18 days to go!

I was back at the doctor today, 35 weeks and 2 days along. I saw a new guy, as my regular doc was taking a vacation day before it expired tomorrow and he lost it.

Today I got "checked" for the first time this pregnancy, here's the verdict... almost 1 cm dilated. So I've started on the path to delivery. I would say I am all ready, except for Grace's 3rd birthday party that is 10 days away.

Dearest Marion,
Please be kind to your big sister and stay put at least 10 more days.
Much love,
Mommy

I explained my plan to the doc and he said he thought I would make it to the party, but no promises, because all bets are off at this point.

He estimates that Baby Marion is over 6 pounds now and very long. I can't wait to see her!!!

merry christmas!

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!

On Christmas day we visited Nana and Paw Paw's house. We decorated gingerbread men and kitties...




We had made special arrangements with Santa for him to visit us on the morning after Christmas so Daddy would be here for the party. He had just come home on Christmas Day. Grace was very pleased with her delivery from Santa!



He even left her a new house of her own! Here she is checking it out for the first time...


Grace dancing out some of the Christmas candy craziness!

a little girl named "mommy"

Some nights we're running late for bedtime. On these nights I often "tell a story" instead of "reading" one. In my mind it's shorter and easier for those nights we're racing to sleep. My stories usually start out, "Once upon a time there was a little girl named Grace..."

Grace often tells me a story next, and hers usually begin, "Once upon a time there was a little girl named Mommy..."

Here is my best recollection of tonight's story...

"Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Mommy, and she loves pink, and she pick some flowers, for her garden, and I say 'I love pink too!', and that's what I say, and Mommy says 'I love you Gracie,' and I say 'I love you Mommy,' and that's what I say! The End! That story was when you were a little girl, Mommy!"

I think she knows that with stories like that I'll lay there all night listening... putting off the dreaded bedtime even longer.

4 weeks to go!

In only 4 weeks from today we'll meet Baby Marion! I was back at the doctor last week and my pregnant brain can't remember if he said I measured right on or a week ahead... either way, fairly right where I should be. I realized this past week that I am now waddling! I'm definitely feeling huge and having lots of contractions... looking forward to the end!

Baby Marion is getting mostly hand me downs from Big Sister Grace, but don't feel too bad for her, Grace had nice stuff! She has gotten a few new things all her own...

After much debate over whether to have Grace's carseat recovered...


I went ahead and ordered a new cover from a lady who makes them from scratch to sell on ebay. I am so happy with it, she did a great job. I love how it came with a headrest and strap pads... you don't get all of that with the covers sold in the boutiques.


Marion, your cover is definitely cooler than big sis's!

Baby Marion also got a new nursery. The accessories and art from Grace's nursery all moved with her to her big girl room, so Marion got a new color scheme, pink and black! Nana made the drapes and the bedding, and she has some really cute stuffed animals made with coordinating fabric that are currently still under construction!

Check out the cute toybox! It was painted green from our old playroom when it came down from the attic. Jeremy nailed on the "M" and painted it all to match Marion's room! It's recycled! ;)

These came from Renee, an artist who has lots of cute stuff for sale on etsy. She was extremely nice to work with and let me change stuff up from her examples to make it perfect for Marion!



I bought this locally in Hattiesburg...

It was initially for Marion's nursery but I just didn't feel like it went once I got it. It does look perfect though in the bathroom that connects the girls' bedrooms! I just love everything it says; I hope my girls are best friends!


It's been pretty busy around here getting ready for the holidays, but I did manage to make a couple things for Marion this week. Hopefully with Grace out of school the next couple of weeks I can get lots more done!

school christmas party

Yesterday Grace had her school Christmas Party. Really, we've been partying everyday! Who knew having an almost 3 year old came with such a packed social schedule?! The theme was "Home for the Holidays," and everyone wore their jammies to school. The kids had snacks and hot cocoa, and did a small gift exchange.
Lately I've gotten to know many of the moms of Grace's classmates and they're all so much fun to be around that I now look forward to all of the parties. Of course, we often have unscheduled mommy pow wows on preschool mornings at the Hattiesburg Target too. Two out of the three preschool days last week literally half of the mommies of Mrs.Paula's class were hanging out there! I had to leave Tuesday morning before I even started my shopping because I had spent too long talking and it was time for me to be at the doctor! I never even made it past the "dollar spot!"

Starting with Grace and going clockwise... Grace, Natalie, Mary Allen, Luke, Emma or Ava (twins, not totally identical, but I can't tell from behind!), and Kadin

Grace brought the cookies for Christmas snack- here she is trying them out!

caroling and christmas lights

Last night was Grace's Christmas program at school. Nana and Paw Paw were there and Grace was very excited to show them her school and her classroom. The 2 year old pre-k kids were carolers. Grace had been singing Christmas tunes like crazy at home for the past couple of weeks... Rudolph, Frosty, Jingle Bells... so I figured she had it down! I was quite surprised when the songs they actually "sang" were more like Silent Night and Away in a Manger. She didn't really know those, and neither did any of the other kids. They did sing Jingle Bells at the end, which really perked them all up, and Grace got lucky as she was one of the two bell ringers!



After the program and Mexican buffet dinner at the school, we headed out to Purvis to see the Lewis Lights. We didn't follow the directions and we got a little lost in the country! When we finally found the Lewis home, it was well worth the trip! Mrs.Lewis has been decorating "all out" for almost 20 years, and seems to love the company it brings. She even had a visitor from Holland this week! She handpainted all of the wooden cut out scenes, and there are many! She has the story of the night before Christmas, Snow White, the Care Bears, Blue's Clues, Tigger and Pooh, the Rugrats, and many many more!!

Nana and Grace


Grace by the Snow White scene, one of her favorites!


I showed Grace this picture and asked her what she was doing.... "I'm making my dress like Snow White!" Ohhh! :)

This was so cool! This tree actually had hollow areas in it and Mrs.Lewis had arranged elves inside of the tree. It was lit from inside as well... awesome!

a new "first"

Grace's First Time Bowling
December 13, 2008

I guess I should explain her outfit. We had been at a ballet party Saturday morning and the tutu was her party favor. We were running late for the bowling party and I had to do a quick change of her clothes in the car and she was adamant that the tutu stay on. I was too rushed to argue, so I went with it! Honestly, I'm lucky she was awake and smiling by this time, it was a busy day!

The bowling was really fun for Grace! They had cool metal ramps that held the ball until she pushed it down, and there were guards to keep the ball out of the gutters. She got quite a few spares!

let it snow!

Last night I put to bed a very excited little girl who had big hopes to see snow this morning. This morning, about 6:45, I awoke to the sound of her sliding out of bed over the baby monitor. Next, I heard her at the window, "Snow! Snow! It is snowing!" followed by lots of very loud squealing! I really can't recall ever hearing her so excited. School was cancelled (you know Mississippians can't drive in the snow, right?), so we skipped our showers, put on our warmest clothes and headed out...



there was a lot of snow tasting and snacking on the snow...



there were snowmen...



and there were snowball fights...



and lastly, my little snow angel...

telling stories at bedtime

We moved Grace to her big girl bed at about 18 months, and it couldn't have been easier. We had over a year of perfect bedtime manners- she stayed in bed all night, and would call me in the morning when she woke up. I guess it couldn't last forever. Grace's little head poking out from behind her bedroom door has become quite a common sight at 9:00 or 9:30 at night.... and she's full of stories about why!

the most popular...

"I need to go potty!"

Yes, sometimes this one is legitimate, but other times, she expects to be able to hang out perched on the toilet indefinitely. I guess in her mind it beats laying in bed!

"I need fresh water, this water is old!"

Yes, this one sounds rather silly, but it's a quick fix, so I oblige.

"I heard that noise, and that noise WOKE ME UP!"

This one is said in a very disgusted and appalled tone of voice, I guess to make it sound more believable that she's really upset about her disturbed sleep.


Last night I wasn't here at bedtime, I had a girls' night out, and it was up to the babysitter to get Grace to sleep. I really didn't think Grace would be bold enough to tell all of these stories to the sitter... I was wrong.

On top of the usuals, she had a new one...

(while pointing to an imaginary "splinter" on her finger)
"I just got a hurt, that splinter crawled in my bed and got in my hand!"

So now she's coming up with imaginary injuries to avoid sleep! I talked to her about it this morning and I got this explanation...

"Mommy, I was just seeing if you were coming home."

... at least she missed me!

flowers for me? awwww!

as Grace and I walked past the fresh cut flower section of the grocery today....

"Mommy, I want to buy some flowers for you!"

"For me? Grace, that is SO SWEET! You make Mommy so happy!"

"I buy some flowers, and I give them to you!"

"Okay honey, we can't buy them today, but be sure to tell your Daddy and ask him to help you buy some another day!"

Grace, you melt my heart!

santa's here! santa's here!

Yes, that's what Grace was shouting on Thursday night when she ran to the front door to see who was visiting.

"I made you these cookies!!!"

Grace and Santa

Grace was very excited that Santa visited her house! Last night, she asked me if Santa could come to our house to stay... as in, permanently. I explained that he must visit all of the children in the world... she wasn't overly concerned about all the other kiddos out there!

Santa did bring her one gift, a sparkly Barbie horse and carriage, that Grace loving named after herself... "Grace the Pony."

Today, we were at Toys R Us shopping for some of her friends' upcoming birthday parties and she showed me the crawling pink My Little Pony that she liked...

"Oh Grace, is that the one you asked Santa for?!"
"Yes, but he already brought me "Grace the Pony."

She wasn't too upset about it, but she did seem to believe that she had already received her one and only gift from Santa, and wasn't expecting anything else. Luckily, I'm pretty sure he'll remember the crawling pink pony she's been asking him for the last two months!

that's one way to do it

Grace has a new theory about how Marion is getting out! The new plan is that my stomach will "crack" open (like an egg I guess??) allowing her to escape, and then Dr.Drake (or "that boy" as Grace is calling him) will "fix the pieces." This morning she held her hands up to my belly and chanted, "crack, crack, crack!"

31 weeks

Today I am 31 weeks and 1 day along in my pregnancy and I was back to the OB for another appointment. Last visit, I measured 3 weeks ahead, and was starting to get a little worried about how big she'd get! Today, I measured "right on," which I guess means I shrunk! Of course, it's all just her positioning. We scheduled January 18th for the big day, assuming I'm still pregnant then! Only 6 weeks and 5 days to go! That will be 6 days further along in the pregnancy than when I had Grace.
So here's my plan for January... the first Saturday is the 3rd, take it easy and prepare... the second Saturday is the 10th, knock out Grace's birthday party while hugely preggo... and the third Sunday is the 18th, baby day! Whew! I'm exhausted just thinking about it!

watch out for the teeny tiny fashion police!

Well, I know how it started...

I was explaining to my dear husband why I needed a new brown handbag I had been eying. You see, I had recently gotten a new one, but it was black, and I just didn't have anything in brown I liked to wear with my outfits that needed brown.

Watch what you say around Grace, because she's listening! We were at the mall waiting to try on shoes (we had been waiting quite a while, as had others, so there was a crowd!), when Grace looked at me and my new brown bag with a puzzled look and gasped, "Mommy! Where is your black purse?! You have a black shirt and you need your black purse!" A little embarrassed that my 2 year old was shouting fashion advice at me, I told her my black purse was at home. "Mommy! We have to go home and get your black purse!" I guess my argument to dear husband must have been pretty convincing- it definitely worked on Grace- she was serious!

I couldn't possibly have given her the true explanation of why I was mismatched in front of all the the women in the shoe department that day, so her it is, forever on her blog, future reference for her ongoing policing of fashion...

Yes, you should try to match your bag to your outfit; but sometimes when you get something new, you're allowed to use it for a little while, even if you don't match, just because you're happy to have it. :)

in grace's words

The last 2 days have been like the Great Flood here, so Grace and I have spent some time cooped up in the house talking and playing. Here are some of her thoughts....

Yesterday morning I groaned at the size of my belly and how uncomfortable it's becoming. Grace asked me what was wrong and I told her that Marion was just really kicking me a lot....

"She's kicking, so she can make a hole, so she can get out???"

Clueless of what else to say, I just agreed.

.......................................................................................

Earlier today Grace took an elephant ornament off the Christmas tree to play with...

"Elll... elll... elephant! Mommy, elephant starts with L!"

I absolutely hated telling her that something that sounded so right was wrong! Elephant should start with L!

Thanksgiving 2008

We spent Thanksgiving at Nana and PawPaw's house. We were joined by Uncle John, David, Natalie, Tim, Beth, Lillie, Caleb, Isabelle and Baby Jess. It was so good to see everyone and Grace had a wonderful time playing with her cousins.

Grace playing with a bamboo shoot she picked.

David with Isabelle, Caleb and Lillie

Baby Jess

Here I am with my cousin, Natalie. I'm almost 31 weeks along now. Really, can my belly get any bigger?!?

On the way home we took a short detour off of Henleyfield McNeil Road to see a row of homes that go ALL OUT with Christmas lights.


Grace stared in total awe! When we came to the end and began driving away...

"Mommy, wait, are those people's houses??"
"Yes Grace, those are people's houses, they just put lots of Christmas lights up."
"Mommy, wait, can we go see their back porch??"

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope everyone has had many things to be thankful for this year. I am thankful for my beautiful family and for a healthy pregnancy. I feel so very blessed to have a child that I completely adore, and blessed to have the opportunity to spend my days with her.

Some of Grace's Turkey Day art...

Handprint Turkey

T is for Turkey