January 7 came and went:(

January 7, 2013 has come and gone and still no baby.  Note to self: you are not in control!  This is all in God's, gracious hands.  I haven't written much about this pregnancy for several reasons...it's been so much more uncomfortable than Andrew's and Margaret's were, I've been more insecure about the looming changes in my life and our family, and I want to remember this precious baby once it's here, not my complaining in the 9+ preceding months.

At my 36-week appt Dec. 28, Wolanski said I was 2, maybe 3cm dilated and 80% effaced.  I was elated, as December was just a crappy month.  No other way to put it.  I felt awful, my horrendous heartburn got worse by the night, and a bad chest cold settled in to keep me coughing all night when heartburn didn't already have me miserable.  January 4 = no changes.  Wolanski offers to strip my membranes to see if that will induce labor, explaining that he can't formally induce me until 39 weeks:(  Targeting Monday, January 7 as a birthdate looked great.  He is supposed to leave for the Disney marathon in Orlando on the 10th and could have me home by then.  Icing on the cake would be that the 7th is my precious Mom's birthday and was the late, great Denny's birthday.  Mom shared her special day with her great Aunt, who was always like a second mother to her, especially after her own mother passed when I was just 2.  Denny had a long, wonderful 89 years in Dallas, albeit it the last 40 years single since Fritz passed in his 50's.  Denny went to be reunited with the love of her life on December 1.  She only spent 1.5 days in the hospital, declaring that she did not want to prolong this.  She was ready.  And while the FOUR generations of her family that surrounded her will miss her dearly, I think 89 years living at home with only 1.5 in the hospital is a plan for which many of us would sign up!  All of that is to say that it would have been if, of all years, this baby had come into the world on January 7, but God has other plans for this one.

January 7 appt = no changes.  So my instructions do a 180...keep the baby IN for another week!  Wolanski is off running the 10th-13th.  Michael is to be out of town the 8th-11th.  They have begged me to keep this baby in through the weekend.  I'll see what I can do!  I certainly don't want either one of them to miss the big event!   Mom will be here the end of this week as Michael's last two days of travel are 4.5 hours away in WV....further than either of us would like, but God will provide, right?

So, enough rambling about the baby that may or may not come at a convenient time.  The weekend's highlights were actually right here at home.  Andrew FINALLY decided that his bike was alright!  He's still on training wheels, but at least he's riding it, excited about, and doing well.  Truly a milestone!  And while little Miss is all over the tricycle and big wheel like she's 3, her exciting news has been in the potty:)  We started training Dec. 27 and I was ready to give up NYE.  Then something miraculous happened.  A new day.  A new year.  Something.  Since New Year's Day, she has had only 1 accident and proudly went to school today in her big girl underpants:)  She is telling us when she needs to go and has demonstrated that she understands the feelings associated with all aspects of this process.  While we expect some regression in various areas of life post-baby, we are confident that Margaret is fully capable of being completely potty-trained (for both!) and we are thrilled to have conquered this:)

First weekend of 2013

The first weekend of 2013 was a blast!  Andrew had his first ice skating lesson (Christmas present from Grandma) and LOVED it!  He's out cautious first child, so we weren't sure how it would go, but Daddy said he was a champ!  Of course since Michael played hockey, he knows what he's doing and was able to get on the ice with him to help.  Nice perk:)  Week two was another success.  This Mommy is anxious to see this herself!  

 

 

 

 

Little Miss is LOVING her Christmas present, too....Little Gym classes....but Mommy's hands are too full to get any pictures.  We captured the below, though, on a frigid January afternoon.  Apparently it's never too cold for bubbles, or too overcast for sunglasses, preferably upside down:)

 

Polar Plunge 2013

The Killians' first attendance at the Streit's Annual New Years Day Polar Plunge and Chili Feast. Thankfully, the baby got me off the hook this year, but Michael was a rockstar and the kids loved it! I figured it would be my turn next year, but Michael actually said that "WE" would do it next year.  LOVE his spirit:)  Many thanks to Meghan and Greg for the fun festivities to celebrate the new year:)

 

The Polar Plunge Hosts - Greg & Meghan Streit - with the most creative costumes of the morning, of course!

The Polar Plungers pre-dip pose.

 

 Giving Daddy his well deserved towel.

The Countdown and Plunge!

Christmas Bizarre

This is going to be a bizarre post...about Christmas...the one that I'm pretending wasn't 9 months ago as I type.  We made a family decision to start staying home Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  Christmas Eve was full of prep, the Christmas Advent at Church (we provided a sheep and an angel!), a lovely neighborhood party at the Alston's, and taming the excitement of two precious children.

Christmas Day, we actually slept in!  We did stockings with the kids (a few understated items actually in their stockings), had breakfast, and continued with presents.  That didn't take very long, of course, so we dressed to go visit Miss Helen.  Miss Helen is our dear, dear friend at church who loves our children as much as we do.  She keeps the nursery every other week and has had them over a few times when I needed help, so they know her well.  Dear, sweet Helen lost her husband several years ago and keeps 3-yr-old Charlotte all week for her neighbors.  My children being with Miss Helen is a win-win for all, so we visit when we can. 

Far too much time has passed for me to do anything organized with Christmas pics, so here on the ones from my phone that I am just now downloading.

Her favorite way to sleep, with her favorite Bible.

She looks happy to be riding the Short Pump train in Richmond, doesn't she??

Now THAT'S a kid happy to be riding the train with Emily!

Loving the chairs from Dody and Granddaddy.

Since the basement was finally finished, we put together Daddy's trains from when he was little.

Christmas Snow:)

Flashlight

Whoa, Hotwheels

Stroller

Dad's New Plane

"Mahgrit!" & Adventures in Advent

Like clockwork, Margaret starting talking all the time around her 2nd birthday.  But of all the babble we would receive all day, she absolutely refused to say her name!  When prompted, "Can you say, 'Margaret'?", she would blatantly giggle in our faces and pronounce, "Nope!" and gallop away.  But finally, on this December day, she decided to declare, "Mahgrit!".  And boy, did she enjoy her reaction:) 

Andrew continues to insist on 7-8 verses of Sunshine every night.   “God and Jesus” have to be the last one...he came up with that verse, and he insists on it.  How to turn that down? 

We've been reading our Advent book nightly, which Andrew remembers quite well.  He has been teaching Margaret about how we take turns opening each door every night and reading the parts of the Christmas story that we find there.  Margaret has taken to knocking on the doors each day before she opens them.  What a hoot!  I am not surprised.  That is so her. 

 

We were asked to light the Advent Candle this week at church.  What an honor.  And what a joy that the kids sincerely enjoyed preparing for our reading, followed their instructions for helping with the candle and hanging our chrismon on the tree, and were on their best behavior. 

 

Listening dutifully as we prepare (i.e. Ben Thompson was practicing with my camera).

Yes, I am very, VERY pregnant.

 

I.

Love.

These.

Kids. 

Wonder who will be next?  Won't be long now!

Breakfast with Santa at Boar's Head Inn

Last year I had wanted to check out Breakfast with Santa at the Boars Head Inn.  Something happened and that didn't happen so this year I was determined.  I had us all signed up on the same day with friends, then had to reschedule on account of the Sip N See hosted here for Kendall and Sam (DEFINITELY worth the reschedule!).  Only trouble was, Daddy ended up being "indisposed" for the weekend.  I'll spare the details here of why, but the three (and a half) of us still went.  No pictures of the fancy breakfast as 9-month pregnant Momma was working HARD to keep pancakes, bacon and juice in abundance on the table!  I'm glad we did it, but I think we'll try something else next year.  At least they got on the carriage ride - some kids did not, after spending 30 minutes in line!

 

Thanksgiving in Baltimore

We spent Thanksgiving in Baltimore this year.  Grandma was our photographer (I'm not sure our camera made it out of the case) which was great, except I'm not sure she made any of the pics!  We took the kids to the Baltimore Zoo and toured the train exhibits around town, which Baltimore does quite well.  We visited the Fire Museum there for the first time.  An impressive Museum, I must say!  We focused on the trains this time, but will definitely be back for the Museum, filled with dozens of old, antique fire engines.  

 

David, 16 already!

Just love it.

"Jackie", Andrew, Daddy, and Maddie

My love

My angel

Fun at the zoo

Lion faces!

Fun with my sweatheart:)

What a smile

Cuddling with the belly

Grandma's is so fun, it's exhausting!

LOVING the fire museum

"Andoo" has a hat, so I must have a hat, too!

What eyes!

Driving the fire engine

Intently watching the trains

Ellie!

Play dough and the beginnings of Gingerbread House 2012, aka, "The Whoopsie Doodle House"

Sunset on the dock

Teaching Margaret how to decorate properly.

Feeding the ducks, just seconds before "the fall".  Apparently Andrew was challenging himself to throw the bread even further when he simply stepped right off the dock!  I was shocked to see him coming back up to the house fully clothed and soaking wet, but he took it like a champ.  We still joke about why he wanted to go swimming at Grandma's on TG!  We decided we would wait until summer to swim again:) 

Watching the game

Warming up after his own polar plunge!

Handsome:)

Maddio!