Blogger is Really Frustrating Me!!!

Alright, people - I set aside some time this morning to post pictures from Christmas, and once again, I can not access my latest photos! Any help with this would be appreciated!! I thought the problem was our internet browser - Safari, so we downloaded Firefox, which worked wonderfully for the last few posts. Today, however, neither browser is letting me get to my last import of photos. So, I give up for now, because I have other tasks I was hoping to accomplish this morning, and I'll try again as soon as I can.

Bring on Christmas!!

Hello all!! We are having a decently busy but relaxing week around here! I have decided that I could really stay on top of things if I didn't have to do things like change the oil in my car, balance my checkbook, file tax paperwork, switch out clothes each season and pack away stuff that doesn't fit or is worn out, etc. I can handle caring for the kids, preparing meals (with the help of Oscar Meyer and Chef Boyardee:), doing laundry, paying bills, etc. It's all this "extra" stuff that piles up, and just when I think I'm caught up, I remember that these things need attention, too. Oh well - I can find any paper or item in the house that I need in 30 seconds or less, and that makes me happy, even if it is a lot of work!

I officially finished my Christmas shopping yesterday, and wasn't really planning on getting out much between now and Christmas. Then I remembered the oil needed to be changed, I do need ingredients for my Christmas dish, and I found out I have to pick out carpet, tile, and paint colors for the room/bathroom in the basement we're finishing by the day after Christmas! Luckily, I'm the happiest when I'm busy, and I purposely made myself catch up on everything that I possibly could before this week, so that I could handle these things while Cline is working a lot this week.

I surprised Cline with his Christmas present last week, and it was a hit!! He has ALWAYS wanted to see Garth Brooks in concert, and we've even explored the idea of going out for his Las Vegas show. But tickets are really hard to get, and it would be hard to take the kids with us, or leave them behind while traveling so far. When those things are combined with the enormous expense of the hotel room, plane tickets, babysitter, time involved, etc., plus the fact that I am quickly working my way towards "very pregnant" status, nothing has worked out. About a month ago, I heard about a series of benefit concerts he was doing in Nashville to raise money for the Tennessee Flood Relief!! I was too late to buy the tickets from the original sale, but I took my chances on a brokerage website, and scored 2 tickets about 7 rows back in the middle of the arena! I re-arranged his work schedule a little so that he wouldn't have to travel after working a night shift, booked a hotel room right across the street from the concert venue, arranged for an overnight babysitter, and didn't tell him anything other than we had plans Thursday and Friday of last week. On Thursday, as we were leaving, he asked where we were going (to make sure that the route I had planned was the best one - what faith:)! I told him we were going to Nashville, and he racked his brain to try and figure out what we could possibly be doing up there. His mind immediately went to a Dave Ramsey event of some sort.

We pulled into our hotel, and the nice gentleman who helped us out of our car asked if we were going to the concert. I replied, "yes," but that it was a surprise for Cline and he didn't know who we would be seeing. We got to our room, and I looked out our window onto a downtown strip. I saw the sign for the arena flashing their schedule, and told Cline that if he wanted to know what we'd be doing a couple of hours from then, he could look too. He thought that would be a great way to find out, so he looked as various performers flashed across the screen: Jeff Foxworthy, New Kids on the Block, Rush, and others. Finally, it said "Garth Brooks" and listed the dates. Cline dropped his mouth and said, "No way, is this some pay-per-view thing we're doing??" I assured him that as long as the tickets I had were legit, we were going to see Garth IN PERSON!! Cline was ecstatic and gleeful the whole night long, and couldn't believe we were actually there. He said it was the best Christmas present ever!! In fact, he liked it so much that he and his brothers are going again this week and driving through the night so everyone can work the next day!! It was a hit, and I was so happy to be able to pull off the surprise part of it!

I tried one last-ditch effort to see if he would jump on board the whole not-finding-out-what-the-baby-is-until-delivery right before the concert. It didn't work - he still really wants to know on Christmas, even with my fabulous gift. If that didn't convince him, I guess nothing will - sigh.

Christa is enjoying the pre-Christmas festivities, and our elf finally came to visit us this week. We named her Chokie-Nokie (a favorite, current phrase of Christa's), and Christa is having fun seeing what the elf does every night. She is learning about being sorry for things. Yesterday, she was playing with my Willow Tree Nativity set, and I suggested that she do something else. She was being really careful, and having a great time, so I told her to be very careful not to break anything, and made sure she was in a sturdy spot. A few minutes later, she slipped and dropped the shepherd, breaking it's hand. She immediately said, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to," several times. She was so sweet about it that I couldn't be mad, and told her I would fix it, but that from now on, we would play with that together, instead of her playing with it by herself. As we were saying our prayers last night, Cline asked her if there was anything she was sorry for that she wanted to pray about - something he does every night he is home to put her to bed. She immediately said that she wanted to pray about, "breaking Mommy's nativity." Such a sweet girl!! I told her this morning, that maybe the elf could fix it tonight while Christa is sleeping, and she went over to the elf and said, "Can you fix Mommy's nativity tonight??"

Abby Kate is all over the place as always, and back to her normal self after a 9 day stomach bug. I'm looking forward to seeing both girls react to the toys on Christmas morning!

Well, I'm going to go file some papers while I still have a few minutes. Have a very Merry Christmas!

It's Almost Christmas!

Once again, these pictures are a little out of order. One day, I'll remember to download them in reverse order, since I still can't figure out how to move them around on this internet browser. At any rate, we are busily getting ready for Christmas around here! After a week-long attack of the stomach bug and other germs, followed by a mild breakdown (by me, of course :), we are back on track! I have finished most of the Christmas shopping and wrapping, all of the decorating, and am ready to host a Cookie Swap tomorrow. We are very much in the spirit of things this year, and I am trying very hard to get it in my head that we do not have to do every possible thing every year. I figure that if whatever we get to do each year is enough, I will enjoy this time of the year so much more, instead of stressing out about it! I am also trying hard not to obsess over whether the girls will get too much/too little. Every year, I analyze every tiny gift, and wonder if it's too much and if I'm sending the wrong message to them about Christmas. This year, I am not letting that steal my joy of watching my 3 year old get excited about Christmas. She's 3 - not 7. To her, new toys are an exciting thing and she'll gladly take all she can get. I've decided it's unreasonable for me to expect her to care more about giving to others at this age, and we will gradually introduce traditions to teach that concept as she gets older.
We did get to go to a WONDERFUL lunch with Santa and Mrs. Clause today with some great friends. We were so honored to be invited, and had a fabulous meal with great company. The girls were a little bashful about sitting on Santa's lap, so we did a family pose this year! Enjoy the pictures (and a few from the last couple of weeks)!





Abby Kate turned 15 months on Dec. 2. It was a busy day, so I forgot to take her picture until the end of the day. Oh well - at least I got one!

Decorating the Christmas tree!


Have a great day!

Proof that My Diet Rocks!

Hey guys! A funny thing happened this week that I thought I'd share! (Actually, I have a few minutes to update the blog and couldn't think of much to say, but I still wanted to check in with those of you who still read this thing, and this is the best I could come up with! Is that the longest, run-on sentence ever??)

Anyway, I had my 24-week check-up this week. I arranged for some childcare (thanks, Mom!), got dressed, ate a typical breakfast of a chicken biscuit, large coke, threw in a small peppermint patty in an attempt to freshen my breath, and went on to the doctor's office expecting to hear the heartbeat, say hi to the doctor, and leave. I arrived, and, after waiting a little while, the nurse called me back and informed me that we were doing my 1 hour glucose test that day! Now, for those of you who have not birthed babies recently, here's the low-down on the 1 hour glucose test. You drink a super-sugary drink, wait an hour, and then have your blood drawn to make sure your blood sugar isn't too high. If you pass, end of story. If you fail, you have to take the 3 hour glucose test. These tests screen for gestational diabetes. Ideally, you should have fasted for several hours before you take this test, but they'll accept "normal eating." It is NOT a good idea to say, eat a candy bar... or a chicken biscuit, large coke, and peppermint patty right before you do this thing!

I explained to the nurse that I had just eaten (I didn't remember being warned about this beforehand, but maybe I'm supposed to just know these things since this is my 3rd time around)! She assured me that it wouldn't be a problem, and I drank the super-sugary beverage. I mentioned it again to the doctor, specifying the extent of the high-sugar meal I had just consumed, and he decided it would be better to hold off on the test since I was likely to fail. Alright, no big deal. However, long story short, after some failed scheduling attempts that took longer than expected, we decided to just go ahead and draw the blood on the off-chance I might pass, and then the scheduling conflicts would be resolved.

I rushed over to get the blood drawn, and, although I haven't spoken directly with the doctor, yet, I did get my results, and happen to have a little inside knowledge as to how to interpret them. Get this - not only did I pass, but my blood sugar level was actually LOWER than the desired limits!

As far as I know, this is great news! And to me, it's proof that my body is very used to processing insane amounts of sugar, and has adapted accordingly to my high-carb, high-chocolate, high-soda diet :)

p.s. - I'm really sorry if that's the most boring story ever :) It was funny to us, and I promise some new pictures this week!

The Turkey Wobble

Hey guys!! I finally accessed my pictures, thanks to a new internet browser! Christa had her annual Thanksgiving program at school last week, and was soooooo cute doing the Turkey Wobble. She smiled and danced like a natural performer, and I was really impressed with how the teachers got 14 3-year-olds to learn these moves!
We are ready for Thanksgiving around here, and I'm not too far from being ready for Christmas! I am feeling so on top of things right now - I don't know if it's that I mentally know how chaotic things are going to get in March so I'm trying to be prepared, or if these pregnancy hormones are just different this time, but I love this energy and feeling of organization. I've even got a little house-cleaning system down, so that when people come over, it's not really a big deal to straighten up and make things presentable. God has really blessed me during this pregnancy, and I am actually enjoying being pregnant. It's nice to have energy to spend with my girls, and to enjoy this time without being in such a hurry to "get it over with."
Anyway, enjoy the pictures!


Bouncing her knees to the music.

"First you wiggle, then you wiggle, wiggle, wiggle..." (Those were the words to the adorable song!)

Waving to the audience right before her performance started - the pictures are out of order, but I can't figure that one out, right now!

Abby Kate enjoying the festivities!

Christa and Abby Kate all ready for church a couple of weeks ago!

Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!! Our family has so much to be thankful this year - everyone is healthy, our girls are beautiful and such a delight every day, we are preparing to have a baby in a few months that we thought we were going to lose at one point, Cline has a great job that he enjoys.... the list goes on and on. God has blessed us and taken care of us over and over again this year, and we are beyond grateful.

Have a great day!

Trying to Post Pictures

Hey guys! I've been trying all day to post pictures from Christa's Thanksgiving program at her school, but I can't get Blogger to show my latest import of photos. Does anyone know how to fix this?? The only photos I can access are the ones I downloaded for the last post and older.

I'll try again soon!

Have a great week!

Jessica

Fall Backward

Once upon a time, I loved this night of the year. For people who are not mothers of young children (or members of the unfortunate staff who got stuck working night shift tonight at a hospital - those were the worst!), this is a great night. It's a night where a precious, wonderful, coveted, EXTRA hour of sleep can be gotten. For me, though, it's a night that wreaks havoc on my children's sleep schedules (which haven't been so wonderful lately, anyway, so maybe this is just what we need to re-set things). It's also a night that starts the sun setting way too early, preventing me from enjoying the outdoors in the evenings with my kids and making the nights seem painfully long. Do we really need Daylight Savings Time anymore?? I'm not getting the point. And wouldn't you know that tonight, of all nights, the ONE night of the year I would like my kids to stay up late, they are both sound asleep at 8pm (er... 7 pm). (I usually do not have this success until 10pm on a good night)! Nonetheless, I refuse to get upset that both of my children are happily sleeping at the same time, even if it isn't the schedule I would have picked. So I'm taking advantage and updating this blog!! (I figure I can do the dishes, fold the laundry, and pick up the toys at whatever horribly wrong hour we are awake in the morning.... not dwelling on that right now, however).

We have had lots and lots of Fall Fun this year!! More than usual it seems, and, in fact, I am feeling a little "Fall Funned Out." The weather in October was beautiful, and we soaked in every pumpkin patch, craft show, and Halloween activity we could. It was a blast, but I'm hoping for a little reprieve before Thanksgiving and Christmas activities begin! Enjoy some pictures of our October!

One of the several pumpkin patches we went to. The girls loved them all!

The girls love this 50s diner! Even Abby Kate plays with it as a favorite, and it is so cute to watch them acting like little adults.

We carved a pumpkin for the first time this year (to the left). Carving a pumpkin is hard work, so we stuck with a basic triangle/smile jack-o-lantern. Christa insisted on having her picture taken with her pumpkin and her Uga (to the right). She played with that cement dog like it was real, putting it in her lap and saying, "you are a fat little boy. Do you want to pet him, Mommy? Be careful; don't drop him." It was very entertaining.

We celebrated my sister-in-law's birthday at a pumpkin farm in Adairsville this year. The girls and I had a blast going through the petting zoo, riding the hay ride, and eating cake outside!

Christa mustered enough courage to pet the goat after Abby Kate did it and remained unharmed!

Abby Kate - my fearless child.

Christa was 3 different things for Halloween this year, and I didn't have to buy a single costume!! For her character parade at school, she wanted to be Cinderella. The outfit is a much-loved Christmas present from last year.

For the Fall Festival and MOPS Halloween Party, Christa wanted to be a 50s poodle girl. Abby Kate and I had costumes to match, so this worked out perfectly!

Cline actually picked out and ordered these outfits for my surprise 30th birthday party in September! Abby Kate is covering my big belly nicely, but apparently, I am an obviously knocked-up 50s poodle girl!

On Halloween night, Christa wanted to be a GA cheerleader! This worked out well, since that was all I packed. We spent the weekend in Jekyll Island for the GA/FL game, and improvised a little Trick-or-Treating in the hotel we stayed at.

Abby Kate is doing so many cute things right now! It's hard to remember what Christa was doing at 14 months, but Abby Kate is exceeding my expectations. I'm a little surprised, because I haven't read to her and actively tried to teach her things nearly as much as I did with Christa. (Not that I did a ton of educational things with Christa. We mostly just play and try to remember to eat at regular intervals at our house, and my standards are getting lower with each child we add to the family!) I guess she picks up a lot from her older sister.... or maybe she is proof that unlimited access to the television has it's benefits :) She can say several words, including dog, horse (orshe), Mommy (clear as day - it sounds like a 3 year old), Daddy, La-La, Mi-Mi, and Go Dawgs (doesn't quite sound like that, but I know what she's trying to say :). She tries to repeat almost anything. Lately she has been saying "Ba-Bi-Ba-Boo." (Bibbity-Bobbity-Boo). It's hilarious! She thinks she's a five-year-old. Whenever I leave her in a nursery, she's usually a class or two ahead when I pick her up, because that's where she was happy, according to the nursery staff. When I took her to Christa's school to have pictures made a couple of weeks ago, she joined in playing with the older kids like it was something she did every day. She will snuggle with me at night and take a bottle while I rock her to sleep, and that is precious time that I enjoy holding my baby and praying for my children and for wisdom as a mom. (By the way, I hope I'm not sounding like I'm bragging here. I know several other babies who are her age and doing just as many cute and clever things. I just want to remember forever what my babies were like when they were little, so I write as much as I can when I get the time to blog.)

Baby # 3 is doing great! I had my 20 week ultrasound on Wednesday, and we did not find out the gender. Cline and I are so backwards on this idea - he loves surprises, and I can't wait to know things in general. But in this case, Cline is dying to know before the delivery, and I am having to put my foot down to not find out. I do have the gender pictures (labeled, so there would be no confusion) in a sealed envelope in case we (I) change our (my) minds. Cline has hinted that opening this envelope would make an excellent Christmas present. It's tempting, but I keep thinking about the delivery day, and how much fun it would be to not know beforehand. The super-organized side of me, the one who has been working like crazy to have my house clean and in order so that all I have to do after March 22 is keep 3 young children alive and reasonably happy, and the side that loves my husband and wants him to enjoy this time, too, is considering this compromise.

Well, I've officially been working on this blog for over an hour, so I'd better go do something else so I can get to sleep pretty soon. If you read this blog tonight, please remember the Newsome family in your prayers. Five years ago today, their precious baby girl went to heaven at age 8 after battling cancer. I was so honored and privileged to know Victoria during her illness, and as much as I still miss her, I can't imagine what her parents go through on these days (or any day, for that matter). Love you, Margaret Anne!