Nativity

This is probably going to be my last post of 2012! New emails to the inbox have steadily decreased as Christmas letters to the mailbox have increased. There are no more meetings on my werk calendar and I am werking on my packing lists for our upcoming Christmas travels to see family. We are flying this year, and a few legs of my trip will be just me and baby...so I need to pack SMART. It's a lot different than just cramming things into the jeep and hitting the road, that's for sure!

Along with pumping extra so I have bottles for the plane, I'm trying to find the perfect pair of little black maryjanes for baby's Christmas outfit(s)...and I am waffling between which toy/book/etc. will provide the maximum amount of entertainment on three different plane rides. In the back of my head, I know that our seat companion and the drink napkins will probably win out in the end...

In other NEWS...our sweet babe began to crawl this week! I predicted a few months ago that Lexi would be the reason why she starts crawling and walking...maybe even talking. She adores Lexi and finds her to be extremely entertaining...and around 11:30pm one night this week, baby was wide awake and playing on the floor when Jake noticed she was getting up on her hands and knees. He grabbed the camera so that I could watch the moment with him later. Sure enough, a few tugs and scoots across the living room floor, the sweet babe had made her way to Miss Lexi and received a big wet kiss on the face. Our world is about to completely change again! Time to dig out the outlet covers and reassess our home from the eyes and hands of a 7 month old mover and shaker!

I have often found myself remembering how I was feeling last Christmas, while well into my second trimester. I was comfortably pregnant, we had just had our 18 week ultrasound where we did not find out the sex of the baby (despite the temptation!), and I was bracing myself for weird comments and belly rubs from a host of friends and family in Minnesota. I was also finding myself identifying with the Virgin Mary more than any other time in my life. The knowledge of a beautiful and terrifying miracle growing within you, the incredible feeling of growing and glowing into motherhood, the anticipation of experiencing the greatest and deepest love you have ever known.

While my condition was far from Mary's, and I and I my belly were nestled quite uncomfortably on an air mattress, surrounded by those I love the most...I was and am so very thankful. The gift of life in any form, human or eternal, is the most overwhelming and humbling gift to participate in and to receive. That sweet little Jesus coming to earth as a baby, so that many would know the love of God forever...it's a story and a truth that I will always treasure, and I can't wait to share with my own sweet babe as she grows. This year, her understanding of the nativity is limited to the hard rubbery qualities of the Little People manger scene under the tree as she cuts her teeth on the Angle of the Lord's golden hair and wings...but someday, I hope she knows the same deep joy and love that can only come from the Divine.

SIck Day

Well, aside from my slightly reclusive home.werker lifestyle of leaving the house for church, shopping, or to visit friends...I really have NO clue how or where I picked up the nasty horrible no good stomach bug that violently took up residence in my body on Monday. I might stop shaking hands in church and I might start being more careful about wiping down the carts at the grocery store from now on.

Goodness knows, I never again want to be tossing my cookies every time I stand up or every thirty minutes, or whatever comes first. I also have a new appreciation for women who struggle with morning sickness, and especially mom's with kids who are pregnant again and struggling with morning sickness. I also wish I lived closer to my mom or my sister. You know, the precious few people who can see you in your worst state, your house in a state of chaos, and lovingly tell you to go to bed because they've got it all under control?

Unfortunately, my flu bug hit in the precious few hours when Jake was awake after sleeping off his night shift, and before he had to go to werk again that evening. Tossing my cookies with one hand on the babe on the changing table and the other hand holding the garbage can is not a talent I am looking to perfect...especially since I think it scared the babe!

The biggest thing I realized is that moms do not get sick days. No matter how crummy or incapacitated you are, your babe still needs you. The other big thing I learned is that even my 6 month old gave me a lot of grace on Monday. She took longer naps than usual, entertained herself without demanding that I play with her constantly, and gave me small and sweet little looks of concern and sympathy (I think!) when I most needed them. She could tell mom wasn't quite her normal self and quietly allowed me to werk through the worst of it.

Now we are just praying that bleaching the whole house and washing all of the sheets will keep babe and Jake healthy!

Now here's a guy protecting himself from the flu in style!