Our Christmas Card

In lieu of Paper Christmas Cards, I am doing an e-card this year. . . Better than nothing at all.

Merry Christmas!!

Make a Smilebox greeting

Totally and Complety Unpacked. . .nothing more to do

And if you believe that. . .I have some ocean front property in Arizona you might be interested in!

We have been in our new house now since Saturday, and I LOVE it! I don't have to turn on lights at 8:30 am just to see my way around the kitchen. This house actually has windows, you know the kind. . .that let the light shine in. What a modern day miracle. My bathroom feels so large and luxurious and CLEAN! The backyard has already gotten lots of use too. We truly have been blessed.

We still have many boxes to go through, but we are getting there slowly but surely. My kitchen is 95% complete and our bathrooms are not far behind. I have unpacked all the necessary items and found homes for those things, but the decorations are still neatly packed away. That is next on the list. However, I did unpack the Christmas tree first! Bryson loves it, and I do too!!

Adam's dad came in from NH to help us move and we could NOT have done it without him. He was such a trooper. They worked their cans off sealing tile, moving boxes, unpacking, hanging fixtures, painting furniture etc. They even cleaned the ENTIRE cave for me. Once I left that place on Saturday, there was NO turning back. I didn't have to wipe out the fridge or even clean the one potty that I used maybe 5 times. Many of you know, I only used the hall bath. There was something about that master bathroom that made me sick. . .literally. Adam and my father in law are my HEROES.

Bryson is doing GREAT in his big boy bed. He spent the first few days saying nothing but, "Do you want to see my new room? Do you want to see my new airplane sheets? Come see my new room." Over and over and over and over. . .oh he loves it in there. Thanks to all of you who made the decision to do it all at once, Big Boy Bed and New Room. He doesn't miss his crib one little bit. Naps have been a little shorter, but that could have been due to how bright his room was without curtains. I have temporarily remedied the problem with a large attractive beach towel. He slept nearly 3 hours yesterday. God is good.

TMI alert. . . The poop situation is getting much better. At one point he was screaming "something is hurting me" and wouldn't go poop in the potty. He is now a pro. All his poop has been hitting the potty since we got here. He even went with Adam at The Home Depot. That is his greatest accomplishment to date. Adam gets daddy of the year award for that for sure!

Sorry no pics. Would you believe I didn't get one pic of the entire move? Who had time to be snapping photos? I sure didn't. :) Pictures of the new house all put together are on the way. Thanks for your prayers!

Almost Ready

Our walk through was today and everything is looking great! I thought I was going to update with pics, but everything looks so bland and like empty rooms. . .nothing really fun to see. I will post pics as we are moving stuff in.

I sent out a mass email with our new address on it. . .if I forgot to send it to you and you are desperate to send us a Christmas Card, please email me and I will get it right out to you.

The Final Countdown

Yes, it is true, I just cannot wait to get into our new house. I have been waiting for this day since the day we moved in here. This time next week, I will be blissfully up to my neck in boxes. . .boxes that I will be unpacking for the last time. I now know how my parents feel. They move far more than any other people I know. I don't know where they are half the time. Ft. Myers, Ft. Lauderdale, the sailboat, Big Canoe. . .(please don't ask me for their address. . .I'm sure I don't know it. . .making it harder now that their current location has 2 addresses??? One for mail, one for location??? Strange.) In the past year we have lived in 3 places and packed and unpacked a total of 7 times. . .next Saturday will make our 4th house and our 8th pack job. . .whew I am tired just thinking about it. I look forward unpacking and finding a permanent home for my things. I also look forward to making a HUGE drop at the GoodWill located right across the street from me currently. I am NOT bringing junk into my new house.

As for Christmas cards this year. . .we aren't doing them. Too much, too stressful, but I may send out change of address cards after the new year. . . maybe. . .don't hold your breath.

Like a Band Aid

Thank you to all of you who imparted your wisdom regarding our bed situation. All but 2 of you said choice B. So, choice B it is! New Room=New Bed. As my big brother said last night, (all the way from China via IM) do it quick like a band aid instead of drawing it out. Another one of my friends emailed her response and it made perfect sense too. When we go on trips, Bryson doesn't expect his crib to be there and he has to except any sleeping arrangement that is provided. This new house is no different. I totally agree with that. Here is a picture of Bryson accepting an odd sleeping arrangement not too long ago on my parents sailboat. He struggled the first night and LOVED it the second. (Notice: he is still loving the trifecta.)

I now what to explore the idea of KEEPING him in his bed so we are not returning him there numerous times during the night. I see this as an issue of obedience and he should obey us. But, how do we draw the line with the pottying? I have a friend who's son was able to produce actual tee tee upwards of 10 or more times in the potty after he got in bed. They have since nipped that in the bud, but it wasn't easy. . .any advice is welcomed. Also, what is your experience with naps and big boy beds? Does it tend to shorten the nap? I am NOT ready to give up a 3 1/2 hour nap everyday.

Please Advise

As you know, we are moving in 9 days (NINE DAYS, and I will be out of this CAVE FOREVER! ahem, I just had to get that out. . .I feel better!) We have been potty training for a little over 2 weeks (It is going very well, certainly more success than failure at this point.), and I need your advice.

Bryson is 2 years 7 months old and is still in his crib. . .he LOVES his crib. He has never attempted to scale the sides or get out in anyway (now that I think about it. . .he tries to climb INTO it more than he wants to climb out.) He doesn't want to get out of it most mornings and many nap times he will wake up after 3.5 hours and not want to get out. He is 2 going on teenager. What can I say, the boy loves him some sleep! (Not one complaint from here!)

However, we will be moving and I do NOT want to set up his crib again in the new house in his room. He will be giving it to baby girl soon enough. (I won't set it up in her room until he is sleeping soundly in his new big boy bed. . .I do know better than that.)

So here is where I need help. . .Do I

A) let Bryson "help" daddy take down the crib THIS weekend. Get him all excited about a new Big Boy Bed (which will simply be a mattress on the floor with some really cool airplane sheets) and allow him to get used to this BIG change in a familiar place for a week. . .

OR. . .

B) talk up the Big Boy Bed and new room all week and hope for the best the night we move in. . .still allowing him to "help" daddy take down the crib the day we move making EVERYTHING new. Big Boy Bed AND New Room. . .

HELP!

EAT!

So I am now 5 months pregnant, and I feel hungry all. the. time. . . I KNOW I don't have to eat when I feel the hunger coming, but my wants take over all too often. Afterwords I am left feeling gross and wondering "why on earth did I just do that to myself?" I feel like I have had Thanksgiving dinner all over again. I remember this feeling with Bryson, too. One would think I would learn. . .but tell that to the girl whose first word as a child was EEEEEEAT!!!!!

Big Canoe = Big Fun

We had a great time at my parents "tabin" (as Bryson calls it) in the mountains of Big Canoe (north of Atlanta). My little Brother, Ashley and his wife Holly (there she is on the rocker playing with Bryson)joined us. Bryson especially loved looking for deer, exploring my Uncle's really neat back yard complete with creek and giant climbing rocks. He also enjoyed playing with the Black Bear, dubbed "Bryson Bear" thatmy mom decorated her simple Christmas tree with. We laughed, and rested, and laughed, and played and ATE a TON. Oh what fun! My mom cooked her can off. . .she single handedly cooked Thanksgiving. What a feat! What a feast! My mom even had prepared a little arts and crafts for us. We made Pine Cone Wreaths to hang on our doors.

We also roasted marshmellows in my Uncle's new outdoor stone fireplace. It was perfect weather for it for sure. Here is my Uncle Charles on the left and my daddy on the right.

It rained a lot and we were really hoping it would turn to snow. . .unfortunately it did not, but my mom called me early this morning to tell us that the rain FINALLY turned to snow and we all missed it. Oh well, there is always next year!

PS 12 more days til we close on our house!