Ok, so I'm still having technical difficulties, so no pics, but I had to get this off my chest. Carsten lost his first tooth yesterday. He has been complaining of it hurting all week and yesterday it was so loose I told him I could probably just pop it out of there. (I was half joking.) He, however, was intrigued and told me to "go for it." Yes, that's a quote---"Go for it." So I reached in with a paper towel (because that's what my dad did), gave it a little wiggle and twist, and out it came. We then held pressure on the hole for minutes (man did that little thing bleed) and called the grandparents and dad. I then proceeded to remind him to put it under his pillow tonight for the tooth fairy.
"Mom, the tooth fairy's not real." Gasp, skipped heartbeat, halting of the universe.
"Of course the tooth fairy is real."
"No it's not mom."
"Why do you think the tooth fairy isn't real. Did someone tell you that?" ('cuz if they did, boy am I going to let them have it....)
"No, I just know it in my head. The tooth fairy isn't real."
Long pause......
"Carsten, the tooth fairy is just as real as Santa Claus." (This was said in the my most firm and resolute voice.)
His response...pause, smirk, walk away.....
What would you have said? This is my first child and his first tooth. What about the far reaching implications this could have---the Easter Bunny? Santa's Elves? the Great Pumpkin? the Monster that takes toys that aren't put away at night?
Friday, October 24, 2008
Monday, October 20, 2008
What the Tech????
So....I know you are all anxiously awaiting for photos of my sweet little Alyssa, however......I am currently encountering technical difficulties. My sis-in-law Deana was kind enough to let us borrow her super nice digital video/still camera to record every moment of Alyssa's first month, but I don't have the books on how to download everything onto my computer. I keep trying to schedule my personal tech assistant (Jason) for the job, but it just hasn't happened yet. So...until then I will tell you what I love about my Alyssa!!!
1- She has the brightest, most alert eyes EVER!!! Even when she was first born, her eyes have been bright!!!
2- When she is in the state between sleep and awake, she makes the sweetest and silliest facial expressions--usually including a big huge grin which seems like a preview of grins to come and gets me excited.
3- She loves to be held. Ok, so this one also frustrates me sometimes, because I really do mean it. She LOVES to be held---as in she frequently HATES to be put down. But when I hear about friends who swear their babies weren't cuddlers and didn't really like to be held and snuggled, I am really grateful for all the snuggling I get to have, everyday, at all hours of the day and night, while trying to multitask and make dinner/dress toddlers/pack lunches/brush my teeth/apply deodorant.........
4- Her spit-up doesn't stink. If you have ever had a baby with reflux you will also appreciate this. Carsten and Abrielle both had reflux as infants and the smell can be pervasive. Rotten curdled breast milk smells roughly like rotten eggs. However, my sweet Alyssa's spit-up does not seem to stink if less that 24 hours old (don't take a whiff of the laundry hamper) and I really appreciate that given #3 above. She spends a lot of time near my nose and all I get is sweet baby scent.
5- She makes me a quieter person. I can't yell at my other kids when she's in my arms and does not like the loud noise. I have found myself yelling a lot less, especially during the dreaded bedtime rituals.
6- She makes me remember where we came from. Just a few weeks ago her spirit was in the pre-existence. I think she was excited to come to our family; that she was anxious to have a body, that she was nervous to leave the beauty and peace of heaven. I also think about how much she was relying on us to teach her and help her return.
7- She has long curly eyelashes. They really frame her bright eyes and...Gorgeous!!!
8- She brings out the soft and calm side of Carsten. Yes, said calm. He'll sit and hold her hand for hours. He naturally lowers his voice when he's close to her. He's the best big brother ever!!!
I will have to post more later---Alyssa must have sensed I was blogging about her and is demanding my attention. I had the nerve to put her down so I could type with two hands.
1- She has the brightest, most alert eyes EVER!!! Even when she was first born, her eyes have been bright!!!
2- When she is in the state between sleep and awake, she makes the sweetest and silliest facial expressions--usually including a big huge grin which seems like a preview of grins to come and gets me excited.
3- She loves to be held. Ok, so this one also frustrates me sometimes, because I really do mean it. She LOVES to be held---as in she frequently HATES to be put down. But when I hear about friends who swear their babies weren't cuddlers and didn't really like to be held and snuggled, I am really grateful for all the snuggling I get to have, everyday, at all hours of the day and night, while trying to multitask and make dinner/dress toddlers/pack lunches/brush my teeth/apply deodorant.........
4- Her spit-up doesn't stink. If you have ever had a baby with reflux you will also appreciate this. Carsten and Abrielle both had reflux as infants and the smell can be pervasive. Rotten curdled breast milk smells roughly like rotten eggs. However, my sweet Alyssa's spit-up does not seem to stink if less that 24 hours old (don't take a whiff of the laundry hamper) and I really appreciate that given #3 above. She spends a lot of time near my nose and all I get is sweet baby scent.
5- She makes me a quieter person. I can't yell at my other kids when she's in my arms and does not like the loud noise. I have found myself yelling a lot less, especially during the dreaded bedtime rituals.
6- She makes me remember where we came from. Just a few weeks ago her spirit was in the pre-existence. I think she was excited to come to our family; that she was anxious to have a body, that she was nervous to leave the beauty and peace of heaven. I also think about how much she was relying on us to teach her and help her return.
7- She has long curly eyelashes. They really frame her bright eyes and...Gorgeous!!!
8- She brings out the soft and calm side of Carsten. Yes, said calm. He'll sit and hold her hand for hours. He naturally lowers his voice when he's close to her. He's the best big brother ever!!!
I will have to post more later---Alyssa must have sensed I was blogging about her and is demanding my attention. I had the nerve to put her down so I could type with two hands.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Forever and Ever and Ever and Ever and Ever......
There is a very bad thing about having your children early. Ok, so medically speaking there are a few very bad things. But psychologically speaking for subsequent pregnancies there is one very, very bad thing........if that one goes to full term you are pregnancy forever!!! Carsten came at 35 weeks, Abrielle was 36 weeks. I am now at 38 weeks and counting. My feet are having a competition with my belly to see who can get the biggest (score 1 for the feet today) and I'm getting a little irritable. Ok, a lot irritable, but only after 5:30 pm. It's my witching hour. Watch out. I will post comparative pics soon so we all can have fun.
On the good side, the kids are getting sooooooo excited for the baby. When the doctor walked into the exam room today, Abrielle looked him right in the eye and said in her stern little estrogen laced voice "Are you gonna get that baby out today?"
On the good side, the kids are getting sooooooo excited for the baby. When the doctor walked into the exam room today, Abrielle looked him right in the eye and said in her stern little estrogen laced voice "Are you gonna get that baby out today?"
Friday, September 12, 2008
I Don't Like Ike!!!
My husband has accused me of praying for hurricanes to hit Houston this year so some of my friends would come visit. I would just like to say this is not true. I am in no way responsible for the 200 mile wide swath of fun heading your way. If I was, I would never have named it Ike. It would be something far more creative and harder to make a rhyme out of ... like Ichabod or Ignatius.
To further my defense, it would also be rather silly of me to pray for hurricanes in Houston, since we still own a house there. A beautiful 2 story on a corner lot at the entrance to the subdivision with nothing by fields and rural what-nots behind it. Also known as a "storm-shield" for the rest of the neighborhood, or so my neighbor said during Hurricane Rita. Figured his one story across the street (towards the inland side) was quite safe as our house would block anything blowing his direction. I didn't not think he was funny, but then perhaps he wasn't trying to be. For now, good luck to everyone hunkering down for their own private hurricane parties. (Enjoy your "Emergency Food" Emily!!!) We are praying for you!!!
To further my defense, it would also be rather silly of me to pray for hurricanes in Houston, since we still own a house there. A beautiful 2 story on a corner lot at the entrance to the subdivision with nothing by fields and rural what-nots behind it. Also known as a "storm-shield" for the rest of the neighborhood, or so my neighbor said during Hurricane Rita. Figured his one story across the street (towards the inland side) was quite safe as our house would block anything blowing his direction. I didn't not think he was funny, but then perhaps he wasn't trying to be. For now, good luck to everyone hunkering down for their own private hurricane parties. (Enjoy your "Emergency Food" Emily!!!) We are praying for you!!!
Friday, September 5, 2008
Where'd we go......
So, I'm not the best, most consistent blogger around. No one should be surprised considering it took me about 1 year of "I should do that today" plus many friends prodding to even get this far. Not to mention a pregnancy in need of creative announcing.
Just so you know, we have not dropped off the proverbial edge of the earth. We are still in Round Rock, far from the edge, though on some days I feel a little closer than other.
So to update you all, here is a quick summary of the last few months.
My original OB/GYN was, shall we say, less than stellar and really let my Thyroid get screwed up, which landed me on the couch for the 1st 3 months of this pregnancy due to exhaustion. Fired her. New OB/GYN is awesome. I've referred 6 people to him. BIG FAN!!! Now off the couch I have been enrichment committee chair and planned 4 activities this year. Carsten was in a home based preschool which I taught about 2 days a month. Abrielle is dancing and singing through it all. Summer time was spent trying to keep cool (Record temps!!!) and doing a few fun things around Austin. Carsten has now started Kindergarten. Abrielle is lonely without him and told mommy she wants the baby to come now to play. Jason has been working....and working... and working, pausing only for meetings as 2 weeks ago he was called as the 1st counselor in the Bishopric of our newly formed ward. We say hi to him as he exits every morning, except when he leaves too early, then he claims to give me a kiss, but I'm unconscious still, so I can't confirm that. The lease is up on the house we initially moved to, but with everything going on, we just don't have the time or energy to put into buying a house, plus the cities we were planning on moving to around here are now off the menu since the Stake Presidency "strongly counseled" us to stay within the new ward boundaries (see the bishopric thing above). There aren't a lot of places in the new ward I know enough about to want to move to, so we are renting a different house and will be moving 10 houses down the street at the end of the month. (Before baby, after baby, during baby, who knows.) Tuesday I spend 4 hours in the hospital with everyone thinking labor was starting, but then it stopped. Now I'm home again timing contractions. Carsten LOVES Kindergarten. He loves running around at recess with his new friends...except for today when two of them collided and Carsten fractured his clavicle. He is now in a sling, which Abrielle is obsessed with and keeps patting. Patting the sling of a fractured clavicle does not feel very good for the fracture-ee. Mommy has declared it a movie night. It's possible that we're having cold cereal for dinner. That about sums it up for now. I will really try to be better about the blogging, but......... : )
Just so you know, we have not dropped off the proverbial edge of the earth. We are still in Round Rock, far from the edge, though on some days I feel a little closer than other.
So to update you all, here is a quick summary of the last few months.
My original OB/GYN was, shall we say, less than stellar and really let my Thyroid get screwed up, which landed me on the couch for the 1st 3 months of this pregnancy due to exhaustion. Fired her. New OB/GYN is awesome. I've referred 6 people to him. BIG FAN!!! Now off the couch I have been enrichment committee chair and planned 4 activities this year. Carsten was in a home based preschool which I taught about 2 days a month. Abrielle is dancing and singing through it all. Summer time was spent trying to keep cool (Record temps!!!) and doing a few fun things around Austin. Carsten has now started Kindergarten. Abrielle is lonely without him and told mommy she wants the baby to come now to play. Jason has been working....and working... and working, pausing only for meetings as 2 weeks ago he was called as the 1st counselor in the Bishopric of our newly formed ward. We say hi to him as he exits every morning, except when he leaves too early, then he claims to give me a kiss, but I'm unconscious still, so I can't confirm that. The lease is up on the house we initially moved to, but with everything going on, we just don't have the time or energy to put into buying a house, plus the cities we were planning on moving to around here are now off the menu since the Stake Presidency "strongly counseled" us to stay within the new ward boundaries (see the bishopric thing above). There aren't a lot of places in the new ward I know enough about to want to move to, so we are renting a different house and will be moving 10 houses down the street at the end of the month. (Before baby, after baby, during baby, who knows.) Tuesday I spend 4 hours in the hospital with everyone thinking labor was starting, but then it stopped. Now I'm home again timing contractions. Carsten LOVES Kindergarten. He loves running around at recess with his new friends...except for today when two of them collided and Carsten fractured his clavicle. He is now in a sling, which Abrielle is obsessed with and keeps patting. Patting the sling of a fractured clavicle does not feel very good for the fracture-ee. Mommy has declared it a movie night. It's possible that we're having cold cereal for dinner. That about sums it up for now. I will really try to be better about the blogging, but......... : )
Saturday, March 1, 2008
INTRODUCING.....
Carsten
aka "Karate Man"
(yes, that is a 2nd place medal he is wearing)
Abrielle
aka "Pretty Princess"
Sweet, Sassy, likes chocolate milk and bananas
?????
aka The New Kid
apparently likes bland food, cold cereal, and long naps
Welcome to Gallini Tales !!!
Due to the prodding of several friends (yes Melanie, I am talking to you) I have finally gotten around to starting our family blog. Therefore, here's the family!!!
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