Yet another update. Warning: It's Long.

I have hesitated to blog about labor for a few days because sometimes I feel crazy saying, well, I have been having contractions all week long. And, to be honest with you, I believe it's real labor. I think this is how my body does labor. It's incredibly stop-start, but it makes for a fast and easy (with an epidural) labor when it comes time to actually go to the hospital and began stage two.

I have been talking to my mom and Ann quite often over the past two weeks as I believed at various times that it just might be the "real thing," and Ann kept telling me about a term--prodromal labor--so yesterday, when I was contracting yet again, I decided to google the term and see what it was all about. It described me to a T. It's what I did with Ada, and it's what I am doing now. Have you heard of it? Basically, it's when a woman labors over a course of weeks rather than in one big chunk of hours. So instead of 24-48 hours of intense labor, I have stop-start labor for about three weeks beforehand, sometimes stopping for days at a time. Again, the good news is, this usually means a short period of time once I am actually at the hospital. Ada came strangely fast for a first born, so I anticipate the same with John, unless of course something goes wrong, which is always a possibility. Another characteristic of prodromal labor is lots of lost sleep, which happened with Ada. When I arrived at the hospital to have Ada, I was going on maybe four hours of sleep over a course of two nights and days. So...this time I am really concentrating on getting as much rest as possible.


Everyone says that the true test of "real labor," is to lie down, completely relaxed, and if the contractions continue to come and get stronger, then it's the real deal.


Last night, I thought it was the real deal. I made it through the dinner/bath time/ bed time hour with no contractions. That was a first for this week. The rest of the week I had fairly intense contractions during the bedtime process, but then they stopped when I was finally able to sit down and relax. Last night, it was when I sat down on the couch that the contractions began. I told Scott that I was going to lie down for a while to see if they would stop, and they would not. I then called my mom to see if she was snowed in because I had heard that North Alabama was the recipient of some crazy weather yesterday, and I told her I would call her in an hour if the contractions continued. They did continue, but they never increased in intensity, so I decided to try to sleep. And I did sleep for most of the night. Every two hours or so, I would wake up and the contractions would still be coming, but again, the intensity had not increased. I woke up at 5 am, with some fairly strong contractions, so I moved back downstairs, and then at about 7:30 this morning, Scott let me go back to bed, and I slept solidly for three hours. It was Heaven.

I thought that once I got going with the day, the contractions would intensify, but they really haven't. They continue, but nothing is increasing in intensity, so I continue to wait. Basically, I feel achey and uncomfortable, but that is it. I do have a few things on my to-do list--clean the bathrooms again, clean out the pantry and freezer, dust a few pieces of furniture, etc. etc.--so I will just continue on with those things. Anything involving physical activity increases the contractions, but then I sit down and they go back to just dull, achey contractions, so it's not really getting me anywhere. I am a bit frustrated and tired. Can you tell?

Anyway, for the very few of you that might still be reading this post, I have a question, having nothing to do with labor. Do you have a good recipe for chicken spaghetti? I don't have chicken broth or white wine, so is there a recipe that doesn't call for those ingredients? I really don't want to go back to the grocery store because I have already spent my allotted grocery money for the week. Can you help me? I want to make the spaghetti Wednesday or Thursday night (unless, of course, things "crank up").

Part of my nesting seems to be wanting comfort food recipes. I have been trying different biscuit recipes, searching for just the right combo of ingredients to taste like my mom's, and I think I am about to make a cupcake recipe from the most recent Southern Living. I am craving good, full fat;) food. Scott is loving it.

Stone Soup

Last night Ada and I read the book "Stone Soup," so today, soup is cooking in the kitchen. I am reading the book, For The Children's Sake, which spends much time emphasizing the need for children to read real books, not "twaddle," as Charlotte Mason calls those pointless books. She claims that if the adult doesn't enjoying reading the book, then the child probably shouldn't be reading it. Good books can be enjoyed by people of all ages. Does this mean that I am putting Elmo away for good? Of course not. But I do want to make sure that real books are mixed in.

So...we are working on that, and Ada's attention span is increasing. What I do is I mix all the books in together. The Elmo books are there alongside the classics, and I give Ada the freedom to choose which ones to read. Some days are Elmo days, and some days she chooses the meatier ones. Last night she chose "Stone Soup" for the first time, and she was able to sit through it. I was surprised. I don't think she understood a lot of it, but again, based on the book that I am reading, that is okay. The book talks about reading to children without forcing them to "get" certain things. She says that a five year old and a two year old can listen to the same book and walk away with different things, and that is a good thing. In fact, two different five year olds will get different things out of books, and that is also a good thing. Children lose interest when we try to force the facts. Our job? To give them real literature, and then let them do with it what they will.

Anyway, those are just some things I am thinking about as Ada gets older, and I become more interested in her "education."

Again, I ask, what are your favorite "real" children's books? I loved Velveteen Rabbit. Wasn't that a great one?

The 5:00 Hour

It's a stressful one, don't you agree?

Everyone is hungry. The house is suffering from a day's worth of living, and children are starting to get restless.

So, today, when Ada wanted to lie on the couch and watch "George" during that dreaded hour, I happily agreed.

I was so hungry, and the house was an absolute disaster. I wanted to get things together just a bit before Scott walked in the door. I hate for him to be greeted with such chaos. I would like for our house to be somewhat of a haven after his day at work. So, while Ada lounged on the couch, I dealt with this.And I got dinner together. More for my sake than anyone else's. Did I mention that I was starving?

But Ada's lounging lasted maybe five minutes. I turned around to find this.

She is "talking to Near" and watching the boys next door play basketball. George was forgotten.

And now on to the other hard hour--bath time and bed time. Ada has a hard time winding down at the end of the day. After bath, there is lots of bouncing and running in circles and pretending to be a frog, and I try to corral her long enough to get her pajamas on, hair brushed, stories read, and prayers said. It's a work out every single night. Wish us luck.

Warning: boring pregnancy talk

Well, there's not much to tell. I am 1 centimeter dilated. Should that even be considered progress? The doctor said he could feel the head and John is in the correct position, now we just have to get him moving.

I don't feel too discouraged about the 1 centimeter because I didn't really dilate at all until the actual day that I had Ada. Apparently my body doesn't dilate until it's ready to have that baby.

So...not much to tell. My mind is very occupied with having this baby, so it's sort of hard for me to blog about anything else.

Ada is excited because she knows that when John comes, Near is also coming. So she keeps talking about that.

I am praying for a restful night. Scott is at the drug store buying me some tylenol because part of the labor process for me is really achey arms and legs--who knows? But I did this with Ada as well. I am hoping to take care of that issue in hopes of sleeping tonight.

Dear John,

can you come out soon? I am ready to meet you my second born and first son. You are big enough, I do believe, that it makes more sense for you to be out here experiencing the world rather than tucked into my womb. All your little arm and leg movements hurt my ribs and my bladder and my hips. And besides, I want to see your sweet face. To meet this person who has been inside of me for the past nine months. Are we ready for this? I don't know. I am hoping that you nurse like a champ. Will you do that for me? And sleep all night, right from the start;) We'll figure it out together, I suppose, stumbling through those first few weeks as we get to know each other. We love you so much already. So much, I can hardly stand to wait any longer to hold you and cuddle with you and introduce you to your big sister. Hurry, hurry, hurry John... we are eagerly awaiting your arrival.

love,

your "mama" (as Ada has named me)

All too familiar

It's 3:30 am, and I am wide awake for the second night in a row.

This is what I did when I was pregnant with Ada, and the end was near. The good news is it means my body is getting ready for labor or laboring or doing something to get this baby out. The bad news is, my body might do this for two more weeks.

I go to the doctor later this morning--at 10:50. Please, please, please let there be encouraging news. If I have to be awake at all hours of the night before John is born, let it be because progress is happening.

Tonight there have been contractions. For a while so strong that I considered waking Scott. And I considered folding the clothes that were out in the hall and cleaning the living room--just in case. Then I remembered a book I was reading, and I opted for that instead.

Last night, I was literally awake all night long. I finally fell asleep around 4 am, for about two hours. I was a mess this morning, and luckily, Scott was able to stay home while I stayed in bed. But, of course, he can't stay home for the next two weeks. So let this baby come. Or let me get some sleep.

For now the contractions have stopped. And I did sleep from 11:00-2:30, so that's something.

I think I will go read some more, and maybe I will fall asleep again. Here's hoping.

It's a Good Week for Coupons

I didn't make it to church this morning. I woke up not feeling normal, but I made it as far as the shower, where I got very sick. Sorry if that is way too much information. Scott and Ada, who were already dressed for church, were out picking up newspapers for me as I was sick in the shower. When they got back to pick me up, I sent them on without me, and I lay down on the couch. While there, I began to look through today's coupons.

Here's the deal. If you haven't started couponing yet, this week would be a great week to start. Kroger is having a mega sales event, where if you buy ten participating items, you automatically get 5.00 off with your Kroger plus card. This equals lots of cheap groceries after coupons.

What am I most excited about? Just using coupons from today's paper, so even if you have no coupons saved from past weeks, you can get Nabisco crackers (I will be buying wheat thins and whole wheat ritz) for .69 a box, French's mustard for .59 a bottle, and Kraft cheese for .49!!! I am stocking up on cheese. That's an amazing price!!

If you do have coupons from past weeks you can get Electrasol dishwashing tabs for .50 a box (find a 2.50 coupon in the 1/3 Smart Source) and Quaker granola bars for .99 (RP 1/3).

And with no coupons, you can still get great sales prices--goldfish for .88 a pack, Philadelphia cream cheese for .99, Mott's Apple Juice for 1.49 a bottle (I am happy when I can get it for less than 2.00 a bottle), and Tombstone Pizza for 2.50 a pizza (combine this with Fresh Express BOGO salad from Publix, and you have a complete meal).

And this is just a sampling of the deals to be found at Kroger this week. I am so excited.

I did a major grocery shop yesterday, where I spent about 140.00, but came home with 270.00 worth of groceries. I am focusing on stocking my fridge, freezer, and pantry before John is born, and I am definitely taking advantage of the Kroger sales this week to stock up even more.

Anyway, I don't blog about couponing as much as I used to because there are so many sites devoted just to couponing, and I would rather point readers to those sites, but I thought this week was worth mentioning. If you are still hesitating to start, and you have a Kroger near you, this is the week to buy the papers and cut the coupons.

And for more deals at both Kroger and Publix (and other stores too, including Wal-Mart) check out couponmom.com or southernsavers.com, my go-to sales and coupon sources each week.

Grateful

I currently have about 6 lbs of chicken boiling on top of the stove. I plan to cook and shred and freeze the chicken in appropriate portions to be brought out for easy dinner prep after John is born. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are 1.79/lb at Kroger today, so I am tempted to go back and buy more. I also bought some ground beef on sale with a coupon at Publix, and I am freezing that uncooked, again to be brought out after John is born. I want the freezer good and stocked with easy meal preps. It felt like too much work to actually make the meals ahead of time to freeze, but I think if the meat is there, it will help so very much.

I decided to cook all the chicken on a whim because I am preparing a meal for a family tonight. A family who lost many members of their family in the earthquake in Haiti. Can you believe how close to home this hits? I don't know this family personally. They are neighbors of friends from church, and our community group is providing meals this week. I found some relief in knowing there was something I could do to help out with the Haiti situation--I have felt so helpless, so when this opportunity came up, I jumped on it. Almost as if I could ease my discomfort at being so far removed from the horror of it. I am so comfortable here in my house with my weekly meals and such, and there seems to be some level of guilt in that. I know that God is sovereign, and I can't grasp why He chooses to do what he does, but He sure has given me a comfortable life compared to so many. I am reminded of that truth when I see a Haitian woman delivering a baby in the aftermath of the earthquake, as I prepare to deliver John at the luxurious Northside Hospital. But God is sovereign and He is good, and that is what I rest in.

So, yes, I am grateful for this comfortable life, but I also pray that it would not be a stumbling block--the comfort. That I would still feel my desperate need for him. That I would still feel that desperate longing for Heaven. I don't want to be so comfortable here that I forget that I was not created for this world.

Anyway...on another note, but still on the subject of grateful--we had our third John baby shower yesterday. We celebrated with pizza and cupcakes at Scott's office, and we were showered with even more gifts. We have been given so much. In fact, I don't think I have bought one thing in preparation for this pregnancy, other than paint. And does that even really count? We are overflowing with diapers and little boy clothes and blankets and everything we could need. I truly am overwhelmed at how the Lord has provided in abundance, yet again. I don't have any pictures from the shower, but I do have pictures of Ada enjoying a cupcake after her nap.

When she first woke up from her nap and asked for the cupcake, I felt the word no coming out of my mouth, but then I thought, "why not?" So, I told her she had to stay at the table, and I let her go for it.

Waiting

Well, they did not check me when I went to the doctor today. Progress? I don't know.

They told me they will start checking me next week. And they tell me I will have the baby around the same time that I had Ada.

So...I am sitting tight.

This means I have, um? 2 1/2 more weeks? Give or take a few days. That is plenty of time to clean and re-clean and re-clean again.

In the mean time, I received an e-mail today telling me that John is the size of a watermelon. All I could picture was a huge summer watermelon, and it made me laugh. He feels like a watermelon as I waddle from here to there (mostly the bathroom every five minutes).

While I wait, I am still doing the daily things--cooking dinner and tripping over toys and answering lots of why's and what's that as Ada is blissfully unaware that our days should be any different. I think at this point in my Ada pregnancy, I was taking it easy. I certainly wasn't cooking dinner every night. But a two year old has to eat. As does a 28 year old husband. And for that matter, I am fairly hungry at the end of everyday.

Yesterday I had a special day with Ada. I have been so focused on cleaning, that I haven't given her much undivided attention lately. So after the library, we shared lunch at Zaxby's, and we had a little "John is on the way," talk. She stared at me so hard as I said, "In a few weeks, I will go the doctor and the doctor will take John out of my tummy." I told her that daddy would go with me to the doctor and she may have to stay with Mrs. Jessica. She listened really hard and repeated words here and there, "daddy?" "Baby John is coming?" I then provided the dramatic ending--when I come home from the doctor, I will bring Baby John with me, and he will live with us. She clapped her hands really hard then, and said, "Yea!!!!" I don't think she got it. Do you agree?

And this afternoon, as the rain came in, we played play-dough at her little table. She made me tater-tots. Then we sat on the couch and looked through her baby book. Her only halfway interested and me a bit choked up at how quickly the time has passed. Wasn't I just waiting on her?

Tuesday

Good morning, everyone. I am in a great mood because I just saw that the high for the day is in the 60s. Woo-hoo. We got to spend all afternoon outside yesterday, and it was beautiful, and we will be headed out again today.

I think it is good for the soul to spend time outside. Do you agree?

This morning we are headed to the library for story time, and then I have more cleaning projects on my list.

The nesting is taking over my life. I can't stop. I am not a cleaner by nature, as you know, but right now I can't sit still because I keep thinking of things that need to be done. I am whipping this house into shape, and I think I am going to send myself into labor in the process. Yesterday as I moved and rearranged and vacuumed the "extra room" upstairs, I had to stop every few minutes to get through a contraction. But there just isn't time to sit still and kick up my feet. Last night as John very uncomfortably forced his legs into my ribs, I decided that John can come as soon as he wants to. I am over pregnancy, for sure. (Don't worry, mom, I still think it will be a couple of weeks). I do go to the doctor tomorrow, so hopefully they will check to see if there is any progress.

In the mean time, I thought I would post a few pictures that I took yesterday. I am trying to soak up play time with Ada during these last couple of weeks before I become mom to two.

Menu Plan Monday

Sunday Night--chicken fried rice, stir fried veggies
Monday Night--Breakfast for dinner, muffins, eggs, sausage, pears
Tuesday Night--Beef stroganoff over rice, broccoli
Wednesday Night--creamy crock pot chicken, rice, veggie
Thursday Night--spaghetti, broccoli or green beans
Friday Night--black bean burritos, spanish rice
Saturday Night--pizza
Sunday--sausage and cheese omelets, fruit

Breakfast--yogurt and granola, peanut butter toast, eggs
Lunch--PB&J, ham sandwiches, macaroni and cheese, leftovers

snacks--triscuits/carrots and hummus

I am still couponing and planning those meals. In fact, the night's plan is to sit down in front of the television to watch Season Five of Lost while I cut and sort coupons. I have to in order to stick to the budget, especially since I know meal planning and couponing will soon be put on the back burner. I hope to still plan something after John is born, but I am realistic enough to know that it will be a very simple meal plan until our life settles into some sort of schedule.

I would love some reader feedback on how you handled meal planning with a newborn!! Any good ideas for maintaining my sanity and the budget?

As always, Organizing Junkie is the place to go for all things meal planning.

I wanted to come back and add the recipe for "Creamy Slow-Cooker Chicken." It is a Southern Living Recipe, though I can't remember which month it came from. In fact, I might have copied it down from mom's 2009 Southern Living cookbook. Anyway, here it is.

6 boneless chicken breasts (2.5 lb)
2 t salt
2 T oil
1 can cream of mushroom
1 (8 oz) pack of cream cheese
1 envelope of Italian dressing mix

sprinkle chicken with salt
cook chicken in batches in hot oil in large skillet until browned on both sides
Transfer to 5 qt. slow cooker, reserve drippings in skillet
Add soup, cream cheese, and Italian dressing mix to hot drippings in skillet.
Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, 2-3 minutes, or until cheese is melted and mixture is smooth
Pour mixture over chicken.
Cover and cook on low for four hours.
Stir before serving.

Okay, because I want to use what ingredients I have on hand, I am actually making a few adjustments. We'll see how it tastes in the end. I am using chicken thighs from the freezer, and I don't have the Italian dressing mix, so I will probably use French onion mix. I think everything else will stay the same. I am going to serve it with rice and a green vegetable--either broccoli or green beans.

The Past Few Days

"The Cousins" have been here, which always equals a bit of chaos. Fun, but chaos.

In the midst of the chaos, however, Ann helped me out so much. Baseboards were cleaned and floors vacuumed, and I even cleaned my master bath, which took an entire morning. While I cleaned the bathroom, Ann cleaned the master closet, which was a feat. I feel much more prepared for John's arrival, which is good, because the contractions continue. Three weeks to go. Will we make it that long?

Also while Ann was here, we fit in a visit with an old college friend and sorority sister, Laura Galloway Jones, who lives only about a half hour from here. Look at all the kids.
It warmed up that day, and the kids got to play in the vacant lot next door. A real treat for Ada, as the lot is usually off limits. However, in an effort to fit in some adult conversation, we let them get their hands (and everything else) dirty.

It was a fun day, which we ended with a yummy Mexican dinner. I love Mexican any time, but it is especially great when I am pregnant.

We wrapped up the weekend with a diaper shower for Baby John and me.

There is nothing more exciting than diapers for a second time mom, and we are well stocked, but I will post more on the shower later. It was such a treat, and I was so glad that Ann and Ellie were able to come. Thank you Tutti and Jessica for hosting, and thanks to all my dear friends who came to celebrate John.

By the way, I think I am mostly carrying John in my face. Yuck, yuck, yuck. I can't wait to get this baby out so that my face can return to normal.

I still want to post pictures of John's room, though to be honest there isn't much to post. It's a bit empty, but very ready for John to be rocked and fed and diapered and bedded. That's all I need, right? It will most likely be a work in progress for the first year, and I am okay with that. The necessities are in place.

Okay, I have to go now because, as usual, Ada isn't wanting to eat a dinner. It's a hamburger in the living room night, and she is taking forever to get through one tiny Wendy's hamburger.

False Alarm

Last night as I was cooking dinner, I began to have contractions in regular intervals. They didn't hurt though, so I just kept doing what I was doing. Then as I cleaned up dinner, bathed Ada, and got her into bed, the contractions continued, becoming increasingly more uncomfortable as I became increasingly more panicky. I found myself making deals with God, ridiculous, I know.

"Lord," I said,"I need to clean the bathroom, and my bags are not packed, and I just want a good night's sleep tonight instead of labor. Can I please not be in real labor, please?"

I had planned to clean the master bathroom last night because it is in dire need, and I just could not imagine going to the hospital to have a baby without cleaning it first. Plus, the edges nearest the ceiling in John's room still needed to be painted. Being really honest with ya'll, at one point I was in tears, explaining to Scott all the reasons that I could not, refused, in fact, to be in labor. So...I decided to lie very still in bed and read a book, and sure enough they stopped. I thought if I ignored what was happening, it would just go away.

I had a doctor's appointment this morning, and the doctor assured me that contractions this early with the second one are normal, but it probably doesn't mean anything yet. Thank goodness. He wouldn't check my progress yet, though--he said we would start that next week. I love the doctor that I saw today--Dr. Sharon. He delivered Ada, and if by chance you find that the Lord places me on your heart in the next few weeks, please join me in praying that Dr. Sharon is on call whenever I do go into labor with John. I trust his judgement. I think it is because of all of the small decisions that he made that I had such a smooth labor with Ada. I prayed and prayed and prayed that he would be on call with Ada, and sure enough, he was. Could it happen again?

By the way--the painting is DONE. FINISHED. Pictures will follow soon, once the paint is dry and the furniture is in place. His little clothes are washed and folded and tucked into drawers, and blankets are stacked, because I imagine that a February baby requires many blankets. And Ada keeps saying, "John is coming to my house," so maybe she gets it just a little bit?

So, that's an update on the pregnancy. Hang in there, John, hang in there, there are still a few things I need to cross off the to-do list.

Down to the Wire

I have that feeling that I used to have when I was facing a 20 page paper due in three days, and I really hadn't even started. I remember parking my car at the library, checking out a lap top from the front desk (I didn't have a computer of my own), and moving myself into a study room for the next 24 hours, or until the library closed. It was a panicky feeling, and it always felt impossible. I would look out the window at all the students walking to class in the fresh air, and I felt like I was trapped inside that room. Most of the time, the paper got done, but there were some close calls. Times that I knew this was the one that wouldn't happen.

Well, here I am, four weeks (?) away from my due date, and there is much to do before I really feel ready for John's arrival. I was ready weeks in advance with Ada, and then I sat around my apartment counting the days until she would finally come. Now, I just feel that same panicked feeling from college. This time, I think, it's not going to happen.

So, today I made a list for the weekend. Guess what is on tonight's agenda--paint, paint, paint. I hope to start next week with John's room in order, everything in it's place, just waiting on his tiny little self to move in. Tonight I will also clean the kitchen, dining room, and living room (which won't take that long because those three things are on my daily housekeeping list), and then I will clean the guest bedroom and bath.

Tomorrow I tackle the master bedroom and bath and the never-ending laundry pile.

And finally, on Sunday, Scott will finish painting a shelf for John's room, I will clean a piece of furniture for Ada's room, we will move the changing table into John's room, and everything should be in place. For now, I plan to buy some plastic drawers to keep in John's closet until I can buy a permanent chest of drawers.

Then next week, I plan to tie up loose ends--closets that need to be organized, floors that need to be mopped, etc. etc. I want to give myself some breathing room just in case he decides to make an early appearance. You just never know. With Ada I hoped for an early arrival; this time I need every day that I can get to be as ready as possible. Can you really ever be ready for something like this though?

Christmas Toys

It ended up being a kitchen kind of Christmas. Dishes and cookies and vegetables to cut.

These kitchen items have been by far the biggest hit.

Well, that and the window markers from Ann. Oh my word. She loves the window markers.

And Bitty Baby? Well, she gets tucked in a lot. And she is sick a lot. And she requires lots of blankets. I am thinking that I should move her from Ada's room to downstairs. I have found that downstairs toys get played with much more than upstairs. And it looks like the "dining room" has officially become the play room. That wasn't the plan. It just happened, so I am going to embrace it.

There are other toys, of course. An Elmo suitcase that gets packed a lot and Curious George pajamas that she wants to wear every night, plus sidewalk chalk and some new, fun bath towels. These things are getting used as well. (The make up is in hiding, mom). I will post pictures of these things soon.

First or third trimester?

I am feeling oddly first trimester pregnant rather than third trimester tonight.

I fell asleep for about 20 minutes of Ada's nap, and I woke up with that familiar first trimester nausea. In fact, the only thing I want for dinner is a Wendy's frosty. Truly, that is the only thing that sounds edible to me right now.

This pregnancy continues to surprise me with its twists and turns.

On another note--I need some reader feedback. With the due date around the corner, I can't help but start to think about non-maternity clothes. You know what I mean, right? Things that don't have an elastic waist band. So, I've been thinking, I have no clue what's "in" right now. Can you help me out? There are so many blogs out there--decorating on a budget, couponing, etc. etc., and I know there must be some fabulous reading on fashion on a budget. How can I find these things? I want some guidance as I begin to make over the wardrobe. For instance, obviously everyone is doing skinny jeans tucked into boots, but by the time I am to the other side of pregnancy, is this trend going to be on its way out? How do I know? I tried to do some searching today--looking for a list of must-haves in 2010. Readers, what do you think?

And, all you nursing mamas out there, what are options for nursing and dressing up? I have weddings this spring--what do you wear that allows you to nurse? Suggestions please.

Final Christmas Post

These pictures are a bit scrambled...oh well, here goes.

Bitty Baby, the "Big" Christmas gift this year. So far, Bitty Baby has spent a lot of time sick in bed. At least that is what Ada tells us when we ask her if she wants to play with her. She always tells us in a tone that says the answer should be obvious, "She's sick. She has a feber."Okay, these are a few pictures from the Sunday when we were headed back to Atlanta. The kids were all hanging out waiting on lunch to be ready. Luke is showing Ada something on the computer.

still waiting...now the pacie and blanket are in on the mix. And Buzz Lightyear. The pacie gets tossed on the third birthday. I dread that already.

Just one morning during the holidays--reading with Mary Ann. (mom's sister)

The scene at my parents' house on Christmas morning. This was after santa presents and breakfast out at Ann and Steven's house.

Ada opened make-up and promptly put finger nail polish on her face and hair. The make up is now in hiding.

Like I said, these are out of order. This is Ada and Andrew at Ann's earlier in the day, eating breakfast.

Sadly I have not one picture of opening "Santa gifts." I don't have a picture of the gifts under the tree. Nothing. But there are enough pictures from the week to remember Christmas '09, I think. And that concludes the Christmas blogging.

Finally, the Christmas posts continue

We'll start with Christmas Eve. We started the evening by attending a candlelight service at Church, and Ada did surprisingly well in the service. I think the candlelight and hushed voices intimidated her just enough to keep her quiet. I was relieved. Ellie and Ada wore their matching Christmas dresses. After Church we headed to "Near's" house for dinner and one gift each for the cousins--Christmas pajamas. Well...Luke's were Toy Story pajamas.

Ada is really into doing things herself these days, so it took her a while to actually get the nightgown on.

Then, the kids enjoyed macaroni and cheese and mandarin oranges, and the adults ate grilled steak, sauteed mushrooms, baked potatoes, and salad. It was oh so good, though a bit chaotic. By the time we sat down to eat, the little ones were getting sleepy and fussy.

We ended the night at Ann's house, with Steven reading the Christmas Story to everyone. If you look to the left of the picture you will see that John also got in on the action. I didn't post a picture that included all of me in it because I was looking quite "large and in charge," if you know what I mean. I tend to be transparent on this blog, but I have my limits;)

Do ya'll know about the Jesus Storybook Bible? It's a must have!!

I'm out of order, but oh well. Here are the girls in their matching nightgowns with Aunt Sarah. Thank you, Ann, for carrying on the pajama tradition.

Ada doesn't do so well sleeping at the Barber's house, for who knows what reason (we predict that will change as she and Ellie get older. I imagine it will be quite fun to spend the night with Ellie), but we like to do Christmas Eve over there, so they can all open their gifts together. Oddly enough, there was a crazy wind storm going on all night long, so we had an especially bad night. It involved much waking up and various shifts in the sleeping arrangements, but we managed to squeeze in a few hours of sleep before morning.

I will be back tomorrow with a final Christmas post, and then I will continue with regularly scheduled blogging.

In the mean time, John is causing me so much back pain. Oh my word. Suggestions anyone? Sometimes it hurts so bad it takes my breath away. I am ready to drive myself to the hospital and get this baby out--too bad we've got six weeks to go.