How we spend a snow day

Yesterday we got nearly a foot of snow here in Fredericksburg and so my wonderfully planned and prepared Primary activity was cancelled as well as church today! I've forgotten what it was like to live in a place with this kind of reaction to snow!

Anyway, I got Megan to sing for the camera -- it was difficult because now whenever she sees the camera come out she wants to look at the pictures, not take them. So she kept trying to get around me and wouldn't let me back up to record her. But I got her centered pretty good anyway.

This last video I feel like needs a little explanation. We aren't anti-princess around here but I don't heavily promote them either. Megan does have some princess things but not a lot -- mostly toddler dishes, etc. I am not a big fan of buying clothes that say things like "I'm a princess" or calling her that -- I want it to remain in the realm of imagination. She knows what they are to a certain extent -- she has a crown and dress up things but doesn't watch Disney princess movies yet either because some of them are kind've scary! So I'm playing with fabric to make Abby's baby quilt and she's taking my fabric and wrapping it around her to be "cozy" or putting it on her head as a hat. She goes in my room to look in the full-length mirror and comes out saying "Princess Megan". I couldn't believe it! So this one she's just doing it on camera because it is awfully cute.

Pictures!!!

Well, let's just say that Chopper and I put part of our tax return to good use!! Actually, our computer was so bad that we couldn't download TurboTax to do our taxes! It took some patching and screaming and frustration but we finally got it and after we filed -- Chopper went shopping for a new computer. The rest? Well that will go to more practical use. But I shouldn't say that because any more, a computer is pretty much a necessity! It's our main form of communication anyway. But enough of that -- I have the cutest pictures to upload!!!!

We switched Megan to her big girl bed! I haven't finished her quilt but she loves it anyway. And she doesn't get out. Of course, it helps that she can't get in or out without a step and she fell off a few times so now she refuses to try. So it's just as confining as her crib! That hasn't stopped her from NOT taking naps though -- she still talks and sings for an hour but at night she is out cold. She has to climb into bed to have her diaper changed and loves getting in bed at night to say her prayers and be tucked in. She does have a pillow but this was the first or second night when I wasn't sure if a pillow would be good for transition time. Well, she has to have it now!



Megan loves hats and the red one in particular she loves to walk around blind and find you. I'm pretty sure she cheats because she's pretty good at it. The thing she is holding in her hand is her FAVORITE item ever. She loves her animals, and occasionally her blanket and quilt but her eyeball (it really is a bouncy ball with an eyeball on it) is her life. In fact, on Sunday she was a screaming wreck for some reason and Chopper brought her to me to see if she wanted mommy. We're standing in the hall trying to calm her down, she is crying hysterically, and all of sudden starts calling "eyeball, eyeball!" How's that for daughterly affection!!
DO you like the bright yellow shirt? I think it emphasizes rather than minimizes but I have fewer and fewer comfortable clothes and at least 8 more weeks to go!


Is this not the sweetest face? It's the one you look at after she's been a screaming wreck at the store to remind you of her TRUE personality . . .
The other thing Megan loves is being a naked baby. It's better than sugar for her -- makes her more hyper too to run around screaming "naked baby!!". And it's darn cute, although as you can see, she doesn't get the WHOLE package. But this is her cold face. I don't think she's actually cold but she did the face for me and I got the picture! She shivers too. It's so funny. We also have naked toes, jammie baby, jammie mommy (that one I get a lot recently . . .) and a host of other descriptive phrases. I love how she's getting more and more vocal everyday and putting so much together! Ok enough of that right?

I hope I'm this good about the others though!

Not just a girl, a BIG GIRL!

Megan slept in a twin bed for the first time last night. Barely even a whimper and she stayed in. I couldn't believe it! As picky as she is about where she sleeps I was very surprised, but perhaps since the bed has been in her room for a while now and she does know it's her big girl bed, it was apparently ok.

Nap this afternoon? Not so much. I think she might have taken a cat nap because she WAS quiet for a while. But then I hear movement at the door and you can tell she's trying to open it and when I go in, she is calmly sitting in her rocking chair, reading books, and apparently she has tried to remove her shirt! Will this be the end of naps as we know it? Probably. I suppose I need to prepare for cranky baby while she adjusts too.

It's a girl!!!

Hopefully I'll be able to get some pictures up to illustrate this later but this is not about the new baby. This is about Megan. I know, I know -- we've known she was a girl since I was pregnant with her 2 1/2 years ago (if you can believe that part) but the older she gets, the more apparent it is that she is really a girl, if you know what I mean.

Aside from the shrieking and squealing we have some fairly new developments that solidify it even more:
* Today she was all about putting on my shoes.
* We got her some cheap necklaces the other day which she now requests and then has to run to look at herself in the mirror.
* Telling her she's pretty gets her to put on pretty much anything we ask her too (including clothese, we're going through a naked baby phase here).
* Hair bows now actually stay in the hair.
* SHe says "eww" when she sees anything from the insect, amphibian, or messy groups.

Like I said, it's definitely a girl!

Baby Update

Since getting back from Michigan we've (ok just me really) been running to doctor's appointments to catch up on the baby. I'm 29 weeks today! Yesterday I had a third (I know, count them 3) ultrasound to check for cysts in the baby's brain. They were there in the fetal survey ultrasound and so yesterday was a follow up to make sure they've disappeared. Good news! They are gone and all her discernible parts are also good to go! Other than that really really good news we found out she's running about 2 lbs. 13 ozs. which is a little on the large side but not abnomally so, she's right on target with her due date -- although that doesn't really mean anything -- and we got more pictures! I couldn't tell but the tech identified hair and it was just neat to see her again! At this rate though, she may have a full picture album before she's even born!



These pictures don't seem as clear to me but she is bigger and A LOT more wiggly so that's probably why. And she's waving! So cute!

Happy New Year!

Sorry about the massive picture right up front -- I haven't yet figured out how to size it down a little . . . but I know that it's just what you needed to start your day off right!

Our holidays were fabulous! We drove to Michigan and spent Christmas (plus some) with my ENTIRE FAMILY! Ok ok, James, my youngest brother, is on a mission in Idaho so of course he wasn't there but I don't really count that because it's not like he's deliberately avoiding us (I think . . .). In all our years of marriage, this is the 1st we've spent with my family and only the 2nd it wasn't just us (last year was his family). It really was a treat.

The really funny part is that we went to Michigan prepared for snow snow and more snow. They did have some on the ground and I suppose over two and a half weeks they collected another few inches but we completely missed the massive blizzard that slammed Virginia right before Christmas! It thought that was pretty funny myself.

Megan loved being at her grandparents -- some of her favorite things included watching everyone play Wii, particularly MarioKart ("cars? ok."), eating wonderful Christmas goodies and Grandma's wonderful cooking ("cookies? ok. Cucumbers? ok."), looking at Arthur, who was not allowed out, over the gate ("Hi dog!") and playing in the snow ("outside cold? ok."). And yes, that's all Megan. She asks you for something and immediately follows up with "ok" as if we've already agreed to what she wants!

Christmas morning was particularly fun even though she really wasn't in to opening presents until the toy appeared and she could play. But Chopper and I found the worst pair of salt and pepper shakers for my parents (long, funny story -- let me know if you really want to hear it but it's now a running gag gift) and then played a really good joke on my brother Jeff by taking his GPS out of the box and wrapping up a map and compass instead (you know, GPS on a budget). You probably had to be there. The long and short of it was that it was a really wonderful holiday and I have a really wonderful family. Chopper got to watch football, I went shopping with my mom, oh and we did take a trip to Frankenmuth and Bronner's Christmas store -- the biggest one in the world!

And now we're back and I guess the next big events will be my 30th birthday (can't believe it!), Megan's 2nd birthday (that one either!) and a new baby! 2010 is going to be a very busy and very good year. AND I figured out that while our computer won't take our camera, we can circumvent the system by putting them onto CD at the store and then using the pictures. Whoopee!! So enjoy the delight that is our Christmas!





Don't you love Megan's snow suit? Obviously she was not happy the first time I put it on her but once she realized the purpose of it, she was fine! She was such a marshmallow puff because really it was too big, but it didn't stop her from going! Oh and she did absolutely refuse to wear boots. Tantrum and everything. All my mother could say was, "she's your daughter!"





The lovely lady with Megan is my sister-in-law Denise who is my only one on my side (and hence my favorite!). She loved Megan to death and Megan loved her and they took a really good picture! Sigh. I love our new camera but it does not make up for a 2-year old's lack of cooperation! Actually, we turned out quite a few that we good this year. That's what happens when you can delete the other 200! Anyway, Chopper and I started a tradition a few years back of making and decorating a gingerbread house. This year I decided I did not want to make the dough so we bought a pre-made kit. Chopper says it's cheating. I say when you wait for everyone to arrive and join in, you don't have time for everything else! Megan really enjoyed the eating, I mean decorating! She actually did put things on the house though if you can believe it. And she ate a ton of the candy too of course.

We took family pictures before everyone had to leave of course. If you get my parents Christmas letter then A) do not believe what they tell you about our chosen names for the baby and B) you're getting the nice picture. But the goofy one is typical Gasser clan -- in fact, getting everyone to stay serious for a picture is about as easy as getting Megan to hold still! There have to be either threats or treats involved! And even then, eventually we just have to give up and go with the best one. It's a lot of fun and completely worth it though!