Insomnia

No, not the movie, the reality.

Scott and I turned our light out at 12:30am. I woke up the first time about 3. I drifted back off again until 4:30. I got out of bed at 5:22. I've been reading blogs and sale ads since then. Not sleeping is one of the worst side effects of fibromyalgia for me and the reason I've taken prescription sleep aid for 3.5 years. Once we found out we were pregnant, I stopped them cold turkey. For a while I slept well, because my body was so tired! Now though (and the last 3 months) I'm awake every night. My doc says I can take Tylenol PM 2-3 times per week (it's safe every night, but my body will adjust to it) so I do. Usually that helps me, but night before last, I couldn't even tell that I'd taken anything. Bummer. (Sorry that I use parentheses a lot, it's how my mind works.)

Scott's parents are in our guest room, and his sister and her family are in our back room. I'm in the living room. If none of them were there, I'd probably also have two dogs curled up at my feet, but I was afraid they (Zoe!) would get to excited and try to find the rest of the family! When closed doors are involved, she prefers to sit outside of them and cry. I didn't think that would be the family's preference, so they are still in the bedroom wtih Scott!

Christmas was great! I had been planning for last night's dinner since the start of November. That's when I made my menu and started my shopping, buying whatever was on sale that would still be good at Christmas or could freeze. I was really nervous about this meal quite frankly. Scott's mom would be here (you know, a son and his mom that cooks everything and cooks it well!) and I was nervous that something, or everything, would go wrong and I would end up on my bed sobbing. Well, maybe pride goeth before a fall, but everything turned out great! My menu: brown sugar glazed ham, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, deviled eggs, green pea salad, cherry salad, and Hawaiian rolls! Everything came out hot and at the same time, which is more than I can say for a normal lunch some days. This morning's casserole might burn and I might end up on the bed sobbing, but for now, I will revel in the success of last night's meal. Oh, did I mention that I made it all? From scratch? (Well, except for the rolls, because really, nothing is as yummy as Hawaiian rolls!)

Scott might have hated that notebook I started writing in in early November, but he liked the dinner! I'm such a planner, but this proves that it worked! (I lost the notebook in our pit of a house a few times, sending me to tears and him to running around the house until the lost prize was found again!)

So many of you out in the blogosphere (not that many read this page, but I read lots of others!) I was thinking about you today/yesterday. To the ones that lost a child this year, to the ones that gained a child, to the one who has lost both parents at a young age but is such a strong woman, to the parents/grandparents whom I try to learn from, to the many many others that have influenced me with a simple post, thank you for what you do. Thank you for living your life (and blogging about it!), for sharing your lessons, and for just being awesome. God bless you all!

I got tagged!!! Merry Christmas!!!!

The lovely Melissa has tagged me! I've never been tagged before, so I'm really excited! Thanks!

Ok, I'm supposed to go to my 6th picture folder, post the 6th picture, then tell the story behind it. I happen to LOVE this picture, so I'm glad this is the 6th one!

This is my nephew, I. This is his first Christmas as a part of our family. He is 14 months old, and was adopted by Scott's sister when he was 10 months old. He is such a happy addition to our family!

Ok, this picture was taken about 20 minutes after I met him. They had only been home 4 days or so before we were able to get to their house. He was kind of cranky that weekend, but who wouldn't be after being taken from their home, placed with people who spoke a funny language, and flown halfway around the world! You can tell from this picture that he really studies people, faces, and whatever is going on! I just love this little guy! They will be arriving at our house this afternoon to celebrate Christmas, so we'll get to watch him open presents later! Yay!

Scott's parents arrived yesterday night, we went to dinner, then to a Christmas Eve service at our church. Today we got up, had pancakes, and now we're just kind of sitting around. I don't know what today will bring!

It's weird not being with "my" family for this day. I know that Scott's family is mine also, but you know what I mean. These aren't the folks I have memories with, traditions with, etc. My parents took my sister to NYC for Christmas as her graduation trip. Their travel day is a whole post in itself, I'll save that for another time!

I hope that you are with people you love today. I hope that you think about the Son that was sent for us, as a tiny baby laid in a manger. Scott and I played Mary and Joseph at a children's event at our church, and I keep thinking back to that. Here we are, expecting a baby, sitting on hay, laying a "baby" in the manger, and feeling the fear and excitement of being parents of our own soon! I wish I had the faith and trust that Mary and Joseph had!

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!! (Ok, it's only 10am, but maybe you won't read this until night time!!)

So much to do...

Edit #1: 12/11
Edit #2: 12/25

My list of things to do by Dec. 24th (the day Scott's parents arrive) just keeps growing and growing! Scott is in Minnesota until Thursday, so I have very lofty goals of getting things done before then! I will update this list as things get worked on, so you can be really excited for me! Doesn't that sound like fun?

Set up Christmas tree It's up but not decorated yet, I'm waiting for Scott to be home to do it with me!
Put together tall baby dresser Finished by Scott before he left
Put together long baby dresser Also finished by Scott before he left, but I helped him move it into the baby's room!
Paint baby's room Completed the weekend before Tgiving, then touched up last week
Set up day bed Yay, a two day project, done!
Set up crib
Clean up front room - working on it...
Find room divider?
Straighten up garage
Hang Christmas lights
Write Christmas cards (I'm about halfway done...)
Mail Christmas cards (I've bought the stamps!)
Change out hooks and handles on shutters
Change sheets in front room
Install CO detecter and fire alarm
Order my sister's bday present

Wish me luck!

Blogging while I cook!!

(to the tune of "Whistle While You Work")

Welp, we made it back from Thanksgiving in one piece. Traffic was a nightmare (stupid drivers going way to fast and too close to others!), and we were grateful to get home.

Tonight for dinner, we're having Taco Bake. Layers of tortillas, taco meat, cheese, and refried beans all baked in the oven. Between each step, I'll write a little here, so this will probably just be a hodge podge post. I can do that, this is my blog. :) Oh, while it's baking, I'm also going to cook some tator tots, because that's what Charlotte wants.

Here are some thoughts from today:
~What does it mean when your husband, upon seeing you after work and after taking your heavy coat off, says "woah!" because you suddenly look bigger than when you left for work? We always take my weekly picture on Monday, so it was that time tonight when we got home. Yeah, made me feel really good. This was after I told him I was feeling big and uncomfortable today! I guess I was bigger!
~Walmart at 5pm is always bad.
~I picked up our crib mattress today, that was exciting!
~Scott is finishing the baby's room (painting) right now, then we'll move furniture in there soon.
~Work was long and boring today. I don't think it helped that my back is really tired/sore. Lots of riding in the car+being pregnant+not sleeping well=24/7 achy back.
~Sorry this is a boring post.
~I got my first comment from a stranger today about being pregnant, that was fun!
~I wish that family lived closer sometimes. Not that I'd be over there all the time, it would be nice to have that option though.
~I just put my tator tots in, and we're very excited about that!
~I will post pics whenever I get them off my camera. Maybe tonight?
~Did you catch that I told you my baby girl's name earlier in this post?? Middle name: Elizabeth.

That is it for now. I'm going to go wash dishes then sort mail from the 5 days we were gone!