Christmas 2006

Well, it's the day after Christmas and we have all survived. We all had to take a nap yesterday about 3 p.m., but hey...I am not complaining. I was a walking zombie!

We opened up gifts at my parents on Sunday afternoon after our traditional Subway dinner. Andrew had known for days which gifts were his and he was anxiously waiting to open them. All season long he has been asking for a T-Rex dinosaur and a Castle, not to mention T-Rex mountain. He got to open his gift first and much to his surprise...

Aunt Michelle & Uncle Luke had gotten him his castle! His reaction was HILARIOUS! He was so excited.

Matt was next and he got to open his gift from Michelle and Luke and it was a farm that you could feel the different fuzzy parts of the animals such as their manes, tails and back.

Uncle Tim and Cara surprised Andrew by bringing Toy Story to him with his Mr. Potato Head. He was so excited!

I had made homemade vegetable beef soup for Christmas Eve and so after we had soup (which included spilling it down the front of both of the boys' shirts) we opened up gifts at our house. Next to the John Deere bike that Grandma and Papa Shoe gave the boys...Andrew technically the crowning glory was....

Jason and Tim spent much of the month restoring Jason's John Deere pedal tractor that his Grandpa and Grandma Koehlmoos had given him. It looked brand new and the boys went crazy for it. I think Matt was a little more excited than Andrew and now he just has to learn how to pedal. The arguments have already begun over who gets to drive it. Luckily Matt fits in the wagon!

And if that wasn't good enough Santa delivered the T-Rex on Christmas morning and I do have to admit that it is one of the coolest toys that I have ever seen!

OH...what am I gonna do with him?

Last night I came home from my parents after Andrew had spent much of the day with Grandma and his aunt. I was in Matt's room putting him to bed when I CLEARLY hear..."Oh sh**!"

I spun around in turbo speed and said..."Andrew, what did you say?"

He came into Matt's room and said..."Oh sh**, this broke!"

I initially had to turn around and laugh because he was using it in the appropriate text and everything. Then I had to lecture him on why we don't say that.

So he got sent to bed, which he ended up falling right to sleep anyway, with a big lesson on what not to say in front of your mom.

After he was in bed I called my parents to tell them to PLEASE watch their language as Andrew is picking up new vocabulary words.

If that wasn't bad enough, he woke up today with the phrase..."Oh, G**!"

I replied with a similar prayer..."Oh, Lord HELP ME!"

Santa Let Down

Andrew has his heart set on a T-Rex dinosaur from Santa this year, which I am pretty sure Santa will deliver, but it still makes an opportune threat right now when he is being his 3 1/2 year old boy self.

Last night he did something and I threatened to call Santa to tell him no T-Rex dinosaur...it backfired.

Andrew demanded to talk to Santa to tell him that he WILL be getting a T-Rex dinosaur for Christmas. The bad thing was is that I didn't have anyone to call and have them pretend to be Santa because Andrew could recognize anyone's (I would have thought to call) voice.

On a different Santa note, Andrew was talking to my mom on the phone tonight and all she said was..."Santa is watching." I wish I would have thought of it sooner because it sent him into a body convulsing crying spell in which 10 minutes later he is still doing.

4 more days!

Broken Hearted

Most of you reading this will not understand where I am coming from and probably think that I am coming out of left field and being totally rediculous, but it is bothering me so guess what...you get to read it...or you can stop now.

My Grandma was moved to the nursing home I work at on Matt's first birthday (Aug. 30). Since then she has gone down hill rapidly...it seems anyway. She is often confused and upset about her unfamiliar surroundings, but in the next breath she is saying something that you have to laugh at.

Today, after work, my brother's girlfriend (she works at the nursing home too) informed me that Grandma was ticked at me. I asked her why she was ticked at me and she said that Grandma was upset because I didn't got pick up Grandma's sister. SIDENOTE: Grandma had a sister, but she passed away either at birth or shortly after birth.

Anyway, I kind of brushed it to the side, but at the same time it kind of kept eating at me. I didn't care that she was ticked at me. Let her be ticked, at least I am a safe person to be ticked at, on the other hand...it broke my heart. I think it was tonight that I realized that I don't really have my Grandma anymore. The Grandma that I confided so many things into and everything. I miss just sitting and talking to her and have her not say anything, but listen to every word. I could still do that, but I am afraid of what she would say! :) I just feel like I lost her even though she's technically still with us.

It made me understand how my aunt felt this weekend when she was talking about Gram. At the time I was looking at her wondering how she could get so choked up, but it didn't make sense to me because she was my GREAT-grandma. Today made me understand though. I miss my old Grandma. The one who always had gentle words of wisdom and unconditional love.

Then tonight my phone rings and my Grandma's number came up and I thought...she is in no state of mind to call anyone, let alone remember MY number. So after I answered I hear..."No, that's Jeanie." My aunt got on the phone and then I hear..."No mom that is the right person." So then she preceded to ask me if I would come to the Tree of Love party at the nursing home tomorrow with her. Of course I said yes and she said..."We'll discuss it in the morning." Little does she know I won't be there until 3:45!

My other aunt asked to relay the message to me that I need to have broad shoulders. I know what she's getting at...but my shoulders are broad enough. It's hard to find clothes as it is! :)

Jesus Rode in on a John Deere

Andrew and I set up the nativity scene the other night after I decided that I should probably set it up since we received it for our wedding 3 years ago!

It is a beautiful Fontanini that Jason's "Aunt & Uncle" Butch and Karen gave us for our wedding.

Anywho, we set it up piece by piece and I shared with him the story of Jesus and Gabriel and the Angel and the Three Kings. (Yes, I am very aware that they don't come until January, but in our house if they don't arrive now, they never will!) There was also a random Aaron in there and I wasn't sure what his whole story was, so I just made something up and looked it up later!

We placed the sheep and the ox and the donkey, along with the Bethlehem birds (they resemble Nebraska birds just in case you're curious). Then we took a step back and marveled at the beautiful scene.

The next day I saw Andrew up at the Nativity scene and asked him what he was doing and he said..."Looking at baby Jesus!"

I didn't think much of it until later in the day I noticed the John Deere tractor next to him. I guess our baby Jesus rode into the stable on a John Deere tractor.

But with all things considered does that surprise anyone?

Yet More Good News!

Friday, we traveled to Omaha to see Dr. K, and if I haven't mentioned it before, he's the best pediatrician in the state of Nebraska as far as I'm concerned. ANYWHO! He said that Matt's lungs sounded good, his ears were clear (of wax even - usually he removes a small chunk) and his skin looked good and he was over all pleased with the way Matt presented himself.

It was weird however, because this was the first doctor's appointment I think we have been to since he was born that I didn't come home with new instructions or some new thing to treat him with. I told my nursing instructor that I didn't really know what to do with myself! It was a good feeling though.

He does have haemaphilus influenzae growing in his nose (the common bacteria that causes ear infections) and so we are on an antibiotic until Christmas...but that's okay. We are getting closer and Closer to AT (allergy testing) Day! I am hoping it brings answers! I am sure it will.

Proud Moment

For a couple of weeks now Matt has been standing in front of the toilet pulling at his pants, trying to stand up and go potty like big brother and daddy do. It usally backfires on him because he usually has a onesie on!

However, lately, when he has been pulling at his pants I have just sat him on the toilet and see what he'll do. Usually it's nothing, but I don't get to bent out of shape. I mean he is on 15 months old!

So, tonight, in order to keep him from diving into the tub head first while it was filling I stripped him down and set him on the potty ring on the toilet. I went about getting the bath ready and he just sat there.

When I had pulled him off, much to my surprise, there was poop in the toilet! YEAH! I cheered and clapped and whooped and hollared and he sat there and stared at me with that look of..."What the heck are you yelping at mom, put me in the darn tub!"

It was exciting for a mom, especially a mom whose first son took 16 months to potty train! I called my mom and was like..."Matt went poopy in the potty!"

My mom replied with..."Really...was he sitting on the potty ring?" and I believed I smarted off by saying..."No I made him hover above the toilet!" (If I didn't say it, I know I thought it!)

It was very exciting to say the least...but I think my mom may I have been right...it was coincidence most likely...but this mom isn't going to let it go and we are going to stay on top of the whole poop in the potty thing! Eventually I won't get the "You're a complete idiot mom!" look!