First outing

M's first outing with the 2 of us girls alone was on Friday to storytime at the library. It was lots of fun. But we tried to take in 2 storytimes with a half hour break in between and that got a little too long for me. I started getting hungry and a little antsy. But the first storytime (ages birth to 2 1/2) was lots of fun and we will probaby go back there again a few times while M is home on leave. We played finger games, sang songs, played games and read books. The second story hour (for ages 2-3) included a craft time and 2 little stories. But again after being at the library for almost an hour and half, I was ready to be done and thus didn't sit nearly as quietly as I was supposed. The first class was better, when it didn't matter if I sat still.
Taking some time to rest on the bench inside the library while waiting for storytime to begin.
All in all, M thought her first outing with her two girls went well.

Family Visit

M's family came for one week to see my baby sister. It was a busy, fun-filled week. We played games and went for walks. Aunt R and her friend took me to the park on the sled to play in the snow. On Monday, they all went skiing while G stayed home with M, C and me. Then on Tuesday everyone went snowshoeing--again G stayed home to play with us.

Here's a cute picture of C and me!!G holding C after the Baptism on Sunday.

G showing off!!

G with both her granddaughters.

Uncle W admiring C.

Aunt R was my roommate everynight.

Aunt R and her boyfriend David.

Full dinner table every evening. Even C is sitting with G at the table.

It was a wonderful time having everyone over. The house seemed very quiet when everyone left and I kept asking M where G&G were.

Carrie's Baptism

While G&G were out to see us, we had C's baptism. Don't I have a wonderful family?

D sang for C...the same song he sang for me. However, it is a super long video, so M isn't able to get it to work when posting. Just take my word--it was a beautiful song and D did wonderful!!

G performed the ceremony.

M's family that was able to join us for the celebration.

Both sets of grandparents.

Uncle S and Aunt S are our godparents.

After the ceremony everyone came over to our house for turkey dinner. G did a wonderful job cooking it and the house was very full with almost 25 people. What a blessed miracle God does for us on our Baptism day!

Hair disaster

Christmas day I had my first hair disaster. I was having fun with a Thomas train following me all over the house. After playing with it for about 20 minutes, I came to M looking like this!!! Isn't it a wonderful barrette??!My hair got all caught up in the wheels. Luckily when M cut my hair to release the train, it wasn't very noticable.

this was the before picture!!!

The lesson learned: Don't put a mechanical toy in your hair while it's turned on!

Christmas at home

My beautiful family Christmas Eve after Church Service. Me and my sister in our Christmas dresses.

and us in our matching Santa pjs.Christmas was very fun at our house. Santa brought me a Mickey Mouse Choo Choo Train and M&D got me the Mickey Mouse clubhouse. (M can't get any of the videos to work of me opening my presents, so you'll just have to take her word that I was very excited).

Christmas at the Leivestad's

A few hours after M and C were released from the hospital, we headed over to G&P's house for an early Christmas celebration. Don't I have a lovely family?All of us!!
The four of us went back over Christmas Eve again after the church service. G made it pretty funny for everyone to find their presents.

Here's my D trying to find his, in peanut butter and a diaper!!

Uncle B with part of his white elephant present. Somehow M's camera got B mid-wave and made it look like he's missing his forearm.

Best Christmas present ever!!!

M decided that this morning she was given the best Christmas present ever!!!! It started with a wonderful night's sleep---hey for a 6-day old to have TWO 3 1/2 hour stretches of sleep (so almost four hours between feedings!!) back to back --that is a wonderful night of sleep!!!!! Then I woke up just as M&D put C down for the 2nd time (about 5 am) and I crawled into bed with them and promptly fell right back asleep.

As M laid there trying to get back to sleep she thought about the fact that her whole family was all in one room, sleeping soundly. What could be better than that?? Then when everyone woke up (about 7:15), we stayed in bed and watched 2 Christmas specials--How the Grinch Stole Christmas & Merry Madagascar.

What a wonderful way to start Christmas Eve!!! I hope everyone has just a good of Christmas as M already has had!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Carrie Sophia

M when she came home from work to have C. Really, M is in labor. Very painful labor actually, since nothing could be given to her until the OR room was ready for surgery. (about 2 hours after making it to the hospital, already dilated to a 5).

Cutting the umblicial cord.

M's first look at Baby C.

Getting all the vitals, being admired by D.

In the room.

Here's a picture of me admiring my new baby sister.

M and her Santa girls.

C with her eyes open.

M and her girls.

C and me.

D and his girls; with me reading to D and C.

Baby Sister

Baby Sister arrived a little earlier than expected. D made fun that since M is a runner her little girls had to come out running. In other words, M had to leave work early Thursday since labor started and Baby Sister was born that afternoon. Here's her stats and background behind her name(since it is special like mine)! In case you forgot I am named after the first 3 letters of D's name & M's middle name and my middle name is after 2 great-grandma's middle names.

Carrie Sophia--after P's favorite aunt and middle name after a great-grandma's middle name.

born: Thursday, December 17, 2009 at 4:13 pm

size: 8 lbs, 20 1/2 inches long.

Christmas Program

Today was our SS Christmas program. I dressed as an angel, but I didn't really participate. I was upset that my cousin got to sit up in "my" chair (a chair borrowed from the nursery) next to Baby Jesus (my baby doll). While we practiced M put another chair up front so I could sit next to Jesus also, but during the program when the choir came up front to sing, I couldn't see anybody, much less M and I wasn't too happy about that either. So I spent the rest of the church service in the nursery with Uncle B.Here's the rest of the participates. It was a Congregational and Sunday School musical and the adult Sunday School class was very helpful. Everyone did very well. M moved up the program a week early, since next weekend M has to work to finish up some things before taking a 10 week leave. After the church service, we had a wonderful Christmas feast--turkey, ham and all the trimmings. Lots of different people brought wonderful desserts. I was so tired out from the service and so full of wonderful food, that I started my nap in the car on the ride home!

Seeing Santa

Friday night was D's annual Christmas party at work. His work has landscaped grounds and they put out a wonderful Christmas display people can drive through. Friday night it was closed off just for employees and their families to walk through. After we walked through the display, we rode the horse drawn sleigh around the small loop.D and I in front of the Navity scene.

My favorite display was Santa's workshop with the elves making the presents.

There was also a church with real stained glass windows.

After the outside activities we went inside to see Santa. But first we were greeted by a Christmas mouse. I was very excited to see him and just had to go up to say Hi.

When I sat on Santa's lap, he gave me a candy cane.

I had lots of fun looking at all the pretty lights and walking around in the snow. I even got to eat a cookie while we walked around.

Merry Christmas to everyone!!

TWO WEEKS!!!

Two weeks from today I get to meet my baby sister.

M's C-section was moved up one day due to a scheduling conflict with another practice. So December 21st at 12:30 pm, M will go into surgery and my Baby Sister will be born.

I've been getting very excited. When M&D put the crib back up in Baby's room, I ran to get a cup of water for her bed. I was concerned that she would be thirsty, because I have my cup of water right next to my bed every night. I have also been asking M&D, "Baby out?"

Soon enough I will meet her!!!

Decorating for Christmas

On Saturday, I helped M get out all the Christmas decorations. I even found my Nativity Set from last year. I took it straight to my room to play with it. Later, when M finished setting up the living room, I wanted my Nativity scene with M's. So M put it right in front on the coffee table, so I can play with it any time I want and not disturb the other decorations. Needless to say, it was a good plan but M has had to get out the superglue twice already to help fix some of my playing!!

M had to set up the artificial tree this year. She doesn't want to take the tree down before Christmas and knows she won't be up for taking it down shortly after Christmas. So since the Christmas decorations will be up until after the New Year (when Aunt R is here to help take it down!!), M decided it was safer to have the artificial tree and not have to worry about a real tree drying out. The compromise is that we have a wreath hanging over the door that can be disgarded very easily when it dries out, but at least we have the fresh smell of evergreen in our living room.