Bergstrom Babble

Lots of nothing

2012-01-12T00:49:00.001-05:00

Our daily schedules keep the Bergstroms going at a fast pace. Busy, busy, busy, seems to be the standard mantra. During this time of year, though, we are able to slow down a bit, put away our work responsibilities, and spend some solid quality time together, which always serves as a good reminder to me of what is truly important. Over the last few weeks we spent fun times with family and friends and did, well, a whole lot of nothing. Which was great. I highly recommend it. Here's a sampling of our activities:

We went strolling in the park.

We had mohawks in the bath!

We made cake pops!

We played with a tolerant Tope.

We tried roller skating!

We rollerbladed holding a baby walker
and pink skates...

We made our own bubblegum!

Beware of the blue, uber-sour gum!!

We spent some mom-Anna time getting our nails painted.

Princesses took ornaments off the tree...

We saw the Botanical Garden lights.

Anna turned into a red-nosed reindeer

Anna got sick :(. She was down for the count for
two days with a stomach bug.

We played Rapunzel.

10 Months!

2012-01-07T00:51:00.000-05:00

T-minus two months until this little guy turns 1! WOW!

Hello 2012

2012-01-01T00:37:00.000-05:00

Our New Year's Eve celebrations sure have changed over the years. To mark the start of 2012 we headed to the park (it was a balmy 70 degrees here), took in an early dinner, and put on a fireworks "show" in our front yard. Then, Anna and James went to bed and Jason and I *barely* made it to midnight. Ok, I admit, we didn't make it to midnight, but I set an alarm so we would wake up! Like I said, oh, how times have changed...

Swinging on New Year's Eve!

Fireworks extravaganza!

Watching the "show"

Anna remembered the sparkling grape juice from last year
and insisted on "one of those fancy cups you let me use last time!"

Black-eyed peas for good luck!

Merry Christmas

2011-12-27T00:16:00.000-05:00

This Christmas, Anna entered the stage of being excited/impatient to get downstairs Christmas morning to see what surprises cropped up.

On normal mornings she she wakes up around 6:45-7 and comes bounding into our room. Christmas morning, however, I heard her door open and little padding feet at 5:45 a.m....However, instead of heading to our room, I heard her burst into James's room, flip on his light, and exclaim, "James, are you ready to get up yet?!?"

While I found her excitement and eagerness to include her brother endearing, I (and he) would have preferred a few more minutes of sleep. But, you give slack on Christmas, right? We were able to hold her off from going downstairs until 7 a.m. with some shows, in order to spare the grandparents and Aunt Maddie from a pre-dawn wake up.

And the wait was well worth it because Santa really worked his magic this year, setting up a princess castle, keyboard, pirate ship, AND installing two "big girl" swings. Anna was ecstatic and James fed off of her excitement. Although he did have to pause in the midst of his gift opening for a nap - I think the hullabaloo was too much.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Tope was waiting in this spot when we came
down the stairs. She's no dumb kitty!

Wow!

Loving his keyboard from Santa

Tinta apparently helped set up the princess castle.

Trying out the big girl swing - and Santa brought one for a friend, too!

Paper crowns from the poppers at dinner.

King James

Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T23:35:00.000-05:00

Christmas Eve is quickly becoming one of my favorite times with the kids. The air just sparks with anticipation, excitement and that Christmas M-word, magic. This year we were joined by Gramma, Papa Odie, Grandma Dody and Aunt Maddie, for several fun-filled days.

Typically getting Anna to bathtime and in PJs is a process she prefers to drag out. But, on Christmas Eve she was more than willing to hop in the tub and don her PJs so she could put out cookies for Santa. Before putting out the grub, we sang several Christmas carols, accompanied by jingle bells Anna passed out. This is a new tradition we started last year and it is a very happy, loud time.

Finally it was time to put out the cookies and milk for Santa and veggies and water for the reindeer. This year they got asparagus and radishes...I believe this was James's favorite part of the evening because he got to partake in a cookie - on the floor! Finally, we started another new tradition, thanks to Tinta the elf. He gave Anna and James their own copy of The Night Before Christmas with instructions that we have to read it on Christmas Eve. Papa Odie did the honors this year. Next up, the main event!

James was a pro at eating the bells.

Grandma Dody sings Jingle Bells!

Maddie and Anna a'caroling!

Snuggles with daddy.

The Night Before Christmas

James only has eyes for the cookie...

This cookie thing is pretty cool, don't you think?

Waiting...

'Tis the Season

2011-12-20T22:57:00.000-05:00

Christmas is in full swing around here. We've trimmed the perfect tree, put up the lights, and visited Santa. Next up, the big day!

Anna's note to the big guy: Santa I want a castle & big girl swing!

Everyone was all smiles with Santa this year. A 180 degree improvement for Anna!

Anna's tree

Picking the perfect tree.

O, Christmas Tree!

Anna was so eager and excited to help decorate!

One ornament casualty...Jason was very sad.

A Texas Wedding

2011-12-14T21:15:00.000-05:00

December has been a busy, fun-filled month. In addition to the normal craziness of the month (Anna's birthday, the holidays, etc.), we had the pleasure of traveling to Austin to celebrate my cousin Jamie's wedding. It was a fantastic time to reunite with aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends.

Before the wedding we hit the town for some fun that included a train ride in Zilker Park and enjoying some awesome TexMex. There's just nothing like that good, cheesy, cuisine. We also hit the infamous 6th street - in the daytime hours, though.

Anna was quite excited about the wedding (or "big fun party" as she called it). Since he's not much of a nightowl yet, James hung back in the hotel room with awesome Aunt Dee Ann. We donned our party-best and headed down to the wedding. Anna insited on brining her Beauty and the Beast dolls to the fete.

A great time was had by all at the wedding - we danced late into the night. We are so happy for Jamie and Adam and wish them a long, happy life together.

Train ride at Zilker park

The grand finale of the train ride

All dolled up

Daddy, Anna, Beauty & the Beast

We tried to get a picture of the three of us...Anna did not cooperate

Anna, Papa Odie and Grandma Dody

The happy newlyweds

Anna tore up the dance floor

Awesome to catch up with good friends!

Look Who's Four

2011-12-09T16:08:00.000-05:00

Happy birthday, my sweet Anna. I cannot believe you are four years old. During the last year we've been so caught up in cataloguing a certain baby's developments and milestones, but don't think I haven't been watching you, too. During this last year you have learned to write and count to 30 (sure, 12-15 give you some problems, but, hey, who's counting...). You can skip and gallop and hop on one foot. You love gymnastics and of course, dancing. You sing loudly and with abandon. You have perfected whining. You have a vivid imagination. You can pump your legs while you swing. In fact, you have probably set a Guiness record for time spent in a "big girl" swing. You love princesses. You push scissors, tape, glue and glitter to their utmost limits in your desire to "do crafts". Bunny and bear remain your closest confidants. You talk in your sleep. You like to have your hair braided and "beautiful". You are wary of babysitters. You refer to every sport as football. You are a pro on your scooter, often scaring the bejesus out of me. You want to see your friends everyday. You like doing homework. You want mommy to put you to bed every night(!). You say, "Are you kidding me?!?" and roll your eyes whenever something strikes you as odd or silly. You sometimes call your dad "Jason" or "Jace", which cracks me up. You can chew the heck out of a piece of bubblegum (girl after my own heart). You adore your brother. You are a bright, funny, entertaining, challenging, spirited little girl. Over the last year your world was turned upside down with the entry of one little guy and you have weathered the "James storm" with flying colors. I love you my sweet girl (even when you demostrate your perfect whining).

The big four year old

Flash back to Anna at two months

Tinta the Elf rallied the gang to surprise Anna on her birthday!

This was her reaction to their gathering :)!!

Princess cake!

The calm before the birthday party storm...

...& the aftermath.

James at 9 months

2011-12-07T09:00:00.000-05:00

Well nine months have come and gone - I can feel the big one year mark looming right around the corner. Unbelievable! This month waas a big one for James. He got his two front teeth (just in time for Christmas!), perfected his speed-crawling (he's fast!), and learned how to open cabinets. He is a curious boy who is starting to figure out the world around him. At his nine month check up he didn't quite tip the scales like he has in the past, having gained only half a pound in the last three months. He made up for it in height, growing almost three inches. Here are a few shots from the last month:

I'm still a very happy guy...even in this penguin hat my mom makes me wear.

I got my two front teeth!

I'm on the move...

...& I get into EVERYTHING.

Me & my pal Emma - the cutest Pats fans around

Ok, I get upset sometimes, too...especially about being in my carseat too long!

I have much more hair than my sister did at this age! I like mohawks.

Thankful Times

2011-11-30T21:04:00.000-05:00

This Thanksgiving found us packing our bags and heading to Boston. We spent a few fun days in the city, traipsing around our old stomping grounds, dragging the kids to Fenway Park, Boston Common and Copley Square. We also subjected them to a drive through the town we lived in before moving to Atlanta, and pointed out our old house, restaurants we frequented, and even the grocery store! As you can imagine, Anna was less than thrilled.

After reminiscing over old times, we headed to see Grammy, FaFa, Aunt Kirsten and the cousins. We spent three great days together, filled with food, games and laughs. As always, we left feeling happy and thankful to have spent time and celebrated the holiday together, yet sad that the time together went by so fast.

The whole family

The boys

The girls

Much ping pong was played - James desparately wanted to get in on the action

Making duct tape jewelry was all the rage

Ty & Anna playing memory

Playing some tunes

Hallowed ground

First cap from Fenway!

Make Way for Anna & James!

Sleepy fliers...

Fall Fun

2011-11-20T23:58:00.001-05:00

It's been a busy, but fun Fall season. I'm always amazed by how quickly this time of year passes but it always seems like there is something to look forward to. As soon as the first days of beautiful weather set in, my mind kicks into overdrive and I start thinking about Halloween then Thanksgiving then Anna's birthday then Christmas then New Year's then...whew! We have managed to pack in some fun. Here's a taste:

Pumpkin Patch!

Jack-o-lantern carving!

Botanical Garden scarecrows

Pumpkin patch hayride - look at that face!

Anna and her pal Audrey

Playing games

Lots and lots of swinging...

On the Move & Looking for Trouble

2011-11-18T22:39:00.000-05:00

James is on the move - he's been crawling since five-and-a-half months and all he REALLY wants to do is walk. I fear our babyproofing measures from Anna are not going to be sufficient. For her we locked the obvious cabinets and padded our fireplace hearth. She could care less about opening doors, drawers, cabinets, etc. James, however, seems to be opposite. He quickly figured out how to climb and is using that skill to get in trouble. Like, crawling up to the fire (thank goodness it's behind glass!), and climbing the stairs. BOYS!

Bouncing Babies

2011-11-14T22:29:00.001-05:00

This video captures a cute thing James has done, almost since birth. Well, at least since he has been able to hold up his head and be bounched on a knee. Whenever he gets bounced James makes noise and delights in the funny sound of his voice. Of course, big sister had to get in on the fun...

Eight Months

2011-11-08T14:19:00.000-05:00

Eight months - unbelievable! The sweet boy keeps on growing even though I plead with him to remain a baby. At eight months James is on the move, has a blossoming personality and is pure joy to be around. I LOVE this boy.

Little Pumpkins!

2011-11-04T23:46:00.000-04:00

Snapping these pictures of James at a pumpkin patch really took me back to when Anna was about the same age. We waited until Halloween to head to the patch, so the pumpkins were picked over (gone!), but I was able to get a few good shots of the little guy.

Here's a comparison picture of Anna from about the same age - there is definitely a resemblance!

Halloween 2011

2011-10-31T23:51:00.001-04:00

Halloween is quickly becoming one of my favorite holidays. What fun it is to watch little ones dress up and delight in traipsing from house to house in search of sweets. Anna, or rather Snow White, exhibited no shyness this year and walked the entire neighborhood herself. As her sidekick, Dopey the dwarf, James was content to watch the action from the comfort of his stroller.

This year we were joined for a fun-filled weekend by Papa Odie and the magic costume seamstress herself, Gramma Turner. I love that she got to see firsthand the reactions to the beautiful costumes she makes!

The East Gate kiddos

Anna and Jake

The aftermath

All About Anna

2011-10-18T01:16:00.001-04:00

This week Anna was the "Star Student" of her class. As part of this highly esteemend honor, she had to make a poster that showed her family and depicted all of her favorite things. She was so excited and concerned about making her poster that I got some good insight into how I think she'll be with school projects in general (jury is out on whether we'll be able to work together...). We talked about her poster and what she wanted to put on it at length. So much so that I started a running list where I noted all the items she wanted to include (I did do some editing). She was very proud of the finished project - and while I helped source the pictures and did the writing, all of the words on the page are straight from her mouth. It ended up being a perfect snapshot of this moment in our special star's life.

Here are her "favorites":

Food: Milk, Donuts, Raisins, M&Ms, Cotton Candy, Pasta, Macaroni & Cheese

Toys/TV/Games: Bunny, Fairies, Princesses, Candy Land, Wild Kratts, Curious George

Things to do: DANCE!, Go to Disney World, Go to the beach, Crafts & stickers

Colors: Pink, blue and purple (but pink is her most favorite)

Animals: Tope, Goldfish (who knew?!?)

Seven Months

2011-10-09T00:20:00.003-04:00

James rang in his seven month birthday in a big way - teeth!! Look at those pearly whites peeking through! I didn't think his grins could get cuter but I was wrong.

Bath time!

2011-10-05T22:30:00.000-04:00

Now that James is sitting, he and Anna take baths together (huge timesaver!!). James has always been a fan of the bath and is absolutely delighted with Anna being in the water alongside him. He quickly learned that splashing will elicit laughs from Anna - yet, he seems to ignore my requests to keep the water in the tub... For her part, Anna is a great big sister in the tub, entertaining James and being surprisingly understanding if the bath needs to be cut short due to James' antics. In fact, she's so understanding that she was hardly phased during their third bath together when James, well, you know, pooped in the tub. Once I realized what the funny look on his face meant, I yelled at Anna to get out, get out, get out of the water!! She obliged quickly but laughed the whole time, and was even helpful in cleaning out the tub. Ahh, life with a baby.

Fun Fair

2011-10-04T00:28:00.000-04:00

The North Georgia State Fair came back to town so we decided to introduce James to the fun. Most of the attractions were the same as last year (except the man being shot out of the canon was a no-show...hopefully nothing bad happened there...). Anna thoroughly enjoyed the festivities, rides and, of course, snacks. She introduced James to the joy of cotton candy, a treat with which he quickly became enamored (no judgment people!). All in all, we had a great time - the weather was beautiful, the sights were interesting, and the company was fantastic. Already looking forward to next year!

Sibling love.

Yellow and blue cotton candy make green...yummy.

Loving the rides...

Sugar crash?

Take a hike!

2011-09-26T23:31:00.000-04:00

At dinner one night this week Anna lamented to me that she had never been on a hike. This came from her new favorite show, Wild Kratts. Yes, that means Curious George has some competition - yay! Wild Kratts is a quite enjoyable show that focuses on animals and nature, and the Kratt brothers are often taking hikes. Now, anyone who knows Jason and I, would probably be extremely unlikely to use the word "outdoorsy," to describe us. We like the pool and beach, but the words hike, camping, or nature walk, typically stop us in our tracks. But, we decided to oblige Anna's request and headed to Kennesaw Mountain. I forget that we have a beautiful National Park so close to us, steeped in history. What a nice surprise it was to see so many people outside exploring and enjoying all there was to see on a refreshing fall-like day.

For our part we decided to summit the "mountain" (the term mountain is used lightly here...), and we made it! Anna bee-bopped along the whole time, without one complaint - I was impressed considering it was a 2 mile round trip excursion and I was sure Jason would end up carrying her. At the top we stopped for a snack and took in the views of Atlanta. Given the success of this outing, we may even venture out on a few more hikes. But, I still draw the line at camping.

And the hike begins.

Hanging around.

Snacking at the top.

Sweet James, always quick with a smile.

Me and the kiddos.

This picture makes me laugh - we look like that dorky family you mock when you see them. But, that's ok with me. At least we're not wearing matching shirts!

First Day of Pre-pre-K

2011-09-15T22:49:00.000-04:00

Anna headed back to school this week. She is in the "Dolphins" class this year and was really looking forward to returning. After her first day, all she could talk about was the new behavior system they use in her class - each day the kids start on green and if you "don't follow directions or be really bad" (quote from Anna), you have to move to yellow and then, (gasp!), red. At school (emphasis on school, here) she is a rule-follower and I can see the thought of moving to yellow or, heaven-forbid, red, makes her nervous. She does however, like to spill the beans on her classmates who have to move off of green. She also was very excited to have "homework". We'll see how long that lasts. I just can't believe we'll be taking first day of kindergarten pictures two Septembers from now...

A Happy Six Months

2011-09-13T00:07:00.000-04:00

Wow! It's hard to believe James is six months old. On the one hand, it has gone so fast and I can't believe he is already midway to his first birthday. On the other hand, I can't believe it's only been six months because I feel like he's been with us forever. If there is one word to describe James, it is: happy. He is a happy, happy, happy boy, as the pictures here demonstrate. He doles out heart-melting gummy grins and full fledged crinkle eyed smiles, and just seems truly happy to be in the world.

I know I sound like a sappy mom, but he really is SO HAPPY. Now don't get me wrong, he cries, and does have his fussy moments, but they are few and far between, and usually very easily remedied. When at the doctor for his six month check up, he got upset when the doctor looked in his ears. But, he then started giggling at the same time. The doctor was quite amused and said that if she didn't know better she was pretty sure he was trying to make himself be happy. Thinking back, James has been this way from day one. I alluded to his delivery being a tough one, mainly due to his size, but it did take him awhile to cry once he was born. It was probably less than a minute, but it was the longest moment of my life. And, when he finally did cry, it sounded like he was having to force the sound out. I remember being very worried at the time, but now, having the benefit of knowing him, I think it's just his personality!

Now for some stats - the big trend continues, with him weighing in at 21 lbs and measuring 27.5 inches long. James is sitting up and very nearly crawling. He does a sort of army crawl to get to toys he wants and I know the time to batten down the hatches for real crawling is just around the corner. Not surprisingly, he loves to eat, and will devour pretty much anything (pears and bananas are favorites). Two of his most favorite smile-inducing things are Anna and Tope. I don't know who he likes more. And, apparently even Tope picks up on his jolly vibe because she will sit by him and allow him to pet (grab fistfuls of fur) her. She NEVER got within arms reach of Anna as a baby (and still rarely does to this day!).

I am so thankful to have this wonderful, sweet, happy boy in our lives. We wouldn't be complete without you, sweet, happy baby James.

A Good Day

2011-09-04T09:06:00.001-04:00

Even though the trip may be a pain, it's always worth it once we arrive. We logged a great first day with family and friends, complete with a birthday celebration, champagne at sunset, and a launch of floating lanterns a la the movie Tangled (consider Anna amazed). And of course, James was a big hit, meeting most everyone here for the first time. He went with the flow and kept his cheerful disposition even as we pushed him to a 9 pm bedtime. Let the fun times roll!

Wellfleet, Here We Come

2011-09-02T12:12:00.001-04:00

And the annual trek to Cape Cod has begun. We started this morning with a 4:45 am wake up (eww!) which Anna did not appreciate. She had two meltdowns before leaving the house - the problems: "I never get to use mommy's make up!" and "I never get to hold James!". Very serious issues that early in the morning...

The flight to Boston went well. Anna was entertained by episodes of cartoons she doesn't gets to watch at home - Scooby Doo and Spongebob - on the TV at her seat (love those Boeing 757s!). For his part James tried to sleep but the announcements kept waking him up. I'm hoping that means he'll sleep the entire ride to Truro.

The weather in Boston is a glorious 70 degrees - here's to a hopefully relaxing, albeit slightly chilly, beach trip.

Happy James on the plane.

They can't fight sleep in the car...

Lazy Sunday Afternoon

2011-08-28T15:31:00.001-04:00

James enjoyed a quiet Sunday afternoon laughing and playing while I folded laundry (glamorous!), Jason tended to the yard and Anna took a 3 hour (!!) nap. He's such a happy little guy!

Happy Birthday, Jason!

2011-08-10T09:55:00.000-04:00

5 Months and Rolling...

2011-08-07T17:35:00.001-04:00

Well, the days keep flying by and unbelievably James is five months old. The last month was a big one for James — he started rolling over, eating solids, and really interacting with the world around him.

One thing we've learned about this little guy is that he likes to move. When he rolls over he scoots around on his tummy and has become adept at getting to toys out of his reach. And, inching around the perimeter of his crib. Since he mastered rolling from back to tummy, he's become adept at scooching around the entire crib to explore, often at the expense of his sleep.

James also is reluctant to to sit still. So, when you hold him you have to bounce, rock and sway to keep up with his actvity. He likes to stand holding onto tables and toys and loves to play in his exersaucer. A new favorite is the old fashioned "Johnny Jump Up" that allows him to bounce on his own. All of this activity makes me think James will be an early walker...only time will tell if we'll need to batten down the hatches sooner rather than later.

Regardless of the activity James has a heart-melting, sweet smile on his face 99.9% of the time - which I've now managed to catch several times in pictures. Who doesn't want to eat this boy up??

Showing some Red Sox love

Baths are still a favorite

Strong boy

Rolling over (the ominous shadow at the end is Tope)

Giggles

Farmer Anna

2011-08-03T14:40:00.001-04:00

Anna's favorite TV show for the last several months has been Curious George. While Jason and I have had more than our fill of the show, it is rare for Anna to agree to watch something different - she just LOVES that monkey and his hijinks. Even if we think George is annoying and that the Man with the Yellow Hat is just plain weird, the episodes do focus on problem solving, math and science skills. So, TV is good, right?!?

Anna often wants to perform the activities George does (one might say she's curious) - from requesting a tape measure to measure things around the house (according to Anna everything in our house is "9 pounds 2 inches big") to creating a paper mâché piñata (haven't tried that one yet) to looking for earthworms to have a worm race (yuck!). On a recent episode George planted a garden and she started asking so many questions about what happens to seeds when you plant them that I decided to let her see for herself. After a 15 minute search in the garage and kitchen we dug up some old pots, a half-used bag of potting soil, and seeds from a tomato, bell pepper and cucumber. And then the little gardner got to work.

Of course after the seeds were planted, Anna expected leaves to start shooting up from the dirt. Turns out planting items is a good test of a three-year-old's patience. After 3 days of no noticeable movement in the pots, I feared the seeds we plucked from the veggies in the fridge were goners. Then it occurred to me to plant beans (DUH!) so we added one more plant to the mix.

Lo and behold, on day 4, the tomato plant sprouted, the beans on day 5, and the pepper on day 6. Sadly, the cucumber did not make it. Anna tends to her "garden" daily and loves to show the plants to visitors. In this case I think that Curious Monkey paid off.

Photos of the plants by the farmer herself:

James at 4 months

2011-07-18T01:24:00.000-04:00

James passed the four month milestone while we were away so this post is a little delayed. Keeping with the big boy trend, James weighed in at a whopping 18.2 pounds and 26.5 inches at his doctor visit. Both are the 95th percentile so he's come down a teeny tiny bit from the 98th percentile at his two month appointment. In the last month James has really started talking and is trying REALLY hard to roll over. He continues to be an easygoing guy who only gets feisty if you delay a feeding - hey, he's growing! James is very smiley and giggles a lot, but, for some reason I can't capture many of those smiles on camera. As soon as the camera comes out, his brow furrows and he concentrates on the camera and loses the smile. We'll keep at it, though. Anna says to me often, "Mommy, I'm so glad we got our baby. He's the best baby." We couldn't agree more. We love you James!

Tiny Dancer

2011-07-16T08:27:00.002-04:00

I thought one item from our recent vacation deserved a special call out. One evening while we were out to dinner, we were seated near a singer at the restaurant. The guy was great - he took requests from the crowd and could play pretty much anything. Anna was transfixed on the music from the moment we sat down. After about five minutes of sitting (somewhat) patiently, she asked if she could dance. We said sure (funny enough the song she initially started dancing to was "Tiny Dancer"). And, dance she did - for about 45 minutes much to our and the other restaurant patrons' delight. She only stopped for a quick bite or drink here and there, but never sat down for the rest of the time we were there. It was great to see her dance with such joy and complete abandonment - a good reminder of how we should stop and enjoy the small things in life.

Ahh, Vacation

2011-07-10T00:52:00.000-04:00

Over the 4th of July we took a somewhat impromptu trip to Hilton Head. We planned the trip only three weeks in advance and were lucky to end up on a great beach considering we pretty much threw a dart at a map when deciding where to go. We logged lots and lots of beach and pool time, and just enjoyed relaxing together for a full week. There's not much to say - the pics will fill in the gaps.

The view from our condo - we saw lots and lots of dolphins.

Heading out to see fireworks (and experimenting with the timer on the camera).

Waiting for fireworks.

Red, white, & blue cuties ready for some beach time.

Rockin' in Harbour Town.

We played Candy Land. Lots and lots of Candy Land.

Why does James look concerned in every picture with Anna?

Photo by Anna...

Sweet girl.

The girls.

The boys.

The girls again...

Watching A Bug's Life after a day at the beach.

Pool time.

Crafts on the beach - what could be better?

Frolicking at the shore.

Anna and I swam a lot in the ocean - she was fearless.

James taking his daily 1.5-2 hour nap on the beach. Easiest. Baby. Ever.

Fun at the Harbour Town playground.

We had lots and lots of ice cream. This particular flavor was "Cookie Monster" - blue vanilla ice cream with cookie dough and pieces of Oreos.

Still Splashing

2011-07-01T23:27:00.001-04:00

Hands down the best money we spent this summer went to Anna's swim lessons. Her confidence in the water has grown by leaps and bounds and she is getting braver with each trip to the pool. As evidenced by the videos below...at our neighborhood pool Anna can go down the slide solo (a big yay! from me and Jason on that). The second shows her jumping from a diving board at a friend's house.

Gimme glue, mommy!

2011-06-25T00:17:00.000-04:00

Over the last month Anna has become obsessed with her scissors. Each day she has spent at least 15 minutes a day cutting - magazines, notebook paper, coloring books, wrapping paper, paper towels...if it's made of paper (ONLY PAPER! :)) in our house, she has probably cut it. This activity started shortly after school let out and Anna informed me her teachers told her that she should practice using scissors this summer.

Well, she has followed their instructions diligently (why won't she follow mine with as much zeal?!?). In fact she has done so much cutting to require a paper bag to hold all of the snippets. It's emblazoned with "Anna's Bag o' Cut Stuff". Her skills have improved with the practice — she's gone from clipping haphazard shapes and sizes to cutting actual pictures out of magazines. This week she got it in her head that she wanted to put the clippings on paper to create art (when I told her that was called a collage she looked at me like I had 2 heads). I had to dash her collage dream the first time she suggested it because I surprisingly couldn't find one tube or stick of glue in the house. Apparently afraid I would forget she wanted glue, Anna felt the need to remind me every chance she got...

"Mommy, I need glue."

"Mommy, did you get my glue yet?"
"Mommy, where is the glue??"
"I have a good idea, mommy! You can go to the store now and get me some glue!"

Well, I fulfilled her request and she immediately set to work sticking her precious cuttings to paper. Anna is a crafter and loves projects - so far, the $1.79 I spent on Elmer's White School Glue has paid us back in over an hour of quiet, diligent gluing activity. Here is one of the many collages she has made in the last two days. The pictures are a funny mix from Parents, High Five (Highlights for little kids) and Entertainment Weekly magazines. So, if you look closely, you'll see cute babies, cartoon bugs, and Bella Swan (for you Twilight fans out there)...

Gettin' Comfy

2011-06-23T00:21:00.001-04:00

James is staking a claim to this seat for future Red Sox/Pats games...

Sucker!

2011-06-21T23:21:00.000-04:00

When he turned three months, James started sleeping through the night all on his own. This was a very different experience for us compared to Anna. She was not a difficult baby by any means, but she definitely took some coaxing and encouragement (i.e., crying it out) to start sleeping through the night. Anna was a paci baby which worked great in the long run, but there were a few agonizing months where she did not have the ability to pick up the paci and put it in her mouth. So, she would fall asleep with the paci, wake up when it fell out and scream until we put it back in. Once she had the coordination to pick it up and navigate it to her mouth, all was fantastic (and to encourage this we scattered about 10 pacis in her crib). James on the other hand quickly mastered thumb-sucking. I'm very happy for the moment because he is a pro self-soother. However, I'm somewhat nervous about what the future holds if we have to break him of the habit. Taking away the paci was easy...a thumb, not so much. I am envisioning all kinds of weird dental devices, hot sauce and stinky nail polishes - hopefully we don't have to go there. For now though, I'll focus on the adorableness of a baby sucking his thumb.

Princess Dance Camp

2011-06-17T23:46:00.000-04:00

As her first summer as a "big kid", Anna is signed up to attend a few summer "camps". The term camp makes me chuckle - when I was little (gee, I sound old!), camp meant traveling away from home and participating in activities like archery and canoeing. For 3-year-old Anna, it means frolicking at a dance school for a week of "Princess Dance Camp". She was a little trepidatious on day one because she wasn't familiar with the location or teachers, but she did have a familiar face in her pal Audrey from school. And, after the first morning she was excited to go back each day, mainly because she got to wear her dress up clothes...I still have not been able to wrench any dance routines out of her to gauge what one learns in princess dance camp but I know she had fun nonetheless. Here are a few shots from the week.

Goofy Kids

2011-06-11T10:58:00.000-04:00

Some silly pics of the goofers...I think they like each other (for now!).

James: Live & In-Person!

2011-06-09T10:11:00.002-04:00

Thought I'd share some videos of James. The first shows off his sweet smile some coos. The second was shot during one of his favorite activities - bath time! If you are not Gramma or Grammy, you may find these videos a tad boring ;)...

James at Three Months

2011-06-07T22:08:00.004-04:00

Well, time keeps whizzing by and unbelievably James is three months old! To mark his three month birthday James has started sleeping through the night! He has logged 11-12 hours the last three nights and, while I’m sure he feels great each morning, I am the biggest benefactor. I forgot how heavenly eight hours of sleep could be! Next up, we’re going to focus on nailing down his daytime sleep schedule.

At three months, James is a very happy, agreeable baby who doles out heart-melting smiles and giggles at will. He is becoming much more aware of the activity around him and likes to sit and watch the whirlwind that is Anna swirl around him. He has started “talking” to the toys on his playmat and it’s fun to watch him really concentrate and try to hit and kick the toys with his hands and feet.

Speaking of hands, James has mastered sucking his thumb – a talent I have mixed feelings about. I think this is what is helping him sleep through the night (yay!), but unlike a paci, we can’t take his thumb away when he’s two (boo!). I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what develops…

We don’t have a three month check-up at the doctor so I don’t have official height/weight information, but the boy continues to grow. I can’t wait to find out the stats at his four month visit.

Happy three month birthday, James! We love you, little (big) guy!

A Memorable Memorial Day Weekend

2011-05-31T11:36:00.001-04:00

In all the rush, rush, rush of our normal daily schedules, we had a fantastically slow Memorial Day Weekend. We took advantage of the warm, but not too hot weather, and spent many hours at the pool each day. I was proud of Jason and myself for being (fairly) disconnected from our phones and computers and really being "in the moment" - regardless of whether that moment was playing Candy Land or Cootie with Anna, making silly faces at James, or relaxing poolside (pretty easy to be in that moment...). Here are a few shots from the weekend.

Details, Schmetails

2011-05-19T11:53:00.003-04:00

I'll be the first to admit that I haven't been the sharpest tack in the drawer since James was born.  Blame it on "baby brain" or "preg head" or the sleep deprivation, but my attention to detail has not been at it's usual level. I like to think that before having James I wouldn't have gotten the time for a birthday party wrong, embroidered the wrong font on a bag, or just completely forget about a lunch date I'd made with a friend...but that could just be optimistic thinking.

Recently something funny happened that serves as a reminder to me to pay closer attention to seemingly "easy" tasks. Like buying a pair of shoes...before our trip to Florida, Jason asked if I could grab him a new pair of flip flops. So, I ran into a store, grabbed a size 8.5 and left. The entire transaction took approximately six minutes. However,  when we got to Florida and Jason took a closer look at the sandals, well, turns out one was an 8.5 and the other was an 11.

Now I know the mix-up was not my fault - either an employee or other patron of the store made the original mistake. But, I did have the shoes in my hands and failed to notice the fairly large difference between them.  Jason had no choice but to wear them because we were on our way out the door to the Magic Kingdom, and he's so laid back that it really didn't phase him.  But, everytime I see the shoes I chuckle - and probably the funniest thing is that we never went back to the store to exchange them...

I think I just need more sleep...

Princesses Galore

2011-05-18T02:50:00.001-04:00

Anyone who reads our blog or has met Anna, knows the obsession and love she has for the Toy Story movies. Woody, Buzz, Jessie, Slinky, Alien and Wheezy are not just characters from the movies – they are her playmates. But, the Toy Story characters have some new competition in the fight for Anna’s attention…enter the PRINCESSES.

Seemingly overnight Anna has become a princess-obsessed little girl. What started as a mild interest after watching Beauty and the Beast, turned into a full blown desire to be a member of the royal court after seeing Tangled. I’ve never been a big fan of calling little girls princesses, but I am all-in when it comes to playing with princesses, watching the movies and playing dress up (Anna, not me…). I like to cater to these stages because I feel like they are the essence of childhood.

Her interest came at a perfect time considering we were heading to Disney World. And, knowing this stage won’t last forever, I wanted to make sure we captured some of that ole Disney magic and let Anna meet the Princesses in person. Coincidentally, this trip also coincided with “the wedding”. I showed her a snippet on the news before we headed out to Disney and Anna’s eyes grew huge as I explained that William and Catherine are a real prince and princess.

Anyways, first up were Rapunzel and Flynn Rider from Tangled. After an hour wait (Anna and Jason enjoyed the Tea Cups and the Buzz Lightyear ride while James and I secured our spot for the meet & greet – yay iPhone for distraction!), the big moment arrived. Anna was very excited about Rapunzel but Flynn nearly swept her off her feet. It was adorable to watch how she reacted to this “prince charming”. He gave her the famous “smolder” from the movie and she about fell over.

The next morning was the big princess day. We had breakfast reservations to dine with the princesses and Anna was giddy. She donned her specially requested Belle and Beast shirt for the occasion.

Much to her pleasure, we were greeted by Belle and she got to spend a few minutes chatting and taking photos with her. Belle is by far Anna’s favorite princess because she LOVES Beauty and the Beast. She can quote the movie and sings all the songs by heart, (all of us can, courtesy of a CD in the car that needs to be removed immediately so parents don’t go crazy), so getting extra time with Belle was icing on the cake.

During the rest of the breakfast we were visited at the table by Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Ariel and Snow White. Anna had stars in her eyes each time a new princess came up and Jason and I absolutely loved watching her interact with them. I think it was the equivalent to me going to a meal and having the cast of Ocean’s 11 stop by the table for a chat…

Before each princess came by, we supplied her with some questions she could ask them to help “break the ice”. Those questions and the fact that her name was on her shirt both added to the experience. As each princess approached, she would proclaim, “Why Princess Anna, it is so wonderful to see you!” She was amazed they knew her name and never once attributed it to her shirt. And, when she asked questions, the princesses were great at answering.

For example, she asked Cinderella how the “mouses” were doing. Cinderella went on and on about the fun the mice were having making new clothes and she would be sure to tell them that Anna said hello. She asked Snow White how Dopey was and Ariel what Flounder and Sebastian were doing. Each princess in turn engaged her in conversation, making the experience that much more memorable for her.

For his part, James was a pretty sleepy “Future Prince Charming”. Upon seeing him, Sleeping Beauty remarked, “Oh, I hope he didn’t prick his finger on a spinning wheel, too!” So cute!

Getting to meet the princesses was definitely the highlight of this visit to Disney. And somehow they followed us home…where two months ago we had only a Rapunzel doll, we now have a whole gaggle of princesses and even princess jammies, courtesy of Gramma Turner. I swear these things materialize out of thin air. On a recent weekend Anna borrowed a castle from a pal down the street and now talks daily about what she will do when she gets her own castle to play with. We’ve told her to put it on her wishlist for Santa…

2 Months Old & Living LARGE

2011-05-12T09:16:00.001-04:00

Here is the most typical conversation that happens when people see James:

Person: "Oh, what a cute baby. How old is he?"
Amy: "2 months."
Person (in disbelief): "WOAH! He's [big, giant, huge]. I thought he was [4, 5, 6 months]. I mean, he's [really healthy, must be a good eater, going to be a big guy]!"

I love the stunned look on their faces and I absolutely love that he's big. He's got the cutest chunky thighs, squishy cheeks and a pudgy tummy. I know it's way too early to tell, but I suspect he got the best of the tall genes from both sides of the family and will be tall like Fafa Bergstrom. At his two month check up James weighed 15 lbs 12 oz (98th percentile) and was 24 inches long (95th percentile).

Over the last month James' personality has started to emerge and he is becoming quite the smiley baby. He also has started cooing and oohing and aahing and I look forward to hearing his voice more and more in the coming weeks. And, he is an active boy, never content with sitting reclined in a bouncy seat for long. He wants to sit upright, stand or lay down and kick his feet.

At the end of his two-month visit his doctor pronounced him "perfect" and we couldn't agree more.

Splashing Into Summer

2011-05-11T09:16:00.000-04:00

After Maddie's graduation we spent a fun week with my parents. I signed Anna up for a week of swim lessons to take advantage of their pool and get her ready for summer. To say she was hesitant and suspicious of "Coach Mark" the morning of her first lesson is an understatement...

Given the decibel level of her screams and protests, my parents' neighbors probably thought we were torturing the child. However, through all of the hysterics, she did comply (due mostly to Coach Mark's easy demeanor) and by the end of the week learned to swim to the pool wall, climb out of the pool, take a breath, "choo choo" along the wall, and "dive" for objects on the lowest pool step. And (eventually) all without screaming, thank goodness.

During the lessons Coach Mark taught her (and me) some songs to remind her of swimming basics and used fun toys like a stretchy frog (Popo), a silly fish (Mr. Blue), and a Cinderella dive stick (totally won Anna over) to keep her interest. She is now eager to spend time in the pool and, while I won't throw her in the deep end and walk away, I have some peace of mind that she'll be able to frolic more safely in the water.

On the last day of lessons Anna was giddy when Coach Mark told her he was going to throw her in the pool with her clothes and shoes on to show her she could swim in clothes in case she ever fell in the pool. She thought getting her shoes wet was, "so cool".

As a reward for doing so well at lessons we got her a set of the princess dive sticks and she logged no less than 2 hours in the pool on Saturday playing with them. She also logged 2.5 hour naps each afternoon - swimming is magic!

A big thank you to Coach Mark, Mr. Blue and Popo!!

Smart Dunces?

2011-05-09T10:32:00.002-04:00

The graduation celebrations continued with a party at my parents' house for Maddie and two of her friends, also recent graduates. The party was quite fun and included one of my all time favorite party activities - a piñata! Yes, they are graduating, but they are still kids at heart. Plus, all of the kiddos in attendance were psyched.

After the piñata was broken and the scramble for candy concluded, we found it made extremely fancy dunce caps, appropos for the occasion. Introducing the graduates:

Maddie, the mega dunce...

Alisha - Graduated from University of Florida

Justin - Graduated from high school

Anna - Swim Lesson grad! ;)

Edu-ma-cated Maddie

2011-05-07T09:02:00.000-04:00

It's official...Maddie is edu-ma-cted! We celebrated her graduation from Florida Gulf Coast University with the whole family and couldn't be prouder. She graduated Cum Laude with a degree in Psychology. Up next for her is work for a year and then back to school for her Master's. I guess she feels like she's not smart enough yet!

L to R: Andrew (Maddie's BF), Papa Odie, Gramma, Maddie, David,
Great Grandma Dodie, Christine, Me, Anna, Jason, James

Talented grandmas

2011-04-26T08:17:00.001-04:00

I mentioned in a previous post that Anna and James have some talented Grandmothers. And below is the proof!

Grammy Bergstrom knitted each of them a beautiful blanket when they were born. Anna recently realized the blankets were the same pattern, just a different color, and insisted on spreading them both out and laying on them. Of course then she wanted to take both blankets back to her room, but relented to only keeping her pink one...These blankets are just one example of the numerous handmade gifts we've received from Grammy - Anna has some beautiful sweaters, hats and scarves, as well.

Gramma Turner made the quilt below for James and it fits perfectly with his room. The handwork on this is pretty amazing and the quilt includes several special touches on the Red Sox including the name of all players who have had their numbers retired, the Pesky Pole, Wally the Green Monster and the beloved Fenway Park anthem, Sweet Caroline.

We're lucky to have such talented grandmas - keep the goods coming! :)

A Small Piece of Red Sox Nation

2011-04-23T10:48:00.026-04:00

I've been wanting to post pictures of James' room for awhile now. I finally "finished" it and took pictures (one of the key elements necessary to post pictures!).

As soon as I found out we were having a boy, I knew I wanted to do something related to the Red Sox for his room. I figured it would be better for him to learn early that Daddy's a diehard Red Sox/Patriots fan and he better be prepared to defend them on the playground here in the South. At one point a friend suggested we name James "Tom Brady Nomar Big Papi Varitek Bergstrom"...you can thank me for James Owen, later, buddy.

While I was looking to create a little piece of Red Sox Nation in Georgia, I also wanted to keep it subtle, i.e, no mural of Fenway Park or Fathead player pictures on the wall...

For you Boston fans, I found some awesome tin signs from chowdaheadz.com (love the web site name...). And, I got his cute, cute name letters from Brook at her Etsy shop, Spell It With Style.

To round out the room, Gramma Turner made the Red Sox quilt on the ottoman (more on our talented grandmothers to come). And to ensure they weren't overlooked, we added one homage to the Patriots.

I am really happy with how it turned out and, even though he hasn't spent a lot of time in there yet, I think James will love it.

Smiley James

2011-04-21T14:30:00.000-04:00

I got the smile on camera! I reached for my phone to snap a quick pic and got this video instead. I think he's a pretty cute little guy, although I'm biased!

Silly James

2011-04-21T11:02:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was a banner day for James - he doused me with pee, poop and spit up, all in the matter of hours. Took six weeks to achieve that milestone so I should be grateful. More importantly, he also SMILED! First at me and then several times at Anna. We're trying to get a shot of it but so far he's being very judicious with what and who earns a smile. But, there's nothing like those crinkly little eyes and toothless gums to melt your heart.

Did you know that princesses...

2011-04-16T11:09:00.002-04:00

are for big girls? Or so Anna enlightened me the other day. While donning her Cinderella play dress during a cutthroat game of Cootie, she informed me that she no longer needed me to record the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse show because it is for babies and princesses are for big girls. Hey, anything to free up DVR space :).

I guess princesses also eat ice cream, because later that day she insisted on wearing her Belle dress to Chick-Fil-A. If you're curious, she does have the pink tutu on underneath each of these dresses. I feared the princess dresses would replace the pink tutu as a "must-wear", which, although cute, makes buckling car seats and just moving quickly in general challenging. Thankfully this has not transpired and wearing the costumes out of the house has only been a one time occurrence.

We're heading to the "Happiest Place on Earth" later this month and she is sooooooo psyched about meeting Belle and Ariel. Hopefully they will live up to her expectations!

Euphoria at Yoforia

2011-04-12T11:02:00.001-04:00

Anna broke out her dancing shoes at a recent trip to Yoforia. She totally digs the music they play there and after getting sugared up on frozen yogurt with fruity pebbles, she let loose.

The video quality is bad for some reason on the blog - but, you'll get the gist!

Two Little Monkeys

2011-04-08T16:05:00.001-04:00

Another comparison post between Anna and James. While pregnant with James I went through all of Anna's baby clothes in an effort to clean house. Knowing we were having a boy, there weren't many pieces of her clothing the two of them would be able to share, like the monkey onesie below (and a multitude of Red Sox T-shirts). These pictures were both taken at roughly one month old and show the big difference in their sizes (and in the improvement of my photography skills!). James easily fills out both the onesie and swing, making Anna look like a little peanut in comparison. My cutie pies...

One Month - Already?!?

2011-04-07T10:38:00.000-04:00

I am in disbelief that James is one month old today. I feel like we just brought him home yesterday. There goes time flying again...

The little man has settled in well at casa Bergstrom and we've decided we're going to keep him ;). As his personality emerges more each day, we see him sticking close to our inital impressions. He is an easygoing, mellow kid. I know people don't believe me, but he really only cries during diaper changes, baths and when getting dressed. It appears his one dislike is being naked...no exhibitionist tendencies for James (a complete opposite to his sister).

His likes at this point are pretty standard – eating, sleeping and cuddling (he's a very cuddly baby). Hopefully his love for sleeping will soon result in nighttime stretches longer than three hours. His major talent right now appears to be growing: at his one month appointment (below) he'd packed on nearly three pounds and added two inches to his height. So, our 12 pound one month old rivals many two and three month olds in girth – which does make the holding/cuddling challenging on the arms sometimes.

Happy one month birthday, sweet baby James!

Little Miss Independent

2011-03-31T14:35:00.000-04:00

With barely a hug and a glance backward, Anna was off on her first trip without mom. Jason, Grammy and Anna made the trek to Burke, Vermont, for the annual Pond Skimming weekend. She was so excited for the trip because she had her own suitcase (featuring Buzz Lightyear, of course). On the way to the airport she proclaimed, "This is going to be the best trip, ever!!!" Jason sent the above picture from Boston...my little determined, independent gal.

Tummy Time

2011-03-31T13:11:00.001-04:00

James has begun his daily workouts to beef up his back and neck muscles. He logs a little more "tummy time" each day on his aquatic-themed "gym". Since having James I realize how much I forgot about the newborn stage and "activities" they need to participate in. Like tummy time. The name cracks me up and I find it somewhat silly...but, from the moment your child is born, every nurse, doctor, book, web site, etc., pounds into your head that your baby needs to sleep on his/her back. So, in order to avoid a flat head, James heads to the "gym". Mom needs to follow suit...although I'll be focusing on getting ready for pool season...

Anna & James

2011-03-30T13:02:00.000-04:00

Wanted to share this sweet picture of Anna and James. They are still figuring out what this whole "sibling" thing means, and it's fun to watch their interactions. Well, really Anna's interactions with James - he still doesn't do a whole lot :)...

Hide-N-Seek

2011-03-20T16:33:00.001-04:00

While enjoying a nice afternoon outside, Anna wanted to play hide and seek. She thought her hiding spot was genius and really thought Gramma and I couldn't see her. Can you find her? :)

Big Sister Anna

2011-03-17T07:52:00.001-04:00

It's no surprise that Anna's life has probably been the one most turned upside down by James' arrival. From my perspective she has handled the transition from only child to "big sister" quite well. Of course, she has had her moments and exhibited some frustrating attention seeking behavior, but we knew that was and will continue to be expected. Deep breaths and counting to 10 has helped in most cases...

What has shocked me is how BIG Anna seems to me now. Everything about her seemed to still say baby before we had James, but now, she just looks GIANT. She fell asleep on my lap a few days ago while watching a movie and I just marveled at how HUGE her head was in the crook of my arm. She's definitely not a baby anymore, as the picture below shows. (Outfit choice was one of Anna's finer combinations, I think. :)

She is genuinely interested in the baby and wants to help by holding him, picking out diapers and clothes, giving him his paci or feeding him. Unfortunately her attention span doesn't always last the duration of the task at hand. Particularly feeding him, which she thinks should take approximately 4.2 seconds. And, she always remarks on "how cute our baby is!".

So far she hasn't said anything disparaging about James to me or Jason...but apparently she told Gramma and Papa Odie that she was going to, "spit in his bed." So, we'll just have to keep an eye on that.

On the second day James was home she said to me, "Mama, I'm so proud to have our new baby home." I'll have to remember that if we do end up finding any spit in his bed...

Nostalgia

2011-03-16T15:51:00.001-04:00

Baby James makes me very nostalgic for when I had Baby Anna and I've been looking through pictures from her first weeks at home. It's funny how similar the pictures and poses are - I guess that's because babies all do the same things! Here are my two sleeping and bathing beauties at about one week old. (Anna is in the pink :))...

One Week Old

2011-03-14T18:22:00.054-04:00

James is one week old today – ok, time for the cliche – time flies...

Someone asked me if I felt different the second time around and the resounding answer is yes! Everything seems more relaxed with James, I guess because we knew what to expect. Even the sleepless nights seem less intense (not that I like them!). But, check back in a few weeks and I could be telling a different story when the support I've had/will have flies back to Florida or New England...

Having, "been there, done that," really helps. I laugh to think of how frazzled I remember feeling with Anna. Now I know James will be ok if he cries a little or if I don't hold him every second of the day. It took me six weeks to realize that with Anna. I remember literally having an epiphany one day while trying to figure out how I was going to take a shower without passing Anna off to Jason or my mom or mom-in-law. Then I realized, oh wait, she can just sit in her bouncy seat. That seemingly obvious fact changed my day-to-day activities with her and I think we were both happier in the long run!

But, back to James, on his one week birthday. I know seven days is too short a time to try and derive any true personality traits from his behavior to date, but so far he has been a mellow baby (hopefully I'm not jinxing myself here). He likes to eat and sleep (a lot...but not in long stretches, sadly), and so far he only cries when he is naked, so diaper changes are not up on his list of fun stuff to do. Speaking of differences...the most shocking change has been in the diaper department...wow is the plumbing different this time! Diaper changes require serious advance prep with gauze and vaseline and a check to make sure everything is pointed in the right direction. We've had to do lots more laundry with James than I recall with Anna...

Here are some shots at one week - needless to say we are enamored!

Meet the Family

2011-03-09T21:16:00.000-05:00

It's hard to believe we're a family of four (+ Tope!), but, here we are!

Anna's expression is so cute to me - to me it looks like she's thinking hard about how to feel about the little guy in her arms. More to come on that...

For most of the first hospital visit (dressed in her ballet shoes, tights and leotard, of course!), she was more interested in the medical apparatuses around the room. And, the Buzz Lightyear action figure her brother so thoughtfully gave her. I dare say her Toy Story collection is complete. Anna also brought James a set of baby toys she had lovingly (and painstakingly) picked out a few weeks earlier. She did not understand why he would not play with them in the hospital, but she loaded up his bassinette anyways, much to the nurses' amusement.

Here are some more shots from the time in the hospital.

And James Makes Four

2011-03-07T21:39:00.001-05:00

We are very happy to announce the birth of our son
James Owen Bergstrom.

James made his debut a week earlier than his due date, and we are very happy he decided to do so. Not only because that means we get to meet him a whole seven days sooner than expected, but also because this boy tipped the scales at 9 lbs 5 oz!!

It still boggles my mind that he is such a big baby, considering Anna was 7 lbs 7 oz. Because of his size his birth was not uneventful, but we won't dwell on that because everyone is happy, healthy, and doing well.

As one nurse said - and I'm clinging to this with hope - big babies eat well and are great sleepers...fingers crossed.

His name has special meaning on both sides of the family - my paternal grandfather was James, my maternal great grandfather was James, and several family members on the Bergstrom side also are named James. And Owen, well, we just like that name :).

Welcome to the world, James. We love you so much already.

James Owen Bergstrom

March 7, 2011

2:32 p.m.

9 lbs 5 oz, 20.25 inches

Waiting for Change

2011-03-03T23:44:00.006-05:00

The final countdown has commenced for the arrival of the as-of-yet-unamed baby boy. I am very excited for us to transition to a party of 4, but I also want to embrace these last few days as a party of 3.

On a recent beautiful weekend morning we headed to breakfast and then to the park. A park outing for us is usually about 45 minutes long but on this day we ended up staying for 2+ hours because the weather was so nice, Anna was having a blast, and we had hot coffee to keep us going.

After swinging, sliding, running and scootering to her heart's content, Anna took a little rest on "the belly".

She then asked if we could bring her baby brother to the park one day. So, I'm not the only one with the upcoming expansion on my mind - and I'm glad she thought this outing would be worthy of sharing in the future.

Tea Party for a Baby Boy

2011-02-24T23:27:00.000-05:00

I consider myself lucky and blessed to have found a good circle of friends since moving to Atlanta. And, I felt the love at a recent baby shower for little boy Bergstrom. The theme was a tea party and the spread - from the scones and sandwiches to the clotted cream and yummy petit fours - made the day very special to me.

So, thank you, thank you, thank you, to Susana and Liz for hosting and to all who attended. I know when the little man arrives (he will have a name one day!!), that he will be welcomed into a loving, supportive group of friends, the same way they've welcomed his mom.

Now, I just have to get those thank you notes done!

Anna's True Loves

2011-02-20T23:06:00.001-05:00

Anna continues to have a love, love, love relationship with her "guys". Although the members of the group have changed since she was two (except for Bug!), one thing remains constant - Anna has developed special relationships with several of her toys and always wants them with her. We hope to not see her on the show Hoarders in the future...

Most notable of the guys are bunny and bear, whom she could not sleep without (I dread the day we lose one of them). This love has led to certain rules, like, bunny is rarely allowed to leave the house and if he does go on a journey, he is FORBIDDEN to leave the car.

On Valentine's Day Anna was feeling particularly lovey towards her pals and when she woke up from her nap asked if I would take a picture of her playing with them. Of course I obliged (but wasn't allowed to enter the room until she had everyone set up and posed).

I love these pictures because they capture her personality and "best friends" at this point in her life. I hope she remembers the joy they bring her forever!

Sleep trials

2011-02-14T22:00:00.010-05:00

The first few weeks of the big girl bed were completely smooth sailing. But, apparently, novelty wears off and we have had some late night differences of opinion (disagreements, battles, wars?!?) with Anna related to her staying in her room and her bed.

On "good" nights she wakes up once around 1 a.m. and is easily coaxed back to her bed and to sleep. A "bad" night involves multiple wake ups and her valiant attempts at negotiating to sleep in our bed, or read another story, or have a glass of milk, or put all of her animals to bed, or, or, or...

And, a "horrible" night, well, let's just say we've had to resort to locking our bedroom door and enduring hours (yes, hours!) of top of the lung screaming and begging to let her come in and sleep with us. Thank goodness this has only happened twice.

I know in my mind this is a passing phase, but when you're in the thick of it, all you can imagine in your mind is, "wow, I'm never going to sleep through the night again." I guess I should get used to that for awhile - maybe Anna is just helping to prep us and refresh our memories for when the baby arrives.

Anyways, on one particular "bad" night, I heard Anna wake up at about 11 p.m. (third time of the night) and knew she was moving around in her room. I debated going in and telling her to get back in bed but decided against it - she was being quiet and I knew (hoped!) she would poop out soon. And honestly, the night was precariously balanced on the threshold of becoming a horrible night, so I felt ignoring was the best course of action. I did keep hearing a clicking sound and vaguely wondered what it was, but again, I was looking to avoid a horrible night.

At about 11:30 Anna was at my bedside with a huge grin, a head full of bows/clips (clicking sound solved!), asking, "Don't I look pretty, mama?!?" Now, I know I shouldn't have grabbed the camera because it lends undue attention and recognition to the fact that she is out of bed, but I had to capture the look.

And, after I took her picture, it actually was quite easy to get her back to her bed and back to sleep for the rest of the night. I guess late night grooming is pretty tiring...

Dance Obsession

2011-02-02T22:16:00.001-05:00

Anna loves to dance and twirl, much to my delight. Recently she has become obsessed with the Taylor Swift song, Back to December, and begs for me to play, "my favorite song, mommy, about December", in the car, on the computer, on my phone, over and over and over again. In addition to singing the words, she also lets loose on the dance floor. Here is tonight's performance (sorry for the grainy video...iPhones can't do everything, I guess...):

But I want Pretty Pants!

2011-01-18T22:54:00.000-05:00

Everything I've read about the personality of three-year-olds terms this year as the year of, "I can do it myself!" and "Hey, I have an opinion now!".

Nowhere is this more evident with Anna than when it's time to get dressed. You've seen the "pretty pink skirt" now in several photos. This came with a pair of ballet-themed PJs and she wears it pretty much over anything (yes, she has worn it to school on more than one occasion).

On Sunday, as I was trying to get us out the door to the grocery store, Anna became adamant that she wear a "pretty" pair of pants. In this case, the pants in question were shorts with hot pink, yellow and blue flowers. Now, yes, these are pretty pants, but not when it's 40 degrees outside (an point which of course fell on deaf ears...). After arguing over this for 10 minutes, I had an epiphany - why do I care what she wears to the store? Truly a "pick your battles" moment. I considered it a win when I convinced her to switch from the pretty shorts to "pretty" leggings with blue, pink and purple birds - which are now about 3 inches too short on her, as you can see in the picture.

She topped off the leggings with a maroon, orange and green striped sweater, hot pink shoes, blue socks (hey, a match!!), a purple headband and, of course, the pink ballet skirt.

I'm sure Amy Chua would have lots to say about my letting Anna decide on her clothes, but it made for a much more pleasant and fast exit of the house. And really, considering the fashion scene that is Publix, what was I worried about in the first place?

Housebound!

2011-01-11T14:00:00.000-05:00

Well, we're still housebound thanks to the ice and snow and it's questionable if we'll be able to get out tomorrow. Some people up here are attempting to leave - if you've never been to our house we live at the top of a very big hill, which is currently a solid sheet of ice. So these crazies who attempt to drive down are just that - CRAZY! If I was at the bottom of the hill I'd be worried about a car coming through my living room window. And, so what if you get down the hill - how are you going to get back up?!? We're keeping our chins up and trying to take advantage of the extra "family time" together. When this stuff is all gone, it will be back to the grind and how much fun is that?!?

Anna Sledding (Sliding?)

What a fancy sled! It's the South, you make due, right?

Iced In...

Big Girl Bed

2011-01-11T07:03:00.002-05:00

For the last two months, Anna has been inquiring about when she would get a "big girl bed". She really was pushing the size limit on the crib, but I was hesitant to mess with her sleeping arrangements, afraid she would all of a sudden stop logging her afternoon naps and 11 hour nights. But, I knew I couldn't put it off any longer, especially since the crib will have a new occupant in March.

So, big girl bed time was upon us. We let Anna pick out the bedding she wanted (I crossed my fingers and toes that she would pick something I wouldn't have to veto - I mean, have you seen some of the color choices out there - yeesh!). Luckily—and with no coercion I might add—she settled on a super cute blue floral/butterfly pattern and we were off. The bedding arrived quickly, unlike the bed and mattress. Delivery schedules are a real test for a three-year-old's patience.

We (Jason) painted the top half of her room a sweet blue and we were lucky that the green already on the bottom half worked perfectly with the new bedding. Her room looks like sky and grass and Jason says the colors remind him of a fairytale :).

All of the final touches aren't up yet, and she needs a new dresser...right now her old dresser (and hence, clothes) are in the future nursery and she asked, "Is this my room, too?" I've told her not to get used to having a two-room suite.

Needless to say she loves her new room and has slept soundly in her big girl bed. Jason and I were awakened the first morning by the pitter patter of little feet and a small voice in our bedroom at 6:45 a.m. The next morning I heard her wake up on the monitor at about 7 and when Jason went to check on her at 7:20, he reported she had turned on her light and was reading to her fairies and Barbies. That works for me (hope she keeps that up!)!

Hot-lanta?

2011-01-10T14:02:00.001-05:00

Not so much today, or this winter for that matter. We've been hit with the Great Blizzard of 2011 - ok, that might be a little bit of an exaggeration, but Atlanta is officially shut down today due to the crazy snow and ice we were doused with over the last day.

Lucky for Anna and me this meant Jason couldn't leave (what with the airport being closed and all). Ironically, though, he had jury duty scheduled for today so he dodged not only work travel, but his civic responsibility as well...

Anna has been giddy all day because eating snow is among her favorite activities...who needs snowmen and snow angels? Here she is, decked out for the snow - snowman pants and ballet skirt (of course!).

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T14:06:00.000-05:00

Welcome 2011!

We stayed close to home this New Year's Eve, celebrating with Anna at 7:30 p.m., and then Jason and I had to hold our eyes open with toothpicks until midnight.

Anna "toasted" in the New Year with sparklers, a super-mini-fireworks display and sparkling grape juice (she looked at us very skeptically when we handed her a plastic champagne flute and said, "I don't want wine!" Once assured it was grape juice, she gulped it down, proclaimed it good and wanted more.) After the sparklers were gone, we took a short night stroll through the neighborhood to look at Christmas lights.

When we got back home Anna said, "Mommy and daddy, thank you for having such a good holiday for me!". So sweet!

Hoping everyone had a fun, safe celebration and passing along best wishes for 2011. We know it's going to be big for us!

Christmas Day

2010-12-30T12:00:00.000-05:00

There's not much else to say about our Christmas holiday - here are some shots from the fantastic day.

Welcome Woody! Anna delighted in all of her gifts -
and in helping everyone else open theirs...

The aftermath.

Jason's one Christmas request - popcorn.
Ask and ye shall receive...40 packets of the good "movie theater" stuff.

Atlanta had an historic white Christmas -
the last time snow fell on Christmas Day was in the 1800s!

Crazy Floridian.

Tope also got in on the Christmas action -
she loves her new peppermint scratching thing...

Tinkerbell and her fairy friends also spent time riding a brachiosaurus and stegosaurus.
I thought fairies were supposed to fly?

So that's what our dining room table is supposed to be used for!

Settling in for Christmas dinner - horseradish and herb crusted
rib roast and lots of yummy sides.

The day following Christmas the ladies went to the Center for Puppetry Arts to see Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer - we were all very impressed by the production. And, I loved the Fraggle Rock exhibit...what memories!

Amy Elf & Maddie Elf

Anna Elf & Maddie Elf

Anna's Rudolph puppet

Grandparents Galore

2010-12-25T23:04:00.000-05:00

Whew, what a holiday season. The Bergstrom household was a busy place during Christmas, namely because we were blessed (yes, blessed!) to have both sets of grandparents with us for the holiday. Anna especially reveled in the attention that only grandparents can give – you know, the “You can do no wrong and of course I’ll play with you for hours on end,” attitude that must magically appear when grandchildren are born.

We had all sorts of fun, watched a ton of movies, and of course, ate A LOT. Our Christmas Eve smorgasbord combined the traditions from both sides of the family – Swedish meatballs, mac & cheese (the really cheesy, gooey authentic kind), shrimp cocktail, Pozole soup. Needless to say we did not go hungry. I think the dishwasher was run at least three times a day and many thanks to Grammy and Grandma for keeping the kitchen clean. Their efforts were truly amazing, it was like a team of kitchen elves would magically appear and take care of the dishes.

I’m so thankful our families can come together and have a peaceful time filled with laughter and fun. That’s the biggest memory I have from the time we spent together – laughing, lots of laughing, which is never a bad thing, right?

The ultimate pampering - Gramma Turner on braid duty,
Grammy Bergstrom on manicure duty.

Hungry Hungry Hippos Brigade

"Reading" to Fa Fa

'Twas the Night Before Christmas

2010-12-25T14:52:00.013-05:00

The days leading up to Christmas were chock-full of activity. I think the level of activity helped fuel Anna's excitement about Santa's impending visit. Plus, we welcomed FaFa, Grammy, Aunt Maddie, Gramma, and Papa Odie, which added even more fuel to the fire.

We started a new tradition this Christmas Eve - singing Jingle Bells and other carols after setting out Santa's cookies. Anna gave everyone a jingle bell to ring and she was little Miss Eagle-Eye, calling out anyone who wasn't jingling their instrument, even if the pause was for a few seconds. As Papa Odie said, "There's nothing like being reprimanded by a three-year-old!" A (not great) video of the sing along is included - apologies in advance for my loud, off-key voice!

Hayla and Anna working hard on treats for Santa (and us!).

Setting out cookies and milk for Santa, and veggies and water for the reindeer.

Bye Tinta, I'll see you next year!

Singing Jingle Bells for the crowd.

The Return of Tinta

2010-12-24T07:08:00.000-05:00

Tinta the elf made a very welcome return this year. Anna has eagerly hunted for him each morning and it's been especially cute to watch her and her pals show each other where their elves are hiding each day when they visit each other's houses.

One day, Tinta was joined by two snowman and made some big mischief here. They apparently decided to snack on two gingerbread houses made by Anna and Hayla and, well, they knocked them down. Anna, Hayla and Kylie were all very giggly and in disbelief when they saw the wreckage upon arriving home from school one afternoon. The scene caused Kylie to ask, "Anna, does your elf always do bad things?!?" Ahh, the magic of Christmas...

A-N-N-A

2010-12-22T23:27:00.000-05:00

Warning - this post is a pure brag. Anna was coloring a card recently for some close family friends and decided she wanted to write her name. I was uberly impressed by they effort and had to document it. Pretty good for a just turned three-year-old if you ask me!

All Smiles for Santa (ha!)

2010-12-22T23:08:00.001-05:00

I had high hopes for Anna's visit with Santa this year. As you may recall from last year, it didn't go so well...

This year, prior to our visit with him, she very excitedly made a list with two requests:
1. A Bug's Life the movie
2. A monkey toy

I love the difference in the two requests - one, extremely specific, and the other, very vague. When we've asked her for more details on the "monkey toy", her face exudes an, "Uh, duh. A monkey toy, stupid." expression...and we've been unable to get any elaboration on what exactly she has in mind. So fingers crossed on Christmas morning.

Anyways, I digress. Back to the visit with the big man. As we were waiting for our turn, Anna was fine, with a capital F. Calm, cool and collected. However, when they called our number, everything changed and Santa became public enemy #1.

She did sit on his lap, but, as you can see, the two of them did not have a sweet conversation covering her list items. To Santa's credit, he tried everything to squelch the tears - playing with her bunny, offering a candy cane, and even having me sit on his lap with her. But, to no avail. She did not calm down until she was off his lap.

After the visit I asked her why she was scared and all she would offer was that, "her tummy was nervous." I get it - parents prodding and pushing you to sit on a stranger's lap and request toys from him - it's a little weird.

As we were heading to the car after the visit Anna stopped and said, "Hey, he didn't give me A Bug's Life. I thought he gave presents?" So maybe that was it...no instant gratification?

Even though she's not smiling, I love these pictures because they capture her exactly as she is at this stage, and we'll look back fondly on this memory for years to come.

The Big 3!

2010-12-09T14:25:00.001-05:00

Our sweet little gal is 3 today - a fact that blows my mind! People always said that time literally flies when you are a parent and wow, is that ever true. I can't believe three years ago today we were welcoming Anna into the world. It seems like she has been in our lives forever yet at the same time I feel like it was yesterday that she was the tiny infant in the picture below.

We celebrated her birthday last Saturday with friends at one of her favorite places, Kangazoom. The kids jumped and slid and ran around like crazy and we capped off the celebration with Toy Story cupcakes, stickers and coloring.

When we got home Anna could barely contain her excitement at opening her gifts, which makes me really look forward to Christmas morning and her visit from Santa. Some of her reactions were priceless and I so wish I had caught them on video. Among the biggest hits was a Jessie the Cowgirl Toy Story talking doll (of course) from Gramma and Papa Odie. When she opened the package she exclaimed, "Oh no no no. Oh my goodness. My own Jessie doll?!?" Jessie was proudly taken to school for show and tell this week. Grammy and Fa Fa gave her Toy Story 3, which she has already watched three times. We gave her a scooter (yay for toys that can be stored outside!), which upon seeing it she asked, "Why's there a scooter here? That's just the orange scooter I wanted! Is this for me? Can I touch it?" And then she zoomed off...

With all the hoopla of the birthday party, she was a little confused this morning when I came in her room singing Happy Birthday with a cupcake and candles. She asked, "It's my birthday again?" I can see where the confusion comes from.

So, Happy Birthday Miss Anna. I can't wait to see how you blossom over the next year...I know it will happen in the blink of an eye.

Texas Turkey

2010-12-02T00:13:00.000-05:00

This Thanksgiving we traveled to Texas to spend time with my side of the family. Trips like this are always so packed with hugs and cheerful greetings that it makes me really wish we lived closer to all of our family.

First stop — Grandma Dodie’s house in Cisco, Texas, a small town about two hours west of Dallas. We spent long hours playing games, catching up with cousins, cooking, and of course, watching football. Anna, the youngest by far, made herself right at home with the aunts, uncles and cousins she had never met at all or last saw when she was about three months old.

The Turner Grandkids with Grandma Dodie: Liz, Christine, Madison,
David, Amy, Jason, Anna, Ted, Jamie

Lucky for her, this crowd enjoys playing games, and so were more than willing to play Memory, build puzzles, and have tea parties. She quickly attached herself to Ted, the youngest of the cousins (he’s a Junior in high school) – she thought him a kindred spirit because his pillow was covered with a Toy Story pillow case. If he was out of her sight, she would refer to him, never by name, but instead by the endearment, “The little boy who is big.”

Playing games at Grandma Dodie's

I had promised Anna we would go see “Tangled” while we were staying at Grandma Dodie’s so one day we packed up the troops and headed to the closest theater in Abilene, about 45 minutes away. Unfortunately, when we arrived, the movie time we were shooting for was sold out so we decided to buy tickets for the next show. When we turned to leave, Anna did not understand we would be seeing the movie in a mere two hours, and proceeded to have the biggest melt down of her two-year-old life. We’re talking a 15-minute-screaming-arms-flailing-red-faced-stiff-body-unwilling-to-get-in-the-car-seat-tantrum. It took two of us to get her buckled so we could go eat lunch before the movie. All was well once Anna realized we really were going to see the movie, but woah, the fireworks. The movie was great, by the way, and worth the wait.

On the Saturday after Thanksgiving we started what will be referred to as the “driving portion” of the trip. We headed down to San Antonio for a mini reunion with my mom’s side of the family – with chili and tamales (yay TexMex!!). Upon arriving, Anna was thrilled to see two little gals much closer to her age, her second cousins, 1 year old twins Zeneia and Zaria. She proudly showed them all of the important toys she was toting in her backpack. Her excitement was raised even more when Callan arrived – a “big” girl who quickly took Anna under her wing and played with her outside (I was very excited, too).

The Sramek clan: Tara, Cindy, Ralph, Callan, Dave, Austin, Grandma Sramek,
Dee Ann, Matt, David, Madison, Clay, Beverly, Charley, Amy, Anna, Jason, Andy & Nikki

That evening we headed down to the Riverwalk for more TexMex and enjoyed the cool light decorations adorning the river. Anna really, really wanted to go on one of the boats, but the lines were too crazy, being the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

On Sunday it was off to Fredricksburg, to see Uncle Jim and Aunt Linda’s new house (so nice!). The boys hung out watching football while the ladies headed into the town for some shopping in a very quaint town square.

Goofing around in the shops in Fredricksburg

Sunday evening it was back in the car and back to the Riverwalk for a boat ride – the crowds were much more reasonable…in fact they were non-existent. The boat capped off our trip and it was back to the ATL on Monday morning. At the end of the trip, we had logged nearly 1,000 miles gallivanting across Texas, but it was definitely worth it to be able to reconnect with the family members we don’t get to see too often. But, I can’t wait until teleporting is perfected – sign me up!

Cruising the riverwalk in San Antonio

Shady Ladies

Making green bean casserole on Thanksgiving morning

Playing with Grandma

Walking the wall with the twins

Jumping with Callan

Stopping for ice cream and a pony ride in Fredricksburg (good thing she had her cowgirl boots!)

Sock puppet entertainment during a leg of the trip

It's Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas

2010-11-30T00:33:00.001-05:00

Ho ho ho! Just a little pic to give you a chuckle and get you in the holiday mood. Although she looks like she is cooperating, Tope was not very merry taking while donning this awesome Santa hat and beard. This shot came after about five minutes of her pawing the cap off and me putting it back on. The last time I saw the resignation in her eyes and knew she was thinking, "If I let the crazy lady take my picture, I'm sure she'll release me from this prison." And I did. Let the Christmas season begin...

Sweet Thanks

2010-11-25T00:40:00.004-05:00

I got a sweet surprise in Anna's school folder last week. While making handprint turkeys, the teachers in her class had asked all of the students what they were thankful for in their life and Anna answered, "My mommy." That little statement melted my heart and reminded me that it's the little things that make life great. And for that, I am thankful.

Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy!

2010-11-23T00:30:00.000-05:00

While we've shared our exciting news with most readers of The Babble, this news will come as a surprise to some - we are happy to announce our family will grow in March with the addition of a little boy!

This big announcement has been quite delayed on the blog - for purely technology-related issues. Namely, we don't have a scanner (?!?) and I really wanted to include a picture from a recent ultrasound.

I finally gave up trying to remember to take the pictures to the office and snapped a quick photo of the photo of the little guy's feet...making an already grainy pic even worse. I was going to put up the picture that proves we are definitely expecting a boy, but thought I'd spare the little guy his dignity (for now).

Needless to say we are eagerly awaiting his arrival and look forward to adjusting to a "party of four". We've started tossing names around (not sure if we'll share, yet), and I am finding it much harder to pick a name for Baby B2 than it was with Anna. Speaking of Anna, she's thrown her name contender into the ring - Buzz Lightyear - she is quite adamant about it being the final choice for her baby brother. Disney marketing really knows no boundaries...

So, as we enter into this season of Thanksgiving, we in the Bergstrom household have a lot to be thankful for. Especially Baby Buzz.

Haircut!

2010-11-08T14:33:00.000-05:00

Anna passed a major milestone in the life of any lady - her first haircut! Yes, it's hard to believe but it took almost three years to mark this event. For a few reasons: 1. The child barely had hair a year ago! 2. I was so afraid that her cute curls would be lost for good with a cut.

However, during the last few weeks the baby fuzz at the ends of her hair was getting out of control and I found a split end...so, I knew the time had come.

Anna was a little nervous when we arrived at the salon, but warmed up once she knew a treat and prize awaited her after the cut. And, there were toys at the waiting area (who could ask for more?!).

The haircut lasted all of about 5 minutes and my concern over the curls turned out to be unfounded. In fact, I think her hair seems curlier now with some of the weight gone.

Cowgirl Halloween

2010-11-01T18:25:00.000-04:00

Halloween weekend was a big hit. In keeping with her Toy Story obsession of the year, Anna went as Jessie (but with a nod to Woody by donning a sherrif star and spurs). Kudos to Gramma Turner for once again creating a fabulous costume. And thanks to Crystal for the great picture!

We kicked off the weekend by carving our pumpkin. After much deliberation, Anna opted for a "goofy" face. She was not interested in helping clean the pumpkin's innards, proclaiming the seeds and strings "disgusting". She did enjoy helping to poke the template into the pumpkin and was very happy with the grinning end product.

We are lucky to live in a neighborhood with tons of kids and Halloween is one of the best gatherings. The kids are always so cute in their costumes and they help you remember the magic of simple things - like the promise of candy!

Don't look for Anna in the above picture - she was too scared of a guy dressed in a King Kong costume to get anywhere close to the action. Turns out Anna wasn't the only Toy Story fan - Buzz's, Woody's, and aliens turned out in abundance. And, there was another Jessie, which resulted in a stand off (good thing this wasn't prom with them showing up in the same dress!) ;). Thanks for that picture, Susana!

More than one kid pulled the ring on the back of Anna's costume - always eliciting a crabby response from Anna (vs. Woody's friendlier "There's a snake in my boot!" saying).

Trick-or-treating also was a hoot. Anna was in disbelief that people would give her candy just for ringing their doorbell. At the first two houses she was hesitant and insisted I accompany her to the door. By the third house, however, I was instructed to, "Stay on the sidewalk, Mama!"

As always, the night ended with a survey of the goods, which she overall was pleased with. Jason was happy with the abundance of peanut butter cups but I was a bit dismayed by there only being two mini boxes of milk duds. I'll have to put a bug in her ear next year, I guess.

Anna made a candy buffet with the candy we allotted...by this picture, the sugar had kicked in. I think this pretty much sums up the day for her (and us, too).

The Princess and the Pea

2010-10-12T19:00:00.002-04:00

Only...instead of the pea being under a pile of mattresses, Anna put it up her nose. In a moment of dinnertime theatrics she thought it would be hysterical to put a pea in each nostril. Yes, hilarious. Especially when the one in her left nostril became stuck and, despite my pleas to stop sticking her finger in her nose, she managed to push it way out of reach.

A quick web search provided a host of removal options (glad to know my kid isn't the only one who has ever done this). Oh, and the sites also made me think she was going to die (if it's online, it's true!).

My first instinct was to grab tweezers and fish it out - pretty much every site said that was the worst idea ever. Well, she wouldn't have let me anyways and she is now convinced tweezers are a torture device. Hope she doesn't get a splinter soon...

She doesn't get the concept of blowing her nose so that was out. In the end we tried:

1. The blue nose bulb

2. Smelling pepper to induce a sneeze (I ended up sneezing)

3. Fake sneezing

4. Holding her right nostril closed while breathing into her mouth

None of that work so we told her to pretend she was a bull snorting. Voila – flying pea...

The State Fair

2010-10-05T22:18:00.002-04:00

Last weekend we ventured to the North Georgia State Fair. Events like this give you a good taste of local culture, and this one definitely did not disappoint. It took me back to the outings my family made to the San Antonio Rodeo when I was growing up. This wasn’t quite the same scale and there were no roping/bull riding events so we didn’t get to see any cowboys swaggering around…we did however get to see Joe Nichols perform for free, which was pretty awesome.

This was Jason’s first time to a southern fair (he claims there is no such thing in New England but I don’t believe him). He learned the five constants you can apply to any carnival/fair:

1. Carnies really do exist – and they like to talk.
2. Any food can be fried (and it will probably taste better!).
3. You must win at least one cheap stuffed animal for your child. (Anna walked away with a pink & blue polar bear).
4. Baby farm animals are SUPER cute albeit smelly.
5. People really do make a living getting shot out of canons.

The canon thing was new for me, too. While I’ve seen the likes of Evel Knievel and Super Dave attempt the feat on TV, I’ve never seen it in person. It did not disappooint – check out the video below and note the ride that is swinging while the canon goes…that man is brave (or stupid). Probably both…

Anna proclaimed, "It's just like Mickey's house!"

I feel sick just looking at them.

Anna's favorite - the slide!