Happy Birthday Charles Lawrence Adams

We plan to call him Charlie. He was born on Sunday at 12:46 weighing 6 pounds no ounces. He is 19 inches long. Mom and Charlie are doing well and resting. He was definitely early but that wasn't an issue. Jasmin did a great job. Davey is excited to be a big brother.

First Visit with Santa

This is the first year we've taken Davey to see Santa and I'm happy to report it worked out pretty well in the end! 

We had talked about going to see Santa at the mall and he was very happy about the opportunity to tell Santa what he wanted for Christmas, but whenever I mentioned that he would need to sit on his lap, he would change his tune and say, "No want to. No want to see Santa." in that whiny voice he does so well. But the one day I actually got to the mall to do it, Santa was at lunch.

So the perfect opportunity to see him was at a storytime with the Big Guy two days before Christmas. First, Santa tried to win them all over with some treats and I was quite worried when even animal crackers didn't tempt Davey to go near Santa to get them.

It took a bit of effort just to get Davey to sit with the other kids.

Still a worried look on his face.

I had to hold Davey to keep him in line to see Santa and he was complaining the whole time. I kept reminding him that on the way in the car he had said he wanted to give Santa a hug and kiss (somehow that seemed better to him than sitting on his lap). But, when it was our turn and I handed him to Santa, Davey didn't complain! (Though there were no kisses or hugs.)

Posing for a picture.

Davey finally gets to ask Santa in person

for the trains he wants for Christmas.

During the stories Santa read, Davey became increasingly worried and, when it was over, insisted on speaking with Santa again because he forgot to tell Santa which specific trains he wanted. He wanted Gordon and Edward so badly. (After that I realized I had better go back to the store and get Edward since I didn't have him under the tree yet.)

For Sale

Well, I haven't gotten any subscribers yet to the Jasmin Diet, so I was relieved when last night I found a new way to make some holiday cash... the Michigan Mitten Strawberry!

Look for my posting on eBay!

Kids These Days...

Dave was discussing the workings of Christmas with Davey this morning and advised him that he had better write a letter to Santa to let him know what he would like as a present. Apparently poo-pooing Daddy's antiquated ways, Davey went and found an old cell phone we let him play with and then walked into the kitchen in the midst of a conversation...

"...trains, engines," we overheard. "Bye Santa."

And that was that!

I'm So Jealous!

It's probably not just Davey - likely all fresh, young minds - but his memory just amazes me. And I am so jealous of it. My memory is so bad that I can't remember if my memory has always been this bad or if it just started once I got pregnant with Davey. 

So tonight at dinner, Davey randomly says, "Jacob." I sit for a second wondering what he would say next, thinking it would have something to do with naming the baby, since we've been tossing that name around and I am getting to the point of stressing over what the name should be. I think, "maybe Davey has some revelation to share with me that will help me with the decision" (I'm grasping at straws these days). Then he says, "Davey swim with Jacob at pool." Amazing. 4 months ago, in August, roughly one-seventh of his life ago, while we were in temporary housing here in Houston, Davey and I were swimming and we met a boy named Jacob. 4 months ago, Davey's speech was still in it's infancy and remarked to Jacob's mother that Davey coined a new nick-name for Jacob, "Teacup." (That was how he pronounced Jacob.) We only ever saw Jacob that one day. How does he remember something like that?? Plus, remember hearing that his name was Jacob even though he could only pronounce it so poorly at the time. So not fair.

I'm going to include a few pictures with this post because there have been too many posts in a row without them... Last weekend I took Davey to a little Christmas party put on by a Moms' group I have joined here. They had a photo-op set up, though it wasn't so perfect with the flash reflecting in the background...

Who isn't happy when surrounded by presents? 

I'm worried; maybe they're for mommy.

The bounce houses were a blast; surely the best part of the party. Davey spent the majority of the time climbing out of the balls and jumping back in. Needless to say he had a great nap that day!!

Bringing a ball back into the jumper.

The rest of his time was spent being the ball monitor. Anytime a child threw balls outside of the pit, he took it upon himself to put them back in, even if they had been thrown outside of the jumper. He is a very conscientious child that everyone should follow the rules and everything should be kept in its place. I need to take better advantage of that!!

The Jasmin Diet (Warning: Really Lame Post Below)

If you invent a new diet, you get to name it after yourself, right? Here is my ticket to making millions! And it all started with a free tube of toothpaste and the common cold...

Here's how the diet works. It is all about options (that's the key, right?) and is so simple anyone can do it. You have the option of using either one of my specially-crafted olfactory receptor-blockers (sounds like it's backed by science, eh?). The first is a gentle, comfort-fit clip that will seal off airflow to your nostrils. Simply clip to the outside of your nose. The second option is a custom-molding pair of plugs that will perform the same task (intended to be undetected by anyone you're dining with) by being inserted into the nose (like an earplug).

Simply place the receptor-blocker into place before you eat and your desire to overeat will disappear! You won't enjoy your food at all!

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I have a really bad cold right now. I'm not sure I've had my nose plugged so badly before that I truly could not breathe at all out of either of my nostrils. Anyway, I have this horrible-tasting toothpaste that sounded intriguing (Crest Citrus Splash -- don't bother trying it) and I bought it since there was a rebate making it free. Last night was great because my cold was so bad I literally could not taste it at all. I knew that the sense of smell played a large role in taste, but breathing only through my mouth completely blocked it. It was a great night of tooth-brushing since I didn't have to put up with the icky flavor and I invented my new diet! :)

Shameless Plug

I ordered some gifts from Oh! Nuts for Christmas and this link to their website will earn me a $5 refund. Yea!

Family Portrait

Well, I have learned an important lesson: Don't be such a slacker that since it has been 2 years since your last family portrait you are so desperate to get one that you're willing to do it when you're 8 months pregnant. Ugh. We went to get one this morning and not only was Davey difficult, but my face is so chubby. Yuck. So don't expect to be seeing one of them. They will be kept very close only for our remembrance purposes. We'll surely be getting another, hopefully better, one after the baby comes.

We tried to bribe Davey with the promise of an ice cream cone afterward if he cooperated. He didn't really cooperate, but we felt like we had to give him the treat anyway. Dave couldn't help getting out the camera...

Quite content.

Can I have another wipe?

(He really likes to be clean.)

Is there any more ice cream in here?

When Dave turned the camera to show me how cute he thought the pictures were, Davey added, "Mommy, say "awww."" 

Along the same lines, after Davey's last bath, he spotted the red clown nose Dave wore a few years ago while pulling the Clowny float in Detroit's Thanksgiving Parade. He asked to wear it and then demanded:

"Take a picture of it."

The next day while Davey was on "the pot," Dave stuck the nose back on him again. Davey made the same appeal. We had to laugh but didn't indulge that time.

What a Sweet Day!

Is there a better way to ring in December (the month of indulgence in sweets and treats) than with a tour of an ice cream factory? We don't think so! Davey and I were invited by our friend Amy to accompany her and her parents and our friend Jamie on a tour of the Blue Bell Ice Cream factory (not to mention with Davey's best buddies Lauren and Sammie!). Texans are very proud of their hometown brand that is only available in 16 southern states and still #3 in the nation, and with good reason -- it is great ice cream!

Sammie, Davey and Lauren

with their hats and ready for the tour!

Davey was actually quite interested in the tour (I'm really not surprised since it was about ice cream!) and it was just the right length, starting with a charming video about the beginnings of the company. No pictures were allowed on the tour, but we we were rewarded at the end with a cup of the flavor of our choice...

The three munchkins enjoying their Birthday Cake ice cream -- 

all three chose the same one and were way too into it to look up for the picture!

Two happy, ice cream-loving Adams!

These three love holding hands!

Of course Davey had to ride the train and I love the slogan written along the bottom:

"We eat all we can and sell the rest... "

Maybe they need a financial analyst?

Jamie, Sammie, Me, Davey, Amy and Lauren

After all the picture taking, we adults were chatting away while the kiddos played on the grounds. Then we noticed that the kids had created a game to play: two would sit and pose near something while the other was the photographer. They'd all yell "Cheese!" and then switch places. It was so adorable! (Of course by the time we thought to try to get it on video, they were finished.)

Lunch with Zulma

I had been looking forward to the Saturday after Thanksgiving for months and months... that day one of my best friends from Bakersfield (who now lives in Portland) had a 4 hour layover here in Houston on her way to see her family in Colombia, so we were able to wisk her and her children away from the airport for a quick lunch.

It was so nice to see Zulma again, see how Sarah had grown and meet baby Matthew for the first time! Zulma is pretty much responsible for all of my fond memories of living in Bakersfield -- thank goodness for her! She and her husband, Cesar, will always be our dear friends.

Sarah and Davey were also very excited to see each other -- it was so cute how excited they were. When we first met up with them in the airport Sarah just kept hugging Davey over and over and over.