thirtieth

Nothing I could write about today could rival the amazing birth story of the amazing and wonderful Emmett, son of Amy & Mike. I'm so proud of all three of them. And seriously, even if you don't want to read it, at least click over to see how stinkin' cute he is in his Christmas jammies.

And thus concludes NaBloPoMo 2009! Phew!

twenty-ninth

Sometimes I wear a ring Timon gave me for Valentine's Day a few years back (emerald is Henry's birthstone) along with my wedding ring instead of my other ring (a diamond and sapphire band, similar to my wedding band). I like the way they look.

twenty-eighth

(Henry, while composing this post)

Hi, this is Henry, and it's my mommy's birthday. {That's true! 32! Boy, did 31 go fast.} So, uh, she went out to dinner with my daddy, and me and Maria went to Grandma Judy's and Grandpa Fred's house. We came home and read a story and put my pajamas on. I took a shower in the afternoon, not in the night time. {he shakes his head at that} I'm wearing pirate pajamas because I read a pirate book, it's called How I Became A Pirate. I used to have a book called Pirates Don't Change Diapers, but I lost it. {I have NO IDEA what he's talking about.} And it was my mommy's birthday, we were gonna make a cake for her but we forgot. But, we're gonna sing Happy Birthday right now, after we do this blog post. We gave her presents. We had pancaked for breakfast cause it was my mommy's birthday. I wanted five and a half, but I ran out of room in my stomach. {You all should see his face as he's thinking of what to say.} We went to praise band practice. Yesterday we got all our Christmas things set up for Christmas. We have to buy a new car so we can get our Christmas tree. I hope Maria doesn't play with the decorations that are on the Christmas tree, drop them and break them. It's dark out tonight, and it's cold today and yesterday and the other day. And I'm feeling cold, too. We all are listening to music. Tomorrow I have to finish my homework sheet and decorate my Christmas tree project. And you can't believe this, that I'm five and a half. We set up our stockings. My mommy's mom made them. {No, Donly, my mom isn't 32 - I am and my mother made my stocking right around the time of my birth!} We have to put up more Christmas stuff in our house. I'm sitting right next to my mommy and I'm telling her what I want to say for my mommy's blog. I am cold tonight. My pirate pajamas are long sleeves cause I'm cold. {It's about 58 degrees out.} I need to go to bed, so this is Henry, so... I am going to bed. Sign off. Have a great and make great choices! {This is from the morning announcements at his school.} And kindergarten is SO fun. Ok, done.

twenty-seventh

It is time.

{my thirty-two year old mom-made stocking; our outside bush}

twenty-sixth

Scenes from our Thanksgiving:

Henry, catching sight of Santa in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Maria, acting out the “Mommy’s little PIGGY!!” mashed potatoes scene from A Christmas Story. 

twenty-fifth

Apparently the day before Thanksgiving is traditionally my busiest day of the year. I re-read last year's post from this day and today was very similar, with the notable differences that today I did not nurse a baby or change diapers during the day since Maria was at daycare. I worked 9 hours in the church office filling in for the secretary and doing my normal office work of the bulletin plus creating, printing, and bundling a new flyer for our next movie night. People were coming and going for all sorts of reasons - some were picking up their pies baked by a women's group for a fundraiser. Of course I was only doing this work when I wasn't obsessively stalking Farah's FB and Twitter, and checking my text messages for news from her. At 4:20 I got a text saying "pray... about to push." And so I did! And later I read the news that at 4:39 Armadillo was born! I'll let her share all the specifics on her blog. Then I came home and cleaned out the refrigerator to make room for the inevitable leftovers that will be created (not to mention freeing up the containers to hold them). And then I had to go to the drugstore for TP, PT, and sugar. Next up was making pumpkin-cranberry bread for breakfast. And then I made an apple-cranberry pie, including homemade crust in record time so that I could sit here and watch GLEE. Which I am doing.

The menu tomorrow:

• Turkey! Stuffed with onions and basted with butter and herbs. No brine this year.
• Mashed Potatoes, PW style.
• Creamed Corn NOM NOM NOM
• Green Bean Casserole, which I fully expect Maria to inhale like she did last time we had it.
• Stuffing with dried cranberries
• Mama Stamberg's Cranberry Relish (this is entirely for Timon)
  
• French Bread
• Apple-Cranberry Pie
  

Everyone have a lovely evening. I'm just going to sit here and stare at pictures of Amy and Mike's sweet little boy a little more.

twenty-fourth

Babies are all over the place right now!

• Turkey was born today! I'm sure eventually my cousin will share the news on her blog so I'll wait until she gets to it before I spread it all over here. If you're a FB friend you already know... If you could send up a prayer for this sturdy little man while he's trying to figure out the whole oxygenation thing in the NICU for a few more hours, that would be great.
  
  
• Timon's cousin had her first baby, a girl named Isabella, this morning at 4:30!
  
  
• A youth-pastor acquaintance of mine in Ft. Lauderdale had been hospitalized with pregnancy-induced hypertension for about a week - she had to deliver her son Eli last night at 29 weeks, 6 days. He weighs 2lbs, 11ozs! He is obviously in great need of prayer as well, for he'll surely have a long road ahead.
  
  
• And last but not least, ARMADILLO will finally make his appearance tomorrow! Farah is a superwoman and I'm sure she'll appreciate prayers and good wishes headed her way as she gets admitted early tomorrow a.m. Her 17 month old first son has NO IDEA what's headed his way! Go Farah!
  
  
  
  Phew! That's all I know about right at the moment. Exciting times for all these new families - so much to be thankful for.
  

twenty-third

 
Didn’t I tell you she’d do something adorable?

Now, come ON, Turkey!  Put your mother out of her misery already.  I’m looking at YOU, too, Armadillo!

twenty-second

Henry, during his nap today.  Maybe I’ll catch Maria doing something adorable tomorrow.  {Let’s not kid ourselves… I’m SURE I’ll catch Maria doing something adorable tomorrow.}

twenty-first

Henry, this morning, claiming to be Indiana Jones.