Momma has been promising for weeks to let us make some more Christmas ornaments.  These ornaments are a kind that you make and then bake in the oven.  Then you get to paint them.  I really liked mashing the dough with my fingers.  Momma told me it's called kneading.  I wanted to make reindeers.  Momma asked Britt if he wanted reinders or Santa on his, but he begged for snowmen, so we looked and looked till we find something the right size to make his snowman circles.  After we cooked them we had to wait a long, long time to paint them, they had to cool off.  I think they turned out great, but you can't peak.  You'll see them soon enough.

Yesterday, while Ruth took her nap, me and Brontosaurus helped Momma make Christmas cookies.  I told her that we had to make some for Santa Claus.  We made chocolate chip cookies, and I decided that we should have them without nuts.  I don't like nuts.  When we woke up this morning, one was partially eaten and all the milk I left him in the cup was gone, so he must have been here.  I told Momma that he left me a note, but we couldn't find it.  Momma said we could look for it again later, it was time to get in the car and go.

Well, the kids are finally off to bed, and what a day it's been.  We did manage to make our ornaments, and when the last of the paint dries some of them will be wrapped up for presents.  We made cookies, that I think have a little too much brown sugar in them, but the kids didn't complain.  After supper we opened presents.   Bro. Joe and Sis. Elin got the kids some books.  Bro. Ralph and Sis. Sue got Britt a Thomas the Train DVD set, and Ruth got a vacuum cleaner.  The vacuum cleaner was a huge hit, especially comical seeing as they both run screaming when you fire up the real one.  Britt begged and begged Ruth to let him help vacuum, so she did share a little.  Their big gift was from Ahna and Grumps.  Rather than them getting it back at Thanksgiving, and us trying to get it back home in the car, they had it shipped to us.  It was a play table/kitchen.  It has an interactive feature for all the food stuff they got from my brothers, so tonight the kids were having a ball cooking and discovering all the neat stuff it would do.  It was alot of fun to watch them.

I love Christmas time: the lights and sparkle, and the way the kids see it all with such wonder.  I love the opportunity to hear Gary read the kids bible stories, and explain to them how God loved us so much, that He sent His son here.  Even though it's cold and we rush from place to place, it's the chance to try to slow down and savor the little moments with the kids each day.  It meant so much to have this special, intimate time with our little family today.  To have that down time with lots of cuddling and talking with the kids.  Britt summed it up perfectly when he looked at me right before bedtime and said, "This was a perfect day, Momma! I love you."

Today marks 32 weeks, and Britt tagged along with me to my doctor's appointment this morning.  He was pretty put out with me last time when I left him at home with Ruth and Daddy.  He was a regular chatter box while we were there, telling the nurses the names of their "doctor tools" and explaining to them that he got a doctor tool box for Christmas.

12-24, 32 Weeks

They asked how the trip to Iowa went this past week, and I told them the drive out wasn't so bad, though I was a bit sore and tired by the time we got there.  It was the drive back that was really tiring.  Being in the car for two whole days with the roads like they were didn't make for a fun ride.  I'm honestly dreading the trip to Florida and back.  If we hadn't already made plans to be there, I would rethink traveling that far.  I wish we could break the trip up more.  But in order to get there in time for some interviews that Gary has scheduled, we are going to have to do the 1200 mile trip to two days.
Other than that they told me that I'm sick and a little on the dehydrated side.  It's tough to remember to drink enough water when we are traveling.  She said that I'm not sick enough to stay home or be worried, but to up my water intake on the way down and back, to avoid more contractions.  Additionally I finally got around to taking the glucose test today.  I wasn't going to take it because I've had no red flags thus far to need it, and it's a really expensive test to not actually have to have it.  They wanted to do it though, and instead of the usual expensive test in the hospital, they subbed 12 oz of Mt. Dew for the 8 oz of gross stuff they usually give you (to have the same sugar content), and just did a finger prick after an hour.  My sugar was a nice 110, but  I did throw up again there at the end.  (Thank you morning sickness!)
Today is Christmas Eve, so after coming home and taking a nap we have a big day planned.  The kids are going to make some more ornaments, and bake chocolate chip cookies (because somehow Britt figured out that you are suppose to leave some out for Santa Claus).  And then after I wrap the last of the presents this afternoon, we are going to probably let them do Christmas tonight, in case we need to leave tomorrow instead of Wednesday.  Then let them do their stockings and cookies in the morning.  Merry Christmas, everyone!

12-10-2012, 30 Weeks

Is it just me, or am I getting huge?  On second thought, don't even answer that question.  I feel huge, but just tell me that I'm looking great.  The morning sickness is back full force.  Since the beginning of the month, I've thrown up at least once a day.  Sunday, I threw up four times.  I'm having the worst time getting to sleep and staying asleep all night.  Between those two I'm tired, and Gary's letting me take more naps.  However, I'm not as uncomfortable since seeing the chiropractor a few times.

This morning I had my doctor's appointment.  Everything looked and sounded good.  Since I haven't done my glucose test, and since we are planning to go to Florida for New Year's we are going to have another appointment on the 24th and do a substitute for the test there in the office that morning.  Then we'll be good to leave for Florida on the 26th.  The baby's heart rate was a steady 134.  Sunday night, baby moved ALOT, and since then I am feeling alot more kicking near my ribs and alot less down low, so I thought she might have turned.  Our doctor agreed with me that baby appears to have finally turned head down... hopefully to stay.  One less thing to have to worry about.

While Ruth was taking a nap today, I got to spend some quality time with the trains... alone.  I played with Perry and told Daddy all about him, and then I read to him.

Back several years ago, when I was still working at Michaels.  I picked up some glass ornaments that were left after Christmas.  We use to do all kinds of crafts with these things in the store.  I've made some as Christmas presents over the years.  They make really nice unique ornaments.  No two ever turn out the same way.  I've had several in the Christmas boxes since way back when, intending to make some for myself, but I've just never gotten around to it.
You can put almost anything inside these - garland, tinsel, bells, etc.  This first set I made by filling them with beads.  I think at Michaels we usually used the seed beads, because they are so small and look so nice.  I mostly had bigger beads, so I did two red/green/white mixed, one layered red and green to create stripes (though seeing how often we move, I doubt it stays that way long term), and another with white, and several shades of blue mixed.  The last one that I made was of silver and gold beads of various sizes, but mostly very small beads.  It was pretty heavy, so I actually had glue the top to keep it from pulling loose and falling off the tree.  I think it looks the best though.
I think they turned out really nicely, and I'm glad that I finally got around to decorating them.  Now I just need to get around to actually decorating that gingerbread man ornament that I hang on the tree every year, and every year Britt wants to know why he doesn't have a face and buttons.

Yesterday we made some ornaments - candy canes.  Britt was a bit disappointed when he found out that they weren't going to be the kind that you can eat.  I needed help with mine, because I couldn't figure out how to get the beads on the wire.  Britt did his own, in his own weird pattern, but after a while, he made Momma help him too.

On Thursday, we decorated our Christmas tree.  Daddy brought it in and set it up.  He put the angel on top after trimming it a little.  Then Momma put the lights and garland on the tree.  Finally, after waiting and waiting, Ruth and I got to hang all the ornaments.  Momma wouldn't let me hang all of the ornaments, she said some were breakable.  She hung all of those really high up for some reason.

 I've done some crafting over the weekend too.  Over the summer my brother, Matthew and I went through a bunch of stuff he had boxed up.  I got a ton of crafting stuff that he decided he didn't want to hang on to any more.  Stuff from Michaels that he got when the store went out of business, stuff from Hobby Lobby on clearance, or just some stuff that he got on a good employee discount.  I got a ton of cross stitch, some beading stuff to add to what I already had, and several projects for Christmas crafting.  I already had some ornaments that I had been meaning to do something with from my Michaels days, but just had never got around to it.  So I set up the piece above for the table, and added some battery operated lights to the wreath.  I also made some ornaments, but that's a post for another day.
 Tonight, Gary started hanging the outside Christmas lights.  I used the garland that I have used in the past to go up the stairs and around the fireplace to go around the door this year.  It doesn't lay quite right, and the wind has pulled it loose a few times, but I like the way it looks around the door, it just needs some lights in it.