Merry Christmas!

After just waking up, Tessa is still a little dazed and doesn't know why we're bombarding her with paper-covered boxes.

Santa gave Tessa a cell phone!

Sam wants in on the action.

Our little elf likes to drink tea. Santa also gave her a play tea set. And the best part: The tea pot has a British accent!

Tessa's Tent

Practicing martial arts

One of Tessa's gifts from Santa was this igloo tent. It's big enough for Tessa to stand up in, but for Daddy and Mommy, it's a tight fit.

Christmas in Canton (a.k.a. snowed in)

Our front deck is one big snow drift.

Hello, snow!

A sea of snow (It looks so depressing.)

Looking beyond our back deck, the neighbors' drifts look to be about 5 feet.

We were supposed to be in Albert Lea on Wednesday night through Sunday, celebrating Christmas with Grandpa & Grandma Trygstad, Matt, Natalie & John and Christina & Eric, but Mother Nature had other plans for us: Christmas in Canton. Southeast South Dakota (and most of the Midwest, actually) was under a winter storm warning since Wednesday afternoon, and as of Thursday, much of Interstate 29 and Interstate 90 were closed, and where they weren't, no travel was advised. So, we hunkered down and stayed warm indoors. We'll just look forward to postponed family Christmas celebrations. We thank God we're all safe and sound.

Tessa's Tea Party

Unwrap the Magic

Tessa isn't sure what to think about opening gifts, but she likes the end result! (Sorry it's so dark!)

Christmas Eve

Tessa seems to think Sam is on Santa's naughty list. And for the record, we did not teach her how to scold! We're guessing she learned it at daycare. Oh, the things they pick up!

Baby Mama

Tessa started playing mommy in the last few weeks. In addition to "changing her stuffed animals' diapers," she gives them "baths" (I trailed her as she put a teddy bear in our bath tub the other day), and puts them to bed for nap time. I think we'll give her the vacuum next and see what happens!

'Crackah!'

Tessa meets Santa Claus

Tessa met Santa for the first time at Good Samaritan Society – Canton. She sat on his lap, but did not tell him what she wants for Christmas. She was probably too busy wondering what her crazy parents were subjecting her to now. Some of the residents were handing out candy canes to the kids, and I'm pretty sure Tessa got a good share of their stash. Tessa soon let us know she LOVES candy canes! (She's eating one in the second pic.)

Como Zoo Excursion

Thanksgiving in Minneapolis

Tessa thoroughly enjoyed her first edible Thanksgiving; not so much the food (she devoured the cranberries but became a pro at taking turkey out of her mouth), but playing with Uncle Aaron and chasing dog cousins Lola & Tommy. During the weekend at Aaron and Jessica's house, Tessa began saying "doggy!" and (how apropos), "thank you!"

Stacking Machine

Hello Kitty

BFFs

Chatting 'bout the weather

Tessa finds Sam's ear...

nose...

and head!

Hug!

Bedtime

Fun with hair accessories

Tessa Talk

Since my last post, when we thought Tessa was finally getting over her ear infection, it got worse before it got better. Just two days after finishing her antibiotics, Tessa would cry out in pain at bedtime and could only get to sleep after a dose of children’s Motrin and being rocked in Mommy’s or Daddy’s arms. When I brought her in the next day, her pediatrician prescribed amoxicillin combined with a steroid, and ear drops. We were able to trick her into liking the amoxicillin, but the ear drops, not so much. Of course it wasn’t until the last day of her drops that I thought to put them in while she was sleeping. (Thankfully, she sleeps like her Daddy — when she’s out, she’s really out!) Live and learn, I guess. She’ll have a follow-up soon, and we pray her ears will be clear!

New Tessa Loves
*Hugging Sam, petting Sam, needing to know where Sam is during every waking moment
*Poking her eye and saying: “Eye!” (This also applies to nose, ears, mouth and hair. She says all except “hair.”)
*When we sing “Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes”
*Running
*Pushing the button for the garage door
*“Tickling” people
*Singing (She made up a Mommy/Daddy song that goes a lil’ somethin’ like this: “Mo-mmy, Mo-mmy, Mo-mmy, Mo-mmy! Da-ddy, Da-ddy, Da-ddy, Da-ddy!” I haven’t figured out if this is the verse, chorus or bridge. At this point, I’m guessing all three. It’s a work in progress.)
*Helping me put laundry away (The other night while I was folding, she took a pile of her washcloths from the family room, through the dining room, down the hall to our bedroom and into our bathroom, where she opened the cabinet where we keep her bath items, and put them on the shelf. She’s such a good little helper!)

Tessa’s recent vocab. (Note: Anything that comes out of Tessa’s mouth usually requires an exclamation point. … !)
“Up!”
“Dog!”
“Pease!” (Please)
“Bum!” (Her pink blanket — don’t ask me why this is “bum.”)
“Mommy!” (It was always “Mama” before.)
“Meow!” (When she sees Sam or wants to know where she is)
“Ju!” (Any beverage)
“Hop!” (When she plays with her bunny)

Halloween Fun

Tessa trick-or-treats at the mall in Albert Lea.

Ha, ha - sucker!

So excited! (She later grabbed the sucker that's on the stool and put it in her bucket. Finder's keepers!)

Break time with Grandpa

Tessa comes face to face with a lil' lady bug.
Let the stare-down begin.

Kory & Mima's Visit

SOS

When there's something strange, in the neighborhood, who ya gonna call? Mima & Kory! Well, that "something strange" wasn't really strange at all (I just have the "Ghostbusters" theme in my head). Tessa's daycare was closed Oct. 22 and 23, and since Kory and Mom were planning to visit on Saturday anyway, they made it a day early so that they could hang out with Tessa. We really appreciate any kind of help when we're in a bind - from Mima, Kory, Great Aunt Marilyn, Grandma Beth, etc.! Eric had missed school on that Thursday to stay home with Tessa. She's on a waiting list for a child care center in Sioux Falls, just a few blocks from my office, so it will be nice when we won't be frantic trying to find backup daycare providers.

Anyway, Kory and Mima got their Tessa fix. They brought her to Sioux Falls on Friday, and we went out for lunch. Kory gave Tessa sleeping bag rides around the family room, and Mima taught her how to roar. Too bad she wasn't a lion, tiger or bear for Halloween. Not to turn this into a restaurant review, but we ate at the Original Pancake House on Saturday, and it was spectacular! I highly recommend it. The highlight of the day, if I had to choose, was the pumpkin patch excursion. They had all kinds of farm animals, a country store, and, of course, plenty o' pumpkins. (See the pictures in the next post.)

Tessa, through no fault of her own, was a Debbie Downer after we returned home. She had had a wonderful day, but in the middle of her afternoon nap, she woke up screaming and wouldn't stop. We had never heard her cry like that before, so we brought her to urgent care. Enter: double ear infection diagnosis. Our poor babe. It was quite the episode, complete with an ear-washing apparatus. That seemed to help alleviate the pressure, though, so she was able to fall asleep on the ride home and was back to her cheery self after that. Thank God!

Tessa & the Twins

It looks like they're plotting ...

Carly, Morgan & Tessa

Everyone in the pool!

I love how the girls' hair is sticking up from static. :) 

They're all looking up at Clayton.

My friend, Randi, and her husband, Clayton, visited with their twins, Carly & Morgan, last night. They kind of had a play group! At first, Tessa didn't like sharing her toys (or me), but she came around. She even gave Morgan a hug before they left. It was super sweet. We're thinking they'll have tons of fun together when they're older.

The first snow of the year — ugh.

Tessa meets Great Uncle Ed

Tessa loves Great Uncle Ed ... and the cooking timer!

Great Aunt Joan visited, too!