Christmas 2011

This Christmas, we would take our turn going up to Vancouver, B.C. to spend Christmas with Bob's parents and Elaine's family would also be joining us up there. Before it was time to leave, we had a some events to attend. Jonathan and Ethan both performed a song at church with the kids choir. They did a good job and were so cute.

Singing at church

Group Picture

Jonathan also had his preschool Christmas program. This was his second one. His class recited a poem and sang a song with the whole school. This year, Grandma, Grandpa, and Oma Joy joined us. That was really nice.

Reciting a poem

Hand gestures

The whole group

Looking so grown up!

So sweet!

Before Christmas, we got together with my family and exchanged gifts. Then on December 23rd, we left for Bob's parents house. Elaine's family joined us on Christmas Eve. We had a very nice time. Jonathan was really into Santa this year. He wanted to leave cookies and milk out for Santa and then when we went home, he thought Santa would visit him again at his house. We had to try and explain that Santa knows where you are and visits you there. It was not an easy concept for him to understand.

Christmas morning was so much fun. The boys opened all their presents and Vivienne opened her presents on her first Christmas.

Such a cute picture!

Goodnight Moon from Jonathan and Ethan

Peek A Boo Penguin (Wheezy from Toy Story)

Getting stuff from your Christmas list that you really wanted is the best!

Santa delivered on Jonathan's Christmas wish to him. It's Carla Veloso

Sumo Car

Yummy!

What a mess!

Mommy put a hat on her head

Jonathan had so much fun opening all of his presents and cards. I love watching him get so excited after getting something that he had been asking for all year long. I don't know how he remembers all the stuff that he wants, but he does and tells us all year.

Ethan go a lot of toys that he was asking for too. He always loves looking at cards of things that he knows, in this case Thomas. He was so excited too when he opened his presents. Ethan is just happy to get toys similar to Jonathan, so it makes it easy.

Ethan even got excited over Thomas clothes. Here he's holding up his clothes to show us what he just got.

Jonathan got clothes too, in this case it was a couple of Lightning McQueen shirts. He also decided to hold up his shirts for us to see.

Giving thank you hugs

Toy Story 3 Figurines

More Toy Story 3 Figurines

Vivienne got a dumb bell rattle. It was so cute when she held that thing and shook it. It really looked like she was lifting weights.

All tired out from a full day of celebrating Christmas.




We went to Christmas dinner at Aunt Nancy and Uncle Frank's house. The entire family is there and Bob's parents get invited since Bob's mom was an only child so they are it. Aunt Nancy and Bob's mom are the same generation.

Feeding Penguin

Dinner

Presents from the Vancouver clan

So endearing

Taking a rest

It's breakfast time Mommy

Sitting with daddy

Negotiating with Gung Gung for a cookie

Auntie time

We had a wonderful Christmas and stayed in Vancouver until December 30th. It was the longest time we stayed in Vancouver since Bob's parents moved there. It was a wonderful Christmas and the boys just continue to get more fun every Christmas.

-Dina

'Twas The Night Before Christmas

Jonathan was so excited this Christmas eve - more so than any other in the past. He left milk and cookies for Santa, and he voluntarily went to bed early (well - early for *him*). Before he fell asleep, he was so excited and every few minutes would ask, "Is that a clatter I hear?" (reference to 'Twas The Night Before Christmas'). Then he would go to the window and look out and say, "I don't see Santa yet!".

I wonder what time he'll get up tomorrow. I bet the first time he'll get up will be before the sun comes up... :-)

- b

Sleep Study #3

Ethan has his third sleep study at Children's Hospital's sleep lab in Bellevue at Overlake Hospital on December 16th. We arrived at 7pm to check in and met our sleep tech James. This was the first time we worked with a male sleep tech and this made me a little nervous since Ethan always had females getting him all hooked up and ready for his previous sleep studies. In the past, Ethan has preferred female doctors over male ones. This is getting better as he gets older, but he really does not like getting hooked up to machines.

I filled out all the necessary paperwork and then Ethan was asked to sit in a chair so he could get ready. He was extremely upset about it. He was crying as he was getting hooked up. James decided to ask Ethan if he wanted to help him and Ethan said yes. James gave Ethan a wire and he began to dip the wire into the glue and stick it on his body like James was doing. Once he was involved, Ethan settled down and helped James with the preparation. I was impressed that James used this tactic and that getting involved calmed Ethan down.

Helping to get all wired up

All ready to go

Since Ethan was now 2, he didn't need to use a crib for the sleep study. He was going to sleep in the big bed with a railing and mommy could sleep on the other side with him. This ended up being the arrangement for the last sleep study, but that was only because he refused to sleep for very long in a crib and the study requires a minimum of 6 hours of sleep to get good data.

Nighty Night

Ethan did really well. It took him a while to fall asleep, but he was able to sleep most of the night. I did notice that as far as his breathing was concerned, this was one of the worst nights he'd had in a while. He was very noisy. Ethan was on a tail end of a cold, so this may have contributed to some of the noise that he was making.

As usual, we were woken up around 6am. Ethan got all of his wires off and I turned on the DVD that he'd been watching the previous night. I finished filling out paperwork. James mentioned that for being 2, Ethan was an extremely well behaved child. Even though I know he can be difficult, this comment really made me feel good. Ethan just played with his toys and watch the DVD. This was the same room that he was in previously and James told me that the sleep center typically one has one toddler or small child a night because they are typically high maintenance and get put in the room closest to where the lab techs are monitoring.

We left around 7am and the lab must have gotten a toy box with toys for kids to take home because James told us to choose a toy on the way out. Ethan really like that. He picked a duck, but he wanted to take both ducks.

Choosing a toy to take home

The worst part about doing a sleep study is getting the glue out of hair. When we got home, we were both tired and just wanted to rest. Unfortunately, we had to get the goop out of Ethan's hair. As he cried, I washed his hair with soap and got all the stuff out.

Hair goop and it's a pain to clean out

Ethan has a follow up with Dr. Kifle in January to go over the results of this study. I figure that if we don't hear anything from her within a week, things must be improved. It is supposed to take up to a month for the doctor to read the results, but Dr. Kifle called us less than a week after his last sleep study to tell us we needed to take immediate action and put Ethan on oxygen. I hope there is no call like that this time around.

-Dina

19 Days Until Christmas

Ethan is finally old enough to start getting excited about Christmas. When we put the Christmas tree (the *big* one - first time in years now) he and Jonathan got all excited and when we were done putting it up and lit it up, Ethan said (shouted, actually), "Wow - Christmas tree!". (Disclaimer: Ethan, of course, said it in his own way as his pronunciation is still not all quite there).

When we went to see Santa, Ethan kept pointing at him and saying, "Santa!".

We've gone to a couple of events around town (Redmond City Hall tree lighting followed by their night/luminary walk, and then last night the light display at the Bellevue Botanical Gardens) and he was very interested in the displays and would often point at them and eagerly call out what he was seeing.

Needless to say, Jonathan is ecstatic. He was asking to put up the Christmas tree well in advance of Thanksgiving. When they were going to make and decorate gingerbread cookies at school, the night before it was all he could talk about. And yes - his Christmas list is approximately 1.37 miles long (when printed single spaced in 10 point Times Roman font).

- b

Gardnen d'Lights

Here are some pictures from our annual trip to the Bellevue Botanical Garden's Garden d'Lights festival. This year, Ryan, Tayla, and AJ joined us.

Jonathan, Ethan, and AJ admiring the lights.

Cousins stopping to pose for a picture

AJ on a frog. So cute!

 

 

-Dina

Redmond Lights Festival.

This was our first year going to the Redmond Festival of Lights. It's an event that includes the Christmas season kickoff, Santa's arrival, lights, activities, performances, and a walk from Redmond City Hall to Redmond Town Center. Bob dropped us off at City Hall and then parked the car over at RTC. He took the shuttle back to City Hall. We figured that it would be easiest to have Bob take the shuttle rather than having to get the boys and the strollers on the shuttle.

It starts at Redmond City Hall where there was a concert, tree lighting, and then Santa would come visit. There was also some snacks and hot cocoa. Each person got a flashing red ball to wear too. Around the property were also lighted decorations including a train. After Santa visits, people would walk down the Birke Gilman Trail, which was lighted and had not only lighted decorations all the way down to Redmond Town Center, but also had various acts and things to do including singing groups, a taiko drumming group (very popular), and hot air balloons.

Waiting for Santa to arrive

Both trees were lit. The smaller one of the right was the offical tree, which wasn't very impressive. The bigger tree on the left was very awesome and impressive. It also had lights that rained down from icicle shaped lights.

Ethan all bundled up and ready to walk

At Redmond Town Center waiting for daddy to get coffee

Real reindeer

Taiko Drummers. Very good and very exciting.

Once we reached Redmond Town Center, we stopped to get coffee since the walk was very nice but also very cold. At least it wasn't rainy, but the trail was wet. At RTC, there were various activities going on which included seeing real reindeer and vintage fire trucks. It was a real fun event. We will definately do it again.

 

 

-Dina