An Outing

Since the mundane and every-day seems to be all I can think about, that's what I'll blog about.

I went to the grocery store this morning. That's an accomplishment with two babies. I really couldn't even wrap my brain around how to do it when Arielle was first born. Do I balance the car seat in the front of the cart and put Eden in the basket, hope she doesn't open everything I put in the cart or jump out... and try to steer by peeking around the face-level car seat? Do I put Eden in the front where she belongs and put the car seat in the basket, leaving no room for groceries? Do I sling the baby and hope she doesn't urp and soak the sling and me while I shop? Do I just use my double stroller and fill the basket underneath and the canopies with as much as I can?

Here's my solution: I put Eden in the seat in the front of the cart, Arielle in her carseat in the main part of the cart and scoot her halfway underneath Eden so about a third of the cart is available for groceries. My diaper bag goes in the narrow space between the front wheels under Eden and I put two plastic shopping baskets underneath the main part of the cart. It requires a lot of pulling up of pants and readjustment of shirts from bending over so much to put things in and organize the lower baskets, but it's really easy to take them directly from the cart to the checkout counter. So much faster! Now, I have found it to be more difficult to get the bagged groceries back into the cart to get everything to the car. Once it's bagged, it's much harder to organize it. If you enjoy Tetris, you'd enjoy this experience, but I never really got into Tetris. I just played it because it was one of the few games I had for my GameBoy.

And that's grocery shopping for me. Fascinating huh?

Arielle - 2 months old

Advances

The pediatrician told me not to compare Arielle to Eden because Eden is advanced for her age. You be the judge. :)

Video Debut

Baby smiles make everybody smile. :D

Blog? Oh Yeah, Blog.

I really do intend to blog still... Not unlike my friend over at Savvy by Design, I find myself thinking of several subjects or anecdotes to write about throughout the day, but then cannot remember what they were once I have a moment to write.

Like now.

Just wanted to let everyone know what's going on.

The blog is not defunct

only my brain.

Christmastime is Here... and Gone

Man, that was a whirlwind week! You know, it seems like every time we get a week off (and when I say we, I mean Chuck, because moms don't really get a week off) to go to Atlanta, we must do every single thing available and, of course, try our best to see every one we can. I'm so glad I felt as well as I did and had gotten a chance to recover from having Arielle before we ran around like chickens with our heads cut off. Actually, I have to say that we probably had more downtime this trip than we usually do, but for exhausted parents of two, it was packed.

We came back to Jackson with a carload FULL of presents, which we are so blessed to have,

and a couple of colds... not so good. Neither girl's cold got too bad and they're both recovering well, so praise God for that.

I told Chuck we need to start being one of those families that puts up Christmas decorations really early... or what is really early in my opinion anyway. Like, the day after Thanksgiving. Otherwise, with Christmas week spent away, we don't really get to enjoy them all that long. (Ours, including our tree, are still up, by the way.)

I'm not yet ready to stop humming or hearing Christmas songs. I don't want it to be over. I wish Eden and Arielle could wear their Christmas dresses again. Eden has one she didn't even get to wear. :( Guess we'll have to catch that one in a couple years. Eden is still randomly singing "Jingle Bells" and pointing out lights, even if they aren't Christmas lights. She's not ready for it to be over either.

I am looking forward to next Christmas and how both girls will be able to share it together. Arielle will actually be aware something is happening and Eden will be able to look forward to it with the memories she'll carry from this year.

Here are some pics from this year.

Christmas Party

We left Arielle with our friends Jana and Marcos and we got a babysitter for Eden for the first time since becoming parents of two. I shopped for a dress that would camouflage my post-baby pooch and we dressed up to celebrate our survival thus far. It wasn't much, just dinner, but it was an accomplishment for us.

Here's a pic of us in front of our tree after we got both girls home and in bed. We were tired. It was late, but we had to document it. :)