A Day to Relax!

Who knew that Advent activities could wear a person out?!! Perhaps, it's the pregnancy that's exhausting me, but we have certainly been busy with a number of different Advent activities from Kaylee's calender. Today's activity is opening an early Christmas gift (some Christmas sleepers!), and I am thrilled to finally have a day to relax, to say the least! Not that we haven't had a great time with each new day that comes along, as you can see in these photos:

We've been baking!

We went to see some Christmas lights and displays!

We even made a
birthday card for Jesus!

We've been dancing!

We've been reading some
new Christmas books!

Kaylee and Daddy
made a Gingerbread house!

Kaylee has really enjoyed each and every day, and she is counting down the days until Christmas! That's not to say she's been a perfect angel in these days leading up to the big day. It's definitely been a challenge to get her to behave - as it usually is around the holidays! I'm sure if I were to pull out some of my old child psychology and development notes, there would be something in there about how anticipation affects a child's nueroreceptors, or something like that! I certainly don't expect her to be her absolute best, all of the time, but she has definitely developed some bad habits over the last few months. She's got what I like to call, "the quick-fire tongue." It's something I'm 100% sure she inherited from her Mama...oops! I was always getting in trouble, as a child and well into my teenage years, for saying something bound to get me in trouble. You never, thoroughly, think through the reaction you may get from said statement. I figured it would be something I'd be dealing with as a mother, but I never imagined it would happen this soon! She does keep us on our toes, and some days, Gene and I just look at each other in awe of the little firecracker we are raising! I know we have many interesting years of parenting ahead of us!

Bryson is enjoying the holidays, as well! Particularly, the goodies!!! I've developed the worst sweet-tooth I've ever had during this pregnancy. For that reason, I was relieved when I passed my blood-glucose test at the doctor's office yesterday! I've been trying to counter all of the sweets with some veggies, lately, but I may be too far gone to do anything about it now. I have gained around 15 pounds, so far, and I'm only in week 25! Bryson may have be put on a diet after the holidays are over! I remember that, with Kaylee, I gained the most weight in the third trimester, but I was also stuck with my feet up or in bed most of that time, as well. If I can manage to keep active, maybe the end result won't be as detrimental this time! And don't go telling me the old, "You are pregnant....your supposed to gain weight!" This boy is only around a pound-and-a-half, right now, and the other "stuff" only accounts for 5-7 pounds, so the rest is ALL MAMA! Despite the massive gain, I am not really showing too much. I felt huge with Kaylee, so we'll see what happens in the next few weeks with Bryson. It's been a totally different pregnancy, so there's no telling what is ahead of me! I was able to feel him move at around 15-16 weeks, and we've been able to feel him from the outside for a few weeks now, too. My stomach actually jumps when he kicks, which is always fun to watch! He moves ALL of the time. Some days, that can be exhausing. It will be interesting to see what happens when he doesn't have as much room to do all of that flipping around! We won't get to see him in an ultrasound, again, until around 33-34 weeks. That seems so far away! I informed Dr. Cornett, yesterday, about our conflicts around his due date with Kaylee's dance competitions. She politely told me that she will NOT allow me to travel the week before my due date, so we can only hope Bryson feels ready to come a couple weeks early! I cannot imagine missing Kaylee's very first competition! I told Gene that we will start urging him on his way come March (should we get good results from the next ultrasound, of course)! With any luck, everything will work out...I just have to try not to stress over it!

Well, I think I've included all of the necessary "updates" in this blog! I should really get it wrapped up so that I can finish up laundry still in the dryer and get the house semi-clean for the big weekend! Mom and Dad will be coming over on Christmas Day, for dinner, and I plan on going overboard, as usual, in my holiday ambiance! I'm sad that I only have a couple weeks left to smell the sweet smell of our Christmas tree and enjoy the reds and greens of the season that fill my home and my heart with so much happiness! On the upside, I'll get to continue working on Kaylee's birthday party and Bryson's nursery after the New Year!!! Until then, I'm going to enjoy the rest of the holiday season with the ones I love, and I hope you all get to do the same! Here's wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a fabulously Happy New Year!!!!!!

Love and blessings,
Jessie

Oh, Christmas Tree!!!

Oh, Christmas Tree, oh, Christmas Tree...how I love thee!!!! I LOVE Christmastime! I know...Christmas isn't supposed to be about trees, lights and decorations, but it IS one of my favorite parts. Something about the home feels more warm when it is all decked out in reds and greens.  I take pride in my decorating each and every year. One day, I plan to have a magnificent Nativity Scene, so when we sit together and read the story of Jesus' birth, our children can visualize that very night!

This year, I wanted to put emphasis on the mantle. We spend so many December nights by the fire, so I really wanted to give it some extra "love" this year! Of course, next year, there will be one more stocking added to the mix! I definitely think Santa will feel welcomed as he arrives down the chimney this year!

We chose to place our tree in the center of our living room this time around, and I must say...I love it! No matter what side of the tree that you look at, there is a different ornament to gaze upon. It's tall and elegant...picturesque, if I do say so myself! I can sit at my chair and look up to the north at the star atop our tree and think about the North Star that led the wise men to baby Jesus. I look forward to the memories that will be created in the presence of this year's tree!

Memories... That is what I had in mind when I decided to do an Advent calendar this year. I did some searching on the internet on Advent ideas. Many people give their child a small gift each day of advent, but I wanted our family to get something more from this new tradition. I found the idea on Pinterest to use Christmas socks strung up like stockings as a calendar. The next challenge was to what would go in the socks. I gave some thought to what all we had to do in the month of December every year. It seems like we always get caught up in having to do this and go there, and before we know it, things that should have been joyful end up being stressful. Determined to give each of those moments and tasks meaning, I decided to incorporate these things into our Advent calendar. Each of our Christmas socks would hold a small piece of paper with something we could do as a family that day. After a lot of scheduling and organization, our calendar was complete!

I can tell you that there is one excited little girl that looks forward to each day and getting to see what we will be doing! The first day, we started out big! Our task at hand was to go visit with the merry old guy himself, Santa Claus! She was thrilled! We went down to Lochte Feed & General Store because, word had it, Santa was to be making a stop there yesterday afternoon. Sure enough, we arrived in time to be his very first "customer" of the afternoon! Santa asked if she had been a good girl this year. We had discussed the possibility, earlier, that he would be asking her this question. I had told her to be very careful not to tell Santa a lie because he had been watching, so he would know! She replied so innocently and honestly, "I try!" It was very cute! She proceeded to tell him that she would like a pink and white baby crib for her dolls, and Santa said he would see what he could do! We were very adamant with Kaylee only to ask Santa for one thing, fore he has so many children to bring gifts to each year - there's no reason to be greedy! In our home, Santa brings a gift and stuffs your stocking, and then Mommy and Daddy get you other things. I know, for a fact, Santa already has his elves working on Kaylee's baby crib, and I have no doubt that she will be thrilled when she sees in under the tree on Christmas morning!

I hope that I have many more of these stories to share with you as this holiday season continues! We have many more fun things planned, ahead, and more giving to do, as well. I know next year will be even more exciting, with Bryson in tow, and I am looking forward to many wonderful memories to create with my children, as well as new traditions for them to carry forward, too! I hope you are all having a blessed holiday season!!!

Love and blessings,

Jessie