11 months

Maisy is 11 months!

(i know...she's almost 1, but sleep is rare around here and it actually takes brain power to type these and i find that i have very little when i don't have much sleep!)

Turn your back for a second and you are liable to find her like this

She got all bundled up in her snowman suit and watched me deck the halls!

She is donning her gay apparel, and her Grinch diaper cover in honor of the holiday spirit!

She visited Santa for the first time and was mostly very confused by him.

Her hair is getting longer and I am having a great time fixing it. I'm pretty sure she's enjoying it too!

Johnny and Maisy had a great time looking through all of our Christmas toys.

I'll admit it, I made her a new Santa hat!

We bundled up Maisy and Johnny and took them to get our Christmas tree.

Johnny got right to work decorating.

Maisy got right to work undecorating.

Don went to sleep.

Eventually we did get the task completed.

(with nothing on the bottom half of the tree)

Johnny posed on a tractor at the farm.

Johnny still enjoys taking many many baths. At least one a day, usually more. Bathing is not a quick activity, lasting sometimes for hours at a time.

Santa came on a firetruck to Grammie and Grandpa's house. Johnny was too nervous to go see him. Just as I snapped this photo, Maisy started to cry. I guess she finally decided she's had it with being passed to strange men with big white beards.

Johnny is eagerly awaiting Christmas. This year he would like "The Ben 10 Alien Force Alien Creation Chamber and all of the 'Each Sold Separately's"

Johnny has been quite emotional recently and has many fears. We currently have an ongoing discussion, and crying session, around getting blood drawn and when you might need to have blood drawn. Johnny is terrified of the thought of having blood drawn and at any moment may breakdown over the issue. (Johnny has not had blood drawn since he was 12 months!)

The other day Johnny began crying because he was scared that he might have a beard when he is an adult and wouldn't be able to get rid of it and it might make his voice sound funny. After much discussion we realized that sometimes Daddy grows a Christmas beard and his voice sounds the same as when he has his shaved face.

At Bailey's birthday party Johnny announced to me that someone must have had gas because it smelled like "lots and lots of poop". I explained to him that it isn't polite to comment on smells. Weeks later we were in Target, browsing toys, and I became aware of an odor. Trying to figure out if I was going to need to change Maisy's diaper or take Johnny to the restroom, I asked Johnny if he'd had gas. He looked at me and said "remember mama, it isn't polite to comment on other people's smells". Lesson learned!

Johnny is really in the spirit of giving this year. High on his list to buy for...his blankets. Johnny has informed us that he would like to buy his blankets a Christmas present. What do blankets want for Christmas? Initially he thought they may enjoy something to snuggle with, like a stuffed animal. It quickly became clear to him that he loves snuggling with his blankets and why not buy his blankets something to snuggle with as well, like a blanket. So, he is shopping around to find the perfect blanket to give his blankets for Christmas. (I am confused by this on so many levels that I haven't even hit the point of being worried that my son wants to buy a present for his blankets!)

Maisy is doing great in every area, except sleeping. She still doesn't sleep well. She's sleeping better compared to the waking every 45 minutes, but I personally feel sleeping longer than 2 hours at a time sounds even better.

She's starting to talk and repeat what we say. This is all new to us. Johnny talked very very late (starting around 2½) and he never repeated us. He didn't say a word until he could actually say it and know exactly what he was saying and how to say it. Which is probably why we spent months upon months in speech therapy with Johnny never speaking to the therapist. (Finally she heard him talking to us in the waiting room and released us from therapy.) Johnny was about to jump off the couch onto Maisy and Gabe yelled "STOP!". Since then Maisy has been walking around yelling "OP!" very loudly. Anytime you say Johnny's name she begins saying "OP!". She also sat in front of his door one morning, while he was still sleeping, pointing to the door saying "don-ah" over and over again. I finally realized she was saying "Johnny" and I thinks he wanted to see him. It was very sweet.

Johnny and Maisy have a wonderful relationship. He has far exceeded my expectations as a big brother. He loves her so much and wants to spend as much time with her as he can. He can't wait to play with her and is always looking out for her. She lights up with excitement when she sees him. Honestly, this is probably my favorite part of having Maisy. The bond they share is something I had never expected to see and I feel like it's such a gift to have the opportunity to watch it develop.

On a sadder note, Don the hermit crab has passed on. I should clarify, Don, the larger of the 2 hermit crabs; the 2nd Don the hermit crab to join our family; who originally joined us in a rainbow colored shell and we called him "Rainbow Don" but quickly moved out of his shell becoming "Big Don" the hermit crab. He will be missed. Kind of. Actually probably not at all. He was like a pet rock that you have to put in water once a week. Don't worry, we still have our other hermit crab, also named Don. (not to be confused with Don the cat!)

Johnny has informed us that his teacher told him that hermit crabs get lonely and we need to get Don a new friend soon. Also to be named Don. (we have never really known exactly why Johnny likes the name Don so much. After we went to Hawaii in 2006 Johnny began naming everything Don. For a while he called our car Don)

Don the cat recently jumped in the car while I was loading up the kids. We were going to dinner at Grammie and Grandpa's. Almost to their house a small "meow!" comes from the back seat. Don the cat was in the car. Worried that he might jump out at Grammie and Grandpa's house I exited the freeway and took him home. Unfortunately he has not learned his lesson and still gets in the car every chance he has.