17 weeks

Bathroom tile removed, getting ready for bathroom remodel

Cravings: Water and smoothies

Sleep: Still getting up at least once to use the restroom

 

Symptoms: Terrible heartburn

Movement: Baby is moving for sure, not sure how consistent I feel them

Maternity clothes: Not wearing them yet, hoping to make it until the New Year

Size of baby: Turnip

 

What I miss: Diet Vanilla Coke from Sonic

 

Looking forward to: Finding out if baby is a girl or boy; 3 days until the reveal party

Not sure if I will make it?!?!

Jackson holding the secret results

Christmas Day

Christmas morning Brian and I were up before Jackson once again. He slept until 7:30, but every other day of break this week he has been up at 6:15!

 

Santa enjoyed all the cookies and milk and left Jackson a note.

 While breakfast was cooking, Jackson dug into his stocking. Lots of fun goodies!

 Testing out Finn McMissile on the iPad.

 Breakfast was Jesus' birthday celebration. We sang Happy Birthday and put candles on the monkey bread.

Christmas morning family picture

Next up was presents! Jackson started with presents from Santa. He must have been good because he got exactly what he wanted from Santa plus one. 

His rainbow engine truck and big pirate ship were favorites all day.

He even tried out his scooter!

"This is how you scooter, Mom!"

 

 We spent the rest of the day watching some of Jackson's new movies, playing new games, and with new toys. We went over to Aunt Midge's for dinner. It was a great day celebrating God's goodness on our family and just being together.

Christmas Eve

Since Brian had to work, I decided to plan an outing for Jackson and me. We met Cindy and her kids at Monkey Joe's.

The kids jumped and ran around for about 2 hours.



Cindy and I were able to watch them and talk too.

After Monkey Joe's, we took the kids to McDonald's for lunch and they played some more. This was a great idea and made the morning go by so fast. By the time we got home, it was nap time!

After Jackson's nap, we got ready for church. 

I filled a bowl full of snacks for Jackson and prayed he would sit quietly through the service. 

LOVE my boy even though he is exhausting these days!



Church service was great. Jackson enjoyed the snow and candle lighting.

 Once we made it home, Jackson got to open one present. He had been waiting all day for this!

 Dino pajamas="just what he always wanted!"

 Jackson cuddled with me on the couch as we watched The Grinch, ate pizza, and waited for Daddy to come home.

 

We finished our night with sprinkling reindeer food and leaving cookies and milk out for Santa. Jackson went to bed unbelievably good so Santa would come to his house first!



Merry Christmas!

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6

Christmas Party and Show

Thursday morning, Jackson had his Christmas party at preschool. Being the wonderful parents we are, not one of us was able to take off and be there the whole time. Thankfully my wonderful team covered my lunch duty, and I was able to spend an hour with him.

 

Jackson was beyond excited when I got there. He was running around showing me his presents and talking a mile a minute about what they did in the morning. Good thing he didn't miss me too much. I was a little worried because my 1st graders sometimes cry when no parent comes to their party. Aunt Midge being there helped I'm sure!

 I finished eating pizza with Jackson for lunch and then helped him make a gingerbread house.

We had some practice on this activity! As much as I wished I could have made the whole party, we made the most of the time I was there and had a blast.

 (Sidenote about the reindeer shirt: Jackson has wore this shirt no less than once a week since Thanksgiving. It was less than $3 and a bit small, but a 4T was all they had and he really wanted Rudolph with googly eyes.)

 

Jackson had been counting down to go see the puppet show. Second Baptist was putting on The Crazy Christmas Show and he was excited to go. We went Friday night after getting some dinner at Chick-fil-a.

The set was fun and Jackson could hardly wait for it to start.

 The whole show was really fun, upbeat, and about the true meaning of Christmas. They used some oldies and current songs and changed the lyrics to tell the Christmas story. It kept our toes tapping. Jackson even stood up and danced some.

Another fun Christmas activity in the book and on the list for next year too!

16 weeks

Cravings: Peanut butter and fruit

 

Sleep: Still getting up at least once to use the restroom

 

Movement: Baby is moving for sure, not sure how consistent I fell them

 

Maternity clothes: Just ordered a bunch of cute new maternity clothes, not wearing them yet, hoping to make it until Christmas

 

Size of baby: Avocado

 

What I miss: Not much

 

Looking forward to: Christmas break to rest and spend more time with my first baby

 

 

I was feeling a lot bigger this time around than with Jackson. So, I did a little comparison. I guess not! I think I am about the same.

 

So thankful all is going well!

A Christmas Prayer

I heard this prayer by Max Lucado on KSBJ this morning. In light of the recent tragedy, and evil around us everyday, the world is in need of Savior more then ever. Come. Jesus. Come.

 

Dear Jesus,

It's a good thing you were born at night. This world sure seems dark. I have a good eye for silver linings. But they seem dimmer lately.

These killings, Lord. These children, Lord. Innocence violated. Raw evil demonstrated.

The whole world seems on edge. Trigger-happy. Ticked off. We hear threats of chemical weapons and nuclear bombs. Are we one button-push away from annihilation?

Your world seems a bit darker this Christmas. But you were born in the dark, right? You came at night. The shepherds were nightshift workers. The Wise Men followed a star. Your first cries were heard in the shadows. To see your face, Mary and Joseph needed a candle flame. It was dark. Dark with Herod's jealousy. Dark with Roman oppression. Dark with poverty. Dark with violence.

Herod went on a rampage, killing babies. Joseph took you and your mom into Egypt. You were an immigrant before you were a Nazarene.

Oh, Lord Jesus, you entered the dark world of your day. Won't you enter ours? We are weary of bloodshed. We, like the wise men, are looking for a star. We, like the shepherds, are kneeling at a manger.

This Christmas, we ask you, heal us, help us, be born anew in us.

Hopefully,
Your Children