the long winter

This is the winter that never ends....

Remember this?

Now it looks like this, thanks to 10 more inches yesterday. (Sorry, it was taken through my screen because I can't get the back door open in the snow to take a better picture!)

I'm done with this snow!  I think I want to move to Arizona.  Or the Bahamas.  Or at the very least go there until I can see the grass again.

And if the snow isn't frustrating enough (and the resulting stuck-in-the-house feeling), Rachel is sick.  We had to go out in the horrible weather (the roads were terrible!) and take her to the doctor.  He said it could be RSV, which isn't a huge deal unless you're an infant, but the resulting cough could last 5-8 weeks, he told us!  The cough is why we went, because she's been up at night coughing...and coughing...and coughing some more.  Last night she and I spent the 3:15-5:15 AM hours together with her coughing constantly.  The poor thing.  Thankfully, though she has a fever and the cough, she seems to be acting fine otherwise.  She would've missed school today because of it, but it was a snow day, so I guess there's a little silver lining in all of this.  She would've been sad to have missed out on a day at school when her friends were all there.

I thought these were to be my last 15 weeks of a whole night of sleep, but I'm spending them up with my little coughing machine.  I guess I'm being prepared for sleep deprivation a couple of months early....

impatience

I mentioned that Rachel got a new clock for Christmas--an Okay to Wake clock.

It's worked like a charm, and I'm loving the benefits of an extra hour of sleep it affords, since she's not allowed to call Mommy until the clock turns green at 7:00 AM, instead of the 6:00 or 6:15 it used to be. 

But sometimes she wakes well before the 7:00 clock-turning-green time (you can set it to turn green at any time....I've just chosen 7:00 as the time I'll allow her to get up).  This morning my husband's alarm went off (very loudly) at 6:00 and he fumbled with it for quite awhile until he was able to get it turned off.  Rachel heard it from her room next to ours and within seconds she was calling me, which she usually doesn't do, so I was surprised to hear her.  I went in and she asked me to cover her up because she couldn't reach the covers.  She told me she was having good dreams and was going back to sleep.  Sounded good to me!

She settled back down, I got back in bed, and my poor husband started getting ready for his day. 

However, Rachel didn't go back to sleep.  She was quiet, which was great, but she was coughing every 30 seconds or so, which is how I knew she was awake (she's been fighting a cold for a little over a week). 

So at 6:47, she apparently had had quite enough of lying in bed, coughing, and waiting for her clock to turn green (47 minutes must seem like an eternity to a three year old, when it's spent lying in bed, waiting!).  My husband and I both burst out laughing when we heard her call out, at 6:48, "C'mon, clock!" in complete exasperation.

snow fort and 24 weeks

Rachel's been asking since Friday to make a snow family.  Daddy told her that today they could.  But it got so cold last night that when they went outside to make them, the snow was too hard to roll into snowmen. 

Instead, they got out the snow block maker and made a snow fort. 

Rachel said she had fun, but she didn't like the fort because it didn't have a roof or a door.  She obviously hasn't had any snowball fights yet to know that those things wouldn't really come in handy in a snow fort.

Oh, and can you see the cheesy smile? That's what I get when I tell her to smile.  If I want a real smile I have to tell her to say something, like "I made a snow fort!" and then it's more natural.  I didn't do that this time.

In other news, I'm 24 weeks along today.  This weekend's momentous event is that my husband finally felt the baby move.  I don't know how he can miss it, since she's now moving my entire belly with her gymnastics.  Tonight instead of watching the Super Bowl halftime show, I was watching my belly move. (I could care less about The Who, but she seemed to enjoy the music, because she was moving around like crazy!)

And Adrianne, you asked for belly pictures....sadly, this is only the second set we've taken, and they're horrible, but here you go. My husband says it looks bigger in this picture than in real life. He knows just what to say.... :)

sledding for the first time

Heading up the hill for the first time (Daddy offered to pull her in the sled, but she insisted on walking.)

Here's what happened just seconds later.

At the bottom of the hill after the first time down--she liked it!

Next time she let Daddy pull her up the hill.

Ready to head down again

Coming down!

She had trouble getting out of the sled...

With Mommy--I didn't sled (at six months pregnant, I didn't think it was wise).  I was the official photographer.

Ready to head down one last time.

oh the weather outside is frightful...

I can't believe the size of the snowflakes we're getting.  They started around 10:30 or 11 this morning and it hasn't let up since.  We went from no snow on the ground this morning to 5-6 inches in a matter of a couple of hours, and it's still going.  I've heard different predictions from different places, but they're saying anywhere between 8-12 inches of snow for us.

Rachel's excited about making Frosty and a snowman family. 

And I think she and Daddy may go sledding tomorrow.  I'll keep you posted.

recent developments

Dancing

Rachel started a dance class last week.  It's at a church, very laid back, and not at all like I imagine a regular studio class would be, but perfect for her little three year old self, I think.  She was thrilled for the first class and has been asking ever since to go back.  I'm excited that she loved it so much.

Gymnastics

No, not Rachel....this little girl inside of me.  Surely she must be practicing to be a gymnast with the amount of tumbling she's doing in my belly.  This is one active baby!  Rachel moved quite a bit, but this one moves all the time!  I'm not complaining....I love that every time I feel her move my mind is set at ease that she's okay.  I just think it's crazy that she moves constantly!  Yesterday's doctor's appointment revealed her heartrate as "normal," my weight and belly size as "perfect" (wow, wish it was always considered perfect!) and all is a-okay!  I'm so thankful!

DVR

It's the strangest thing.  A week or so ago a friend of mine posted on Facebook that they were finally getting DVR because her husband realized they were the only ones in the world that didn't have it.  I commented that we didn't have it either and would probably eventually cave and get it, but we really didn't have any plans to do so.  And so imagine my surprise when, just two or three days later, without a word about it to my husband, he switched our cable/internet/phone provider, complete with DVR!  Someone came to our door and convinced him to change companies, since we'd be saving a little money. It was just installed this afternoon, so I've been playing with it during naptime today.  It's awesome!  I was watching "You've Got Mail," (a movie I've seen a thousand times), but missed something because I was busy typing this blog entry, so I got to rewind it and see what I missed!  Amazing!  And now I'm skipping the commercials!  Even better!  (Of course, I own this movie on DVD and could just put that in and avoid the commercials, but that's beside the point!)  I've already programmed it to record next week's Lost premier--now we won't have to rewatch (and rewatch and rewatch again, if my husband has his way) online.  He'll be thrilled.

Birthday Parties

Rachel received her first birthday party invitation in the mail yesterday from her closest friend at school.  At first she was so excited, but then she started crying and said, "But I want a birthday party to play with my friends for my birthday!"  Uh oh....what has this started??  I was hoping to keep birthday parties to just family until she gets a little older, but is this going to set her expectations too high?  I'm a little concerned.  I'm happy she got invited and I'm sure she'll have a great time.  I just hope she won't be disappointed if we just stick to family parties for a couple more years.

soft pants

For the last several months (ever since summer was over, really, and she stopped wearing shorts every day), Rachel's decided that she doesn't like jeans or any pants that aren't what she calls "soft pants."  ("Soft pants" are either made of fleece or cotton knit.)  So any morning that I try to get her to wear jeans or corduroys, there is a small battle of wills.  Rachel doesn't usually win (unless it's a day we're staying at home and I don't really care what she's wearing), but it's a battle, nonetheless, and one I'm getting tired of. 

This morning, for instance, I had a pair of jeans out for her to wear to school.  "But I want to wear soft pants, Mom," she told me. 
"You can't wear soft pants every day, Rachel," I told her. 
"But jeans are for boys," she said.  
"No they're not.  Mommy wears jeans, Grandma wears jeans, your friends at school wear jeans," I replied. 
"No, they wear soft pants," she assured me.

I honestly don't really pay attention to what her friends at school wear, and at that point I thought, "Why am I arguing with a three year old?" and told her "You're going to wear jeans today, Rachel.  Some other day you can wear soft pants.  (I honestly don't have enough pairs of "soft pants" for her to wear them every day, or I'd be doing laundry lots more than I already do!  Plus certain shirts don't have soft pants that match them, so they'd never get worn!  I'm all about the matching....and so is she, usually, but soft pants trump the matching, at least in her mind.)

She put them on without anymore complaint.

But today before she went to sleep for her nap she said, "I want to wear soft pants when I get up, okay Mom?"  (She sleeps in just her shirt and a pull up....so when she gets up she has to put pants on again, and the battle could start all over again.)

Ahhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!

to tell the "twoof"

We've been working with Rachel lately about what it means to tell the truth.  It all started when she started telling us after she went to bed that she needed to go potty, but then after we'd get her up, she wouldn't have to go anymore.  We figured out that she was just trying to get out of bed, so we started talking about telling the truth (or as Rachel says it, "the twoof,") and not telling a lie (or what Rachel calls "a live"). 

But I've learned in the last few days that there are some times that you just don't want your child to tell you the truth....

::Yesterday afternoon she was on my lap right after we ate lunch.  I was reading her a book and she kept sniffing.  I finally asked her, "What do you smell?"  "It doesn't smell very good in your mouth, Mom," she told me.  Well, then.  I guess I'd better start brushing my teeth before I read her a story!

::A few days ago she told me, "Mommy, your tummy is SOOOOOO BIG!" (at least I have an excuse right now, but if she starts telling me this a year from now, I'm in trouble!)

::Last night she looked at me and said, "Your hair looks funny, Mom." 

So she's got the truth down....I guess we'd better start working on TACT!

January....bah humbug

I really don't like January.  And maybe it's the almost constant daily snow we've had this month....maybe it's the post holiday slump after such an exciting Christmas this year....maybe it's my pregnancy aches and pains, but this year it's an especially hard January for me.  Ugh.  Spring cannot come soon enough, this year in particular.

But, we've been trying to make the best of it.  Rachel continues to delight and cheer us, of course.  The baby's ever increasing kicks help, too, as it's constant feedback and reassurance that I need that everything is okay in there (except in the middle of the night when I can't get back to sleep because she's kicking!).  And yesterday I finally installed the webcam I got for Christmas and figured out how to "Skype" with my mom.  Rachel was on my lap and we had fun "seeing Grandma" on the computer.  Later last night we talked again, this time with Grandpa and Great Grandpa looking on as well!  She thought it was great.  Hopefully this will add some new fun into our winter days.

I also finally loaded the software for the new camera I got for Christmas, so I was able to download pictures from the new camera.  

This one I took yesterday, at her request, while she was eating a snack.

This one is from a week or so ago when Rachel and Daddy were coloring.  She said, "Mommy, will you take a picture of Daddy and Rachel coloring?"  She never asks that, so I had to comply, though she's been asking that more and more lately, for some reason.  That's her new 150 crayon carousel and her giant Mater coloring poster she got for Christmas.

And this one is from a couple of weeks ago.  She has a furry white scarf which is hollow in the middle, for lack of a better phrase.  I can't really describe it, but you can open it up and she likes to put it on like a dress.  Once she decided that she was white and furry like a polar bear, so every once in awhile she'll say, "I want to be a polar bear," and go get her scarf from her dress up box and put it on.  This time she went to get her polar bear toy as well and posed.  So here are our two polar bears.

(I can't figure out why that's not centered.  It's bugging me.)

Is it February yet?  (February isn't usually a whole lot better, but I am looking forward to the Olympics!)

the ultrasound technician

This morning I walked into Rachel's room, where she was playing by herself while I was getting dressed.  She was laying down, had her shirt pulled up, a cloth over her lap, and was slowly rubbing a toy over her stomach. 

"I think there's a baby in your tummy.  See it on the computer?" she said to herself.

I then realized that she was giving herself an ultrasound, just like she saw the doctor do to Mommy a couple of weeks ago.

What an imagination!

passing the time

So here's how Rachel's been passing the time on these long winter days when we can't go outside....

10) watching princess videos (some things never change....even with a room full of new toys)

9) eating her stocking candy (when she actually eats all of her lunch or dinner...which isn't real often!)

8) talking about her coming baby sister (she thinks we should name her "Rachel")

7) dressing up in her new Snow White or Tiana dresses (asking me if she looks beautiful and dancing around the house)

6) playing with her dollhouse (which actually usually consists of taking all of the furniture out of the dollhouse and playing with it on the floor or table...not in the dollhouse)

5) playing with her cars (she got about 10 or 12 different Cars character matchbox cars for Christmas, which she LOVES--Lightning McQueen and Mater are definitely her favorite, though)

4) coloring with her new 150 color crayon tower (didn't know they made 150 different colors, but they do!)

3) playing Candyland with Mommy

2) playing Candyland with Daddy

1) playing Candyland by herself (when she can't convince either of us to play)

She is OBSESSED with Candyland! Even if she's not playing the game, she gets it out just to look at the cards! She loves the special cards with the pictures on them of the peanut, the lollipop, the gingerbread tree, and so forth. She doesn't even get sad when she gets sent back to one of those spots during the game because she's just so excited to have pulled one of those "special" cards!

the long awaited recap...and the BIGGEST news

I started this post days ago, but let's see if I can actually get it posted while it's still 2009 (but you have to read all the way to the end to find out the other big news)!!

We're home again after a whirlwind weekend. Actually, the weekend wasn't really the whirlwind, but Christmas Day was, and we spent the rest of the weekend recovering. I wish there was a way to spread it all out over a few days so we could savor each minute, because I hate when it's all over, but because of the craziness of the day, savoring is not possible. It just turns into a frenzy of unwrapping, packing up, and going to the next place for more of the same. Maybe next year we can figure out a way to spread it out.

But despite the frenzy, it was a fun day. Rachel had a blast. Here's how it all played out....

Christmas Eve

After Rachel's nap we had a rather rushed Christmas dinner. For the last several years it's become our tradition to eat seafood on Christmas Eve, because my husband and I both love it, but rarely buy it, since it would break our budget to buy it very regularly. Usually it's king crab legs. (Rachel had a hot dog! I decided I wasn't up for arguing over a meal on Christmas Eve, so I gave her something I knew she'd eat--and then she still didn't eat it! Ugh!) So anyway, it was a wonderful meal, but VERY rushed because we were trying to get to the 6:00 Christmas Eve service at our church. We made it, but I'm sad that we couldn't linger over our dinner, because it was so good. Here's our girl, complete with cheesy smile, ready for church.

So we went to church, came home, and Rachel decorated Santa's little tree, where Santa puts his gifts (a tradition we started last year, to distinguish between the presents Santa brings and the gifts from Mommy and Daddy--it's a long story about why we started this tradition, but it works for us, and Rachel enjoys decorating a little tree all of her own). We left some milk and cookies for Santa, along with an apple for the reindeer. She was really excited about that part. She opened her one Christmas Eve present, new PJs to wear to bed, and Daddy read her 'Twas the Night Before Christmas and a picture book version of the real Christmas Story before it was time for bed.

She told me as I was tucking her in that she would hear Santa come, even though I assured her that Santa would only come after she was sleeping. She woke up (coughing and stuffed up because she's had a cold since the 23rd) at 3:00 AM and when I went in to get her a drink she told me that Santa hadn't come yet because she hadn't heard him. I told her that she'd better go right back to sleep then, so he could come. She said okay, and went straight back to sleep.

Christmas Morning

She woke up around 6:00 AM, which has been pretty normal for her. After Daddy went down and got everything ready, we joined him. The first thing she saw as she came around the stairway was her "new" dollhouse. It actually isn't new--it was mine when I was a little girl. My grandma had someone build it for me, and she started working on it to finish it, but then she got sick and never got to finish it before she died. I just always played with it as is, and we never finished it either. My husband and I had been working feverishly for about two or three weeks to redo it, add upgrades, and get it looking decent for her for a Christmas present. Here's the before picture (actually, it looked a lot worse than this before--this was after we stripped the wallpaper and cleaned it out, and my husband had cut a door in--it was a huge mess before we even started, but I forgot to take a picture then!).It's still not quite what we wanted, but it looks better than it did. My talented husband added a porch, cut the door (there was no door and no windows on the first floor--still no windows, but at least there's a door!), and added shutters. Together we put in flooring in each room, added and painted shingles, and painted the whole thing.

My old furniture and people are what we put in there--eventually I'd like to add to it, but for now, this is it.

So that was the first thing she saw. She stopped and looked at it, but didn' t even touch it. Then she saw this.....

"A merry go round with people" was really the only thing on her Christmas list, and what she asked Santa Claus for when she sat on his lap. Before Christmas if you asked her what she wanted for Christmas, this is what she told everyone she wanted (the only other thing was paints). We tried to find a different one (read: a less expensive version!---she had seen this one at Home Depot and it cost a fortune) but couldn't. It went on sale just before Christmas and we finally just decided to get it, even though it was more than we wanted to spend, even on sale. We just couldn't bring ourselves to deprive our only daughter of the one thing she asked for for Christmas! (Incidentally, it's now half price at Home Depot on an after Christmas clearance--think they'll do a price adjustment?)

So she saw this, and immediately the doll house was forgotten. We turned the merry go round on--it lights up and goes around and plays 25 Christmas songs (and 25 other songs too, but we played the Christmas songs all morning). It will be an addition to our Christmas decorations each year, and it was worth it to see the excitement on her face at finally getting the one thing she really wanted.

Next she went to see if Santa had stuffed her stocking, which he had. She was thrilled with everything inside, especially the little princess polly pocket dolls. She got them for her birthday last April, but she had since broken Belle and Sleeping Beauty. Santa must've known, because he replaced them both, and she was so excited.

Then the present opening began. She got the hang of it right away, and was so thrilled with each and everything she opened, even the clothes! She wanted to stop and play with everything, which was nice because it made it all last longer. With every present she'd get so excited and say, "It's a box with something in it!!" and then she'd say, "It's exactly what I wanted!!"

The present I was most excited for her to open was the "Big Sister" shirt. We told her what it said and explained that she was going to have a little brother or sister. She didn't quite get it. We told her there was a baby in Mommy's tummy that would be her little brother or sister. She looked at me for a minute and then smiled and said, "A baby!?!?" I showed her the ultrasound picture and told her that was a picture of the baby in my tummy, but she showed little interest and moved on to wanting to unwrap the next thing. She seemed glad about the whole thing, but she doesn't quite understand it all quite yet. We've talked about it off and on since then, and she's starting to get it a little more. She says she's going to hold the baby and be gentle. She thinks it's a girl baby, she says. She also keeps pointing to her own tummy and saying, "But there's no baby in MY tummy!" I'm glad she finally knows.

At one point in the morning she remembered to check the plate to see if Santa and the reindeer had eaten their snacks. She was so excited to see that they were gone!

After we opened all of our presents, she played a little while and Daddy and I frantically got ready and packed everything up to leave by 10:00 AM. We had to leave the house in a huge mess and get to my husband's work. There were samples that had to be run in the lab on Christmas day, and it was his turn to be the one to go do it (usually his assistant does it), so although it was the last place I wanted to go on Christmas morning, it had to be done.

We were there about a half hour, and then we took off for Granny and Papa's (my husband's side of the family). Rachel watched one of her new videos on the way--The Jungle Book.

Granny and Papa's

We arrived around lunch time to a crowded house. They had all opened their presents that morning, so when we got there we ate Christmas dinner first. After dinner, the kids were ready for another round of presents, so they all opened the presents from us, and Rachel opened the presents from them. We were only able to stay for a couple of hours, so it was really rushed, but Rachel enjoyed playing with her cousins and Granny and Papa.

Grandma and Grandpa's

About mid-afternoon we took off for another round with my side of the family. Our parents live about 40 minutes away from each other. Rachel fell asleep (her only nap for the day) during the last 5 or 10 minutes of the trip! She woke up as soon as we pulled in the driveway and was ready to go again as soon as she ran in the door yelling, "Grandma! Grandma!"

Rachel's cousin, Emma, had a kilt, and asked Grandma to make her a sash and tam like Rachel's from her Christmas program, and wanted Rachel to wear them so they could match. So match, they did.

All of the grandkids....eager to open presents (and not all so eager to get their picture taken, can you tell?)

The present opening began.

Rachel's favorite: A Princess Tiana dress from the Princess and the Frog movie we had just seen.

A close second: A new Snow White dress to replace the one that doesn't fit her anymore. This one was Emma's and Emma decided that since it didn't fit her anymore, she wanted to give it to Rachel for Christmas. Rachel lived in these two dresses for the rest of the weekend.

Mommy's favorite of Rachel's gifts: An "OK to Wake" clock. You set it to glow at a certain time in the morning, which tells the child, who can't tell time, that it's okay to get up. We just started using it a couple of days ago and it's MAGIC!! While she has been waking up and calling me anytime between 6:00 and 7:00 AM, it's now set for 7:00, and she knows that if she wakes up and it's not glowing green, she needs to stay quiet and try to go back to sleep, but when it turns green, then she can call Mommy. So far it's worked like a charm! At 7:00 AM on the dot each day, I've heard a little gasp and giggle, and then, "Mooooooooommmmmmmmmyyyyyyy...." Anything that gives me an extra hour in the morning= priceless!

A highlight for Rachel was watching Grandma's Santa Claus doll dance to "Jingle Bell Rock." Everytime he did, she joined in, swaying her hips back and forth with her arms up in the air like santa. I wish I could put the video on here--it's hilarious! The picture doesn't do it justice, but you get the idea. Emma joined in on the fun, too, even dressing up in Rachel's new Princess Tiana dress.

Lots of presents, lots of food, lots of people, lots of fun. It was a busy, but very fun day.

The Aftermath

We spent the next few days relaxing and recovering at my parents' house. My husband and I enjoyed a date (we saw The Blind Side--great movie!!) and Rachel enjoyed her grandparents, her cousins, and her new toys.

The Other News
And now, for the news you've all REALLY come here to read today....the ultrasound was this morning, and........

I T ' S...................... A ..........................................................................................

GIRL!!!

Rachel's reaction: "I get to put a PRINCESS DRESS on her!!!"

My husband's reaction: "Thank goodness we don't have to paint the nursery!"

My only reaction was tears of thankfulness that everything looks healthy and is measuring up correctly. If I could've chosen, I would've chosen a girl, too, because I've always wanted a sister, and really wanted Rachel to have one. But I would've been thrilled with either one, as long as it was a healthy baby.

Happy New Year!!!

a belated Merry Christmas

I've been working on a Christmas post, but it's taking me much longer than I had anticipated. One of these days I promise there will be a full recap, for there is much to recount.

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas. Hopefully I'll be back in a couple of days with the big news (boy or girl?) !! We are supposed to find out on Thursday, provided the baby cooperates.

And some Christmas pictures, too, eventually.

just a little news

We've been busy getting ready for the big day tomorrow, but I just thought I'd write a few things that have happened over the last few days. It'll probably be another few days before I post again....and then it will be all about Christmas Day, I'm sure, and I didn't want these things to be forgotten.

*Sometime last summer Rachel first saw Princess Tiana in the stores and kept asking who it was. I told her that it was a princess from a new movie, The Princess and The Frog, that would come out at Christmastime. I told her that maybe we could go see it on the big screen when it was all done. She was so excited, and ever since, whenever we've seen Tiana in the store (which is a lot, since we're always looking at princess things in the store!), she's told me that we're going to go see it on the big screen at Christmastime. But as I started hearing more about the movie, I started having second thoughts, since I thought she would be pretty scared by the voodoo "Shadowman" I kept seeing in the previews. But she kept talking about going. So we read reviews, it was rated G, and I talked to some friends who had seen it with their little girls, and was fairly convinced that it would be okay, so we decided to take her. Daddy was off of work yesterday, and we found out that a nearby theater had movies in the morning for $5, and mornings are perfect for us, since she naps in the afternoons and goes to bed pretty early in the evenings. So we went.

Remember when we went to see this? I was worried that this experience would be much the same. Thankfully, I was wrong! She did GREAT! She stayed in her seat (almost the whole time), was mesmerized from the first moment, and loved eating popcorn and drinking lemonade throughout the movie. And she wasn't scared at all! A couple of times she said, "I don't like this part!" but they weren't even the scary parts. She just didn't like that Tiana was turned into a frog! A couple of times she clapped her hands in sheer delight, and lots of times she was bouncing up and down in her seat in time to the music with the biggest smile on her face. I think I watched her more than I watched the movie....and I enjoyed every minute of it. So did she!

Afterwards we walked around the shopping center where the movie theater is, and they had a huge Christmas tree in the courtyard, a big nativity display, and a pretty large display of electric trains, which she loved! Then we went out to lunch, where she ate her entire meal, something she never does. I finally got my onion rings, which I'd been craving for about a week (the other thing I've been craving is salad....so at least I'm balancing my crazy pregnancy diet a bit!!). It was a nearly perfect outing, and lots of fun for all of us.

*This morning Rachel told us she can't wait to be a woman so she can do "grown up stuff." We asked her what kind of grown up stuff she wanted to do: "I can get married!"

*Also this morning, I burped (don't really want to write about that, but it's an important part of the story!). I usually do my best to hide it, but Rachel heard me and said, "Mommy, what do you say?" Guess she's been listening to her mother's instructions about manners!

*Last week when we were leaving school on her last day, she saw another little girl leaving with her big sister, little brother, and their dad. She watched them for a minute and then said, "Mommy, look!" and pointed to them. I didn't know what she wanted me to notice, so I said, "What do you see?" After a moment she said, "I want brothers and sisters, too." It's the first time she's ever really expressed an interest. I said, "In order for you to have brothers and sisters, Mommy has to have a baby." She immediately turned her face into a look of disgust and said, "Nooooooo. I don't want you to have a baby!" Oops! Guess she'll be in for a rude awakening tomorrow morning when she unwraps that 'Big Sister' shirt and finds out that there is, indeed, a baby inside Mommy's tummy!

*Rachel's walking around in circles in the kitchen in her ballet costume (clomping, is a better word for it, because she's wearing her plastic dress up shoes!) singing, "Christmas Eve, Christmas Eve, Christmas Eve, it's Christmas Eve!"

it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Well, it's been looking that way in here all month, but now there's snow outside to match the decor inside. And when she woke up on Saturday morning and saw the snow (just a little more than a dusting, mind you), she couldn't WAIT to go outside and play in it.

She and Daddy went out later in the morning. What she really wanted to do was build a snowman. It took about all of our snow in the front yard, but Daddy managed to get one built.

His name, of course, is Frosty. And every time we've gone anywhere since, she gets excited all over again and yells, "There's Frosty! He's still there!"

And here are some other Christmas activity pictures. Last week we made "gingerbread" houses out of graham crackers.

We also made cut out cookies one day (just so she and Daddy could eat them, not to take to anyone....and you can see why from how she decorated most of them....). But she had a great time and enjoyed them immensely.

newsworthy

I just put dinner together and in the oven....not usually very newsworthy, but it is today, because I just used raw meat for the first time since September! And I didn't get sick....or even gag! This is BIG news. Just ask my husband. The poor guy has been living on frozen food and sandwiches for three months. A couple of weeks ago I was finally feeling well enough to make dinner most nights again, but I hadn't really attempted anything with raw meat. I knew the raw meat would make me sick.

Two weeks ago I put a pork loin in the crock pot and set it in the garage all day to cook, so I wouldn't have to smell it. It worked well, and we got our protein, but I didn't have to do anything with it.

So tonight I'm making meatloaf. I just mixed it and shaped it BY HAND with narry a gag. Hooray! Life is (sort of) back to normal!

tidbits

:: About a month ago it seemed that Rachel started realizing that I have a life apart from her. She began to ask when I took her to school, "What are you going to do today, Mommy, when I am at school?" or if she forgot to ask before she'd ask on the way home, "What did you do today, Mommy?" I still think it's cute when she asks me--just that she's growing up enough to think to take an interest in what I'm doing.

:: The Advent calendar continues to be a hit--it's the first thing she asks about every morning. But there's also been an added benefit that I hadn't anticipated: she's learning her numbers above 10. She's been recognizing numbers up to 10 for quite awhile, but once you get past 10, she can't correctly identify her numbers. Now that we're up to number 15, she's learning more about the teens, and will soon learn about the twenties as well. Who knew it could be such a teaching tool!?

:: Rachel's worn her hair in braids every day since Sunday. I realized that it's not that much harder than ponytails, and with the extreme static she's been sporting in her hair lately with the colder, drier weather, the braids are perfect for keeping that under control. She complains every morning as I do it, but at least she stands still and it looks good (at least until naptime, when she insists that they come out--and after naptime I don't generally take the time to do anything else to it, unless we're going somewhere, which we usually don't).

:: So this morning when Rachel asked me what I was doing while she was at school, blogging was not on my list of things to do. I told her I was going to clean and do some laundry, so I'd better go get busy!!

just call her half pint

I braided Rachel's hair for the first time this morning. I've tried a few times, but she never stays still long enough for me to get it looking decent. This morning she finally did.



So here's "Half Pint" and "Pa" posing in front of our tree.

And in other news, I felt the baby kick this morning for the first time! It was a HUGE thrill and relief to finally feel the little life inside me.

ho ho ho

Here's what it said we were going to do behind the advent calendar door for today.....




To say she was THRILLED would be a huge understatement.



She had such a great time and we had a fun morning, visiting Santa, Christmas shopping, and getting lunch together. I love my sweet girl.

gingerbread men

Last year my mom started the tradition of making gingerbread men with Rachel at Christmastime. So this year they did it again. Yesterday morning Rachel opened up the little door of her advent calendar and it said, "Make gingerbread men cookies with Grandma." She was thrilled.

Here are some pictures from their fun day together.

Eating the dough was her favorite part, I think it's safe to say.

She graciously shared some with Grandma.

Rolling out the dough (with her own rolling pin--a gift from Grandma last year)

Decorating

Mission Complete!