Week in review

I started feeling like I lost my blogging steam, but then I realized that we had guests from out of town which just distracted me for a bit. To back up a week or so, Phil let me meet up with my new friend (don't you just love new friends?) for coffee on a Sunday morning and he watched Micah. I was excited to get back out there as "my old self" for a bit (three whole hours actually!), but I was also nervous since we had yet to try feeding Micah from a bottle. As my new friend Jodi and I sat chatting about school, our families, Pinterest, and more, Micah loved the bottle so much that he drank all three bags of stored milk that I had! Yea and shoot at the same time! As I think about returning to work in about a month and a half, I'm excited since I will get to work with Jodi, since I get to have my class all day instead of just two and a half hours, and since I know Micah will be in amazing hands with my mother-in-law. This may be a bit T.M.I. for you non parents out there, but what I'm nervous about is figuring out this whole pumping thing and building up a milk supply! I mean...for whatever reason it's been a bit challenging to do so far and I have all day to try. Just wait until I have to try and fit it in at fifteen minute recesses where I usually only get a minute or two after dealing with follow up conversations with my kindergarteners.

Wow...sorry for the tangent, but that is what's been on my brain a lot lately (that and the tragedy at Sandy Hill, which I just can't even think of without starting to cry and picture what I would do in the same scenario with my students. I thought about writing a post specifically about it, but I've decided against it. The whole thing hit way too close to home for me being a new mom and a Kindergarten teacher. I have all those families and the staff of that school in my thoughts and prayers and forever will).

So, last week was Micah's first Hanukkah. I feel a little bad that I didn't get him anything, but he won't remember this Hanukkah anyways and besides he is still getting 'welcome to this world' gifts! We did get to eat yummy latkes and spin the dreidel on the second night with my friend Anna and her family. They have made us feel welcome and adopted into their Hanukkah traditions which is nice as its easy to let Hanukkah kind of get left as an afterthought to our busy lives otherwise without a lot of family around town. We did light the candles each night (minus one, since I kept waiting for Micah to wake up, but he slept straight into the night!). One night we got to face time with my parents while lighting the menorah and on the second to last night we went to our new temple's Hanukkah service, which was great since I kept trying to remember all the words to the Hanukkah songs that I learned as a kid and wasn't having much luck (they had the words up on huge screens while a kids choir sung them, which was great except that I've already forgotten them again!). I am looking forward to next year when I will actually do the whole one small present a night thing for Micah. He is such a lucky kiddo to celebrate both Hanukkah and Christmas, but then again so was I!

Fun dinner with Anna & Ryan's families...look at the cute GlassyBabies Menorah on the table

Anna looks good with a baby, doesn't she?! ;-)

Micah's first Hanukkah

This weekend Phil and I panicked a bit as our friends came into town from Idaho a whole day earlier than expected. So in between feedings, naps, and diaper changes I raced around cleaning our mess of a house as best as I could and Phil came home from work a few hours early to finish taping and mudding the new dry wall in the guest bedroom and to clean up the ginormous mess it all makes. It was a whirlwind trip for the Adams family. We got to meet their little five month old, Porter, and see their two year old, Charlotte. They were super cute, but can you believe that Charlotte weighs only about 24 pounds and Porter is already about 20?! It was definitely eye opening to see what having two kids looks like. Since having Micah, this cute and pretty calm baby, I've been pondering the idea of cranking out a couple more kids right in a row. After seeing what two kids right in a row look like, I am pretty sure that I would like to have a few years in between each kid! In other words it was great birth control for another few years!

Dry wall is up, windows are now cute out, and the taping and mudding has begun

Porter

Charlotte was very entertained by (and occasionally scared of) Charlie

We also managed to squeeze in Isaacs first birthday party! Krista did such a great job planning, decorating and hosting with a fun Brown Bear theme. The good company, the yummy popcorn, and seeing Isaac interact with all his new loot made the two screaming crying long car rides to and from their house worth it (it seems like Micah is one of the few kids who hates being in the car and screams every time instead of falling asleep!).

Isaac with the Xmas Tree lights behind him

Phil and Micah at the birthday party

Such a cute display of photos from each month in Isaac's first year

Brown Bear birthday!

Super fun decorations! I'm so going to copy this for home and school!

He's too cute...I had to throw in a few pics of him too!

Again...super cute decorations Krista!

Isaac loved this little Jack-in-the-box. Here he is playing with "Aunt Jenni"

And the proof that it was a great party by the guest of honor!

I have so much more to share about Micah's development, but since he turns three months officially in just a couple of days, I'll save it for that post.

As my Gramma would say..."I could just eat you up" toes!

Mr. Bubbles

Happy holidays everyone! I hope your shopping is done soon and that you get to be with loved ones. We have all but one gift checked off the list and we will get to spend Christmas with all three of our parents.