Merry Christmas!

So this year I had to work Christmas Eve and Day again(long story....) but at the last minute they decided they didn't need 4 of us and I was able to split the shift with one of my co-workers so she worked the first half of Christmas eve and I came in at 11pm. I still have to work Christmas night too but it gave me some extra time to spend with the family at home. We got to go to church, come home and have our shrimp dinner, and then open some of our presents before I had to go to work. We'll open the rest of our presents when I get home in the morning. I think it actually worked out well b/c that way we get to pace Xander a bit.. he'd open a present and then want to play with it. Next year I think that Christmas will take all day just to open presents!

falling asleep...

Why do kids always look so darn cute when the are sleeping. It's like the devil in them takes a nap too and the angel gets to shine through! I swear the only time Xander stops moving is when he is asleep. My favorite part about this pic is that he never let go of his biscuit!

James is three months old!

How time flies! James is three months old and now weighs 14 lbs 6 oz- what a chunk! Xander is going to need to do some hefty growing otherwise J is going to catch up. Xander weighed in at 24.8 lbs- of course these are unofficial measurements done at work tonight where I had to return to sign something b/c we have a new charting system and I screwed up my delivery record- lesson learned, Don't leave work until your delivery record is signed and completed otherwise you will have to go back!!!!! Oh well it gave me the chance to run some errands and finish all that last minutre christmas stuff. I did however survive my first full week back at work and it wasn't terrible. I did find out the hard way that I have to drag my butt out of bed by 1 on the last day otherwise I won't be able to sleep that night and the next day totally sucks! But now I remember why I need to get up by 1...

happier news

In happier farm related news Molly is pregnant which means that Alexander should have an early birthday present of a new calf. Spring should be a busy time on the farm with Molly due to calf and the sheep due to lamb and me to have a new flock of duck/chickens. Heck maybe by then we'll be ready for some baby geese- MJ is getting big so hopefully she'll start laying sometime! Too bad Xander isn't old enough for his first 4-H calf yet b/c it would be so cool if they had birthdays close together- oh well. We'll start him getting to know this calf so that by the time he is old enough to be a cloverbud and actually have his own calf he will be well versed in caring for an animal. Sadly though I think he has to be 8 so we have a ways to go!

Oh and James survived his first day at daycare. I survived my first weekend at work and Frank "survived" his first weekend of being alone with both kids all night long. Unfortunetly I think that Sat night went better than Sun- he seemed pretty beat when I got home this morning. Actually he was sleeping on the couch and it sounded like he hadn't actually been able to sleep in bed all night. Apparently Xander wa sup so he slept in the chair with him for a while and then as soon as he got X down, then James decided to be fussy. I came home to find them on the couch with James passed out on his chest! They were so cute. So Daddy got to go to his own bed for about 45 minutes before he had to get up and go to work. This too shall pass and hopefully James will get better about taking a bottle and settling back down afterwards but unfortunetly he always seems pretty fussy after the 4am feeding even when I have him so... I guess we'll have to hope that he will just grow out of it. I need to check the Ferber book and see when he is old enough to let him fuss a little- this time I am determined to train him early to fall asleep on his own!

Another one bites the dust...

Effie died yesterday. Frank tied her up in the barn so the vet could come and preg check her and Molly and Lucy. When he went out the barn last night she had hung herself on the rope he used to tie her. It's such an awful and senseless way for her to go. I'm so sad that our sweet little heifer is gone.

James is 12 weeks old!

I can't believe that James is already 12 weeks old! I can't believe it is already time for me to go back to work! In some ways I am ready- it will be nice to have to use my brain again and to actually be able to engage in conversation instead of having to unravel Xander's babbling and to get a paycheck but I am sad to see this time with my boys come to an end. I hate the idea of someone else raising my kids but at the same time I know myself well enough to realize that I am not cut out to be a stay at home mom. Kudos to all you SAHMs b/c I just can't do it! So back to work Sat night- hopefully I haven't forgotten how to do my job and I can manage to stay up all night long!

James is becoming such a big boy these days. He spending less time sleeping and more time soaking it all in. He has the best smile and always seems to grin at you when you need a little pick me up. He's cooing a lot now too- more so than I remember Xander doing at that age. He recognizes me and Frank and always gives us big grins. I love it when first thing in the morning we wake up together and he looks up and me and smiles- then crys b/c he is starving! He hasn't been so great about taking a bottle the few times we have tried it so here's hoping for Frank's sake that he figures it out quickly otherwise Daddy is going to have a rough weekend. He's already trying to sit up- not at all sucessfully of course- but he keeps trying to pull himself more upright whenever you are sitting with him. I'm not ready for another early walker but I'm not sure with Xander as an example that James will be content to just sit aorund- he's going to need to learn to get out of the way of the older brother! He has finally found his hands though. He still own't take a paci but had taken to sucking on his index and middle finger. It doeasn't work when he gets really t'd off but at least he is able to self soothe a bit. I'm working on getting him to nap in the crib b/c I'm guessing we'll try to transition to the crib at night fairly soon.


Xander is getting so grown up... we had his 18 month photos taken last week and he looks like a little boy instead of a baby. I was looking at his 12 montha nd 18 month photos side by side and realizing that my oldest baby isn't really a baby any more. He running around and climbing comnstantly and pretty soon I swear he is going to just spit out full sentances. He is saying a few words now but he babbles on and on like he is ahving a conversation with you and gets very upset when you don't understand. he does a lot of pointing and saying see and this- although I am not sure he actually means see and this when he is pointing. He is saying ball very consistently now (and insistently) and yesterday I think we mastered the concept of more but he hasn't got it down consistently. Da da he has had for awhile but he finally managed ma ma and of course every morning Hi James! I can't tell if he totally adores his baby brother or if he is just keeping his enemies close!

My sweet boys...

When Xander isn't trying to sit on James, smother him or steal his socks (which he had already gotten one by the time I took this picture) he really does love his little brother. James was sitting on the couch and Xan climbed right up to give him a hug!