5 Christmas Dinners in 4 days

So like I said before, this December has been pretty busy.  I have been trying to keep up but my energy is a little lacking these days.  I think that I am fine and can do what everyone else is doing, but then my body reminds me that I need to rest.  However, Marcus and I were very fortunate to be with all of our family members over the Christmas holiday.  We don't have to pick which side we will spend the holiday with, we just cram them into a fun weekend full of turkey and pie.  I wish I would have taken more pictures but I forgot, so I stole a few from others...hopefully I will get better at keeping my camera handy, but the key is to remember to use it...maybe this would be a good new years resolution.

I returned from New York with my mom on the 22nd of December and had to get my house together for a party and 24 sugar cookies for the next evening before going to bed.  I cheated and used the place and bakes this year because I was too tired and had to work the next day.  Luckily, when the kids are out for break my job is pretty low key, so it was mostly a paperwork day.  That evening on the 23rd  Marcus and I went to the 'Walker Family Christmas' at his mom's parent's house.  I had to leave early so I missed the rockin' guitar hero competition :(  But I did get to see some of my awesome cell group girls at my house for our annual Christmas Cookie Decorating party.  They all make me laugh so hard!  They decided to dress up in tacky Christmas sweater outfits.  I so wish I had pictures of this!  By about the time the party was ending Marcus, Derek (my brother in law), Alexia (my sister in law), and Linda (my mother in law) came back home after the Walker Christmas.  The boys played XBOX and the girls helped me get some of the food and decorations prepared for Christmas Eve dinner.  I finally made it to bed around midnight or so.

Christmas Eve was spent with Marcus's mom, Linda.  Derek and Marcus fried a turkey and I made dressing, green beans, rolls, spinach dip, deviled eggs, and hash brown potato casserole.  Alexia brought a yummy jello dessert.  I think the meal turned out really well and I look forward to creating traditions and getting better at it each year.  After lunch we exchanged gifts and then hung out and talked.  Alexia and Derek had to leave to go to her parent's house around 4:30.

Brothers frying a yummy turkey

Our table decor.  Someday we might get a table that sits more than three...

Staring contest between Ella and Alexia.  We later brought a chair up for Ella so she could join.  She is going to be in for a rude awakening after baby is born.

Marcus, Linda, and I then went to Springdale to meet my family for Christmas Eve Service at my parent's church.  It was a really great service with a refreshing message, which I think is hard to do each year for Christmas Eve. 

On Christmas morning, Marcus and I have our tradition to exchange gifts and stockings in bed.  I am not sure how we will continue this after baby, but maybe we can make it work.  Now, Marcus actually gave me my gift Christmas Eve so I could open it in front of everyone.  It was a Silhouette machine!  I am super excited to use it to make things for our house and the baby.  He wanted cowboy boots for Christmas, but since things were so busy, we never found time to go and shop for some...so his main present from me still hasn't happened...But, I did make him some whiskey glasses with his initials etched on them.  So, after we did the gift thing, we ate breakfast and got ready to go to my parent's house.  My mom had prepared most of the meal the day before with the help of her friend Jetty.  I cooked a sweet potato casserole, corn, and ambrosia salad.  My family then exchanged gifts before eating.  My dad was nervous and excited at the same time because he had a BIG surprise for my mom.  He was like a little kid.  He had told everyone but my mom about the gift so the rest of us were pretty excited also.  After all the other presents were finished being opened, my dad had my mom open an envelope.  Inside the envelope was a picture of a BMW 335i.  I think my mom figured out the surprise at this point.  We went down to the garage and there was a new car waiting for my mom with a huge red ribbon.  She loves it!!!! 

This year was nice because we didn't have to rush to 'Necessary Christmas' by 4:00.  Instead, we had dinner with Marcus's dad, Jeff.  We met up with Derek and Alexia and headed over for chili.  I brought homemade cornbread (my first time to make this) and a veggie tray.  The chili was good and I was pretty proud of myself for eating it because it had deer, hog, and beef.  We then exchanged gifts again.  This time I got a gift certificate to the spa, which will be so wonderful.  I can't decide whether to use it pre-baby or post-baby... Alexia brought some great entertainment.  It was an old dvd from her parent's house of a Donny and Marie Osmond Christmas special from the 70's.  It was hilarious!  Overall, it was a great Christmas day.

On the 26th, I finally got to relax a little in the morning.  Marcus and Derek went out to the Necessary farm to shoot their guns at targets, or something manly like that.  I met up with Alexia around 3:30 to head out there for Christmas dinner.  This time I only brought ambrosia salad, oh and some red wine that was opened on the 24th but not finished, and since I can't drink it I don't want it around :)  The dinner was delicious and like always it was a full house.  Since Marcus's grandparents have 6 kids there are plenty of grandkids (and soon to be great grandkids).  I was pretty exhausted and getting tired fast, but we still had to get together with Derek and Alexia to discuss our trip for Kansas City the next day.  Luckily, it didn't take us too long to figure out or plans and I was in bed before 11. 

Overall, I think it was a very successful and wonderful Christmas season.  I got to see so many family members and be with people that I love and care about.  Not to mention, eat tons of great food and desserts!  (I am a little nervous about my doctor's appointment next week and what the scale might read after all this food...)  What a wonderful way to close out 2010.  I am looking forward to all of the changes to come in 2011.

New York, New York

I am a little bit behind on my blogging, but I have been going non-stop since mid December.  I hosted my office Christmas party on Dec. 16th and then left for my first trip to New York on the 18th.  My sister lives in Brooklyn and works down town Manhattan close to Central Park.  My mom and I decided it would be fun to take a girls' trip to go and visit her.  I was a little nervous about flying and traveling since I was 29 weeks pregnant but it worked out fine. 

Our first day there we went to Chinatown, Little Italy, Ground Zero, the Financial District, Union Square Holiday Market, Bryant Park Holiday Market, and Times Square.  We covered a lot of ground and I was so tired by the end of the day. 

Camille, My mom's friend Karen (she joined us on the trip all the way from Minneapolis), and Mom

Union Square.  It was like a craft fair but with shops from NY.

Times Square...brrrr, so cold

The second day we went to Greenwich Village and visited The New School.  We had a delicious lunch at Bar 6 and then went to SoHo.  Again, being much heavier than my legs are used to carrying around, I was exhausted before dinner so we went back to our amazing apartment and ordered dinner.

We became pros at getting around using the subway...and it is true, people get up to make room for the pregnant lady...

The third day was my favorite.  We went to FI:AF to see where Camille, my sister, works.  She introduced us to her co-workers and gave us the full tour.  We then saw Central Park, The Plaza Hotel, 5th Avenue Christmas window displays, The Modern for lunch, Rockefeller Center, and 30 Rock.  We were going to go into MOMA but it was closed.  However, we ended our trip on the perfect note.  We ate a delicious dinner at Rockefeller Center by the tree and watching the ice skating rink.  I mentioned to my mom how great it would be to see someone propose, and then about 45 minutes later it happened.  So romantic! 

The buildings and windows were beautiful





At dinner watching the ice skating and getting to stare at the beautiful tree

Before we had to catch our plane we were able to go to the Brooklyn Museum and see the Norman Rockwell exhibit.  I am not one for museums, but his work was really amazing to see.  As fun as the trip was, I think my mom and I were both very glad to be home.  This was a trip that I will always remember, but not because of the fun things we did or saw, but because of the time I got to spend with my mom and sis.

Christmas fun

I think I have said it before, but Christmas is my favorite.  I love the time with family, the songs, advent, the food, and all of the wonderful giving that occurs.  I also love that I have an excuse to sugar load the kids I work with and have 6 or 7 "Christmas parties" a day.  This year I had my kids decorate a sugar cookie by answering my therapeutic questions so it was technically still therapy, but also super fun.  I should have taken some pictures of the cookies because they were something...kindergartners plus a bottle of sprinkles...just picture it :) 

My cat also loves Christmas.  We just happened to catch her about to climb the tree when we were taking some pictures...crazy cat

Speaking of my kids at work, they continue to make me laugh about the whole pregnancy thing.  One of my 3rd grade clients has created a song that she sings to the baby and gets whom ever is around to join in.  It goes something like, "Mrs. Alexis is having a baby, Mrs. Alexis is having a baby, Mrs. Alexis is having a baby..." You get the idea.  I have realized that the baby (more like my large and ever growing stomach) gets many more hugs during the day than I do.  Another client asked if my baby could be his best friend and go to his house to play with his dog.  I questioned if dogs and babies are safe together and he informed me that in fact they are because all his dog likes to do is lick babies.  Probably my favorite, and most embarrassing moment, so far though has been when I went to the cafeteria to find my client to have lunch with and he wanted to feel the baby kick.  The baby wasn't kicking at the time so he grabbed my stomach with both hands and shook my stomach, literally, stating, "wake up baby."  I didn't know my stomach could do that!  Being the therapist that I am, I decided to use this as a 'teaching moment', and grabbed his shoulders and (lightly) shook him and told him to wake up.  Lesson learned ;)    However, if anyone is in need of a Santa for a Christmas party I am for hire, my stomach does shake like a bowl of jelly.  I have also had a couple of super sweet moments too where my clients and moms have shared with me that they believe my baby is the "luckiest kid ever" to have me as their mom. 

Ridiculous candid picture, but the only one that shows the shakeable belly

More on the baby news, I have officially hit the third trimester.  My only complaint still is that this kid rarely stays still.  I asked my doctor last week if this is normal and she informed me that I probably feel much more because of my size...and that they are going to get stronger...awesome.  Marcus came to bed one night and asked if it was me or the baby kicking.  It wasn't me, the baby was kicking so hard he could feel it through the mattress.  Marcus then had the nerve to call it "annoying" after experiencing the kicks for about 5 minutes.  I live with this all the time, thanks honey.  Don't get me wrong, it is definitely one of the coolest things to feel the baby move and be able to bond with them this way.  I just sometimes wish it didn't hurt or stop me mid sentence during therapy sessions.  I have posted a video of me trying to sleep one night and the baby not being ready for bed (something I should probably get used to huh).

Another thing about this Christmas that I am really looking forward to is going to New York City with my mom to visit my sister.  I have never been before and it is going to be decorated in wonderful Christmas splendor.  After the trip we then rush into family Christmas craziness with 1-2 gatherings a day with various family.  The Monday after Christmas, Marcus and I are going to Kansas City with Derek and Alexia to hang out and have a relaxing, fun vacation before I am restricted from traveling.  I would love suggestions of fun things to do in either place!

Hope you have a wonderful week before Christmas without stress or too many visits to Walmart.

-Alexis

A Letter for you

Precious Child,

I have been thinking about this letter for awhile now.  I want to let you know how wonderfully special you are.  When I first found out I was pregnant with you I was so surprised.  It took me a bit to wrap my mind around being a mom.  It’s not that I didn’t want to be your mom, but I had never really felt like I would be that good at being a mom.  I prayed a lot about you being healthy and for our future as a family.  I began to see how God was going to use you to help grow Marcus and me in our marriage and in our selflessness.  Through these things I became assured that you were going to bless my life.

You have already done so much more than that.  Not many people can say they know their purpose in life.  I believe that God creates us each with a specific purpose and plan and yours, or one of yours, became evident this fall.  You have saved a life!  I already feel like you have given me more than I could ever give to you.  It is my job as your mother to provide for, care, protect, and love you, but I feel as if no matter what I do I will never be able to repay what you have done.

My mom, your grandma, was having some back pain.  She had had this pain for a long time but didn’t want to see a doctor about it.  However, when she found about her first grand baby, she could only think about holding you.  She went to the doctor to figure out how to heal her back so she could be there for you.  It was through this that we learned about her cancer.  Something you need to understand about Grandma, or G’mama, is that she is strong and a fighter but stubborn.  Even knowing about her cancer, she was resistant to going through treatment.  That is until she would think about you, meeting you, kissing you, holding you.   You were, and are, her motivation to heal.  You gave me my mom, my best friend. 

You are truly a gift from God who is destined to do great things.  God has used you do bless and heal so many already, and I can only imagine the wonders He has planned for you.  Know that every day I am thankful for you.  I am thankful that you were gifted to me.  I am thankful that you have blessed my family.  I am thankful for the joy and love that I know you are going to bring.

Love, Mom

Jeremiah 1:5 (The Message)

⁵"Before I shaped you in the womb,
   I knew all about you.
Before you saw the light of day,
   I had holy plans for you:
A prophet to the nations—
   that's what I had in mind for you."

“Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from Him.” (Psalm 127:3)

Romans 8:28 (New International Version, ©2010)

 ²⁸ And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who^[a] have been called according to his purpose.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I have so much to be thankful for this year.  When I think back to last year at this time and how much has changed, it is crazy.  Here is my "thankful for top 10" list for this last year:

1.) My Mom!!!!

2.) Her continued healing

3.) Marcus

4.) My dad and sister too of course

5.) God giving us the blessing of a child

6.) Grace

7.) Forgiveness

8.) Friends - you guys are so wonderful

9.) My job

10.) The extreme kindness and support of others

11.) plus many more things...

This weekend has been pretty busy.  Friday we hung out at the house and had some friends over.  Marcus and his brother Derek finished putting together the furniture for the nursery.  Afterwards, the boys played X-Box while the girls helped me decorate the nursery.  I am grateful for their help because there is no way I could have done it on my own.  We arranged the furniture and put the tree mural on the wall.  I think it is starting to come together.

Saturday, Marcus and I were able to go to a charity event for the Circle of Life Hospice Voyage "Celebrating through the Decades."  We were invited to this because our friend Cortney won a limo ride and free tickets for her volunteer work and selling the most tickets to the event.  It was a ton of fun and a great event.  Marcus and I dressed up like the 1950's, think sock-hop, while Cortney and Kelly dressed up from the 70's.  Christy and Aaron Wilson also came and dressed up like the 1980's.  Everyone looked great and our outfits were a big hit.  I am also excited because I bid and won on an auction item for a baby photo shoot and print package. 

Marcus and Me in the limo



Christy, Cortney, Me (24.5 weeks)



Marcus, Kelly, Aaron

Aaron and Christy



Christy and Me posing with a car from the 50's



Marcus and Me

Sunday, my mom and Jetty (my second mom) came over to help me get my Christmas decorations up.  I love that I have people in my life that are so wonderful.  This year I added another tree to the mix so I am super excited about it.  I didn't really have any trouble putting the decorations up, but I am guessing that I will struggle a little more in January when it is time to take them down...it is worth it though.  Here are some pictures of a few of the decorations and trees. 

Finally, some good news

As you know from my previous blog, these past couple of weeks have been hard.  However, on Friday we had a doctor's appointment for my mom.  I say 'we' because I tagged along.  The doctor informed all of us (there were 5 of us in the room) that her cancer is only in her breast and bones, not in her lungs, liver, or brain.  This was great news.  He also said that the best treatment option for her will be hormone replacement therapy, which is one pill a day.  That means no surgery and no chemotherapy.  I guess we were expecting the worst, because this news felt like we had just won the lottery.  We still have a long road ahead of us, but my mom can't wait to ride her motorcycle now that she has received good news. 
Here is a website that you can check for her updates, etc. http://www.mylifeline.org/JeanPharr/?page=sharing.cfm 

I had planned my Friday around receiving bad news at the doctor's office, but since that didn't happen I was able to go see some kiddos for work and then hang with some friends that night.  Scott and Brenna returned from their honeymoon on Thursday and came over to hang out.  Brenna even brought me an owl from Mexico for the baby's room.  It is super cute.  We grilled, hung out, and talked.  I love just relaxing with friends after a long week.  Kelly and Cortney Carlson also stopped by to discuss a charity event for next weekend.  We have to dress up as a decade.  Any suggestions on what a 6 month pregnant girl can be would be great...

Saturday, I attempted some sewing.  I made a blanket for the baby.  It came out kinda straight, but is really soft.  I wish I had one in my size :) 

 Later, Marcus and I went to the Razorback game.  It was freezing!  Luckily, my husband is pretty resourceful and thought to bring his grill, not to cook with but as a fire pit.  We all sat around this before and after the game tailgating.  It was great, except I still smell like smoke.  The best part about Saturday was driving home from the game.  We pulled into our neighborhood and noticed that some people already had their Christmas lights on.  Marcus (who calls himself the Grinch)

made some snide comment about these people.  We turned onto our street and see that our neighbors have their lights up.  We all laughed and made some comments.  We pulled up closer and realized that nope, it wasn't our neighbor's, but our house with lights up and on.  I started laughing really hard and Marcus, with a huge smile on his face, was so confused about how this happened.  I knew right away to text our friends Kelly and Cortney and thank them for helping Marcus be less "Grinch-like" this year.  It was a great surprise, but now I am super antsy to get out the rest of the decorations...maybe next weekend

I have never liked Halloween or November and this year is no exception

I don't like Halloween and I blame it on a traumatic experience when I was younger on Halloween eve (I'm a therapist so I am trained to diagnosis these types of things).  To make a long story short, I accidentally murdered one of my hamsters, which is a horrible thing for a second grader.  Anyway, Halloween this year was not much better.  My parents came over to help paint the baby's room (which was so much help, thanks guys), but we ended up talking about my mom and found out that she is sick.  It's a long story, but she has a long fight ahead of her.  She is the strongest woman I know, so if anyone can battle through this it is her.  However, after this news I was not in the mood for trick-or-treaters.  That left Marcus to do all of the candy-passing-out.  He ran out after about 10 kids because he was giving them like 5 pieces each, ok not really, but he was giving them too much. 
I am not a fan of November either because it is rainy, cold, you never know what to wear, and everything is dying outside.  It also prolongs my wait until Christmas.  Just imagine, if we didn't have November it would almost be Christmas, JOY!  November also seems to be the hardest month for my clients.  They all go into crisis, my world is over, mode.  But this year it is not only my clients in that mode, but my family and me.  We have had a long two weeks and these next couple are going to be stressful too.  However, soon December comes.   

Let's see though, more positive things...I do have a pretty cute story from today with a kiddo.  He is the little one who has named my baby 'Bamboo.'  I found out that this is the boy name for Bambi, which is his favorite movie.  He asked me today if my baby was still there and if it was ok.  He then asked, "when is it going to come out."  After that he told me that he wants to be friends with him and that I need to bring him to play with us.  At the end of our session he said bye to me, gave me a hug, and then placed his hand on my belly.  He looked at the belly and asked the baby to kick.  He then loudly exclaimed, "I felt his thumb!!"  I had to hold in my laughter because he was completely serious.  It was sweet.  It is those sort of moments that make me love my job. 
On other baby news, I am feeling well and obviously eating well because I went through a very large weight gain this month.  So much so, that my doctor suggested I watch my serving size and what I eat.  Yikes!  The baby is doing well though.  It moves constantly, and I mean non-stop!  I don't think it sleeps.  Today, when the doctor was looking for the heart beat, the baby would kick wherever she placed the doppler and move away.  It took her awhile to find the heartbeat because baby would not be still.  Luckily, she thought it was amusing, but in my mind I am thinking, "great, I already have an ADHD, defiant child" (just kidding, I don't really think that,well, not all the time.) 

The baby's room is coming along nicely.  My goal was to have it finished before the new year and I think it might happen.  We have it painted, the crib set up, the dresser set up, and some of the wall decor ready to be hung up.  I am procrastinating making the curtains though.  I have found the perfect fabric, but am pretty nervous about screwing it up.  I am not that confident in my sewing skills yet...but a baby won't notice an unstraight seam right ;) 

This is the tree we are going to put up by the crib.  Our crib is a dark brown.  I will post pictures of the room once we are finished.