Mommy's Dress

One of the fun things about having a little girl is getting to dress her in my old clothes. Here is Annabelle wearing one of my dresses. My mom brought it to me, along with a few others, when she came down for Christmas. I wore this dress for my 1 month photos.


Here are a few more Christmas photos from the past several days:

Annabelle loves Aunt Michelle and Uncle Philip!

Ooooohhh! Puzzles!

Grandpapa, will you please comb my hair?

The annual family Christmas photo...plus Thomas

Sound asleep.

I love my Hah-Buh.

Proud Grandparents.......

What a Fun Christmas!

I can't believe Christmas has already come and gone! We had so much fun this year. I vote to celebrate again next week. Anyone else with me???

We were asked to light the Advent candle at the Christmas Eve service at church, so that was a little adventure. We were stressing about it all day because we weren't sure how Jacob was going to act. I thought, maybe, seeing all the people in the congregation would cause him to clam up a little. I was wrong. There could have been a million people watching and he wouldn't have cared! He threw a little fit in the beginning because he wanted to hold the candle, but other than that, he really wasn't too bad. I also got a little nervous since Annabelle decided to get fussy as soon as we walked up on stage. Thankfully, I was able to quiet her down rather quickly. Jacob still talks about that night. "Light a candle....people watchin'," he says.

The service was beautiful and was a perfect way to get our minds re-focused on what Christmas is all about. Our culture makes it so easy to get caught up in other things, but without Christ, there would be no Christmas.

Speaking of those "other things," Jacob didn't totally get the whole Santa concept, but he had a good time helping to bake cookies to leave for him on Christmas eve. I must confess, we made the slice and bake kind, but we did pour some sprinkles on top for some additional fun...and some additional mess! By the time we were finished, the kitchen tile was beautifully decorated in rainbow sprinkles. Another job for the Dirt Devil Kone!

After reading the Christmas story in his Toddler Bible, we put Jacob to bed and sure enough, Santa showed up! He ate all the cookies, drank most of the milk, and the reindeer ate almost all of the carrots. Side note about Jacob's pajamas: Jacob has been playing with his guitars (yes, he has multiple guitars) lately and the other day while he was playing and dancing around, I said, "Are you a rock star?" Apparently, that stuck with him because now he'll walk up to me with his guitar and say, "Jacob a rock tar!!" When I saw these pj's, I just had to buy them.

One of Jacob's main gifts this year was a Fisher-Price "kid tough" DVD player. It was definitely a hit......until it broke later on Christmas morning. What a bummer...for Jacob and for me. I guess it wasn't so "kid tough" after all. We emailed Santa and told him he left us a defective gift. He apologized and said we'd receive a replacement in a few days. I hope this one works!!

Annabelle was all smiles Christmas morning. I'm convinced they are real smiles now, although some are still followed by a burp or a spit-up. Her daddy was really making her smile on this particular occasion. Be forewarned, this video ends with a massive spit-up, probably due to all the shaking.

Wow! Look what's in here!

Our little Christmas bundle!

I LOVE presents!

All this excitement is making me sleepy. Can I take a nap now?

The future rockstar, enjoying some of his stocking treats.

Merry Christmas!

Make a Smilebox greeting

Coffee Anyone? Fresh Off the Floor!

Jacob loves playing with his grocery store register and all the pretend foods. He's always bringing me different foods and/or making me a sandwich or something. Yesterday, while I was trying to get a few things done around the house, he kept bringing me his little milk carton and saying it was coffee. "Coffee..good!," he told me. "Want some more?" Each time, I would say "Yes, please," and he would take the milk carton and return with more "coffee." This went on for a while. As I was putting clothes in the dryer, I began to smell the very strong aroma of coffee. This is what I found when I walked into the kitchen:

Jacob had taken the coffee pods from the pantry, opened a couple, and poured them out onto the floor, making our house smell like Starbuck's. As you can see, he was very proud of himself. "Coffee!!!" he exclaimed. He had also found hot chocolate packets, but fortunately, he didn't open any of those. Well, I don't know...maybe he should have opened them. The chocolate combined with the coffee may have created a nice mocha scent. Anyway, after taking a quick picture, I proceeded to clean up the mess. With Jacob around, our Dirt Devil Kone sure gets a workout.

Annabelle sure is getting big. She's outgrown her newborn diapers and graduated to a size 1. I wish they made a diaper in between the two because although the newborns are too small, the size 1 diapers are still a little big. The tape overlaps quite a bit in the front. Oh well. As long as they don't leak, I am ok with it!

I'm still waiting to see her first "real" smile. Every time I think she's actually smiling, it's been followed up by a huge spit up. I remember waiting on Jacob's first smile. When he finally did smile at me, I knew it was the real thing. Annabelle will be smiling and laughing soon, I just know it!

Can you believe this warm weather? We went for a walk this morning and it was actually hot! It is mid December and I am wearing shorts and a T-shirt. Is it really almost Christmas? I am still loving the stroller, by the way. This was the first time Annabelle has ridden in it without being in her car seat. Both she and Jacob enjoyed the ride. Can't you tell?

Playtime with Hah-Buh

He can say Annabelle if he pronounces it slowly, but for the most part, Jacob calls his sister Hah-Buh. I wonder if this is something that will stick. Will he be calling Annabelle Hah-Buh forever? Whatever he calls her, he does love her. He's constantly smothering her with hugs and kisses....literally. He'll lay on top of her when she's in her bouncy seat and say, "I yuv her." (I love her.) Really cute. I think Annabelle is going to be a tough little girl. She'll have to be with her crazy brother around :) She's only a month old and already she's been hit in the head with a toy guitar, kicked, and head-butted -- all, thanks to her loving big brother. Amazingly, whenever one of these little accidents occurrs, she hardly ever cries. She's probably used to it. I think she got a taste of all these things even before she was born.

This video is from a couple days ago (pre haircut). Jacob got a much needed haircut yesterday. His hair grows so fast now!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Can you believe it? I actually did a little more Christmas shopping this weekend...and not on the internet! (Actually, I did a little internet shopping too.) We ended up going out Friday afternoon and again on Saturday. Talk about an exhausting weekend!

I had designated Friday as the big Santa visit day and began prepping Jacob for this quite some time ago. We talked about what he would say to him and how he would sit on Santa's lap for a quick picture. Well, all my prepping didn't work quite as well as I had hoped. As we strolled up to Santa, Heath got Jacob out of the stroller and started walking over to him. Jacob had a look of fear on his face. He pointed in the other direction and said, "No! This way! No! This Way!" He did not want to go anywhere near Santa. Being the torturous parents we are, we took him over and sat him on Santa's lap. He cried for about a half a second, then quieted down, but he did not like it one bit. We couldn't get him to smile for anything. Annabelle slept through the whole experience, if you can believe that. :)

Jacob's pants aren't really that short. They just got a little hiked up when we sat him down. So...this picture really sums up the '08 Santa visit -- one kid out cold, the other paralyzed by fear. Maybe next year will be a little better. Jacob may not care for Santa Claus this year, but he does know the real meaning of Christmas -- Jesus' birthday. If you ask him, he'll tell you.

Since we didn't get enough of the crowds and craziness Friday, we set out again the next day. Have you ever noticed that even the most patient people get a little testy around the holidays? I think it's the pressure of finding the perfect gift, combined with the fact that you're about to spend an enormous amount of money on that perfect gift. Anyway.....Friday afternoon, the craziness began before we even made it to the mall. Traffic was TERRIBLE!! While we sat there on the road, Heath, who admittedly is not the most patient person in the world, began to regret the fact that we were out shopping again. "Did we really need to go to Bass Pro Shops?.....I can't believe we're sitting here like this. This is awful.....Why didn't we just stick to online shopping, etc., etc., etc....." I just sat quietly and listened to him talk. After all, it was my idea to go out that day. Right at that moment, something happened that struck me as funny and I could not contain my laughter. As Heath was at the height of his complaining, we hear Johnny Mathis on the radio belting out, "It's the most wonderful time of the year!" I couldn't have chosen a better song to capture that moment!

PHOTO SHOOT

Last Sunday, we went out to Palmetto Bluff for a Christmas photo shoot. As wired as Jacob was that day, I can't believe how well the pictures turned out. You would have thought we gave him a cup of sugar right before we went out there. I can't imagine how he would have acted if we had!! That is a scary thought! Here are a few pictures from the day. If you're bored and want to see more, here is the link: http://www.sillygoosephotography.smugmug.com/. Then, click on Duncan family.

Just Another Day

'Tis the season...to go shopping! I decided even before Annabelle was born, all my Christmas shopping (or at least the vast majority) would be done online this year. You can find anything and everything online and several websites offer free shipping, so it really is easier. But...I miss "real" shopping. I already miss the stress of wandering around the mall all day searching for the perfect gift. Weird, huh? I have learned that the stressful part of Christmas shopping exists even with online shopping. Searching for THE perfect gift is very hard work. In fact, the wheels of my mind are turning right now even as I type this, trying to come up with gift ideas for friends and family. Hmmmmmmm........

Today I had a Christmas related errand to run, so I loaded Jacob and Annabelle into the car and headed out. I also needed to stop by Belk to pick up some lipstick. I was down to the very bottom and the sides of the tube were beginning to scratch my lips. (Does that ever happen to anyone else?) SIDE STORY: When it comes to lipstick, I couldn't be more boring. I have worn the same lipstick color for years -- Tenderheart, by Clinique. I don't know what I would do if the company decided to discontinue that color. What a sad day that would be. I have decided I am ready to broaden my lipstick horizons and try something new. Perhaps that will be one of my new year's resolutions. I certainly won't give up Tenderheart, but I am sure I can add a few or at least one new color to my make-up bag.

Ok...back to my original story. So I get to Belk and as I pull into a parking space, Annabelle begins to cry. She is hungry, so I get her out of her car seat and take care of that. Jacob was very patient and content listening to the kids channel on XM radio -- except when I started singing. Then he yelled, "No Mommy! No, Mommy." I guess he doesn't like my singing anymore :( When Annabelle was finished eating, I buckled her back into her car seat and decided I would get out the new double stroller and at least walk around the mall for a few minutes since I had the time. What I didn't know, was that getting the stroller out of the car and ready to go was going to take another 30 minutes. (Ok...yes...that is an exaggeration, but it probably did take me at least 10-15 minutes.)

First of all, the stroller is heavy. Second, it doesn't "pop up" the way it should. I stood at the back of my car fighting and struggling with this stroller for what seemed like forever. I provided entertainment for at least one woman who parked her car, got out, and stood and watched me for a little while before walking into the store. When I finally got the stroller ready, I had broken a sweat, despite the 54 degree temperature. Now I realize it sounds like I am complaining. I'm really not complaining...just whining a little bit. I do LOVE the stroller. It was great once I finally got in the store. Jacob loves it and I think Annabelle does too. It is so easy to push and maneuver. I just think I need a little more practice setting it up and taking it down. Yes, getting it folded up and back in the car was another sweat inducing workout. I think I'll practice at home a few more times, so the next time I go somewhere, hopefully I won't provide parking lot entertainment.

Everyone knows Jacob's most treasured posession is his Mr. Monkey -- a little blue blanket with a monkey head on the top. He has had it since he was tiny and I think he will have it for the rest of his life.....unless....it disintegrates first. Mr. Monkey ripped a few weeks ago. I'm still not sure how it happened. The hole has gotten much larger and Jacob has pulled all the stuffing out of the blanket and turned it inside out. I wonder what people were thinking today as I pushed him through the mall because when he pulls out the stuffing, somehow the majority of it ends up in his hair. By the time we got back outside, his head was covered with white "fuzz" -- that's what Jacob calls it. Poor Mr. Monkey. I need to learn how to sew...and fast!!!!

Where's Jacob? There he is!!

Look at my beautiful sweater! I feel pretty...oh so pretty......

Does It Really Take Seven Years....?

Jacob loves to get into things he's not supposed to and now that Annabelle is here, he has quite a few more opportunities because I'm busy tending to her as well as trying to keep up with him. Monday afternoon while I was feeding Annabelle, he found my purse. This actually turned out to be not such a bad thing. He took everything out, item by item, and I instructed him to throw several things away. My purse is now cleaned out. I've been meaning to do that for a while, so...thank you Jacob!

While he was "cleaning" out my purse, he found a pack of gum. He said, "Mommy eat it." I said, "Yes, Mommy chews it. Now put it back." He did. He kept saying, "Mommy eat it," but never tried to open it or anything. Later that afternoon, I caught him swallowing a piece of gum and about to open stick number four...yes...stick number four of Wrigley's Doublemint gum. He had already eaten three. The gum wrappers were balled up on the floor as proof and Jacob's breath was minty fresh. I've always heard it takes seven years for a piece of gum to pass through your system when swallowed, but I'm assuming that's just an old wive's tale. If it isn't, Jacob is in trouble!

Annabelle is becoming more alert everyday, staying awake longer between feedings and studying everyone who holds her. She is still eating every three hours at night and every two or two and a half hours during the day. I took her to church for the first time this past Sunday. She slept through the whole service, so it worked out perfectly. Heath left the house early because he's leading a video series in Sunday School, so it was up to me to get everyone fed and dressed in their Sunday best. Amazingly, it was a fun, relaxing morning. Both Jacob and Annabelle were in happy moods, despite the cold, rainy weather.

Christmas is just around the corner. Can you believe it? I sure can't. This year has flown by! Decorating the house is still a work in progress. It's starting to drive me crazy -- not the decorating, but the mess I'm creating. In order to make room for Christmas decorations, "everyday" decorations must come down. And when the everyday things come down, that means I have to find a place for them. It seems our house keeps getting smaller and smaller and I'm having a hard time finding storage space. Right now, things are stacked up on the floor against the wall and in other various, not so inconspicuous places, like in the middle of the foyer. I'll find a place for everything eventually. It might not be until after Christmas, but I am determined.

I've noticed something strange happening lately. Somehow, ornaments that were originally hung in the middle of the Christmas tree are reappearing on the bottom branches near the floor. I've also seen a few ornaments hung on other ornaments instead of tree branches. I am quite certain this is the work of a little two year old elf named Jacob. He loves the Christmas tree. To him, it is something else fun to get into. Annabelle loves the tree too, but she just likes to stare at the lights. I know someday in the not so distant future, Jacob will be teaching his little sister how much fun it is to rearrange the ornaments when Mommy and Daddy aren't looking. :)

Jacob loves to show toys to Annabelle. Here's a quick video I shot this morning:

Thanksgiving 2008

God has been so good to us. We certainly have a lot to be thankful for. When you really stop to think about all the ways God has blessed you, it is truly amazing. Counting your blessings is a full-time, 24/7 job! At least, that's the way I see it! The Thanksgiving holiday is a perfect time to remember that, but actually, we should thank God everyday for what he has done for us.

Of course, one of the greatest things I am thankful for this year is our beautiful new baby girl. She has made a wonderful addition to our family! Since this was her first Thanksgiving, of course, I had to buy her a special holiday outfit. When I dressed her, I noticed the outfit was very "gender neutral," so I decided to add the Clemson headband bow. Nothing screams "girl" like a giant bow on your head, right?

Jacob started his Thanksgiving holiday with a bowl of cereal and the Macy's parade. (He actually ate cereal for lunch too. I guess he wasn't into turkey this year.) I think he enjoyed the parade. He even clapped after some of the performances. The giant balloons fascinated him and his favorite was the Energizer Bunny...go figure.

We spent the afternoon with Heath's family where, as usual, Jacob kept everyone entertained. Who needs TV when you have a 2 year old?

This flashlight served as a conducting baton.

Annabelle got lots of attention too. She was passed around from person to person all day long and I don't think she woke up once! That girl loves to sleep! She did finally wake up for a while later that evening.

Jacob still loves to give his baby sister kisses. That is probably how she came down with a cold. Jacob has had a cold for over a week now and Annabelle is sick too. This has not been fun. A newborn with a cold is pitiful, and Jacob is miserable too. He walks around the house crying because his nose is constantly running. "Nose munnin...nose munnin," he says. I'm praying both of them get over these colds soon....very soon.

I have a few more pictures of Annabelle to post and I'd like to add a couple videos of Jacob at the Wiggles concert. He and Daddy had a great time! Unfortunately, my blogging time is up. I've come to realize that when you have a 2 year old and a newborn, there is no such thing as spare time. I promise I'll add more eventually!

Sleeping is What I Do Best

Annabelle is getting bigger everyday! I'm still amazed at how quickly she's gaining weight. She went from being 6 pounds, 11 ounces to 7 pounds, 5.5 ounces in a week! Can you believe it?? That was last Friday, so at that rate, there's no telling what she weighs today. That is such a huge difference from Jacob when he was her age. It took him forever to gain weight and he was always a little below the curve, so I'm not used to this!

As you can see, Annabelle is a great sleeper. I'm quite certain this is her favorite activity. Can you blame her? She has been waking up a little more in the evenings and later at night, which is fun. She seems so alert and loves to look at lights.

We bought a double stroller last week and I am so excited about it! I can't wait to try it out somewhere other than inside the house. It seems every time I want to take the kids out for a walk, it is almost time to eat or take a nap. We'll get out eventually, I guess. Jacob loves the stroller and I find him sitting in it periodically throughout the day. I think he's excited about Annabelle getting to sit next to him. I took this video the other day. I apologize...you'll have to watch it sideways. I always forget that I am not supposed to take vertical videos with the camera because we can't figure out how to change their on-screen direction. Oops!

BABY GEORGE

While we have baby Annabelle to take care of, it seems Jacob has a new baby of his very own -- Curious George. Nana gave this little monkey to Jacob when Annabelle was born, but none of us had any idea how important it would become. In the past several days, we have had to change George's diaper, take him for a ride in the stroller, let him go to sleep in the baby swing (with a blanket just like Annabelle), and put him to bed in a sleep positioner (just like Annabelle). I found George in Annabelle's car seat this morning, all swaddled in Jacob's blanket. In fact, right at this very moment, I hear Jacob saying, "Oh, my...diaper....oh, my...diaper...change." He has just gone to get a new diaper for George. This is really cracking me up!

Jacob loves Curious George, but we know he loves Annabelle too. At one of Annabelle's weight check doctor visits, Nana and Jacob stayed in the waiting room while I took Annabelle to see the nurse. Jacob was perfectly content playing with the office toys...until he heard a baby crying behind the door. Apparently, Jacob was about to beat down the door trying to get to "Ha-buh" (Annabelle) because he heard her crying and it really upset him. So, the receptionist let him and my mom walk through to find his baby sister. Annabelle was fine. Jacob must have heard another baby crying, but he needed to be sure his sister was ok.

Life with Two Children....so far

I can't believe Annabelle is almost a week old already! She is a really good baby and a fabulous sleeper. Although, sleeping can be a bad thing sometimes. I have to wake her up to feed her every 2 hours and, usually, she is not so willing to comply. It's difficult to get her to eat like she should when she would much rather be sleeping. I'm certainly not complaining. Things could be much worse!

I can't say that I have truly experienced what my "everyday" life will be like with two children. Fortunately, I've had help this week, which has been a blessing. I am still not feeling that great and it would be such a challenge to chase Jacob around and take care of the baby (not to mention myself) when I can hardly move. I'm praying I'll start to feel better at least by the weekend.....maybe??? I'm not sure how things will go next week when I'm on my own. I guess I'll just have to wait and see!

Jacob is a little jealous of his little sister, but he's also starting to take an interest in her as well. The night before last, Heath was holding Annabelle and Jacob walked up to him and said, "Yap...yap...move it.....move it." (Lap...lap...move it.) He didn't like that Annabelle was in HIS daddy's lap and he thought Heath should put her down. BUT...then today, Jacob heard Annabelle crying. He looked at her a couple seconds, then patted her head and said, "sokay...sokay..." (it's okay...it's okay). How sweet. He's also been giving her lots of kisses (out of the blue) and he likes to watch her sleep. He also likes her to hold his finger. I think it's also cute how he says her name -- Ha-buh. I guess Annabelle is a little hard to say.

I was able to get a few of the sweet moments on camera yesterday. Enjoy!