It's 4:20am and for what seems to be the one millionth time this pregnancy, I find myself unable to sleep. I remember going through this with Audrey's pregnancy, but not to this extent. We're finally all able to breathe at night, she is sleeping soundly with no coughing, and my bladder is momentarily empty. Yet here I am, wide awake. Usually, however, my thoughts aren't as anxious as they are right now. For the most part, I'm not worrying or even thinking about Luke necessarily. I'm just awake. Which has lead to some pretty productive things over the past few months. You should see how much I already have done for Audrey's birthday party. It's gonna be SO cute...but I digress. :)
But tonight is different. As I sit here with my mug of warm milk (which is disgusting, by the way, and about to be poured out), my mind is racing and my stomach is in knots. I'm not sure if it's the labor and delivery DVD David and I have been watching lately to re-familiarize ourselves or the baby shower gifts that have taken over our family room or the sheer realization that I have 3-5 weeks left, but I'm suddenly a bundle of nerves.
At this point, it's not about what's left to be done. I could finish those tasks in about three days...or not at all...and things would still be okay. It's more about what's coming that I can't control with excel spreadsheets, lists, and careful planning.
There's the freaking out about delivery: When is he going to come? Will we have time to get Audrey settled or be in a frantic rush? Will I have to be induced? Will it go fast or slow? Safe or troubled? Pain-free with drugs or hurt like hell?
Then there are the questions about him and the moments and hours after delivery: Will he be healthy? What will he look like? Will he be able to nurse? Will I remember how to nurse? Will I remember anything about holding and caring for a newborn?
Then there are the questions about settling in as a family of four: How are we going to do this without screwing up either child or our marriage? (There are about a dozen others in this category, but that one pretty much sums them all up.)
As a friend once told me, I know that what we're giving Audrey in having a sibling is worth way more than anything we're taking away from her attention or material-wise, but STILL.
How is this gonna go? And will we survive it? And not just survive, because life is meant to be more than merely endured, but enjoy it?
Oy.
So that's what's on my brain and in my knotted intestines at this late (early?) hour. Just that our world is about to be flipped upside down. Again. And yes, it sure did turn out great the first time, but boy was it a lot of hard, exhausting work. Are all three of us up to the challenge? How long is it going to take before we hit a new normal? Do I really have the patience, strength, and know-how for this? Will I even come close?
Double Oy.
I know there's nothing to be done but pray and trust. And try to get some rest. So before I attempt all three and then channel surf through horrible 5am programming, I'll conclude with these verses:
"This is my command - be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things." Phil 4:6-8
I'm gonna try, Lord! Prayers, please!
Babymoon in Charleston
Friday, January 27, 2012
Last weekend, David and I snuck away for a three day getaway to Charleston. Okay, there was very little sneaking and a lot more squealing out of the parking lot after we'd dropped Audrey off with his parents. We peeled down the road blaring our music and talking about things we wanted to talk about without being interrupted and not worrying about anyone's bladders but our own. While I usually dread long drives and don't consider the vacation as having started until we arrive, the five hour drive up and back was actually enjoyable. We talked, sang, and listened to one whole chapter of a parenting book on CD before deciding we just aren't that those amazing kind of parents and turned on Journey instead.
After only one pit stop for me, we arrived around 2pm and hit the Charleston Market. The weather was amazing - sunny and warm with a great breeze blowing in off the water. We walked up and down rows of food, arts, and crafts and split a pretzel while admiring the overpriced souvenirs. We walked back to our hotel, checked in, and napped until getting dressed for our 5:30 dinner reservations at Magnolia's (yes, 5:30. It was that or 9:30 and we aren't that cool.)
When we got to the highly-recommended and well-rated restaurant, we stared at the weird sauces menu and wondered if we'd made a mistake. You have to understand that David and I are about as far from being cultured foodies as you can get. Our three favorite types of food are American, Italian, and Mexican. And we only like the last two types if they're Americanized. We don't do much seafood, strange sauces stress us out, and even though David has eaten all kinds of cuisine from all over the world, he much prefers a burger to most anything. So, we selected the least odd courses we could find (pecan crusted flounder for David, filet of beef with pimento cheese sauce for me.) It was delicious! I had to give up on my filet of beef before finishing it because their version of "medium-well" was a bit too medium for this preggo momma, but I had plenty to fill me up. We drove back to the hotel, I exchanged my heels for flats, and we walked back down to the market area. When it began to sprinkle, we stopped at Kaminksy's Dessert Cafe. David got a slice of peanut butter pie, I got a piece of chocolate mountain cake with ice cream and a decaf coffee. Magnolia's couldn't touch that deliciousness. We did an admirable job of finishing as much as we could and then rolled ourselves back to the hotel. We were in bed by 8:30, snuggled up, and watched Courageous on iTunes. Ahhhhh.
I awoke the next morning at 6am (why that always happens when we don't have Audrey, I don't know.) I laid there in the dark feeling Luke move until I couldn't be still anymore and got in the shower at 7am. We got ready and headed down the street for breakfast at Dunkin' Donuts. We people-watched and mapped out our day, enjoying the fact that we didn't have to account for specific meal times, planned bathroom stops, nap time, or toys/activities needed in case of boredom or crankiness. We walked down to a carriage tour company and bought tickets for a horse-drawn tour around the city. In Charleston, the city assigns each carriage a route as they pull up to a certain intersection. This eliminates street congestion and traffic jams. So, we weren't exactly sure where we were going or what we were going to see, but we were excited nonetheless. We boarded the 14-passenger carriage, driven by a guide named Eric and pulled by a horse named Bill. We got our assigned route and headed into a more residential area. I was excited because personal history always fascinates me way more than political, military, or war tales. We passed by gorgeous old mansions and listened as Eric told us the names and secrets of families that lived there hundreds of years earlier. We went down by the Battery and waterfront park area before clip-clopping our way back to the stables. As we neared our last turn, Bill decided he wasn't ready to go home. He began backing up, rearing up, and twisting and turning. Just as I began plotting our jump-off point, another guide ran over and grabbed his reigns, trying to get him under control. Two other employees joined him and once we'd come to an abrupt halt under a tree Bill almost ran us into, Eric decided to ask for a ladder and calmly explained we'd be concluding our ride right there in the middle of the street. We couldn't have agreed more. What an exciting end to a fun ride!
After we stopped in a few more stores and purchased our traditional travel Christmas ornament, we walked up to the popular King Street to poke around before settling in at the famous Hyman's Seafood for lunch. It's full of autographed pictures, plates, and table markers of all the celebrities that have dined there. The generous portions were tasty (crab cakes for me, shrimp and grits, fried shrimp, and fried flounder for David) and the hush puppies were definitely among the best I've ever had. Once again, we rolled ourselves out the door and mustered the energy to make it up to our room for a nap. When we woke up, we drove down to the Battery and waterfront park we'd seen from a distance on our earlier tour. The wind was incredibly strong as we walked all around that area, along the water down to Rainbow Row (a famous row of beautiful, colorful old houses), over to another park, and back. I don't know how many miles we logged that day and the previous one, but it had to have been at least half a cake slice worth. Of course, when I say "walked", I mean meandered. Eight month pregnant women hardly walk themselves anywhere.
We took a scenic drive back to the hotel and changed clothes before heading out to a local pizza spot back on King Street. We paid a ridiculous fee for parking (I was SO done walking for the day) and found the quaint little Monza Pizza Restaurant. We ordered off the race-themed menu and watched the rain begin to fall from our cozy corner table by the window. Sticking with our usual stuff-yourself-silly vacation MO, we paid the bill, grabbed the umbrella and walked 1/2 mile down to a local frozen yogurt shop we'd heard about (okay, so I thought I was done walking. Aren't you supposed to start an exercise regimen late in your pregnancy? Surely that's what they recommend...) Anyway, we enjoyed our yogurt despite being very wet and chilly. When David offered to go get the car and come pick me up, it didn't even bother me that he probably did so because he knew it was the only way we'd get back to the hotel before midnight. Uncomfy shoes + being very pregnant + lots of rain = a very dangerous and slow person to try and share an umbrella with. I gladly accepted and waited while he hiked back in the rain. Once again, we were in bed early and selected Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant's Charade to watch. Adorable little movie.
On Sunday, I slept in until a very late 7:15am and we showered and packed up. We drove over to another local eatery (SO proud of us for all these wild and crazy food adventures!) called Hominy Grill. This place had been featured on several Food Network shows and we were dying to try their breakfast menu. The service was great and the place was cute, but it just wasn't for our taste buds. The biscuit and gravy I ordered was not your typical southern style. It had peppers and oddly flavored sausage in it that was good, but just not what I like. David felt the same way about his "Nasty Biscuit" (I'm not sure who is the bigger fool - the person that named a menu item that or the person who ordered it. :) ) We paid and started the drive home in dry but very foggy weather.
On the way back, we stopped at the outlet mall in Commerce. Audrey racked up on winter clearance stuff, Luke racked up on adorable "I-still-can't-believe-we're-having-a-boy-and-look-at-all-this-blue" stuff, and David got two shirts and some socks. I got reminded that I cannot wait to start wearing regular clothes again.
Three hours and plenty more walking later, we left for our Cracker Barrel meeting point. We got there early and sat by the warm fire playing checkers until his parents and our Baby Girl came in. Immediately I fell back into momma routine and took her to the bathroom, helped her with her dinner, and reminded her of her manners. She had come down with a cold over the weekend, so while David and I felt relaxed and refreshed, the three of them were tired for sure! We threw all of her gear and suitcase into the van and drove home, so happy to have gone and so happy to be back.
We had a wonderful trip and greatly appreciate David's parents taking care of Audrey so we were able to take that time for ourselves. Assuming I'm able to and decide to nurse Luke as long as I did Audrey, it'll be at least a year before we do anything like that just the two of us again. It was great to have a "last hoorah" before our upcoming hooray. ;)
Be sure to check out pictures in the gallery!
After only one pit stop for me, we arrived around 2pm and hit the Charleston Market. The weather was amazing - sunny and warm with a great breeze blowing in off the water. We walked up and down rows of food, arts, and crafts and split a pretzel while admiring the overpriced souvenirs. We walked back to our hotel, checked in, and napped until getting dressed for our 5:30 dinner reservations at Magnolia's (yes, 5:30. It was that or 9:30 and we aren't that cool.)
When we got to the highly-recommended and well-rated restaurant, we stared at the weird sauces menu and wondered if we'd made a mistake. You have to understand that David and I are about as far from being cultured foodies as you can get. Our three favorite types of food are American, Italian, and Mexican. And we only like the last two types if they're Americanized. We don't do much seafood, strange sauces stress us out, and even though David has eaten all kinds of cuisine from all over the world, he much prefers a burger to most anything. So, we selected the least odd courses we could find (pecan crusted flounder for David, filet of beef with pimento cheese sauce for me.) It was delicious! I had to give up on my filet of beef before finishing it because their version of "medium-well" was a bit too medium for this preggo momma, but I had plenty to fill me up. We drove back to the hotel, I exchanged my heels for flats, and we walked back down to the market area. When it began to sprinkle, we stopped at Kaminksy's Dessert Cafe. David got a slice of peanut butter pie, I got a piece of chocolate mountain cake with ice cream and a decaf coffee. Magnolia's couldn't touch that deliciousness. We did an admirable job of finishing as much as we could and then rolled ourselves back to the hotel. We were in bed by 8:30, snuggled up, and watched Courageous on iTunes. Ahhhhh.
I awoke the next morning at 6am (why that always happens when we don't have Audrey, I don't know.) I laid there in the dark feeling Luke move until I couldn't be still anymore and got in the shower at 7am. We got ready and headed down the street for breakfast at Dunkin' Donuts. We people-watched and mapped out our day, enjoying the fact that we didn't have to account for specific meal times, planned bathroom stops, nap time, or toys/activities needed in case of boredom or crankiness. We walked down to a carriage tour company and bought tickets for a horse-drawn tour around the city. In Charleston, the city assigns each carriage a route as they pull up to a certain intersection. This eliminates street congestion and traffic jams. So, we weren't exactly sure where we were going or what we were going to see, but we were excited nonetheless. We boarded the 14-passenger carriage, driven by a guide named Eric and pulled by a horse named Bill. We got our assigned route and headed into a more residential area. I was excited because personal history always fascinates me way more than political, military, or war tales. We passed by gorgeous old mansions and listened as Eric told us the names and secrets of families that lived there hundreds of years earlier. We went down by the Battery and waterfront park area before clip-clopping our way back to the stables. As we neared our last turn, Bill decided he wasn't ready to go home. He began backing up, rearing up, and twisting and turning. Just as I began plotting our jump-off point, another guide ran over and grabbed his reigns, trying to get him under control. Two other employees joined him and once we'd come to an abrupt halt under a tree Bill almost ran us into, Eric decided to ask for a ladder and calmly explained we'd be concluding our ride right there in the middle of the street. We couldn't have agreed more. What an exciting end to a fun ride!
After we stopped in a few more stores and purchased our traditional travel Christmas ornament, we walked up to the popular King Street to poke around before settling in at the famous Hyman's Seafood for lunch. It's full of autographed pictures, plates, and table markers of all the celebrities that have dined there. The generous portions were tasty (crab cakes for me, shrimp and grits, fried shrimp, and fried flounder for David) and the hush puppies were definitely among the best I've ever had. Once again, we rolled ourselves out the door and mustered the energy to make it up to our room for a nap. When we woke up, we drove down to the Battery and waterfront park we'd seen from a distance on our earlier tour. The wind was incredibly strong as we walked all around that area, along the water down to Rainbow Row (a famous row of beautiful, colorful old houses), over to another park, and back. I don't know how many miles we logged that day and the previous one, but it had to have been at least half a cake slice worth. Of course, when I say "walked", I mean meandered. Eight month pregnant women hardly walk themselves anywhere.
We took a scenic drive back to the hotel and changed clothes before heading out to a local pizza spot back on King Street. We paid a ridiculous fee for parking (I was SO done walking for the day) and found the quaint little Monza Pizza Restaurant. We ordered off the race-themed menu and watched the rain begin to fall from our cozy corner table by the window. Sticking with our usual stuff-yourself-silly vacation MO, we paid the bill, grabbed the umbrella and walked 1/2 mile down to a local frozen yogurt shop we'd heard about (okay, so I thought I was done walking. Aren't you supposed to start an exercise regimen late in your pregnancy? Surely that's what they recommend...) Anyway, we enjoyed our yogurt despite being very wet and chilly. When David offered to go get the car and come pick me up, it didn't even bother me that he probably did so because he knew it was the only way we'd get back to the hotel before midnight. Uncomfy shoes + being very pregnant + lots of rain = a very dangerous and slow person to try and share an umbrella with. I gladly accepted and waited while he hiked back in the rain. Once again, we were in bed early and selected Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant's Charade to watch. Adorable little movie.
On Sunday, I slept in until a very late 7:15am and we showered and packed up. We drove over to another local eatery (SO proud of us for all these wild and crazy food adventures!) called Hominy Grill. This place had been featured on several Food Network shows and we were dying to try their breakfast menu. The service was great and the place was cute, but it just wasn't for our taste buds. The biscuit and gravy I ordered was not your typical southern style. It had peppers and oddly flavored sausage in it that was good, but just not what I like. David felt the same way about his "Nasty Biscuit" (I'm not sure who is the bigger fool - the person that named a menu item that or the person who ordered it. :) ) We paid and started the drive home in dry but very foggy weather.
On the way back, we stopped at the outlet mall in Commerce. Audrey racked up on winter clearance stuff, Luke racked up on adorable "I-still-can't-believe-we're-having-a-boy-and-look-at-all-this-blue" stuff, and David got two shirts and some socks. I got reminded that I cannot wait to start wearing regular clothes again.
Three hours and plenty more walking later, we left for our Cracker Barrel meeting point. We got there early and sat by the warm fire playing checkers until his parents and our Baby Girl came in. Immediately I fell back into momma routine and took her to the bathroom, helped her with her dinner, and reminded her of her manners. She had come down with a cold over the weekend, so while David and I felt relaxed and refreshed, the three of them were tired for sure! We threw all of her gear and suitcase into the van and drove home, so happy to have gone and so happy to be back.
We had a wonderful trip and greatly appreciate David's parents taking care of Audrey so we were able to take that time for ourselves. Assuming I'm able to and decide to nurse Luke as long as I did Audrey, it'll be at least a year before we do anything like that just the two of us again. It was great to have a "last hoorah" before our upcoming hooray. ;)
Be sure to check out pictures in the gallery!
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Thankful Thursday
Thursday, January 26, 2012
We've had bad colds over here this week, so much so that David actually came home at lunch time on Tuesday. The man hasn't taken any sick time (due to his own illness) in as long as I can remember. Two or three years, at least. I ended up taking AJ to the doctor yesterday. She hasn't had a fever and has been acting fine, but her coughing fits at night were keeping all of us awake and had begun to sound worrisome. The nurse practitioner we saw said her lungs and ears were clear and gave us permission to give her a tiny dosage of cough syrup (as with most cold medicines at this age, that's typically a major no-no.) We tried that last night, and whether it was the solution or just a coincidence, we all finally got some decent rest. I gotta say, though, that being this pregnant and being sick should be illegal. Nights I slept well cold-wise, I had to get up and go to the bathroom three times or Audrey's coughing would wake me up and then pregnancy insomnia wouldn't let me get back to sleep. Rough week.
Groaning and complaining aside, we're on the mend and turns out we'll probably make it.
1. My brother Brian, whose birthday was Tuesday. He may not live nearby, but our weekly phone conversations keep us close. I don't know what I'd do without his love, support, and research capabilities for geeky products/cars/all things Apple. Happy Birthday, B. We love you!
2. Classic (and classy) old movies that let innuendoes be innuendoes and have a plot line that actually makes you think. We don't watch a lot of movies to begin with, but man is it nice to be rewarded for your time when you do.
3. That January is almost over. There have been some great times and dates (my brother's birthday, our Babymoon) and some really crummy times (Audrey's stomach bug, my pregnancy cramping and scare, her sleep issues, our colds.) Frankly, I'm just ready for this month to be over. Hoping, of course, that we'll add a new member to our family before the end of the next. :) Not too early though. Sometime between the 24-28th or, if you must, the 1st or 2nd, please sir. I'm not terribly picky. Just PLEASE no Leap Day.
4. Truly feeling a part of a large church. 12Stone church is huge. In 2010, it was the 40th largest and #1 fastest growing church in America. Each week, nearly 10,000 people attend one of the thirteen services offered on one of four campuses. Considering those staggering numbers, it would be incredibly easy for us to be passive observers who feel like we aren't really a part of it. It would also be super easy to soak up and leave without contributing. And yet, we don't do either.
Each Sunday, we worship with people we've met and, often, have been part of small, intimate groups and studies with. Most weeks, Audrey and I have a play date with a mom that has become a dear friend. Not a day goes by that I don't connect via phone call, text, or Facebook with someone from there. We show up, we serve, and we tithe because it's our home base and we support it.
This past week, I merged a bunch of those I've met in the last year into one giant play group and we took over Catch Air and Chick-fil-A for a few hours. It was wonderful to look around at all the sweet faces that have become a part of our lives. Even in our short time there, we've shared some tough and deep moments and stuff with these folks. We've dug into the Word together and we've sharpened each other. It's not a perfect church by any means, because it's full of imperfect people, but it's going about God's business in the right way.
This coming Sunday, we'll finally make our commitment official and join as members. There was a time in recent years that I felt so burned and jaded from a mega church experience that I was sure we'd never go that route again. And yet, God had different plans for us. I've been hesitant and slow to obedience at times, but God has patiently used this church to restore my relationship with Him and my belief in the importance of belonging to a church. For that, I am incredibly grateful.
5. In honor of #4 above, this week's song is one that our church often does that I like. (Note: This video is not 12Stone's band.)
Groaning and complaining aside, we're on the mend and turns out we'll probably make it.
1. My brother Brian, whose birthday was Tuesday. He may not live nearby, but our weekly phone conversations keep us close. I don't know what I'd do without his love, support, and research capabilities for geeky products/cars/all things Apple. Happy Birthday, B. We love you!
2. Classic (and classy) old movies that let innuendoes be innuendoes and have a plot line that actually makes you think. We don't watch a lot of movies to begin with, but man is it nice to be rewarded for your time when you do.
3. That January is almost over. There have been some great times and dates (my brother's birthday, our Babymoon) and some really crummy times (Audrey's stomach bug, my pregnancy cramping and scare, her sleep issues, our colds.) Frankly, I'm just ready for this month to be over. Hoping, of course, that we'll add a new member to our family before the end of the next. :) Not too early though. Sometime between the 24-28th or, if you must, the 1st or 2nd, please sir. I'm not terribly picky. Just PLEASE no Leap Day.
4. Truly feeling a part of a large church. 12Stone church is huge. In 2010, it was the 40th largest and #1 fastest growing church in America. Each week, nearly 10,000 people attend one of the thirteen services offered on one of four campuses. Considering those staggering numbers, it would be incredibly easy for us to be passive observers who feel like we aren't really a part of it. It would also be super easy to soak up and leave without contributing. And yet, we don't do either.
Each Sunday, we worship with people we've met and, often, have been part of small, intimate groups and studies with. Most weeks, Audrey and I have a play date with a mom that has become a dear friend. Not a day goes by that I don't connect via phone call, text, or Facebook with someone from there. We show up, we serve, and we tithe because it's our home base and we support it.
This past week, I merged a bunch of those I've met in the last year into one giant play group and we took over Catch Air and Chick-fil-A for a few hours. It was wonderful to look around at all the sweet faces that have become a part of our lives. Even in our short time there, we've shared some tough and deep moments and stuff with these folks. We've dug into the Word together and we've sharpened each other. It's not a perfect church by any means, because it's full of imperfect people, but it's going about God's business in the right way.
This coming Sunday, we'll finally make our commitment official and join as members. There was a time in recent years that I felt so burned and jaded from a mega church experience that I was sure we'd never go that route again. And yet, God had different plans for us. I've been hesitant and slow to obedience at times, but God has patiently used this church to restore my relationship with Him and my belief in the importance of belonging to a church. For that, I am incredibly grateful.
5. In honor of #4 above, this week's song is one that our church often does that I like. (Note: This video is not 12Stone's band.)
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Thankful Thursday
Thursday, January 19, 2012
1. A good OB check-up yesterday. My cramping is gone except for the occasional episode at night and everything looks great. Luke (see post below if that's a shocker to ya!) is still measuring about a week ahead as AJ did. Hopefully that means he'll arrive a bit early. Just in case you needed a countdown update, here is where will be come this Saturday:
37 weeks (full term): 4 weeks away
38 weeks (doc’s prediction): 5 weeks away
39 weeks (when the doc will likely induce if he hasn't come): 6 weeks away
2. Great sleep. Audrey has been doing beautifully this week, with only one night in the past six of fussing when we put her down or waking up in the middle of the night. I'm also happy to report that I slept pretty well for three of those five nights. One night for nine hours (minus a bathroom break, of course.) NINE hours!!! Yay for actually getting a little rest before having a newborn. Let's hope and pray the coming weeks hold that same pattern!
3. Winter clothes clearance shopping. In January and in August I stock up on end-of-season clothes for Audrey to wear the next year. I must confess that I can't quite find the rock-bottom deals I used to. I don't know if it's because her clothes are becoming more expensive due to the larger size and longer wear or what. Still, I like the hunt and I sure do enjoy seeing 50%-70% off on my receipt. Now if only I could force myself to stay away from the adorable new Spring stuff they're putting out. Good thing consignment sale season is coming up!
4. Finding something. I recently misplaced my camera's SD card that happened to have about a dozen pictures on it I hadn't downloaded to my computer yet. I tore the house and car apart and couldn't find it anywhere. I finally broke down and bought a new one (I'd loaned my other one out so I was card-less), but continued to pout about the lost files. One morning I was about to throw my robe into the wash and decided to check the pockets. I almost didn't because I never put anything in them, but am so glad I did. There in the bottom of one was my missing SD card, irreplaceable files safe and secure. Sometimes it's the little things.
5. No particular reason for this week's song pick. Just mediocre nostalgia I wanted to share:
Have a great weekend and please pray for us as we have some exciting plans I'll share later!
37 weeks (full term): 4 weeks away
38 weeks (doc’s prediction): 5 weeks away
39 weeks (when the doc will likely induce if he hasn't come): 6 weeks away
2. Great sleep. Audrey has been doing beautifully this week, with only one night in the past six of fussing when we put her down or waking up in the middle of the night. I'm also happy to report that I slept pretty well for three of those five nights. One night for nine hours (minus a bathroom break, of course.) NINE hours!!! Yay for actually getting a little rest before having a newborn. Let's hope and pray the coming weeks hold that same pattern!
3. Winter clothes clearance shopping. In January and in August I stock up on end-of-season clothes for Audrey to wear the next year. I must confess that I can't quite find the rock-bottom deals I used to. I don't know if it's because her clothes are becoming more expensive due to the larger size and longer wear or what. Still, I like the hunt and I sure do enjoy seeing 50%-70% off on my receipt. Now if only I could force myself to stay away from the adorable new Spring stuff they're putting out. Good thing consignment sale season is coming up!
4. Finding something. I recently misplaced my camera's SD card that happened to have about a dozen pictures on it I hadn't downloaded to my computer yet. I tore the house and car apart and couldn't find it anywhere. I finally broke down and bought a new one (I'd loaned my other one out so I was card-less), but continued to pout about the lost files. One morning I was about to throw my robe into the wash and decided to check the pockets. I almost didn't because I never put anything in them, but am so glad I did. There in the bottom of one was my missing SD card, irreplaceable files safe and secure. Sometimes it's the little things.
5. No particular reason for this week's song pick. Just mediocre nostalgia I wanted to share:
Have a great weekend and please pray for us as we have some exciting plans I'll share later!
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Baby Boy's Name
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Almost exactly two years ago, I wrote a post about Audrey's name and why we chose it. You can view that by clicking here.
While we kept Audrey's name a secret until after she arrived, we knew we wanted to go ahead and tell everyone Baby Boy's name, mainly so that Audrey could get used to saying it and begin to identify him as a real human being. We thought it would make it more personal and real for her to call him by name as opposed to "Baby Brother".
So without further adieu, we are pleased to announce that our new addition will be named...drumroll please...
Luke Edward Sinyard
Luke - Greek, meaning "Light". Biblical author of the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts as well as a physician.
Edward - Old English, meaning "Prosperous or Blessed Guardian"
So how did we come to that choice? Well, Edward is a very popular middle name in David's family (his, his dad's, his paternal grandfather, his maternal grandfather, his uncle, his cousin), so that was a given. That left us to choose a first name.
A lot of our other criteria was the same as when we chose Audrey's: Other than loving it, its meaning, and any known associates, we also didn't want it to have a shortened version, we preferred one typical spelling, and we did not want it to create an odd monogram or initials. It couldn't rhyme with anything too awful (puke will no doubt come up eventually, but it's not too terribly bad) and didn't want something trendy or extremely popular. It needed to be a classic that "fit"with Audrey and would suit him from babyhood through adulthood.
So, Luke it became. And we absolutely love it. I can't stop imagining what his tiny face is going to look like and what his personality will be. Will he be a writer or a doctor, like his biblical namesake? Will he be a guardian of people or important things? Whatever he grows up to become, I pray he is a light to this world. I pray he is never afraid to shine that light and use it to protect the things and people God loves.
I can't wait to see you and hold you, Luke. Though there are plenty of times you're going to get the first-and-middle-name-treatment ("LUKE EDWARD!") from your father and I, never doubt that we love you and know you can live up to the meaning of your sweet name. We thought long and hard about it and chose it especially for you. Know that it has already been spoken in prayer hundreds of times and been on the lips of people who love and support you tremendously. Wear it well, baby.
While we kept Audrey's name a secret until after she arrived, we knew we wanted to go ahead and tell everyone Baby Boy's name, mainly so that Audrey could get used to saying it and begin to identify him as a real human being. We thought it would make it more personal and real for her to call him by name as opposed to "Baby Brother".
So without further adieu, we are pleased to announce that our new addition will be named...drumroll please...
Luke Edward Sinyard
Luke - Greek, meaning "Light". Biblical author of the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts as well as a physician.
Edward - Old English, meaning "Prosperous or Blessed Guardian"
So how did we come to that choice? Well, Edward is a very popular middle name in David's family (his, his dad's, his paternal grandfather, his maternal grandfather, his uncle, his cousin), so that was a given. That left us to choose a first name.
A lot of our other criteria was the same as when we chose Audrey's: Other than loving it, its meaning, and any known associates, we also didn't want it to have a shortened version, we preferred one typical spelling, and we did not want it to create an odd monogram or initials. It couldn't rhyme with anything too awful (puke will no doubt come up eventually, but it's not too terribly bad) and didn't want something trendy or extremely popular. It needed to be a classic that "fit"with Audrey and would suit him from babyhood through adulthood.
So, Luke it became. And we absolutely love it. I can't stop imagining what his tiny face is going to look like and what his personality will be. Will he be a writer or a doctor, like his biblical namesake? Will he be a guardian of people or important things? Whatever he grows up to become, I pray he is a light to this world. I pray he is never afraid to shine that light and use it to protect the things and people God loves.
I can't wait to see you and hold you, Luke. Though there are plenty of times you're going to get the first-and-middle-name-treatment ("LUKE EDWARD!") from your father and I, never doubt that we love you and know you can live up to the meaning of your sweet name. We thought long and hard about it and chose it especially for you. Know that it has already been spoken in prayer hundreds of times and been on the lips of people who love and support you tremendously. Wear it well, baby.
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Thankful Thursday (on Friday)
Friday, January 13, 2012
By the time I settled in to write this post last night, we lost power from the strong winds. Yes, that would be twice in less than 48 hours. And, it happened before Audrey was asleep, so her new CD routine was cut-off, she started pitching a fit, and we scrambled around for thirty minutes finding enough C batteries to get it going again. (Yes, I had C batteries on hand for those of you aghast at my lack of preparedness. I just didn't realize I would need EIGHT. Pretty sure you could power a small plane on that many.) Nevertheless, we got it going and C batteries are now on my shopping list. Once she settled back down, she stayed asleep all night and I had to wake her up at 8am this morning. That makes two nights in a row (if you don't count the power issue) that she's gone to sleep without fussing and stayed asleep all night. For like, the first time in almost a month. PRAISE GOD! No, really, do it...and then go right back to praying it continues.
Other things that made the Thankful list this week:
1. My cramping has stopped. At least most of the way. At the end of the day it starts up again, but it is so very much better than it was. As an add-on to this item, I'd like to add how grateful I am for my amazing OB. I hope he actually gets to be there for delivery this time.
2. Speaking of praising God, Audrey has started doing that while she's dancing and singing. She'll throw her little hands in the air and say "I'm praising God!" Awesome, awesome, awesome.
3. Valentine's Day stuff in the stores. I'll be putting out our tiny collection of decor this weekend. I love Valentine's Day because it's such a bright spot in the bleak and boring winter. I especially love it this year because its arrival means we'll be so darn close to Baby Boy's arrival!
4. Rhodes Bakery petit fours. I was in there this week looking at cakes and decided it would be rude to walk out empty-handed. If you live in Gwinnett, you simply must get yo'self to a location and have one or two or three. I told David tonight that if the opportunity ever arose for me to leave him for Mr. Rhodes, I wouldn't hesitate. I don't know if there is even a Mr. Rhodes, but I felt he needed to know the depth of my love for their dessert.
5. As tribute to Audrey's new nighttime CD, "Junior's Bedtime" (thanks Lex), I'm posting one of our favorite Veggie Tales songs. You're welcome for getting it stuck in your head:
Have a great weekend!
Other things that made the Thankful list this week:
1. My cramping has stopped. At least most of the way. At the end of the day it starts up again, but it is so very much better than it was. As an add-on to this item, I'd like to add how grateful I am for my amazing OB. I hope he actually gets to be there for delivery this time.
2. Speaking of praising God, Audrey has started doing that while she's dancing and singing. She'll throw her little hands in the air and say "I'm praising God!" Awesome, awesome, awesome.
3. Valentine's Day stuff in the stores. I'll be putting out our tiny collection of decor this weekend. I love Valentine's Day because it's such a bright spot in the bleak and boring winter. I especially love it this year because its arrival means we'll be so darn close to Baby Boy's arrival!
4. Rhodes Bakery petit fours. I was in there this week looking at cakes and decided it would be rude to walk out empty-handed. If you live in Gwinnett, you simply must get yo'self to a location and have one or two or three. I told David tonight that if the opportunity ever arose for me to leave him for Mr. Rhodes, I wouldn't hesitate. I don't know if there is even a Mr. Rhodes, but I felt he needed to know the depth of my love for their dessert.
5. As tribute to Audrey's new nighttime CD, "Junior's Bedtime" (thanks Lex), I'm posting one of our favorite Veggie Tales songs. You're welcome for getting it stuck in your head:
Have a great weekend!
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Wacky Wednesday
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
What a day, what a day. It actually started out yesterday when I wasn't feeling all that great. Then last night I started having cramps and back pain on top of the heartburn that has begun. I slept pretty well (with, miraculously, no waking from AJ), but then woke up with a jolt at 5:30am when the loudest thunder I'd ever heard slammed overhead. The power went out and the storm calmed down, but all of us were up and unable to go back to sleep. At 5 stinkin' 30. I still wasn't feeling well, so I canceled our day's plans, made a doctor's appointment, and begged David to stay home to take care of Audrey. The power came back on around 10am, but internet and cable was still out. I rested while The Husband of the Year entertained AJ and simultaneously put out office fires since they apparently can't function without him for any length of time. I'm so thankful for him!
After what seemed like an eternity of waiting, I went to the doctor this afternoon. He said that Baby Boy has dropped and positioned his head down, which is causing a lot of cramping and stretching. He did a thorough exam and ultrasound to make sure everything else is as it should be and labor progress hadn't started. Praise God, all is well! He told me to take it easy and start acting like I was third trimester pregnant (in much nicer words). He told me to go back in without hesitation if anything changes before my scheduled appointment next week.
SO, I am unbelievably thankful that what began as a day of multiple kinds of storms is quietly ending in a much, much calmer fashion. It was a scary and unsettling for sure - at one point I was so convinced they were going to check me in to the hospital that I began packing - but God is good and answered my prayers. Please pray the cramping subsides and that all continues to be well with our son. Also, please pray that I'm able to slow down a bit, especially since all today did for my mental state was panic me about how much I still want to get finished before he comes! Regardless, I'm heeding the doc's advice. Tomorrow's food bag packing and lunch date have been canceled. The only thing on the agenda? Hitting the library with my sweet girl. I think we can manage that.
After what seemed like an eternity of waiting, I went to the doctor this afternoon. He said that Baby Boy has dropped and positioned his head down, which is causing a lot of cramping and stretching. He did a thorough exam and ultrasound to make sure everything else is as it should be and labor progress hadn't started. Praise God, all is well! He told me to take it easy and start acting like I was third trimester pregnant (in much nicer words). He told me to go back in without hesitation if anything changes before my scheduled appointment next week.
SO, I am unbelievably thankful that what began as a day of multiple kinds of storms is quietly ending in a much, much calmer fashion. It was a scary and unsettling for sure - at one point I was so convinced they were going to check me in to the hospital that I began packing - but God is good and answered my prayers. Please pray the cramping subsides and that all continues to be well with our son. Also, please pray that I'm able to slow down a bit, especially since all today did for my mental state was panic me about how much I still want to get finished before he comes! Regardless, I'm heeding the doc's advice. Tomorrow's food bag packing and lunch date have been canceled. The only thing on the agenda? Hitting the library with my sweet girl. I think we can manage that.
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Thankful Thursday/Sleep Issues Update/Stomach Bug
Thursday, January 5, 2012
I greatly appreciate the prayers for Audrey's sleep issues. They seem to have gotten a little better. Now she either briefly cries once or twice when we put her to bed or briefly cries once or twice in the middle of the night, but hasn't done both in a record-breaking two days. She's still getting up a little earlier than usual and her naps have permanently shortened, but I still call it progress. Which is good, because now we're dealing with her first stomach flu/food poisoning. Nope, not kidding (about it being her first or about having to handle it on top of her sleep issues on top of pregnancy.)
She cried last night after I put her down, so David went in there as has been our MO for the past week. She finds him way less entertaining than she finds me in the middle of the night, I suppose, so he's been handling her crying. Not to mention that if this doesn't fix itself soon, he's going to have to handle it solo because I'll be up with #2, so we figured she'd better get used to only him now. I heard him tell her to lay down, then I heard vomiting noises, than I heard, "Oh! HEATHER! Heatherheatherheatherheather!" The man is great about a TON of things, but remaining calm when it comes to our kid being sick or injured has not proved to be his strong suit.
I walk into a scene that looks like something out of the Exorcist. (Okay, truthfully, I've never seen the Exorcist, but I think that's what people say when there's puke everywhere.) "Oh," I thought to myself. "This is why they call it projectile vomiting." David has Audrey up and out at arm's length and they're just standing there staring at each other, one crying and one about to start crying. I ushered them to the bathroom, trying to calm them both down. I stand Audrey in front of the toilet, rub her back, and explain life lesson #465, 723 that the parenting books don't mention you'll have to pass on: "You're okay. This is called throw-up or vomit. Your stomach is upset, so it's pushing all your food out to help it feel better. It's okay." David thankfully began cleaning up her room while I began cleaning her up. I'm not positive, but I think I heard a pressure washer going in there. She was fine, no fever, and talking a mile a minute when we finally got everything and everybody cleaned up and her back in bed an hour later. She slept straight through the night and I had to wake her up this morning. Go figure.
We had one more "episode" this morning, but I think the worst is over. We've been taking it super duper slow today both in activity and food and she's staying hydrated. I may get crazy and offer her a banana AND toast for dinner. Poor baby.
So please continue to pray for her sleep and, if you don't mind, add a prayer that she gets better and that David and I stay well. The last thing this preggo Mama needs is a stomach bug.
Here is this week's list:
1. My dear sweet husband. Yes, I know. He's on the list all the stinkin' time. But show me a man that's willing to get up night after night with a crying kid without complaint and I'll show you a hero. :)
2. A short week. Starting back after a break or vacation is always rough so I'm pumped that it's only a four day work week for David. Even if it has felt anything but short! C'mon Friday evening!
3. Gift cards. We went out on Tuesday to run a couple of errands and I put three bags from three different stores in the car without spending a cent of our own money. Nice!
4. Things that make cold nights tolerable: warm baths, flannel sheets, hot chocolate, warm pajamas, fires, and a husband to snuggle with.
5. There is a Facebook fad right now of posting the video of the song that was number one the week and year you were born. I didn't participate on there, so you get the pleasure here. Not sure what this says about me, but here ya go:
Have a great weekend and stay well!
She cried last night after I put her down, so David went in there as has been our MO for the past week. She finds him way less entertaining than she finds me in the middle of the night, I suppose, so he's been handling her crying. Not to mention that if this doesn't fix itself soon, he's going to have to handle it solo because I'll be up with #2, so we figured she'd better get used to only him now. I heard him tell her to lay down, then I heard vomiting noises, than I heard, "Oh! HEATHER! Heatherheatherheatherheather!" The man is great about a TON of things, but remaining calm when it comes to our kid being sick or injured has not proved to be his strong suit.
I walk into a scene that looks like something out of the Exorcist. (Okay, truthfully, I've never seen the Exorcist, but I think that's what people say when there's puke everywhere.) "Oh," I thought to myself. "This is why they call it projectile vomiting." David has Audrey up and out at arm's length and they're just standing there staring at each other, one crying and one about to start crying. I ushered them to the bathroom, trying to calm them both down. I stand Audrey in front of the toilet, rub her back, and explain life lesson #465, 723 that the parenting books don't mention you'll have to pass on: "You're okay. This is called throw-up or vomit. Your stomach is upset, so it's pushing all your food out to help it feel better. It's okay." David thankfully began cleaning up her room while I began cleaning her up. I'm not positive, but I think I heard a pressure washer going in there. She was fine, no fever, and talking a mile a minute when we finally got everything and everybody cleaned up and her back in bed an hour later. She slept straight through the night and I had to wake her up this morning. Go figure.
We had one more "episode" this morning, but I think the worst is over. We've been taking it super duper slow today both in activity and food and she's staying hydrated. I may get crazy and offer her a banana AND toast for dinner. Poor baby.
So please continue to pray for her sleep and, if you don't mind, add a prayer that she gets better and that David and I stay well. The last thing this preggo Mama needs is a stomach bug.
Here is this week's list:
1. My dear sweet husband. Yes, I know. He's on the list all the stinkin' time. But show me a man that's willing to get up night after night with a crying kid without complaint and I'll show you a hero. :)
2. A short week. Starting back after a break or vacation is always rough so I'm pumped that it's only a four day work week for David. Even if it has felt anything but short! C'mon Friday evening!
3. Gift cards. We went out on Tuesday to run a couple of errands and I put three bags from three different stores in the car without spending a cent of our own money. Nice!
4. Things that make cold nights tolerable: warm baths, flannel sheets, hot chocolate, warm pajamas, fires, and a husband to snuggle with.
5. There is a Facebook fad right now of posting the video of the song that was number one the week and year you were born. I didn't participate on there, so you get the pleasure here. Not sure what this says about me, but here ya go:
Have a great weekend and stay well!
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Christmas 2011
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
This December was one of the least hectic schedule-wise that I can ever remember. Though David worked a good bit extra toward the beginning of the month, things had calmed down by the time the peak of the season hit. Also, for the first time in years, I didn't host a party or a family gathering. Just a few small play dates, which were low-key. I missed having a full house, but not necessarily the work that it entails before and afterward!
Earlier in the month, I'd created a "To-Do in December" list that contained fun-only activities in three categories: Make, Do, and Give. Writing it out helped me prioritize some of the things that truly encompass the season for me. It required me to block out time, gather materials, and plan ahead to make certain we "fit in" the fun stuff. As a result, we were able to do some really cool things and make some wonderful memories. To name a few, we built our first gingerbread house, baked and delivered cookies to our local fire station, watched several Christmas movies as a family, made ornaments, donated to our church and Toys for Tots, and drove around looking at lights one night with cookies in hand. We even had carolers visit us one night. That was not on our list nor our doing, obviously, but an exciting first experience for all of us!
After all the cheesy family fun times with the three of us, we began the celebrations with our extended families, which also felt less crazy than usual.
The Saturday before Christmas we traveled to Alabama to celebrate with David's mom's side of the family. After eating our huge feast, we cleared the table and let the "younger kids" take turns opening gifts. Audrey had a mound of presents taller than she was. She was so cute as she peeled the paper off each one, saying "OH! What is it? Thank you!" She immediately wanted to open every package. We tried to open a few that didn't have too many parts and pieces to let her play with. I was also determined to let her soak up each gift a little before shoving another one in her face to unwrap, but we did want to be home before bedtime! She got some really fun things and, when she went down for her nap, so did we!
We took the opportunity that day to tell everyone on that side what Baby Boy's name is. We tried to get Audrey to announce it at lunch, but she didn't like the big audience. Later, as she was playing in another room with two of David's cousins, they asked her and she filled them in. Suddenly family members were running in and someone finally clued David and I in as to what she was up to. She does things in her own time, that's for sure. (So do I, so look for another post with the scoop! ;) )
The next celebration was the following Friday the 23rd. We met David's parents at our church for the Christmas service and then had dinner afterwards before heading back to spend the night with them. That evening after Audrey was in bed, we exchanged presents and racked up at usual. We stayed up past all of our bedtimes talking and catching up while the opportunity to do so without toddler interruption presented itself. We went to sleep and woke up to enjoy a delicious breakfast before letting Audrey dive into another huge pile of presents. I don't know who was more excited about the new things, though - her or us! After lunch, we drove home and got there just in time for Audrey's nap.
Christmas Eve night we cooked our traditional taco dinner, hung the stockings up (including one for Baby Brother of course), set out cookies and milk for Santa, and let Audrey open up her annual ornament present. We read "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" and the Bible Christmas story and tucked her into bed before rushing downstairs to set out all the loot. Next to believing in Santa yourself, getting to play him is by far the best. We snuggled up and turned on a Christmas movie before deciding we were too old and tired to stay up really late, fast forwarded through the boring parts, and were asleep by 11:30.
The next morning I got up super early to get ready and fix breakfast. Unfortunately, though not surprising lately, Audrey also woke up pretty early. She's still too young to want to rush downstairs, though, so we were able to hold her off while we finished getting it together. Finally, when breakfast was in the oven, the fire was lit, and the video camera was ready, I led her into the family room to show her what Santa had brought. She was excited and immediately began playing with her new R/C firetruck. We looked through her new backpack and games and opened up her boy cabbage patch doll. The second I lifted the lid on its box, the smell of my childhood nearly knocked me off my feet. I kept that doll closer to me than Audrey did most of the morning because of its sweet nostalgic scent! The monkey bread and sausage balls smelled pretty good, too, and we scarfed down more than a few of each.
After breakfast, Audrey wanted to paint in her little book that Santa had brought. We did that and played a little Chutes and Ladders (she won!) and Candyland (she just wanted to follow the path with the pawns). We opened up all of our stockings and played some more before lunch. After eating, we let her open up a gift from us: Alphie. She loves the thing and we spent a long time playing with it. When she went down for nap, David and I took a short one ourselves and then attempted to open our gifts, but she woke up crying before we got the chance. We got her up, had snack, and let her open another gift from us of books and fleece blanket I'd made her. We read the books, played some more, and then I started cooking dinner. We feasted on a Honeybaked ham, corn pudding, deviled eggs, mashed potatoes, green beans, and macaroni and cheese. After dinner, she opened her third and final gift from us - a new camera. She wasn't as into it as we thought she'd be, but she still loved putting the little clipart designs on the screen before taking a picture. We played, changed out of our pajamas into fresh ones (awesome), and put her to bed. Finally, we opened up our gifts for each other. Because we're taking a Babymoon in a few weeks, we decided to keep it simple and just exchange the gift of a date for each other. David got me a night at Stone Mountain Christmas for later that week and I got him lunch or dinner at a local BBQ place he's been wanting to try and an hour for us at the indoor shooting range. However ridiculous I may look 8 months pregnant shooting a gun, it's important for a girl to stay on top of weapon training. Heck, it may come in handy in the delivery room. :) We loaded the car in preparation for the trip to my brother's the next day and went to bed.
That night was a rough one for sleep and we had a tough morning battle that resulted in Audrey getting a spanking before we even ate breakfast. Lawd, part of me was ready for Christmas and all it's excitement to be over! But not before our final celebration with my family, of course. We drove to my brother and sister-in-law's, got there around 9:30 and played with some of Carson's new toys before I couldn't stand it any longer and begged for the gift opening to begin. My other brother, sister-in-law, and niece came in from Savannah around 11:30 and we began the real gift-giving frenzy, pausing briefly to feed the kids, and continuing until all of them went down for nap around 2. We also shared the name news with them by writing it on the "From" portion of the gift tags on a certain gift they each got. They were excited to finally end the suspense! When the kids went down, we sat around and talked, wondering aloud how long it had been since the six of us had a conversation without at least one kid present. Carson will be four in April, so I'm going to say about 3 1/2 years. The kids woke up and we opened more presents and ate what may become our traditional pigs-in-a-blanket supper. All too soon, it was time to load up the sleigh and head back to our side of town. Knowing that was our last celebration made it even more depressing, but it was time.
David took the next day off, so that helped ease the post-Christmas blues. He worked on Wednesday, but then was off until he started back today. We filled the remainder of break with a date night at Stone Mountain, a little shopping and birthday celebrating, undecorating, cleaning, and hanging out with friends. Of course, as is always the case during our breaks, there was plenty of playing, napping, and eating. It was a wonderful December and a great Christmas. But, as I mentioned in an earlier post, part of me just couldn't quite fully engage this year. Seems like there's something right around the corner that keeps distracting me... ;) Still, we had a fantastic season and appreciate everyone's generosity and hospitality.
Pics are up in the gallery of both Christmas and Audrey's 28th - 30th months. Enjoy!
Earlier in the month, I'd created a "To-Do in December" list that contained fun-only activities in three categories: Make, Do, and Give. Writing it out helped me prioritize some of the things that truly encompass the season for me. It required me to block out time, gather materials, and plan ahead to make certain we "fit in" the fun stuff. As a result, we were able to do some really cool things and make some wonderful memories. To name a few, we built our first gingerbread house, baked and delivered cookies to our local fire station, watched several Christmas movies as a family, made ornaments, donated to our church and Toys for Tots, and drove around looking at lights one night with cookies in hand. We even had carolers visit us one night. That was not on our list nor our doing, obviously, but an exciting first experience for all of us!
After all the cheesy family fun times with the three of us, we began the celebrations with our extended families, which also felt less crazy than usual.
The Saturday before Christmas we traveled to Alabama to celebrate with David's mom's side of the family. After eating our huge feast, we cleared the table and let the "younger kids" take turns opening gifts. Audrey had a mound of presents taller than she was. She was so cute as she peeled the paper off each one, saying "OH! What is it? Thank you!" She immediately wanted to open every package. We tried to open a few that didn't have too many parts and pieces to let her play with. I was also determined to let her soak up each gift a little before shoving another one in her face to unwrap, but we did want to be home before bedtime! She got some really fun things and, when she went down for her nap, so did we!
We took the opportunity that day to tell everyone on that side what Baby Boy's name is. We tried to get Audrey to announce it at lunch, but she didn't like the big audience. Later, as she was playing in another room with two of David's cousins, they asked her and she filled them in. Suddenly family members were running in and someone finally clued David and I in as to what she was up to. She does things in her own time, that's for sure. (So do I, so look for another post with the scoop! ;) )
The next celebration was the following Friday the 23rd. We met David's parents at our church for the Christmas service and then had dinner afterwards before heading back to spend the night with them. That evening after Audrey was in bed, we exchanged presents and racked up at usual. We stayed up past all of our bedtimes talking and catching up while the opportunity to do so without toddler interruption presented itself. We went to sleep and woke up to enjoy a delicious breakfast before letting Audrey dive into another huge pile of presents. I don't know who was more excited about the new things, though - her or us! After lunch, we drove home and got there just in time for Audrey's nap.
Christmas Eve night we cooked our traditional taco dinner, hung the stockings up (including one for Baby Brother of course), set out cookies and milk for Santa, and let Audrey open up her annual ornament present. We read "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" and the Bible Christmas story and tucked her into bed before rushing downstairs to set out all the loot. Next to believing in Santa yourself, getting to play him is by far the best. We snuggled up and turned on a Christmas movie before deciding we were too old and tired to stay up really late, fast forwarded through the boring parts, and were asleep by 11:30.
The next morning I got up super early to get ready and fix breakfast. Unfortunately, though not surprising lately, Audrey also woke up pretty early. She's still too young to want to rush downstairs, though, so we were able to hold her off while we finished getting it together. Finally, when breakfast was in the oven, the fire was lit, and the video camera was ready, I led her into the family room to show her what Santa had brought. She was excited and immediately began playing with her new R/C firetruck. We looked through her new backpack and games and opened up her boy cabbage patch doll. The second I lifted the lid on its box, the smell of my childhood nearly knocked me off my feet. I kept that doll closer to me than Audrey did most of the morning because of its sweet nostalgic scent! The monkey bread and sausage balls smelled pretty good, too, and we scarfed down more than a few of each.
After breakfast, Audrey wanted to paint in her little book that Santa had brought. We did that and played a little Chutes and Ladders (she won!) and Candyland (she just wanted to follow the path with the pawns). We opened up all of our stockings and played some more before lunch. After eating, we let her open up a gift from us: Alphie. She loves the thing and we spent a long time playing with it. When she went down for nap, David and I took a short one ourselves and then attempted to open our gifts, but she woke up crying before we got the chance. We got her up, had snack, and let her open another gift from us of books and fleece blanket I'd made her. We read the books, played some more, and then I started cooking dinner. We feasted on a Honeybaked ham, corn pudding, deviled eggs, mashed potatoes, green beans, and macaroni and cheese. After dinner, she opened her third and final gift from us - a new camera. She wasn't as into it as we thought she'd be, but she still loved putting the little clipart designs on the screen before taking a picture. We played, changed out of our pajamas into fresh ones (awesome), and put her to bed. Finally, we opened up our gifts for each other. Because we're taking a Babymoon in a few weeks, we decided to keep it simple and just exchange the gift of a date for each other. David got me a night at Stone Mountain Christmas for later that week and I got him lunch or dinner at a local BBQ place he's been wanting to try and an hour for us at the indoor shooting range. However ridiculous I may look 8 months pregnant shooting a gun, it's important for a girl to stay on top of weapon training. Heck, it may come in handy in the delivery room. :) We loaded the car in preparation for the trip to my brother's the next day and went to bed.
That night was a rough one for sleep and we had a tough morning battle that resulted in Audrey getting a spanking before we even ate breakfast. Lawd, part of me was ready for Christmas and all it's excitement to be over! But not before our final celebration with my family, of course. We drove to my brother and sister-in-law's, got there around 9:30 and played with some of Carson's new toys before I couldn't stand it any longer and begged for the gift opening to begin. My other brother, sister-in-law, and niece came in from Savannah around 11:30 and we began the real gift-giving frenzy, pausing briefly to feed the kids, and continuing until all of them went down for nap around 2. We also shared the name news with them by writing it on the "From" portion of the gift tags on a certain gift they each got. They were excited to finally end the suspense! When the kids went down, we sat around and talked, wondering aloud how long it had been since the six of us had a conversation without at least one kid present. Carson will be four in April, so I'm going to say about 3 1/2 years. The kids woke up and we opened more presents and ate what may become our traditional pigs-in-a-blanket supper. All too soon, it was time to load up the sleigh and head back to our side of town. Knowing that was our last celebration made it even more depressing, but it was time.
David took the next day off, so that helped ease the post-Christmas blues. He worked on Wednesday, but then was off until he started back today. We filled the remainder of break with a date night at Stone Mountain, a little shopping and birthday celebrating, undecorating, cleaning, and hanging out with friends. Of course, as is always the case during our breaks, there was plenty of playing, napping, and eating. It was a wonderful December and a great Christmas. But, as I mentioned in an earlier post, part of me just couldn't quite fully engage this year. Seems like there's something right around the corner that keeps distracting me... ;) Still, we had a fantastic season and appreciate everyone's generosity and hospitality.
Pics are up in the gallery of both Christmas and Audrey's 28th - 30th months. Enjoy!
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Happy New Year!
Sunday, January 1, 2012
I know I still haven't written a Christmas recap, but I wanted at least one posting to be on time this year, so Happy New Year!
As a belated birthday gift to myself, I also have an announcement to make: I'm pregnant! Ha ha...duh. Okay, the real deal: Starting today, my other blog, Imperfect Perfectionist, is back up and running. After many, many, many months away, I decided to dust off the web address and fire it back up. And here is the best part: I've already written a ton of material for it! I knew that two months before having a second child was not the best time to pick it back up, so I told myself the only way I'd start it again is if I could write and prepare at least one post for every two weeks until the beginning of May. I am pleased to say I accomplished that goal as well as writing eight more for later in the year!
So, every two weeks beginning this Tuesday, be sure to click over and check it out. There are new recipes, party and organization ideas, and of course, a ton of stuff regarding babies. It's kinda our world at the moment. There will be a couple of repeat posts that may seem vaguely familiar. I tweaked two or three that I'd posted on here a couple of years back, but I'm hoping you'll still find the material pertinent and entertaining.
If you have any ideas or suggestions of things you'd like to read more about, please let me know. In the meantime, enjoy. I sure have loved getting back into it. I hope you find time in 2012 to do something that's an all-yours creative outlet like that is for me.
God bless you and your family and may 2012 be your best year yet!
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