Teddy Bear Traditions

One fun tradition in my family is that on a baby's first Christmas, he or she gets a Teddy Bear.  Quite honestly, I'm not sure when or how that tradition got started since I don't have my own "First Christmas" Bear. (At least not one that Mom specifically told me was my first Christmas Bear)  But I do know I have an affinity for soft cuddly Teddy Bears......and it would seem I am not the first in my ancestry line to have it.

Jake's family also seems to have a Teddy Bear tradition going and his mom makes each of her grandchildren a bear when they are born.

This past Christmas was (of course) Baby Girl's first Christmas.  And just like my Little Man's first Christmas, this was her "Teddy Bear Christmas."  She received a Christmas bear from Mommy, Grandma Jensen, and Great Grandma Brinkherhoff--maybe we should call her Goldilocks :)

Isn't she cute with all those bears :)  The bear in the blue dress was the one from Mommy (and Daddy).  The sleeping "prayin' bear" in the front was from her Great Grandma Brinkerhoff,  The bear in the red dress was from her Grandma Jensen.  The yellow bear was her being born bear from Grandma Hathaway.


We also decided to take a picture of Little Man with his first year bears.  He has his "prayin' bear" from Great Grandma Brinkerhoff, Buster the blue bear Grandma Hathaway made him, the Brown bear from Grandma Jensen, and the white bear in the blue tux from Mommy.

 Remember how I said I have an affinity for teddy bears.....well, since we were taking pictures of the kids with bears, we brought out all their BEARS (not all their stuffed animals). 

 And here is what happens when we add Mommy and Daddy's BEARS......

Don't worry, Baby Girl isn't buried under the bears.....she decided she was done being gorgeous for the camera.

Watch out Baby Sis'er, IT'S ME!!

Toddlers can say the funniest things.  And sometimes the reason they are so funny is because THEY ARE SO TRUE!

Yesterday, I was holding our Baby Girl on the couch and my Little Man kind of bounded onto the couch and randomly exclaimed, "Watch out Baby Sis'er, IT'S ME!"

Honestly, for those of you who know my Little Man, I am curious to know the image that just popped into your head that would cause that to be a valid warning.

With as rambunctious as my Little Man is, I kind of wonder if he will be able to come up with a more true statement to tell her for quite a while.  We have had quite a few close calls where flying objects....or flying toddlers.....have nearly pummeled our Baby Girl. And as much as I am trying to keep my Baby Girl safe, there are times that my ability to do so is lacking.

For example:

When Baby Girl was about 2 weeks old, against my better judgement, I gave into Little Man's request to stay in the bathroom while I showered.  I decided that would be okay because Baby Girl was sleeping in her bassinet in my bedroom.  Unfortunately,  Little Man got tired of being in the bathroom and I had not locked the door to keep him trapped (kind of, anyway).   When I came out of the bathroom, I discovered that Baby Girl was now sleeping peacefully on my bed.  I'm making a guess Baby Girl didn't jump out of her bassinet by herself. I can only hope the transport process wasn't to upsetting for her.  I suppose it wasn't too bad since she had gone back to sleep by the time I discovered her.

Last week, I had just left the living room where Baby girl was sleeping in her rocking chair.  I had barely made it down the hall when Little Man comes running up and says "Babes, Babes, Babes, Babes, Babes turn Baby Sister upside down." I returned to the living room to find Baby Girl grunting in her tipped-all-the-way-backwards rocking chair.

But perhaps Little Man's warning is more applicable to the future than the past.   Last night, as Baby Girl and I were sitting on the couch, Little Man came up to snuggle with us.  Not long after, he slyly said, "Babes take away Baby Sister's head, please, please?"  Say WHAT?  NO!  You may not take away Baby Sister's head!!

So Baby Girl, consider yourself duly warned by your big brother, "Watch out Baby Sis'er, IT'S ME!!"

Babes hold Baby Sis'er

Baby Sis'er taste like salsa!!

 
Disclaimer:  Little Man has expanded the game his Grandpa likes to play with him of "stealing your nose" to include stealing any body part he feels like....and that is how he wanted to take away her head.  He (hopefully) doesn't really  want to decapitate his sister.