Forsberg Christmas

All morning, until Grandma and Grandpa got here, Braden kept saying "Presents." You should have seen the excitement when he was finally able to have at it.

Let me preface this post with the fact that my parents got us a Cannon PowerShot SD960 IS camera. Let me just say that it was heaven sent. We love every part of it. You will notice more photos than necessary, mostly because we LOVE taking photos now.

My new skillet from Audrey (and Toren). I was wanting one of these so bad.

They also got me a 30 gb video ipod. Who cares if it's because they just got a brand new touch ipod, I have a new ipod, yay! I LOVE it. Thanks guys!

My mom got Baby #2 a beautiful sound sheep from Pottery Barn kids. It is so soft and makes a variety of different soothing noises. I am sure he will love it, as well as this incredibly cute blanket my best friend, Jennie made him.

This was a different experience than Christmas. Braden just wanted to open the presents. He sometimes didn't even wait to see what it was. It was quite funny.

Mallory doing Kalen's hair, with Kalen's new straightener.

Braden playing with Uncle Toren and Aunt Audrey's tractor. He screamed, "TRACTOR" when he opened it.

Wedgit. Have you heard of it? I hadn't, but of course, my mom had. It is a unique educational/ building toy. You can build a variety of things with it. Braden can't get enough of it.

Braden's new dish set from Grandpa/ma Forsberg. He LOVES them.

This is a timer picture. When it recognizes a new face, it will take the picture. I hit the button, took my position next to Braden and then flash, here's what we get. The snow was coming down in full force. The boys decided to get out and shovel.

Dad & Son

Although Braden loves to shovel, it was a little too cold for him. We had to leave it up to the big boys to get the job done.

Braden decided to come inside and eat some apples.

We look forward to the next many days of having the family here. Braden loves Frisbie and just confirms that baby #2 will be bossed around like no ones business. We expect some good homemade pizza, root beer floats, Wii tournaments, Ticket to Ride competitions, bowling, movies, swimming and many laughs. I love my family.

Mallory & Brent's Present to Braden

I will say it, Uncle Brent and Aunt Mallory's present topped any of the ones we got Braden. He has been playing with his for hours non-stop. It's the perfect toy because he can play with it right now and as he gets older can play with it in a completely different way.

Here he is opening the present.

So, what is it? It's called the Adventure Track. All these little pieces can be connected to make a variety of different paths. There are little battery operated cars that drive along these tracks.At first, I didn't know who was having more fun, Braden or the adults. It took them a little while to build the perfect track. And then Braden had a ball. After watching the cars go around for awhile, he started to make them crash or see if they could push other objects around the track. The cars sure have power.Giving Aunt Mallory what she wants most, loves.Like I said before, Braden loves this present by far. It's ok with us that our gifts were topped, we have a new item that keeps him entertained for hours. Thanks Uncle Brent and Aunt Mallory.

Christmas 2009

Of course I am going to do the traditional review of Christmas. We stayed home this year, so it was just the 3 1/2 of us. Although we missed family, it was so nice to do our own thing. On Christmas Eve we invited our friends, the Bell's, over for a delicious turkey dinner. I made everything homemade and even brined our turkey. For those wondering, a brined turkey is so much better. Camille made a delicious raspberry truffle and the boys played and had tons of fun.

After they left, we watched "The Nativity" with Braden and opened up 1 present (Christmas tradition). We all go p.j.'s (surprise). That night we decided to eliminate 'the binki' (future post to come on that). We were worried about having a terrible night, but it was great.

Our Stocking and Braden's gift from Santa. Santa only brings 1 gift in our house. Mom and Dad get credit for the rest of the gifts.

We made out on presents this year, mostly because I wrapped everything individually because I knew Braden would enjoy unwrapping it.

Blake modeling his p.j. bottoms.

Because of the big tummy, I just got slippers (which I love) and Braden picked out snowman jammies.

Video of Braden coming down Christmas Morning.

We have also decided that we will open our stockings and Santa gift. While the kids are playing, I will make a waffle bar. Braden decided he wanted to put on his beanie while I was cooking. No, it wasn't a gift, it was fresh from the laundry. We were surprised he was able to put it on himself.

After breakfast, we headed back to the presents. Here's Braden playing with tools Grandma/pa Barnett got him.
Braden loved opening the presents. We let him open a present, play as long as he wanted with it and then open another. It took about 2 hours to open presents. We are glad we did it this way because it prolonged the morning.

I know I am lamo, but Blake got me an amazing set pots and pans, as well as a HUGE silicon baking sheet. 2 things I desperately wanted and am so excited about. He also got me a really really nice pair of ipod earphone for when I am working out (he didn't know his brother was getting us a pair, but 2's always better than 1). Blake ended up with 3 pair of work pants, work shoes, work shirt and sweater. We both feel lame that we got stuff for our 'jobs' (mine being a SAHM), but we were thrilled.

Braden playing with his new backpack. All his lego's and planes are packed inside.
Braden decided not to nap that day, so he was grumpy the rest of the evening. We decided to throw in Winnie the Pooh's Christmas. Dad and Son dozing off.

Tired Boy.

Braden didn't really get the whole Santa thing, but he does know that Santa says, "Ho, ho, ho."

Although we had an excellent night on Christmas Eve, Braden had an awful night on Christmas (because of the no binki). I am so glad Blake was home. He wouldn't go to sleep until 11:30pm. That makes for a really LONG day. Overall, Christmas was so nice. We look forward to next year when we will have 1 more little one running (well, hopefully not running) around.

Blake wanted me to make a list of the presents we got so we can remember. Choose to ignore the bottom section.

Braden Stocking (Blake and I decided No candy in stockings):

Toothbrush & Toothpaste, little airplanes, orange, capri sun, bubble bath

Braden's Santa Gift:

Dump and pull wagon with legos

Braden's Gifts from Mom & Dad:

hat, 10 books w/ backpack, play-doh, Little Leaps Thomas the Train

Braden's Gifts from Grandma/pa Barnett:

Tools, firetruck, socks, shirt, pretend food (which has all been put in his mouth)

Foot in Mouth

Here's Blake and my conversation last night while getting ready for bed. We were discussing the importance of heart rate monitors and losing weight.

M: I know I will lose 15 pounds right when I deliver the baby, but the monitor will help me get the remaining weight off more effectively.

B: I guess so, but what's the difference between a $30 and a $80 one?

M: Quality and functions. I am not as fat as I was with Braden.

B: Well, that's true. (In an honest voice. He wasn't kidding.)

M: You just stuck your foot in your mouth on this one. I am waiting to see how you back out of it.

B: I mean, if you look at pictures, your face isn't nearly as fat as it was with Braden.

M: Are you sure that's what angle you want to go with?

B: I mean, you have worked really hard this pregnancy in the gym.

M: That's a better angle.

Progression of Sleeping

Moving Braden to his Big Boy bed has brought great joy to Blake and I. Why, does Braden sleep better, you ask? Well, kind of, but mostly because we have gotten to see his sleep progression. Let me explain.

The first week we discovered Braden in random spots throughout the room. It wasn't until he fell asleep in the closet that we decided we should get pictures.

Here's the mess outside the closet. He never even cried or yelled for us to get him. He must have been on some kind of mission before sleep took him.
For the next week, he went through the phase of bringing all his pillows, blankets, sippy and binky to the floor to fall asleep. Once again, we never heard a word from him. This is the least funny night. We were too lazy to go get the camera when the whole floor was filled with his bedding, instead we just stood there and laughed.
This week we have turned a corner. He now lies comfortably in bed, but always in the funniest positions. Sometimes all his pillows will be shoved in the cubbies behind him. We just thought he looked so relaxed in this photo. Hands behind head and all.
Every night Blake and I race up the stairs to see how our little man is sleeping. He sure does love his big boy bed and although he can climb in and out when wanted, we love it too.

High Five Santa

My neighbor works as an ER nurse up at the hospital. She informed a group of us that Santa would be coming. When the group of friends arrived, she was no where to be found, but the hospital work party was in full force. (She got stuck in Spokane and didn't know it was for work employees.) Needless to say, we all felt stupid, but decided we would still get pictures with Santa.

Braden loved to stand back an observe the Big Man. He is even known to say, "Ho, ho, ho." We talked about how nice Santa was and Braden was excited to sit on his lap, that is until we got close. He had some fierce death grip on me, so I sat down next to Santa. He thought Santa would be OK with a high five. I couldn't agree more.

The Allergist

We finally got Braden into an allergist. Yes, it took us many months, but it was SO worth it. The doctor and nurse were so wonderful. He actually cared about every little detail. We were there for over an hour and Braden couldn't have been more pleasant. Both the nurse and doctor were very impressed.

After testing 45 different things, they have determined that Braden is allergic to the following: (most severe to mild. the first 3 are the absolute worst)

1. cats
2. eggs
3. dog
4. feathers (i guess no raising chickens for us)
5. Histamine (don't really know what this is)
6. peanuts (mild)
7. soybeans (mild)
8. almonds (mild)
9. cashews (mild)
10. Brazil nuts (talk about a bummer, we eat these all the time)

It's nice to finally know what to avoid. He said we should avoid eggs at all costs. This is something he will probably grow out of, but for the next year, AVOID THEM. He will always be allergic to cats and dogs (thank goodness, it gives us an excuse never to get them).

As for all the nuts, he wants us to challenge them. Meaning, give him pb&j sandwiches and see how he reacts. Braden has eaten plain peanuts before and has been absolutely fine. The doctor says as long as it doesn't irritate his skin or upset his stomach, then he is fine to eat anything. He has also had almonds with no allergic response.

How did they test him? They had these little plastic bristles with 8 points on them. Each point had a liquid (egg base, peanut base, etc). They had 5 of these that they poked onto his skin. It didn't break his skin or anything. They waited 15 minutes and then came back to see which ones had hived up. It was apparent with the eggs, dogs, and cats. The hives were already so big after 15 minutes. We will go back in a year from now and they will re-test. If the measurements of the hives has gone down, then he may be losing the egg and peanut allergies.

Overall, I am so glad we went. He gave us some good ways to keep the allergies under control, especially when we visit friends and family with pets. No EpiPens are needed, thank goodness. But his skin and other health issues should improve now that we know what to avoid.

The Creche

(1 of 2 posts)

I guess this was pretty popular here in the Northwest, as I have friends in Spokane and Portland who's Stake did the same thing. A Creche! A creche is where a variety (over 400) Nativity sets from around the world are displayed. We decided to attend today. Whoever decorated did a beautiful job. Even Braden had fun looking at all the Nativities from around the world.

They even had a room setup where you could dress up and take a family photo. We didn't know how Braden would do, but he loved it. It makes me think he needs more dress up stuff. Maybe next Christmas.

The Primary Room was converted into a children's area. It actually looked like a house. They had a bunch of Nativities that the kids could touch and play with. Braden loved the animals.

Blake and I couldn't even believe it was the Primary room. Notice the beautiful fireplace, built by a member of our ward.
After we were done taking our family photo, Braden ran back to the manager and grabbed baby Jesus. He even gave him a sweet little kiss.

Father & Son

Mother & Son

It was such a nice family activity. If it wasn't so close to nap time, we would have stayed longer. You could really tell how much work was put into this event. I hope a lot of the community got to come and see it, it sure gave me some ideas for what kind of Nativity Set I want in my home. There are way too many choices.

Blake's Declaration

After the Utah Jazz's poor performance last Wednesday (they only scored 6 points in the 4th quarter), Blake came to bed very upset. He just didn't know why he cared so much. The Jazz were taking him on an emotional roller coaster. After letting him rant for about 15 minutes (yes, 15 minutes), he declared, "I am giving up the Jazz for a whole week. That means no reading about them. I won't even go onto KSL.com because the Jazz are written all over it."

I am proud to report that my husband made it 12 1/2 hours. So what if 8 of those were sleeping and 4 were at work. It wasn't necessarily the very first thing he did when he got home for lunch on Thursday. It was his second. When calling him on it Blake says, "I know Maren. Hi, my name is Blake and I am a Jazz-aholic. I need help."

Like Parent, Like Child

The past couple of days Braden has said the funniest things. Blake wants me to document these. This has made us realize how much Braden pays attention to what we say.

Poopy Diaper

We think Braden is getting in his 2 year old molars. When teething, he has a ton of poopy diapers. There was one day last week that was particularly bad. Fortunately, Braden doesn't like dirty diapers, so he will tell us that he is poopy.

We always say, "Ok, let me check." Well, Blake was leaning over fixing something and his back was showing. Braden rushed over and pulled back his pants and said, "Check daddy's diaper. Dirty diaper." Blake and I laughed forever.

Smack

Whenever Braden gets out of the tub I always tap his little tushy and say, "Smack that little tushy." This always gets a giggle out of him. We went into the family locker room at the pool this week to change. As I was changing, Braden came up and smacked my tushy and said, "I smack mommy's tushy. Smack tushy." This once again made us laugh forever.

Big Boy Bed

Last Wednesday, Dec. 2, we setup Braden's big boy bed. I know there was some talk of toddler vs. twin bed, but we opted for the twin bed. It will last a lot longer, plus we got an amazing deal on this bedroom set from Blake's co-worker.

Did we think Braden was ready for the big boy bed? Kind of. We mostly wanted more space in our garage. We figured we could leave the crib up and just let him play with the bed. He loves his toy drawers underneath.
The first night didn't work out so well. People always told us, "The kids don't even realize they can climb out of bed." Well, Braden realized that first thing. He loves climbing in and out. (All those toys you see on his headboard are no longer there. Too much of a temptation at night for a 21 month old.)

The first night didn't work, but the second night was a success. He LOVES his bed. Although he may get out once or twice in the process of falling asleep, he feels so special climbing into bed.

And now instead of crying or screaming in the morning, we get to hear loud bangs at his door with his sweet little voice yelling, "Mommy" or "Daddy." We tore down the crib the next day.

Yes, you can still see the binki in this picture. Our plan is to eliminate this in a month. This will give him a month in his big boy bed, but still a month before Baby #2 comes. We dread this time, but do realize, it's time!

Christmas Tree 2009

It has come part of our family tradition to decorate our Christmas tree the Sunday after Thanksgiving. This year was no exception, except we had a little boy to slow things down (and make things more fun). Braden found the ornaments more fascinating than the tree.

He finally decided it was fun to help dad trim the tree.

Still, there was nothing like those little plastic bulbs.

Forced picture with mom.
But will happily take it with dad.

We are so excited this year for Christmas. Mostly because we get to be home by ourselves and begin our family traditions. Although we have lots of presents under the tree, Braden hasn't touched them. It will be a surprise come Christmas morning when he gets to tear them apart.

Official Due Date Change

I had a 31 week doctor's appointment today and guess what, baby #2 is measuring 35 weeks. Yes, that's a full 4 weeks ahead of schedule. After evaluating my charts and measurements throughout the pregnancy, my doctor moved my due date up to February 1st. I thought it was Feb. 1 all along, but it feels good to be validated. My doctor said he would not let me go any longer than Feb. 8 (my previous due date). As long as I make it to Feb. 1st, I am ok.

These 2 Boys

These 2 boys are the best of friends. Fortunately, it's an eternal friend, cousin Micah. When these 2 get together, you know there will be chaos that ensues.

Yes, this is a full set of SkipBo cards that they decided to throw down Grandma's stairs. I wasn't here for this, but Blake said it was quite the mess.
Micah is so sweet with Braden. He knows how to play to his level, without making it too babyish.

Braden's favorite thing was tackling his cousins. He also thought it was funny when he grabbed onto Micah's shirt and dragged him everywhere. I am pretty sure Micah liked this too.

All I know is that as these 2 boys get older, we will have to keep a closer eye on them. I have a feeling these will be the 2 to jump off the roof while testing a homemade airplane. We sure love cousins.