Be Watchful

With today marking the first Sunday of the Advent season, I wish for you all a very blessed Christmas season. It is during this time that we must be watchful and live for hope - hope born in a manager. This past week we all gave thanks to the many blessings in our lives, but we can't stop looking and recognizing these daily blessings. As we continue to move toward Christmas, we also need to be watchful and live for others. What can you do for someone today? While it may seem that a Merry Christmas comes from that must-have gift, we must remember the real meaning of Christmas.

Give Thanks To...

Waking up to a frigid morning only to realize you hogged all the blankets the night before, so your husband only had the corners (poor guy).

Anticipating the never ending Macy's Thanksgiving Parade and waiting for the Detroit Lions to lose for the 12th straight game.

My Baby Butterfly

Clear blue skies and sunlight glistening off the grass and trees, knowing that back home it is probably gray skies and a blanket of snow. It really is a toss up to what I enjoy more. Although for the long haul, I'll take the sun, but at Christmas I'll take SNOW.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

My Little Butterfly

I finally felt the baby move. I originally felt her Friday night during the movie Twilight, but since I wasn't sure I wanted to wait and see if I felt it again. Well, I've felt it every day since then, so I'm pretty sure the little flips I feel are the baby. At first, I didn't think it felt like flutters, but it really is the only word to describe what I feel at this time.

Gratitude

Since I had my students write today about gratitude, I thought I should do the same.

I am grateful for:
1. a loving husband
2. a little one on the way
3. ultrasound machines (It is so amazing to see the baby.)
4. Father Jim's homilies
5. not traveling this weekend (I'm saving the craziness for December.)
6. a four day weekend (maybe I'll get some work done on my thesis)
7. all the help from friends about cloth diapers
8. feeling like a little kid when I put extra marshmallows in a mug of hot chocolate
9. gel pillows
10. FAMILY

Baby Timeshares

I've sat through my fair share of timeshare speeches, but never would I have imagined that a program advertised for baby safety would turn into a baby timeshare episode.

Here is what we took away from the day:
1. The world is full of idiots without common sense.
2. Exersaucers are just as bad for kids as walkers. (Matt loved this because it was one less thing we would have in our house.)
3. Apparently, (according to the timeshare dude for babies) everything from bouncers, highchairs, walkers, exersaucers, swings, cribs, etc. are extremely dangerous for all babies. Everything is dangerous except for his companies TWO products. Sorry, I'm not paying $900 for their crib or $600 for their highchair/everything else thing.
4. Free gifts are not free gifts. Well, unless you want to pay a $15 shipping charge. Can we say scam?

Here is why the timeshare dude lost my respect:
1. He tried to sell us his highchair thingy (it looks like a table with a chair dropped down the middle) by showing us pictures of his daughters and telling us that they sat in this thing for hours. HOURS!
2. He said the thingy saved his father one weekend while he was babysitting. Apparently, the grandpa got sick, and just left the kid in the thing for the better part of the weekend. He thought the chair was a great babysitter.

Oh, I did get a great handout on child safety recalls and listservs. One good thing from a baby timeshare.

TEAM EDWARD

I just got back from the movie Twilight. I had high expectations for this movie because I loved the book. Well, it lived up to my expectation. It was great. A little disappointed by their portrayal of Jacob, but it didn't really matter because I was always an Edward fan.

Interested in a synopsis of the book? Check out http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Twilight/Stephenie-Meyer/e/9780316015844/?itm=3

One More Day Until....

the premiere of TWILIGHT!

Daily Gratitude

Today, I'm thankful for:
1. Lotion - for my itchy stomach
2. Good health - mine and our little girl
3. My husband - for way too many reasons
4. Job Safety
5. Funny TV shows - Big Bang Theory, Kath & Kim, Two & A Half Men, and The Office - great stress relief

Anticipation

I keep waiting and waiting and waiting.....to feel my little girl move. I've read many different accounts on what it is supposed to feel like, and that I'll know it for sure when it happens, but I'm not very good at waiting. I wonder if the muscle twinges are the baby or just muscle twinges? I guess for the time being I'll just keep waiting.

It's A Girl

It's a GIRL!

We had another ultrasound today and found out that we are going to have a baby girl. It was pretty amazing to see all her tiny bones and the spinal cord. She was very active this morning kicking and flipping over, but I have yet to actually feel her move. We are still looking at names, but at least I can officially say my child will not be named Hamish, Arn, or Onsted. Yes, those were names Matt threw out in discussion. Thank goodness his choices for girls' names are more in line with mine.