Monthly Archives: December 2008

A Year in Pictures

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I promise, I will get back to actual writing very soon! I have a couple of posts floating around in my head–including my reading list of 2008. But for now, here is 2008 in pictures and comments. A jam-packed year!

Jill’s baby shower in January

In April, we went to Mr. V’s cousin’s wedding in West Virginia. These are my sweet in-laws.

Also in April, I went to my cousin Julie’s baby shower. It was so fun to be pregnant at the same time as Julie and my cousins Tricia and Amanda. Amanda lives in Colorado, so unfortunately I didn’t get to see her, but here are me, Julie, and Tricia. (Julie is actually my cousin-in-law but I love her too much to call her that! Her husband, my cousin Trevor, and I were super close growing up.)

In May, Mr. V and I went on this wonderful cruise to Mexico! It was the first vacation we’ve had alone since our honeymoon and was a great “baby-moon,” even though we didn’t know we were pregnant when we booked the trip!

On June 10, we found out it was a girl!! We knew already her name would be Elizabeth–it took us another week to agree on Jane (and how to spell Libbie).

In August, it was another trip to Ohio for Tricia’s shower. This is my mom and sister. I love this cute picture of them, but Ashley hates it. Oh well. :)

Me at 36 weeks pregnant in September–aaahhh!!

You might remember that on October 27th, I gave birth to a gorgeous baby girl. That and my wedding day are by far my two favorite days of my life.

Libbie in her precious Thanksgiving get-up. She started smiling the day before Thanksgiving and eagerly showed it off all day on the holiday!

Libbie and her Poppy, my dad, on Christmas Day.

Looking forward to loving on this sweetness all through 2009…

Christmas Eve

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Without fail, Christmas Eve always makes me think of December 24th this year. I think I was in 9th grade so that would have made it…1996. Still such a precious memory to me. I think I have a thing for candles. My favorite memory from last year is standing out on my parents’ street with my daddy, looking at the luminaries lit up and down the street. Just gorgeous.

I’m looking forward to taking Libbie to her first (TWO) Christmas Eve services tonight. There is just something about lighting candles and singing “Silent Night.”

Wishing you the merriest of Christmases tomorrow. And please read this post from BigMama today.

Here’s some more Christmas posts from me if you’re bored of family time and need something to do:

God is Love
My Favorite Obscure Christmas Movies
Mary

Since I Can’t Think of Anything to Post…

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…our trip so far in pictures.

This is actually the night before we left–Libbie and her boyfriend Donavan in their Santa suits.

Getting to meet Michelle and Dan, our good friends from college.

Snuggling with Grandma W.

First time in my snow suit…

Just a cute one! (That blanket I’m in is Auntie Roo’s singing High School Musical blankie…)

This Christmas

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This year, I didn’t put up a Christmas tree, garland, or almost anything else. Our Christmas decorations consisted of a nativity scene on top of the china cabinet, a wreath on the front door, and our stockings on hangers on a little console table we have. And two candles.

I haven’t watched How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Rudolph, Frosty, A Charlie Brown Christmas, The Christmas Toy, or even A Muppet Christmas Carol.

I didn’t make my usual batch of Oreos, pretzel rods, and shortbread dipped in chocolate and sprinkles to share with my coworkers. My entire baking regimen has consisted of one dozen cherry shortbread cookies I made to distract myself from how bad I felt last week. I didn’t make sugar cookies to decorate.

We have gone to one Christmas party–very brief and baby in tow. (Albeit, VERY fun!)

I have done very little Christmas shopping. I bought one thing for Adam when he was with me, and nothing for the baby. All other shopping has been over the Internet, and it has been sparse.

And yet, Christmas has arrived anyway. And I’ve spent more time reflecting on the Christ child this year than in many years past. It’s been good for my heart.

We’re on the Great American Christmas Road Trip, so my posts may be sporadic at best until New Year. Merry Christmas, and may you have time to reflect on God’s great sacrifice of sending His Son to be born–so He could die for us.

Little Field Mouse

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I have a confession.

I am obsessed with Gymboreee. I think their clothes will be my undoing. I don’t know what it is about their stuff…I guess it’s just classic. And sweet. And insanely expensive for my tastes. I may have bought a few things on super-sale, but usually they are out of my price range. (Or the price range I will spend for a child who is going to spit up on the outfit and outgrow it very quickly.)

So yesterday I got out of the house by myself. Well, that’s just asking for trouble! I was planning on hitting up Goodwill and Aldi’s (which I thought were in the same shopping center–turned out that thing I thought was Goodwill was Goody’s. Oops.). But what to my wandering eyes did appear…but Once Upon a Child was next door to Aldi’s.

So I went in. First mistake.

I almost bought everything Gymboree they had in the baby girl section, but in the end I limited myself to four adorable things. Once Upon a Child is still a little more expensive than Goodwill and consignment sales, but for good-quality name brand stuff, it’s not bad.

And I love this outfit.

Mary

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I think it’s probably only natural that this Christmas is different for me.

Not only I am too bogged down in newborn-ness to really decorate, bake, or buy presents, I’ve had a child this year.

Now when I reflect on the nativity on top of my china cabinet, I think a little differently. I consider how much pain Mary must have been in on her donkey, traveling many miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem (a quick Internet search says anywhere from 60 to 90 miles). I was so uncomfortable in my last weeks of pregnancy I could barely sit in my desk chair. I spent most of it on the couch watching movies and old Project Runway episodes. If she was having contractions, all the worse!

Now I am sure God could have given Mary a very easy labor if He wanted, and maybe He did, but why should we think it was any different than what we go through to give birth? She probably hurt tremendously. She certainly had no epidural. She was in a stinking stable! And can you imagine Joseph’s face as he had to cut the cord? Deliver the placenta?

Joseph and Mary were humans, and I think sometimes we forget that. And this year I can identify with Mary and look at the scene differently. Imagine her feelings of honor, excitement, pain, joy, and exhaustion all at the same time. And responsibility.

And then there was the Savior of the world, in her arms. Not just the joy of holding your own baby, who you have carried in your belly for many months and felt kick and respond to your voice. The joy of holding in her arms her very own Savior.

I really, REALLY love the CD The Nativity Story: Sacred Songs. I would encourage you to go to iTunes or Amazon and at least get “The Virgin’s Lullaby” and this song, which has brought me to tears many times this season already.

Labor of Love (go listen here on Peterson’s own blog)
Andrew Peterson

It was not a silent night
There was blood on the ground
You could hear a woman cry
In the alleyways that night
On the streets of David’s town …

Apologies

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Sorry for the lack of posts. I have mastitis and I have felt like death for three days. I will be back to my normal self soon now that I am on heavy duty antibiotics, I hope! (Seriously, they are the BIGGEST pills I have ever taken.)

Will leave you with a picture of my cutie pie.

Six Weeks Old

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Dear Libbie,

I almost can’t believe you will be six weeks old tomorrow. Mostly I can’t believe that six weeks ago I was on my way to the hospital for the first time. It just seems like ages and ages since we brought you back to our house and God brought you into our lives!

You slept so sweetly and peacefully all morning during church. Everyone comments on what a good baby you are. You have a very sweet temperment and rarely fuss unless you are super hungry or extremely gassy. Usually after eating you fall right back asleep against my chest. I love seeing your little squishy cheek pressed against me and hear your happy, sleepy sighs. You smile in your sleep and I wonder what you could possibly be dreaming about.

We have two more weeks of being at home and then begins the Great Christmas Road Trip. And then I have to go back to work. I’m trying not to think about it too much and just enjoy my time at home with you. I keep telling myself it is only for a few months. Then we can be home together all the time, I hope! By then you will be big and active and we will have lots of fun together. But I am sad I will miss being there every minute of this sweet time when you sleep and smile at me constantly.

I am enjoying dressing you up like a little princess. This week you were decked out in dresses and tights three times! You probably hate it, but are too little to protest yet. Something in me thinks you won’t be a girly girl. You look more comfortable in your little jeans and overalls than in the foofy Santa Clause dress (the jeans DO have pink velvet trim, but still). I will confess I am a jeans girl myself, and I hate tights, so I don’t blame you. I guess we’ll see!

I love you, little one. Even when I am crying because Chester is howling in the middle of the night (by the way, you may never meet Chester because I may kill give him away before you’re much older), I still love you so much my heart wants to burst. In the middle of the night when you’re nursing and you look up at me with those gorgeous blue eyes I could just pop.

Love Always and Always,
Mommy

Miss Fannie’s Big Hat Tea

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I was so excited to be able to take Libbie to Miss Fannie’s Big Hat Tea Party at church last night. I’ve gone to the tea every year we’ve lived here. Every year I end up sitting with a whole table of women I don’t know, and I kind of like that. It’s interesting. The first year I was shy and wore a little tiny red beret. The second year I made a huge straw hat with boa, star, a bird, and lights that required a battery pack. Unfortunately the battery pack was so heavy it wouldn’t stay on my head. Last year, I rocked out this little vintage number from the flea market. It has netting. LOVE IT.


And last night I went with a pink cowboy hat that was boa-lined and had a light-up tiara. Yeah I did.

I was so proud to cart around my little one in her stroller bedecked in a little Mrs. Clause outfit complete with Santa hat, of course. She was precious. One of my friends kept her at her table while I got to eat the divine meal and have some adult conversation. (By the way, it’s REALLY frightening when elderly ladies at church start talking to you about the Victoria’s Secret fashion show.) After dinner, the baby was starting to wake up so I took her to nurse her.

And then the screaming ensued. She screamed and screamed. She ate a little. She screamed some more. She screamed loud enough that all 300 ladies crammed into our fellowship hall could hear her over the women’s choir singing. I decided it was time to go home. And then I realized that my coat was still inside, sitting on my chair which was smack dab in front of the performers.

God bless Andi who went in and got it for me. While the screaming continued.

She wailed all the way home until we got about .2 miles from our house, where of course she konked out.

At least she slept well last night.

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