* I love tinsel on a Christmas tree. I don't mean that cheap garland--I mean the individual silver strands that some people call icicles--the ones that must be meticulously placed so there's one strand on each branch. We always put it on the tree when I was a kid and I still think it makes the tree look soooo magical. David thinks it's "messy." This year I let him win and left it in the box because I'm still gingerly dipping my toes back into Christmas. In a couple of years when Zuzu is into tree decorating... let's just say that when the girls gang up on him, David's not going to stand a chance.
* Of all the sweet things people said to us on Eliza's birthday, maybe my favorite one (and one that definitely made me cry) was when my friend Jamie wrote, "We miss her too." I just can't quite articulate how much it means to me that other people feel a empty spot where she should be. It's a difference between people feeling sorry for us and people truly sharing our sorrow, and wishing they could have gotten to know her and the little person she would have been. It means so much to me. It's how I feel about many of the babies whose parents I've gotten to know post-loss, and it's especially how we feel about Mia's twin, Max. I would love to know what that little guy would have been like today. We miss him, too.
* Zuzu is producing a lot of bodily fluids these days--most notably, snot and drool. I put drool bibs on her because I can't stand it when her shirt is soaking wet. Sometimes this is annoying because the bib covers up a cute shirt, but how cute can a shirt be when it is soaking wet? Plus I don't want her to have slobber-wet clothes against her skin. HOWEVER, it seems like I'm the only person in the world who wants their kid to wear a drool bib because they are not that easy to find and the ones that are out there are not very cute or are holiday-specific. I sewed a few of them myself and I think I'm going to try to make a few more over break (that coordinate with various outfits, naturally) since it doesn't look like the drool is going to be wrapping up anytime soon.
* David moved from the stomach bug directly into a cold which developed into a sinus infection. Zuzu has had a runny nose for over a week now and if it doesn't clear up by next week we'll be visiting the pediatrician. We bought those saline "Boogie Wipes" to wipe her face, which she hates (of course). We could hardly blame her, as the first package I bought was a different brand and I didn't realize they were scented. David couldn't stand them, either. He insists they smell like "eighth grade perfume," then, more specifically, Exclamation. I wore Elizabeth Arden's Sunflowers when I was in eighth grade (in addition to decorating my bedroom in sunflowers and also wearing a Blossom-style hat with a sunflower on it because evidently sunflowers were my signature flower) so I'm no expert on Exclamation, but he's kind of right. When I went back for more wipes, I made sure to purchase the unscented ones and wondered why they make the scented ones at all--I mean, berry scented face wipes? Yick.
* I get a lot of pleasure from a well-wrapped gift. I enjoy wrapping presents, and I appreciate a well-wrapped gift. I know that a lot of wrapping paper is just "pretty trash," but it's also Christmas decorations for a good portion of the month! This year, for the first time, I decided to be consistent in gift-wrapping and use the same paper and ribbon for all our gifts. I cannot tell you how much I like seeing all matching gifts under the tree. I kept it simple (and inexpensive) using brown kraft paper and red and green and white yarn for ribbon. The gifts look cute and kind of rustic. Who knew that matching gifts would make me so happy?
* I am proud to have participated in Franchesca's "12 Days of Christmas With You in Heaven" series at her blog, Small Bird Studios. Franchesca has done so much to spread awareness about pregnancy loss and her online magazine Still Standing is a lovely contribution. You can read my post in the 12 Days series here and check back for what others are sharing.
* Zuzu is such a big girl at five months and one week! She is so close to sitting up on her own--still wobbling, but she loves to be upright. With the help of a Boppy pillow, she sat on the floor next to me as I wrapped presents and she totally entertained herself with her little taggie doll, Baby Vicky (a gift from our friend Vicky) and her Baby Einstein radio (a gift from Monica & Ellie Kate). Those are two of her favorite toys at the moment. Zuzu also really wants to crawl and is quite the scoocher. This morning I put her down on the dining room and she took advantage of the hardwood to spin herself in circles. We are so not ready for her to be mobile. (And by "we" I mean David, Little Mac, and me.)
I got some really cute drool bibs on Etsy. And also 3 Martha's offers a tie-on that is great for monogram or appliqués. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm jealous that you wore Sunflowers because it smelled, like, gag me with a spoon on me in 8th grade. But I did rock the Blossom hats.
ReplyDeleteWhere did you get your kraft paper? I want to wrap our gifts in that this year. I've been seeing it all over IG and decided I like that look too.
Nose Freida-- so gross but so effective.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on the drool bibs, so hard to find. I hate the wet shirts and I really hate the when the bib gets wet AND soaks through to the shirt! So much for buying the bib that matches the outfit! I'm glad Mason isn't the only drool monster! And I forbid Brian from using those nasty smelling wipes...who decided thy was a good smell?!?
ReplyDeleteI'm not ready to jump back into Christmas either, but I to love the tinsel. I will always remember my Grandpa placing each piece so carefully and thoughtfully. It just feels special and nostalgic. Maybe in a few years since next year Caroline won't have the patience for that!
We made it through another birthday....how do we keep doing it?!? I'm impressed with us <3 although all December belongs to our first little girls in my eyes. Xxxoo
My excema prone delicate flower of a child is saved by boogie wipes. Otherwise one day of free flowing grossness and her cheeks are cracked and chapped. Puffs has nothing on them.
ReplyDeleteYou were in my heart and thoughts on Eliza's birthday.
I wore "Sunflower" perfume while rocking a sunflower Blossom style hat in grade school as well. That line made me crack up.
ReplyDeleteI remember Sunflowers too!! Haha! Love your post in Small Bird Studios, it sounds like you have some magical Christmas traditions in the making.
ReplyDeleteMy kids drooled SO much. Crazy droolers, but they made up for it by not being very snotty kids - even with colds. Not a big fan of booger wiping.
ReplyDeleteI'm on the no-tinsel side, but I'll give you the magical aspect of it. That will keep Caroline busy next year. Pulling those off, one at a time.
Also - ArtMart sells brown kraft paper by the foot. 25 cents a foot - get as much as you want off their big rolls. I have a discount there which makes it even better.
ReplyDeleteI've done kraft paper for years. Sometimes I draw the tags right onto the paper. They also look awesome if you buy a white stamp pad and add snowflakes, or even one of those tag stamps that you fill in the "to" and "from" on.
Simple twine looks cool too.