December 2010: Milestones

As mentioned in previous posts, June and December are always filled with the celebrations of many milestones in our family.  This December was no different.  First let me tell you about a big step C-sta took in December.

One of our goals for the coming New Year, was to move C-sta from her crib to a "big girl" bed.  We figured that after the business of the holidays was over, that it would be a good time to take the first step in helping C-sta make the transition from "Baby Girl" to "Big Girl." We planned on using the first part of January to find her a nice day-bed with a trundle, take down her crib, and move her room around.

Shortly after Thanksgiving C-sta made it clear we would have to make the switch sooner rather than later as she first started climbing out of, and then pretty much JUMPING out and down from her crib!  Neither M nor even our Li'l Monkey, Li'l J, were ever much for climbing in, out, on, or off of things as toddlers so we never had to worry about having them climb out of their crib before we moved them to their twin beds.

C-sta's bold moves were so different than what we had experienced with the boys, that she was pretty much giving me a HEART-ATTACK daily when she'd CRASH out of the crib.  She didn't get hurt, never cried, just was ready to get out when she was ready to get out and it wasn't a big deal to her.  To me however, it was a BIG deal!  This is my BABY we are talking about here!!  I worried that she wouldn't land well and break a bone or two so after a few weeks of feeling like we were "living on the edge", we went ahead and pulled out the ol' toddler bed.  We were hoping to skip the use of the toddler bed altogether but since we felt time was of the essence here, by the middle of December we introduced C-sta to her new "little girl" bed.  The "big girl" bed we had been making plans for would have to wait.

~Think she likes it?~

C-sta was one HAPPY girl in her new bed and we are happy for her!

Now onto the next two milestone celebrations.  So not only is each December filled with the hustle and bustle that comes with Christmas preparations, but we also have two birthdays we celebrate: my birthday midway through December and Li'l J’s birthday at the end of the month too.

Usually we take a weekend trip up North to play in the snow in January for M’s birthday, but this year J-rod surprised us by taking us up for MY birthday weekend! While packing to go we worried there would be no snow to play in as it hadn’t snowed the two previous weeks up where we were headed. Once we got up there the night before my birthday, we discovered it had been snowing all that day so all was well.

~A winter wonderland awaited us.~

The morning of my birthday J-rod and the boys went to get breakfast while C-sta and I slept in.  After a leisurely and yummy breakfast we headed out for the day.  Before heading to the sledding hill we stopped to buy some snow bibs for C-sta and M as they had outgrown theirs from last year.  Down in the valley of the sun where we live it's just plain too HOT for any of our stores to carry winter wear--ha!

The day dawned a bit on the gloomy side, but still a good day for sledding.  J-rod and Li'l J went down the hill first and had a fun ride.

~J-rod and Li'l J enjoy a good ride.~

Then J-rod attempted to take C-sta for a ride on her little sled.  C-sta was not nearly as excited to ride as Li'l J had been, not at all!!  See?  J-rod is all smiles, C-sta...not quite.

~One grumpy li'l C-sta!~

The last two times we’ve gone up North to play in the snow since C-sta joined our family, she has had a great time but NOT this time. She cried the entire two hours we sledded!  Guess this time it was just too cold for her, poor thing! 

~Time to snuggle & get warm.~

Since C-sta was pretty much inconsolable, J-rod volunteered to sit and snuggle C-sta by the fire pit set up along side the play area.  While J-rod and C-sta warmed up the boys had a good time sledding:

~Sledding is such fun!~

at times just rolling down the hill:

~Li'l J enjoys a good roll.~

making snow angels:

~Our sweet li'l angels!~

and occasionally stopping to check in with me and the little snowman I was building.

~M and Li'l J help dress-up the snowman.~

After sledding we enjoyed a yummy birthday dinner at The Outback Steakhouse then went back to our cabin to play the Disney edition of one of our favorite games: Apples to Apples and to watch The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian in preparation for our activity the next day. Before heading back home the next morning we took the kids to see the third installment of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, which we all enjoyed very much!

~Happy Birthday to Zippy!~

Photo Courtesy of M.

Two things I will always remember about my 35th birthday: one sad and one happy. As we were having breakfast the morning of my birthday, J-rod wanted me to get acquainted with the iPod touch he and the kids had given me.  So as I spent some time scrolling along the news feed J-rod had previously set up for me, I came across the report that the Provo Tabernacle had burnt down earlier that morning! I couldn't help but cry as I looked over the many pictures of it going up in flames as the firefighting crews doused it, hoping to save it. I was so sad! I thought of the many times I had been to that beautiful building for concerts or church meetings and while I felt what a great loss this would be, I was one, grateful no one was hurt and two, I was grateful for my many memories of that beautiful building.

Later as we were finishing up breakfast, on a completely different topic I joked to J-rod about how cool it would be if our cute sister-in-law M (J-rod’s brother D’s wife) had their baby that day (a week early). A couple hours later we got a text from D wishing me Happy Birthday with the news that their daughter A had indeed been born that very morning (right about the time I had been joking about it happening!!)—yay, now my cute niece and I share a birthday!! We haven't yet had a chance to meet her, but I can’t wait!

As both Li'l J and M had friend birthday parties last year, this year we celebrated their birthdays with just our little family.  We LOVE our little monkey, Li'l J and are grateful for the joy he brings to our life!  Very early the morning of Li'l J’s birthday,  C-sta woke up vomiting--NO FUN!  So after Li'l J opened and played with his presents, C-sta and I stayed home while J-rod took M and Li'l J to go see a movie of Li'l J’s choice: Gulliver’s Travels.  After the movie they ate dinner at Li'l J's favorite restaurant: Red Robin…yum!  Here's a look at how his day went:

~For his b-day breakfast Li'l J asked for and received: 

chocolate glazed donuts, yum!"~

~Present time, oh yeah!~

~Enjoying some of his b-day presents right away!~

What I love about the pictures above of Li'l J playing with some of his presents:

1. It's December 29th and Li'l J is OUTSIDE

wearing his favorite Spider man flip-flops!

2. Behind him you can see the rain as it hits the pool.

3. Thanks to the rare humidity, the bubbles stuck to the grass!

~After the movie and dinner, 

the boys brought Li'l J home

for birthday cake.~