Christmas ramblings...and a baby in a snowsuit

I love Christmas week.  I just made one of my final trips to the mall to grab those last minute gifts, a couple of bows, and a final roll of tissue paper.  I love the mall this close to Christmas.  I even love trudging through the slush in the parking lot and watching people pile in booths at Old Chicago.  The busyness, the anticipation, and the dwindling of the mittens on the fireplace mantle tell me that Christmas is comin'...

I'm trying my best to slow down time at my house this week.  Christmas comes and goes so fast every year and as soon as it's by us, my days at home with Cruz are numbered.  Yesterday, I took a nap on the couch with him as the snow fell outside, watched a movie, and read Green Eggs and Ham three times in a row.  By the third time, Sam-I-Am had morphed into a British lad with a ridiculous accent.  Cruz loved it nonetheless.  His attention span isn't very long when it comes to his vast library of books quite yet, but there's something about Dr. Seuss.  Maybe Santa will come through on One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish.  I should let him know that Barnes and Noble has a 'buy two, get one free' sale going on this week...

Christmas feels different this year.  When it comes to Christmas shopping for Beau, I usually have all kinds of ideas for him.  I start early and try and outdo myself with surprises for him every year.  This year, besides a new big screen and a pair of footed pajamas 'just like Cruz's,' he's given me no help with his Christmas list.  And when it comes to my Christmas list, besides a Beaba` babycook, I am far from creative.  We've finally settled for the idea of taking a trip to the mall sometime, and helping each other pick out a new pair of shoes or a coat or something.  Definitely not creative and definitely not surprising.  

This year, presents and perfectly frosted sugar cookies and an immaculate house just don't measure up to the gift we've been given this year.  This tiny little person that's filled our lives with more love than we've ever known.  This year, it's about the little things... 

...like taking a break from wrapping those gifts to watch a baby and daddy connect during Monday Night football.

...or spending fifteen minutes bundling a baby in a snowsuit to spend five minutes outside in the snow.     

It's about the soft touch of a chamois sheet in Cruz's crib, the popcorn on his tree, and the twinkly lights hanging from his window.  It's about the coziness I feel when I lay him in his crib at night, and the excitement I feel when I pick him up in the morning.

It's about an afternoon of play in front of the Christmas tree.  A cute fleece outfit with matching socks, a first reach for a toy, and a smiley baby.



It's about a single glass of Milk Nog and a Christmas pair of pajamas.  New movies in the theatre, Christmas classics on TV, and a family trip to Famous Daves.  It's about dressing Cruz in red for five days straight, going to our first Christmas Eve service as a family, and watching his little eyes get big as we sing Silent Night by candlelight.  It's about a tiny little baby in a manger born thousands of years ago.

It's about the joy, and love, and peace I feel this Christmas week with my little Cruz.  It will be a Christmas I won't ever forget. 
   

A busy weekend...

Our official Christmas season began this weekend with two of our six family Christmases.  We lugged Cruz around more this weekend than we have since he's been born, and boy was he a trooper.  At times I feel like all we did was strap and un-strap him in his carseat.  He would get tiny little naps in the car as we traveled to and from, but the minute we were around the commotion, he was awake and observant to say the least.  Last night, at Aunt Becky's, I've never seen his eyes that big!  It was hard to tell if he was excited, or completely terrified.  We made it, though, and realized that Christmas is just that much better with a baby at our side. 

(The calm before the Christmas storm...Cruz chillin' in his pirate shirt)

Before our Christmases began, however, my family made a quick stop at the McLeod Center to watch me receive my MASTERS DIPLOMA!  Since I've been finished with my degree since last summer, I wasn't sure if I wanted to walk in the ceremony.  After all, I remembered all too well having to arrive at the Dome hours before the ceremony began, only to be forced to sit for an hour and a half wearing the world's dumbest ensemble (whoever invented the square hat anyways?).  But a part of me wanted the closure, a chance to celebrate the accomplishment of earning a Masters degree within the first two years of my profession.  As I worked hard to write papers amidst lesson plans, read textbooks amidst students' essays, and pull 16 hour days of school, planning, and night classes, I wanted one morning to sit back and reflect on the feat I had conquered. 

And after the near, two-hour ceremony, I'd say I had enough time to reflect! 

It was pretty amazing to look up in the stands of the McLeod Center and not only see my family there to celebrate, but my own nine week old baby.  Life is crazy isn't it?  While the hundreds of undergrads, in their trendy high heels and perfect hair-dos, text messaged their friends about the parties they would attend that night, I text messaged my husband to see if he remembered to put socks on Cruz.  I spent more time picking out his little UNI outfit for today's festivities, and chose to spend the extra minutes playing with him in his room instead of putting the finishing touches on my hair.  It's incredible what a few years and a little person can do to a life.  They change ya, that's for sure.  And although I loved college, loved my wardrobe, and cared immensely about my hair, I wouldn't go back in a second. 

It was torture sitting in those folding chairs for two hours when I had a perfect view of my little boy. 

And I couldn't wait for this. 

After dinner at Bourbon Street, we ran home to mix a broccoli salad, locate a couple of presents under the tree, and give Cruz a quick bottle before heading to Allison to the Henrichs family Christmas.  With five kids and spouses, 18 grand-kids and spouses, and 22 great grand-kids (with no spouses), this Christmas is loud, a little wild, but incredibly cute.  There are big people and little people, brown eyes and blue eyes, locals and travelers.  And in the middle of it all, there is one, 88 year old woman who had a hand in starting it all. 

Beau fell in love with our little cousin, Maddie, I ate way too much chicken wing dip, and Cruz loved his Care Bear book from his great grandma.  For being the newest baby there, Cruz held his own and was good as gold.  It was fun to have a little person to add to the mix of little ones...I wonder if there will be any new babies next Christmas...

(Cruz was more interested in his presents than I thought he'd be)

Yesterday, we traveled to Hampton to Aunt Becky's to celebrate with Beau's mom's side of the family.  Although the Sanders family is less of a herd than the Henrichs side, with three kids and spouses, seven grand-kids and spouses, and seven great grand-kids (with no spouses), this didn't stop them from creating a 'vibrant' environment that appealed to all of Cruz's senses: the sights of the toddlers fighting over toys, the smell of Duncan the Dog's breath as he checked out the family's newest addition, and the sound of Brody's adorably cute rendition of the 'Pants on the Ground' song.  We munched on delicious food, sipped Gina's pomegranate vodka and 7up, and exchanged white elephant gifts.  I don't know how I managed to snag my very first Scentsy out of a white elephant exchange, but now my kitchen smells of cinnamon and cloves and I'm thinking I made out pretty good.

(This is how Cruz looked most of the night...I've never seen his eyes that big!)

So far, so good!  With two Christmases down and four to go, we are learning all that goes in to the holidays with a baby.  Although there is lots of packing and unpacking diaper bags, changing dirty diapers on folding tables and nursing home beds, and late night pajama car rides home, we are learning just how much fun it is to celebrate family, and celebrate this season with our Cruz.   

Shots, shots, shots...

Today was a dreaded day...Cruz's two-month check, aka, start of his immunization shots.  The mama bear in me came out in full force and I knew the day would likely be more emotional on me than my little man.  I was lucky that Beau didn't have any appointments scheduled and wanted to go along for moral support.  Since our appointment was at 9, I was also glad to have some help getting out the door on time. 

Cruz slept so good last night; he went to bed around 10, and was still sleeping at 8 this morning.  He looked especially sweet all warm and cozy in his crib this morning, and I hated having to wake him up for such an unpleasant reason. 

Right before the three of us headed out the door, Beau noticed that our kitchen reeked of burnt rubber.  The next thing we noticed was that our dishwasher had stopped mid-cycle.  A broken dishwasher was one thing; however, this broken dishwasher took on a whole new meaning.  See, when we put in our new kitchen two years ago, we kind of installed our flooring around it.  Bad idea, I know, but at the time, it was what worked.  And you don't think about the 'what ifs' when all is working fine.  So, while we drove to the hospital, I thought about how I was going to spoil Cruz after his appointment and Beau thought about how he was going to get a broken dishwasher out of our kitchen... 

Cruz did great at his appointment.  He showed off his excellent tummy time skills, to which our doctor kept referring to as 'beautiful.'  He smiled for him and the nurses, cooed, and showed off his hot naked bod.  A bod that has grown exponentially.  At Cruz's two-week appointment, he weighed 8 lbs., 9 oz.  Today, at nine weeks old, he's 12 lbs., 7 oz.!  His weight is right at the 50th percentile, and his height was 24 inches, 75th percentile.  At this rate, he'll be into his 3-6 month wardrobe before we know it! 

I'll admit, the shots were rough; however, not near as traumatic as I had thought.  Yes, Cruz's eyes got huge when he felt the prick, followed by a serious wail.  And yes, his mom cried and needed some consoling of her own.  But in all reality, Cruz cries just as hard when he is getting lotion after his bath, and the little band-aids looked pretty cute on his chubby little thighs.  He fell asleep almost instantly after the three shots, and we raced home to cuddle our baby.  Someday, I'll stop at Target so he can pick out a toy, but today, he just needed some lovin'. 

I don't think I left the recliner for a straight five hours.  While my poor husband drove all over town looking for a discontinued 'bisque' dishwasher, I rocked and rocked and rocked.  And while Beau chiseled our floor in order to get the old dishwasher out, I rocked some more.  And while Beau climbed under our floor cabinets in order to reach and hook up our new, 'bisque' washer, I continued to rock.  He's not only a really great dad, but a damn good plumber too!  He's a jack-of-all-trades and we love him for it. 

The day ended with a load of clean dishes, an exhausted hubby, and one, immunized baby.  All is well that ends well!

Some pictures of our little chunk.  He's getting more expressive and quite vocal!

Santa, baby...

Since Thanksgiving weekend, I've been on a wild Santa chase.  It's Cruz's first Christmas and I'm determined to go all out when it comes to all the glad tidings of Christmas cheer mumbo jumbo.  And since this might be the only Christmas in many years to come where my son will actually enjoy sitting on the jolly one's lap, I figured I better find the perfect Santa for the job. 

And that's where my Santa chase begins. 

It all started on Thanksgiving weekend, when I spotted my first of many Santas at the Jordan Creek Mall in Des Moines.  He was perfectly authentic (from far away), dressed in bib overalls and no hat to disguise a wig of white.  No, this Santa had it all.  Small rimmed glasses, a big, Christmas cookies-and-milk belly, and a full head of curly white hair.  We had Cruz along, but no camera, and I refused to spend money on an overpriced framed portrait.  So, we waited, and instead of sugarplums, I envisioned one more trip to Des Moines, a baby dressed in red, and my Canon Rebel. 

Well, that shopping trip came, and Cruz had his chance to sit on Santa's lap.  Now, Cruz was starting to get sleepy and therefore, could have cared less who was holding him at the moment; however, I was feeling anything but jolly.  Although this Santa may have looked like he was straight from the North Pole, he was a little creepy.  Okay, a lot creepy.  The shutter on my camera has never moved so fast, but when Santa went to kiss Cruz on the cheek and Cruz began to get tangled in his beard, I decided it was time to move on.  I snatched my little one, wished Santa and his even creepier camera man a Merry Christmas, and moved on to Williams Sonoma.  I may have pictures, but the memories are far from 'merry.'

Strike...

One.

Last week, I had another opportunity to get Cruz's picture with Santa.  Beau and I met for lunch and since he didn't have much going on at work, decided to do a little Christmas shopping with me.  When I spotted the Santa, fully dressed in his red velvet suit at Crossroads Mall, I jumped for joy.  He was much better than the bib-wearing creepy man at Jordan Creek, and he smiled sweetly at us as we walked by.  And because I was too busy staring at the man in red, I failed to see the huge poster at the entrance of Santa's play land. 

NO PERSONAL CAMERAS BEYOND THIS POINT.

You have got to be kidding me.  Even though this time, Beau would have allowed me to pay the $30 for a single 5x7 print and tacky candy cane frame, I walked away in spite.  There was no way I could justify paying someone to take a single picture of my son with Santa Claus.  I felt like a defeated Charlie Brown from A Charlie Brown Christmas.  The moment when he goes to seek advice from his friend, Lucy, who demands a nickel for her services.  There was no way I wanted to be part of this crappy commercialization anymore than Charlie did. 

Strike 2.     

Friday night, as we were headed to watch NU play basketball, we had a little time to kill before the game.  Cruz was dressed in his red striped Gap sleeper, and looked like a little elf.  My heart-strings pulled a little as we drove by College Square Mall and we decided to stop.  Just to check it out.  And there, at the end of the mall, sat the most perfect Santa I had ever seen.  Dressed in red, with a perfectly trimmed beard, he sat by himself, just waiting to meet his littlest elf.

And they let this mom take as many pictures as she wanted!  After three Santas, we finally found the one.

Meanwhile, my little elf has been loving the Christmas tree.  He's lately developed a fascination with laying underneath it.  This way, he can look up and see the lights and branches, as well as all the colorful ornaments that hang like a mobile over his head.  He stars at it starry-eyed and looks as though Santa dropped him there himself.  I'm going to need another diversion to keep my little one content after the holidays. 

I can't believe that Christmas is two weeks away. Right now, I'm far from ready for it to be over. 

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients...

1 pkg. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thawed
1 can (15 oz.) diced tomatoes
1 can (10 oz.) enchilada sauce
1 med. onion, chopped
1 can (4 oz.) diced green chiles
2 garlic cloves or garlic salt, chopped
2 cups water
1 can chicken broth
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen corn
1 bunch chopped cilantro

Sour cream, shredded cheese, tortilla chips, etc.

Place chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, green chiles, and garlic into slow cooker.  Season with cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and bay leaf.  Pour in water and chicken broth.  Stir in corn and cilantro.  Cover and cook on low setting for 6-8 hours.

Before serving, take chicken breasts out and shred on cooking board.  Stir back into soup.

Yum!

A day in the life...

Cruz's baby book has this really cute page titled, 'A Day in the Life.'  It has the day broken into hour increments for me to describe a typical day in the life of Cruz.  And since today was one of my favorite days since being home with Cruz, I thought I better write to remember.  After all, I once read a quote that said, 'we write to live life twice,' and once I go back to school, I may want to remember relaxing days like today. 

7:18 am...Cruz is up for the morning.  You never know how the Cruz man is going to wake up in the morning, but one thing is for sure...his face will be all scrunched, his sleep sack will be halfway up his body, and his tightly closed eyes will be in a battle with the morning sun.  Sometimes he wakes up starving, as if he hasn't eaten in days, and sometimes, he seems less interested in a bottle and more interested in the warm arms of his mom.  Today, he was happy to see his mom and snuggled in close as soon as I rescued him from his sleep haven.  Seeing his little eyes open first thing in the morning is a sight I will never grow tired of. 

7:55 am...After a bottle, some rocking, and a little Matt Lauer, I freed Cruz from his sleep sack and let him stretch his limbs on a blanket.  He's a lot like me and my in habitual workout routine, only he, unlike me, usually chooses a workout instead of going back to sleep.  This is okay with me, though, since this is Cruz's happiest time of the day.  Sleepy faces are replaced with big grins, and the morning cry for a bottle is replaced with baby squeals and coos.  I run downstairs to feed Jade, run upstairs to grab a pair of socks, and pour myself a glass of orange juice.  Then, it's face-to-face time with the Cruzer.  Lullabies are easy to come by in December.  Today, Cruz loved 'Jingle Bells.' 

8:26... Cruz is starting to get sleepy again.  He made it about an hour before he completely wore himself out.  I pick him up, wrap him in a blanket, and within five minutes, he is sound asleep.  This is morning nap numero uno.  While holding him, I fight my first internal struggle of the day.  I could keep holding him, watch 'Ellen,' and lounge around in my pjs, or I could put Cruz in his swing and take a shower.  Today, I choose the shower.  Cruz sleeps and I shower with the bathroom door wide open, listening for baby sounds.  I manage to get all the way through blow-drying my hair before he wakes up.  Success!

9:15...Cruz helps me clean my bedroom.  I'm attempting to keep the house clean by picking one room a day.  This works for now because I have as many rooms as there are days of the week.  Although a second bathroom would be nice someday, I'll definitely need to get more efficient when it comes to cleaning my house. 

Cruz lays on our bed, stares at the ceiling fan, and attempts to follow me with his eyes as I scurry around our room, fluffing pillows, swiffering the floor, and dusting the blinds.  He loves the action! 

10:00...a morning bath today, the first time I've attempted one by myself.  Completely doable, but more fun when Beau is there to sing his bath time serenades to us.  Today, we have perfect sun creeping through the window, enough to provide a heat lamp for Cruz.  He loves his bath and always looks so content during it.  He's getting close to figuring out how to splash too.  If he could just figure out how to control those arms and legs...  

10:30...a fresh bottle, a lotioned baby, and a warm blanket.  Baths are like kryptonite for Cruz.  He can't even make it through three ounces today.  He loves to dig his little head in the crease of my arm when he sleeps.  Then, he takes one of his arms, navigates until he finds my shirt, and either grabs the collar, or today, rests his arm underneath my sweatshirt.  It's so sweet.  

11:15...Cruz sleeps in his swing and I get out the cilantro.  I've never appreciated a slow cooker until now.  I chop an onion, some garlic, and a bunch of cilantro, and the rest is a matter of opening some cans.  This is the best chicken tortilla soup ever, simply because it takes 10 minutes to prepare.  It's so good, I'm even sharing the recipe ;) 

12:30...lunch with Beau.  He eats, I hold Cruz.  I eat, Beau holds Cruz.  Cruz eats, Beau holds Cruz.  I check email, upload a few pictures, and rummage through my basement looking for cookie cutters.

1:00...play time, aka, Cruz kicks feet on a blanket, I go through about every Christmas carol known to man, we attempt to lay under his play mat (to which he is still very unsure of), and end with some tummy time.  Cruz starts to get tired again, I know this because he lays his head on its side and attempts to stick his entire fist in his mouth.  His eyes get all starry and he stops moving his little feet. 

2:14...Well, I'm risking a major disaster here, but I try it anyway.  I am going to attempt to bake five dozen sugar cookies while Cruz naps in his crib.  Attempt to roll the dough, cut the dough using twelve different holiday cookie cutters, bake the dough in seven-minute increments, transfer the cookies to cooling racks, and store each batch, all while Cruz sleeps in his crib.    I haven't exactly gotten Cruz on a schedule when it comes to afternoon naps; therefore, I have no idea if I'll get 15 minutes or 3 hour out of him.  I turn on the monitor, preheat the oven, and get to work on completely tearing up my kitchen.

Well, the sleepy one made it one hour in his crib.  He spent the rest of the time watching me from a secured location: his changing table pad on top of the kitchen counter.  I cleaned up my disaster and Cruz watched from afar.  I have no idea when I'm going to frost these little things, but I'm hoping Beau will be there for the occasion. 

4:40...Beau gets home, I run a few errands, and return to a steamy crock of soup. 

6:35...Best night ever.  Chicken tortilla soup and cornbread, a Christmas movie, and a bowl of popcorn for dessert.  The three of us, Cruz in the middle, in front of the fire.  He laid with us until he fell asleep.  Then, after his bottle, he laid there some more.  The older he gets, he's starting to realize that laying on a blanket with his parents is way cooler than laying on a blanket on his own.  He was in seventh heaven with a parent on either side of him!  He moved his little head back and forth, back and forth, to make sure we were both still there.  I think he likes us.

10:00...bedtime.  Cruz's two-month appointment, aka, the dreaded shots tomorrow.  But for tonight, it's sweet dreams of chubby baby cheeks...