The Christmas Card Quandry

Christmas is a-comin', whether I like it or not.
I used to love the Christmas season.  But since Kendall busted on to the scene on Dec 23rd, adding a birthday to the mix has also added a considerable amount of stress.  Extra presents, parties, and if I didn't have enough to do this year, let's add a NEWBORN to the mix!  

I'll get it done. 
But one thing still has me baffled:
WHEN do I send out Christmas Cards!?
Carter is due to be born on/around Thanksgiving.  I could get them ready NOW before he's born, but then they wouldn't include our almost month-old baby.
Or, I could rush to get them out after he is born and save myself a birth-announcement mailing- but that would be cutting-it-close.

Sigh....holiday babies throw a wrench in the whole system!

Practicing...

She'll be a big sister soon!

The Halloween that Almost Wasn't.

or....
This Little Piggy Went Wah Wah Wah.
-but I thought the piggy references on this blog were getting a bit excessive.

Halloween started off on a funky note.  Kendall was up at insane o'clock in the morning, warranting an afternoon nap that is not usually a part of her routine.  When we woke her up to prepare for trick-or-treating, well, she MAY have been possessed by some toddler demon.  And, unlike EVERY OTHER DAY that she begs me to wear her piggy costume, she was just NOT having it on Halloween.  Super.

So, we threw an orange pumpkin hoodie on her and headed out to hit up our family stops for candy, then planned to stay home and distribute sugar rather than taking her out in the neighborhood.  I'm not exactly sure WHEN the demons fled, but she was suddenly a new girl upon arriving at home, and easily was persuaded to costume-up in exchange for a wagon ride.  We made a few stops at our immediate neighbors, and then Kendall helped Mommy and Daddy pass out the candy at the door.  (She jumped up every time the doorbell rang!)  All in all, I felt like part of the night was salvaged, but really glad we took Halloween pictures early this year!

Begrudgingly making the rounds.

Not even Gma and Gpa Stav could really pull her out of her funk.

Back at home, a little bribery helped us get her suited up.

Just rolling with it!

Now totally on board with the Trick-or-Treating thing, having abandoned the wagon idea.

Digging in to her stash.

Being a super helper at the door.

Kicking her feet up at the end of a long night!

Premiere of the Pigtails!

It's the moment I imagined when we found out we were having a girl.

I bring experienced hands to the table, having rehearsed on Barbie Dolls for years and years.

And I've been waiting patiently for the day when Kendall's hair would be long enough to do THIS:

L.O.V.E.  Though, that baby-fine hair is a lot harder to work with than the plastic rats nests on my Barbies.  And, the subject tends to not SIT AS STILL.  So, as any great toddler stylist would do, I put her in a Mickey Mouse-induced coma while I went to work. 

Behold!  A new era of cuteness!

Speaking of pigtails, these aren't the only pigtails she'll be sporting this week!  

This little piggie is going Trick-or-Treating! 

Happy Halloween!

Oh Crap Oh Crap Oh Crap.

This morning, in the Starbucks Drive-Thru, the kind barista engaged me in some friendly Halloween banter.
Her:  So, what's your little one going to be for Halloween?
Me:  She's going to be a little piggie.
Her:  Oh, cute!  And what about your little, little one?

(This is the point where I look at her all confused-like until I realize that she can see the infant carseat next to Kendall in the backseat.)

Me:  Ohhhhhh, he's actually not here yet!  A few more weeks to go.
Her:  Always good to be prepared!  Looks like you're ready for him!
Me:  Heh.  Yeah.

As I drove away with my caffeinated beverage, I thought about the little white lie I had told.
It may seem as though I'm fully prepared for Carter's arrival.  I mean, the CARSEAT is in the car, isn't it?
This, unfortunately, began a downward spiral of hormone-enhanced neurosis in which my calm exterior was overtaken by my interior panic.  I AM NOT READY!!
I drew a picture to help you understand how I was feeling:

(I even included my hideous dark roots in this one.  This baby can NOT come until that is remedied!)

Add a few contraction-esque belly spasms later in the day, and I was a MESS.
My daily nap was hijacked by the single thought that if I was laying in the bed, the bed was not made.
AND THE BED MUST BE MADE before I have this baby!!
Also, diapers, sleepers, onesies, a bassinet and more logical incidentals should probably be taken care of.

For the record, I took a long bath later in the day to chillllll ouuutttt.  And I did.
But, tomorrow's to-do list is a doozy!

I Couldn't Resist.

Daddy and Kendall had some playtime in the backyard tonight, and I couldn't resist grabbing my camera and snapping some pictures of our little girl.  Yeah, I'm bordering on photographic overload lately, but I'm compensating for posting NO pictures of Kendall in September!  This is about as current as it gets...she's still outside playing in her little red jacket :)

 

 

 

 

Baby, it's (getting) cold outside!

Pumpkin Fun for Everyone

Recommended by some good friends, we made the October pilgrimage to Buffalo River Pumpkin Patch for some happy harvest fun.  The cute little patch didn't disappoint- offered plenty of entertainment for Kendall's age, from petting zoo to playground, and a carriage ride through the "not-so-spooky" forest (where we spotted Dora, Mickey Mouse, and an assortment of other cartoon characters along the route).  We went home with some pretty pumpkins and special memories of Kendall's first real Pumpkin Patch experience!

This friendly goat gave Daddy kisses and simultaneously restored her faith in goats.

A little reconciliation was in order with the goat species after the last petting zoo incident.

These little piggies induced lots of giggles :)

 

My attempt to show Kendall this was a friendly hay bale didn't work so well.

Kendall spots Mickey Mouse on the carriage ride.

Time to pick a pumpkin! 

Kisses for the pumpkins must mean it was a successful outing :)

Why I've Been A Terrible Friend Lately:

This literally brought me to tears this morning.
Maybe it's the hormones.
Maybe it's the lack of sleep.
Or maybe it's a giant slap of affirmation and truth.
Fortunately, I think I have great friends who understand completely.
Do take a second to read this:

Can I get an "AMEN?"

Sweet Monday Morsels of Deliciousness

Ohhhhhhhh maaaahhhh gaaaaaahhhh... WHY are these SO. GOOD.!!?
THESE cookies are the reason my doctor is going to scold me at my appointment this week...and I don't care.  I savored every delicious calorie.

PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
(Thanks again, Paula Deen.)

1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker choc. chip cookie mix
1/2 cup canned pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie mix)
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1 1/4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon powdered sugar (optional)

1.  Heat oven to 375F.  Line cookie sheet with cooking parchment paper.

2.  In large bowl, stir cookie mix, pumpkin, butter, egg, 1 teaspoon of the pumpkin pie spice and the salt.  On cookie sheet, drop dough by tablespoonfuls 1 inch apart.

3.  Bake 9 minutes or until set and slightly cracked on top.  Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack;  cool completely.

4.  In a small bowl, stir powdered sugar and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice.  Use fine mesh strainer to sprinkle mixture over cookies.

Poor Little Piggy.

Here's a little halloween preview.

Why do you think this little piggy is so sad?

It's because Mommy said it was time to take her costume off.
Halloween is going to be fun this year!

You've Got a Friend In Me.

Kirby, the Stavenger's family dog, was- without dispute- Kendall's first friend when we moved to Moorhead.  He elicited more smiles and giggles than we could ever coax out of our toddler.  And as soon as Kendall was up on two feet, she would gravitate to Kirby's side and, literally, lay around on him.  Kirby never minded, even seemed to love, the attention (and scraps of food) from this little girl. Here are some of our favorite Kirby moments:

We'll miss you, buddy. 

American Worldview at its Finest

I know this has been around for a while, but it makes me giggle every time...

While We Still Have Green...

Acquiring a new home means acquiring all sorts of maintenance projects.  This house came with a beautifully landscaped front and back yard.  So, while the weather is still tolerable and we can still see our green grass, we (Chris and Kendall) have been out tending to the garden.  Kendall especially loves grabbing a watering can and giving our flowered plants some love.  

 

Kendall's favorite part of our backyard :)

We're enjoying the outdoors as much as possible, especially since it's been unseasonably warm here for October.  We all know what's waiting just around the corner...