Friday December 4, SNOW DAY!!! And The Weekend Update

It does not normally snow in Houston in the winter, so this year and last year were special in that we got some snow! Josie and Michael and I went out to let it hit our faces. The ground was really wet, and not quite cold enough for the snow to stick here, so we did not get to make a snowball or snowman, but we got some super pretty snowflakes!

Later that afternoon, we went over to my persons mom's house to visit and talk and let the kids play together. There was Chili involved and yummy coffee, which is like icing on a cake if you ask me. I had a pumpkin cheesecake that was just begging to be loved and eaten, so I took that over for anyone to enjoy, and to my surprise... almost everyone tried it and liked it! YAY!

Saturday I woke up and got started making chili for Helen's birthday dinner that we were celebrating that night. I also had an apple pie from scratch to make. :) I spent the first 3 hours of being awake on Saturday in the kitchen lol. But it all got done, including an avocado salsa, so that I wouldn't be rushing around later.

I then went to target to run some errands, and had to be back by 3 to go take my person's family Christmas pics. I made it there by 3:30 which is just after everyone else arrived. There were 11 people total! The pics were all taken, including an outfit change, in two locations close to the house, and everyone seemed to be pleased with the way the pictures looked... THANK GOODNESS. Nothing scares me more than taking pictures that no one likes. Although I did not want or expect them to give me money, they insisted, so I obliged them. I will put it towards the just in case we end up with a c-section fund.

Sunday was pretty uneventful, we went to Starbucks got the Sunday paper, went to see the fish and other animals at Petsmart also buying some dog and cat food while we were there. After that we went to Bed Bath and Beyond to get some more K-cups with our 20% off coupons, and then went to see if Kohls had any good deals on clothes for Michael or the girls, which we didn't find anything there, so it was time to head home and put Josie down for her nap. I had some leftover chili, Michael went to hang out at a friends for the afternoon, so I laid down while Josie did. When she woke up I made her a good lunch that she ate, and put on Christmas music and clipped coupons and sat with her while she ate. Then we put up the stockings on the banister, put some bows on the tree, and played until later in the evening. Michael came home just after Josie and I had dinner. All in all it was a special holiday eventful weekend with just enough busy mixed in with the relaxed to work out well. Next weekend the girls will be getting their pictures with Santa! WOOHOO can't wait!

Im so Thankful! Part 1.

Starting from the beginning, I was talking to my sister Shannon on the phone Friday and maybe a little on Saturday about how the whole family (my side of the family -minus my mom, because my parents are divorced, so the "whole family" has to exclude a parent) would be spending Thanksgiving together at my sister Kelly's cabin up in Blue Ridge. The last family reunion was last August, and we were all there, but Dave, who is my sister Shannon's husband (and of course my mom, because it was my dad's side of the family- reunion.) Needless to say, we have all resigned ourselves to not really getting to spend many holidays together. My sisters have husbands and spend time with those families too so sometimes its real hit or miss. I have kids and, me being a stay at home mom, buying plane tickets is not easily affordable. Anyhow, Shannon and I were talking about how nice it would be to see each other for the Holidays, and I am in my 3rd trimester so I wasn't sure that I would be able to fly, nor did we have the money to spend on 2 tickets, just before Christmas and the delivery date. We talked and Shannon said that if I was game, that she was going to look into tickets.

Sunday I woke up super early. Laid in bed awake from 4am til 5 when finally I went downstairs to set up coffee to brew and eat some cereal. I was standing in the kitchen, and checked my phone and saw that I had an email. OMG!!! It was a flight itinerary for later that morning... as in I needed to get Josie and I packed, and me showered and FAST!!! As it turns out, that email was not the tickets that she bought... about a half an hour before we would have had to leave for the airport, Shannon texted me that she had not purchased that flight, nor did she realize that it was a flight that was going to be leaving in a couple hours hahaha. So I called he and we ironed it all out and since I was packed and ready and so was Josie, we were able to get a flight booked for a couple hours later, so I was able to sit down and let my head stop spinning from the craziness and the tiredness... we were able to go to Starbucks and Sarah met us there to say bye to Josie and give her hugs and kisses.

We made it to the airport on time, Michael parked and got us all situated up to the security line, which was sweet of him. We all miss each other already. Josie decided that she was going to have a god potty training day all day! Each and every time that she had to go potty, she told me, and we went to the bathroom and she used them, even public self flushing toilets! EVEN THE ONE ON THE PLANE!!! Can I tell you how small those damned bathrooms are? OH EM GEE! There was not enough room for my 31 week pregnant belly to bend or squat down hardly with a toddler in front of the potty so that I could pull her pull up down. She hasn't gotten savvy to the pulling up and down her own pants or pullups yet. That will come soon I hope. Anyhow, we made it here. The plane landed at 6:30 Atlanta time, and Brian was at the airport to pick us up. We had about a 35 min drive to the house, chicken noodle soup was made and ready for us, with cheese bread and grapes, mmmm. Finnegan waved when we came in and flashed us a HUGE smile. It was awesome. I had to wash my hands first and Josie's because we were just at the airport all day, and where as we had washed our hands several times, it just needs to be a good habit. Finn stayed up about an hour past his bedtime to visit more. Josie said "Night" over and over again, for the first time ever. We got our jammies on when Finn did, and we were soon to go to bed after. I was delusional tired. We called Daddy to say night to him. He said that the house was too quiet. :( I told him I was sorry and that I missed him a bunch.

Good thing is though, my person's family decided to stay home for this Thanksgiving, and they said that they were hoping to come eat with Michael, so he will have some people to share Thanksgiving with. Im just sad that I wont be there to witness Michael's cooking, because truth is, he wouldn't cook if I was there, I am pretty sure about that anyhow.

Today I woke up earlier than I would have liked to, but thats just how it goes. I got to spend time with Finn before he went to daycare, which was super nice. He is such an adorable sweet boy. Today Josie and I get to just hang out and readjust to the new time of day, etc. I need a nap today, to try to recover from me waking up so early and waking up during the night etc.

Most of all I am excited to see us all be able to surprise my dad and Grandma with our visit. We are hoping for tears. We never get to spend holidays all together. I wish Michael was here so bad... He wishes he was here, that he could visit too... but we have to choose and pick how we can. I have to wait to post this, in the off chance that my dad checks this blog regularly, I don't want to spoil it. So, til tomorrow this post will remain in draft form.

Nevermind, the cat is out of the bag. My dad knows, lol. He called Shannon to talk about something and she couldn't keep herself from spilling the beans. *sigh* Oh well. We still get to be together for the rest of the week. :)

Tis the Season

I can't believe that we are already in the holiday season. One day it seems like time is passing normally, then all of a sudden there are days when I am surprised at how far away a date is, or how close a date is coming. I love the holiday season, I love a house decorated with trees, and lights and ornaments, and Christmas Villages, smells of the season like yummy things cooking, or nice woodsy smells of tree's and fires in fire places. Thanksgiving is a week away. I will be doing a bunch of cooking, and hopefully I can get some of the things done the day before, like the desserts so that those are out of the way. We were going to do something other than a Turkey, and then I was like.... but why? Turkey is good, and its traditional, and no one had an amazing idea for an alternative, so lets save the mixing it up for Christmas dinner I say, and everyone agreed. I am assuming that Michael's father will be having a meal on thanksgiving, but if we are eating at that time, then we will just have to make time to visit later in the evening. I don't think its imperative to gorge ourselves if not necessary, and anyhow I am pregnant and my digestion is so darn slow, that if i overeat, I will be in pain and need to sleep til Christmas, but wont be able to get comfortable enough to fall asleep lol.

Today I kinda got on myself about how is Josie supposed to take potty training seriously, when I am not seriously working on it with her, as in she knows that if she is wearing a pull-up that she doesn't have to go to the big girl potty every time otherwise there will be a mess. So today, we are low on Pull-Ups, and I want to save them for when she is sleeping because thats a reasonable accident time. She did pretty well. She is much more willing to use the potty when there is no pull-up as a safety net... and I am happy, that means that this is all happening at the right time. I need to just really stick with it, unless she has a major aversion to continuing potty training. We can do this!!!

On another side note, the baby... (which Michael and I have a couple of names that may be used still... it depends on what she looks like when she is born) she was kicking right behind my belly button, it was very odd feeling, but kinda neat. She even did it when Michael got home from work and he got to feel it, he swears it was her butt, but I think it was a foot or a knee. Also this is the second day where I have really noticed that I am having Braxton Hicks contractions every a couple times a day. During them, I cannot walk at my normal pace, in fact its best if I sit down and wait it out. Nothing to worry about, just one of those pregnancy things that some people have and some people don't. Its hard to fall asleep at night, because I can NOT get comfortable, then when I am asleep, anything wakes me up... so I don't get a lot of continuous sleep, but I am going to chalk it up to mother nature's way of getting you used to sleep deprivation with life with a newborn. Que cera cera though, right?

Ok, this is a late post that I am sneaking in at the end of the day... Maybe my person will enjoy reading it tomorrow, which is Thursday!!! Thursdays are my favorite days of the work week, because our favorite shows are on, and I go over to her house and we watch them together, sometimes there is coffee and treats and other times its just our good company. Either way, its our day, and I love her for wanting to share her Thursday nights with me.

Goals I try to make each week

So I am half way through my pregnancy, and the weather is going to get a little more manageable to be out in, and I have lots of things that I do each week, sometimes daily, yet I have no real structured schedule. We do things as they are needed. So here is my go at making an ideal list composed of daily do's and weekly do's. (to be updated as it comes to me)

As a mom:

1. provide a variety of healthy food options to Josie, to help shape a healthy well rounded diet that she will carry with her for a lifetime (trickier than it sounds for a 2 year old)

2. take a daily walk with Josie around the block, Dingo likes to go too!

3. Get out of the house several times a week, either to a store, or park somewhere to visit, practice patience and sitting well and also to see new people and colors and shapes and places!

4. Art projects at least 3 times a week, including Play doh, coloring, painting etc.

5. Telling Josie I love her multiple times a day, snuggle time, and making sure I show her how much I love and appreciate her, which she is awesome at returning the favor :)

6. Reading on how to help myself get thorough the birth of the new baby... Reassuring myself that I should not let myself wimp out and elect for a repeat C-section because of the fear of the unknown.

7. Work on Potty training for Josie bit by bit.

8. Pushing myself toward giving cloth diapering a try with the next child.

9. Reading at least 2 stories to Josie every day.

10. Teaching manners, and how to listen and be a good person, and doing my best to do the same in my own actions.

For the Home:

1. Keep the house tidy. Sweep, mop, vacuum at least once a week.

2. Kitchen needs cleaning after every meal.

3. bathrooms cleaned weekly.

4. sheets cleaned weekly.

5. Laundry as needed. When basket is full, or sheets changed, straight to washing machine!!!

6. Groceries bought, within budget, with all tastes in mind (again not always easy or affordable)

For me:

1. Spend more time with my person on Thursdays especially to watch our shows, and for our kids to spend more time together... since they are going to be best friends :)

2. Blog more

3. Go on more Dates with my husband, even if its to the movies, or for coffee at a bookstore.

4. Take more pictures and Video (as soon as I get my video camera!! Thanks to my dad and sisters for that one for my birthday! I can't wait to use it!)