I Almost Knocked Him Out

I managed to snag a really great deal online with American Girl (3 outfits for $34!!!), and since an AG doll is the main thing on Lina’s Christmas list this year, it was an even better find.  It arrived at our house on Monday but I didn’t get a chance to show Mason until last night.  The pajama set was his favorite outfit because of the little pink slippers.  In fact the shoes were his favorite part of all the outfits.  But I’ve gotten off track…

Wednesday, after we put Lina to bed, I pulled out the shipping box with all the 3 outfits and handed it to Mason.  Once he had moved onto the second outfit (the pajamas) we hear a sweet little voice coming from the hallway.

Lina: Mommy, my heel hurts.

I know this tactic so I’m about to tell her to get back in bed when Mason decided to be nice.

Daddy: Come here Lina.

Lina rounds the corner, points to her ankle and starts telling me all about how it hurts.  As we start talking about the difference between her ankle and her heel, she looks up and see’s what’s in her daddy’s lap. 

Lina: What do you have, Daddy?

Having had my computer open and sitting on the arm rest, I couldn’t see him at all until I peered around the screen and saw what he was looking at.

Mommy: Daddy doesn’t have anything.  Daddy has nothing in his lap. 

Lina: What’s that Daddy?

Mommy: Daddy isn’t looking at anything.  Daddy doesn’t have anything!

Yes, it took four times for Mason to hear me and process what I was actually saying.  Meanwhile I had propped up my leg on the coffee table so she couldn’t get past and get a better view.

Daddy: (while finally closing the box) It’s RC parts.

Lina: Noooooo, it’s doll parts!

Mommy: Lina, it’s time to go hop back in bed.  Is your ankle all better or does it need a kiss?

Lina: It needs a kiss.

After Lina was safely tucked back in bed I turned to Mason…

Me: I can’t believe you just did that.  I mean, YOU called her in here while YOU had her Christmas present open and didn’t bother to try and hide it.

Mason: Um, that wasn’t supposed to be from Santa, was it?

Me: If it was, it sure isn’t anymore!

Mason: Don’t worry, she’ll forget.

Me: No she won’t.

Mason: Sure she will.

Me: Oh, you mean like she forgot about the little Red Mini Cooper you let her sit in at Toys R Us last spring that she keeps randomly telling me she wants?  Yeah, she’s not going to forget.

It's The Most Wonderful Time

Elina gave us the most wonderful gift for Christmas.  She gave us two full nights of sleep.  I would like to give credit to the swing and the swaddle for soothing her and her sore gums all night.  Mason and I woke up on Christmas Eve feeling refreshed and cheerful.  A feeling neither of us had felt in a very long time.  On Christmas day, we had to get up a little earlier so we could make it to all of our events on time and still have a Christmas morning at our house, so we woke up to the alarm and got a few things done around the house before Lina woke up.  Our Christmas morning was more than I could have even hoped for with a 4 month old.  While wrapping all of her presents, I asked myself several times why I was even bothering.  It's not like she would even be able to open them.  But I was wrong.  I would place her fingers on an edge of the paper, she would grab hold and tear the paper.  I'll admit in the morning, she really didn't quite get it.  But by our third stop, she knew she was tearing the paper and would get all excited about it.  Even some of the toys were oh so exciting.  Here are some of her favorites so far

A Bounce & Giggle Elephant, which also seems to be the fuss stopper from Aunt Sarah.  If she starts to fuss or cry, I just have to put this elephant in her lap and press on the trunk.  Almost immediately she stops crying and plays with the elephant.  An activity table, and a driver toy with working headlights and wipers from my sister seemed to be a big hit with both Lina and Miss O.  But perhaps she was most distracted by the V Tech Count and Learn School Bus from my parents.  After she opened it, and I set it aside to open the next present, she stopped tearing the paper, craned her neck and just stared at the bus.  My personal favorite... the Fisher-Price Laugh and Learn Jumperoo.  This has already provided us both with hours of entertainment.  But most important, it has given me a chance to do laundry, clean bottles, and put on make-up.  It's a miracle.

Take 12,830

I have had so much to say, yet I haven’t been able to get the words from my brain in a way that would be interesting enough to share. I have had so many false starts it isn’t even funny. I’ll try a top ten list and see if that helps. Although I feel I should warn you, there is no top to this top ten list. It’s just a list of 10 random things I feel like sharing. So if you get bored by number 5, you should probably stop reading, it won’t get much better I’m sure.

10. Sleep. There isn’t much of it going on in our house. Unless your Mason and you can put your good ear into the pillow and not hear a dang thing. Elina has started crying every hour or so at night. I get up, go pick her up, and she is instantly asleep (usually). It’s pointless to wake up Mason for these moments, because it actually takes more energy to wake him up then it does for me to just get up. Plus, I would be awake the entire time he was up, so really what’s the point? Just don’t let me hear him say one word about him being tired.

9. It seems like there is less time with the holiday season this year. Our Christmas tree isn’t even up yet, and our 3 outside decorations are still in their boxes. And honestly, I don’t know when I will have time to do any of it. But the presents need somewhere to go. Stashed under the coffee table just doesn’t have the same feeling.

8. I’m pretty sure more than 90% of my Christmas shopping is done. I do need to get some new colors of duct tape so I can start making my bows.

7. There was talk of another cube decorating contest, but no one has even attempted to decorate. Only two cubes have a little bit done. My theory, how can I decorate my cube, but not my house?

6. I just gave away my blood and received two cookies and an orange juice in return. I usually like to wait until the afternoon to give blood, because it makes me a little ditzy.

7. Lina goes back to the doctor on Monday. I’m assuming that he will tell me to start feeding her rice so that she can start sleeping through the night again. I miss those days.

4. Proof of loss of blood to my brain… there are two #7’s in my top ten list.

3. During my donation, I mentioned how Miss O wanted a green present for Christmas, so the nurse gave me a green bandage. I’m supposed to tell Miss O about it, but it just doesn’t seem that exciting.

2. I’m afraid that out of all the gifts that Santa is bringing for Lina, the little blanket teether I gave her the other night might just be her favorite. Guess I should have saved that one.

1. I had great plans to work out and get some necessities from Target today, but since I gave blood and can’t work out, I might as well go home and take a nap. Or wrap presents. Whatever.

Monday

Today isn’t just any Monday, it’s the Monday that I haven’t been looking forward too at all. It’s the day that I am once again sitting in my cubicle. Did I miss it? Nope. I’m sure there are some things that I missed, like being able to talk to some of my coworkers on a daily basis. Having time to write and read blogs. Actually being productive on a computer, like creating the annual Christmas Shopping List spreadsheet. (It helps me make sure I don’t forget anyone and it helps me see how much I can expect to spend and how much I actually spend. I’ve spent $25 so far, but that isn’t counting what I have bought for Elina. But she would have gotten those items anyway, even without the approaching holiday). Well, that was a long tangent.


Anyway… I got to the office to discover 89 missed calls, 22 voicemails around 800 emails (I forgot to write down the exact number before I started attacking them with the delete button) and access to exactly NONE of my programs. Sounds like a fun morning, doesn’t it? But here I am stuck in the cube with a random tiny Christmas tree and my giant monitor. Which by the way, I had a dream about the other night. I dreamt that I came to work and my monitor was missing. I was very confused as to why it would be missing, but that was it. Great story, huh?

Now that I’m back at work, I really miss my gallbladder. Bathroom runs just aren’t the same when you don’t have a gallbladder or a magazine. I’m also wondering how long this particular symptom is going to last. The doctor said a few weeks, I’m hoping he didn’t really mean the rest of my life!