Christmas time survival while 8 months pregnant

via Ruche

I made it through Christmas!

Christmas was so much fun with the babies. They all enjoyed every part, even fighting over new toys, I could tell! Their joys are so genuine and enthusiastic. I wish I could bottle it up. And I wasn't as tired as I thought I'd be. I mean, I was wrecked by about 9 pm, but managed to play games, enjoy the kids, and eat too much. Which is pretty much my whole to-do list for Christmas.

Yesterday when I woke up I was so surprised by the relief I felt at not having gone into labor over Christmas! There was nary a contraction. I didn't think I was stressed out about it at all. I don't mind which date this baby decides to pop out, it will always be their very own birthday, and our plans were not susceptible to being disrupted. But yesterday I woke up feeling relieved and accomplished. I guess thats what happens when each and every person you speak too about your due date always likes to mention, "maybe you'll have a Christmas baby!" As if its some dreaded alignment of the planets, or an all-ruining event. However, for future reference its not the sweetest thing to say to a pregnant woman. All comments that add unnecessary birth-related stress are completely unwelcome. 

The thin line of 8 month pregnant sanity is getting thinner by the day! 

Happy Christmas!

I've been a pretty terrible blogger. 

My plans to at the very least put up a couple pictures of our tree and decorations have been sidelined.

I've had a ridiculously-full-of-unnecessary-stress last couple weeks, so my main objective has been simply to keep this baby baking for at least a little while longer. But hurray-yesterday I passed 37 weeks so I am now good to go, or at the very least I'll be allowed to go to a birthing centre with my midwife and not be forced to a hospital so that is a major accomplishment! 

The babies are all excited for Christmas. Dom can't believe "Yanta" is coming in only two sleeps!! His "s" sounds are never quite "s"s so Santa takes on the new moniker of "yanta" its hilarious. Gemma is excited by the wrapping, the decorations, the lights, everything! And little Lukey has the great 2 year old excitement over each little decoration we put up but is completely in love with the Christmas tree and the first thing he tells each visitor is "we have a Christmas Tree!" 

So we will be celebrating simply, because I am moving at a ridiculously slow pace and have a hard time remaining upright for longer than 5 minutes, but the little joys are the best anyways. 

Happy Christmas everyone-wishing you the peace of Christ's birth at this blessed time of year and always!

A little poem for this week...

JOSEPH

IF the stars fell; night's nameless dreams
Of bliss and blasphemy came true,
If skies were green and snow were gold,And you loved me as I love you;

O long light hands and curled brown hair,
And eyes where sits a naked soul;
Dare I even then draw near and burn
My fingers in the aureole?

Yes, in the one wise foolish hour
God gives this strange strength to a man.
He can demand, though not deserve,
Where ask he cannot, seize he can.

But once the blood's wild wedding o'er,
Were not dread his, half dark desire,
To see the Christ-child in the cot,
The Virgin Mary by the fire?

~G.K. Chesterton

Seven Quick Takes vol 11.

Check out Jen's Quick Takes!

{one}

I hope I'm not the only one who likes to evaluate what I got done all week come Friday. I like picturing myself being at least semi-productive on a regular basis, but this week I'm having a hard time coming up with much. It seems I've reached that point where "being pregnant" is all I do. I mean its not really all I do, I've still managed to feed, clothe, wash and entertain 3 kids, make dinner every night, stay on top of the dreaded laundry, and pull out some Christmas decorations, but other than that I'm reaching. Being 8 months preggo does this to a person I guess.

{two}

Umm, could this be the greatest office Christmas party ever? The peeps at Martha Stewart have a craft sale and cookie swap that looks to die for. I admit its a little geeky-but its Martha Stewart's employees so EVERYTHING IS AMAZING. 


{three}

I just finished Clara and Mr. Tiffany by Susan Vreeland. It was a nice book that didn't really thrill me for some reason. I liked the characters, but didn't love them. The historic context was interesting, and the detailed description of the craft of creating Tiffany lamps was diverting and well done. It was well written, and certainly a decent story to read. I guess it just didn't make my top ten list. The parts I enjoyed most were the descriptions of turn of the century New York City, it must have been dreamy!

{four}

yeah, it was him.

I had a babe with a mysterious random rash this week. It was there one day, I slathered it with coconut oil, and it was gone the next! I don't know if the coconut oil had anything to do with it, but I'm glad I didn't worry about it. Knowing him, I'm pretty sure he ate something funky. I don't even want to know.

{five}

via brookekellyphotography.blogspot.com

So I have a love/hate relationship with birth stories. 

I love hearing my friends stories of course, but reading them can go either way for me. 

Part of me likes knowing that women feel the same things I do in labor, they don't think they'll make it through, but they do and its joyous.

And then sometimes women are completely unbelievable, feel no pain because of their positive attitudes, and have a baby in less than an hour. Those are the ones I have trouble with. 

I don't think I could write any of my birth stories. They usually involve days of labour, every conceivable emotion, and an approach that is anything but brave which usually ends in loopy ramblings that my husband later says he has to try not to laugh at. In other words, its complete chaos. But I'm trying to embrace it and just roll with it, that way my baby will be used to it by the time it arrives!

{six}

via pinterest

The kids are getting so excited for Christmas-its so much fun! Everyday they ask about it, pray for Christmas, and love their Advent calendars and each little decoration we put up. St. Nicholas came this week as well which was a thrill. But then the following morning they wondered why St. Nicholas didn't put more chocolate in their boots.

{seven}

via a diary of a lovely blog

I'm going to attempt to get some Christmas baking done today. We've got a Church party tomorrow, and want to go out and chop down our Christmas tree, so we definitely need some cookies around here. The greatness about living in the middle of northern nowhere is that you don't even have to drive 5 minutes before finding a perfect, free, tree to cut down for Christmas. Its a nice perk. Have a good weekend everyone! 

This just makes me happy...

via Matchbook tumblr

Isn't this picture perfection?

Paul Newman never fails to put a smile on my face.

Hope you're having a beautiful December day, and by the way Happy Feast day-

Immaculate Heart of Mary-pray for us!

Paperwhites

Style at Home

House and Home

Traditional Home

via cottageanddivine.blogspot.com

My paperwhites are blooming! I love things that grow in the middle of frozen winter! My flowers don't look quite as glamourous as these pictures, but they look great flanking our Advent wreath. I also have an amaryllis growing but it hasn't done anything so it might start blooming come January!