A Very Busy Week

It has been crazy around here! We are a very busy family! And of course it is a very busy time of year!

So I thought I would catch you up on things that are happening at the Mandura home.

1. Weird Weather! Today is the first official day of winter and it is (get ready...) a balmy 57 degrees! Crazy right?

2. Big Diapers! We went from a size 2 to a size 3 in diapers. Just another sign my baby is getting bigger. (tear!)

3. Daisy Mae! Miss Evalie has been noticing Daisy a lot more. She watches the dog, and this morning she was petting her. We were all (yes all 4 of us) laying in bed enjoying the Saturday morning. Daisy laid down next to Evalie, and Evie reached over to pet her. She sat there for about 10 minutes just running her hands through Daisy's fur. I think she liked the texture. Daisy sat still for it, and was very good! And, of course, I washed Evalie's hands afterward. No doggy germs for the baby. On the same note: Does anyone know someone who wants a dog. Daisy is very good, but we aren't giving her the attention she needs. Sadly, she is not my baby anymore. I feel like a terrible doggy mom!

4. Christmas Cards! I finally sent out Christmas Cards. Nothing like waiting until the last minute. Last year I didn't send any! I guess I was too busy being excited about being pregnant. But these turned out cute, I really like them. We still have a few that need to be sent out, but we don't have addresses for. But I am officially checking that one off my list.

5. Christmas Shopping! My Christmas shopping is 95% done! That's right. It is two days before Christmas and I still have shopping to do. We don't really do a whole lot, I don't like to put the emphasis on gifts. But I LOVE to give gifts. So I put a lot of thought and effort into them. So that is why I am not completely done. Also, we had a car incident last night. And Alex is shopping right now. So I can't finish until later tonight. Depending on how long it takes him. Just one negative of having one car. (The positives outweigh the negatives though!)

6. Santa Claus! While Evalie and I were out shopping yesterday we...

...saw Santa. Which I debated on, but how cute is her smile! I didn't want to buy a picture for (get this) $$$$$14.99! (ONE picture! a 5x7! Yikes!!!!) But the nice elf lady said that I could just take her picture with my digital. Yes, I carry the camera in the diaper bag, just in case! The nice elf lady said that this Santa would let me take the picture, but the other Santa would not. I asked if the Santas got a percentage of the picture profit, thinking that's why the other Santa wouldn't let you. The elf lady said, No. The other Santa is just crabby! Ha! A crabby Santa at Christmas time. The irony.

This Santa was really nice though. When I saw him, I was a little shocked. I said, "Hey, your beard is real!" He just smiled real big and said, "Of course, I'm Santa!" So that was Evalie's first Santa experience.

7. The Cup! Miss Evalie is not great with taking a bottle, but Alex and I need a way for her to drink milk without me. So we have been experimenting and getting frustrated (all 3 of us). But I think we got it! Daddy has been giving her milk out of a cup (aka the bottle lid-which is funny because the first one we tried actually had holes in the lid and we didn't know it. The milk went everywhere!). So Evalie likes the cup. And even though she wears a majority of it, she is at least getting some. And she is not getting mad about it.

See! Well, here she is drinking from the bottle with no nipple, but you get the idea!

8. Hard Work! Because of the Christmas season, and because we are going out of town next week, we had a lot to do this week. So we have all been working hard. This is how Evalie and Daddy work!

Alex really has been working hard, he just took a little break with his daughter. We still have a lot of work left to do, but it will get done I'm sure.

9. The Best! Evalie started laughing this week. It is seriously the best thing in the world! This is one of the times we wish we had a video camera, but she probably wouldn't laugh on camera anyway. She is all smiles and laughs when it's just Momma and Daddy, but when I bring out the camera or we call a Grandma, she quiets down. She is funny that way! Still it is great to hear her laugh. And see her smile. And cuddle with her. And...Who needs presents, I've got mine already!

So that was our crazy week, with some other stuff like laundry and diaper changes thrown in there! And the craziness continues...