Merry Christmas

Just in case I don't get the Christmas cards out on time - here is what the newsletter would have looked like, had you gotten one. I think you have to click on it to make it larger.

Our Christmas photo

Here is the photo that we took for Christmas. You will notice that neither parent is in it - mainly because we are too scrappy looking to be in a photo with our cute kids.

This was the one picture out of 10 that had Nicholas giving his "cheese" smile and had Abby's face - when she wasn't bawling. For some reason she didn't like being held by Nicholas this night. Normally, when we let him hold her, she stares at him and babbles something at him. He just kind of looks at her for a few minutes, says "Hi Abby" and then says "I don't want to hold her anymore." But he was really good for the pictures.

Why are they in Christmas pajamas? Well, I haven't finished the Christmas clothes yet. Nicholas' Christmas tie is cut out, but not sewn, and Abby's Christmas dress needs the other half of the zipper put in and the hem done. I have to put in the zipper by hand because I have forgotten how to do it on my sewing machine. So they are in Christmas pajamas - and they are super cute. But I am not biased or anything.

In other news, we have Christmas decorations up. So that is a big plus. I managed to get the house decorated in what I affectionately call "Christmas lite." Normally I am a huge Christmas decorator. I pull everything out the day after Thanksgiving and by that night there is no doubt that Christmas is coming to the Wunderlich household. I even did it when I lived by myself. This is a wonderful time of year and the only time you can be totally gaudy and it is acceptable and I love it.

But this year is "Christmas lite" because of the c-section, the new baby, the lack of sleep, the ever "helpful" 2 year old.....and I am simply out of energy. But we have some Christmas, a tree, and some outside lights. So I am somewhat satisfied. I am more satisfied when it is night time and I am exhausted because of the two kids and husband than I am in the morning when I am still fresh and have a lot of energy (comparatively).

We survived!

Today was Jon's first day back at work. I was concerned about how today was going to go; I cannot go up and down the stairs once I get down and Abby is suffering from a serious case of gassiness (she is always fussing if she's not upright). So I was concerned. I was worried I wouldn't be able to get her to stop crying, that I would need something from upstairs, that I wouldn't get to eat.....the worries go on.

But we survived!

Yes, it meant that for breakfast I ate jam on bread (what Nicholas calls a jam sandwich) at 9am and didn't eat again until 2:45pm. It means that the house is a mess - not dirty, just messy - because I have various projects in various states of being done. It means I got nothing done - other than making dinner, keeping myself and Abby fed and clean, and some Christmas decorations. I wanted to get some sewing done, but I couldn't get it done because Abby wasn't cooperating.

Yes, I had to walk for 3 hours with Abby between feedings. She ate 6 times today between 7:30 and 3:30. That is a lot of food. She needed lots of gas drops and burping, but I did it.

So what did we do all day? I find it amazing that people ask me that question. It is obvious that they have never had a newborn when they ask. Because that is all I got done. I mean, she needs food and diaper changes - which takes 35-45 minutes every 2-3 hours (more if she has a huge poop). She needs cuddling and talking to and singing. She needs holding. I need to take care of myself- eating and bathroom and drinking water. So what is left? About 30 minutes when you desperately hope that she will sleep so you can get a nap.

Since she's not sleeping, and she is in her swing for the 10 minutes she will sit there, I decided to write this post. Especially since the sound of a keyboard seems to soothe her better than FoxNews. Who can understand that?