Showered

We were so blessed to have two beautiful baby showers this weekend! Our house is officially overflowing with baby gear – in fact, I think that somehow baby girl’s stuff has managed to infiltrate nearly every room in house in one way or another. Having all of this baby stuff around certainly adds to the excitement of her impending arrival and makes it feel so much closer and “real” than before!

Saturday was the Irish shower, hosted by my mother-in-law and one of her friends. It was extra-special that Dave’s sister was in town still visiting from Peru so she was able to share the day with us. This was Dave’s first baby shower experience and it was a great one. We had a delicious lunch and cake and opened far too many presents to even remember what we all received. We got some more of our essentials including diapers, baby bathing products, Dave’s ever-so-desired Diaper Genie (actually a different version but he still calls it his genie), the must-have Boppy and lots of cute baby clothes. I was so thankful that one of my closest friends, Kelsey, was able to come in from Madison on her birthday to help us celebrate this special time in our lives. We had an extra-special present for her that day which will be an entirely different post at a later date but we appreciated her spending her own special day with us. We got to spend extra time after the shower with Dave’s sister before it was time for her to head back to Peru. Next time she sees us, we’ll be parents!

Parents-to-be and the delicious cake


Dave, Me, and Kelsey


With Dave's aunt Karen


Sisters


Irish Family


My mom had her shower on Sunday, although this one was strictly girls only (Dave and Dad kept each other company at Home Depot and camped in front of the TV for some football). I was so thankful that all of my family and some of my closest friends were able to be there. It’s an amazing feeling knowing that so many people at the shower have known me nearly all my life or close to it. Many of the guests spent time recalling what it was like nearly 25 years ago as my own mother was preparing for my arrival. Such special memories! We enjoyed delicious cake and snacks and I think I broke some sort of world record for fastest shower ever because I had all those presents open in no time (there was a Packer game quickly approaching and I feel so weird opening gifts with so many people staring)! We again got so many of the essentials (and fun items!) we’ve been watching disappear from our registries – baby’s swing, bouncer, Pack N Play, Baby Bjorn carrier, Moby sling, Baby Einstein Jumperoo, and lots of diapers, wipes, bath products, and toys. Both my grandma and “aunt” Holly handmade beautiful blankets for baby girl which will be so warm and cuddly when she first arrives home. And yes, I got everyone out the door with plenty of time to spare before the Packer game even began :)

Me and Jenny


Katie, Me, and Emily


My mommy friend, Chrissy and sweet Emma


Me and Laura


Me and Katie


Me, Mom and Dad


It felt like we were kids on Christmas morning when we walked into our house last night to all these gifts scattered about. I’ve got a big old pile of baby clothes to wash next weekend, lots of diapers and wipes to be stored away for future use, and so many miscellaneous baby items to find a home for. We couldn’t wait to put all of the new fun baby toys together. In fact, I even managed to distract Dave during a Packer game long enough to get baby girl’s bouncy seat, swing, Pack N Play, and Zoo activity mat all put together. I will point out that Dave learned the importance of reading directions when it comes to assembling baby equipment. While looking at a picture and guessing may work for men in most cases, baby gear is highly complicated and you don’t want to risk your child’s safety. We had a few laughs while assembling and when all was said and done, we sat back on the couch and realized all we needed was a baby to put in all of those new things!

Next weekend will be dedicated to organizing all these new gifts, doing her laundry, purchasing her mattress, finishing decorating her nursery, and packing her bag for the hospital. I want it all to be done so that we can sit back and relax the last few weeks as we enjoy our last time together as a family of two and wait for the arrival of our beautiful daughter!

Resolving

I’ve never been one to make resolutions at the start of a new year. Exercise more. Eat healthier. Spend less, save more. To me, these resolutions seem destined to fail right from the start. This year must be different, for whatever reason, because I’ve thought long and hard about a few resolutions of my own. I vow though that my resolutions aren’t so superficial – they are practical things that I fully expect to be able to achieve. Not just that, but they are things that I’ve already been working on for a while. I’m not going for a body makeover here; I’m going for a change in my thinking, my actions, and who I am as a person. I’m simply reminding myself this New Year of these things I’d like to change about myself and re-dedicating this year to working even harder to achieve them. So, in no particular order or without any real logic, here are a few things I’ll be working on in 2011:

1. Not sweating the small stuff. Sounds so simple, right? Maybe if you’re a go-with-the-flow, relaxed person. I’m the complete opposite. I’m that over-anal, Type A, neurotic, planner type of person who manages to always make a big deal out of something so small. Like cleaning. When I say “don’t sweat the small stuff” I’m referring to my need to keep my house spotless by constantly cleaning as if I’m waiting for the Queen herself to ring my doorbell and invite herself in for an inspection. I’m referring to my need to grocery shop on the same day each week, but only after the laundry is sorted and in the wash. I’m referring to my need to be a bit more go-with-the-flow. To cross out things in my planner and schedule time for myself. For the things that I enjoy. This year, I vow to have a messier house, a messier planner, and a less jam-packed schedule. This will be no small task, let me tell you, and I am well aware of it. But I think that now, more than ever, with a baby on the way and a complete change to my lifestyle, is as best a time as ever.

2. Standing up for myself. I’m a people-pleaser. I have been for as long as I can remember. I think I am mostly responsible for making myself this way – the pressure I put on myself to perform academically, to be a good daughter, and to live up to other people’s expectations of me. During all of this pleasing other people, I often forget that I have a voice and opinions that matter. In the past few years, I’ve noticed that I find it easy to use my voice when it comes to advocating for the things that are important to me. But the instances in which I do that are limited. Take my blog for example – I find it easy to stand up for my beliefs around adoption and orphan care. It’s easy for me to stand strong in my Christian faith. But in times of conflict, confrontation, or when I come head-to-head with bullies or those over-opinionated, always-right people in my life, I back down because it’s easier to just let them have their way than fight. This causes me a lot of internal conflict and stress. So this year, I’m going to stand strong in my opinions and values and make my own wishes known. I’m not going to scour in the face of conflict or disagreement but rather I feel confident in my ability to articulate my feelings. This one makes me feel so childish but if I’ve learned anything since becoming a “real” adult, it’s that there are a heck of a lot more bullies in the real world than any elementary school playground.

3. Finding purpose in my work. I struggle with this one the most. I do not doubt that Social Work is the right profession for me. I am confident that my passion and purpose in this world is to advocate for and be a voice for the disadvantaged. I sometimes struggle with seeing this gift of working with the underprivileged, the “least of these”, as a GIFT rather than a burden. The work is hard, the pay is terrible, and the hours are long. This year especially I am struggling with how I am going to reconcile my career path with my new life as a mom. Working in child welfare is emotionally, mentally, and physically demanding and draining. The average length of time in a position is a year, if you’re one of the lucky ones to not experience an immediate burnout. Add a new baby on top of things, the emotions that come along with being a first-time parent and working simultaneously in field of child welfare and it is even easier to lose focus, passion, and purpose in this work. With that, I struggle with wanting to be home with our daughter instead of spending my days focusing on the welfare of other children. I don’t want to miss those important moments in her life. I want to find balance between being a mother and being a Social Worker. There are many decisions to be made in the next few months when it comes to work as I struggle to prioritize my work as a professional with my work as a mother.

4. Reprioritizing. This ties into the last one a bit. I won’t go into extreme detail on this other than to say that I’ve really been taking a long, hard look at my life and where I want it to go in the next few years. Having a baby certainly causes you to reflect and reprioritize…it’s going to be a long process to get to where I need to or want to be at but I’m open to the challenge.

5. Be the best parent and wife I can possibly be. It’s that simple. I don’t expect to be perfect – I expect to struggle with the demands of being a new parent and I expect our marriage to have its ups and downs as we adjust to this new little person in our lives. I want to be conscious of this and intentional in my actions throughout the next year of transition (and beyond) so that I always show my husband and daughter the love they deserve.

6. Learn to say "no"! I think this ties into the people-pleasing and standing up for myself. Dave always reminds me that my plate is full already and that I have to learn to say "no" to people and things sometime. This one is for me personally to not feel guilty about saying "no" once in a while which should help with the whole reprioritizing thing.

Weekly Pregnancy Post

Dave and I debate whether the next seven weeks will go fast or slow. I’m going with slow. We did learn that an acquaintance couple of ours (friends of our friends) just had their baby girl three weeks early on Christmas day which actually sent a bit of a panic through me (after all, four weeks sounds a lot sooner than seven at this point!) but I’m well aware that it’s not normal to have a baby THAT early and I certainly can’t count on it. I’m still convinced our baby will be the one that arrives fashionably late anyways. Either way, it’s 2011 and we’re officially in the homestretch.

How Far Along: Thirty-three weeks

Pregnancy Symptoms: My feet and legs are officially starting to swell and ache. If I didn’t have a real grown-up job I’m pretty sure I would live in my slippers and forgo putting on shoes unless absolutely necessary. Now that I’m at my permanent office full-time, I’m noticing more back pain which is likely a result of sitting all day. Acid reflux has become a constant occurrence which makes eating so very fun. My belly appears to be growing by the minute because I can no longer turn over at night (that may have something to do with a certain bed-hog as well) and as soon as I lay down it becomes nearly impossible to breathe. People tell me it’s normal to feel absolutely uncomfortable towards the end of pregnancy but I guess I never knew when “end of pregnancy” really began. I suppose now that we’re in 2011 the end is most certainly in sight which would explain the constant discomfort.

The Waddle: There are mornings when Dave wakes up and stares at me and so proudly announces, “I swear your belly grew over night!” He may just be right. I notice each day that my pregnancy shirts and sweaters get just a little bit shorter. While I’m well aware of the fact my belly is growing (which rightfully it should be at this point as she gains most of her weight these last few weeks), Dave also so kindly pointed out that I have that pregnant woman walk. Or waddle as he referred to it. He demonstrates it so well – boobs pushed out, a slight lean backwards. I tried explaining that I must be trying to re-center myself since my body is all of a sudden so front-heavy but he just laughed. He said he gets it but it’s still too funny to him.

Nesting: Dave and I like to spend time in her room. I’m hoping the room will be completely finished by the end of January just in case she decides to arrive early. With our showers this weekend, I’m sure her room will feel fuller in no time. Even though he room isn’t quite ready and she’s not even here, we’ve taken to spending time in her room – trying out the rocking chair, listening to music, and reading to her. It’s also become our ironing headquarters. Dave likes to let all his ironing needs pile up so last night we whipped out the ironing board and iron and set up camp in her room for an hour of de-wrinkling the hubby’s wardrobe. Who knew ironing in a nursery could be so relaxing!?

Food Cravings: Ranch dressing…I enjoy dipping just about anything in it but especially bread, french fries, and pizza. Dave found it especially weird that I wanted to dip my pizza in ranch yesterday. I assured him a lot of people eat ranch with their pizza and other random foods but he found it rather weird. He has no clue the deliciousness that he’s missing out on! I’ve mentioned it before but I’ve also taken to breakfast foods throughout my pregnancy which is unusual for me because I’ve never been a breakfast person before. This week it’s all about waffles (sometimes with a few mini chocolate chips sprinkled on top – so very healthy, I know) which is a refreshing change from my pancake and bacon cravings I’ve had for a while.

Birthing Plan: We’ve officially mailed our birthing plan and registration information off to the hospital where we’ll be delivering. I had heard other women talk about creating a birthing plan but never really understood what was meant by that. My plan is to go to the hospital, have an easy labor and delivery, and take home my sweet baby girl. Apparently it doesn’t work like that. Okay, so I wasn’t that naïve to the fact that labor and delivery wouldn’t be a walk in the park but it wasn’t until our birthing class that I really stopped to think about what I wanted out of this whole giving birth experience. I would say that I must have written one of the simplest birthing plans as our wishes and plans are pretty simple and flexible. I know that I want an epidural and possibly IV pain medications – I’m not in denial about my low pain tolerance and feeling the pain of childbirth terrifies me more than the pain of a needle being stuck in my back. I also requested to be able to use the fabulous Kohler whirlpool tubs that they have available in the early stages of labor if I am already at the hospital – I hear they are quite relaxing and can help speed up the early stages of the labor process. My final request was that no visitors are allowed in at any point while I am in labor. Dave and my mom will be with me as support throughout my labor and delivery but other than that, the hospital staff knows not to let anyone past security. Some people like visitors while in labor – I know myself well enough to know I’m a conservative, modest person who gets overwhelmed and stressed easily. With that said, it’s best that I focus on the task at hand (you know, having a baby) instead of feeling the need to “entertain”. We have also requested that no visitors be allowed until an hour or two after she’s born. We want time to try and breastfeed, time for Dave to have alone with her (we learned in our class this is essential shortly after birth), time to be a family of three, and time for me to get showered and have some food. After all is said and done, we’ll notify the rest of our family so that they can be the first to visit once we’re ready and following that, we’ll let our friends know, too. One thing I am aware of is that I may potentially have a difficult time letting others hold her in the very beginning. I feel so strongly that babies need constant cuddling and attention from their parents during those early hours to form those secure attachments and trust (which helps with successful breastfeeding and better sleeping, too!) that I’ll want to keep her close. Other new moms assure me this is a normal reaction but it’s one that I’m afraid others may not understand. Either way, it’s all in our birthing plan and I hear the staff will be wonderful at accommodating to our wishes and needs when the time comes.

The Year in Review

2010 was a year of highest highs and lowest lows for the Irish’s. Here’s a little peak back at some of this year’s highlights.

In January, we found out that we were expecting our first baby. We hadn’t planned on getting pregnant so quickly but were thrilled when we found out. We couldn’t wait to tell our parents who we knew would share equally in our excitement. We had my parents over for dinner one night to share the news. Dave was surprised I kept it a secret for the first few days and trust me, it took every ounce of willpower in my body not to pick up the phone and call my mom. They were beyond excited, although Dad did keep saying they were too young to be grandparents. We took Dave’s parents to lunch at Olive Garden to tell them the news they’ve been waiting for since their first child got married. Leave it to the baby of the bunch, and the last to marry, to finally give them the grandchild they’ve been waiting so long for. They too were thrilled.

Our excitement lasted just a few short weeks. On February 8 we went in for our first visit with our doctor who after an ultrasound told us that the baby didn’t look to be quite as big for the 8 weeks we thought we were at at that point. She said it could be nothing to worry about and said that she’d monitor my hormone levels with blood work over the next week and we’d come back for another ultrasound in a week. The day after my 24th birthday we went back to the doctor and another ultrasound confirmed our worst fears – the baby had stopped developing and there was no heartbeat. My body was waiting to miscarry. A day later, on February 17, the physical pain was over and we left to deal with the emotional aftermath. To this day, I still believe that was the single worst day of my life. And I still pray that our baby girl is not born this February 17th because that day will always hold memories of our first baby.

Dave was given an exciting new opportunity to change jobs in March. He’s really enjoying his new job with WE Energies and he’s found the position to be exciting, challenging, and full of opportunities to grow. His job allows him so much flexibility which will be great with having a family and his boss has been fabulous to both of us – opening his home and family to us. We were fortunate to sneak in a visit to Dave’s grandma in Arizona this month before he started his new job. It was so nice to spend some time with his grandma in the warm sunshine!

April and May were rather uneventful months for us. We were still grieving the loss of the baby while trying to move forward and start again. We agreed we would let nature take its course and didn’t stress over getting pregnant again. We threw ourselves into house projects as Spring came – painting bedrooms, finishing bathrooms, and digging up some of the old landscaping. It was a welcomed distraction at the time.

June was a month full of changes and surprises to say the least. In mid-June I left my job with the American Cancer Society and found out that I was I was pregnant the very next day. I was relieved to be done with a job that I miserable in and company whose mission I didn’t believe in or support. Admittedly, I was overwhelmed at the thought of starting over at a new job with a baby on the way. Unlike the first time I found out I was pregnant, when Dave was there with me, this time I was home alone and absolutely frightened when that little stick said “pregnant”. I remember calling Dave and then my mom and just crying to both. I was thrilled, anxious, and completely terrified all at once. The next few weeks after that were filled with lots of doctors appointments, a lot of blood work, weekly ultrasounds, and two incredibly anxious parents-to-be!

July brought our worries to an end (for the most part) as we learned that this second pregnancy was not only viable but progressing beautifully. We were able to breathe a few sighs of relief before all those nasty little first-trimester pregnancy symptoms set in. I’m not sure Dave was adequately prepared for all the joys that a successful pregnancy were about to bring him :)

In August, we celebrated our first wedding anniversary! I still can’t believe how quick the first year went. The fact that we experienced one of the most challenging and devastating moments of both of our lives together, during our first year of marriage, made us feel like we could survive the next however many God will bless our lives with. I also had the privilege of celebrating one of my best friend’s marriages in August as Miss. Katharine Nelson became Mrs. Katharine Suwalski. I absolutely loved every minute of her wedding and felt so honored to be a part of one of the most important moments of her life.

In September, after toying with a few job offers and Social Work career paths, I finally started my new position in adoptions with Children’s Service Society of Wisconsin. I’m not sure I fully understood what my position would be at that point in time but I loved the idea of doing something adoption-related. As any Social Worker will tell you, a career in Child Welfare is not for the faint of heart and I am learning that very quickly. So far I’ve experienced an overwhelming mixture of emotions as I’m learning more about Milwaukee’s Child Welfare System, foster care, and special needs adoptions. It’s been a test of my emotional and personal strength and has caused me to take a good long look at where I really want to be in my career and personal life as I prepare to enter the world of balancing motherhood and career. Of course I can’t forget that this month we also found out that we were having a baby girl and the color pink officially began to invade the Irish household!

October again was a rather uneventful month for us…we began getting baby’s room ready and really started focusing on everything that needed to be done around the house before baby’s arrival in just a few months.

November brought Dave’s grandma for a visit from Arizona which made Thanksgiving extra-special this year. Dave headed off to Vegas for a work trip which ultimately served as his last little vacation before life becomes all about diapers, pretty little dresses, and sweet little “Daddy, I love you’s”. We also began our birthing classes this month. I feel like November was over before it even began and we moved onto December. December served as the start of the last trimester of the pregnancy and a clear reminder that baby girl’s arrival is just around the corner. I officially began nesting this month and we’re completely in baby mode at this point. We enjoyed the holidays with our families and a visit from Dave’s sister as the year winds to a close.

I look forward to 2011 with much anticipation. Obviously having a baby is at the top of our list for this upcoming year but there are likely to be many more highs and I’m sure even a few lows to come our way in 2011. Regardless of how the next year plays out, our little family of two will grow and our lives will never be the same…and we couldn’t be any more excited!

Weekly Pregnancy Post

If my last post didn’t spell it out, we’re officially in baby-preparation mode after what I like to call “a very baby Christmas”. We officially have some of those basic necessities that I have been stressing over the past few weeks. Dave likes to point out that we still have eight weeks but when you’re an over-prepared, type-A, control-freak planner like me, eight weeks sounds a lot closer than it does to my relaxed, calm, level-headed husband. Now that we have her bottles, bedding, and lots of diapers I feel a tad bit more prepared. More on that later…

How Far Along: Thirty-two weeks

Pregnancy Symptoms: I might as well be a ninety year-old woman because that’s exactly how I feel. My whole body aches, especially hips. I feel like I’m recovering from a double hip replacement – no matter which side I lay on I am not just uncomfortable but I’m in an unusual amount of pain. I also am having an unusually difficult time breathing, especially when lying down. Sometimes I feel like I’m on the verge of a panic attack because I can’t seem to get enough air in my nose. It helps to sleep sitting up or propped up. I think the people on the elipticals next to me at the gym must wonder if I’m about to pass out (or give birth) because I can only imagine what my constant gasping for air sounds like to the average Joe. Fortunately, exercising is the one time I do find it easier to breathe and until the doctor instructs me to stop, I’ll continue right along. And of course we cannot forget the constant urge to close my eyes and take a good long nap. Maybe it’s the sleepless nights but all I can think about during the day is how much I just want to nap. Yep, definitely feeling like a ninety year old these days.

Food Cravings: I wouldn’t really call it a craving but I have indulged in an insane amount of Christmas cookies over the past few weeks. Just when I cleared out the stash in our house, our neighbors and in-laws decided we needed some more and alas, the Irish house is stocked yet again! All I can say is thank goodness I’m not in post-baby trying-to-get-back-in-shape mode now. I simply cannot resist the temptation. I always blame my constant need for sugar on the baby which Dave says isn’t fair – it’s a legitimate excuse and I plan to continue to use it for the next 8 weeks. On a healthier note, I have a love of fruit these days, especially those cute little Clementines.

Maternity Clothes: I’m throwing this category back in the mix for the simple fact that I ripped my most favorite pair of maternity pants this past week: my khaki cords. They are like heaven to me – rivaling the comfortability of sweatpants and definitely defeating jeans. I was at work and taking one of my many bathroom breaks when they ripped at the seam, right where the little part that covers the belly meets the cord material. I’m talking a big old hole that left my undies exposed. Thankfully I was wearing a long shirt that day. I refuse to buy new pants at this point and plan to test my sewing skills…or at the very least, a few safety pins should do. When I emailed Dave to tell him of my bathroom pant debacle he indulged in a few laughs but told me really it would’ve been more traumatic had they ripped in a more noticeable place. I don’t think she appreciates the delicacy of finding a perfect fitting, comfortable pair of pants while pregnant.

Nursery Progress: Her furniture is all set up, including the rocker. We’ve got lots of diapers and wipes in the changing table waiting for Dave to put to good use :) She has a cute little pink rug courtesy of Land of Nod. All that’s left are some lamps, a small table, and some toy baskets. I’m working with a friend on creating the wall art for her room so that it matches her bedding. I’m attempting to be half creative and entirely practical in the design of her nursery. I’ve got all tags off her clothes and they are all sorted and waiting to be washed. We have more than enough winter outfits and I am convinced that if she gets one more onesie I will scream. I’m moving onto spring/summer clothes now which are way cuter than winter clothes anyways…hello little sun dresses! We have her car seat all put together and both bases ready to be installed in our cars. We have a nice storage system for her closet that Dave gets to assemble this week while he’s off work (lucky guy). I’d say her room is looking more like a peaceful, sweet little dwelling fit for a princess.

Nesting: As I pointed out, Dave says we still have lots of time before baby arrives but I beg to differ. In fact, I may have become a bit neurotic this weekend and began nesting to the point of driving him absolutely crazy. I emptied every kitchen cabinet to find the perfect arrangement of everything we owned to make an empty cabinet just for her bottles and dishes and other baby items. I also felt the need to clean our hall closet again (I just did so over the summer) so that I’d feel more organized. I’m beginning to think I work harder on my weekend’s off than I do during my workweek…I think this is true of most moms.

Best Pregnancy Moment of the Week: Celebrating our last holiday as a family of two. Okay, so maybe we’ll be celebrating Valentine’s Day just the two of this year unless she decides to come early but that doesn’t really count as a true holiday anyways (as I’m sure my husband will tell you). It was incredibly surreal this Christmas thinking about how next year we’ll have a 10 month old baby girl to celebrate with…it made us both incredibly excited as we know holidays will be just a little more special with a baby around.

Christmas Highlights

We had a very merry Christmas this year... we were especially blessed to spend time with our families and to receive such wonderful gifts. Baby girl had a fantastic Christmas, too - it's amazing how many gifts an uborn child can receive. I can only imagine what next Christmas will look like :)

Here are a few highlights from our Christmas this year.

Here's Dave sportin' his new Diaper Dude diaper bag and one of our Lifestyles glass bottles and bottle brush. We're officially stocked with bottles, diapers, and wipes!


Showing off some of baby's new clothes from her great-grandma. Nothing makes me happier than pink outfits with coordinating blankets


Dad looks beyond thrilled that mom made him wear a Santa hat


More baby gear - all of her bedding, changing pad cover, books, lullaby CD (to go in her new CD player, not pictured), and baby Mozart DVD. Did I mention she had a great Christmas?


The one thing we really wanted this Christmas was a video camera so that we don't miss a minute of baby girl's life. We're so thankful to have received it and we cannot wait to start documenting our daughter's life


We put together "grandparents survival kits" for our parents this year, complete with all the fun things that first-time grandparents need to have around their house


Celebrating with the Irish's...Dave's siblings, sister-in-law and myself with Grandma Irish


We were especially lucky to celebrate with Dave's sister, Katie, who was visiting this Christmas from Peru

From Our Growing Family to Yours...

... we wish you a very merry and blessed Christmas!

I've found myself in a very different frame of mind this Christmas season. It's been interesting preparing for the birth of my own child at a time when we're preparing to celebrate the birth of Jesus. I find myself thinking about Christmas this year from Mary's perspective. I can only imagine what it would have been like to give birth to your Savior...to hold him in your arms and rock him to sleep. Being pregnant at Christmastime has also given me a new perspective on traditions and what I want for our daughter and family in the coming years. I complain to Dave often that so many people around us don't remember that Christmas is about Jesus' birth. They are too busy rushing about purchasing gifts, whipping up tasty treats, or figuring out the logistics of Christmas-day celebrations to truly reflect on why we celebrate in the first place. I don't want our daughter to ever forget the real reason we celebrate Christmas. I want us to bake a cake for Jesus and sing him happy birthday. I want to read the one, true Christmas story with her. I want to limit the number of gifts "Santa" brings so he doesn't overtake our celebrations. I want her to sing songs of praise loudly in front of church on Christmas Eve. There are so many things I wish for our daughter and growing family at Christmastime. I'm so excited to see what next year will bring. Until then, we'll celebrate with our families and enjoy our last Christmas as a family of two :)