2nd Christmas

Today we celebrated my mother's 62nd birthday and we had our 2nd family Christmas (my side)holiday party. We took some family pictures before everyone came and then Noah helped Paris prepare to be poodle-pretty!



























Noah and Christopher, who is 13, wrestled all day and had a great time just being boys. Cheyenne, who is 10, was content just cuddling paris, who needed much love and attention. We had a nice family day!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Noah had such a great time on Christmas morning! He was surprised by his train table, which he told us was supposed to be in the box. (All of the times he walked past it in the garage I thought he never saw it, I guess he did.)

Later we went to Becky and Dan's. Noah had so much fun playing with Emma and Leo!

Christmas Wall-E

Today when I told noah it was Christmas Eve, he said, "no, it is christmas Wall-E." For those who have not seen the movie Wall-E, Eve is the other main robot character. And since noah loves that movie.. Eve is the only thing he can relate to, vs christmas eve. It was just so funny to hear him say it. He is understanding a little about the holiday. I tell him it is Jesus's birthday and he sometimes agrees with me and talks about cute baby Jesus. Other times, depending on how rambunctious he is feeling, he will debate me and tell me "it is almost baby Noah's birthday!!!" 9 more days until his 3rd birthday... He doesn't really get santa. He knows how to identify him, and waved to him at the mall but doesn't get the whole writing letters to santa and how he brings gifts to good boys and girls on a magic sleigh being pulled by 8 reindeer... My friend recommended a few books that helps correlate santa and Jesus throughout the holiday. I think I will get those books for next year. Tonight Joe and I will put together his train table an look forward with excitment to his reaction to the table tomorrow morning. Then we are going to Becky and Dan's to celebrate the true meaning of the holiday, with friends and family, and rejoice in the birth of Jesus!

Here are some more holiday pictures. Baking, playing, and just being silly, enjoying the holiday fun.

Tinsel hair

2 more weeks until Noah turns 3!!

As I write this, Noah is in bed, supposed to be napping. But instead, he is giggling, because he is tickling his own feet!

One day a few weeks ago Noah and I were visiting the Farmington library. A lady commented on how beautiful Noah's hair is. And it really is. It is an amazing color: a rich golden-blonde but with flecks of gold running through each strand of hair that glistens in the sun. The woman said she has been trying for years to get the same color in a box but could never accomplish it. and she never will be able to, it is only something God could create.

As we are getting ready for Christmas next week, Noah is really starting to understand a little bit more this year. He does not really ask for gifts, and when we do shop, I tell him we are shopping for friends. When he sees his gifts at home by accident hidden in the spare room, I tell him they are for his cousin Emma or cousin Leo. He knows about baby Jesus and God's people and Mary and Joseph. I am really excited to see how he reacts next year and what he learns about the true reason for Christmas.

Joe and I got a baby sitter for tonight and are going to see the Moscow Ballet's Great Russian Nutcracker!!!

One more month until 3

I just can't believe Noah will be 3 in one more month. These past years have just flown by! There is so much he says and does, I wish I could write it all down to remember. I love the hugs at the grocery store. as we are shopping he asks for hugs and gives me the best ones! I don't care if I block the aisle with my cart, all hunched over getting my hugs..they may not always come so freely in the future.
I also love my "biggest hugs in the world!" Noah wraps his arms tightly around my neck and legs around my waist. I love those!!

Noah is doing remarkably well on the potty! He has had only a few accidents in the past few weeks he has been potty trained which is amazing! He even tries to stay dry at nap (still wears nap time diaper) and wakes up and goes pees and poos! He has been amazing about going potty on his own! He asks his teachers at church to go potty without being reminded. At home he is independent and takes down his own pants and underware and goes. Sometimes he forgets to tell me he went poo and I notice he went only because he is walking around bottomless...

For 2 weeks instead of m&m's, we moved to noah receiving marbles. one for pee and 2 for poos. he put them in a jar and at the end of the night he would dump them out and count them and we'd mark it on a paper hung on the fridge. The most he had in one day is 31!!! and at the end of these two weeks, he had 257 marbles!!! How many diapers is that? He is doing fantastic and I am so proud of him. The best part, he did it when he was ready. I did not push, only offered the potty. If at any time this past year he declined or refused underware or asked for his diaper on, that was fine. He did it on his terms, when he was ready, and it worked!