Preparations

Whew!!!  Writing this post is the last thing that I had on my "To Do" list for today/tonight- tomorrow we are heading up to Syracuse to spend Christmas with the Sheldon side of the family.  I can't believe how fast December just flew by- it seems like yesterday I was preparing for Thanksgiving dinner.  Considering it was 60 degrees today as well, it just doesn't feel like Christmas.  My last week though has been filled with baking, catching up with friends, finishing up Christmas shopping, and wrapping presents.  Not to mention keeping CJ entertained when he gets bored.  Poor kid got plopped in front of the television today in his exersaucer and surprisingly enough a DVR'ed Pixar Shorts Special and Charlie Brown kept his attention for a little while.

 

Well, I'm happy with house our house looks this year, although we got some work to do next year if we want to catch up with some of our neighbors' houses.  I am content with our pretty doorway though.  Next year's tree may have a gate around it, we'll see.  

I have also done a ton of baking this year- but oddly enough with having friends over and going to a cookie exchange there is nothing left!  Maybe that's all for the best- I haven't had as much time to work out the past couple of weeks and I don't want to back track on the headway I have made on my weight loss (10 more lbs since October, woot!!!).  

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sugar Cookies

Stuffed Mushrooms

Gingerbread Cupcakes

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bark

The recipes come from all different places- the mint choco chip cookies recipe is a variation of premade mix use, the sugar cookies are cookies my grandma used to make every year that I now make, the stuffed mushrooms are from a blog that I am pretty addicted to now http://annies-eats.com/, the cupcakes are from another blog http://tidymom.net/about-me/ , and the bark is from Martha Stewart Living.  Let me know if you would like the recipes to any of these- they all came out great.  

Of course CJ does not let me get most of this stuff done while he is awake- I can sometimes sit him in his bumbo seat for him to watch me, but that only works for so long.  So, I have to rely on good naps from him.  He still takes 3 naps a day with no signs of needing less sleep.  He is rolling around like crazy and now sleeps on his stomach (sorry "Back is Best" people, he rolls over right when I put him down.) 

  

I cannot wait until he can sit up on his own because I feel like he is getting extremely bored laying down, even though he is pretty happy on his tummy now.  I honestly think he will be crawling before he is sitting up. CJ will be getting some toys for Christmas that are best played with while sitting, and although I can sit with him propped up against me for a little, he still needs to learn how to balance by himself.  I guess we need to do some core strengthening!  Maybe some AbRipperX!  Over the past few days CJ has developed a cough with a runny nose which surprisingly enough I have found out can be attributed to teething.  He does not seem sick otherwise and there is no fever so I'm not too worried.   If it is indeed a cold, I guess we'll just have to let it run its course.  I feel like he has shown so many symptoms of teething for the past few months now, I'm ready for one of those bad boys to break through!  

My last random thought (and today's picture) has to do with a wrapping idea.  I ran out of gift tags, but then remembered something I recently read somewhere in a magazine or a blog (how big of a dork am I???) on reusing old Christmas cards as gift tags.  We do keep the cards we get in the mail, and many of them are really pretty!  No, I'm not going to use your family's picture from 2008 as a gift tag.  We keep those intact.  Here's an example of how I used one today-

I just punched a hole, threaded the ribbon through, and then wrote on the back of the card.  Some of the bigger cards you have to cut up- but it's this reusing of something that otherwise would just be stuck in a box that makes me giddy!

As the preparations and anticipation wind to a close, I want to reflect on this past year and how blessed I am with wonderful friends and family.  There always is a lot to do this time of year, and even though I have been home I still feel just as busy (and even less on the ball) as I have in the past.  However, I feel like I have been able to enjoy celebrating the season with all of my friends, and look forward to seeing family during the next week.  And even though he has no idea what is going on, I especially have loved celebrating Christmas so far with my very special little boy.  I hope you all have a Merry Christmas! 

Super Baby!