Jack: 2 Months (part 2)

Jack before the 2 month doctor visit

Continued....please refer to previous post for the majority of updates and thoughts regarding Jack and our adjustment as a family.  It's funny how horrible my memory is lately...maybe it's a symptom of juggling so much all at once :) I have all these great ideas of what to write about and poof, they are out of my mind...oh well...they must not have been that good.  Anyway, today was Jack's 2 month appointment.  I had sort of been dreading this appointment for a while now.  Not because of the screams and cries accompanied with shots, but because of my experience with nurses and doctors during Mia's 2 month appointment.  By two months, Mia was essentially sleeping through the night...AMAZING!  However, she was not gaining as much weight as "they" had hoped and the nurse was an absolute B about it.  Feeding in to the negative stereotype of angry disgruntled nurses, she was crabby, authoritative, undermining and quite forceful in her "recommendations" for me and what to do to help my daughter gain more weight.  By the way, Mia was just fine....she was not the hefty baby on the block but she certainly wasn't "failure to thrive".  Plus, I assumed she'd wake up in the middle of the night if she was STARVING...which she wasn't.  Anywho...this B of a nurse hit my weakness and lack of confidence as a new mom and I came home crying thinking I wasn't "enough" for Mia. Blah blah blah, long story short is that I was so stressed out about nursing and going back to work and not feeding my daughter enough that I switched to 100% formula for Mia between 3-4 months old...and felt HORRIBLE about it...then.  So needless to say, I was worried about going in today thinking I would get some similar scolding, even though I dropped that nurse and doctor team like a bad habit, even though I have about 80 ounces of breast milk in the freezer and even though every time Jack eats I can hear him gulping and doing really well with nursing.  Our new doc for the kids is great and she says things that make me feel like a confident and competent mom.

Jack during his 2 month doctor visit...he normally does not look this purple and red :)

Jack was 8lb 3oz at birth and he is now 11lb 7ounces at two months old.  He is 22.5in long and his head is 15.5in.  All that means is that he is pretty average for his age and gender and he is growing and developing right on target, yeah!!!  

After getting his shots...poor baby

Not too happy with me after the shots....silent treatment

Thoughts about going back to work:  By the time Jack is 3 months old, I will have been back to work for just over a week and I imagine I will be adjusting yet again to another huge life/balance shift.  I went in to work last week to get a letter sent out to my clients reminding them of my return...only 3 weeks away.  I love my job and I love my schedule and I am not at all feeling guilt or dread about leaving Jack; however, I do find myself worried about those who will take care of him.  I worry that they won't like him if he's fussy.  I worry that they won't think he is a good baby if he isn't complying with a consistent predictable schedule.  I worry that everyone will love Mia more and forget about Jack.  I know none of this will happen, but it has been on my mind lately as we approach the "countdown" 3 weeks left of leave.  I'm sure everyone will be just fine and they won't "quit him" if he isn't smiling and perfect every day.

Overall Jack is a great kid.  He does very well during the day and is getting more and more chill during the awake hours...now we'll just have to see how/if/or when his nights become a bit more consistent and we all settle in to more of a routine.

Jack: 2 Months

Boy oh boy, what a month! I dont even know where to being other than saying each day is so different for us.  There have been extreme highs and lowest of lows (not really, but in the low moments it feels like hell).  I am glad I am starting to write this post on a somewhat good day or my opinions and attitudes of things would absolutely come across as bitchy, complaining and generally appear like I HATE motherhood, which is not the case...at least not every day.  Let's start with that, shall we?  I call it balance...

Balance:  No offense, but I roll my eyes or think "liar liar pants on fire" every time I read a blog or hear a comment about how being a mother is an absolute joy EVERY SINGLE DAY...that's a bunch of BS and you know it.  I get baffled when moms say things like "it still breaks my heart every day when I have to leave my kids and go to work...and my kids are already 3 and 5."  Ummmm, seriously?  Breaks your heart?  That's a strong statement.  Or the classic "enjoy every moment because it won't last long"...ummm, I sure as shit hope they don't!  For me, it's all about balance.  I certainly feel sad sometimes when I don't get to see my kids as much as I want or when I think about leaving my son in the care of other people that might not know him "well enough", but I also look forward to being an adult again and going to an adult job with adult people and talking about adult things.  This may seem cold but my kids are welcomed visitors in my life...they are wanted and welcomed and free to participate in our lives however they want...but I had a life before them, I had a marriage before them and I intend on making those two "lives" just as much a priority as being a mother.  It's all about finding the balance...I'm still working on it.

Nate and I are introducing a committment to go out on at least one date night a month. I know it seems lame and not a lot of time together but you'd be surprised at how easily it is to choose sleep over conversation and staying connected with your spouse when you have two kids.  One thing I already do for BALANCE is go out to dinner once a month with my close girlfriends...this is one of the best things I look forward to each month as it is essentially free therapy....talk therapy as well as "medication"

My medication for that night

Okay, back to Jack.  He's two months old already!!!  He is so cute I can hardly stand it.  Although I do not really enjoy being woken up through the night, I love the moments after nursing when I get to hold and rock him an extra few minutes as I stare at his cute little face.  When he's awake, Jack is generally a pretty good baby.  He is becoming more and more alert, focused and calm during the awake hours and has gotten great at eye contact and smiling...melts my heart every time.  He really enjoys being on his tummy; but doesn't do a lot of "work" to strengthen his head/neck muscles.  I'm not really worried because he seems to have pretty good head control and overall, he seems to be developing just fine for being two months old.  Here are some pics in  between stories and comments to hopefully keep you interested.  Again, sorry for the amateur pictures from my phone...we've been busy.

My little teddy bear after a stroll through our neighborhood

Exhibit A:  loves to sleep chest to chest...also after another walk through the hood 

Exhibit B...sleeping chest to chest with daddy

Exhibit C

As long as we are on the topic, let me share with you my thoughts and experiences about our sleep lately:

Sleep:  Jack's sleep schedule has been VERY unpredictable this month...typical for an infant but NOT what we have been used to and blessed with from Mia.  There have been a handful of nights where Jack has allowed me over 5 hours of straight sleep, but overall, he wakes up an average of every 2-3 hours over night to nurse.  He's pretty awesome about going right back to sleep during those night time feedings which is cool, but I often find myself thinking "seriously...up again?!" when he cluster eats some nights every 2 hours.  In general, Jack's "schedule" is every three hours...eat, play/awake and sleep during the day; at night, it is eat/sleep/eat/sleep.  This mamma is NOT a happy camper when my sleep is interrupted.  I don't care how often he wakes up or how often he eats at all during the day...but when I have "plans" to sleep and he effs with that...no bueno.  I turn in to a zombie raging bitch for about 10 minutes and then am surprised at how quickly I relax and chill by the end of the nursing session.  It's like "as long as im up and awake, I may as well enjoy this time with him"...then I'm not as mad.  I remember back to the one birth class we took when I was preggers with Mia and the instructor told us to tell our partners what the one thing is we absolutely NEED each day no matter what.  Nate's was a shower (although he does not necessarily take one every day) and mine was sleep.  I need sleep to function well and I look forward to the days where I consistently get at least a 6 hour stretch.  Each kid is different and I have to accept that but for now...Mia:1, Jack:0

Related to sleep....holy COW have I been having constant experiences of "phantom baby cries"!!!  I would not diagnose myself as having hallucinations (just yet); however, almost every night I hear phantom Jack or Mia making noise only to find them sound asleep not moving or making one single peep.  I know this experience is shared by many many women/mammas and I also know it can go on for a long long time, even when the children are older; but it just amazes me how much more I think I hear Jack crying or stirring in his crib than I ever did with Mia. Huh.

Here is our "phantom" family of four photo :)

Mommy Meltdown:  In the past month, I have noticed a bit more of anxiety and depression...which typically comes during these first few months after child birth and life adjustments.  However, in the past ~60 days, I have only had about 3-4 meltdowns and I consider that pretty mild compared to the clinical depression or struggles many new moms have.  In fact, as I am writing the majority of this blog, I am enjoying one of the most fantastic relaxing days I have had in a while...really reminds me to put things in to perspective.  BUT...when you're in it, you are IN it and I was in a funk one day last week.  This past Wednesday was a long tough day coming off of a night getting very little sleep.  By the time Nate had gotten home, I was pooped.  I felt like everyone needed something from me and I was expected to give it...even if it was something as small as emailing some one back.  Mia was melting down because she was sick, she refused to eat, she refused to take medicine, she refused basically anything we suggested.  After she went to bed, I broke down and let it all out...I said silly things like "I hate Mia, I hate you, I hate this life, I can't do this anymore, I want everyone to leave me alone and stop needing me..."  Nate just sat quietly and listened and essentially encouraged me to get out of the house and go do something alone for an hour or two.  "Im fat, I can't ever drop this extra weight, I dont even want to go to yoga because I'll be the fat out of shape girl"...I was just going on and on and being pretty dramatic.  I ended up going out to get a chocolate malt and a mani/pedi and returned home about 2 hours later feeling refreshed and calm. The next day, I felt like a million bucks and that I could conquer the world.....it's all about perspective.

I share this because I want to validate the PERCEIVED shit that you all have.  In that moment of meltdown and crap, you don't want a cheerleader, you don't want someone to remind you of all your blessings, you want someone to validate your experience and allow you to have a moment to complain, bitch and sit in your shit....then we're done and we snap out of it and move on.  Once I feel validated or heard, it is so much easier to move on...THEN you can go ahead and be a cheerleader.  I have found that everything is temporary and I am really noticing that I need to work harder on putting things in to perspective, appreciating what I have and allowing myself to lower my expectations in order to keep sane, calm and functional.  It's like, come on Molly, cut yourself some slack...you just had another kid and have a toddler, your husband just quit his job and got a new one, we have a wonderful house, we have supportive families and friends, we have our health and much more.... 

Here are some pics to help me keep things in perspective:

In the second month, MUCH more eye contact is happening...thank God, I was worried there for a sec :)

Superdad in St. Paul on St. Pattys Day....it was nuts down there!

Jack with his cousin, Ellie who is 3 months older than him

My kids passed out after a long day of fun with family and friends

Jack smiling at his sister, awwww.  This is during a morning mall walking with dad so I could sleep in a bit after a wakeful night....thanks Nate!

Although it can be tough for Mia to share her toys with her friends,
she does wonderfully with her baby brother! :)

Mia didn't want Jack to be alone while he slept, so she kept him company by pretending to sleep near him

Weekend dinner gathering with friends...wow our lives have changed so much over the past few years.  3 years ago, this pic would have been full of beer bottles, wine glasses, silly poses with our tongues out followed by cab rides to go bar hoping.  This year, we all were heading home by 7:15pm to put our kids to bed in hopes to making it to bed ourselves by 9:00pm  :)

Some pics from Jack's first month...

Nate was able to go through a chunk of pictures from Jack's first month and I couldn't just sit and wait a few more weeks to post them, so here are some ones from his first couple of weeks.  There will be more coming as Nate continues to go through and edit, so stay tuned if you care to see them :)

First bath at home...he was not a fan

He instantly calmed down after he was all snug and cozy again :)

Koko and G doing the obligatory check on his hands and feet

Auntie Maddy and the little bean

Big sis Mia admiring her baby brother :)

rubbing his back as she assumes it fixes everything...so sweet

um...how can you NOT include this picture?  She's dancing with her tutu and pom-pom hand me downs from a friend

Mia, Jack and some of their buddies on a Sunday brunch visit

snuggling sibs

all together now...."awwwwwww"

...more to come...

Jack: 1 Month

For my daughter, Mia, I diligently wrote (by hand) in a journal for her first year of life.  There is no way in hell I'm doing that now...sorry Jack.  I figure a good compromise is to make an intention to have a blog post every month to document Jack's life...at least for this first year.  I hope to include the good, the bad and the ugly and be as honest and candid as possible.  For this month's post, I have to apologize for the lame iPhone pictures.  Nate has been SUPER busy with various work related things and sadly, has not found the time to really edit and go through our pics of Jack and the family.  He better get to it this next month :)

It helps me to stay focused if I have headings or topics, so for Jack's first month I am choosing to address these topics: Outings, Nursing, Sleep and Adjustments (Mia's and ours).

Outings: I have definitely been more in the "hibernation mood" this month, mainly due to the blah weather and me simply wanting to allow myself some down time and for it to be okay NOT filling my days by doing doing doing.  That being said, we have had several outings and for the most part, they have been very successful :)

• Mall of America (I know, we are crazy)=first weekend as a family of four, went on rides, shopped at Old Navy, successfully nursed in public for the first time with Jack, everyone had a blast!
• Groveland Tap=burgers and beers after the MOA.  Great time....except for when Mia found old gum under the seat and started chewing it....NASTY!
• Crooked Pint Ale House=lunch outing with Jack while Nate was still on leave...yummy food and beer
• Fuji-Ya=Valentine's Day night dinner with Nate...Jack was there too, but was sound asleep the entire time in his car seat...so perfect :)
• Target=duh, who doesn't go to Target soon after a kid is born
• Healtheast clinic=1wk check up followed by two more weeks of "weight checks" to monitor weight gain.  Jack was 8lb 3oz at birth, 7lb 12oz at discharge, 7lb 14oz at one week, 8lb 1 oz at two weeks, 8lb 12oz at three weeks.  He's good to go :)
• MN Children's Museum=always a good time.  Mia had a blast and Jack was asleep in his car seat the whole time.
• Nate's work=to fax in paper work for short term disability and to show off our son.
• Java Train=weekend morning visit for coffee and treats, Mia played and Jack slept.
• Multiple visits with family and friends (maybe like 6-7)=birthdays, brunches, dinners, lunches to introduce Jack and to keep in touch with so many people that care about us :)

Nursing: So far so good! I am trying very very hard to stay calm and relaxed about nursing because I do believe that the stress and pressure I put on myself the first time around was just plain not helpful.  This time around is so much different.  I "feel" things/sensations differently and I am convinced that, so far, I am producing a bit more than I was able to with Mia.  I am trying to drink liquids all day long and also make sure I am eating enough food to maintain a good supply.  Jack nurses well and has never appeared to be frustrated or upset when finished.  For my own selfish reasons, I immediately started nursing him laying down through the night feedings...this was so easy and helped with my sleep too.  I am also being realistic with myself for pumping too...so far, I have a freezer supply of about 34oz that I got within 4 weeks.  I have no idea if that is "good" or if I am behind, but I feel pretty good about it.  Mia is also VERY interested in what I am doing when I nurse Jack. She asks lots of questions and is all up in my mix.  She also has watched me pump and now will imitate it with her dolls, animals and pretend she is using her teapot as a pump.  Tonight she put the spout of the tea pot on her chest and made a motion like she was turning on the pump and then switched sides and also then decided to nurse her hippopotamus...we were dying with laughter.  I love nursing Jack and I hope we continue having a good experience together.

Sleep:  Looking back in my old school journal I kept with Mia, I notice that by this time, Mia had a few nights sleeping for more than 5 hours straight.  Jack has not done this yet.  BUT...he is still a very good sleeper and form day one has slept well through the night with about 3 wake ups around 11ish, 2ish and 5ish...and so on in to the day.  Sleep is my number one priority to maintain my sanity and there are days I literally can not even find the energy to write a thank you note...and there are other days where I get a lot of tasks done and feel very productive. I just hope we can get a good pattern/routine going by the time I head back to work at the end of April.

Adjustments:  Holy hell, talk about adjusting to having TWO kids at home.  I don't know which is worse...having twins or having a "tantrumy" toddler and then adding a newborn.  So far, there are two main things I notice myself adjusting to while having another newborn at home in addition to having an almost 2.5 yr old: having very little patience for Mia's tantrums/attitude/refusal to eat/potty training regression, and preferring more hibernation or having more hesitation to "go out" for feeling guilty about asking anyone to watch BOTH kids and also having the worry about the next day being too tired to function.  Mia is absolutely testing her limits with us in various ways and many people have noticed that dreaded word: regression. It seems to be getting better and of course it gets better when both Nate and I remain calm and consistent...which we both need to work on.  It also could be her developmental stage and age right now being 2 years 4 months when Jack was born.  The other thing I am adjusting to is my preference lately to "lay low"...this is SO not like me.  You wouldn't think that I've been wanting to hibernate with the list of outings I gave above, but Mon-Fri when it is sometimes just Jack and I...I just want to chill, sleep, search the web and do nothing.  When we do go out or think about going out on weekends, I have this guilt about asking anyone to watch our kids...NOT because I am all emotional about leaving my children with anyone or cant fathom being away from them for a night out...but because who on earth would want to watch TWO kids at the same time when one is a newborn and one is a toddler who can be a little B.  It reminds me of that whole "not wanting to leave for an overnight unless the baby sleeps through the night, otherwise I'd feel guilty for the person having to wake up" thing.  The hibernation thing could also be easily explained by the time of year (cold, wet, blah Feb.) and the obvious fact that my emotions, hormones and body is recovering from labor and child birth....duh, I forgot about that part :)  Overall, I am doing pretty well and I think my fluctuations in mood and energy are pretty typical for most.  I think there are definitely parts of my life and marriage that are operating on survival mode at this point, but I hoping it all evens out once we hit our groove.

K, enough talk (boring!)....on to some pictures.  Again, sorry for the lame phone pics...next month's will be way better :)

See that awesome Velcro swaddle?...Yup, we accidentally left it at the hospital...Booooo!

Neighbor Annie came to visit Jack right away and was very excited to hold him...she is going to be a big sister ANY DAY NOW!

Daddy preparing for first attempt at a photo shoot with his son, awwww

Big sis, Mia, holding Jack and singing a song to him...made our hearts melt and tears flow

Ummm, FREAKY picture!  Mia wanted to "give Jack a bath" and I set him in the take-home tub the hospital gave us and he looks like a fake little doll

Mmmm, first outing for lunch with just Nate, Jack and I (Mia was at day care) while Nate was still on leave...we went to the Crooked Pint Ale House in Mpls, it was yummy

Tummy time!  Mia also wanted to share a toy with Jack...a "Love Bug" craft she had made at day care that week

Little old man, Benjamin Button :)

Mia had a BLAST riding the rides at the MOA

This is Mia's "scary" face.  She colored this all by herself with face crayons from Peapods.

Jack testing out the hand made cradle next door that Annie got as a gift for her dolls...perfect fit.

Snuggle time with daddy

First smiles came around 3.5 weeks old...we think :)
This is just one of my favs...isn't he so cute?!

Jack and his cousin, Ellie (three months older)

Jack's Birth Story

I predict most people will think I am absolutely nuts for taking time to blog about my son's birth story when he isn't even two days old....but I want to document and remember as much as I can and I also notice I some weird "where did that come from" surge of energy tonight, which happens to be our first night home from the hospital.  Might as well make it a productive night while I can...plus, who knows when I'll even "publish" this blog and actually finish it.  (On THAT note, I kid you not....Jack started making noise and whimpering....guess the blog will have to wait). Blog actually finished between Jack's 4th and 5th day of life :)

Disclaimers: THERE WILL BE LOTS OF WORDS AND FEW PICS.  This is a birth story.  Some births happen through people's vagina...so there may be details about that...read at your own risk.  Also, every birth story is different.  Just because you went "all natural" or had a horrible or wonderful experience with a drug, method or visualization tools...doesn't mean it worked for everyone...or went horribly for everyone.  My midwives and nurses, etc told me to be sure and at that as a disclaimer for when I get to my "I love everything about life and birth section of this story".

Okay, here we go:
I started having some contractions late Tuesday night (Jan 31st) and wanted to track them on my "contraction app" on my phone.  From about 11:30-about 5am I was having some pretty regular contractions in terms of intensity; however, they seemed to fluctuate in terms of time.  I took a bath at 3am and called in to the midwives who told me to wait it out and labor at home as much as possible.  With my first child, I had intense back labor and barely felt anything at all in the front....so I just kind of assumed I wasn't having contractions unless they were doubling over painful in your back.  Because these back pains were irregular, I thought it was a false alarm and was very discouraged.  BUT...we decided to go in to the hospital at 3pm and just see where we were at.  We showed up and I was already 5cm dilated!!!  Yeah!!!!  With the good news, we settled in to the room and labored in bed, on the ball, in the tub for the next 3 hours progressing from 5 to a "stretchy 8cm".  The back labor intensified and was crippling...very similar to my experience with our daughter...and I was NOT a fan of this.  I opted not to get an epidural with Mia's delivery and I ended up enduring crazy pain including a long labor, 3 hours of pushing, an episiodomy, vacuum extraction and a 3rd degree tear for "no reason"....I was NOT about to allow this to happen again, Effffff that.   I was super calm, chatty and fine in between contractions so Nate and our awesome team of providers kept saying how well I was doing, how strong I was, how I "could do this".  I knew I COULD...but I didnt WANT to...not without some pain relief.  I knew I had to "convince" them that an epidural was what I wanted in spite of "doing so well"....I said I could still do well with pain meds...duh, people!

Dear Epidural,
Where have you been all of my life and why did I dismiss you over 2 years ago without even getting to know you first?  I am sorry.  You were the best thing that ever happened to me (at least during labor and delivery on Feb1st, 2012).  You knew exactly how to impress me, charm me with your ease and grace and work your magic to make me love you.  Everything you did was "just right" and I love that you didn't overdue it.  Thank you for all you did for me, I will never forget you.
XOXO, Molly

Between 7pm-11:25pm, life and labor were wonderful and great...I know I said it...labor was great.  I was Zen, focused, chatty, crackin jokes, comfortable, calm, patient and relaxed.  There was no sense of "get this over with" or urgency, I was totally patient and willing to let Jack do whatever he needed to do to come when he needed to come out.  I was happy that the epidural didn't stall the labor and things progressed very well and very consistently.  I felt no pain, no "high drugged-out-ness", no urgency and no regret..this was turning out to be glorious.  I started to feel the urge to go to the bathroom (#2) somewhere between 10-11pm and so we decided to start pushing.  It was funny because it was like a natural conversation or something..."okay Molly, let's get ready to start pushing and he'll be here in a few minutes okay?"  Um, ok.  I pushed for a total of 45 min but of course that wasn't CONSTANT...I'd say maybe only about 10-12 contractions worth of pushing...either way, HUGE improvement from last time when I pushed with Mia for nearly 3 hours before her vacuum extraction :) The midwives and our team were absolutely amazing, they should all get awards and homemade baked goods forever.  They coached me toward the end on my pushing so I could "stretch out" and avoid a 3rd degree tear like last time.  This was so cool.  I could feel pressure but no pain and I could feel my hoo-ha stretching the way it should.  AND....they encouraged me to reach down and touch Jack's head....I did and it was all wrinkles....didn't feel like what I expected a head to feel like.  Anywho...about 4 contractions later, I pushed hard and his head came all the way out.  What was funny is then there was a calm pause and I heard them talking about "ok, lets just twist him a smidgen and gently work out his shoulders, okay good...hey Molly why dont you reach for your baby...go ahead."  So I looked down, reached for Jack and seriously helped them pull him out of me!!  Ahhhh, isnt that nuts!? Ba ba ba baaaaaa, BOOM!  Jack was born at 11:25pm 2/1/12.

He instantly cried and opened his eyes and was on my chest for about 20 min before wiping him off and all of that stuff.  We both opted out of cutting the chord.  Nate did it last time and I think it made him queezy so he took a pass...I did too because eh, I did enough by then :)  Although I did stretch, I did end up getting a "barely" 2nd degree tear/rip but it wasn't nearly as bad as before and I have been told that the "repair" work was done excellently and I should expect a very nice recovery and presentation of my taint area very shortly.  I love that they "order" us to take hot baths everyday, I will certainly follow those recommendations...I also think they said something about the bath being accompanied with a wine or beer too...but I could have misunderstood them :)

So...there you have it.  Of course there are so many details to talk and write about after the labor and delivery, but we'll get to those in due time...just taking it one day at a time.  I am overwhelmed with thanks and gratitude to the team of professionals that worked with and supported us and I am so happy to have two such different L/D experiences to recall and celebrate.  This truly was probably the most amazing experience of my life and I am so happy I have fond memories to reflect on.  Having this/these delivery experiences makes me more comfortable and "okay" with the fact that this will be our last child...I was sad about it during my pregnancy knowing that I'll never be pregnant again, never have my own 1 day old baby to hold again, all of that....but now I am content and 100% positive and okay with that decision.

Not a good pic, but what can you do?

December (in pictures)

I am about to post my "2011: Year In Review" Q+A and thought I'd at least start with sharing some fun pictures from this past "holiday season".  To me, pics are WAY more fun to look at than reading a bunch of words about the past year of my life :)

  With the help of Mrs. Claus and a candy cane, Mia finally agreed to sit on Santa's lap...then proceeded to tell him she wanted "big girl" toys and a baby for Xmas

Free sleigh rides in Saint Anthony Park with mommy and daughter besties

Nate and I made homemade ice cream for our aunt/uncle/extended family gift this year...chocolate, strawberry and cinnamon :)  Mia "helped out" by washing some dishes with her mouth.

Took Mia to the 8th floor Macy's display as well as watched the Holidazzle Parade for the first time this year. She refused to wear her mittens outside and demanded animal crackers instead...eh, battle I didn't feel the need to pick that night :)

The above and below two pics are Mia learning how to wrestle, fly like an airplane and do the "People's Elbow" with her beloved, Koko...she LOVED this!

After learning how to do a "flip" with Koko...taaaa-daahhhh!

Mia with her brand new cousin, Eleanor....so proud of her cousin :)

Mia figuring out her nuts and bolts gift from Koko...she loved to help him at the shop this past year

had to take off her dress to get down and dirty with her tools

ahhhh, snuggle time with Koko and G

With cousin Ellie and auntie Rah-Rah

For Xmas at my parent's house, Mia had to play with and use everything she got IMMEDIATELY, especially this baby cradle and blanket

Feeding her new favorite doll she ultimately named Kayla

Requested cuddle time with Nana Kathy...she loved this

One of Mia's gifts from Santa was face paint (or face crayons)...they continue to be a huge hit

Soooo excited to be a cat/clown

Mia continuing to rack in the gifts this year...her new hat from Nantucket :)

annnnnndddd...no gift giving celebration can be complete without girly, sparkly, smelly lotion 

No, our entire December was NOT just about exchanging gifts; however, unfortunately, that happened to be the majority of the pictures we ultimately took...it is what it is.  It has taken SEVERAL years and the convenient excuse of being very pregnant, but we were very successful this year in limiting our daily events and activities during the holiday season.  Although we are very social people and love to try and "fit in" as much as possible, we decided to only have ONE event or gathering per day that we committed to.  In the end, this worked out wonderfully for us and I'm pleased that we did this....if nothing else, to support our collective sanity and coveted naps.  We'll see how we keep this up with two kids over the next few years.  K...now on to the crazy long and somewhat obnoxious post reflecting on 2011.