suddenly realized that Jeff had no way to contact me when he got the car started. He couldn't just leave the car running and come get us. On the other hand, he couldn't shut it off and get us because then he'd need to jump it again. I realized I needed to call him and figure out where he was and what our game plan would be.

dum, dum, dum!
(more to come)

It's Good to be Home (part 1)

This morning I am so thankful to be safe and sound at home, and I pray for all those people who are still stuck at the airport.

The day started out pretty normal. We had brunch at Grandpa and Grandma's house. It had snowed the night before, but the plows were out and it was no big deal. We got to the airport in plenty of time and found an unbelievably short security line.

We got to our gate with plenty of time to change diapers and play around before boarding the plane. Soon they announced that we would be delayed in boarding because two of the flight crew were in other planes waiting to deboard. We finally boarded about a half hour late, then sat on the plane for another hour waiting for the luggage to finish loading. We had a packed plane. Apparantly we were the last flight allowed to go to Seattle that day. The Portland airport had shut down, so many travelers were wanting to make our flight to Seattle instead.

Finally, after a few hours we were able to take off. The flight went very well and was uneventful. Kaylee was tired and had trouble getting to sleep, but didn't make a loud fuss. Hudson slept pretty much the whole time and was a joy when he woke up before landing. Neither of them seemed bothered by the changes in pressure.

The real trouble began as we got into Seattle...

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

We are visiting family this week and were lucky enough to avoid that one week of the winter when it's terribly cold. Unfortunately, we traveled to a place that puts what we think of as "terribly cold" into perspective. We're in Minnesota right now and today is the first day we've enjoyed temperatures above zero. Last I heard it was 2 degrees out there. At least now when we get home we'll be loving the balmy 25 degrees they have back there!

Our first night here was not fun. It always seems kids don't do well their first night. I spent it in the basement - as far from everyone else as possible. Hudson was screaming for hours. The only thing that finally worked was to rock him in a car seat in front of the fireplace. For two hours he would take those gasps of air that kids do after a long cry. Finally he fell into a deep sleep and by 12:30 I was able to sleep as well. After he woke to eat, he slept with me in the easy chair.

The next morning, all the drama and trouble from the night before turned into a peaceful blessing. Hudson and I were up and alone from 5 a.m. on. I turned on the Christmas tree lights, the fireplace, and found some classical Christmas music. It was so nice to have that time with him. Later we listened to the music upstairs while we sat by the window looking out at the snow-laced trees. It felt so nostolgic. My heart was so full.

It's been fun to see Kaylee come out of her shell and interact with her cousins. Unfortunately, she's picked up my cold and is not doing well. She's very congested, has a cough and what sounds like a terrible sore throat. I'm hoping she'll get better before we travel home again, but I don't see how that can happen.

I've learned a few new things about Hudson on this trip: He LOVES his glow worm! He just lights up and reaches out for it. When he gets it he tries to eat its face. What else? He has a very loud, ear piercing scream when he's really, really, really mad. He likes hair. He is fascinated with my hair - instant toy. He loves to get a hold and pull as hard as he can. He HATES porta-cribs. It doesn't matter how tired he is, he will not lay in that thing! So now he and I are bunking together. Which leads to the last thing: he's a terrible bed hog! He can't even roll over yet, but this morning I found myself at the edge of the bed and he was right up next to me. I don't know how he manages to do that.

Last night I was at my sister's house and her husband - Timmy-Jimmy-Frackie Tweeks had made a wonderful selection of hearty soups for dinner. Shauna made peanut butter and sugar cookies. Heather made my great-grandmother Ruth's (her great-great-grandmother!) Julekaka (Yule cake) with candied cherries, spices and sweet frost. Wow - needles to say, I think I'll be wearing my sweatpants the rest of this trip!

Last night's snowfall was beautiful. I love that really cold snow that is so sparkly under the street lamps.

More later...

I feel a John Denver song coming on...

Sunshine on my shoulder makes me happy...

In the last few days, the sun has made an appearance in the late afternoon. Well, maybe just afternoon. The sun sets so early I can hardly say it's LATE afternoon. Anyway, I love it's soft, golden hue and the way it lights up Hudson's eyes.

I love his eyes. I've never been so in love with this shade of blue before!

Sunshine - in his eyes - makes me happy!

Can't say the same for him though!

Yep, I took a second crying picture. One wasn't enough. You'd think a mom would immediately set down her camera and hold her poor baby or at least move him out of the sunlight. But no, I was too enamored with the soft glow of sunlight on his face and the adorable way his face scrunches up when he's mad.

Speaking of being mad, I noticed that Hudson has his own peculiar way of expressing his frustration. Kaylee used to ball up her fist and run it along side her head, back to front, when she was angry. I notice that Hudson seems to turn over towards his left side. At first I thought he was just trying to roll over and getting frustrated that he couldn't quite get there. Then I noticed him doing it while in an upright position as well. So I'm starting to think that it's his way of expressing his displeasure.

He's getting so close to rolling over. I wonder what he'll do once he can roll. He'll need to find a new way to "vent".

Sunshine

Check out this morning's sunrise. I hope it snows today!! (but it probrably won't)

These next pictures are to prove what a smiley guy Hudson really is. Our Sears photo session doesn't really capture the REAL Hudson - he was two hours past his naptime by the time we got in there to take pictures. Poor guy.

But check this out:

I crack him up!
Why's he so happy? The shirt says it all!

What a Day!

We just had an unbelievably horrible experience at the Portrait Studio today. It was a 3 hour nightmarish fiasco! I won't go into details. I only mention it to say that once I get the prints, I will scan them and post some of my favorites on here for you all to see.

At the end of the day, when all the craziness had passed and the house was quiet, I sat and read with my kids. Kaylee lay on her pillow, chomping a pacifier on the sides of her mouth to soothe those two top incisors that are coming in. Hudson lay on another pillow - his whole fist in his mouth - drool coming out like a faucet. My two kids laying there, chomping away to soothe their teething, so attentively focused on me as I read them Mooncake for the third time in a row.

Such peace and joy filled me then.

What a day! :)