A Break

Aaahhhh.....a break. I so needed this. Sleep has continued to be a challenge for me. When sleep is scarce, so is patience. But I have had a couple good days of catch up and here I am. All caught up. It's blissfully quiet and clean. I literally have done everything on my to-do list and so I'm waiting in the quiet of the clean house for the holiday fun to begin. Gigi has had Nathan for over 24 hours. I'm starting to sound like I prefer him not being home. But of course that's not true. We both miss him when he's not home. But the catching up and resting - oh how I needed it! He will be home soon - hopped up on french fries and chocolate milk from McD's (thanks Mom...hahah) and I will be able to enjoy him more and give him attention when I am not disctracted (or sleepy). Then the Kepler crew will be following soon after. They are probably in VA by now. Yay!

The break isn't just about getting things done and even sleeping. It's just being alone. Although even right this very minute I'm not. This little boy kicking my liver reminds me that I'm never alone and that soon there will be less and less of that alone time, even when he's outta me. The time we have as a threesome is coming to a close too. And being a frazzled tired mommy is coming fast. Knowing what's coming the 2nd time around is as scary as it is comforting. We know what to expect (that's good). And we know what to expect (that's bad!). It's a mixed bag of emotions, a growing family. But I think we are ready for it.

Crazy Christmas

Ok, Christmas is seriously out of control. There's so much to do to prepare for the holiday and it's smooshed in, in the four or so weeks after Thanksgiving. The time when the most has to be done in the least amount of time. It's crazy! And this year I feel extra crazy since I'm carrying around a tad extra weight while trying to put shoes on a 2 1/2 year old who wants only to test the limits of his parents repeatedly. (Talk about out of control, Nathan has a special ribbon for this!)But, even though I've been quite overwhelmed by the activities and to-do lists, I have to stop and be thankful for the madness. Without people to care for and take care of - where would I be? So I joyfully make cookies and give them away when I can even though my feet are killing me and my back hurts. I wrap gifts with love and try not to curse when I run out of tape. I think about how lucky Nathan is to have ALL is grandparents present on Christmas day instead of whether or not the house will be clean enough. I count each of the recipients on my Christmas card list as I would gold coins and wonder at the richness that is our family and social circle, instead of get angry that I have to stand in line at the post office again to get postcard stamps. Big Breath. I consider all the people who don't have the money to buy whatever gifts they want for the people they love and all the food so many don't have. I think about the cute face we will be meeting soon (yes, 2/7 is the date!) and adding to the family instead of how much I really hate being physically limited and tired all the time. It's not easy, but we have to remember. Life is good!