Post Holiday Summary

It is already Jan 13 and a month and 10 days has passed since my last blog. So much has happened since, so I will try to summarize as best as I can.

Shaela Digs Hawaii, Lights go on for a Nanny
We all finally recuperated from Thanksgiving and then headed off to Hawaii with my family. Shaela loved Hawaii (we all do). She didn't have to wear much clothing, she had great food, she was with the family again, she could be in the water everday, and the moon was out during the day, so she could see it! Nonna and YeYe had provided us with a nanny, which was divine. Shaela really hit it off with Mary Jo, who brought her to the pool everyday. Shaela got to see Mommy and Aunt Michelle play tennis. She loved playing peekaboo in the empty TV cabinet in my parents suite. But what she really loved and couldn't get enough of, was Nonna blowing bubbles with her bubble gum.

Unfortunately, Justin had to leave early from our vacation, to finish a seminar for his extended Acupuncture license. I had to fly solo with Shaela. Thank goodness Tom, my brother-in-law and Michelle and Sophia and Patrick were flying with us to LAX. When we were boarding, we had to walk up a huge flight of stairs. How was I to get Shaela up and the stroller/car seat at the same time? All the flight attendants were helping a long line of disabled people (including my sister, Sue, who had ruptured her achilles tendon the third day we were there) into an elevator. Tom helped carry the stroller up for me, while I watched Patrick. It was a red eye, and because Shaela kept crying out in her sleep, I was awake the whole flight.

Our good friend, Melissa, picked us up at the airport and drove us the hour home. I was crashing big time, but Shaela was bright eyed and bushy tailed. She did not want to go back to bed or sleep with me. I had to force myself to keep awake. It was painful and scary, trying to watch her, while my body wanted to just close my eyes and sleep. We needed to have a nanny or at least a part-time baby sitter! I was spoiled after that wonderful HI trip. It is quite hard when you don't have family living nearby. (Although we have some of the greatest friends!)

Christmas in the Snow
We spent Christmas in Denver, with my family. Aunt Sue Sue is still recuperating there after her surgery. Unfortunately, James, Doug and Benjamin were not able to come. We did get to reunite with my cousins, Alexia and Adam and Uncle Sam and Aunt Joyce, from Ithaca. And Uncle Ciro had just moved to Denver from NJ. So we rejoined to have a great Christmas and lots more food and fun at Nonna and YeYe's house. Shaela is still too young to appreciate all the toys she received, but she definitely liked the toy car and piano that Nonna and YeYe gave her.
She also liked the trucks that Aunt Sue Sue gave her. And she is so enamored with the little train noise box that Aunt Michelle and Uncle Tom gave her, and the wooden lady bug that walks with gravity that Uncle James, Doug and Benjamin gave her.

Shaela put on her hat and mittens for the first time (thanks Peggy) to go play in the snow with Sophia. They both looked so cute bundled up! YeYe showed her the treadmill, which she also liked to go on. It was so sweet seeing YeYe and Nonna with her by themselves. She really enjoyed their company. And she loved the little bed besides theirs with the stars comforter. Christmas was all about Shaela and the kids. Don't get me wrong, we got some incredible gifts as well, but it is very different when you have kids. Everything changes. And it is great!

Shaela in Breckenridge
After Christmas, we drove up to Breckenridge with Michelle's family and our family from Ithaca. We didn't go skiing, because of Shaela, but we did attempt to go sledding 3 times. There's a great sled hill next to my parents house. Shaela was a bit ambivalent about the ride down (probably because Mommy lost control several times and was swerving a bit), but mostly, she hated the walk up. She wanted Mommy to carry her, but Mommy had a hard time getting herself up. So she would scream in Daddy's ear as he carried her up. This would make us only do about 3 runs per outing.
We had to stay an extra 3 days there because of a big storm in Santa Fe. It was the three of us in this beautiful house. We got to see how incredibly talented and thoughtful Shaela is when she plays the piano (a real one). She does not pound the keys, but listens as she plays one key at a time, sometimes repeating sometimes not. Very interesting.....
We finally went into town, and bought Shaela a waterproof snow suit and some new waterproof boots. Her boot size was 7 (they do run small)! I realized then, that her other boots and shoes (size 5) were probably too tight. No wonder she always wants to take them off! Duh!
After getting her new pink boots, she was walking everywhere in the snow. She loves to walk in the great snow drifts at our land.

Post Notes on Time Out and Cleaning up
Shaela had started a new phase of hitting right after taking her home from Tucson. She has quite a temper and when upset, she will hit whomever or whatever is around. It got bad right before coming to Denver. She was meeting a lot of new people, including friends of my parents. So we had to warn people as she met them (she usually doesn't like meeting people and doing small talk). We apologize to Linda, who got slapped in the face when she met Shaela. As a mother, I was mortified and very apologetic. Michelle told me about time outs. So once we returned to home, we started to do them with her in her crib. She seems to be getting it! Hooray! A lot less hitting and much happier parents! She seems a lot happier too! My fears of a horrendous teenagehood has also been alleviated.

After several months of cleaning up after Shaela's whirlwind entropy, my friend Kelly Ann told me that she has taught her 3 kids (she is a single mom!) how to clean up. She told me that her daughter at 13 mos was throwing her dirty diapers away and even putting her dirty clothes in the hamper! As soon as I heard this (about two mos ago), we immediately set out to teach Shaela. Unfortunately, when we tried to teach her how to use the diaperpail, she began to try to put her shoes in it! Well, now at 18 mos, she is beginning to understand a lot more, and will listen to me when I tell her to put her toys in the basket, etc. It is such a marvel! And so relieving to Mom. She likes to go to our new house and throw away the garbage that is around.

Justin's Bloody Ankle
Last Friday, Justin went up on our new roof and cut his ankle pretty badly. He came down limping and holding a very bloody shoe and with a very bloody scarf wrapped around his leg. We drove him to the urgi-center to get some stitches. He sat in the back with Shaela and as he tried to see the damage done, Shaela began to make weird "monster sounds" like Bella Lagosie. He then quickly wrapped his ankle up again. It was funny and strange. Shaela doesn't scare easily, and she is more interested in figuring things out. I think she was fascinated. Justin is recuperating nicely, thank goodness.

Boy, that's all for now.
Blessings and Happy New Year to All of You!
Love,
Debbie, Justin, Shaela, Kobi and Tara