Five on Friday (Finally!)

It has been awhile.... oops!  I don't think I've posted since Thanksgiving.  In my defense, we traveled out of town for Thanksgiving and by the time we got back, the 3rd trimester finally rolled in.  I feel like the first month of the 3rd I plowed through and accomplished a ton.  Then the 2nd month arrived and I.hit.a.wall.  Whew.  I am wiped out!  But there's still so much to do!!  Anyway, the last thing I had energy for the past few Fridays has been blogging--during the day I am usually just trying to keep the house in some kind of order, love on the kids a lot, and make it until rest time. ;)

Here's a little of what we've been up to though. :)

1.We had a great visit with Matt's family over Thanksgiving.  I do not have many pictures, but we enjoyed our time with his parents, sister, brother-in-law, our niece, and his aunt. :)  We left on Wednesday after checking the mountain roads to be sure they were clear to pass through (it snowed that morning) and after my appointment with the midwives.  Traffic was a little slowed down in spots due to construction and 2 or 3 spots that weren't exactly icy or snowy but not just clear, wet roads either.  We made it and enjoyed pizza for dinner (Asa was thrilled!). :)  On Thursday we just hung out around the house until dinner was ready, and then we enjoyed a delicious Thanksgiving feast--that AR slept through!  Poor thing did not nap in the car on Wednesday, went to bed late Wednesday, and woke up bright and early on Thursday.  Dinner was scheduled for around her naptime (eek), but we tried to keep her up for it.  She ASKED to sleep, so we put her down hoping a little catnap would get her through and she could still join everyone to eat.  I woke her up when the turkey was being carved and rocked her a little--she has been SOUND asleep.  We talked about all the yummy things Nana & Poppy had made to eat and she seemed game to come to the table, but then she placed her head back on my shoulder and mumbled, "Go back sleep?"  lol  I put her back in bed and she was out again just like that.  She woke up later on bright eyed and bushy tailed and ate her dinner while we had dessert. :)  On Friday Matt's family always goes shopping.  We didn't stop a lot of places, but we did pick up a new fleece hat & mittens for Asa at Old Navy, looked around Kohl's, and had lunch at a mall before checking out Children's Place (mittens for AR).  We packed up to head home after lunch on Saturday and encountered a few more hold-ups (including the proverbial bathroom stop for a certain 4 year old... 15 minutes after we had stopped to get Daddy some coffee).  BUT we made it and made it safely.  When I realized we were going to be pushing dinner and bedtime by the time we got home, I started a snack free for all for the kids in the car :) to fill up their tummies.  Thankfully they were satisfied enough to get pajamas on and cozy up in their own beds for the night.  Anna Reaghan smiled and gleefully giggled her whole way up the stairs and raced to her room--it was precious to see her DELIGHT in being home. :)

ipad sibling togetherness ;)

She LOVED this corvette bed we saw while out shopping!

2.  Of course we had to play in the snow a tiny bit while Mommy packed everything for our Thanksgiving trip (we initially thought the roads would be too dicey and we changed plans to leave early Thursday morning.  Then we saw the snow wasn't as treacherous ;) as predicted, so I had to pack everything up quickly for us to hit the road!).  Asa loooooooooves the snow.  Anna Reaghan is mildly interested, probably mostly because Matt & Asa have so much fun with it. :)

 ready for SNOW

 Asa's favorite snow activity:  eating it!

 Not toooootally sure about this white stuff

 loving it!

 making a snow angel

of course it's the PERFECT weather for a stroll ;)

3.  The week after Thanksgiving we worked to get our Christmas decorations up.  I am very insistent that Christmas comes down by the end of December this year because I want the house back to "normal" before Lila arrives.  Goodness knows, if Christmas is still up when she's born, it could be up til June. ;)  As a result, we wanted to decorate as soon after Thanksgiving as possible to enjoy the decorations as long as possible.  Matt lit some bushes in the front yard, we let Asa help hang some ornaments on a tree in the front flower beds, and I hung wreaths in the windows. We added candle lights to the upstairs windows as well.  We have garland on the mantel, stairs, and the foyer overlook, stockings on the mantel (much to Asa's delight) and a few other things around the house as well.  The kids are SO excited.  I think Asa "got" a lot about Christmas last year as a 3 year old, but it seems like FOUR is the year the ANTICIPATION hits.  We hear on a weekly basis, "But it's taking too long for Christmas to come!"  Every time he says it, I ask myself, "Am I longing for Jesus the way Asa is longing for Christmas?"  And I see a holy space in his impatience and longing for Christmas... as he gets older, I pray it draws him more and more to God and waiting and LONGING for Him.

the ornament tree

some of the lights and decor

4.  Last weekend Anna Reaghan and I went to a craft show while the boys went to a kids workshop at Home Depot.  I found a little print for Lila's room--I wanted some subtle nod to her being a Tennessee baby (something I never thought we'd have!!), and this little Smokey print with the right shade of lavender in it seemed perfect!  I also found a little lamb ornament (Asa exclaimed, "The Lamb of God!" as soon as he saw it--YES!!  YES, son, THAT is what it's ALL about!!!!), and I could not pass up a little Tennessee-love for our Christmas tree either. ;)  

Smokey print

Sorry these are sideways... the lamb and the "Heaven's a little closer when you live in Tennessee" ornament ;)

Later on Saturday we picked out our tree!  It smells WOOOOONDERFUL!! :)  

O Christmas tree!

On Sunday we let the kids decorate the bottom half/as high as they can reach ;) with a bunch of soft ornaments.  Matt & I will decorate the top half this weekend.  We have the tree in the dining room bay window so you can see it from the street at night.  Asa loves the lights and turns them on first thing every morning--I have sneak behind him sometime later and turn them off when he's not paying attention. ;)  I also added to Matt's to do list, unfortunately, when I broke the kitchen faucet.  He installed this one for us late Sunday night!  

The new faucet.  Matt wanted one with a high arch and he really liked the aged bronze look with our granite counter tops. Thankfully we found this for a great price and great reviews!

He went NON-STOP all weekend--Home Depot workshop, choosing a tree, getting it set in the stand, helping my brother at his holiday open house, church Sunday morning, new members' interviews right after church, choosing a new faucet, lighting the tree, decorating the tree, picking up take out for a dinner treat while we decorated the tree, helping get kids in bed, and installing the faucet.  He.Is.Amazing.

Appetizer picnic before we decorated the tree

5.  We packed snack bags for the kids one night and drove around to see Christmas lights.  Asa was just a little excited. ;)  His elephant-brain that never forgets anything remembers the names of the streets his favorite houses/lights were on, and he now requests we drive by those streets if we are out at dusk.  He is too funny. :)

He can't wait to go see Christmas lights

6.  We ordered and received Lila's car seat!  She can come home now!  Ha!  We used a bucket seat with Asa and Anna Reaghan that Brad & Joy were generous to pass on to us.  It worked great for our kids, but it passed its expiration date between their 2 kids and our first 2 kids.  I found a GREAT cyber Monday deal on the newer version of the same seat (since we know that brand/style works well in our cars and with our stroller)!  Woo hoo!!  And it makes me smile that the seat cover is red and our stroller is red.  Details details details. ;)

"testing" the car seat for her little sister.... or maybe occupying it so her sister won't come?

7.  This week I cut the fabric for Lila's bumper pad!  It is my goal this weekend to sew through the first few steps of putting it together now!!  EEEEEEEEE!!!!! (that's excitement and anxiety rolled into one!)  And Matt brought the newborn girl clothes up to the laundry room for me.  It was so fun to sort through and determine what will work for a winter baby (as AR was born in July)--most of it will, actually!--and yesterday I even got it all washed and dried.  This weekend we hope to play some musical furniture and I can put Lila's clothes away. :)  We measured 2 of Lila's walls to figure how wide the alternating lavender stripes should be on those walls, so Matt is hoping to tape and prime her room this weekend.  Then we can mark, tape, and paint the lavender.  We really might get it all done!  I have been going through all the last boxes that were in the guest room (done!) and sorting through all my craft stuff in there--what crafty supplies do I reasonably think I might get to use in the next year--find them homes in other locations around the house (have I mentioned I am thankful for all our closet space?? ;)), and things that I will not realistically use in the next year have been boxed and moved to the attic for a different season (i.e. one without a newborn). ;)

I know it looks like a mess, but it's BUMPER FABRIC!

bins of baby girl clothes :)

a few newborn favorites

Miracle Blankets--a must have!!!!

8.  I am 34 weeks this week!  Everything looked great at my check up Wednesday.  My blood pressure is great (I had one fluke week it was higher than usual for me that made me nervous, but it's been normal/nice and low every week since then thankfully), and Lila is head down!  That is a huuuuuge praise.  For some reason that has weighed heavily on my mind this time around.  I think I took for granted at least a little bit that Asa and AR were not breech or transverse, and I have been nervous this time around that Lila would not follow suit.  So far she is, and we are praying she stays that way for an uncomplicated delivery!  I go back in 2 weeks--the day after Christmas actually--and we'll have a tour of the women's pavilion at that point and pre-register.  Then I start going for check ups every week.  I'll be full term by New Year's.  At that point, we'll have 5 weeks MAXIMUM before Lila is born (we'll induce again...if I get to 42 weeks...again).  I know it's good for me on one hand to prepare for going the whole 42 weeks so I won't be disappointed if it comes down to an induction again.  But on the other hand, I'm having Braxton-Hicks (that I felt a total of 2 of all during Asa and Anna Reaghan's pregnancies COMBINED) almost daily and even a few with a little more oomph to them. ;)  I can't help but wonder if she'll come closer to "on time."  :)

34 weeks and counting

9.  Asa's class had their Christmas parade yesterday!  Each class dresses for a different theme, and Asa's class were all gingerbread cookies!  They were adorable!  He was upset and thrown off by the change of routine and that I was there but not walking with him their first time through (he saw me and had tears in his eyes and got out of line for a hug :( :( ), but the classes paraded through 2 more times, and he was smiling and chattering away both of those times!!  HOOORAY!!  We have told him how proud of him we are that he found a way to have fun and have a good time even when he was feeling sad and overwhelmed.  For our very emotionally-driven little boy, that is HUGE and made me see how much he really is growing up.  His class had a pizza party for lunch yesterday, and then they'll present a Christmas performance next Thursday.  I usually hear snippets of the songs he's been learning being sung (at the top of his lungs) during nap time on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  We are so excited to go see this program we've "heard" so much about. ;)

 walking in the parade (and smiling!!)

the cutest gingerbread boy I have ever seen! ;)

10.  I am about half way through wrapping Christmas gifts and THIIIIIIIIS close to being done purchasing.  We still need to order for Matt's sister and brother-in-law, and I need to get Matt's gifts.  Then I am DONE!  I wrapped almost all of Asa's and half the cousins' yesterday.  This whole (pretty much) be done by the end of November so you can ENJOY December thing is REALLY GREAT!  Who knew it would take being this pregnant for me to figure that out (as Lila was my main motivation in completing shopping as early as possible)?!