Twas the day before surgery...

And all through the house, all the diapers are ready and so are the wipes.

This time tomorrow I'll be chillin' with my new baby girl in my arms. I can't wait. I'm getting more nervous with the impending surgery aspect, but at least I get a little prize at the end. And because I'm sure all of you care, here is a picture of what a 39 week preggo girl looks like the day before giving birth.

I'm sure some of you are like, oh my gosh you are huge! But really, I'm not that bad. I was much bigger and swollen all over last time around- plus I've only gained 12 pounds...woot! I never thought I'd have the basketball look after how miserable I looked with Isabelle!

Merry Christmas!

We had a wonderful Christmas this year. I was so excited for people to open the gifts I bought so long ago (I got all my shopping and wrapping done before december- just in case!). I loved giving my dad this awesome Detroit Tigers mug I had found, a great t-shirt for my brother in law Jason, and a pretend birthday cake set for Izzy (she loves to pretend birthday parties with her dolls and me).

Isabelle got some wonderful gifts, her favorites included:

• a 6 week ballet class
• a diaper bag for her baby doll
• money to buy herself a new baby doll
• a tea party set- real china for a big girl!
• a pretend hair styling kit with blow dryer, curing iron, etc
• matching jammies sewn for her and her baby doll by my mom

Paul and I didn't exchange gifts this year which was kind of a bummer- but we got a few wonderful gifts from other people- including a netflix subscription for 6 months which we are totally geeked about!

What was your favorite gift to give or recieve this year?

For Unto Us...

Isaiah 9:6 (NIV)

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called:

WONDERFUL COUNSELOR,
MIGHTY GOD,
EVERLASTING FATHER,
PRINCE OF PEACE!

Merry Christmas. Happy Birthday Jesus. Thank you God for the most perfect gift ever given- your Son, our Savior JESUS!!!

Date Night Fun

It was a real treat to get an impromptu date night last night. My mother-in-law stopped by at about 11 am to drop something off and asked if Izzy wanted to run errands with her- sure thing! Izzy loves to shop and loves even more to spend time with her grandma.

So I was anticipating a drop off around early afternoon in time for nap/rest time.

Well, 3pm rolled around and I had an appointment downtown for Liliana so I left, but Paul was home for Izzy.

Well, on my way home, I get a call that Izzy was off to Grandma and Grandpa's for dinner. Whohoo! Date night! Gotta love it. Plus, we had just received a gift card to Olive Garden so we could go out to eat!!! No cooking + date night = happy girl.

We had a great time (you must, simply must try the new Manicotti formagio with chicken or whatever its called- simply to die for, roasted red pepper alfredo sauce with spinach and chicken and manicotti my oh my- it was so large it fed me for dinner, and Izzy and I finished it for lunch...so three meals!)

Paul and I had a great time together, but what made date night even more fun was the conversation next to us (is it bad we love to eavesdrop on other conversations when we are out?)

Well, it was these two old ladies probably in their 70's or early 80's. The first clue I had that it was going to be a fun evening was the introductory sentence.

"Well, I called ahead. I wanted to make sure they had spaghetti. And they do."

Really? You called an Italian restaraunt to make sure they had pasta? Isn't that like calling a steakhouse to see if they have steak or McD's to see if they have cheeseburgers?

Paul and I tried not to bust out laughing. Let's just say the rest of the evening got even better. One of my favorites was-

"Do your dishes come with bread?"

Olive Garden Virgins perhaps? Do they not know that one of the best features of this place is the all you can eat amazing salad and even more divine breadsticks? I don't know...but it sure gave us plenty of fun on our date night :)

A different kind of holiday...

Christmas is upon us and I'm still trying to convince myself of it. This year has been so different in many ways- but I think for the better.

I have never been away from 'home' on Christmas. Even after Paul and I were married and had Isabelle, we spent Christmas eve and morning with my parents. This year, we are staying home and they will be visiting us sometime later on Christmas day. While I'll miss some of the 'traditions' of my childhood, we hope to create some new ones as our own little family unit this year.

I will missing seeing and/or participating in the Christmas eve service that my dad always puts on, but this year I'll get to experience our church home- Ada Bible's- Christmas eve service. I will enjoy celebrating Christmas with a community we have grown to love and respect.

I love to decorate for Christmas. I don't have much in the way of decorations, but it makes me feel warm and cozy to put up a few glowing lights and some cute little snowmen. This year, I had to simplify. Due to a slight scrooge of a husband who refuses to take part in any sort of holiday decor, its always up to me to get the job done. Being nearly 9 months pregnant, setting up a 7ft tree seemed a little too overwhelming (as did the thought of taking it down post c-section with a newborn). So, I improvised and set up just the top of the tree and one or two layers underneath it. Its kind of retarded looking- more fat than tall. But it has worked perfectly. I was able to set it up in just an hour or so, it is all at Izzy's height so she enjoys 'redecorating' it everyday. It gives me the feeling I love, without the hassle this year. (I so need to convince my husband to let me get a pre-lit tree one of these days!).

Due to my deep desire to not be fighting crowds while ridiculously pregnant- I finished my shopping about 2 or 3 weeks ago. Its freeing to know its done, and all the presents are wrapped and ready to go- just it case little Lili makes a surprise early appearance. And due to financial issues, Christmas shopping has been simplified significantly. Small budgets=chance to be creative=really taking my time to figure out what I want to give to someone.

I usually love Christmas parties and get-together's. The food. The friends. The fun. Even the families (most of the time!). This year my body is simply not letting me enjoy large groups as I usually do, therefore we are having to say 'no' to more and more things. But, it has been slightly freeing. Sure, I have a great excuse being full term and all, but it is nice to know that the world doesn't end if you say 'no' to something. Sure, some people get disappointed, but it is healthy to just say 'no' sometimes. That doesn't come easily for me.

Simplicity has been good. It has been healthy. I feel calm, collected, and at peace. I feel as though this year more than ever I can focus on the true meaning of Christmas- the gift of a savior. No longer are trips up North, parties, food, decorations, presents taking up my thoughts and activities. I'm focused on simply enjoying the holiday for what it is. A celebration of life. A celebration of a loving God who gave us the best present ever!

It will be a different kind of holiday this year, but I'm looking forward to it.

And, it doesn't hurt that a mere 5 days after we celebrate the birth of a King, we will celebrate the birth of our newest family member :)