They Call This Black Friday.

Things I'm loving about today:

Sleeping in until 8:00am. No joke. Ok, H was up at 4am HUNGRY. But he crashed between J and I after a little snack until 8. That never happens and I loved it.

Not a big day-after-Thanksgiving shopping kind of gal, and this year almost all of our shopping is done. (Just a few things left to pick up the next couple weeks.) But we did run out to Walmart because even though I loathe that store they had some Lightning McQueen pj's on ad for $4 today. And I knew that they would make H's day.

Putting his new pj's on at noon because we have no where else we have to be and he is happier than a pig in mud.

Showing J the ropes of Facebook. I have a love/hate/fascination with Facebook. I have a hard enough time keeping up with friends in real life, let alone the 200-some it says I have on Facebook. (And are there really people with 500-1000 friends on there? How? Why?) But I did get a kick out of J trying to figure it all out.

What's on your agenda for this "black Friday?" Shopping? Relaxing? Working?

Just Passing Time.

Still here. Still waiting for baby beep beeps arrival. And while I can honestly say I can't wait to meet this baby, I am also trying to enjoy the last of this season.

H, spending a fair amount of time hanging out in the baby's crib these days.

Henry's Big Day.

Thanks for all your prayers this morning.

Here's a little recap:

It was so early, we were all a little out of it.

We took H straight from bed to his carseat at 5:45am and were at the hospital by 6:20.

H was such a good little patient getting his gown and bands on. His favorite accessory was the hat though.

Waiting for the doctor to arrive. J started getting ready to go in with H, see his slippers.

H definitely warmed up and became his busy self while we were waiting.

The surgery itself only took about 30 minutes. They let J go in the room while they put H under, but due to my "condition", they wouldn't let me go in. (My condition being that I am 9 months pregnant.) I was more than bummed about that.

H did great going under and J was out with me in no time. Because the birthmark was on H's back they had to intubate him and have him on his tummy which made the waking up part not very fun. The doctor came and saw J and I right away and gave us a run down of things and before long I could hear H down the hall in recovery. There is something to be said about a mother knowing the sound of her child, just by his little coughs and gasps and eventual tears, down a hallway and through a metal doorway, I knew that was my son.

It was really hard to wait for them to bring him out to us but when the nurse finally did I felt the same way I did when they handed him to me when he was born. Overwhelmed with love.

He slept like this for quite awhile.

Finally we got him moving and dressed and brought him home. We were in the car by 9am. It seemed like so much longer than that but it was quick and easy.

By 10:30am, he looked like this at home:

Modeling his hat.

I have to tell you, he went into the operating room with that exact same grin on his face.

He's a trooper that's for sure.

This morning while we waited for what seemed like ages (though in reality wasn't very long at all) J and I couldn't help but comment on how thankful we are for healthy children. H was going in for a minor, easy procedure, there are many parents who are bringing their children in for much more complex and serious surgeries, time and time again. We are truly, truly blessed and take so much, especially the health of ourselves and our family, for granted.

Say A Little Prayer.

Monday morning will find J and I hustling and bustling early to get out the door with H. Early like 5:45am early. (Thanks goes to my little sister who will be here to see T and M off to school.)

H will be having an outpatient surgery on his birthmark. In a nutshell, it will be removed.

Most probably weren't even aware he had a birthmark. It's not in a noticeable, visible place. It's on his lower back. But it's grown and changed a lot since birth so after countless appointments with his pediatrician, a dermatologist and most recently, a plastic surgeon, it was determined that now was the time to move forward. (Well now in the land of medicine which really meant scheduling something weeks ago for Monday.)

So Monday morning if you think of H or you think of J and I, please send up a prayer or two. He is still our little one and we are only human and sometimes I know my mind fills with questions, concerns and all the what-if's possible.

We know that H is in great hands. We are putting our trust in the doctor, the nurses and anesthesiologist that will be working with him.

And of course we trust in the good Lord above. And we know that he'll take good care of both of us and our little H.

We really do appreciate all the prayers and thoughts you'll be sure to send up on our behalf. So thank you.

38 Weeks.

I am still pregnant.

Perhaps this is not that surprising to you but if you knew that 2 1/2 weeks ago I was told I would be having this baby any day, you too would be surprised.

Two and a half weeks ago my doctor was concerned enough to send me to the hospital which sent me into a nesting tizzy, wanting to make sure every last detail was taken care of before baby beep beeps arrival. (In case you're wondering, it's all done now. Everything and more, that is.)

Three (doctor suggested) hospital visits and five doctor appointments later, I am still very pregnant. Much to the surprise of myself and especially a surprise to my doctor.

Here is a piece of helpful information for any ob/gyn's reading this: Don't ever tell a pregnant woman she'll be having a baby any day.

And if you end up saying that and you are wrong, do not under any circumstances continue to tell this woman how surprised you are that she is STILL pregnant as she shows up for countless appointments.

My belly is officially larger than it ever was when I was pregnant with H, however I am still measuring behind. Go figure.

And this weeks only notable change was a two pound weight loss. Again, I have no idea how that's possible the way I've been eating lately but I think that baby beep beep is already teaching us a few lessons.

First up, that we're really not in charge.

Me and Him.

Six years ago yesterday, two strangers walked into a Starbucks.

Not looking for anything besides a coffee drink and a place to get some work done.

This is what they look like now.

Me and Him.

October 2008.

Lightning McQueen Wannabe.

That's him.

Every family should have one really.

Thanks to friend, Tyler for the slippers. He is loving wearing them. He doesn't even want to take them off to sleep.

Breaking The Rules Again.

Yes, we've decked the halls.

With just a little bit of arm twisting Saturday afternoon I convinced J that it was a great weekend to get the Christmas stuff out of the rafters and get our house in shape for Christmas.

It's early, but just like last year, I'm in the holiday mood a little early.

And unlike last year, when you're {over} prepared for a baby, you start looking for projects and ideas to occupy ones time and thoughts.

So, what do you think about the unspoken guideline of waiting until Turkey day to start the Christmas festivities? Are you like me and overeager to get ready? Or do you wait until Thanksgiving?

Today Is Her Birthday.

She knew that it was her last birthday and I think that I knew, deep inside, I knew. We all did.

But we didn't want to think about that. It would be much easier to pretend that feeling wasn't there.

So we sang...
..and we wished.

For things to be different.
For healing to take place.
For the ugly, icky cancer to be just a bad dream.

But it wasn't.

It was real and it was raw and it was the last one we were able to celebrate, but it won't ever be missed or forgotten.

Because today is her birthday and we're thinking of her.

Wednesday Morning Thoughts.

The words "I know" are about to be banished from two particular children's mouths. It is especially annoying when usually what I'm telling them, they do NOT know.

For example:

"You need a winter coat on."
"I know." As said child is halfway out the front door.

"Please put this away."
"I know." As said child is leaving the room. Empty handed.

Seriously, I now understand many of my parents frustrations when I used those two little words.

*****

Thank You. Thank You. Thank You....for all the emails and ideas about the glasses.

So many creative ideas of how to try to replicate one so I don't have to replace all of them and even some ideas of how to change things up.
Anthropologie emailed me on Monday offering me a C or a D glass, but unfortunately baby beep beep's name won't start with either of those letters. (And J was not that thrilled when I asked him if there were any names he liked that started with those letters. Something about naming a child because of our home decor didn't sit right with him. I don't blame him.)

There's a tiny piece of me keeping my fingers crossed that one more miraculously appears somewhere in a warehouse or storage room at one of their stores, but if not, thanks to many of you the ideas are plentiful.

*****
H is in the thick of being 2 1/2 right now.

He is very into people "playing with him", which really means you sit next to him and watch him line up his cars because he is certainly not going to let you touch any.

On any given day these are some of the car set ups you can see throughout our house.

He is also obsessed with Lightning McQueen. For instance, when his favorite shirt (Lightning McQueen and Mater) was dirty last week, he spent 30 minutes with alligator tears pouring down his cheeks because he was going to have to wear something else. He finally cheered himself up and told me that we needed to go to the store and "buy more Lightning McQueen shirts."

And don't even get him started on boys and girls. He has very interesting opinions of what things, colors, toys are girl things and boy things. Where this is coming from, we have no idea. I had to break up a dispute between him and M this morning as he told her that grapes are only for boys.

*****

Finally, baby beep beep is still in utero even after a couple eventful evenings last week. Now that I am 36 (and a half) weeks, I've been given the green light and baby beep beep can join us in the outside world anytime he/she is ready. (Did you vote in the poll yet?)

However I have a feeling the cold temperatures and the snow covered yards are a huge deterrent right now. But as H says (with just a little coaching), "Come out baby. We're ready to meet you."

It's a motto we're standing by.

The Rocking Chair.

Saturday night found H having a rough time going to sleep. While he's definitely no bedtime angel, he usually falls asleep in a short while after singing songs, kicking the wall and telling stories. But Saturday night, after being hyped up on Madagascar 2 (and the Cherry Coke that went with it) it was as if he was coming down from a high. Considering I don't really have any experience with street drugs, I think seeing my 2 year old on Cherry Coke is probably the closest I'll ever come to seeing someone on crack. It was that crazy.

But all that aside, there got to be a point where I realized that sleep was not going to come easily and I decided to try an old, but good bedtime method; the rocking chair.

My mom always said one can never be too old to rock with their mom and those are true, true words.

I picked up H from his bed and walked next door to the baby's room and sat in the rocker. And we rocked, and we rocked, and we rocked.

His body struggled to get comfortable atop my large belly and my large belly felt pangs of pain as he moved his body around. Elbows and knees jabbing here and there.

But it was the way that even though he's grown inches since we last rocked goodnight and even though my belly was large and not his first choice of a pillow, how amazing that we just fit together like mother and son. As if no time had passed since our last rock in that rocking chair. His arms comfortably find their place behind my neck with his fingers intertwined in my hair.

We adjust and move accordingly. As I lay his head down against my arm, I see his face, calm and ready to sleep and realize that there is something about this rocking chair and the relationship we share within it. No words are exchanged beyond the ones that don't need a voice to say.

Our eyes speak I love you's and our noses touch to say goodnight.

In the rocking chair, we are not a pregnant mama and a 2 1/2 year old free spirit child, we are simply mother and son and there is nothing but us in those moments.

Nesting.

I said before that I am checking things off my list, right and left, these days. Trying to get things in order before baby beep-beep arrives on the scene.

The baby's blanket arrived last weekend. When I was pregnant with H, my mom made a beautiful quilt that he has grown to love and sleep with each and every night. I knew that there would be no way that H would share his special quilt that "Grandma Nan" made for him so after admiring much of her work, we hired a friend of a friend to craft this beautiful blanket.

(Picture taken from sarahlookingin.blogspot.com)

I love how it turned out, especially since all of our communicating was done via email. This is a gift from my dad (and mom) for the baby that I know will be treasured for a long time.

The baby's room is complete, my new diaper bag is here. Much of our Christmas shopping is done (but not all) and there are meals planned and frozen. J's leave is approved and he's tying up loose ends.

But there are still things to do...

I was sad to find out that Anthropologie no longer carries these glasses that we have displayed.

J, S, T, M, H

Every morning when I see the sun shining in on the glasses I think of how incomplete the shelf will soon be. Anthropologie can't (or won't?!?) share the vendor information and I've googled everything under the sun trying to find them. To say I'm disappointed is a major understatement. So I'm hunting for a new plan once we need to add another initial to the wall. (Unless someone reading can point me to where I can find one more glass...)

We're also working on preparing H for a new baby.

For whatever reason I get this bad feeling when I see him run to the baby's crib, climb over and into it and start bouncing as if he's on a trampoline. Perhaps when he sees a little person there, he won't be so inclined to do that?

H, modeling his new hair cut.

And just for fun, to help pass the next 29 days until my due date, I've added a poll on the side bar so you can vote on whether you think baby beep beep is a girl or a boy. The consensus at our house is that T says it's a boy, M says it's a girl and H says it's a green one. I think he's still hoping for four wheels and a steering wheel.

Ballot #228.

Not only is it our right and responsibility to vote today, but it's also a privilege.

Not only is voting our responsibility, but so is teaching our future what this whole process looks like. While it might not be fun to stand in line for 45 minutes, I think each of them learned something about this election and T and M went to school feeling proud that they helped do something important for our country today. (Even if they didn't get to cast a ballot, they were a part of the process.)
We voted, did you?