Christmas Extravaganza 2010

Christmas was extra special this year since it was our first with Rocco. It was a long holiday season filled with many parties and celebrations. Our Christmas started out this year with the Rocco Family Christmas party on Dec. 12th. It's always a good time to see extended family that we only get to see once or twice a year. And since our family reunion was canceled this year due to weather, it was the first time many of the Rocco family members got to meet Rocco. Here are some pictures from the day:

Graham

Rocco with his 1st ever Christmas present!

Josh and Tiffany

Me and my cousin, Amanda

Rocco & Graham waiting to eat!

The following weekend on 12/19, was the Meyer family Christmas. We always do that one the Sunday before Christmas and it's so much fun. For some reason I can't get the pictures from this party to upload. I may try again later.



The following week we went to my Aunt Kathy and Uncle John's house on 12/23 for a Christmas get-together with my mom's siblings and their families. It was fun to see Rocco and Alec, his 3rd cousin who is 2 months younger than him, interact. They mostly just stared at each other but it was still the cute all the same. He are a few pics:

Alec

Rocco

Rocco with Grandma Rose Ann

The next night was Christmas Eve and my mom, brother, his girlfriend, Tiffany, and my Uncle Joe who was in from Ohio, came over to our house. Graham was with his mom but the rest of us ate dinner, hung out and exchanged gifts. Graham did come back to our house about 9 pm and was so excited about Christmas day that he had a hard time sleeping. He woke up at midnight saying he could not sleep. I told him he'd have to try because we still had about 7 hours before we could open presents. Here are some pictures from Christmas Eve:

Rocco opening his gift from Uncle Josh and Tiffany

Rocco getting the hang of this opening presents thing!

The next day was Christmas and it was kind of ironic because Graham who usually sleeps in until 10ish, was up at 7 am ready to open gifts. Rocco who is usually up first, slept in until 7:30 so we waited for him to get up. It was so fun having 2 kids opening presents this year. I know that Rocco doesn't understand "Christmas" but he did enjoy opening presents and playing with the toys and the packages they came in. Later that day we went to my grandparents to spend time with my dad's side of the family (Graham went to his mom's house to spend the rest of the day with her). After my grandparents, we went by Nathan's parents' house to see my sister-in-law, Heather, and her two kids who came in from Texas. I don't have any pictures after Christmas morning unfortunately.

Rocco with his new Firetruck/Walker

Graham showing off a new shirt

Graham with new Ping Pong paddles since the old ones are worn out!

Graham with his new Blues shirt

The following weekend was New Year's Eve/New Year's Day. Nathan and I went to the Blues hockey game on NYE and were in home and in bed right after the ball dropped on TV. We're party animals - I know! :)

This past weekend was our last Christmas party. We celebrated with my father-in-law's siblings and their families. Rocco and Graham each got more gifts to add to their already-abundant haul. It was nice to see everyone at this gathering too. We got to see Baby Max who is 7 months old and doing so great after his heart surgery last month.

So, Friday is Rocco's 1st birthday (which is CRAZY!) and his party is this upcoming weekend. So basically this kid gets parties and gifts for 5 out of 6 weekends in a row in Dec./Jan. I think we need a bigger house!

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Here's to 2011!

Resolution #1: Stop worrying and feeling guilty so much about things pertaining to Rocco. He will turn out just fine even if things aren't perfect!

Resolution #2: Get rid of the unused clutter in the house!

Resolution #3: Update/Fix the things in the house that need to be updated/fixed to get it in selling condition!

What are your resolutions?

Love,
Dawn

Just a Few Rocco Tidbits

This post is more for my memory than anything else. This is a good place for me to remember the little things that happen along the way as the boys grow up.

Rocco has his Delta Gamma vision therapy 2x a month. During his appt. this week, his therapist, Lindsay, got such a kick out of him. He was dancing so much for her. She said it looks like he's going to dance before he walks! She always comments on how strong he is and she said it again this week. She said he's the strongest baby she's ever worked with. She had this round dome light from the dollar store that gets turned on an off by pressing down on the dome. She commented on how he analyzes things until he figures them out. In order to figure out how to manipulate the light, he pressed it against his chest until it came on. Then he knew he just had to press down on it with his hand to get it on and off. She said she doesn't have too many kids that can get this particular light on and off.

He's so close to walking but not quite there yet. He practically gallops along the side of the couch and will take a step of two as he lunges out for me to catch him. I'm excited to give him his firetruck toy for Christmas that he can walk behind to help him walk even more.

He's still constantly moving his head from side to side (kind of like the "Night of the Roxbury" skit from Saturday Night Live) anytime he hears music. And each time a new song comes on, he starts the head bopping all over again. I have a video that I will try to post soon!

Happy Holidays,
Dawn

True Life: I'm an Albino

Nathan got an email from NOAH (National Organization of Albinism and Hypo-Pigmentation) informing us that the popular MTV show, "True Life", will be featuring an episode on Albinism. It is called True Life: I'm an Albino and will air on Dec. 20th. I believe it will be on at 9:00 pm CST (10:00 pm Eastern time). I think it is being re-run on Dec. 21st at 11:30 pm CST and Dec. 23rd at 11 pm CST. From what I understand, the show will follow two teens/young adults during the 2010 NOAH conference that was held over the summer in Washington, DC. I'm very eager to see how they are portrayed and what they have to say. I think this show usually focuses on the struggles that people endure due to their condition and/or circumstance. I'm hoping it will have some kind of positive side to it also. Anyway, I thought I'd mention it in case anyway is interested in watching it. We already have our DVR set to record it.

Thanks,
Dawn

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving - I'm thankful for my healthy and loving family. I am thankful for having Rocco this Thanksgiving. I was so worried about his Albinism when he was born but as time has gone on, I realize he will be OK. He's got such a big personality and he's doing so great developmentally. He's doing everything on time or early and excelling in so many ways. He is a happy baby boy and such a character. And I am thankful that he has an awesome older brother to look out for him. Graham is soooo good with him and they have a lot of fun together. Graham is good at playing with him and calming him down when he gets upset. He even helps feed him sometimes. I am also thankful for my loving and hard working husband. He is a tremendous father and the boys have a strong man to look up to and learn from. He is also a good hubby and takes care of all of us. Anyway, now that I'm done being mushy mom, here are some pictures from Thanksgiving:

Rocco on Thanksgiving morning

Graham on Thanksgiving morning

Graham and Tyson (at Josh's house for our Thanksgiving breakfast) playing Guitar Hero

Me, Rocco and Tiffany at Thanksgiving breakfast

Josh getting a haircut from my mom on Thanksgiving

Gail and Ray getting dinner ready (Adelyn too!)

Aubrey and Bryan

Bethany

Jessica and Rachel looking at Black Friday ads

The after-math of dinner

Nathan

Chantel

Family Picture

Rocco after he spilled a pitcher of tea on his pants

Elaina, Adelyn, Graham and Clayton

Fall/Halloween 2010

I love fall. The weather is usually good (it was a little warmer than usual this year) and there are a lot of fun activities to do. A couple weekends ago, we made our annual trip to the Pumpkin Patch. This year we went to Thies Farm for the first time. It was actually hot and the bright sun was too much for Rocco's eyes. In addition, he had a cold and it was during his nap time. So most of my time was spent sitting on a hay bale under a tarp with him napping on me. But we did get a few pictures of him with the pumpkins and the rest of the Meyer grandchildren. And when I looked at the pictures, I couldn't believe how much less like a kid and how much more like a teenager Graham is beginning to look.

Nathan said they look like brothers on the cover of a rap album or something. Graham has attitude and Rocco has a cockeyed hat like a gangsta! :)

Someone did not want to held in the family picture!

What a montley crew!

Rocco loved feeling the pumpkins!

Naptime!

Here are some pictures of Rocco in his skeleton pj's:








Last week we took the boys to Boo at the Zoo. We went on a weeknight so it wouldn't be so crowded (it was easier on Rocco's eyes too and not so hot). It was the first time we went and a fun time. We even ran into our friends, the Bakers, while we were there. (BTW, Rocco is a chunker compared to their son, Matthew, who was born a few days after Rocco! Matthew is in the 10th percentile and Rocco is in the 95th percentile!)

Graham isn't a big Halloween fan so he didn't want to dress up for this event.

The night before Halloween, Nathan and I went to a Halloween party at our friends, Amanda and Jason's, house. It's always a good time with a DJ and most people dressed up in costumes. I didn't want to spend any money on our costumes so I just donned some devil ears and a tail and Nathan went as Allan from the movie, The Hangover.







On Halloween, we went over to my in-laws' house. They had games for the grandkids to play, Halloween-themed food and desserts and goodies for the kids. We went trick or treating at a few houses also. Afterwards, we went over to our friends', Jim and Chrissy's, house and went Trick or Treating with a bunch of our friends and their kids. It was a good time and Rocco hung in there like a champ!

The kiddos wrapped as mummies

They had to eat a marshmallow without using their hands

Gail handing out drinks from her smoking cauldron.

Trick or Treating

Most of the kids at Jim and Chrissy's house

I can't believe it's Nov. now and I'm looking forward to the holidays! If anyone has any suggestions on what to get an 11 year (almost 12 year old), let me know! :)

-Dawn