Celebrate the good this season.

Christmas is upon us yet again.  All the lights.  All the excitement.  All the food. All the Elf on the Shelf on my Facebook feed.  All of the shopping.  All of the annoying commercials over and over.  I swear if I see the Target commercial one more time....Oh and all the gifts to buy.
Time to drain the savings account.

Oh and do not get me started on this place.  http://www.santas-wonderland.com/
We are so ANTI Santa's Wonderland, nope not going to happen.  There are plenty of places to go and do fun things together and not have to spend so much money. Like let's spend over $75 to go look at lights and drink some hot chocolate...ummm no thanks.  I can load my kid in the car and make some Swiss Miss and drive around the neighborhood.

Anytime he sees those annoying Target commercials with all the toys he proceeds to demand to us to GET HIM THAT.  I think that it has become so commercialized, that is all kids know.   Will he get gifts?  Of course.  But that does not mean we will spend $500 or more (people, this is completely normal in some families!) If that is important to you, go for it.  It is just not for us.  I never want our kids to see Christmas as just getting things.  Sometimes I feel the pressure of getting so many gifts and in January our bank account is drained. Wouldn't it be nice if Christmas just meant time to be together with family and friends? I digress.

We want to celebrate the good this Christmas season.  It is about family.  Being together.  Making memories. One of my most favorite quotes that sums this up is from the Grinch.

"Maybe Christmas",  he thought, "does not come from a store."
"Maybe Christmas.....perhaps....means a little bit more!"

This is making me sound like I hate Christmas.  I do not.  It is the most wonderful time of the year! And this year, we will get to celebrate as a family of 4!

I want Logan  to understand this.  It is not about getting, it is about giving and most important, it is about Jesus Christ.  Not Santa.  Not toys.

Our 2014 family ornament and the one Logan picked out, Daddy was proud! 

As we get into the spirit of the holidays, let's try to remember what it really means, because that is the best gift.

35 weeks

Yesterday was my 35 week appointment went great.  Mason was right on track with a HR of 131.  My doctor said he would just check me at the next appointment unless I wanted him to do it that day.  I said I did (I am pretty sure last appointment he told me he was going to check me at this appointment, so why not?) and he told me not to be upset if I was not progressed at all since I was only 35 weeks.  He proceeded to check me and said, "Hmmm that is interesting." I was like, ummmm what?!
I was 2 centimeters dilated and 80% effaced.  He told me to "hold him in" if I could for 2 more weeks but more than likely I would be having this baby in 2 weeks or less!
It was kind of the same situation when Logan was born, (he was ready to go at 37 weeks) I just progress very quickly. Probably because I have a teeny tiny uterus or so I was told.  Which I guess is ok as long I can get him to December 8th, I will be full term by then.  So hold on Mason, make it to the week of December 8th, then you can come out whenever you want!

Maternity Clothes: Umm yes.  Down to only 3 pair of pants that fit me and shirts are starting to get short on me! 

Gender: BOY. Mason Bruce :) 

Movement:  OH. MY. GOSH.  Lots of movement all at once.  Like he will move constantly for about an hour then not much after that.  But when he is moving, it is like a battle going on in my stomach! Much more movement and not kicks.  We were in church on Sunday and I swear I was going into labor he was moving so much.  

Sleep: I actually have been sleeping better.  I mean up 3 times a night to pee is not bad right?! Still sleeping on my left side.  I do have to do some stretching in the morning when I wake up and my left hip hurts really bad from sleeping on it all night.   

What I miss: Being able to bend over, walk without getting winded or that I have to pee ALL. THE. TIME.  It is more of just the FEELING that I have to pee, which sometimes I feel is worse.  Also being able to pick up Logan and get on the floor and play with him more.

What I am loving: That next week is December :) that means it is SO CLOSE!

Cravings: Not much.  I get full so quick now I can't really eat that much anymore.  Although the other day I drank a Dr. Pepper, which I never do! 

Best Moments This Week:
1. Hearing that I was progressing!
2. We finally got the nursery complete!
3. Washed all the newborn and 0-3 month baby clothes!
4. Bags are packed!
5. Registered at the hospital!

Here are some pics from Mason's nursery! It is a pretty small room, but we worked with what we had and I love it!

 Bryan and I had to compromise on this one.  He loved the oar idea (thanks Pinterest!) but I just wanted to get wood letters.  He thought it would be cool if we painted the nautical alphabet (FYI...yes there is one, who knew?) on the wood and then painted his name on top.  I don't LOVE how it turned out, but we compromised so that is a good thing, right?  You can see his name better when you are closer.  We tried to find wood letters that would fit on the squares, but none were the right size to wear you could still see the nautical flag painted, so I had to paint the letters.

http://www.sailorschoice.com/seamanship/alphabet_pennants.htm

Maternity photo shoot

About a month ago we took our maternity pictures.  I was super excited to have Logan AND Bryan in these this time. (ha, technically Logan WAS in the pics last time...)   The day we took pictures last time, Bryan had vertigo.  No fun.  Needless to say, he was in NONE of my pictures.  Logan is better with Miss Shawna and actually listening, but he would still get distracted easily (look mommy....a stick!).  We took these at Research Park and it was such a beautiful day.  Thanks to my bestie who is always up for taking our family photos! Next time I see her, it will be when she is taking pictures of our sweet Mason.  I cannot believe December is almost here.....yikes!

Ships Ahoy, it's a boy!

This past weekend I had my baby shower for our sweet Mason!
We are doing (in the process) his nursery in a nautical theme, so we went with that for the baby shower. My sister did an awesome job with the decorations! It was a great afternoon spent with family and friends and we got lots of great things!

We unpacked it all at home and came to the very real realization that we will have a baby NEXT month! It is getting real (and really terrifying) that we will have 2 kids.  I have a little anxiety about the birth, how are we going to handle/pay for 2 kids, and everything else.  I have to remember that God knows just what he is doing and everything will be alright.  Crazy....probably, but alright in the end.

Oh and this is what Daddy and Logan were doing while I was at the baby shower..... :)