On Wednesday we packed up right after breakfast and headed to Grandma and Grandpa Bear's house. Like last year, the cubs were treated to their own live tree, which Grandpa Bear will plant outside. Emily's was decorated in pink and Zach's in blue.
After lunch we took the cubs to see their Great-Grandpa and Great-Grandma. Emily was sharing hugs left and right. It was so sweet to watch her hug everyone. Very unlike Thanksgiving where she didn't want anyone to hold her but Mommy or Daddy. Zach was too busy exploring to give hugs. Zach is literally running in the only picture I have of him with his Great-grandparents. That cub is a bundle of energy.
We returned to Grandma Bear's house for dinner and the tree lighting. I love the tree lighting...it is one of my favorite parts of Christmas. It's even more fun with double the trees. Dinner is always yummy...this time we were treated to T-Bone Steaks. I could get very spoiled here, I don't get to eat these often at Cub Central. The cubs went to bed pretty easily, but Zach was very unhappy during the middle of the night and kept Mom and Dad up for hours. Not fun. Good thing Santa came before Zach woke up. Otherwise Zach's crying may have scared him off.
Christmas morning was tons of fun with tons of presents. Santa was very generous this year. We definitely have spoiled cubs. Almost the entire day was spent opening presents, which Emily loved! She is a present opening pro. It didn't matter whose name was on it, Emily was there to open it. So helpful! Zach could barely sit still. Emily had fun opening his presents too.
Present opening must be exhausting because both cubs went to bed on time and slept very well. Steve and Grandpa Bear got up super early on Friday to do the after Christmas shopping. Grandma Bear and I met them later in the morning with cubs in tow. After Christmas shopping was pretty dismal, especially when you consider our prior after-Christmas shopping experiences. I guess it saved us some money. We left later that afternoon to return home. I always hate leaving. It seems like we never get to spend enough time there but Steve had to work on Saturday, and we go where Steve goes.
We can't thank everyone enough for thinking of us this year. We received amazing gifts and loving cards and notes from our family and friends. We are a very blessed bunch of bears!
I haven't downloaded the pictures yet, but that is on my "to do" list. Maybe I'll get that done next year. Right after I get my Christmas cards mailed out. **sigh**
Monday, December 29, 2008
Christmas with Grandma and Grandpa Bear
Monday, December 22, 2008
Just because they are cute!
I sure hope Zach plans on unpacking that box while he's up there.
Emily raiding the pantry:
Emily sporting her new hair clippy (she wouldn't let me put a bow in her hair, so the clippy will have to do):
Playing together:
Christmas came early. Check out our cool new chairs!
Grandma Shirley and Grandpa John sent these cool chairs for the cubs! Thank you so much! Here are some photos of the cubs checking them out.
LCMOM Christmas Party
After Matt made me feel guilty about not getting the cubs' picture taken with Santa, I debated whether to take the cubs to the LCMOM Christmas party without their Dad. Emily is getting much better about standing next to Mom. Zach, on the other hand, is a runner. If I don't have a firm grip on his paw, he is off and running. What a challenge it is to take the cubs anywhere without their Dad unless they are contained and strapped down into their stroller. I knew Santa would be at the party for just an hour, so I thought since this would probably be our last chance (I refuse to go to the mall with a double stroller) I loaded the cubs up and off we went to see Santa. Emily did a great job at staying put. Zach was a different story. Two of the other moms had to help me corral that little stinker. Huge thanks to Chris and Dana for helping me keep an eye on him. He is quick. Amazingly so. He's not the only one. While manning the door, I caught a few other escapees myself. All boys. What does that tell you? Boys are a handful!
The cubs weren't a big fan of Santa. Poor Santa. What a patient man he is. I threw the cubs in his lap and tried to stand back quickly enough to snap a photo. Screaming ensued. Just great. I rescued Santa and took the cubs to sit down on a couch across from him. After 15 minutes or so Emily and Zach started taking things to Santa. At first Zach would stand a few feet away and throw his goody bag at Santa, and eventually he would walk all the way to him and hand over his goody bag. Progress. So again, I threw the cubs in Santa's lap and again, screaming ensued. So thanks Matt! I owe you one. I had a great time taking the cubs to get their picture taken with Santa. I can't wait to do it again next year.
Here are the only pictures from our Santa visit (I never did get one with them together with Santa):
Random things
Most of this week was spent emptying the "old" house and scheduling the house cleaner and the carpet cleaners. Plus trying to arrange for the Salvation Army to pick up some large donation items, I think I was at the house every day, sometimes even twice a day. What a pain trying to get everything scheduled but it is finally over, except for moving out what is left in the garage and the attic. All we have to do now is wait for the house to sell.
Apartment living still stinks. I can't stand that my kitchen is 1/16 the size of my last one. I have decided that I am living in a glorified hotel room with a minimal kitchenette. UGH! At least it's only temporary. My mantra for the next six months. Poor Zach must not like the apartment even more than I do. Every time we come home (and yes, I mean EVERY time) he barely makes it in the door before he starts crying. Have we scarred him for life?? He never used to do this at the old house. Poor baby! When I tell the cubs that we are going 'bye bye' they both run to the door. The guilt is horrible. Hopefully that is just temporary too.
Zach has started throwing up again. We were doing so well and I am just convinced that I jinx it every time. Giving him this new medicine is harder than wrestling with an alligator. He hates it, I hate it. Period.
On Wednesday, I went out to dinner with a friend to La Playa Maya. I love my monthly Wednesday night dinners because we always go some place new. It was really yummy. I think I could eat Mexican food every day.
Steve had an appointment on Thursday with the stereo/sound techs to mark the wiring for the computers, phones, TVs and surround sound systems at the new house. We didn't take any pictures because the exterior hasn't changed since the last post. All the good things are happening on the interior. The electricians are working their magic now.
Zach had an orthopedic appointment on Friday. It is always a challenge to take both cubs to the Doctor's office without their Dad. The rooms are always small, the wait is always long, and their attention span is always short. At least we had good news. The Doctor was very happy with Zach's progress and has determined that we don't need to go back unless we are concerned. The curving near his knees has corrected itself and he feels that the curving near his ankles will straighten out on its own. So no braces, thank goodness!
Friday night I was all set to take the cubs to an hourly childcare service so that Steve and I could join Beth Ann in celebrating her birthday. My friend referred the service so I really had no concerns about dropping off the cubs for two hours while Steve and I went to dinner. However, they squashed my plans! Little Emily Bear had been experiencing some diarrhea because of all her major teething, and they wouldn't take her. UGH! So Steve stayed home with the cubs while I went to dinner with Beth Ann, Matt and their friends for the big celebration. I had a lot of fun, the food was good, the margarita was great, and their friends are just hilarious. I really wish Steve could have gone with me, but I am really thankful to him that he was willing to cubsit so I could still go.
The week ahead will be just as busy. We will load the cubs and all their equipment and travel over the hills and through the woods to Grandma Bear's house. I am excited to visit my parents and grandparents and even more excited that Steve will have three days off to spend with us.
We hope that everyone has a safe and happy holiday! Merry Christmas!!
Happy Birthday Grandma!
December 16th was my Grandma's birthday. Sadly we were not able to celebrate with her but we were certainly thinking of her. I called to wish her a Happy Birthday and I am really looking forward to visiting with her over the Christmas holiday. We love you Grandma and hope you had the happiest of birthdays!
Monday, December 15, 2008
They do like each other
We didn't even have to pose these pictures...they sat together all by themselves. It's nice to think that sometimes they like each other.
Too tired to think of a title.
How sad is that? I can usually think of something but sheer exhaustion has taken over.
The house is now on the market. While we still have some minor things to finish up, the sign is now posted and we are officially listed. Steve and I have been incredibly busy trying to get everything moved out of the house and into the apartment or into storage. We have been taking alternate turns, one staying to cubsit, and the other going to the house. The process has gone much slower than we would have liked, but at least we are making some progress. The housekeeper should be coming this week and the carpet cleaners are scheduled for Wednesday.
The cubs have been handling everything pretty well. With the exception of Emily's molars coming in. She has been a real handful lately. At the last tooth check, she has three molars coming in. They haven't yet broken through but they must be causing some extreme pain for her because we are all feeling it. Too bad she isn't following Zach's example. He has a molar that has already come through and he didn't fuss a bit. He is such a trooper. Emily is not. She wakes up screaming in the middle of the night and won't calm down unless one of us is in there with her. So Steve and I have been taking turns sleeping on the floor in their room because we are afraid that her screaming will alert the neighbors, who will in turn alert CPS. It has been miserable. If I ever needed a back massage, it is now. I seriously doubt that there is any carpet padding installed in this apartment. I feel like Wilma Flintstone sleeping on a rock slab. Yabba Dabba Do. It will sure make me appreciate the upgraded carpet padding we are having installed in the new house.
We did drive by the house this weekend. Things are progressing very quickly there. It now looks like a house. I'm a little overwhelmed by how fast this is happening. It is exciting, but ulcer inducing as well, at least until the house sells. Steve's friend Brian has helped us move some of our really heavy furniture and we are very thankful to him. We have really great friends and family who have helped us with this huge transition. Many many thanks to all of you!!
Emily and Zach have been trying some new foods lately. Emily had some pineapple. She also had fruit cocktail which the first time she ate the whole serving while the next time she totally refused it. Fussy monkey. Zach has tried scrambled egg. I don't think he liked it very much but at least he tried it. That was huge for him. He also ate #3 Gerber spaghetti. This is the first time he has eaten a #3 food and been able to keep it down, so we are very proud of him. It's been slow going but at least we are seeing some progress. He has even started drinking some of his Pediasure from his sippy cup. I'm starting to feel a little less discouraged and a little more optimistic that he will be eating something other than pureed foods before he enters preschool.
The weather has taken a major downturn. Yesterday the temperature was in the 70s and today the high was only in the low 30s. It is sleeting and the overpasses and bridges are icy and dangerous. They said the temperature last night dropped 30 degrees in 30 minutes. I believe it. I had made a grocery run and stopped to fill up the car and the change was unreal. CRAZY weather. By Thursday the temperature is supposed to be back up near 70. No wonder everyone is always sick here.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Hi to baby Travis!
My best friend Leigh and her husband Scott welcomed a new addition on December 9. Travis De Ferreire Rothermel was born at 10:26 pm weighing 8lbs. 11oz. and measuring 21-1/2" long. Welcome to the world little guy!
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Contraband
Surveillance photo of Emily slipping Zach some contraband while he was in time out. Obviously we need better security screeners during visiting hours. 
Look at her trying to be sneaky and 'incognito'.
Friday, December 5, 2008
All about Emily
The other day I blogged excessively about Zach, so I thought it was only fair to blog excessively about Emily Bear.
She is a bright little girl. She notices right away when something isn't where it should be. She doesn't like wearing shoes and hates socks even more. She is very helpful and brings me things even though I don't want or need them. This morning she discovered the toilet paper roll. The joy!
She has tried several different new foods lately. The other night I was eating some pumpkin pie that we brought home from Grandma Bear's. I gave her a bite and she instantly spit it out. She kept standing next to me as if she were begging for food so I gave her another bite. I guess her opinion changed because she kept asking for more. She has also eaten beefaroni, mandarin oranges, fettuccini alfredo and her father keeps giving her Stove Top stuffing...yuck. Today I let her take a few bites of my peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
Right now she is going through her clingy, woe-is-me stage. If I even look at her wrong she bursts into big crocodile tears. I know it's coming because I can see her working on it. It takes a lot of work to get those tears on demand. Unfortunately she is not a cute crier. Her face turns all red and blotchy. Some girls can pull off the woe-is-me tears and still look beautiful doing it. Emily will never be that girl.
She loves taking baths but don't get her face wet. She can't sleep without her Husky dog. She loves all things electronic. Buttons are meant to be pushed. She has also figured out if I take her hand and she doesn't want to go with me she'll just sit down. Stubborn monkey.
It never fails that she knows exactly when Mom's head hits the pillow at night. The minute I lay down is the same minute she starts crying.
Lately she has been resisting sleeping in her crib, especially at night. Daddy always manages to get her back to bed. Today I was met with a very loud resistance to her nap time. It was so loud that I thought the neighbors might call CPS on me. I finally gave up and brought her out to the living room while Zach finished his nap. I guess the bed wasn't good enough for her so she settled for the floor instead. Weird!
She is very protective of her little brother. Especially when he is in time-out. She'll sit with him and share her toys with him --- only in time-out. Toy sharing is off limits any other time. If Zach cries she is usually the first one there to see what is going on.
She has the best laugh in the world. She giggles too! When she laughs the sun is brighter, the sky is bluer, and the flowers smell prettier. Her laughter makes it all worth it.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Is it a little premature to join the High School Booster Club??
Apparently daddy doesn't think so....we are now members of the Boy's and Girl's Golf and Boy's and Girl's Soccer Booster Clubs for Byron Nelson High School, which hasn't even opened yet.
http://byronnelsonhighschool.ning.com/video/885902:Video:342
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Amazing Zach
Sometimes the little man amazes me. After our disastrous yesterday he decided to eat some brand new foods today. For lunch he tried some cottage cheese. I was amazed! I don't think he liked it, but he took three or four spoonfuls. He also had some deli-shaved chicken. Way to go Z-man!
After nap time the cubs and I went to the house to pack some more. I had the logistics all planned out on how I was going to get the cubs to and in the car safely without the use of the stroller. Zach is a runner. Perhaps I should say Zach is a sprinter. He is a quick little scamper. If you don't have a firm grip on his hand he will be off and running. VERY SCARY for mommy. So I decided the best way to accomplish getting this done was to put Zach in the car and let him stand in front of his car seat and shut the door before he can escape. Then I take Emily to the other side where I get her all strapped in. After Emily is safely secured, I go back to Zach's side and secure him in his car seat. Perfect plan! I must admit it worked rather well. The impressive part of this, and the reason I am sharing, is that while Zach was standing in front of his car seat all alone, he pulled himself up and crawled in and sat down in his seat all by himself! Mommy was so proud of him!
For dinner Zach tried another new food. A Gerber Graduate macaroni and vegetable something-or-other. It doesn't really matter what it was. What matters is that Zach ate several bites. Then he followed up with some applesauce. In case you weren't counting, that was four "table" foods in one day. Perhaps my 'swallow study scare tactic' is working after all.
Zach's swallow study
Zach's swallow study was yesterday. Obviously I misunderstood the purpose of this test. I thought that it would allow for us to see what happened as he swallowed food and it traveled down to his stomach. Apparently it only allows viewing of his swallowing function, which of course was perfectly normal. Sometimes I just want to scream to these people...why aren't they listening to me!? He doesn't have trouble swallowing the food....it's what happens in the following sixty seconds that is the problem. UGH!!!!! We ended up with the same therapist that performed Zach's oral/motor test back in May. She is still convinced that his whole problem is reflux. Funny how the Doctor keeps telling me it is not. What a colossal waste of time and money. Shame on me for putting Zach through yet another unnecessary test. I just started crying in the hospital parking lot. I am so frustrated that we don't have any answers. Not to mention that the test was scheduled right in the middle of his nap time so he was just miserable the entire time. Maybe I can use this as a scare tactic for little boys who throw up their food....another test with more barium. It must have worked because today he ate much better!!
Moving day....UGH!!
Cub Central relocated on Saturday. Yippee for apartment living...I was reminded the first night why I hate it. At least it is only temporary. At least it is only temporary. (Yes, I repeat that in my head all day long!) At least it is only temporary. You get the idea.
Matt and Beth Ann were a huge help! Matt helped Steve move some of the furniture while Beth Ann stayed with me to help corral the cubs. Emily still had the lingering effects from her illness/teething and was downright horrible. Unless there was a man in the house. It didn't really matter who...Matt or Daddy...as long as a man was holding her. Beth Ann and I tried as hard as we could to comfort her, but it was just one LONG temper tantrum. I'm just glad I didn't have to endure it by myself. Thanks to Beth Ann for spending the afternoon with us and to Matt for helping us with the move!! We owe you another one!!
Thanksgiving with Grandma and Grandpa Bear
I was really looking forward to Thanksgiving Dinner at my mom and dad's. I was really excited about all the new foods that Emily was going to be able to try out. I had a feeling Zach wouldn't be too interested given the past week, but I just knew that Emily would try everything. Even the cranberry sauce that I don't like myself. Of course Murphy's Law kicked in.
When we arrived home from the airport Tuesday night, I discovered that little Emily Bear had a small fever. I had heard that sometimes teething caused fever, so I gave her some Tylenol and put her to bed. Wednesday morning her fever had increased so we called our Pediatrician and was able to get right in. According to the Doctor, Emily had some chest congestion even though she wasn't coughing at all. We knew she didn't feel well because she was excessively clingy. We decided to still continue with our original plans for Thanksgiving, so with antibiotic in hand, we packed up the car and traveled to Grandma Bear's house. We left at naptime so thankfully the cubs slept most of the way. Once we arrived the cubs played outside and explored the huge yard (20 acres allows for plenty of playspace). We worked really hard at tiring them down so they would sleep that night. Once the cubs were in bed we were able to enjoy the New York Strips that Grandpa Bear grilled for us. YUM!! We knew sleeping would be a challenge because they weren't used to sleeping in pack and plays. Surprisingly Zach did pretty well, but Emily hated it. Poor Steve was up with her most of the night.
For Thanksgiving, Grandma Bear and Steve spent most of the day preparing the "feast" while Grandpa Bear and I tried entertaining the cubs. Emily was still fussy and clingy and just not herself. She had a very small appetite and did not try a single thing. NOT A SINGLE THING! I was so disappointed because I was looking forward to her trying everything. Especially since we only have a big Thanksgiving dinner once per year. I guess we'll just hope for better luck next year. I must give a big Thank You to Steve and Grandma Bear for slaving away in the kitchen all day and preparing a really great meal for us. It was really wonderful!
On Friday we packed up the cubs and came home. Emily was still being a fussbucket and we had so much to do to prepare for our move into the apartment. We didn't even get to participate in the shopping madness. Again, maybe we'll have better luck next year.
