Stuff

So while Patrick's down for his morning nap (well, his only nap... but he seems to want to take them in the mornings on weekends), I thought I'd take a few minutes to start decorating for Christmas.  It feels strange doing it this early, since I usually wait until after Thanksgiving!  However, given all the excitement this year, I have decided that the Austin faction of the Halls needs to pretend like Thanksgiving doesn't exist this year, and focus on making Christmas extra special instead.  (I have no energy to cook, host, or travel at 39 weeks pregnant, which I will be on Thursday!)

I've been looking at holiday catalogs all week and have been stealing ideas for decorating the mantle, table, tree, and front patio.  I'm even having thoughts of baking Christmas cookies... and I don't usually do that until like 2 or 3 days before Christmas.  Could it be nesting?  Perhaps. OH and I have a question for my readers - I have an 8 ft front door, so the regular wreath hooks for 7 foot doors are too short... it makes the wreath hang at the wrong height.  I've been looking for special hooks to accommodate a tall door, but can't find them.  A) Have any of you seen those? B) Are there other ways to hang a wreath from the top of the door that don't involve those hooks?  Like ribbons?  HELP please!

Speaking of nesting, I think we're ready for baby girl to arrive - sheesh, we should be... we've been expecting her for weeks.  My very good friend, Shannon, reminded me today that one is *supposed* to be pregnant at 38 weeks along - LOL, touche! - but there are just so many factors that indicated that this one was coming early.  First, due to all the cervical cancer surgeries in 2008, I have half a cervix left, which is why Patrick came so early - what was left finally gave out.  And my doctor has been definitively telling me the entire pregnancy that this baby would come around the same time or earlier than P due to my cervical insufficiency.  And then when I started having contractions and was hospitalized at 33 weeks?  We thought FOR SURE she'd be here around 36 weeks!  Alas, this one has a mind of her own already... and that's cool with me.  I'm just ready for these contractions and early labor symptoms to end... it's been a LONG 6 weeks and I'm ready to meet this baby girl!  I'm just hoping and praying that induction goes as planned next Monday...

The good thing about her lasting so long is that she's going to be a Sagittarius and not a Scorpio... whew - I was a little worried about that.  ;)  Some of my most favorite ladies are fellow Sagitarriuses (and I'm one too) so I'm hoping that baby girl and I will be close buddies.  I'm SO looking forward to getting to know my daughter!

In other news, today is Patrick's 22 month birthday.  He's growing and changing so much every day... He's very verbal these days and is learning more words, even though they're hard to understand.  He's quite the athlete and never ceases to amaze us with his physical strength and agility.  Think he might be a gymnast someday?

OK, rest time is over... time to get back to Christmas decorating.  I might need to make a little trip to Michael's and/ or Target today... I really need some garland, snowflake lights, and decorative stocking hangers STAT to complete my Crate and Barrell knockoff display (not the one above, but a different one).  LOL

Love, Mer