2009: A Year in Review

1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before?

I guess I was pretty boring this year....because I can't think of anything at this moment!

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I'm not a fan of New Year's resolutions.  I used to make them but they're short-lived.  I improve on things where I can, and let the rest lie.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

I had a few friends give birth.  The closest friend to give birth was my college friend, Lexi to her baby boy this past January. 

4. Did anyone close to you die?

No one close....but we had a lost of residents at work pass away in the past year.

5. What countries/places did you visit?

Western New York, Philadelphia.....that about sums it up. 

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?

Good health.  It wasn't terrible but I would appreciate less overall trips to the doctor for the entire family. Or the hospital!

7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

May 15th....the day I found out I was expecting our second child.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Perserverance.  Not letting things getting the best of me, and not giving up.

9. What was your biggest failure?

Handmade gifts for Christmas.  I wanted to really shine this year on handmade items and it wasn't meant to be.  I plan on starting a lot earlier next year!

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

It was a crazy year in the G. household!!  Several courses of antibiotics for all members....except Will.  (Thank goodness!!)  Developing gestational diabetes and sciatica was no picnic, either.  But it all comes with the territory, I guess.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

Hmmm.....Brian and I bought a Wii game system for Valentine's Day.  Still loving that.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

Pass.  I can't think of anyone.

 13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

Appalled and depressed?  Not quite.  But Tiger Woods sure was disappointing.

14. Where did most of your money go?

Bills, bills bills.  Though we did manage to get Will's big boy room furnished.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

A new addition to the family, coming in Jan 2010.   Very excited to be having a second child!

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?

I'll pass on this one.  I really don't listen to the radio anymore.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

a) happier or sadder? Happier because of the baby coming, but other than that the same.  I'm a pretty upbeat person. 

b) thinner or fatter?   Fatter...and happily so.  :)

c) richer or poorer? Richer in some ways....poorer in others.  I'm rich where it matters...in love and family.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Taken more time to myself....read more.  Spent more time with Will before he becomes an older brother.  Taken more pleasure in things, in daily life.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Worrying.  Impatience. 

20. How did you spend Christmas?

Happily celebrating with family at my house.  Low key chaos and it was wonderful!

21. Did you fall in love in 2009?

More in love with my family and in love with my unborn child.

22. What was your favorite TV program?

I don't really have a favorite, per se.  I do watch a lot of shows but can't nail one down as a favorite.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

I make it a point not to hate anyone.  There's people that annoy me or I dislike, but hate's a pretty strong word.

24. What was the best book you read?

I can't possibly answer this.  I have too many favorites.  But, according to my "Goodreads" accout, I did read something like sixy-six books this year.  Woo hoo, go me!

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?

I didn't discover anything musically this year really....except that I really love iTunes.

26. What did you want and get?

A baby on the way.  (Hmmm....I see a theme this year!)

27. What did you want and not get?

 New living room carpet.  Other than that, I got everything I ever needed and then some.

28. What was your favorite film of this year?

I have to say I didn't watch too many movies.  But I did enjoy the ones that I saw....like "Julie and Julia" and "The Illusionist."

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

My birthday was quiet....I turned 30-something and spent it with my sick husband and son.  Brian had a sinus infection and was down for the count...he felt really bad about it and said he'd make it up to me.  It was kind of a typical day....went grocery shopping with my mom and basically hung out.  Not my most fabulous but there's always next year!

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

Less antibiotics.  Other than that, my year was very satisfying.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?

Ha!  What fashion concept?  It was all about elastic waistbands and rubber-soled shoes.  One thing I miss about not being pregnant are fashionable shoes. 

32. What kept you sane?

Knitting.  Lots and lots of knitting.  My fiber addiction keeps me calm, that's for sure. 

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

None of 'em.....so over it.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?

Nothing, really.

35. Who did you miss?

Many.  My friend Jen the most, out there in the Land of Lincoln.  

36. Who was the best new person you met?

"Best?"  Well, I met some new moms from the children's playgroup that I belong to.  And I've gotten closer to two of them.  It's been fun, having two cool mamas to go out to dinner with once a month.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.

Never, ever ask if things can get worse.  Because, they very much can!

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

"Sounds like life to me."

Resolutions, Smesolutions

I used to be a big fan of New Year's Resolutions.  Now I don't really get into it and make any.  Why?  Because I put too much expectation on them.  I always used to have the same old ones every year:  lose weight, exercise, get organized blahblahblah.  And I'd be good about them for a little while, sometimes even a week or so.  And then there'd they go....floating to the wayside.  I tried to make a list of fun ones, even, like "read more fun books" or "learn a new craft."  After a while those got old too.

So this year I am going to make just one resolution.  I resolve, in 2010, to give birth.  There.  I think I'm up for that one.  :)

Wordless Wednesday: Popcorn Time!

A Tale of Two Beds

Lately, Will has been really acting out of sorts.  He's been talking back, throwing fits and even hitting.  If he doesn't get his way he'll immediately tell you that he doesn't love you, or raise a hand.  On Christmas Day he smacked me in the belly and whacked Nana in the eye.  (We're all fine)  Brian and I have been at our wit's end trying to get this behavior to stop.  I know it's just a phase, and I know that Christmas is overwhelming, and that he obviously knows something is going on with this "little brother" we've been talking about.  Time-outs seem to help, but only for so long.

Well, tonight Brian started to put together the crib, and I folded and put away all of the baby clothes that I had washed earlier in the week.  Will goes running into the nursery to see what Daddy's up to and stops in horror when he gets there.  Daddy's taking apart the toddler bed.  He immediately bursts into tears and wails about his little boy bed.   Daddy tried to explain that Will has a big boy bed now, and Baby needs to sleep in the crib.  Will, still wailing, insists that the baby needs to sleep on the rug.

DING DING DING!  Suddenly the recent behavior makes sense.  He's acting out because there's a baby on the way to his house.  He talks about his brother, but wants him to live with his own family.  And his Mommy and Daddy are certainly NOT going to be the Baby's Mommy and Daddy. I'm feeling a bit guilty....I've been sort of pre-occupied about how it's going to change life for me and Brian having TWO kids to keep track of and take care of, and I haven't focused on how it's going to affect my Big Boy. 

So what was the solution for tonight?  Well.....Brian put the "Little Boy Bed" in Will's room next to the "Big Boy Bed" for the time being and that seemed to comfort him.  And after several rounds of silly songs and board games like "Ants in the Pants" we had our smiling happy little boy back.  Now he's having his usual bedtime ritual of milk and a "rainbow cookie." 

I promise that no matter how tired and burnt out I am feeling over the next couple of weeks, I will make time to hang out with my boy.  I tell him how special and loved he is all the time, but now is the time to show him.  And these last few weeks will be the last time in his life that he will be an only child.  I'm sorry to have forgotten that.

Mommy Talk

We were pulling Christmas leftovers out of the fridge (hooray for hosting, leftover roast beef and potatoes for lunch!)  and I was making Will a "jelly sandwich" for lunch.  I grabbed at a stack of toddler plates and one of them fell directly into the potatoes...and then I flipped the tupperware lids onto the floor trying to scramble after them.  Of course, they landed upside-down.  As I see the plates falling I yell out "Shoot!"  My husband eyes me and says "Nice catch." 

Folks....I have a confession.  I've got a mouth.  And since becoming a parent, I've tried really hard to rein it in.  But it is definitely my fault that Will knows the bad words that he knows.  Which is fascinating, since Daddy is the ex-Navy submariner, and military men aren't exactly known for their cleanly language.  (however, they are known for their cleaning and their ironing skills...this man puts me to shame with an iron and a board!)  It's my fault that Will repeats all sorts of interesting phrases and embarrasses me by calling me on the carpet.  He hasn't dropped an F-Bomb yet....but trust me it wouldn't be altogether surprising.  He has surprised me by repeating some beauties, but so far they've just been back to me or Brian and not out in public.  Other than to tell an elderly woman that his Daddy is a "bad guy."  He didn't get that one from me, I swear.  And I try really, really hard to hold back the colorful language until he's not around. 

Another thing that Brian and I are always marveling about is how parenthood makes you say things that you never thought you'd say.  My personal favorite is the time that I told Will that "pee-pees don't wear shoes."  (I was changing his diaper when he was about 18 months old, and he put a shoe on his pee-pee.  I rest my case!)

Got any that you want to share?   Have your kids repeated something in public that's turned your face a deeper shade of crimson?  What kinds of things has parenthood made you say that you never thought you'd say before?

29 Days and Counting.....

Whoa!  Less than thirty days to go! 

I went for an ultrasound on Thursday morning at the hospital, my regular doctor's office was closed so that's where they sent me.  I was mighty apprehensive to go on Christmas Eve, because last time I was pregnant if I went to the hospital they had a tendency to keep me there.  And I'd already had the conversation with my unborn baby boy a few times.....just wait until after Friday and anytime after that will be OK.  Luckily, everything looked fine from within and they sent me home without incident.  However, I was in the elevator with a doctor who took one look at me and said "Oh!  Do you think you might have the Christmas Day baby this year?"  To which I replied..."Ummm...I hope not!  I'm not due for another month!"  :)

I had officially entered that lazy "I don't want to do anything phase."  On Christmas Day my mom and husband bustled about, setting the table, prepping food, pouring drinks, usually stuff I'm doing.  I sat a good part of the day in a comfy chair and chilled.  Then yesterday, I seemed to pop out of that phase and plunge head-first into the "I have so much to do! Nesting Phase."  We went out to dinner and then made a trip to Target for a couple of things.  Brian had to talk me out of re-stocking some items in our linen closet, firmly insisting that we didn't need to stockpile enough shampoo to get through the year.  We hit the baby aisles to get some diapers for Will, and came home with some more new bottles and a new diaper bag.  Today I'm doing probably ten loads of laundry, none of which yet are baby clothes in Dreft.  I need to find the baby clothes first.

The clock is definitely ticking, and Baby Boy Watch 2010 is absolutely on!

Makin' Christmas Memories

Merry Christmas!  It was a very memorable Christmas in our house this year.  Thursday was filled with preparations:  cleaning, cooking, wrapping....Will also was sick with a cold and a fever.  I was a bit upset about it, since he was already sick for his birthday this year!  But some tylenol made Mr. Marathon good as new, and he was ready to put on new Christmas jammies and leave a snack for Santa.  We left the Jolly Man some rainbow cookies, a glass of chocolate milk and a baggie of popcorn for the road.  Then it was time for an annual tradition, Daddy reading "Twas the Night Before Christmas."  Off to bed.....

Will came scampering in our bedroom at 7:40AM, which is a lot better than the hour I used to wake up my family!  He had brought a handful of chocolates, proclaiming them his "favorites" and begged to eat them in our bed.  Ah well, it's Christmas, go nuts.  We all got up and Daddy brewed coffee, while Will insisted that we had to have breakfast before opening presents.  (Seriously...who is this kid??)  We gathered around the tree to take family pictures, possibly the last pictures of us as a family of three.  :)  Then the unwrapping commenced.  At first he was really into it, but once he opened his Magic Oven playset he just wanted to cook!  He really enjoyed the stockings though, he loved his new flashlight and immediately put on the hat that I had knit him.

Time for a late traditional Christmas breakfast of a Dutch Baby, and then it was preparing for family to come.  Brian "built" an additional leaf for our dining room table in like 20 minutes and we had plenty of room for everyone!  Nana, Papa, my aunt and cousin, and Brian and Kim all came over to celebrate.  Good food, family, fun stories....it truly was a great day.  It really was what Christmas was all about.

Today is going to be your typical "Day after Chrstimas" for us.  Just comfy, playing with new toys and chilling out.  It sounds perfect.  :)

Merry Christmas to all our friends and family!

Muggin' for the Camera

Here's my latest scan....Baby #2 @ 35 weeks.  He's looking right at us!  It was a tough shot for the tech to get because he was busy playing with his feet on his head.  (How does he have the room to do that???)

In comparison, here's a scan of his big brother Will.  What do you think, do they look alike?  :)

Winter Wonderland

Well, my birthday didn't go quite as planned.  Usually it doesn't...that comes with the territory when you have a December birthday.  Last year we got snowed in for three days...this year Brian got a sinus infection and THEN we got snowed in today!  I shouldn't say so much snowed in, more like "voluntarily-put-off-going-anywhere!"  With plenty of stuff to get done for the holidays, plus finishing moving Will into his new bedroom, I didn't feel a huge need to dash out.  Daddy cleared snow this afternoon (and he's feeling much better, thanks to a neti pot) and he beat feet to the local shopping plaza extravaganza.  He asked me if they were closing at 4pm today and I was like "Are you nuts???  The last weekend shopping day of the season?"

So there was wrapping during Will's nap.  And knitting, lots of knitting.  And bringing clothes from one bedroom to another, and bagging up too-small stuff.  I was a little surprised at how EXHAUSTING it was to transfer clothing from the nursery to the new bedroom!  But I am ready to start washing little baby clothes in Dreft, put bedding on a crib when it gets set up after the toddler bed gets taken down and putting newborn diapers in the Winnie the Pooh diaper stacker.  Bring it on!!  But I'll save all that for another day, because this afternoon I got a Wiggles Christmas special on pay-per-view and Will wanted to sit in my lap and watch.  He NEVER wants to sit in laps anymore, he's all about "I want to do it BY MY SELF."  So I soaked up the bonus "Will and Mommy" time because pretty soon, it will be shared between Will and Baby.  Wow......sometimes it hits me all over again that I am going to be the mother to two little boys!  :)

The Birthday Post

Tomorrow.....is my birthday!  I manage to stretch it a bit every year though. So today I'm celebrating by going out to lunch with co-workers and then leaving early for an ultrasound.  Tonight, I'm going to see some "mom friends" for a cookie swap.  Tomorrow for the actual day I am going to treat myself to a manicure and pedicure in the morning, which is a little weird in the winter but hey, that's how I want to spend it!   My parents generously offered to watch Will while Brian and I go to a new restaurant in my hometown that I've never been to.  And Sunday night will be a family get-together at Longhorn Steakhouse.  I don't have to cook for three days!  And I'll have pretty feet, Awesome!

But before I can do all of that....I suppose I should get ready for work.  :)

Home Stretch

 Wow.....34 weeks pregnant!  Where does the time go?

I start twice-weekly ultrasounds this week.  I have the diabetes to thank for that...they just have to monitor the baby and make sure that he is growing properly and not being affected by the diabetes.  As long as everything looks good, I won't be having this baby early unless he decides it's time to come out early.

I've got all that lovely tiredness that comes with the end of pregnancy, and I feel like I can't get out of my own way!  It's making for a tough holiday season, but I've given myself "permission" to slack on a few things holiday-wise.  It doesn't make Christmas any less magical if I don't bake twelve dozen cookies for everyone we know, or use photo cards this year instead of writing cards out.  Or finish my shopping list with gift cards.  I just can't believe that Christmas is NEXT WEEK...time goes by so quickly this time of year!

Now that the furniture is here, I'm feeling the crunch of getting the crib upstairs and all those baby clothes washed in Dreft and put away.  It's so funny, with Will I was totally psyched to do all of that prepwork.  This time it's more of a chore. Will hasn't slept in his big boy yet....at the last minute he decided that it was dark in the room and wanted his "little bed."  I'm racking my brain to come up with ways to make his new room seem more attractive.  I think tonight we'll decorate a little Christmas tree in there, and maybe color.  I don't want to force him into sleeping in the bed and I know that we have some time.  And let's be serious, we all know that the baby won't be sleeping in the crib when he first arrives!

_________________________________________________________________________________
UPDATE:   Here's what the babe is up to: Today's ultrasound(my first since week 18) shows him growing nicely and measuring at around 5 lbs 3 oz  The reason for the sciatica is because all of his weight is on my left side.  (makes sense that my left side hurts all the time, doesn't it!)  He also gave some good kicks and shimmies, twice he kicked so hard the tech asked if it hurts when he does that.  Well...sometimes!.  There were white lines around his head and the tech said that he has a full head of hair and that it is long!  I also asked the tech today to check and see if he was head down already, and he is!  I thought that's what was going on Sunday night....he turned rather quickly and it was intensely painful!  Had this been my first, I think I would've been worried and called the doctor.  But I knew what was going on, thank goodness!  No good stills today to scan, but with going twice-weekly, I'm bound to get a pic sooner or later.  AND he stuck his tongue out too!  :)

Cookie Time is Here Again!!

It's that time again.......Christmas Cookies!  I came home from work on Friday and thought it would be a fun activity for Will and I to make some cookies together.  I'll be the first to say that this wasn't one of my "better" ideas!

Let's start with the traditional Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies!  Why those first?  Because the dough has to chill out in the fridge for a while and you can make something else while that occurs.  Though just reading that last sentence, I have to laugh.  Making more cookies while the dough is chilling.....HA HA HA HA HA!!!  What a chore when a toddler is helping!  Will added extra salt, and poured an entire cup of flour onto the kitchen floor.  Luckily, I was able to remove most of the additional salt with the help of a spoon.   By the time we mixed up the dough in the Kitchenaid and put it in the fridge, two hours of chilling put it way past bedtime.  I made the executive decision  to let the dough chill overnight and I would bake the cookies on Saturday morning.

Saturday morning....no go.  Instead, I had a hair appointment and knocked out most of the rest of my Christmas shopping.  (Made record time in Target with getting ALL my gifts and getting checked out in less than an hour, thankyouverymuch!)  I finally got around to cutting out the cookies and baking them Saturday evening in time for Bubby to go to bed.  On to Sunday....

Sunday we had a birthday party to go to about forty miles away.  We had intentions of going out to dinner, but Will fell asleep in the car and there was NO way I was waking him up and taking his grumpy alter-ego into an eating establishment.  It just wouldn't be fair to the other patrons, not to mention terrible for us.  :)  So here we are.....mixing up frosting and decorating cookies at 7pm on Sunday.  And then....cookie-decorating lost out in the toddler popularity contest to the Dora the Explorer Holiday Special!  Ahhh.......I managed to stretch out ONE batch of cookie-making into three days!  Well, I did say that we were cutting back on the baking this year, and it's more enjoyable to stretch it out, right?

Tomorrow....Brian's favorite:  Coconut Macaroons!

(cross-posted at Blue Plate Special)

Drumroll.....The Big Boy Bed Has Arrived!

It's Here!  It's Here!

Bob's Furniture delivered Will's big boy bed while I was Christmas shopping.  The furniture guys had the new dresser and trundle bed put together in less than 45 minutes.   Will liked it so much, he asked Daddy if he could nap in it.   And I was worried that he wouldn't like it!

Now I have bittersweet emotions over the whole thing.  I'm thrilled that he likes the new bed, and actually wants to sleep in it.  But now this means that he won't be sleeping in the room next to ours.  There is a bathroom between our rooms, and a door leading from the bathroom to our respective bedrooms so I could peek in on him at night.  I even would sneak in and give him a kiss while he was sleeping, or when he was a baby, watch him sleep.  Now he's on the other side of the house, which feels like the other side of the state.  No more running into our room on weekends, proclaiming "It's morning-time!  Time to wake up!"  Well, he can't open our bedroom door just yet, so that may be short-lived.  Plus I'm happy that once we move all of his belongings into his Big Boy Room we have the nursery back and can start our baby preparations.  Y'know, bringing the crib back upstairs, and washing those tiny baby clothes in Dreft.  And unpacking teeny-tiny diapers and onesies.  I'm looking forward to that part.

But an empty toddler bed tonight.....that might break my heart.  Just a little.

Scrap Hats for Charity!

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I wanted to knit baby hats and other items from some of my yarn stash to donate to charity during the holidays next year.  So far I've made FIVE.  I am impressed with how quickly they go, and really, I'm just making them between projects.  Four of them are just from leftover pastel cotton yarn from my "Cascading Colors Baby Blankie" and I still have quite a bit of yarn left to make more.  So that is four babies getting little hats at the hospital when they are born, with the hats from cotton scraps that otherwise would have gone to waste.  Damn, I'm proud of that.  :)  I wonder how many hats I can create from that leftover cotton yarn?  Tune in to see......

Starting Traditions

Now that Will is a little older and seems to really be getting into the holiday spirit, I've gotten to thinking about little traditions that I'd like to do every year.  First, let me say that I love how he gets out of bed in the morning and the first thing that he wants to know is if it's Christmas yet.  Like we'd let him miss it.  :)

While buying yarn for a baby blanket (not for me) at Michael's last month, I picked up one of those cheapie Advent calendars.  You know the kind--you open a cardboad flap every day to a chocolate surprise.  Not quality chocolate of course, but a little treatsie for my toddler.  Plus, I thought that it would help him continue learning numbers.  He knows 1-10 very well, and can usually get through 12, but when prompted after that I get "there's NO more numbers, Mommy!"  It turns out that he loves the tradition of a chocolate Advent Calendar.  So much in fact, that on the third day of doing it, he sneaked it off the counter and suddenly December 3rd also became December 14, 15 and 23.  Guess there really won't be "any more numbers" after thirteen.  :)

Another day we were in Target and he spied a gingerbread house kit and totally begged for it.  So I gave it, thinking "this could be a fun thing to do together."  My mom saw it on my dining room table one day and strongly suggested that I put it together by myself one night and then decorate it with him the next day.  I haven't done it yet, but I suspect that she is right. 

And of course....the cookies.  We're known for baking oodles of cookies this time of year.  But we've been so busy lately, and with sciatica issues and diabetes, we're really going to cut back.  But, we'll definitely make some roll-out sugar cookies for my little man to decorate! 

What kinds of holiday traditions do you and your family have?

Knitting Party

I belong to a local knitting group that meets at a coffee shop a couple times a week.  We have an annual Holiday Ornament Swap.  There's a theme (this year was stars/snowflakes) and the rule is that the item has to be handmade.  Not necessarily knitted, but handmade.  I offered to host it at my house because Brian and I love parties.  :)  Everyone brings an appetizer/dessert to share and generally a good time is had by all!
I'm happy to say that yesterday's crappy storm did not put a damper on my knitting party!  Though it certainly did try....nine inches of snow, followed by rain and lots of thunder/lightning.  We had tons of delicious food and everyone participated in the ornament swap.  One lady brought her ten-year-old daughter, whom Will absolutely adored playing with!  She read to him and gave him piggyback rides, which he had never done before. 

So anyway, we're all sitting around my dining room table, opening swap gifts.  Such beautiful things....beaded ornament balls, felted stars, little painted chalkboards....so cute!  After all the unwrapping was done and we'd taken pictures and oohed/aahed over each other's work, I noticed that some of the ladies were giving me sly smiles.  What's up, you say?  Then they presented me with baby gifts that each person had made!  Such gorgeous things....a knitted turtle named Sheldon, a crocheted baseball cap, several pretty bibs, and an elephant pacifier holder.  I can't wait for baby to arrive, so he can wear his latest knitted fashions and snuggle with his Sheldon!

Thanks for an awesome time, ladies!  Can't wait for our next swap.

Wordless Wednesday: Santa's Helper

 

The Snowman Band

I find that the closer I get to my due date, the more I think about Will's babyhood and just how much he's grown in the past three years...it really hit home this weekend when we were decorating.  I used to buy these Snowmen musical things at Hallmark every year, they play carols and shake and shimmy around.  He loves them!  He carries them all over the house, setting them up to serenade around the refrigerator, to entertain the dog and usually insists that they all have to play their songs at once.  And dancing, oh the dancing.....he loves to dance to their collective noise.  Sometimes by himself, sometimes with Mommy or Daddy.  I'll admit, sometimes tripping over the "Band" on my way to the bathroom is annoying, but I sure get a kick out of how much joy they bring him!

Just two months old, and already a big fan.  

 

Christmas 2007:  A year old and still loving their tunes

 

Taken last Sunday, age three.  "Rockin' around, the Christmas Tree...."

Let's Decorate!

We're taking the decorating a little slow this year.  Daddy put up our tree last week, where it has sat in the living room, naked except for lights.  (I'll say it again...thank goodness for pre-lit trees!)  After breakfast, we put on the "Sounds of the Seasons" TV channel and set out to make our tree beautiful.

 Daddy is the tallest, so he puts on the ribbon garland.

 

 Hooray for decorating Christmas trees!

 

 Getting a little help putting on the ornaments.

 

 Will found the musical snowmen...and enjoyed dancing to their music.

 

 The finished product.

 

Note the fifth stocking on the end....a Winnie the Pooh one for Baby #2!

When Bees Attack....in December!

Ah yesterday.....a record-breaking day in New England, weather-wise.  It was gorgeous, almost 70 degrees!   Short sleeves to work, leaving the jacket in the car.....so nice!  Well, 'cept for one thing......

I had an appointment with my diabetes doctor in the morning.  I'm sitting in the waiting area, hoping to have my name called soon so I can get to work.  Suddenly, I feel this buzzing around my head.  This fly keeps swooshing by me, and I keep dodging and looking around me.  I'm sure I look a little nuts to the other people waiting, but hey, I'm used to that.  :)  The "fly" makes one more devil pass, and this time I can feel it just sitting on top of my head.  I reach up to touch it and have the sinking realization that it must be one helluva fly, because it's big and it's not coming out of my hair!!  Those that know me know that I am a total bugophobe....and it doesn't take much buggy-wise to get a hell of a reaction out of me!  Maintaining composure (and breathing deeply) I ask to use the ladies' room.  One quick glance tells me that I can't handle this alone.  So, with panic in my voice, I ask the receptionist for help with the monster fly in my hair.  She takes one look and freaks a bit as she tells me that's no fly, it's a yellowjacket!!!  AUUUGGGHHH!!! 

So, she's trying to swat at it, and when it finally unearths from my hair, I run for the bathroom and close the door.  That's when she decides to tell me that it keeps heading for the bathroom.  Double AUUGGHHH!!!!  No way am I opening that door.  What is it about my hair.....do bees like Paul Mitchell shampoo and conditioner?  Finally, it meets a deadly end with a fatal blow with a medical chart.  Meanwhile, I think everyone in the waiting area was ready for me to go into labor and have the baby right there.  Took me a while to catch my breath and keep my heart in my chest, but I managed.  Crisis averted, the bee is dead.

 Apparently, when you have a warm day in December, bees get confused and come out of the hive.  How it wound up in a doctor's office I'll never know!!

"Burping Juice"

The Scene:  A D'Angelos restaurant.  Brian and I had met there after work with Will for a quick dinner before Mommy headed out to finally see New Moon with friends.  (New Moon, BTW, better than Twilight but still...eh.  The kid that played Jacob Black was beautiful though!)

We ordered Will a kids meal with a ham and cheese sandwich.  Kiddo drink options were a bit limited, only lemonade and orange soda.  I already knew that Will didn't like lemonade, so yesterday was the first time we'd ever given him soda.  I brought the cup over to the table, and he immediately asked where his chocolate milk (aka beverage of choice in a restaurant) was.  I explained that they didn't have chocolate milk and that I had brought him an orange soda instead.  "What's soda?"  Knowing that he loves to "pretend burp" and then shout "EXCUSE ME!!!" and giggle, I told him it was kind of like a burping juice.  He was all for it....took a big sip.  And?  Immediately grimaced and opened his mouth, letting orange soda fly out of his mouth and seep into his blue t-shirt.  "Blech!  That's too hot!"  So Will's not a fan of carbonation.

Later on in the meal, I'm sipping my Diet Sprite with my pastrami sandwich, and Will begs for a sip of my "water."  I told him, "it's not water, honey, it's more burping juice."  "Yes it iss.......it's water!" he sing-songs back.  Well....ok buddy, here you go!  One sip and PAH!  Same reaction. 

So I have probably the only kid on Earth that doesn't like soda, and I feel lucky!  (though this obviously may change at any time)   I loved soda as a kid....and have the fillings to prove it!

Holiday Hustle n Bustle

The turkey's done.  Leftover pie scraped into the trash.  (sniff sniff)  Our house is slowly being transformed into its Christmasy stages.  The Hustledown is officially on! 

I totally feel behind the eight-ball, and I'm not sure why.  I feel like I have to rushrushrush everything, from getting the tree up to the Christmas cards made out to shopping for gifts and everything in between.  It must be the pregnancy....the holidays don't usually have this much of an affect on me.  But it's driving me crazy, like everything has to be done NOW!!!  How do I tell my preggo brain to come off overdrive and enjoy some of this?  Because really, soon after Christmas, we'll be forever changed to a family of four.  Send me some patience, please!  :)

"Liberry"

I've had some library books kicking around my car for at least a week now...and I only remember that they needed to go back when I climbed into the passenger seat last night and stepped all over them.   Plus I have the next two Sookie Stackhouse novels on hold.  I LOVE how you can go onto the library's website, request a bunch of books, choose a Central MA library location and then get an email when your books have arrived there so that you can pick them up.  I've read 63 books on my Goodreads list this year mainly because of that feature and I haven't bought very many books.  At the beginning of the year I swore that I would get books either through the library or through Bookmooch.  It's saved me a ton of money, since I'm a total bibliophile!  I can't even tell you how much I love to read, I always have. 

Will loves reading books with us, which is something that I'm proud to have passed on to him.  However, I buy him a lot of books.  So, for an educational experience, I brought Will with me to the library this afternoon to go through the stacks of books.  He originally wanted a "book about elephants and race cars" but we didn't find any of those.  He also grabbed a bunch of books written in Polish, and was disappointment that Mama can't read Polish.  :)   He had a tough time grasping that we "borrow" books instead of buying them, but was thrilled that he was going home with two Curious George books, two Christmas books and a "Clifford the Big Red Dog" DVD.  I explained that we borrow books, and then bring them back in order to get more.  I hope that he doesn't throw a fit when I try to return them!

Black Friday

Thanksgiving is over so quickly.  I mean, you sit down ot a Thanksgiving feast, eat to your heart's content and then come back later to eat some more.  You bring oodles of leftovers home, (Thanks, Mom!) and then BOOM!  The Christmas season has begun.  Today is Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, and the stores opened at midnight to crowds of people pushing their way in to get their Christmas shopping deals.

Not us!!  We woke up leisurely to Will jumping in bed with us at 8am (that never happens) and Joey the dog joining us too.  Now Will's eating toast and raisins and we're drinking coffee (Brian's having pie for breakfast) and perusing what to do.  So much more relaxing than throwing elbows at Walmart or camping out in front of Toys R Us. 

Hmmm....so what to do, what to do?  Well, we're going to paint Will's room today!  After the room is painted, we can order his big boy bed!  It's coming together, folks!  With 59 days to spare.  :)  Maybe we'll start cleaning up to decorate the house for Christmas.  And tonight, we'll get together with some friends for pizza.  All of that sounds much better than shopping today. 

What Matters after a Long Day

Yesterday was a truly long day at work.  Auditors, deadlines, conference calls, general doom and gloom...and then topping it off I ended up staying late to run around town to get paperwork signed in order to make the ominous deadline.  I hate scrambling around, looking for alternative child care because I can't pick up Will and cancelling appointments, etc. 

I got home at 6pm, with a black cloud over my head.  Grumbling, I opened the front door and was greeted by a crossing guard.  Crossing Guard, you say?  Will, upon hearing me come up the stairs, came flying into the living room wearing a jacket, Phillies baseball helmet and carrying a Stop/Go sign taped to a drumstick.  "STOP, MOMMY!  I am a crossing guard!"  Black cloud instantly dissipated, and I stopped in my tracks to obey the crossing guard.  When he said it was ok to go, I laughed and gave him a kiss.  How do kids know how to do that???  Apparently, when Brian picked him up tonight, he said that he wanted to be a crossing guard.  He picked out the jacket and helmet, and asked Brian to make him a stop sign "with octogons" of course!  Know what else helped?  A big pot of spaghetti boiling on the stove...since I had forgotten to eat a snack like I'm supposed to late afternoon. 

So this is the way that  I am going to ease into a Thanksgiving post.  No matter what happens during the day,  I come home to the best husband and son a girl could ask for.   (And the dog is pretty fabulous too)  I'm thankful for a kid who dresses like a crossing guard, loses his Brown Doggie on a nightly basis and makes us scourage for him, and tells me that he wants turkey for dessert.    I'm thankful for my husband, who puts up with preggo hormones and has dinner waiting at the end of a long day.   He is truly my rock, my light at the end of the tunnel. 

Here are some other things that I'm thankful for:
-My family:  parents, brother and sister-in-law
-Employment.  It drives me crazy some days but I still love my job and there are still lots of people out there that aren't working. 
-Baby shimmies and kicks.  This little one in my tummy is really active! 
-A yarn stash and plenty of needles.  I'm glad that I found a hobby that keeps my mind and hands busy.
-The Public Library.  In the last year, many libraries in MA have slashed their hours due to budgeting, or closed altogether.  I'm thankful that I can get my fill of books for free still. 
-Blogging!  Sometimes I'm surprised at how happy I am to do that.

What are you thankful for?  What matters most to you at the end of the long day?

Happy Thanksgiving to All!

Rainy Friday

I woke up to the darkest, rainiest day I've seen in a long time.  Even Joey didn't want to go outside, instead preferring to give me dirty looks from the other side of the slider.  If I wasn't hoarding vacation and sick time for maternity leave, Will and I would pile up in my bed and watch silly movies.  All day long!  All snuggled, warm and safe from the crappy day outside.  We'd play with Play-Doh and fingerpaint, and I'd make quesadillas for lunch.  And when he napped, I'd knit and catch up on Desperate Housewives.  All of this is wishful thinking on my part.  Instead, I'm tearing myself away from the computer to get ready for work, dropping him off at the daycare and spending a day doing annual apartment inspections.  Blech.

At least Thanksgiving break is coming up, and it's Friday!  I've got to appreciate the small things.

Getting Ahead (for my own good)

Guess what?  68 days til my due date!  That little widget on my blog page sure is handy.  :)

I may be having trouble with getting the third bedroom ready for Will so we can turn the nursery over to the new baby.....but I'm sure ahead of the game concerning Christmas!  (it's the little things that I need to appreciate.)  The next step is clearing out the furniture and buying paint.  Oh, and taking the time to paint it.  I'd really like to do this in the next two weekends because uh-oh, Thanksgiving is next week!  We can't bring any baby stuff upstairs before the room is finished, so we're starting a time crunch here. 

I got a chance for some "alone" time Christmas Shopping last Sunday.  I started super-early not because I want to, but because I have a tough time getting around the stores due to the sciatica.  Since I've been told it's going to get worse, I might as well get it done now.  I've got to say, there are advantages of shopping by yourself while visibly pregnant, people have the tendency to be super-nice to you!  I scored an extra 40% off at Joann Fabrics buying my sister-in-law's Christmas gift.  Then I went over to Christmas Tree Shops (and yes, you have to be slightly tapped in the head to venture in there on a weekend!) and while I was waiting for my turn in line, I felt a tap on my shoulder.  I turned around and an elderly woman asked me if I wanted a "Friends and Family" 20%-off-your-entire-order" coupon.  Why yes, I would!  :)

Home Helper

Yesterday we were working as a family to have a productive Sunday.  Laundry......countless loads of dishes....toy clean-up.....and Brian had planned on trying to fix my shower.  It's been acting weird, whenever you turn the diverter to go from tub to shower, water SHOOTS out of the faucet and across the tub enclosure. 

Having a three year-old's intuition, Will wanted to know what was going on when Daddy turned on the shower.  He begged and begged to "help" Daddy.  Judging from the picture below, I'd say he makes an excellent supervisor.  He also kept Daddy entertained by naming all of Handy Manny's tools.  Daddy then treated him to a boys-only trip to Home Depot for a $2.00 fix!

"Daddy, do bathtubs live in the family room?"

 

Inspecting the bathroom window for deficiencies.

 

"Handy Manny's flashlight's name is Flicker!!"

Knitting Showcase

It's time to show off some of the things that I've been working on!

I had already posted something about this blanket, but realized that I never posted any pictures.  This is called a "Cascading Colors Baby Blankie" from Lionbrand Yarn.  I knit it in July, and I chose the colors because I didn't know if we were having a boy or a girl yet and thought that they were good colors for both!  The crochet border was not part of the original pattern, but when I was finished I felt that it needed "something."  I'll admit that I had help.....one of my residents at work did the crochet border.  I am planning on learning though, in fact I've put "Stitch n Bitch Crochet:  The Happy Hooker" on my Christmas wish list!

I finished this on Friday night, it took me about three weeks of off-and-on working on it.  It's called a Car Seat Blankie, and I found the pattern on Ravelry.    This is also something special for our new baby!  Have you ever tried to keep a blanket on a sleeping baby in a carseat?  It's next to impossible.  I thought that this pattern was ingenious, with a hole in the middle to slip the seatbelt through.  Problem solved!  I can't wait to see it in action.  I made it out of variegated blue acrylic from Red Heart Yarns, which I wasn't crazy about at first.  But the longer I worked on this, the more I liked the yarn.  This knitted up so quickly, I might make another one in a different yarn weight and color.  We'll see what kind of time I have.

I wanted to branch away from items with straight lines for a little bit, so I made this little baby hat.  Not my first time stitching something together, but this was a little bit more challenging than a coin purse that I did previously.  It's for our our new baby as well.  When I finished it, I lamented that it seemed too small for a newborn baby.  My husband said that I've forgotten just "how small" Will was in the beginning and that it will fit just fine.

I also have a couple of other projects on needles right now.  I have a hat mostly finished for Will in navy blue and red yarns, to match his winter coat.  He has also asked me for a scarf, so I will make him a little scarf to go with it from the yarn that's leftover from the hat.

I also recently discovered that area hospitals (though none in my city) accept handmade knitted items for their newborns and preemies. I have a LOT of yarn in my stash...including half-used balls of cotton from the Cascading Colors Blankie, and have come up with a service project for myself.  I have a nice big plastic bag from my trip to Web's last week.  Over the next year, I am going to knit baby items (mostly hats, though it depends on how much yarn I have for each project) and fill the bag.  Sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas 2010, I will donate them to an organization that accepts these items for people who need them.  This serves two purposes:  1.  I get to practice my skills and learn new ones (baby booties!) and use up my stash, and 2.  people who wouldn't normally have these kinds of items will benefit from my knitting addiction! 

What to do, what to do......

Thursday night conversation between Brian and I:

Brian:  "What are we doing this weekend?"

Ginny:  "looong list of obligations, cleaning, errands and running around, Sunday night insomnia and Monday morning regret that we didn't get some things done."

Brian:  "Oh."

When asked this week....I suddenly realized that we have a weekend without plans.  A FREE WEEKEND!!  Not from obligations of daily living of course, but nowhere to go!  Yippeeee!!!!!   Whatever will we do with ourselves??

What Drives Edward...

Saw this over the weekend...I suppose it was only a matter of time for this tie-in...just in time for the release of New Moon!

I heart Northampton

  Yesterday marked my fabulous field trip to Web's.  I went with fifteen other fiber-minded women, armed with a list of specific projects to shop for.  And I came home with enough for that stuff, as well as some as a Christmas gift for somebody special and some more that I could not pass up.  I didn't spend too much, unlike one person in the group who spent the equivalent of half my monthly mortgage payment on angora yarn. (Augh!  Crazy??)  I LOVE Web's!  I could spend a week there.  Or longer.  There's a reason why I only make a pilgrimmage once a year. 

The town that Web's is nestled in, Northampton, MA, is lovely.  It's a college town, but with a big downtown center with lots to see and do.  We had lunch at a place called Fitzwilly's that was pretty decent, and hit a local candy store.  I wasn't going to go in because of the unnecessary temptation, but when I heard they had sugar-free chocolates I had to try it.  I brought home some chocolates for myself, some coconut candies for hubby and gummy-letters for Will.  The sugar-free stuff is pretty excellent.  Don't get me wrong....it's not as good as regular chocolates but if it's what you can have then it's a pretty decent substitute.  It was kind of late on Saturday when we were able to walk around and see the sights, so a lot of stuff was closing.  Sometime I'd like to make a trip out there again with my family, on a sunny summer weekend. 

All in all, the trip was a great success.  And I have a whole bag of pretty new yarns that I can't wait to break out!

On the Mend

Looks like our family is recovering from all of our ailments over the past couple of weeks.  Though I've been to CVS five times in fewer days and they're starting to know me by sight!  Want to know how to kill an FSA account?  Develop gestational diabetes.  I've been thankful for it the last couple of days though, my prescriptions were over $100 yesterday and I only owed a balance of 31 cents.  :)

Joey is doing much better.  He's still on antibiotics and pain killers, but he's looking pretty chipper and loves to bark at the dogs going down the street with their owners in the AM.  And he is certainly enjoying the spoiling that he's getting, like canned dogfood followed with hamburger and rice at night.  That's going to be tough to wean him from having!

My next thing to look forward to is a field trip on Saturday to Web's!  Web's is a GIGANTIC yarn store out in the western part of the state.  Fifteen ladies from my knitting group are traveling together to make a pilgrimmage to the yarn mecca.  :)  I've only been once, and it's really a sight to see, the place is bigger than a Walmart.  Last year I was relatively new at knitting and I just got totally overwhelmed by all of the stuff that they had.  This time I'm going prepared...I've printed out a couple of patterns and made notes on some projects so I know what I'm going after.  We'll be kids in a candy store! 

Wordless Wednesday: The Knight

Poor Puppy

 See that sweet face?  That's our dog Joey.  He's such a love.  And a ham.  And a pain sometimes, and we love him dearly!  Such a good disposition, so patient when Will wants to "chase and scare" him.  Lots of energy, this pup can jump our picket fence in the backyard with those springy legs and can run like nobody's business.

We switched vets this year, and the new vet recommended having Joey be put under anesthesia to have his teeth cleaned.  The quote that they gave us included two extractions if necessary.  We decided to hold off, because it was pretty costly.  Then Joey, who's always had yucky breath, developed halitosis so bad that I nicknamed it "Death Breath."  I figured he had some decay, so we opted to have the surgery. 

We dropped him off yesterday morning, and they promised to call my cellphone when they were done.  They called after lunch, and I almost fell out of my desk chair when they told me that it was worse than they thought, that poor Joe-Joe had to have EIGHT teeth removed!!  My poor, sweet Sato baby!  I feel so guilty.  I asked what could've caused this, and the doctor said that some dogs get more tartar than others, and that it would've helped a lot if we had brushed his teeth daily.  (Bad mom, bad mom, is what I heard in my guilt-ridden little head).)  She said that he would be feeling a lot better very soon.  I had no idea he was feeling poorly!  He didn't act like a dog that didn't feel well. 

So, antibiotics, soft food and painkillers for the next 7-10 days.  And lots of petting and spoiling from his Mom and Dad.  He'll be back to himself in a short period of time.  And when he is, I have a brand new doggie toothbrush and toothpaste set ready. 

Change.

This week has brought some news to our house: I have developed gestational diabetes.


It's not a huge shock, I had it when I was pregnant with Will too. So I know it's only for the next 84 days (yes I've counted) and I know the outcome, that it will disappear by giving birth. But it still sucks.

Counting carbs is no fun. I will likely be prescribed insulin shots next week, also no fun. NO FUN, I TELL YOU! Especially with Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas all coming up before the baby's due. But obviously this is something I can't ignore or wish away, so I choose to remain positive and embrace what's been given me.  I feel lucky, believe it or not, because last time I also had preeclampsia and had to be induced two weeks early because of sky-high blood pressure.  My blood pressure has been beautiful so far, so if I "had" to develop a complication then this is the lesser of the two evils.

So, I do feel a little blue, but I know that the first peek of this beautiful boy after he is born will be worth what little "suffering"  I have temporarily.  However, when my husband or my dad offers to get me a treat after labor this time.....Hhhmmmmmm I'm going to have to think of something absolutely sinful!  :)

Halloween Wrap-Up

Hope your Halloween was as good as ours!   We did get a trick this year.  It's been a warm, windy day.  Imagine my surprise when I went to let our dog out into the backyard this evening and one of the neighbors trees had blown down into our backyard!  

Will thought that trick or treating this year was Awesome!  We visited more houses with Nana this year and he really turned on the charm.  People gave him two or three pieces of candy per house, and sometimes more.   Lots of times people would ask him his name and shake his hand.  If they wanted to talk to him any more than that, he'd politely say, "I gotta go to Halloween!"   One guy said that Will's "Thank you" was the only one he heard all night.  What's up with that??

Arrr!!!!!  I'm Pirate Will!

Trick-or-treating with Nana

"Posing" with our neighbor's grandson, Joshua

We headed home when it started to rain, to hand out candy with Daddy.   Later on at bedtime, Will told me that he wanted to go to do more trick or treating and to still be a pirate.  I'll bet he wants to put his costume on tomorrow, too.

Happy Halloween, Everyone!  :)

Will's Halloween Past

Happy Halloween from our family to yours!  This year Will's going to be a pirate.....a scary pirate! 

From Halloweens past, starting with last year.

Halloween 2008:  Dressed up as a monkey at the playgroup's Halloween Party.  We went trick-or-treating for the first time and he loved it.  :)

Halloween 2007:  Our little cowboy had just turned one year old!  Daddy brought him to a Halloween party at Mommy's work.  The residents at the elderly housing complex all oohed and ahhed.....

Halloween 2006:  Ten-day old Will in his fine Halloween PJ's.  He celebrated with Mommy and Auntie Tracy by snoozing while we handed out candy.  What a cute lil' pumpkin!

Wordless Wednesday: Painting and Phantoms

The Toy War

Every parent faces it, cringes when walking into the room, curses over the tripping over it, and secretly thinks of putting them out for the trash.  Yep, I'm talking about toys.  TOYS!!!  They're the bane of our existence.  Don't get me wrong....we love our kids and want them to have toys and to be happy.  But you watch them slowly take over your house, rendering you powerless.  You try to fight back, get rid of some of them or at least put half of them away to be switched out later.  Ever try to do that with your toddler present?  HA!  Half of what you box up ends up getting trotted back out when your back is turned.  You start to dread Christmas and any other gift-giving occasions.  If the influx of new toys doesn't get you, the overabundance of packaging will surely do you in.  My basement looks like a cardboard recycling plant!

With Will's birthday being last Wednesday, it's been a week of endless party!  (Again, Happy Third Birthday, Sweetheart!)  We hosted a birthday party yesterday that was a huge success, with pizza, cake and a pinata.  Will received some lovely gifts and I am fortunate to have great friends.  In cleaning up the house during Will's naptime today, Brian and I tag-teamed the family room together.  Toys everywhere!  (Lots of happy kids yesterday at our house)  So, in our united front with about two hours before Will gets up, we waged war at the toys.  Brian filled bins and brought them to me at the couch (no crawling on the floor for me these days) and I sorted them in the "keep", "put away" and "trash" piles.  "Keep" was sorted back into the empty bins and toy boxes.  "Put away" was stashed in boxes and traipsed down to the basement for Will's little brother to play with later, or to be switched around with "keep" stuff later.  And trash well, was trash. 

Some of the things in those bins were interesting finds!  For example, LOTS of sandbox toys and other outside toys made it into the house that we didn't even realize.  We sent a big pail back out to the shed filled with shovels, balls and bubble wands.  Another big pail of bath toys went back to the bathroom.  Other odd non-toy finds:  Mom's hairclips, TV remote, lint roller....  Other things that are definitely Will's but won't be stored in toys anymore:  finger paint and playdough.  Especially playdough, our vacuum doesn't like picking it out of the rug! 

By the time Will had gotten up from his nap, Mommy and Daddy had completed their task and were pleased with their (temporary) victory.  We opened up birthday presents and put them away to be played with.  And celebrated by painting with Will at the newly de-cluttered table and chair set.  Wahoo!!!  Let's see how long it stays that way. 

Stashin' Fool

With Baby #2 making his debut in January and it being the end of October, I've finally gotten serious about cleaning out that back bedroom this week.  (Hey, I work well under pressure.)  The supply closet that held all my craft supplies has been packed up, and the cabinet was given away on Freecycle.  (Without incident, I might add!)  I redecorated a bit in our bedroom for free by reusing the IKEA duvet that was in the spare room, hanging some pictures from there and putting my collection of porcelain shoes on the dresser.  Next up is getting rid of the full bed by freecycling the headboard, footboard and rails.  (the mattress and boxspring are destined for the dump)  NO, I'm not going to attempt to do this myself at seven months pregnant.  Not only for reasons of pregnancy and sciatica by itself, but I have a bit of shortness of breath going due to the baby smacking himself into my diaphragm, making my lung capacity smaller and deep breaths not really attainable.  Me moving the bed would make quite a spectacle, get me breathing like a Janet Jackson track.  ("Control," anyone?)

In my attempt to become organized, I tossed all of my yarn into a laundry basket.  Holy crap...that sucker was full to the brim!  Now....how do I store this, and how do I know in the future what I already have so I don't buy more?  (Ha ha, like I'll stop buying more.  Sorry, Brian.)  We made a family trip to Walmart and I found some great storage containers with wheels that fit perfectly under the computer desk.  I'm SO glad I came home with two of them, because it was necessary.  I spent about an hour entering them in my "stash" on Ravelry.com.  Ravelry is a cool community of knitters and crocheters, where you can see what your friends are working on, browse patterns and show your own work.  The patterns are searchable, and one such filter is to use yarn from your "stash." So I believe this will be worth it in the end.   Or, at least I have the delusion of believing that I will be organized.  I'll hold onto my hopes.  :)

Happy Birthday to You, Will!

Dearest Will,

Happy Third Birthday!  I cannot believe how big a boy you are getting to be.  I love having conversations with you and watching your wheels turn as you discover new things in your world!  I am in awe as you want to do everything "by yourself!" but still want me to read you stories and snuggle with you at bedtime.  You are Mommy and Daddy's pride and joy. 

This next year is going to be very special.  You will become a big brother, you'll go to school to learn stuff with other kids, and lots of other exciting stuff.  We can't wait to see what's in store!  Happy Birthday today, and always.  We love you!

Love,
Mommy and Daddy

 Will's 2 year portrait

 

 Thanksgiving, 2007

 

 Playing at Toby's house, February 2008

 

Daddy and Will, Christmas Eve 2006