End of the Holidays, Starting Back to Work

The holidays are officially over and that is always a little sad in our house because we really enjoy all of the decorations, family and spirit and now that we have kids it is even better!  We spent Christmas Eve here with my parents and Erin's family for our annual paella dinner, luckily it is dairy and soy free!  Christmas morning was spent at Erin's for crepes, which are my favorite meal of the year, but alas this year I had to pass but that will make next year's soooo much better!  Christmas night was spent at my parents with my brother and his family.  We spent the night so we didn't have to worry about getting the kids back home early.  It was a very yummy dinner and nice to see everyone since they live in Monterey now.  The morning after Christmas things turned rough.  Harper threw up his milk right after drinking it:(  Then all day he complained about his tummy, he was checked by the doctor while Bryn was at her checkup and he was negative for the flu.  Later that afternoon, he ended up getting diarrea and that went on for about 2 days, lots of baths to help his sensitive behind.  That Fri we had dinner with Gramsy Pat and Grandma Donna since they had been in Virginia over Christmas.  That evening Brendan said he didn't feel well:(  By midnight he was violently ill to his stomach and of course it hit me about 4 hours later:(  It was like a repeat of the norovirus that we got last year at the EXACT same time!  Luckily this time we were home and it didn't spread to anyone else, not even Bryn-thank god! 

Superman photobomb!

Santa was a success!

All snuggled up for the Christmas Lights Parade

Pretty Bryn in Uncle Chris' arms while Auntie Stacie takes the pic

Hanging out in the Bumbo while I prep for Christmas Eve dinner

I start back at work on Jan 13th for the second semester.  I'm quite nervous and anxious as I will miss the kids terribly and Bryn will only be 5 months so that will be soooo hard.  We had to find a new place for them to go on TWTh since Linda already had an infant and cannot take more than 1 at a time.  We had some referrals and checked them out, but the last woman we met with was AMAZING!  Seriously couldn't think of anyone better.  She only takes kids TWTh, the days we need and only has 4-5 kids and has a huge yard, takes the kids on walks everyday around the golf course, has a garden that the kids help plant and then she has them cook with her the things from the garden!  She only makes all the food she serves.  Her kids went to Sacred Heart and San Joaquin, just like me:)  Her house is literally about 2 min from my work as well, so I will be super close and it won't be a long commute, like it usually is, since child care has always been pretty far from home and work for me:)  I will take Harper the first week by himself to get him adjusted and then start taking Bryn the second week.

I know that the first few weeks back will be a rough transition as my most of my students have never met me (some of my Spanish 3 kids have had me in Spanish 1 though) and have had a not so great sub for the first semester.  I will spend lots of time training them and getting them into my routine.  This is much like the beginning of any shcool year except they now all know each other and I don't know them.  Hopefully it is pretty smooth.  Several of my co-workers say my students are anxiously waiting my return, so that make me feel good:)

Bryn: 4 months
-15.3 lbs
-24.75 inches
-napping once in the morning and a big long nap at the same time as Harper's in the afternoon
-going to bed around 9, waking once for a feeding, wakes up around 8/830
-sleeping in her rock and play, haven't transitioned her to the pack and play yet
-swaddled for naps and sleep
-much happier and easier to deal with in the evenings
-doing better in her carseat on rides
-rolls from stomach to back
-really good head control
-sits up in bath seat
-loves the piano
-loves Harper, he always make her smile
-isn't fazed by the screaming Harper does
-giggles and laughs
-no spitting up
-lots of drooling

Harper: 32 months
-34 lbs
-naps from 1-4, sleeps from 9-8/830
-loves all superheros
-had a blast over Christmas
-learned Rudolph the Red Nosed reindeer
-plays with his friend Luke really well now
-loves the park
-loves his sister and helps get her things, calms her, puts her paci in
-talks from sun up to sun down
-will pee on the big boy toilet

Harpenese:
-Harper saw a pic of a dog with the grinch hat on and said "oh he's being the grunch"

-Bryn hit her face on mine and started to cry...to calm her I started to nurse her and Harper asked:
"Did she settle down? Is she going to cry again?"

-Harper said he's going to teach Bryn how to talk and she's not going to wear onesies anymore because she's going to be a big girl.

-I gave Harper a plate of pizza and after a minute he said "actually I need some ranch!"
-I was picking Harper up out of the crib and must have groaned because of his weight, he said "I'm heavy because I am growing"

-The other night Bryn started to get fussy in the piano and he told me "Mom, I got this" and went over and started to play with her to calm her down.