Christmas Pictures

Sorry for the delay in blogging. I wish I had some grand excuse, like I'm jet-lagged from traveling the world....or because the President needed my help with some concerns of national importance. Alas, that is not the case. My lame excuse has been nausea. Enough said.

Christmas this year was the most fun, and we spent an entire week in Longview. How magical it was to view Christmas through the eyes of a 2 1/2 year old too!! There's nothing quite like it. Instead of writing a lot about our holiday, I thought I'd just give you a photo essay. I hope you and yours had a wonderful time this Christmas as well!

Abby with The Big Guy!
Our little Christmas angel

Roo and me on Christmas Eve. We had two days of present opening!

She loved her Talking Elmo from BeBe and Pops. Luckily it comes with an On/Off switch! :)

LOOOOOOOve her expression when she opened her gifts. She made this face every time. It was like every present was her favorite. Too cute!

A Cinderella Barbie! Yay!

Showing off her Dress-Up clothes. Cinderella holding Cinderella. There's no such thing as overload when you're two, right??

The Princess and me

Is it obvious she thinks she's a real princess?! Abby with her Baboo!!

Abby and her Nana. They have too much fun together! (Side note: We are SO blessed to have such wonderful families who love one another....so much, in fact, that we celebrate holidays all together, as one big happy family!)

There's that crazy Elmo again!

Here's Abby with her BeBe and Pops before Christmas. Abby playing Barbies with her Papa. Papa Rick, what are you doing to that Barbie doll?! :)

Here's her Cousin Clark checking out Abby's Barbie Cinderella. Too funny of a picture not to share! :)

How cute is this little guy?!

And the best present of all? Snow when we came back home! Here's little Roo experiencing her first snowfall of the year!

And here's one last picture taken today when Clark came over. I know I'm biased, but I think they're super cute cousins!!! :)

There's so much to write about how great our Christmas was, but Abby needs a nap (and perhaps her Mama too!), so that will have to wait for another time. Matt and I were blessed with a wonderful 2009, and we're excited about what 2010 has to offer. It's hard to imagine that next Christmas, we'll have another peanut around! Wow! Here's to a very happy and blessed 2010! :)

Some Big News To Share

In case you haven't heard...
Yes, that's right. We're expecting Baby Tenner Number two in July! We apparently like to make things as busy as possible as both Matt's and my birthdays are in July, my dad's birthday, as well as our anniversary. Perhaps we should start stockpiling money now. :)

While Matt and I were both shocked and excited about our discovery, Abby had a bit of a different reaction. It looked a little something like this...
Oops! I never mentioned the pregnancy to her again until just recently, and she has--luckily--warmed up to the idea. Thank goodness!

We had our first sonogram last week, and Little Peanut looks great. I did ask the sonographer if she could see a penis, but sadly, it was too early to tell. Ha! :) The other good news is that there is just one baby. Whew! (Don't get me wrong, I'm sure twins are fabulous, but I don't think I have the temperment to handle two children of the same age at the same time. Just thinking about that makes me hyperventilate. And just mention of the word OctoMom makes me go into fits.) Unfortunately, I have been super sick. The nausea and vomiting hit me right at week six, but thanks to my two new friends Zofran and Phenargen, I am feeling somewhat human again. Woo-hoo!

So, that's our news. The past month has been one big ball of excitement and nervousness as we venture into "Family-of-Fourdom".

Here is how life has changed since becoming pregnant:

1. Due to my being sick all day long, Abby has never watched more television than she did for about 10 days. I felt horribly guilty about it, but I don't think she seemed to mind one bit! :)

2. I have saved money on make-up. I have had a "I could care less how I look" attitude lately, which might be a bad thing. Everyone in Allen has seen me sans makeup. Hopefully I didn't scare you too much!

3. Dr Pepper is my saving grace. And for some strange reason, I have to drink it in a glass with ice and not from a can. Crazy pregnant lady syndrome, apparently.

4. My baby is probably already addicted to chocolate donuts, pepperoni pizza and chocolate milkshakes from McDonald's. Don't worry, people: I take my vitamins daily! :)

5. I have been behind on blogging and emails. But my excuse is this: I nap when Abby naps. No exceptions!

6. My husband is a ROCK STAR! He has been on Double Parent Duty lately, and for that, I am forever grateful. By 6:30, I am getting nauseous again, ready to take medicine, and am pretty much out for the count. Thank you Matt for picking up my slack!! 7. I have stopped biting my nails. Woo-hoo!

8. My bathroom is dirty. I guess I keep thinking that it will magically get done, but I have NO energy to do it anytime soon. Have you heard that pregnancy zaps you?!

9. I cry for absolutely no reason at all: I was watching a story on the news about a single mom whose house was broken into, and her Christmas tree and all the presents under it were stolen. I started crying uncontrollably. Oy.

10. I have learned to appreciate Abby more and more as the time we have with just us is limited. I must brag on her though: she has been sooooooo wonderful lately. I hope her brother or sister is just as sweet, fun-loving, and personable as she is!

OK, that's it. Now I'm tired. I think I'll go lie down. I promise to keep y'all updated. Maybe once the first trimester is over, I'll have a sudden surge of energy! Let's all keep our fingers crossed! :)

Abby's Christmas Program

Here is a video of Abby's Christmas Program at our church last night. They have been practicing "Jingle Bells" for a couple of weeks at school, and Abby has been practicing at home quite a bit too. All for her 60 seconds of fame!! Her favorite part is when the kids get to say, "Hey!" Makes me laugh every time. Matt and I were proud parents last night. Enjoy! :)

2 1/2

Abby turned two-and-a-half yesterday. While it's not nearly the milestone as 18 months, I still thought it was an important day nonetheless. She has survived six more months of being a Tenner. Whoo! :) We marked the occasion by literally marking her height on her height chart in her room. I started this at two and will mark her height every six months until she yells at me to get out of her room or thinks I'm officially the uncoolest person on the face of the planet...whichever comes first. :)


So, to celebrate you turning 2 1/2, Roo, I'll list my top 20 reasons why I love you.

1. You have the most infectious laugh. You laugh a lot. Especially at inappropriate times, like when Mommy accidenally bumps her elbow. You laugh hysterically. We need to work on that!

2. Speaking of needing to work on...I love you because you're just so inquisitive. Yesterday at breakfast, you asked to see my boobs. I quickly explained a lesson on modesty, informing you that we don't need to show our boobs to anyone, to which you lifted up your pajama shirt all the way, grinned from ear to ear and yelled loudly, "LOOK! I GOT BOOBS!!!!!!" Oy.

3. As I mentioned, you are inquisitive. The only time you get in trouble at school is during lunch. You can't seem to sit still some days. Apparently you get up and sometimes even crawl under the table. Oh Abby. Your teachers say that you're just naturally curious and you like to know what's going on with everyone else. Well, you come by that naturally, Roo. Your mama was born Curious Cathy, and you and I are two peas in a pod. So, to all of Abby's future teachers out there, let me apologize ahead of time: she WILL get in trouble for talking too much and asking "What?" a lot! Sorry! :)

4. You love, love, love animals! Cats and dogs are your favorite, and you get so excited when we see Bob The Cat (the neighbor's cat) outside. You get this high-pitched voice and say, "Oh, Bob is soooooo sweeeeeeeet!" I love that you love animals for two reasons: 1. I'm glad that you didn't get my fear of dogs: I was so scared of dogs when I was little, thanks to my big brother leaving me alone in my grandmother's backyard with a huge, stray dog (thanks, Chris) and 2. because maybe you'll become a veterinarian one day and support your old parents. A house on the beach sounds lovely, Doctor Abby. :)

5. You love Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Obsessively. You could watch it 24/7 I think. And you think Goofy is the funniest thing ever! You try to sing along with the theme song, and during the "hot dog dance," you yell, "Dancing Time" really loudly and we have to dance with you!

6. You love orange juice and bread. I think you could eat that 24/7....while watching Mickey.

7. You like to pretend you're the Big Bad Wolf and you say to people, "I'm gonna puff and puff and blow {fill-in-the-blank} down!" You especially like to call your grandparents and say, "I'm gonna puff and puff and blow Nana and Papa/BeBe and Pops down!" And your crazy grandparens sure play the part well. They actually pretend to get blown away. Oh, the things our parents do when they become grandparents. They turn into people we don't even recognize!!!

8. You LOVE music. Rock, hip-hop, you love it all! And the louder the better. You make us turn up music as loudly as possible. Sometimes when your daddy and I are in the car, we'll turn it down to talk, but you yell at us, "Turn it up, please!" and so your majesty's wish is granted. Oh, and you and I have THE best time singing into our microphones (our fists) when we're in the car. Your daddy told me not to teach you how to lip synch because you look like a dork. But you know what?! I ignored him. :)

9. You have the best memory. Sometimes in the middle of an activity, you'll blurt out some random event from months ago. A couple of weeks ago, you suddenly said, "I go poo-poo at McDonald's with Truitt. Meredith sat in your lap." I was a bit confused until it hit me: back in July, we had gone to the zoo with your friends Meredith and Truitt, and you had, in fact pooped while at McDonald's afterwards. Where do these random memories come from??

10. You LOVE your cousin Clark. Oh my gosh, do you adore him! In fact, all of your baby dolls have been named "Baby Clarky." Doesn't matter if it's wearing pink, purple, or blue, its name is "Baby Clarky."

11. You are beginning to get more interested in the potty. Thank goodness! You used the potty at school on Tuesday and have used it a few times since then at home. Woo-hoo, Roo! You love to tell everyone that you pee-peed in the potty too. (It's the little things, isn't it moms?)

12. You love to sing. At school you are learning "Jingle Bells" for your Christmas Program (which I cannot wait for, by the way!) and you sing it VERY LOUDLY. Some of your other favorites are "Jesus Loves Me," "Twinkle, Twinkle," "Out of the Sea" from The Little Mermaid, "Kiss The Girl" from The Little Mermaid, and the Alphabet Song.

13. You are learning more about Santa Claus and Christmas, and I love that you are understanding it more. In fact, we were listening to a radio station yesterday that was playing all Christmas music, and a song was on about Santa Claus. While we were driving, you stated from your car seat, "Santa Claus is my friend." So cute!

14. You love babies so much. And you love petting them on the head. A lot. In fact, you love petting not just babies but kids on the head. The other day at the playground, you petted a little boy who was older than you on the head. He didn't like it so much. Can't say I blame him either.

15. You do the robot like nobody's business!

16. You insist on helping me push the cart at Kroger or Target. Once we're checked out, you know the routine: I unbuckle you, you stand where you can push the cart, and you go, go, go! You LOVE pushing the cart through the parking lot. And while you insist on doing it all by yourself, I have saved many a stranger's side door and bumper from being demolished.

17. You love your tricycle and insist on going down "the big hill" every time you ride it. Roo, you are fearless. You will be a lover of roller coasters like your mama.

18.You love, love, love your dogs, Millie and Winnie. You love to pet them, feed them (too many) table scraps, let them out in the mornings, and you certainly love to tell them what to do. If they bark too much, you announce, "Hush, girls!!!" and when you see Millie biting Winnie's ears, you proclaim, "Millie, stop biting Winnie's ears!! Big trouble!!!" And you discovered that when you rub Winnie's belly, she puts her front paws together. When you saw her do this for the first time, you got so excited and said, "Mommy, look! Winnie praying. God is good, God is good!!!!" SO cute!

19. You absolutely hands down love school! You cheer when we pull into the parking lot. (The other day you actually started clapping!) and your teachers absolutely adore you.

20. You love to do certain things with your daddy: you love to "drive" with Daddy. Just last night, as we pulled into the driveway after a Target run, you said, "I drive Daddy's car, Daddy?" And away the two of you went around the block, you sitting in his lap. You love that time with your daddy! You also love for your daddy to swing you really high! Sometimes you even "fly" up the stairs with him. Oh, and how you LOVE to hide in the closet behind his clothes and scare him. Too fun!

And one more... You love me. And there's nothing more I could ask for in this world.

Oh, and Roo, you are quite the artiste! I LOVE how you've been coloring lately. Can you tell she enjoys coloring certain things??
She usually colors the shoes first...

I don't think she could have colored the lost slipper any harder, do you??

Too fun!

Grandma Update and Arboretum Pics

I realized I needed to post a "Grandma Update" as so many of you have been wonderful to ask how she is doing. She completed her radition a couple of weeks ago, and she has been relatively pain-free because of that! Yay for radiation! However, her lack of appetite has been a major concern. Last Monday (8 days ago), she was rushed to the hospital from the nursing home for dangerously low nutritional levels. She received a blood transfusion as well as fluids, and she was on the mend. But what was supposed to be a 2-day hospital stay has turned into 8 days.

First came back pain and stomach pain, which was remedied by medicine and a pain-patch. Then came pure exhaustion. And then yesterday she developed a blood clot in her leg as well as a bacterial infection. Poor Grandma just can't seem to catch a break. Luckily she is on medication to help with all of this, which is wonderful. So, that's how she's doing physically.

Emotionally-speaking, she has good days, and then she has bad days. I can't imagine the range of emotions that she's going through, but all I know is that she is allowed to feel however she wants to feel, and my prayer is for comfort and strength to get through all of this. Easier said than done, I know, but Grandma is strong, and I hope she has more positive days in the near future. She should be released from the hospital on Thursday. When I know more, I will post. We are going to visit her this weekend, and I cannot wait to give her a big hug!!!

Now...let's get to some pictures, shall we? We went to the Arboretum with our friends Mica and Ava last week, and here are some pics from our visit:

Sweet girl

Abby and Ava

By the Gingerbread House

SweetCheesin' it up for me!

This past weekend, we also celebrated our sister-in-law's 30th birthday (Happy Birthday, Emily!), and I hope to post pics soon! :)

Trick-or-Treat!

Saturday was a super busy day for us, but what fun we had! We spent the day with our friends, Mica, Jonathan, and Ava, and our day began with a trip to Celina's Big Pumpkin Patch. Aside from the mud, it was a fun experience with animals to feed, a hayride, a "choo-choo" train to ride and photo opps galore!

Here's our Pumpkin Patch Family Photo
Our little pumpkin
Abby's reaction upon seeing the longhorn. Love this!

Abby's telling us how BIIIIIIG he is.

Jonathan told Abby to give him a "Hook 'em" so she did.

Hi goats!

Abby and her daddy feeding the little guys.

Abby insisted on riding the "choo-choo" train (a.k.a. barrels hitched to a John Deere tractor driven by a Celina High School student) :)

On the hayride.

A good time was had by all!

Saturday night we went trick-or-treating with our friends again, and I think Abby was mesmerized by the idea of Halloween: putting on a costume, walking around the neighborhood after dark with other boys and girls, asking people for candy, etc. She trick-or-treated last year, but she didn't really get it. This year she got it, but I still think she was overwhelmed by the whole thing!

Our little Cinderella:

and Ava the kitty-cat. Too cute not to share!

Trick-or-treating

She enjoyed checking out the skeleton. Luckily she's not scared of too many things!

Here are the girls after trick-or-treating, back to get candy from Jonathan.

What a wonderful Halloween day we had. I hope you enjoyed your weekend as well. Can you believe it's already November?! Where has this year gone?!