New Family Addition

On Christmas we announced to our families that we are going to have a new addition to our family: Baby Newson #2 is due July 28!!  We told our families by having our Mom's open a present with a baby onesy that said 'Born in 2015'.  They were all really excited!

Prego-Mom Update: We are really excited but I have had a pretty hard month (probably why I didn't get everything done with holiday season).  I have stopped exercising (I pretty much sit, unmoving, on the couch) and stopped eating (I loath saltine's) but I am at least surviving (ugg). I had a couple weeks of intense migraines but after some blood work and medication changes I was able to get that under control in time for the morning/afternoon/night sickness to begin.  I am on a progesterone supplement that adds to my sickness but I was able to be put on a light nausea medicine that has helped a lot in the morning.

It is harder to be pregnant with a toddler, and I can not imagine having more than one while being this sick. Elizabeth has been so good and patient with me.  She is watching a lot more TV or reading books while I am sick on the couch.  But we have amazing neighbors who come over and take her on walks and to the library; I am so grateful for the love and service given by others.

Ben took two weeks off for the holidays and it was such a help.  I am not really cooking (or handling any food smells) so Ben took over all cooking, toddler feeding and kitchen cleaning- he really is amazing!!

So... I am really sick but in a couple more weeks, when I start feeling better, I am sure the excitement will come back! It will be an adjustment but such a blessing to welcome a new little one into our lives! We are so excited for the blessing of another child and to see our little family grow!

Christmas!

We spent Christmas Eve at the Newson's house and had a delicious meal of Prime Rib Roast. We then went and looked at the Christmas lights on one of the big mansions down the street; they have open gates on Christmas Eve and their entire driveway is lit up and beautiful.  When we got to the house they invited us in for a party (which we didn't do) and gave Elizabeth some candy canes (she thought the whole experience was magical).  

On Christmas Morning we did our best to keep Elizabeth quiet and in our room; while still keeping her excited for the magic.  She loved going out and seeing what Santa had left her; the only thing she wanted from Santa was Pizza and she was excited to get her very own frozen pizza!! She was an easy child to please.  After  a delicious french toast casserole breakfast we dug into our presents.  

 

Christmas is truly magical and then you add a toddler to the mix and it becomes one of the most amazing experiences.  About half way through the presents Elizabeth was so tired that she laid down and told us she was ready for a rest. She had so much fun and loved her toys; she got fake kitchen stuff with food.  Ben got new golf clubs and he got me a new camera (it was so unexpected and so wonderful).  It was so much fun  and a great morning and wonderful to spend it with the Newson's. 

 

 

 

We then went and spent the afternoon with the Stones clan.  It was fun to see them, open more presents (goodness we are spoiled) and spend more time with family. The weather shifted crazy in the middle of the day and we got a lot of snow; so we stayed the night at the Stones house.

December Holiday Fun

The first of the many fun holiday preparations we did was decorating the house (Dec 1).  Elizabeth had fun getting everything out and looking at it all.  She especially liked dumping out the tree ornaments and crawling into their tube; it was pretty funny seeing her smashed in the tube. We had a tree this year in the corner and she did really good with it; she did not really touch it or pay attention to it (YAY)!  

 

Nana and Grandpa gave Elizabeth her Christmas present early, a Fisher Price Nativity.  She loved playing with it and putting all the characters together.  One cute experience was when watching Elizabeth, instead of putting the figures in the stable and arranged like a nativity 'should' be- she always put them crowded tightly around the baby Jesus. When I asked her why she did that, she looked at me, confused that I didn't know, and said, "It's Jesus." It was such a cute testimony of the spirit of Christmas!

Elizabeth also got to open a new Christmas book every couple of days. She loved reading the new books in her newly covered chair from Nana.

 On Friday December 5, we walked to Downtown Louisville for the Light Festival.  There was a parade with lights and Santa came (riding a firetruck) at the end.  It was really cold, and late, but such a fun way to get into the holiday spirit. 

 

Waving to Santa

 The next week (Dec 12) Elizabeth and I went to Denver to the Hammond's Candy Cane Festival.  We got to tour the candy factory (cool but a little tough with a toddler) and played some fun carnival games.  She got a big candy cane and loved it; I did not especially like the colored mess but it was fun seeing her so excited.

The next day was our Ward Christmas Party.  Ben was put in charge of this party and it turned out great; he is the king of delegation. At the end of the party we had a special visit from SANTA.  If you remember last year, Elizabeth was very scared of Santa, but this year she soaked in the fun and loved it.  The only thing on her list for Santa this year was Pizza (imagine that)! 

Elizabeth and Henry

 Crocs decided not to do a big Christmas Party this year and instead had an employee only Ugly Sweater Party at work.  Ben forgot about this until the night before, so the next day Elizabeth and I made him an ugly sweater.  He got a green sweater with homemade toddler ornaments all over it; it was perfectly ugly and adorable at the same time.  

 

 

 

 

 

Ben and I sang in the Ward Christmas Program in church on Sunday (Dec 21).  It was a beautiful program; with a string quartet, choir and flute numbers, primary and young women pieces, and a special women's choir (that I participated in).  I love the spirit that comes through music, especially Christmas music.  Elizabeth sat with some young women in the ward and got to wear her adorable new Sunday dress to church! 

Hiding from the Camera!

On Monday December 22, we went to our friends house (the Andersen's) so celebrate Festivus! Festivus is a fake holiday created from the 90s TV Sitcom, Seinfield. We had chinese food, watched the episode of Seinfield and had a white elephant gift exchange (we got a game and a "wreath-witherspoon").  They had a cat and Elizabeth LOVED it, she followed the cat around all evening. It was so fun being with our funny friends and celebrating the "Festivus for the Rest of Us."

 

 

 

 

 On Christmas Eve, one of our friends had a Jingle Jog 5k around a lake in Louisville.  We all dressed up (in our most festive gear) and walked the path with a reward of hot chocolate! It was fun to be up and out in the early morning and to do a fun family activity on Christmas Eve.  Elizabeth won the 'costume contest' with her Christmas tights and shorts (it was weird but super cute). That night we went with the Newson's to look at Christmas lights; we always go to one big house that has a long driveway and beautiful lights. As we go to the house the people, who were outside, invited us in to their party (we didn't go in because we had to get home to prepare for Santa )and they gave Elizabeth some candy canes.  It was so much fun and great to see the holiday spirit of giving.
  

 

We live in a beautiful place and loved spending the morning together as a family!!

Christmas Baking!

I had a lot of baking planned for December however we did not get to as much as I had planned. 

On December 2, Elizabeth and I made a bunch of mini pizza's to  freeze for her lunches.  Elizabeth has a crazy LOVE of pizza and having pizza on hand is a big  bonus in our house.  She helped me put on the toppings and watch to make sure they were done. 

 

 

 Some other baking we did was making and decorating sugar cookies.  We decorated some cookies with the Lundgreen's while visiting Nana and Grandpa's house. Alice taught Elizabeth the fun of excessive sprinkles!

 

 

 

 

 

 We also made and decorated sugar cookies at our house; it was a longer process with a toddler's help, but she loved it (mostly eating the sprinkles, m&ms and frosting) and we have some deliciously special cookies!!