Merry Christmas!

We had another quiet Christmas at our house this year. Dave is still recovering but gets stronger every day. He has pain still and odd pains that pop up now and again but we hope the doctor can ease any of our worries later this week! As for me, I'm getting some serious cabin fever!

Noey wasn't all that impressed with Christmas but I wanted to go big for her nonetheless. She has lots of toys that she will have to grow into and I feel guilty that many of them were purchased for her long before she was born and not necessarily as Christmas presents. It feels a bit like regifting even though the gifts were for her to begin with!!

We put the large tree upstairs right after Thanksgiving. After Dave's surgery we were not even sure if he would be coming home for Christmas! We are truly grateful that he was able to get out of that hospital bed and cleared to come home rather than rehab! He is working on stairs but can't go all the way yet so we brought our little tree downstairs. This is the tree I bought when it was just me in Utah and it has morphed into the cats Christmas tree! They would go so spastic and knock it over when we only put it up once a year that we decided to leave it up all year for them to play with! Needless to say, it's in rough condition! And our tactic didn't work. They still went nutso when we put up the big tree and have been acting out all month!

So I set up that tree by Dave, transferred the ornaments and hauled all the presents back downstairs too. I felt bad putting things under the tree with Noey watching but it got worse when I had to bring the Exersaucer down for Dave to help me put it together! Mrs. Claus lacks the Santa skills I guess when it comes to putting toys together and she certainly isn't stealth like Santa! Noey watched it all! I guess I should be grateful for her 10 week old forgetful brain!

My Christmas Eve wish...she has actually been sleeping 7-9 hours at night so I can't complain. Her bedtime just needs to be moved up to an earlier time!


Christmas loot! Noey got pacis, gum cleaner, and an ornament in her stocking. She got her Exersaucer and bumbo with tray, a rudolph and Bumble stuffed animal, sassy letter links, floor alphabet, teethers, musical keys, musical table, books, outfits, doll, and piggy bank. She also got a toy from daddy and her vampire paci. Talk about spoiled!! Dave got BattleStar Galactica season 1, How to Train your Dragon, legos of Slave 1, ratcheting straps for the Jeep, Star Wars cookie cutters, a gift card, and a book from Noey. The cats got Whiskas cat milk and some wet food. I got my opal ring which is Noey's birthstone. Dave said I also get whatever I want once he is healed up and out and about! Lucky me! :)





Presents for me?




Mommy and Noey


Bumble chill'n in the Bumbo. I think in a week or two she will be sitting up in it herself!


My opal ring!


Noey playing with her favorite toy from daddy! It's really the only age appropriate present she got from us!


I made Dave Star Wars pancakes for breakfast. Now our house smells like Ihop. Ugh!


Thanks for all the presents everyone and we hope you had a very Merry Christmas! :) It was nice to Skype with my family. If anyone has Skype and wants to connect with us let us know and we can give you our ID!

10 Week Stats

Noey went to the doctor this week. She is 10 pounds, 7 ounces and 23.75 inches tall! She is going to be tall and skinny! She is still in 0-3 months clothing but the length limit on those is 23 inches! The length on 3-6 months says 23-25! I'm going to have to start cutting feet off and hemming up her clothes!!

Noey is a pretty laid back and happy baby. She has put up with a ton in her short life so far with the house being replumbed and her daddy having major surgery! She smiles all the time now and gives little "heh, heh" laughs. So close to really giggling! She was a trooper with her shots. After the first she looked at me like, "what just happened?" And then it was the second one that set her off! She only screamed for about 10 seconds though and the nurse was fast. She had four shots and an oral vaccine. Poor kid. She was tough though. She had some Tylenol before the shots and then another dose before bed. Her little legs are bruised. She's been fussy, not really knowing what she wants or what she wants to do the last couple of days. Thankfully no fever and no prolonged screaming throughout the ordeal. She is starting to really pay attention to things (me) and is getting a little clingy. I guess that will be Ms. Joanie's problem in a few weeks because for now I'm enjoying snuggling with my girl and spoiling her for a little bit longer!

An early Christmas present from daddy! It's still a little big in her mouth so she'll have to grow into it!

Christmas Pictures

Portrait Innovations is a crazy place. People learn to control your children please!!! It was so hot in the studio!! Noey freaked out after being put in the present. She wanted nothing to do with it. We got some more casual shots but then she was done. Our family group shots were slim pickings!

Daddy Come Home!

Dave's surgery was a success. That's what the doctor tells me. They were able to reconstruct his spine and clean out his back so the nerves aren't being pinched. He has numbness in his bottom lip from anethesia that we are praying goes away and tingling in his right leg that was not there before. The doctor doesn't seem concerned about his leg, saying it is normal but they will watch it just in case. But the lip is weird. It is still a bit swollen so we hope that once the swelling goes down the numbness will go away and all will be normal again.

At this point in recovery, Dave is up and around but still in serious pain. He comes home tomorrow, December 20th. I am so glad he will be home for Noey's first Christmas. He is still regretting doing the surgery at this point because of the pain but I think everyone questions those type of things when they are hurting so bad. It was surgery or paralysis and I think in the end he will be glad he chose surgery.

Noey encouraging Daddy!


Ninja says, "did you ask my permission to photograph my human?"

Flat Head

Noey is getting a flat spot on her right side. It's pretty bad. Her ears are slightly misaligned now and her forehead pokes out a little more on the right side then it should. Dave being the "I'll fix-it" kind of guy he is came up with a temporary solution or aide to the problem. We went to Hancock and he got two sheets of foam. He measured Noey's head and then carved out a bowl shape that fits her perfectly. He says because of the shape no one part of her head will take pressure and get flat so her problem shouldn't get worse. We put one downstairs for her to lay on the floor with and put the other one in her bassinett and covered it with a fitted sheet to hold it in place. The little rascal can wiggle out of it at night though. I think it's because I don't swaddle her tight enough and she likes to inch worm around the bassinett. We see the doctor on Wednesday for her shots. I am supposed to get a referral then for a cranial specialist. She may need one of the helmet/bands to correct her little head!

This is her "condition." She has a moderate case. Not good.
http://www.cranialtech.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=71&Itemid=132

Mama help!


Seriously, HELP!

Christmas Parties

We forgot to take the camera to Chuck E. Cheese with us for Noey's first Christmas party. Miss Joanie (Noey's sitter) holds a party there every year for her kids. It was nice to meet the other parents and get a free lunch! I'm sure Noelle will enjoy it much more next year as this year she chose to sleep through it!

My friend Ian held a party later that night. It was fun to get out and talk to other adults for a while!

Always the life of the party...the girl is passed out on eggnog!


Can't get enough of that face!

Smiles!

We are finally getting some smiles out of Noelle. We can't wait to hear her laugh!




We made cupcakes to take to the Karvo's Christmas party. They were pretty tasty if I do say so myself!