Thankgiving Day

Well, Abby must have known it was a holiday because she started the day at 6am.  She came running into my room, and jumped on my bed.  We layed around for a while, and once Cameron got home from work around 8am we officially started the day.  Cameron's family was coming to our house for dinner, and we were supposed to provide the pies and rolls.  I lucked out this year, because Cam offered to make the pies.  He had a apple pie recipe he wanted to make and share with everyone.  All I had to do was put the Rhodes rolls out to thaw and rise.  SO EASY!  But I did have some last minute cleaning to get done.  Thankfully, we got all this done, and I even had some time to relax for a few minutes (which was dearly needed because of the early morning rise). 

Once everyone arrived, us girls pretty much stayed in the kitchen trying to get all the food going and stuff, and the boys, well, I don't know what the boys were doing, probably fighting or playing video games (the usual).  Dinner was so good, you can't really beat a full spread of Thanksgiving favorites!  We then played some games and just visited.  It was a nice day spent with family.

A year of Thanks

This year has been a great year, so many wonderful things that we are thankful for.

1. Of course, having another little girl is a huge blessing in our lives.  We are also thankful for a easy, healthy pregnancy.
2. Family.  This year, especially, I am greatful for the support of both my family and Cam's family.  They have both been there for us when we need.  I have realized this year the importance of family, and that it truly is #1.
3. My hubby Cameron.  He works SO hard, and sacrifices so much so that we have all the things that we need.  Watching him go to work without complaint everyday, has really taught me to take my "job" as a mom and homemaker seriously, and follow his example and do the best that I can everyday.  I try not to complain, but I haven't mastered that nearly as well as Cameron.  He also is a great father, and LOVES playing with Abby.  Cam is so supportive when it comes to me being pregnant.  I believe that since men don't have to physically endure being pregnant, it's their job to listen to all the complaints and be a shoulder to cry on when things (hormones) are too much.  I'm sure he's tired of hearing my hourly updates on whats hurting, but he at least pretends to care (which is all I ask, really) and seems sympathetic.  He is my true love, and I can't believe how lucky I am that I get to spend eternity with him.
4. Abby.  Although taking care of a 2 year old has it's challenges, there are so many more blessings that makes it SO very worth it.  She brings laughter and energy into our home everyday.  I love watching her learn and grow.  When I look back, even only a couple of months,  it seems like she is growing so fast.  I don't want to even blink because I'm afraid I'll miss something.  I love her so much!
5. Our home.  As we have all watched the economy go down and down, I can't help but be greatful for our house, which we have truly made our home.  Even though it's not "the perfect house", it has everything we need and more.
6. Cam's job.  He loves his job so much, and that means more to us than huge paychecks.  Like the saying goes "if you choose a job you love, you'll never work a day in your life".  This year especially, I'm greatful for his job because we really feel he has a lot of job security, and there is a lot of comfort in that right now.

I'm sure their is more that I should be adding to the list, but these are the blessings we enjoy everyday, so they are on our minds all the time.

A Funny Story

I got this story in an e-mail recently, and it made me laugh. I thought this would be a good thing to keep, so I can look back on it when I really need a laugh.

34 weeks, and Growing Bigger, Bigger, Bigger

Today I had my 34 week appointment. Things are going wonderfully, the doctor tells me I make his job very easy. Although this was my 34 week appointment, because I'm doing a c-section, I only have about 4 more weeks left till D-day. At times that feels like a lifetime away, and other times it feels right around the corner. Lately, I have been spending a lot of time wondering what life will be like with another little baby. I can only imagine how things are going to change, but I probably have no idea how it's going to be.

I am, however, unsure of how my tummy could stretch any bigger. I know it's gonna happen, and it's gotten this big, and bigger before. But, my shirts already barely cover my stomach, my pants don't stay up, and the baby is taking all the room and leaving very little space for food to fit in my stomach.

It's been fun "nesting" and getting things ready for her to join our family. I think we both are anxious to meet this little girl, and I have to admit that enough time has passed since Abby was an infant that a lot of the "unpleasant" things are fuzzy and the wonderful things are all I can focus on.

Singing All Day Long

Abby has become quite the performer.  She loves to sing songs, and when possible, she'll dance too.  I am so suprised at how quickly she can learn a song.  Her memory is amazing, she must get that from Cameron, because she certainly didn't get it from me.  It's so cute, because she isn't shy about singing and will sing anytime, anywhere.  Some of her favorite songs to sing are:

• ABC's
• I Had a Baby Turtle
• The Kids in the Pool (the swimming version of "The Kids on the Bus")
• Popcorn Popping
• 3 Little Monkeys
• Ring Around the Rosey
• and many more from Seseme Street

We've learned that sometimes when a tantrum strikes, or boredom in the car gets to be too much, breaking into a song is a good distraction.  Abby has a real love for learning, and I've found that she really picks up on a topic or idea quickly if it's put to song.  I love this age that she is at, it seems like her little brain is a sponge and is just soaking up all sorts of knowledge.  I have started to teach her some Christmas songs, so hopefully, she will be ready to entertain us during the holiday season!

Just the Two of Us

Cam's parents offered to take Abby for a weekend before the baby comes, in order to give us some time together before, once again, our life changes completely. This last weekend, Cameron just happened to have off Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I don't know how that happened, but we jumped on the chance and asked Dan and Alex if they could watch Abby this weekend. So, on Friday morning, they came and picked her up, and of course she was super excited!  She just love spending time with pretty much anybody other than boring ol' Mom and Dad. Once they left, we spent the day running errands. One of which was to take "Rocko the dog" (the title Abby gave him) to the shelter. We decided that he was way more trouble than he was worth. We have come to realize his many bad habits, tearing up the lawn, barking, and worst of all, he is very territorial which makes me extremely nervous. So the other day we were outback and realized he'd destroyed a good 20 sq feet of our lawn, Cam had had enough and made the final decision to get rid of him.  So we said our good-byes and took him to his temporary home.  We feel confident that he will get adopted from the shelter because he is still young and he is healthy.

On Saturday, we painted the baby's room. I had totally intended to paint it a pale yellow, but when we got to the paint store, we both agreed that the raspberry pink was much better (surprisingly, even Cam liked this color better). So we put on some grubby clothes and got to work. It was nice to work together on a project, and we were both quite pleased with the outcome.

I still need to put the finishing touches on the room, but all in all, it's ready and waiting for her arrival.

Cam was able to pick up a shift for work, so he went to work overnight. We both enjoy when the opportunity comes for him to work overnight, because you can't beat getting paid to sleep (of course, that's only if they don't get any calls)! I just stayed home and relaxed.

Sunday, was just a day of more relaxation, until Abby returned home in the afternoon. When she got home, she wasn't fully awake because she'd been sleeping in the car, but I think she was glad to see us again.  But it didn't take very long before  it became quite obvious that she was worn out from the weekend. A massive tantrum and crying fit are always clear signs of a tired little girl.

I am so grateful to Dan and Alex for offering to watch her for us, it seems like our life revolves around Abby right now, so it's nice for the opportunity to get some time to ourselves. But I do have to say, I missed her dearly!

Big Girl Bed

Last week, I had a small freak-out. I felt like we were SO not ready for this baby to come (only 6 more weeks). So, we took the plunge and moved Abby into a twin bed. We went shopping, and let Abby pick out some sheets and blankets (with some guidance from Cam and I). This bedding is just temporary because the bedding that I really want matches her room but its kind of expensive. We also got some guard rails, which took us about 2 hours too long to put together because it didn't have the instructions, so we were totally guessing. And we guessed wrong several times before we got it together.

But once everything was together, Abby was really excited to spend her first night in her "big girl bed". So far, so good. She goes to sleep with no problems, and still waits in bed for me to come and get her!

I also cleaned out the babies room that had collected tons of junk, and have started the process of turning the room into a nursery. I've picked out the "theme" for the room,
but I still want to paint and find some wall decorations. I think if everything goes according to plan, we might just be ready for our little baby when the time comes.

P.S. In case it isn't already obvious, I am a huge planner and organizer, so, yes, I have planned pretty much everything for the arrival of our little girl.