Merry Christmas!

We have not had exactly the Christmas we planned on, as we are still in VA rather than FL!  But we had a nice day and were able to enjoy the gifts that Santa brought and even get some re-organizing done around the house.  Here are a few glimpses of our day; we’ll give a more complete report after we return from vacation (which will hopefully start tomorrow!).

Visiting with friends on Christmas Eve

Andrew’s hat for up north!

Milk, cookie and candy for Santa, carrot for the reindeer, and cheese for Santa Mouse

Christmas Morning!! Santa CAME!!!

  Ready for the sun!

Bunny wearing Julia’s new slippers!  I think he was jealous!

   Julia’s new kitchen!

Julia playing hide and seek with her new toy!

Playing the piano!

We hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and we’ll be back in touch next year!!

Current Events

So we’ve had a few interesting moments in the last couple of days.  First, Julia was VERY upset on Monday when I came home with my toenails painted.  She was almost in tears and insisted that I put my socks back on!  But Tuesday morning she came around and wanted me to paint her toenails.  So I did! I was amazed she sat still the whole time (probably only 10 minutes but that’s a record around here) and cooperated very well.  We don’t have any pictures but it was very cute.

Next, there was a couple of hours of worry that Julia had a urinary tract infection.  This was after she stood in the middle of living room yelling and clutching her bottom.  When I checked her diaper it was obvious she had just peed so of course, we automatically assumed the worst and began worrying that she has a UTI.  A quick internet search determined that this requires a trip to the doctor where they will gather a urine sample via catheter… SOOOO, not being very eager to experience THAT, we took her clothes off and waited for the next peeing episode while trying to get her to drink a bunch of water.  Thankfully, she did not seem in pain the next time (or since) and we believe she just had a little rash which got irritated.  But it was an exciting hour or so while we sat around Julia on her potty in the middle of living room trying to keep her entertained and get her to pee.

Then we had a little mishap with Scootles our zhu zhu pet …. it got stuck in Julia’s hair.  Apparently, she thought she would try putting it on her head and when she turned him on her hair got wound around one of the wheels.  I actually had to cut him out.

On a more positive note, Julia has been saying lots and lots of words.  She tries to repeat pretty much everything that we say and has surprised both of us with her vocabulary in the last few days.  A big achievement for her is using please and thank you, both of which she has been starting to say more consistently in the appropriate context.

Julia has also been getting more and more physically adventurous and independent.  She is climbing more and trying to jump and has been going off on her own more.  Like going upstairs by herself to find Andrew or I or to get a toy or book she wants.  She has also started playing with some different toys, racing cars around the house, playing with her little people figures and animals, and running around the house playing chase and hide-and-seek with mom and dad.  She has also discovered the sit-and-spin that I got at a thrift store awhile ago and is trying to master it.  She also likes to be silly, pretending to fall off to get us to laugh like she does here:

Let it Snow

At this time last year we had about 2 feet of snow on the ground.  This year it looked like it might be a green Christmas but last Thursday we got about 2 inches of snow!  Julia had a bad cold all week and we spent most of the time in the house but Thursday we went out catch snowflakes on our tongues and shovel the driveway.  It was a huge relief to get outside for a little bit and Julia had a great time watching our neighbors sled down their hill. 

Julia is trying to decide whether she should walk on the white stuff!

 

She decided to help me shovel by “mowing” the snow!

Bunny had to make a snow angel too!

We had to try out the snowy slide!

Good Job!

And, of course, she had to have her first hot chocolate – Yum!

The Plumbers

In preparation for eventually putting our house on the market Andrew has been doing some updating in our bathrooms.  First he replaced the light fixtures (a seemingly easy project until we discovered that the light that was hung over one of the vanities did not have the electrical box centered… so there’s some remaining rearranging and drywall patching that is required before that can be checked off the list), next he replaced the faucets (successful!), then he decided to replace the drain in our master bathroom… this is where the fun begins because it turned into the proverbial slippery slope.  First, the stopper was to be replaced, then the whole drain piece had to replaced, then the u-joint under the sink, and finally once all of the leaking related to those fixes had been dealt with, the hot water valve started dripping.  So that got replaced too.  Andrew’s downfall in all of this was a simple question: “Julia, do you want to help?”  OF COURSE she did!!! And with that she could not be kept away from helping Dad with the plumbing!

 

She was a great helper but in the end the project was finished Monday while Julia was at daycare!

Oh Christmas Tree…

Last weekend was spent decorating the house, putting up our Christmas tree, and doing a couple of plumbing projects (that merits a separate post).  We set out Saturday morning to get our tree and for the first time in VA we had to go to two different places to find a suitable tree.  For those who have experienced the Nadeau tree hunting experience (which has in the past lasted as long as 6-8 hours) this is not as bad as it sounds because we’re not talking about acres and acres of potential trees, just a hundred or so which did not live up to expectations.  Our choices of where to purchase are somewhat limited because we have a fancy tree-stand that requires a hole to be somewhat precisely drilled in the base of the tree to hold it upright and there are only a couple of places around here that have the equipment for it… Anyway, we did find a very nice tree eventually and had a good time stringing lights and hanging the ornaments.  Julia was super excited to have a tree in the house but since the first day has largely ignored it other than to make the occasional statement “light!” while pointing at the tree and then carrying on with whatever she is doing.  She also has taken the Dunkin Donuts coffee cup ornament off the tree a couple of times and taken a “sip.”  Guess everyone needs a pick-me-up sometimes!

Searching for the perfect tree

 

Decorating

Julia and Dad placed Mike on top   and Bunny had to get into the action as well!

Our mechanical child

Julia has started to show a lot of interest in how things work and go together.  Andrew took this video of her at dinner the other night when she was dissecting the salt mill.

All a Blur

Lots of things feel like they’re going a mile a minute these days, including Julia!

YUM

Julia has a new pre-dinner snack… raw garlic.  She ate a piece the other day and even though her eyes were watering claimed she liked it.  I thought it was fluke but she went back for more during dinner prep tonight.  It wouldn’t be my choice (the snuggling on the couch before bed is a little stinky!) but maybe it will keep her healthy!

Dress Up

…or dress down as the case may be.  Julia has taken a liking to her rain boats and has been wearing them for the past two days straight.  I think she could give the Naked Cowboy a run for his money.

October Adventures

   October was a very busy month for the Crowders!  We did quite a bit of traveling, spent time with friends and family, and enjoyed lots of fall activities in and around Alexandria.  Here are some of the highlights.

Charlottesville, VA

We started the month with a weekend in Charlottesville and enjoyed another visit towards the end of the month as well.  This is a very special place to us and the last trip was a little sad as we’re not sure when we might be visiting again.  Andrew’s parents are leaving November 2nd to move down to FL and we are planning on moving back up north sometime in the next year so it was most likely our last trip for quite awhile.  We did take the opportunity to get some pictures of Julia on the UVA grounds with her Dad and Grandpa (both UVA graduates).  Who knows, one day she she may be a UVA graduate as well!

Madison, WI

We spent the second weekend of the month with my friend, Yvonne, and her wonderful family in Madison, WI.  Yvonne and I have known each other since our orientation at Providence College and an awful lot has changed in the past eleven years.  We have gone from worrying about mid-term exams and discussing econometrics problems to tracking down sippy cups and contemplating discipline methods.  She and her husband, Paul, have three adorable children and Andrew and I were thrilled to finally meet the two youngest and introduce Julia to all of them.  We made the most of our two days visiting the botanical gardens, the farmer’s market (the largest in the US), a children’s magic and puppet show (where Julia saw juggling and has been trying to copy it since), and a winery (where Andrew and Paul very graciously watched the kids while Yvonne and I sampled the wine!).  We enjoyed everything about the weekend, great friends, great food, and lots of laughing.

All the kids playing in the pond at the Botanical Gardens

Julia and Daniel splashing around

Natalie, Andrew, Daniel, and Julia sitting on an elephant

Andrew and the two girls.  He got some practice chasing two at once!

Julia and I in downtown Madison

Julia and Daniel held hands to cross the street – super cute!

The Moms!

Alexandria, VA and DC

Other activities this month included picking out pumpkins:

Trying on hats:

Visiting the National Aquarium for toddler craft time:

 

Attending the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear on the National Mall (for some reason Julia was all about Fear):

and, of course, trick or treating:

Happy Halloween!

Big Shoes

Julia’s goal for today was walk in my shoes… literally.  And she was pretty successful.

First attempt:

Goal Accomplished!!:

“Thank you, mama”

“Thank you Mama” was what I heard when I handed Julia a little cup of water this morning.  I thought I had heard wrong but then when she asked for more she said it again… and made my day! 

Mom Sayings #1

I’m sure I’ve said plenty of “mom-things” over the past 19 months but tonight at dinner I had a moment of realization that yes, I am a Mom.  We introduced Julia to ice cream sandwiches a few days ago and she LOVES them.  She does not have a big sweet tooth so usually desserts are not a big thing for her; she typically ends her dinner with mandarin oranges or applesauce.  However, for the past few days it has been ice cream sandwiches – she is addicted (she comes by it honestly as both Andrew and I love them as well). 

Anyway, tonight we had jambalaya for dinner.  Rice, sausage, tomatoes – all her favorite things and I knew she would like it, but of course being a toddler she refused to try it.  She ate all her veggies and fruit and then asked for an ice cream sandwich.  More specifically, she pointed at the freezer and then at her mouth and we knew exactly what she was asking for.  Then I heard the words come out of my mouth: “you can have one of those if you have a bite of your rice.”  And then I had the thought, “wow, I really am a mom and I can’t believe it worked!”

A New Phase

This past Monday Julia started going to daycare one day a week.  It was a big day for us.  A full day of independence from Mom for her and a day alone for me.  Julia did great; she cried when I left but that was short-lived and then she had a fun day meeting and playing with her new teachers and friends.  She even took a two hour nap (something that is very rare at home).  I was anxious the whole day, wondering how she was doing, but it was nice to go to a doctor’s appointment alone and get some other things done around the house much quicker than usual!  When I picked her up she was playing happily outside and while she was eager to go home, she also said goodbye to everyone and agreed that it would fun to go back again.  Overall I think we made the right decision and that a day of daycare will benefit all of us! 

She has also been showing a little more independence this week.  She has started moving chairs and stools around so that she can climb up and reach things; she picked out her own shirt this morning and even got it halfway on herself; she has started saying some two word phrases (most often it’s “no mama”!); and she has started walking down the stairs by herself (this is not one that Andrew or I is entirely comfortable with but she’s very careful and so far so good).