So we are in the holiday season. Chris and I had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We had a great time seeing everyone. Chris even felt Susan move on Thanksgiving Day. I had just finished a snack that afternoon – what is lovingly known as “mo cake” – and the sugar must have spurred her on. She gave three hard kicks (which based on her current weight were like the strongest little thumps, so cute) and he felt all three! His whole face lit up! I knew she was trying extra hard so that he could feel her. By the way, “mo cake” is pound cake. It got its nickname thanks to my little cousin Lilli, who when she was younger than she is now (she is 4), used to get this pound cake at my grandparents’ house. She apparently would ask for “mo cake” (more cake) and the name has stuck since.
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| I think I love "mo cake" almost as much as Lilli. Or at least, I did while we were in Tupelo! |
Chris also excelled during Thanksgiving at playing pretend. I don’t know what he was so concerned about. After we ate on Thanksgiving, Lilli asked me, Chris and Philip to play “airplane” and then we played “school.” Playing airplane meant we actually pretended we were on an airplane. Playing school is pretty self-explanatory. Lilli wanted me to be the teacher. So we all sat up in my grandparents’ family room and played school. We practiced letters and writing names and we did math. For example, I would hold one pillow, then pick up two more and ask how many pillows I had. Lilli nailed it every time. Philip could use a little remediation. Then Lilli told us it was nap time. Chris had a blast and did an excellent job as one of the students. He is going to be an excellent dad. And while he may not have much experience with little girls, he is fun and willing to learn. And that is all that will matter to Susan.
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| Playing school. They pulled out their mats and laid down for nap time! |
While we were all together, especially on Friday the day we left, people kept mentioning that this was the last Thanksgiving without Susan. And as my aunt Mimi pointed out, the next time I saw everyone, we would have a baby. That was a little eye opening. But now, I keep thinking about all of our last activities without Susan. And the thing is, in my brain, last Thanksgiving was the “last Thanksgiving” without her. Because while she isn’t here yet, she is definitely a part of the family already. Pregnancy is kind of like being in limbo. There was the time before Susan (before we were pregnant) and there will be the time after Susan (once she arrives and we are parents). But right now, we are stuck in this weird limbo time in which she consumes our thoughts, never letting me forget for one second that she is in there, but she hasn’t made her debut yet.
So now we are preparing for the last Christmas before Susan. Or really, the last Christmas before we are parents! As many of you know, the Christmas season is my favorite time of year. I absolutely love everything about it. I love shopping for my friends and family, shopping for our angel from the angel tree, and listening to Christmas music so much that I will have heard each version of “Sleigh Ride” and “Walking in a Winter Wonderland” imaginable. I love eating off of our Christmas dishes, sitting by the tree at night while we read the Advent devotion, making cakes for my neighbors, going to the Nutcracker, and making a gingerbread house. I especially love the Sundays in Advent as we light the Advent wreath, listen to the beautiful music and prepare for Jesus’ birth, the true reason for the season. Thankfully, I married someone who loves all of these things too (or at least, he tolerates all the repetitive Christmas music because he loves me so much). And I cannot wait to share all of this with our daughter. I can’t wait until she is old enough to put on her Christmas apron and help make the Gingerbread House and make Christmas cookies to take to the nursing home. I can’t wait until that first Christmas where she is old enough to believe and she sees how magical it is to come down the stairs that Christmas morning. It is going to be so great. So I am very excited that this is our last Christmas before Susan makes her arrival. I cannot wait for all the new activities we get to do once she gets here.
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| Not quite as good looking as one of ours, but you can se the general idea! |
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