Saturday, December 27, 2008

Christmas at the Watsons, with the Watsons. Lots of em.

So Christmas came and went, and it has left a fury of toys, boxes, and great memories in its wake. We had an amazing time this year. Christmas eve was kinda nuts, as it well should be. I went to church to serve at 5, and then sat in at the service at 6:30. Chris LIED to me and told me that if I went up on stage when they asked for volunteers, I would win a prize. I am a sucker for prizes, so up I went. Chris had gone to the 5:00 service with our friends so he already knew that the going-up-to-volunteer situation did not involve any kind of prize, in fact it just involved making a fool out of yourself in front of a multitude of folks dressed in their Christmas Eve Best singing a verse of 'The Twelve Days of Christmas'. If it hadn't been for a very sweet high school student who 'sang' with me (I did NOT sing, only read my verse) I surely woulda punched my husband as soon as I got off the stage.

After church, we came home, fed ourselves and the kids, bathed everyone, and put the babies to bed. And then that's when craziness showed up. We were expecting about 50 people the next day (mostly all Watsons, of all ages ranging from 9 months old to 76ish) and the house was not that clean. Plus we hadn't wrapped any presents or anything yet. Not that we had too many presents to wrap (thanks again Dave Ramsey and Financial Peace University...) After we wrapped the presents, and went around the house (at Lily and Sungu's grubby hands level) with a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser (Amazing by the way!) We ended up being in bed by 12:30am, tired, but excited for the next day.

The fun started at about 5am, when Topher woke me up (he still wakes up anytime between 2 and 5am. I can't fight him anymore!). Fortunately we went back to bed, only to be woken up by Lily at about 6:30sh. Awesome. After a little more downtime on the living room floor, I decided it was time to get the day rolling, by making the turkey. Actually, it was my first turkey ever. And it turned out pretty well if I do say so myself! It was not burned, and it was not dry. Thank you Reynolds Oven Bags! Four hours in the oven, and I never had to check on it, or baste it or anything. So great.

We opened our presents and stockings with the kids at 8am. Then Wes and Kim came by at 9am, as did Robert and Lindsay and Gabe, so that we could have our 'private' gift exchange. The 40 other Watsons showed up at 10am. People started clearing out at about 12pm. Then we had our intimate lunch for 18 at 1pm. And our last guests left at about 4pm.

A great day full of fun, family, and food. And all to celebrate the birth of Jesus! It doesn't get any better than that! Oh yeah, and our Christmas miracle for this year was that we got a 'new' (for us) washing machine from Chris' cousin who is moving to Payson for the year! Ours really sucks cause it doesn't drain or spin properly, but our dryer is amazing. Chris' cousin had been stressed about where to store their washer and dryer and when we heard their complaint, all our prayers were answered! Thank you Jesus for showing up and giving us gifts on your birthday.

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Quick Times

Here's a little update on life in the Watson/Malloy household:

-Topher is sleeping! Pretty well. Thanks to all those who have prayed- that was the difference maker I'm pretty sure! He slept 8 hours one night. Then 9 the next. And eventually 10! Last night was the first time he woke up at 4am in quite awhile! Hopefully that won't suddenly become a habit again though... I'll let you know

-We are having the giant Watson Family Christmas party at our house this year. That's about 30+ adults and 15 kids. Pure insanity. But a joyous occassion since it's obviously not very easy to get all the Watsons together under one roof on the same day at the same time. So this has been my inspiration/kick in the butt to get the house together- that means cleaning and decorating. And the major decoration has come in the form of hanging up pictures! So that's what I am taking a break from right now, I have been working on it for the last two hours, and probably still have one more hour to go!...

-Barb and Jerry bought Lily some furniture for her room at a garage sale, then Barb refinished it all, doing a distressed white look, complete with little pink jeweled knobs. Chris brought it home today and it looks AMAZING! One day when Chris and I decide it's safe to spend money again, we will have to go garage sale-ing with Barb and Jerry!

-Speaking of Jerry- please pray for him! He is stuck in Portland! He was supposed to fly in yesterday, but due to terrible conditions, he is STILL waiting to fly out. Pessimistically speaking- it looks like the weather will let up on Wednesday, which is kinda when Barb is expecting to see him. Very optimistically speaking- he is booked on a flight that leaves Portland tomorrow at 6am. Time to pray again! Yesterday he slept in the airport, and tonight he is in a hotel. Tomorrow, we are hoping he gets to sleep in his bed, in Mesa, with his wife, and his two crazy dogs!!!!

That's it for now. So much to do. So little time.... But thanks all for the continued prayers! We need em! Blessings to you all this awesome holiday season.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

A Mother's Purse

I am not an organized person. In fact, I am a disgusting mess. I never know where anything is, especially my check book when it's time to tithe. This Saturday at church, I really came face-to-face with the person I have become- a mother. And this epiphany came to me as I was looking through my purse.

Actually, to call it a purse is an understatement. It's basically a glorified gym bag. It often doubles as a diaper bag (especially if I am just going out with one child. Not quite enough room for stuff for three kids). But if I needed to, I could even put an extra pair of my shoes in it. Oh wait, I have. When I get 'fancy' and wear heels, I usually put a pair of flat shoes in this 'pursething' when I am ready to call it quits and come to grips with how short I really am. Which is somewhere in the 5'3 range. (I am tall for my family.)

So, I was sitting at church beside my sister, and friend Lanie. Robert and Lindsay were sitting behind. I opened up my purse just to make absolute sure that I did NOT have a checkbook inside. Yup. Definitely did not have one. Then I came across a peppermint taffy candy, my new drug of choice. I fortunately had more than one, so I shared with Lanie and Robert. Jeehon was disinterested in the candy, so I looked for something else that might interest her. No joke, these are all things I pulled out:
-half of a rice cake, with bag fuzzies appropriately stuck to it (which means it was wet at one point, which means one of the kids ate it and put it back in my bag)
-three pens. And I only found these pens cause I didn't need one at that second. Had I been looking for a pen, all three would have miraculously vanished into thin air
-three lip gloss/balm things. Same magical properties as the pens (as listed above)
-hand lotion. I cannot function without hand lotion
-a little My Little Pony figurine from a Happy Meal
-an empty travel size bottle of Aspirin. I am pretty sure that is Chris's doing, but the fact that it was in my purse was perfect.
-a grocery list from who knows when
-a granola bar wrapper
and the piece de resistance- A Sock. Not a cute little stray baby sock, but one of mine or Jeehon's. I don't know how or when it got into my purse, but there it was. With a piece of granola stuck to it. (I don't know if the sock had been wet at one point, or the piece of granola. Both being wet from being sucked on by a child of mine is Very Likely.)
So that's how I role- almost ready for everything, yet not ready for anything (especially tithing) all at once. If you have one foot that gets cold sometime when you are out with me, look into my purse, you may just find what you need.

Monday, December 15, 2008

Night Terrors- Mine, Not the Baby's...

Hey, first of all I would like to thank all the ladies for the sympathy and concern from my last post! I appreciate all the support and words of encouragement!
Here's what happened after my dillusional post from a couple days ago:
-Topher cried for a total of 50 minutes before I went to get him.
-When I gotin there, he was standing in his crib, crying his heart out. So cute! Even at 4am.
-I went in with his bottle, filled with water. He was not happy about it. It took everything in me to not whip out my boob to shut him up (oh my goodness. Did I just sound like a stripper just now or what?)
-He drank some water and proceeded to cry, but it looked like he might fall back asleep, so I laid him back down, which is when he decided to scream and cry even more fervently than before.
-I left the room and tried to lie down in my bed. That lasted for about 10 minutes and then I went back to Topher's room.
-Picked him back up. Offered him the water again. Was rejected again. Tried rocking him, which did not soothe him even a little bit, I changed his diaper which was superfull from all of his screaming (I don't know if this is a legit correlation, but I feel like it is) and then I sat with him for a bit.
-He looked at me and I at him, and he appeared to be wide awake, which completely terrified me, so I literally busted out ol' faithful (read: the milk maker) and Topher was asleep within two minutes.
-I think he woke up again at 6am, then went back to sleep, and then again at 7am. MUCH coffee was consumed that day.
So, Topher won that battle. But has he won the war? Yep. For now. I tried puttin ghim to bed later in hopes that he would sleep for longer, but that didn't help. He would still just wake up after being asleep for eight hours. And though I felt better when he woke up at 5am instead of 3, it was a lot harder letting him cry for too long because I would be afraid that Topher would wake up the other kids.
Topher and I 'battled' it out for three nights, and I know some would say "keep going, you're already almost there! just a few more nights of crying and you'll be home free!.." But here's the thing- I just can't do it. Physically, or mentally. My nerves were like glass for the last three days. I was a zombie during the day and a frightened mess at night. Not good.
I've tried so many different combinations of things that I am convinced for now that Topher just can't sleep for more than eight hours. I think that if Topher was an only child, then I would keep on keepin on, but he's not. And I know I was diligent with Lily in the 'Napping Wars' (past history: Lily would not nap and I had to train her almost a year ago. Many tears were shed, on her part as well as mine.) But the Napping War and this Sleeping Through the Night War is very different as it is being fought at an entirely more inconvenient time of day, and there are so many extra players to consider here.
So I not only have lost the battle, but I have also lost the war. My white flag is up for now, but I will take it down some time. I don't know when, but I will surely keep you posted.

Friday, December 12, 2008

Silent NIght? Not here...

it's 3:20. sorry for any grammatical errors or typing mistakes. i am writing in the dark. i am awake but don't want to fully admit that i am awake by turning on the lights. the main reason i am writing is to pass the time while i listen to my eight and a half month old cry and cry and cry- aka. while i teach him to sleep through the night. oh how this sucks.
life's been pretty hectic lately which is why it's been so long since i have written. but there have been many posts i have thought of writing, that never had a second to be written. although had i written every time topher woke me up in the middle of the night, my blog would be busting at the seams.
i always have so many excuses as to why topher is awake at 3, or 1, or even 12am. the most common one being that he's hungry. so i did the whole 'stuff him like a fattened calf ready for the kill' before bed, which included cereal, vegetables, and then a bottle of formula in him room. i am still breastfeeding, but i thought he wasn't getting enough before going to sleep 'for the night'. but then he would still wake up at 3ish, with a sopping wet diaper. so then i would have to get him cause he was so wet and i needed to change his diaper and feed him again.
sometimes this led him to sleep till 7. or even 8. but sometimes only till 5. which is NOT ok.
every mom i have talked to says that he should be able to sleep through the night and that i should let him cry it out, or at least not feed him at all through the night. so yesterday i let him cry for about 15 t o 20 minutes and then i gave him a bottle with water. he drank that puppy down! i rocked him for a while, then set him down as gently as all get out- but of course he woke up and started screaming as i was bolting out the room. he fortunately only cried for three more minutes, but at 3am, 3 minutes feels like an eternity.
so now topher's been crying for about thirty minutes. should i get him? should i not? i am so tired- of listening to him cry that is. no pain no gain, right? just a couple of really bad nights = a lifetime of peaceful nights?... i'll let you know

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Now, Complain!

Oh my goodness. December in Arizona stinks!... When the stomach flu is out to get you... And get me it did! It also has gotten a hold of Lily, Sungu, and Chris (kinda). Chris was not feeling well during the beginning of the week, but has since gotten his second wind. This morning I was awoken at 1am, and 6am, by my beautiful son, who was in need of some tlc. He fortunately just has a cold. But then Lily woke up at 6:15 and she really really need some tlc.

Before it was even 8am, Lily had thrown up twice (on herself, and me too!) and we were both alredy on our third outfit for the day! I called the doctor and made an appointment for 9ish. Stomach Flu. That's what I figured. Then Chris called me to tell me to get double the remedy that the doctor prescribed- cause Sungu was sick too. And being the overachiever that he is- he threw up four times and had already had 2 baths within a 2 hour span of being awake.

I also threw up, and as much as I hate doing it, I felt so much better! Lots of naps were taken on my part- only because my sister is awesome and let me sleep a bunch, and because we shipped 'healthy' little Topher off to hang out with his Nana, so as not to join the nasty-puky group.

So, that's it. One minute everything is peachy, and the next- there is throw up everywhere. Time to bust out the carpet shampooer...

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

No Complaints

It's December, and I live in Arizona. Things are not bad at all. The weather is perfect- still sunny during the day, and chilly at night. If we were not doing this whole 'Financial Peace University' stuff, Chris and I would be doing more golfing (read:we would golf at least once. Right now, no golfing, or extra-money spending is happening at all!) I'll have to write more about the whole FPU experience. Maybe next week. It's a 13 week course, and next week is the last one. It's been a very interesting journey, and something that I recommend to anyone who has a credit card, or any debt.

Jeehon and Sungu are back from Canada, which we are all happy about, especially as Christmas is drawing nearer and nearer! It seriously amazes me that Jeehon and I have been able to spend almost every Christmas together for the last four years, even with our living in different states/countries. (Maybe the more amazing thing is that Jeehon has lived in Texas, Arizona, Korea, Missouri, and Arizona again in the last four years!)

Lily is still not speaking English or Korean, but her own language seems to have developed! She cracks herself, as well as anyone else within earshot, up having pretty long conversations in giberish. Topher is a pooping and scooting machine. Eight months old and still no teeth. Since I am still breastfeeding- I can't complain about that! Sungu is on the road to being potty trained! (He is 17 months old) He dropped a deuce on the little potty the other day without breaking a sweat. It was pretty awesome.

Chris is absolutely loving his job. Everyday is a new day with new assignments and new bad guys to catch. He is very fulfilled in his day job, and loving being at home with the little ones too. Lily continues to dote on her dad whenever she can. The greatest sadness in Chris' life is that I beat him in fantasy basketball last week. Which made it the second time this year- since we are in two different leagues with each other. I am actually in first place in one of the leagues (which means I am beating my 3 brothers, my husband, 2 brother-in-laws, an uncle-in-law, and one of Chris' friends from the Marines.) Seriously- life is good!

Thanksgiving was great. We just finished the last of our leftovers. So sad. I am already counting down the days till we eat crazyhuge meals again for Christmas! I promise- I am not pregnant. I just love me some holiday fixings! And enjoying the chowdown time with family. Of course.

The next couple weeks will be full of busyness, what with parties, and cookies, and shopping. But we will be sure to sprinkle in lots of time for Jesus, cause He is the reason for the season. I know this is a boring post, but nothing new or crazy is going on right now. And that's not a bad thing!