Roller coaster

I know it has been a while since I last blogged and I apologize. Christmas snuck up on us this year and I found myself very unprepared. And if you know me well enough you know that I do not like to be unprepared. I found myself scrambling the week before Christmas to complete my shopping and then wrapping them all on Christmas Eve. I have had many people remind me this year that this was our last Christmas before Cole and next year would be totally different. It would be all about him, which to tell you the truth is fine with me. I have everything that I need and want in my life. All I really want now is Cole. I am ready for him to be here and to become a part of this family. Which he already is a part of, I can attest to that from all of the kicking day and in day out, the hiccups that happen almost every morning as I lay in bed and the way Jon and I look at each other and say, “Can you believe it...? He’s almost here.” We say things like that every day. It used to seem impossible to believe that a little one would ever be a part of our lives and now we are almost a month away from him being in our arms. We have decided that we will probably fight over who gets to hold him... That is how anxious and excited we are about his arrival. Not that is doesn’t come with it’s roller coaster moments. For me anyway...

Some days I feel like I am on the downward side of a very fast, steep roller coaster. Ask Jon he will tell you that this much is true. I feel excited and nervous and scared all at once. It is crazy, I feel like the wind is whipping around my hair and face and I cannot seem to slow this thing down, slow time down. Time has flown by in this pregnancy. However, I feel like I have been pregnant forever. I don’t remember what I felt like before pregnancy. What was it like to sleep on my stomach (my favorite sleep position), what was it like to run and exercise, what was it like to bend over and not groan or grunt, what was it like to clean my house quickly and easily (as opposed to now it takes a LONG time and sometimes several days), what was it like to squat down, stand up or sit down without feeling like I am ripping in half...? It is crazy, but I have loved it all. I love how I can feel Cole all the time now (it will be weird when I no longer feel that, but he will be here in my arms), how on days when we can sleep in we both lie in bed and feel him moving around or hiccuping and talk about the days that are quickly approaching. It is so special to me. But just as a roller coaster can be exciting it can also be scary. Some days I wonder how I’ll ever do it, how will I be a mom when I never have been? How can I care for a newborn when I never have? How will I ver know what to do? Jon is so good at reassuring me that we will do great, we will be fine. And I pray about it all the time for the knowledge and wisdom I will need as a new mom. I know that all first time mom’s must feel this way. So, like I said, a roller coaster...emotional ups and downs all the time right now. I cry a lot, and I am not a crier by any means. I find myself crying happy tears because I am so excited about Cole, I cry when my feelings get hurt (even at the smallest thing)... I could go on and on. But, by far I am so excited and happy and blessed that Cole is almost here. This new year is a new beginning for us. We are going to be parents!!! It is unreal and I thank God every day for this blessing. It is also a new beginning for me because I quit my job in 21 days!!! My life is totally changing and I am so excited about it. We have prayed and worked so hard for me to be able to stay at home and take care of Cole and it is finally becoming a reality and we are so, so blessed.

Now for some updates. We host a Christmas party every year (this is our 4th year), this year the theme was pajamas. Last year we did an Ugly Christmas Sweater party and it was a hit. This year we wanted to do it a little different. So here are some pictures of that. First off, I took my 32 week picture in my pj’s in Cole’s room. The pj’s were not maternity, but I didn’t care. I loved the bulldog on the shirt.

32 weeks

Here I am at the party with Annie (holding Camryn) and Cassidy

Here I am with Amber, Jeni and Kristie

The party was a lot of fun as always and we had good food, fun games and great company :)

In other great news the furniture is FINALLY getting done!!!!! After buying more paint that was “supposed” to work we discovered that it didn’t work. Jon tried out some of the paint on a test piece of wood we discovered that this paint also left a tacky/sticky finish. So, Jon called back the place where he bought the paint and explained to them that we were running out of time and needed to get this furniture done. Jon had heard that tinted lacquer was the way to go when painting furniture and this paint store agreed, although they didn’t sell tinted lacquer. They agreed to take back all of the paint we had bought and gave us a full refund (which was GREAT, paint is NOT cheap). Then they also referred to a place where we could get the tinted lacquer. Jon took a foot off of the crib and took it to the new paint store. They matched the color and finish perfectly and even showed him how to mix the paint to the right consistency with his HVLP spray gun. It was a much better experience. So, as of now the dresser is DONE (drawer faces are not painted yet but will be by the end of the weekend as will the changing pad holder), book case is DONE, night stand is primed but not painted, shelves are built but not painted or primed. Everything should be done by Monday. Lacquer dries SO fast and the finish is SO smooth. We are beyond excited that we are this close (FINALLY) to being done with the furniture. Jon loves to wood work but he is growing a little tired of it at this point. We both want him to be done so we can spend time together this last month before Cole gets here, and him not be out in the garage every night working. So, here is the bookcase...built, painted once and stripped and sanded, painted again and stripped and sanded...and finally, finally painted and finished!!!!!

We are so happy that it is finally done and we are so happy with the finished product. I couldn’t wait to stuff all of my old books and Cole’s new books on there.

We had a wonderful Christmas with our families. We spent Christmas Eve with Jon’s mom and dad and aunt and uncle. We went to Kan-ki for dinner. It is kind of becoming a tradition for Jon and I to go there on Christmas Eve. Then Jon and I went to the movies. It was lots of fun. We woke up Christmas morning and opened our gifts together. Jon got me a charm for my Pandora Bracelet ( a wooden one which I love), a new small digital camera that does video so I can capture every cute thing Cole does, a Petunia Pickle Bottom diaper bag and some other little stocking stuffers. Then we went to Jon’s parents house for breakfast. I made the Pioneer Woman’s cinnamon rolls (which were SO messy to make but so, so good. We opened gifts with them and drank coffee and laughed. It was a great morning. After that, we came home unloaded our gifts ( which for me was a Keurig coffee maker and lots of coffee and some clothes for Cole) and the reloaded the car and headed for my parents house. We had to of course grab some Starbucks on the way. Once we got there it was after 2pm so we went ahead and ate our lunch/dinner. It was yummy as always, as my mom is a GREAT cook! Then we opened gifts with the family. I love Christmas so much and I know I will love it even more when Cole is here next year :) After a long day we headed home, opened up all of our gifts and finally got to play with them. My parents got us our pack and play so that of course was set up immediately and they got me a digital frame that we both love!! I have been touching up pictures all week to put on it and I am up to about 80 pictures on it now. It looks great! Here are some shots of Christmas.

Not the most flattering picture but this was me holding a pair of slippers given to Cole from Jon’s aunt Martye. They were bought in Scotland. So cute!

Not sure what is going on here, but it is classic Jason...

Me and the girls

Jenna in the cool bounce house Santa got her and Ashley

A very bored looking bride Ashley. I love it!! She danced and danced for us. Dress made by her Nanny Deb.

Jenna in her Cinderella dress that Deb made for her. They were beautiful dresses.

And finally...here I am at 33 weeks...

We hope you all have a blessed 2011 :)

Sorry for the SUPER LONG post... :)