3 Months of Colds and Counting

 

 Jamisen is almost 20 months old. He knows nothing about the upcoming addition to our family. We try to tell him. He touches my belly. He does hold his doll in a sweet manner but explaning that there is a new baby showing up seems like it might be beyond him.

Not to worry, I have a plan! I am making him a book of his short but eventful life up until now, with a focus on the 'small, baby, vaguely wrinkled rat child' portion of his life. That way, we'll be able to explain that little babies cry a lot because they can't explain what they want, that they need to be treated gently, and they need to eat a lot. I still haven't figured out how to explain breastfeeding.

 

 This plan did entail learning how to sew (buying a sewing machine, finding an instructor etc...). Thankfully, my assistant at work went to fashion design school so I didn't have far to look. I've progressed a bit and can't wait to give Jamisen is his fabric book. We're giving it to him at the 'Gender Reveal Party' for baby number two.

  

The weather has been a little cold lately (26 degrees yesterday!) so we've gotten creative about where we take Jamisen on adventures. The Macy's furniture store and Jamisen are BFFs. He loved the climbing and all the space to run!

  

Jamisen has had a perpetual cold since starting at Hillcrest Kids 3 months ago. Between him, Chris and I, one of us has been producing copious amounts of phlegm, snot and general grossness for the last quarter solid. Poor Jamisen has had a raspy cough since Thanksgiving and Chris and I are both sporting nasty sore throats. We've been loading Jamisen up on Kefir and Vitamin C and lots of fluids (including the amazing green juice most mornings).
 
Perhaps when the next baby comes along, Jamisen won't be perpetually sick. Thankfully, even when he's sick, he's awfully happy and adorable. 

Chris'isms

I don't want you to miss the joy that I experience on a daily basis at la Casa de Faiola Renoud. Enjoy.

Me: "Wow, Jamisen has not let me finish any of these books tonight. He just keeps stopping me and grabbing new ones."
Chris: "It's his version of channel flipping."

Chris: "So, I always cut the bottom of the fried eggs off because they're too difficult for Jamisen to chew.
Me: "Why are you telling me this?"
Chris: "You're in training."

Me: Chris, why aren't you wearing your wedding ring?
Chris: What really matters is what's inside; I don't need to wear it to know my deep commitment to you.
Me: Wrong. Would you like me to go get it for you?

 

Chris walks in on me doing 300 jumping jacks; conversation goes like this: "What are you doing?!" (genuinely horrified) Me: "I'm finishing my work out for the day?" Chris: "Don't! You'll give the baby a headache! All that jumping up and down!!"

Me: "I think I need to change this shirt. It's not fitting anymore."
Chris: (takes one look at my gym outfit, with the shirt that clearly shows a bulging belly and pants that cut off all circulation around the waist) "Well, I'll tell you one thing, I feel really secure in our relationship right now."

Me: "Global warming is really affecting food production in developing nations."
Chris: "It's not man-made global warming if it's just the earth's natural cycle."
Me: "You need to quit listening to Fox News."

Me: "I'm going to make a list of all the things we need to get done today."
Chris: "Can you put on there that Chris needs to relax?"

Me: "These new maternity jeans are too big. They're sagging in the butt."
Chris: "Keep them a week. You'll fill 'em in."

Chris: "We should think about teaching Jamisen a foreign language while he's young."
Me: "That is a great idea! What language should we choose? Chinese seems to be a safe bet. I'll find a tutor and arrange a language playgroup at our house where everyone can chip in some money and all the kids can learn Chinese!"
Chris: "Um, I was just saying we should think about it, not design and enroll kids in a language school."
   

 

Then, there's my Dad:

My dad, getting in the car after a grocery trip with a full grocery bag, asks my Mom a question.
Me: "Dad, Mom's not in the car."
Dad: "What?!"
Chris: "How did you lose her in a grocery store?"
Me: "Wait. Don't you have the wallet so she can't pay for anything?"
Dad gets out if car and wanders back inside store.

Bubbles and Santa

We were so pleased that Santa had a few extra minutes to stop by our house on Christmas Eve. Jamisen initially wasn't the biggest fan but with Daddy by his side, he walked over to the book bin, grabbed a book and brought it back to Santa to read to him. It was rather adorable. Jamisen's big present from Santa was a workbench. He promptly dismantled it, turned it upside down and tried to use it as a sitting stool. Funny little guy. He loves working with tools and is intensely curious. His intellect is always on display and we are so charmed by our little guy.

 

 We went hiking almost every day of the Christmas break. Our winter has been cold but no snow and the last few days have been drizzly but perfectly fine for venturing outside. Jamisen had to be drug away from his stone-throwing forays. He loved everything about the dirt, the rocks, and the splash in the water. There were major screaming and temper tantrums (shortly lived) when we tried to pull him from his rock throwing. The little man has quite the set of pipes on him.

  

Jamisen did have a traditional Christmas stocking with a couple small gifts. He was so happy with the bubble machine that he received. Of course, after a few days, he had turned it so topsy turvy that the bubbles ran out all over the living room furniture. He especially was delighted when we blew the bubbles through the Dyson bladeless fan and the bubbles went all over the living room, making everyone smile and laugh at Jamisen's wonder and awe. Our beloved Nanny, McKenna, said he played with his stocking stuffer, a snow plow, all day long. Mamma, who helped Santa on the stocking stuffer choices, was gratified to learn that the gifts went over so well. 

Christmas time is a wonderful time to spend with family. Grandma and Grandpa Renoud came (along with sister Anamarie) to deliver an amazing gift - the Learning Tower - which Jamisen immediately tried to "help" put together. It's a kitchen helper that puts Jamisen up at counter level so he can be a more active participant with cooking (lucky boy). He and the Learning Tower have been inseparable since he got it. Though, he has taken to trying to play with the kitchen sink - and since it makes him so happy, I've taken to indulging him. It's a recipe for water all over the floor and wet clothes. He went through two changes of clothes tonight and the kitchen got a very complete dousing during his play time. And when we take our soaking wet ginger-haired boy away from his water, he throws up quite the temper tantrum. The one tonight lasted at least 5 minutes. I feel terrible but it's extremely hard not to giggle at his antics.

  

Brother Ryan will be coming to stay with us for a few days this weekend. I can't wait to fully immerse him in our crazy, busy, fun and laughter-filled family life. The sheets have been changed and the house is prepped - we can't wait to see him.

Grinch Visit

The annual Grinch picture:

  

 Jamisen looks even more terrified than last year:

  

The reason the entire family is in the Grinch photo is because Jamisen was NOT having any of being left alone in the arms of some crazy big green guy.  

We also made all the soaps for the FSE Christmas party this year - a Christmas tradition. This year was Black Cherry, Red Apple, LoveSpell (type) and Dragonsblood (a musky men's fragrance). It takes me about 6 hours to make all the detailed soaps (there's a dropper involved) but Chris did his part by wrapping them all.

 

Little Elfen Helper

This week, we had a little pint-sized elf visit the Bramble Berry warehouse to help spread Christmas cheer. It turns out that he accepted a little Christmas cheer first. Thank you Norman (our operations ninja) for the fantastic fishing game. Jamisen caught onto it quickly and I can see that we'll have hours of fun ahead, 'fishing'.

   

 Jamisen's favorite part of visiting the office is always a toss-up between the giant 'Vanna White' wheel (seriously, we have a giant Wheel of Fortune wheel at work) and playing with my keyboard and my computer. He adores anything electronic or computer. Remotes, cell phones, computers ... he's all about it.  

 Jamisen the Elf was not just at Bramble Berry to practice his typing skills; he was also there to help deliver some presents I picked up for a few of the team. While everyone at Bramble Berry gets cards stuffed with a little sumpin sumpin (wink wink), sometimes I just run across a gift that screams out a name and then says 'Buy me, buy me!' When that happens, I channel the extra spirit of Christmas and buy 'n' wrap. All I needed was the perfect delivery method: enter Jamisen the Elf.  

 He got into the spirit pretty fast, and loved delivering the gifts. I think the big smiles and clapping helped. He is quite the little ham; he'll do most anything for praise. =) Here's to another super duper fun Holiday season at Bramble Berry. They're all better with a little Elf.  

Cookie Helper (Videos)

Remember, to watch these, you have to click through to the blog. They don't play in emails.
More cooking. Our little master chef in the making:

Becoming Martha

I've been learning to sew in my copious amounts of spare time. I even purchased a sewing machine. This is the first sewing project. Prepare to be underwhelmed but soon, my friends, you will ooh and aah over my sewing skills. And Jamisen + Baby Bell Pepper (who I can feel kicking now) will be the best costumed children at Halloween every year. No pressure. No pressure.

   

 Look at the evenness of my second project - those stitches! The tricky lines of the circle and heart:

   

 Proving I am trying to give Martha a true run for her money, I've been juicing for the family most mornings. Jamisen sometimes drinks as much as 3 ounces of it in a morning. And remember, greens are all about calcium. Goooooo strong bones!

   

 But, lest you think it's all healthy - these are the cookies I made for the Bramble Berry Cookie Exchange - Andes Mint cookies with a chocolate mint ganache .... but yeah, I didn't eat any and neither did Jamisen so maybe we are the all healthy family. Gold star. Gold star.

  

I was told they were delicious. 

PS - I was at a Winter Solstice ceremony/ritual the other night and we were told to imagine powerful women who have guided us in our lives. Of course, my Mom came to mind first. Followed by Amelia Earhart. And then, Martha Stewart. Martha Stewart. Top Three female influencers in my life. Other women at the Solstice ceremony were mentioning Joan of Arc and Athena and suitably impressive women of history. Me. Martha Stewart. I wasn't sure whether I should be proud or ashamed. But whatever, I'm following in her footsteps so I'm going for proud.