Bring in the Noise, Bring in the Funk~ NYE 2010!

....and I don't mean rhythm. Something nasty has been going around and we all got it in some way, shape, or form. Alan has a horrible cold and an ear infection that requires Vicodin (YIKES). I am on the mend from a miserable cold and cough. Poor Stella was diagnosed with strep throat today. Who knows where she picked it up because I feel like everywhere we have been, someone has been ill. She never had a fever, but she has been battling a bad cough and runny nose for almost a week. Knowing that our pediatrician was going to close Friday afternoon and not be available until Monday, I decided to bite the bullet and take her in just to see if there was anything going on. Stella was a trooper at the doc's office; we waited for over an hour to be seen (clearly everyone else was thinking the same way). She had to have a strep test and did great. She is now on her very first antibiotic. I shouldn't have been bragging about the fact that she had never been on one while in Ohio (but I knocked on wood!). Hopefully, the meds will help her to start feeling better soon. It had to happen at some point, right??

Want a visual of this moment in time?! Picture this: New Year's Eve @ 9:45 p.m...

Stella - sleeping in her room (without her paci):
Alan - crashed on the couch after taking his cocktail of meds (prescribed and legal):
Canine dependents - comfortably sleeping on my bed:
Me - switching between blogging and folding laundry:Chances are, I won't make it to midnight either, but I wouldn't trade this life for anything. Happy New Year!

Bye Bye Paci - A Rite of Passage

Well, my friends, today was the day. It was a day that I, as Stella's mother, have been dreading since I recognized Stella's obsession and addiction to her pacifier. Knowing that the longer we prolonged the inevitable, the harder it would be, we decided that we would "de-pacify" Stella over our Christmas break. At this point, she only took it at nap and bedtime, but she definitely asked for it and wanted it during those times. We knew we would need the help of the paci on our 12-hour journey to and from Ohio, so once we got home, we ALL had to mentally prepare.

I had been warning Stella that her paci was going to go "bye bye" for quite some time. The typical response that I would receive was, "Shh, mommy. No talking. My paci." Ohhhkay. I just knew it wasn't going to be easy, so I had to come up with something meaningful and memorable for her paci "release." Therefore, this morning, Stella and I went to purchase some balloons. I let her pick out three balloons at the store and she chose an Elmo balloon, a star balloon, and a circle balloon. I told her that we were going to tie her paci to the balloons and send them to the stork in the sky so he could give them to other babies who needed them. Still, at this point, she was adamant that I just STOP TALKING. Needless to say, I kept reminding her that she was a big girl and didn't need it anymore. Then, this afternoon we took a trip to the beach. We made a big deal about the trip because it is rare that we go during the winter months. She was sooo excited to see the "ocean-pool." When we got to the beach, she ran onto the sand. Alan thought it would be a good idea to videotape the event so that we could show her the day she gave up her paci, not thinking that it would come in handy as a reminder later that night when she asked for it. Here's a look:

After the "paci release," we went to our favorite restaurant for dinner to celebrate Alan's birthday, which unfortunately, was overshadowed by our paci ceremony (sorry, babe). When we got home it was apparent that Stella was avoiding bedtime. Normally, she asks to go to bed, but tonight was definitely stalling. She typically gets her paci after she brushes her teeth, but tonight after she brushed her teeth, she was sort-of talking to herself about her paci and how it went bye bye in the sky with her Elmo balloon. It was so sweet to see her realization and her understanding. I definitely underestimated her. After a few minutes of snuggling on the couch, I said it was time to go to bed, and she went with ease. We read a few of her favorite books and sang her favorite songs. Then, that was it! Who knew it would be so easy!

Oh - and HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ALAN - an amazing husband and daddy. WE LOVE YOU!!!

Happy Holidays!

The holidays definitely hold new meaning now that we share them with our little lady. It's hard to believe that this was Stella's THIRD Christmas (her first being when she was only 4 weeks old). Although she still doesn't entirely "get it," she definitely enjoys opening gifts and playing with new toys. One problem we had Christmas morning, however, was that once she would open one present, she would want to play with it immediately and not open any others! Not only did Santa spoil her, but so did everyone else! Some of her favorite gifts included a personalized suitcase packed with all the necessities to visit Auntie K in Texas, a new baby doll with a cradle and clothes, The Tickle Monster book and tickle gloves, and dress-up costumes and shoes. She also enjoyed playing with cousin Keagan's trains because she is obsessed with Thomas the Train!

Decorating cookies is super-fun when all you do is eat the icing!


Running to see what Santa brought!


Coloring at the kids' table!


Wow!! I LOVE my new baby and cradle!

Handsome Kohen loves his new chair!


They are sweet MOST of the time....Well, Kohen is sweet all of the time!

"Bye Bye Letters"

Stella's obsession with letters has been ongoing for about 4 months now. There are benefits to this obsession, like learning her letters and their sounds, but there are also some disadvantages to the obsession, like only wanting to watch The Letter Factory over and over and over again. The benefits definitely outweigh the disadvantages, and most recently she has started to identify letters that she sees while we're out and about. She'll point to my CFA t-shirt and say, "Hi, f. Ffffff," and make the 'F' sound.

This past week, I stopped at the liquor store and had Stella with me (bad parent? nah!). We went inside, made our purchase quickly, and left in under 5 minutes. When we were pulling out of the parking lot, Stella said, "Bye bye, a. Bye bye, b. Bye bye, c. BYE BYE LETTERS!" Our liquor stores down in Wilmington are called "ABC Stores." Moral of the story? Taking your child to the liquor store can definitely be a learning experience!

Birthday Bliss

On December 2nd, Stella celebrated her second birthday! We can't believe how fast the past two years have passed, but we love and embrace every new stage that Stella enters (good, bad, and ugly)! On her birthday, I took the day off of work so we could celebrate together.

We started the day with a morning tantrum....

Then, we enjoyed a peaceful and delicious breakfast....


Later in the day we decorated a birthday card for Stella's friend/neighbor, Lily....


Next, we decorated our gingerbread house (although the pic is the next day)....


Finally, we ended the day with snuggle time....


The next day, Stella had her 2-year check-up. At the pediatrician's office, she was an angel. She cooperated through all of the poking and prodding and even did some talking for the doctor. When it was time to get the flu-mist, she sniffed in the medicine without flinching. Unfortunately, her vaccination booster shot was not so pleasant. She was NOT happy about the prick, but perked up immediately once a sticker was mentioned! She walked away with about six stickers!

All in all, Stella's 2nd birthday was a success. She's such an amazing little girl, and I know I speak for myself and Alan when I say that we are truly blessed to have her in our lives!