Baby's first Christmas

Christmas was really nice this year. Because we didn't have Spencer until the afternoon, we opened presents at our house. Here is Sabrina in her new walker. I guess it's a rider right now, because she can't touch the floor with her feet.




Then went down to Mom and Dad's for presents. Well, at least, that was the plan. However, it was just dumping snow at our house, and our tires were bald, and apparently the snowplow drivers here don't deign to spend their Christmas mornings snowplowing even if we do get SIX FEET of snow (breathe, breathe), so I was nervous about going. Well, about 10:30 I checked the traffic cameras, and do you remember The Truman Show? Where Jim Carrey, aka Truman, is sitting on the beach and it starts raining, but just on him? Just a little circle of rain, that follows him as he tries to avoid it? Yeah, that was Ogden and snow. So off we went to Salt Lake.

After the Molly side of the family, we went to the Zane side. We got Spencer and gave him his "Santa" present that Santa dropped off at our house, a remote controlled car (jealous!). Then we went to Huntsville for THOSE presents, a little dinner, and family fun for everyone.

Another exciting event of the day was Sabrina's first solid food. Rice cereal, of course. She wasn't exactly sure what to do with it, but yesterday she ate a half jar of pears. And, of course, ice cream (see previous post). Here is before, during, and after Sabrina's first solid meal.

Sweet baby, sweet tooth

I know CHRONOLOGICALLY that Christmas comes next, but last night was too funny, and I must tell you immediately! We went up to the Froerer Family Compound in Huntsville last night, and Grandpa Froerer was holding Sabrina and eating an ice cream cone. Naughty, naughty Grandpa decided to try to become Favorite Adult and let Sabrina try his mint chocolate chip ice cream (a favorite of her mommy's). At first she pulled away, startled, probably, by the coldness. Then, she registered the taste, and lunged, two-handed, for the cone. I think she liked it!

Zane Does Nativity

It's been awhile since I blogged (blogged? Does this word ever strike you as odd?), so I have catching up to do!

On Christmas Eve, Zane, Sabrina and I went to Mom and Dad's house. Our first activity? Bowling! To make it better, there were 6 of us on two lanes, and the girls got bumpers! It sort of feels like cheating, but it does mean no nasty gutter balls. On the other hand, 2 1/2-year-old Elli beat my score the first game. Embarrassing.

After dinner--a German festive meal, delicious except the pickle in the meat, because pickles are gross--we played a German game, which is to find the pickle that is hidden in the tree. Fortunately (because pickles are gross), the pickle was an ornament, which I found, because I'm awesome, and also willing to knock over the Christmas tree to win.

Unfortunately, Benn and Cheri and their brood had to leave before we could read the Christmas story, so Zane had to take over the job of using the Nativity scene to act out the story of The Christ Child. He did a great job, although he needed a little reminder when the story calls for the Wise Men to fall down and worship Jesus. Possibly the most critically acclaimed part of his performance was when he put Mary on the rocking horse and Joseph way, way, way down below, leading the Giant Horse (donkey) from the floor. Very amusing.

Next: Christmas

Babies babies babies!

Last night, at the annual Froerer Family Bingo night, Karen announced she is 10 weeks pregnant! Yay! She is due July 19, or 10 days before Sabrina's first birthday. Last year, I was planning on announcing MY pregnancy at family bingo, but couldn't wait that long. I'm so happy for Karen! Here is a picture with her holding Sabrina, and Mom holding Julianne's baby Jane.


So, tomorrow is Sabrina's first Christmas. I didn't get her much this year, on the premise that she won't remember it anyway and any presents I get her are really what I want for her. The important things, though, are that she knows she is loved and cherished, and that she knows the true Christmas story. I can't wait for Benn to act out the Christmas story with the Nativity set in the partial fulfillment of goal #2!

Who died and made YOU sleep guru?

Last night I was up until after midnight finishing a transcription project, then up at 2 to feed Tiny. Then Zane got up at 6:30 to go to a trial. Bottom line: I was not in the mood to get up at 7 when Sabrina started fussing. So I though, "Why do I have to listen to the sleep gurus who forbid you from bringing the baby to bed because of interrupted sleep/baby never going back to her own bed/suffocation? Psshht!" So I fed her in bed and then dozed for a couple more hours. Did you know that babies wake up happy and smiling? Well, they do. I can hardly stand how wonderful and sweet my baby girl is.



See? See?

Best. Morning. EVER.

Sabrina thought morning came at 6:30 today. It doesn't. But because Zane got up early for a trial, I brought Sabrina into my bed at 7:00 to feed her. I KNEW she had a diaper the size of Sputnik, but hey, I was tired. Well, we got up at 7:30, and just as I got her out of bed I heard a poop. When a baby is wearing a diaper the size of Sputnik, there is nowhere for poop to go, except out. And out it went.

Obviously, Sabrina needed a bath. So I held her without a diaper (but WITH a blanket) while the tub filled up. You'd think I'd learn. Nope. She peed all over me. Good thing I hadn't showered and gotten dressed yet! Having a sense of humor is an asset for a mom!

And to help with that sense of humor, one of my students got me a book for Christmas, "Porn for New Moms." Men stare seductively into the camera and say things like "Hey the guys are coming over. They want to help me take the baby to the park!" and "Don't worry, honey. Your mother and I will take wonderful care of the baby while you and your girlfriends are at the spa." Now THAT is HOTT.

Let's finish off with some pictures of the Sleeping Baby.

Oh Tannenbaum

Zane and I got our Christmas tree yesterday. Yes, it's 10 days until Christmas. Shut up. Sometimes it's hard to get around to stuff.

One of the presents I got for Sabrina was an ornament with her name and the year. It's a star, and the border...tell you what, I'll show it to you:

Some of my favorite ornaments are those I got as a baby. It makes me feel that I was loved even as a tiny one. And I wanted Sabrina to feel that way too. I tend to not like the "baby's first Christmas" ornaments, because they are often ceramic, with horrible, badly-painted pink shoes and such.

I've taken a few more pictures of Sabrina lately. Here are some of my favorites.
I am Queen of All I Survey.


Dancin' with Daddy

Duck!

Okay, it's been a while since I've posted, but I have a good reason. I took some fabulous pictures of Sabrina, and didn't get them on my computer because my camera was in the other ROOM, and the attachment to get the pictures from the camera to the computer was like FIVE YARDS AWAY, and fine, I don't have a good excuse. Anyway...

Sabrina is getting so strong, and holding herself up so well, that I got out her bouncy-bouncy-baby seat, you know, the type that you hang from the door? You don't know? Here's a picture:


So cute, right? My brother Benn had one, and I would call him a "bouncy, bouncy baaaa-bee." Now it's my own baaaa-bee that I'm doing it to!

Here's the first picture Sabrina ever smiled in, at least that I took. Too bad the strap is in the way, but we can't be picky.

Moms only. No, really.

The subject of our discussion today is poop. Only mothers truly understand. Sabrina had complete blowouts the past TWO days. I mean, I understand one, but you'd think that would clear her out for a few days. Nope. Good thing I remembered to put a new outfit in her diaper bag this morning, or poor babysitter Kelli would have had to contend with Naked Baby while her clothes washed. Of course, Naked Baby IS very cute.

I got nothing more on poop, so we'll move on to topics of general interest.

Sabrina has continued to be really interested in food lately. She's almost like a dog, you know, who watches the food as you move it around in hopes of being so cute that you will lose control of your muscles and drop the food. It's just about time to give her cereal! And to get a plastic floor mat and outfit! Hooray!

The Spencer Wing

Yesterday, four of Zane's relatives were in the hospital. Zane Sr. said they were at the Froerer wing of the hospital. Veeeery clever. Although, technically speaking, it was Marilyn's dad and sister, who are Spencers, not Froerers, who were in the hospital. It looks like they might both have cancer, which isn't funny at all. The other two were Zane's (my Zane) sister Elizabeth, who was in the hospital to have her baby and family member #4, Rebekah. That's not really funny either, but it is happy! Rebekah is beautiful and comparatively tiny--8 12. Still, there's only one Tiny.
Me. It's me.

MY Tiny, THE Tiny, has been a real eater lately. She must be growth spurting, which is annoying at 11, 2:30, and 6:30. Not that I'm counting. She is starting to show some interest in my food, too. Today I was eating a pancake, and Sabrina was VERY interested. I let her put it in her mouth, and she started sucking on it. So I took it away. NO, I'm not mean, she just can't have about all of the ingredients in pancakes yet! She's still tiny, after all.

Twilight II

I just realized that I never gave you my take on Twilight after seeing it twice in one day. I must rectify immediately.

I have to say, I liked the movie much more than I thought I would. There was a little too much (intensely), but overall, the movie felt true to the book. My favorite line, though, was not from the book. The vamps were cooking lunch for Bella, and Rosalie (mean, bitter vampire) says, "We don't even know if she LIKES Italian food." Emmett (big, tough vampire) says, "Her name is Isabella, Rosalie." In rereading that last sentence, I realize that you must hear Emmett saying it like "duh Rosalie. She has AN ITALIAN NAME, so OF COURSE SHE LIKES ITALIAN FOOD." Is it funnier now?

So, in final analysis, except for about 20 minutes from whence they took 90% of the previews, the movie was a fun chick flick that I will gladly see again (and again). That 20 minutes of cheesy cheesiness will be partly enjoyed, partly endured, and ensure that I will never make Zane watch it.

Just as a quick aside: in taking a break to change The Babe into her pjs, I was tickling her, and she laughed for the first time! I was kissing her tiny belly, and she laughed! And then grabbed my hair and pulled it out by the roots. And that was the end of THAT perfect moment.

What a difference a year makes...

It was one year ago tomorrow, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, that I found out I was pregnant. That's right Sabrina, just over a year ago you were a twinkle. Now she's four months old!

And speaking of milestones, Sabrina has recently learned to roll over. Last night (twice) I woke up to SCREAMING from Sabrina's room. I jump out of bed, RUSH to her room, and find that Sabrina has wriggled out of her blankets, turned over onto her stomach, and can't get back onto her back. Her poor little legs were freezing. Still. Do we need to scream?