Now THIS Makes Me Think of Christmas...

What is it you ask? Only a custard pie from McDonald's. They haven't had these in a couple of years and when I heard talk start to spread that they were back, I headed there as fast as I could. Well, technically, Shawn took me after my doctor appointment Monday afternoon and after I had done the whole weigh-in thing. No way was I eating one or two of these bad boys before I got weighed. After, no big deal! SOOOOOO Delicious!

Losing It

I started this December off with high expectations for myself and our Christmas season.

One of the first things I felt called to do was to let Facebook and Twitter go for the season. Honestly, I haven't missed them one bit. It has been fourteen days and I've truly not been tempted to check or look at either one of them. I'm trying not to be prideful about that. I know how quickly I can fall back into old habits.

But,in spite of how well that part of my life is going, today I feel as though I am losing it. I really wanted to focus on the true meaning of Christmas this year. I had these ideas of idyllic days spent listening to Christmas music, baking cookies, and spending precious time with my family. Instead, it's been stress and sickness and way too much TV watching. I'm feeling frustrated. While I try so hard to be PURPOSEFUL and QUIET and STILL this season it seems like my mind keeps filling up with the "urgent". For instance, I don't have my Christmas cards mailed. I don't have them stuffed or addressed. We still do not have everyone a Christmas present. I've been working on a special project with Lauren for family members and it is taking forever. And I want to quit it because that is what I do. But, I can't. I've invested toooooooo much into it already. Lauren has been sick for what feels like forever and our days are filled with snotty noses, crying, coughing, and watching too many cartoons. That last bit in and of itself makes me feel like a failure.

So, how do I stop this crazy train before December 25th passes and I've once again rushed and stressed through the season? I know there is no perfect Christmas and maybe that is part of my problem. My expectations were too high. I want my joy back!!!

The Cuteness Is Too Much!

So, a couple of weeks ago my sweet friend Megan sent me a message and said she bought something special for me and my pregnancy and that she had ordered one for herself even though she wasn't pregnant. It was like a riddle. What could it be? I honestly couldn't figure it out and I was so excited to just see what it was!!! Well, today it finally came in the mail!!!

Ahhhhhhh!!!!!! I know, do you need to take a moment? It is almost too cute to look at dead on. Avert your eyes a little bit, squint them, or close one....it helps.

The.inside.is.totally.for.lists.people. LISTS!!!! And there is a pocket on the left side for loose paper lists or whatever I need it to be for!!! Just looking at it makes me so happy. It really stinks that I am such a perfectionist because I SO want to use it right now, but I am trying to figure out what the best list I could make would be. I'm thinking of starting with all the things I need to do to get our little guy's room ready after Christmas. But, I just can't write in it until I have a solid plan. ;) For now, it will sit beautifully by my calendar and bring me so much joy. LOVE IT!!!! Thank you, Megan. You are the best!!! Oh, and you know me so well!!!

Want your own? Go HERE to check out Paper Doll Designs!!!

I Want THIS Book

One of my favorite blogs is Ann Voskamp's, A Holy Experience. If you have never checked it out, I totally urge you to go there and read and read and read. The girl has words. I don't even know how she writes like she does, but she draws you in and makes you want to be better. I promise. It is fantastic. Anyway, she has a book coming out in January that I want so bad I can taste it called, One Thousand Gifts. The problem is...it doesn't come out until January. And I want to read it now. Like RIGHT NOW. My friend, Mandie sent me an email today that said her book will be released in the Kindle version (which you can read right on your computer) Tuesday, December 14th. The only problem is that I am kind of a book snob. I like to hold my books close and smell their pages (yes, I totally do that). So, do I wait and hope to get the real life book, or do I go all crazy and buy the down-loadable version?

Catching Up

My first year of teaching I met Erin. We were both newbies navigating the exciting and sometimes scary world of public education. We hit it off immediately and I think it has something to do with our quirkiness. We have laughed the hardest and cried some too. She moved away a couple of years ago and I quit teaching and it has been hard for us to stay connected, but we try. Sunday night we got together after the kids were in bed. We went to Barnes & Noble and pretended we were young and hip and trendy while we sipped our Starbucks Peppermint Hot Chocolate and tried to catch up at warp speed. We closed the place down and then moved the conversation to my car where there were heated seats. We laughed hard, talked about deep things, and just enjoyed each others company. It was really delightful. Well, until I realized I had to pee like I've never had to pee in my life. And Erin kept making me laugh. And the thought of peeing right there in the Barnes & Noble parking lot sounded like a really good idea. Then it got un-fun. That's not entirely true. It was fun all the way through with a side of urinary discomfort at the end. So worth it though. =)

Erin brought me this FABULOUS cake pop from a bakery in a nearby town. I saved it for today and it was sooooo yummy. I thought about taking a picture of the inside but something happened when I took that first bite and it was gone before I had a chance to grab the camera. =)

The Sick Bug

Lauren caught the sick bug last Friday and I just feel so sorry for her. Thankfully it isn't the tummy bug that is going around and just a tough cold to shake. I don't think I've ever seen so much snot in my life, and from such a tiny girl! We've had lots of cuddle time and I just keep praying that Shawn and I will somehow escape the nastiness!

On Saturday morning, Lauren woke up feeling pretty icky. She loves to have her back tickled, so I held her for a long time and just let her snuggle close.

Shawn and I wrapped a bunch of presents so we had our card table set out as a work space. Once the presents were wrapped I draped a quilt over it and set up pillows and books inside. Lauren loved her first tent!!!

This morning I thought we might have success with some of the Christmas games I had planned even though she was a snotty mess. I literally wiped her nose every three minutes. Lauren was really into the tree matching game. It was so much fun to see her mind work to figure out where the small trees matched the larger ones. 

I love this picture because she is saying, "Game, mama." She loved that we were playing a game!

After taking a bath in a steam filled room, she was ready to relax and watch Mickey Mouse. She wasn't feeling very good at all and I snapped these pictures of my usually active little girl as she was taking a little rest. 

She napped for a little while and woke up in a coughing fit. All she wanted me to do was hold her. I felt so bad for her and she looks so miserable in these pictures.

I've called the doctor twice and they keep telling me to let it run its course. I wish there was something more I could do for her. I absolutely hate seeing her so wiped out. 

22 Weeks

 I can't believe how far behind I am on posting my progress!!!

22 WEEKS

  

How Far Along: 22 Weeks

Total Weight Gain: 5 pounds

Maternity Clothes: Yes!!! Bring on the comfy!

Gender: A little boy.

Movement: Yes! He seems to like move the most whenever I lay down for bed!

Sleep: Doing great so far.

What I miss: Nothing. Really.

Cravings: Well, I am over lime slushes I think. I haven't had one in at least two weeks. I've been craving salads with really vinegary dressing. Also, tame jalapenos.

 Symptoms: Heartburn and Braxton Hicks contractions. It seems early to me for the contractions, but they are definitely happening! I had them pretty bad with Lauren toward the end, so this isn't a huge surprise.

Best Moment this week: Talking with Shawn about our little guy's name. We have a top runner and a middle name to go with it, but it is the whole committing to it thing!