The Most Wonderful Time...

I'm still here...just haven't been motivated to blog, or scrap, or do a lot of things. Hoping to get back in a good flow. I know...a blog post with no picture isn't a great blog post. I spent too much time updating to actually think about adding a picture today. Maybe tomorrow.

It's Time for the 12 days of Cookies!

Tomorrow starts my Photo-A-Day for December. I'm going to do my best! But it also starts the Food Network's 12 days of Cookies. While I haven't ever made the cookies, it puts me in the mood to bake and decorate and really get even more into the spirit of the holidays. I'm even looking forward to seeing some snow!

Tis' the Season

And so it begins in the Sullivan house...Christmas, that is. We decided to get the house decorated early this year since we didn't have much of a chance to enjoy it with all of the basement work we did in an effort to be ready for the holidays last year. Brenna woke up this morning and before her little feet hit the floor she asked, "Mommy, where's all my presents?" Oh my, are we in for it this year? I sure think so. I hope to have time to get a countdown paper chain made so that she can see how long it is until Christmas, hopefully that will bring her excitement down at least a little bit. Without further ado...our tree, and a very excited little girl.

The other little girl was quite out of sorts with all of the holiday decorating and rearranging. She was a bit upset that we moved her bed...this is the face I got for all of our hard work. She is so sweet.

Getting into the Spirit

We plan to get the tree up and decorate this weekend which I am very excited about because last year we were so busy we barely got the tree up with a decent amount of time left to enjoy it. I always struggle with how to best display our Christmas cards, they usually end up in a little Christmas basket that we have, or stuck to the wall with blue painter's tape (which I love for hanging B's projects on the wall of her play room, easy to put up and take down). This year though, I got a little crafty. I saw this at one of the scrapbooking blogs I read and thought...cute, maybe I should make my own! So I did...the photos aren't the greatest but you get the picture right? I love being crafty and just don't make time to do it more often. I dressed up the clothes pins with Making Memories FaLaLa Paper and inked the edges. Thank goodness for glue dots! My tape runner just wasn't gonna do the trick. P.S. I used some of last year's Christmas cards which should be in my 12 Days album that I haven't started yet...oops.

On the 1st Day of Christmas

Merry Christmas!

Brenna, you were so excited to see all of the presents Santa left for you! You opened each present scrap by little scrap of ripped wrapping paper. We thought you might never finish. You loved your guitar and Wiggles microphone, books, and most of all your pink and purple tricycle. You can't quite reach the pedals enough to push them yet, but don't worry, your little legs will get there eventually. Our Christmas was magic through your 2 year old eyes.

On the 2nd Day (Before) Christmas

Dear Brenna...
You were insistent that we leave 5 cookies for Santa on the "Cookies for Santa" plate. Not more, not less, just 5. You weren't too sure whether you really wanted Santa to come to our house but finally just before falling asleep you decided "yes Santa, Mommy, Santa bring presents." I love that you were so excited! I can't wait to see your face and watch you open your presents on Christmas morning...
It's hard for me to decide which picture to use for the 12 days scrapbook. The cookies or this ready for bed picture:

On the 3rd Day (Before) Christmas

We're almost done...well, done enough that we can host Christmas Eve. Thanks honey, for all your hard work and effort...thanks too to everyone who helped to make this project go as quickly as it did. We appreciate all of you!


Little Girl got to spend some time with Uncle Freddy. He came home for Christmas. While we don't get to see him often, I love that he loves her so much and wants to spend as much time with her as he can while he visits.

On the 4th Day (Before) Christmas

It's cookie baking time! Brenna got to help this year, she poured ingredients into the mixer and supervised as it went round and round. Somehow I didn't get a picture of her while this was going on but I did get this photo...
~Note - this is the 3,000th, yes there are 3 zeroes there, image taken on our current camera since we got it for Christmas last year. How is it that I can take 3,000 pictures in a year and not a have a photo from every day of the year...I am working on that this year. This is also not the photo going into my 12 days scrapbook. This one is...

On the 5th Day (Before) Christmas

"Jack Frost nippin' at your nose"

The view from our kitchen window...it was so cold the storm window frosted over on the inside.

On the 6th Day (Before) Christmas

To My Princess...Love Uncle George.

Brenna received a beautiful floral arrangement today. He loves her so much...

On the 7th Day (Before) Christmas

I love when our home is decorated for Christmas. It is so full (aka cluttered) with Christmas that it makes it feel cozy and full of the spirit of Christmas. We got this cool mirrored star from one of our "white elephant" Christmas Eve exchanges a few years ago. The reflections from the candles is so pretty.

On the 8th Day (Before) Christmas...

When we arrived home this evening I took Brenna out of the car and put her down so I could carry things in from the car. She is certainly big enough to walk on her own and the driveway had a clear path to the house that wasn't covered in snow or ice. I'm getting things out of the back of the Jeep when this happens:

B: "my walka the no {snow} mom" (oh yeah...mom, not mommy, mom).

S: "please stay out of the snow Brenna, you don't have your boots on and I don't want your feet to get all wet"

B: giggling - walks immediately into the snow - "my walka the no!"

She then proceeds to take her little fingers and run them through the snow, grabbing as much as she can in her unmittened hands. She didn't have her mittens or gloves because she threw them in the car, it's not a far walk to the house, and it wasn't too terribly cold. I thought for sure she would start complaining immediately but she got this huge grin on her face and said "cooollldd"! She continued to play for another minute until I told her it was time to go in. Of course I didn't have the camera handy while this was going on...it's another one of those mental memories. I did manage to get a few shots of little fingerprints and shoe prints in the snow!

On the 9th Day (Before) Christmas...

So many of our ornaments tell a story, like this shamrock tree from last year. My mom is the giver of ornaments in our family. Every year for as long as I can remember we have gotten an ornament in our stocking, and every year when we're decorating the tree I remember that specific Christmas. Last year the three of us received our Irish ornaments...appropriate for us Sullivans.

I don't remember the year that I got this ornament, but it reminds me of the true meaning of Christmas. In read aloud time with my 5th graders we read The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson. Imogene Herdman - the most unholy young lady - plays Mary in the pageant. She comes to a realization in the middle of performing about the true meaning of Christmas and that really got me thinking about Mary and all that she must have gone through. She was so young and unsure of herself and her role. Joseph did his best for her with the full knowledge that this child was not of him. I can only imagine.

On the 10th Day (Before) Christmas...

A call to the doctor for me.

Better this week than next....

On the 11th Day (Before) Christmas

Hopefully this will work....I know I can't scrap a video but I may capture an image and journal about it!

The Sunday Six aka The 12th Day (Before) Christmas

1. We're on the countdown to Christmas! The tree is up ~ with 5 decorations carefully placed by Brenna. The dog's crate is in the middle of the living room - she is currently sleeping in there all curled up, it's rather cute! Brenna is napping - although I am not sure how as her daddy, pa, and uncle are downstairs sawing and nailing up paneling so that we can have a relatively finished basement by Christmas Eve...it's our turn to host the party ~ we hope we can do it!



2. I have entered all of my grades for my students' interims...yea - something else I can check off the list.



3. I currently am not remotely close to having our shopping done but if we would like to have clean clothes, clean bathrooms, and a finished basement, then shopping is on the shelf until next weekend.



5. A story to top all previous crazy mom stories - Friday Brenna had a doctor's appt. so I had to take the morning off to take her. We decided she would spend the remainder of the day with Grandma instead of going to day care. We finished up at the doctor fairly early so I decided we would do a quick Target run before we went to Grandma's. Shopped quick, loaded B into the car, not remembering that I had bumped the lock button on my keys, threw the keys in the front seat with my phone, closed her door. Went to open up the back of the Jeep to put our purchases in and OMG!!! it won't open. Yes, I did the thing all mothers are terrified of doing...locked my daughter in the car with not only my keys, but my cell phone. Luckily a woman in the parking lot took pity on me - thank you whoever you were - and let me use her cell phone. I called the police because who else would I call? The longest 5 minutes of my entire life. Standing on the outside looking in at B...who's looking at me like I am absolutely crazy. I'm crying and playing games with her through the window to keep her occupied. She was oblivious to what was really going on thankfully. I know this because she said to me "no mommy, you no do that (tap on the window and make faces at her). Thank you Officer Young for saving the day. I do solemnly promise to never throw my keys in the front seat while placing my child or my packages in other locations of my car. The only true damage was to my motherly soul...may I never lock her in the car, in the cold, with no phone, or keys again. Thanks mom for making me feel better by sharing a similar story of woe when I was about B's age!



6. Here is my first photo for my 2008 - 12 Days of Christmas Scrapbook


Have a wonderful week everyone!

Two Months, Ten Things

10. Christmas was so much fun. Brenna had a blast opening her gifts, playing with her toys, spending time with family. This year it was reading Jan Brett's Twas' the Night Before Christmas every night before bed, sometimes several times. Every page looking for Santa, the dog, the cat, the reindeer, and any other thing she was able to name on a page. Everything that was red or lights or snowman was 'tanta' and 'tanta' said "ho hooo." Not "ho ho ho," but "ho hoooo." Uncle Freddy came home to visit and spoiled the little girl rotten, what are uncles for anyway? Sean was home for almost 10 full days which was wonderful too, lots of time together as a family. I can only imagine what next Christmas season will bring for our family.

9. We've managed to vist the doctor more times since day care started than I really care to count. I've joked with the pediatrician that I see her more often than I see my close friends...sad, but very true! We've had the full run of colds, flu, and ear infections that just don't want to seem to go away. Brenna is on another round of antibiotics in the hopes that her ears will get better. She's a tough little girl and seems to be dealing with as best an almost 19 month old can.

8. Excellent news from B's dermatologist. No more visits...that's right I said it...NO MORE VISITS!!! Her hemangioma is getting better by the day and until it has flattened completely and is no longer vascular, we won't be going back. She will have a bald spot (it's about the size of a 50 cent piece) that we can take care of when she is older, until then it is creative hair styling. Compared to last year at Christmastime, the difference is absolutely amazing. You can definitely see the difference since last year at the same time. These are pics from her first two Christmas portaits.

7. Sean has been traveling quite a bit which has been a little challenging but we are settling into a routine with it and he is doing a great job. I am so proud that in such a short time he has accomplished a lot! NATIONAL Director of Catering for the company that he is with. He has certainly earned that title!

6. In the last week Sean & I have officially gone from Mama and Dada to Mommy and Daddy, which the little girl is saying quite well.

5. Brenna is no longer a binkie girl. With her latest cold came the lack of ability to suck and breathe so the binkie often ended up on the floor, behind the crib, or with her bear. Decided last night to remove it completely and bedtime came and went with no complaints. Apparently it wasn't needed as much as mommy thought she needed it.

4. We have officially made it 4 days in a row to day care and I am very, I repeat VERY, happy about that! A first since Christmas break. We are hoping tomorrow brings 5 days in a row.

3. Brenna: (standing and staring at me) "poopies"?

Me: do you need your diaper changed?

Brenna: Nooowoahwoah (her version of no no no)

Brenna: (still staring at me) "poop"

Me: let's go check (she can't really be telling me she has a dirty diaper can she?)

Brenna: poopoopoopies

yes, that's right, she is now announcing dirty diapers. Can we say potty training is in the near future? I know that it may take a while but we can at least give it a try right?

2. My adventure for the day was to return the original potty that we purchased yesterday because after looking at all of the reviews I discovered that the one we got was NOT the one for us. Apparently the baby bjorn is the potty of choice. Do I question the potty of choice's expense? Absolutely...at least I did...for a few minutes...until.....

1. PEE PEE IN THE POT-TY, PEE PEE IN THE POT-TY

Our daughter....our not quite 19 month old daughter...who loves, yes loves her bright pink baby bjorn potty (or pol-ly as she calls it), did exactly what she was suppose to do when I sat her on it just before her bath tonight. Can you see the smiles beaming from my face? She did give me the "mommy are you crazy" eyes when I did a little dance and made a HUGE deal out of it....we even said bye bye as we flushed it down the real toilet...all the while mommy is acting like an absolute idiot, clapping and saying yea!!! brenna!!!! What can I say...our little girl...who is not so little any more...has amazed us yet again.

I know it's sideways but I can't fix that right now...the visual is a must though!

Yes I know there are some amazing babies out there who have become potty trained at 5 months...I know I think that is crazy too, but I saw claims in the potty reviews so it must be true right? Yeah sure. But this is our little girl, the first little girl to do any of the million amazing things that no other child has managed to accomplish before, so we think it is the best.

We are amazed by her every day and hope you can share our joy or say to yourself, I've been there and know exactly what you are feeling.

We are lucky, so lucky and blessed that our little girl, who started out eight weeks earlier than she should have, is doing everything a healthy almost 19 month old should be doing. Putting wooden puzzles together, trying to take her shirts off at day care, running away from us while giggling hysterically, saying Baaiileey everytime she sees her dog, saying daddy in the middle of the night in her sleep, and melting our hearts with the first unsolicited "love you"s to Sean and I last weekend...we're so thankful.

Brenna's December ~ The First 11 Days

1. Giving treats to Bailey is always more fun with Daddy.

2. Santa, I want you to know that I have been a very good girl this year, please bring me, well, lots of stuff...cause I am so cute!

3. I have decided that Dr. Spock has entirely too much to say.

4. Hmm..what should I do with this? Scribble or eat?

5. The polka dot dress.

6. Fixing furniture with daddy.

7. Open up and say....hurry check her mouth before she stuffs something else in there!

8. My puffy pink coat which I picked out all by myself. The other four coats just couldn't compare.

9. But I want to make more brownies...

10. Mommy's Christmas socks are much better than any socks I have.

11. I don't like him, he's scary, please don't let go of me, maybe if I hold tighter you won't make me do this, why? why? must I sit on his lap?