Tracking November

Anticipation. Excitement. Impatience forcefully growing into patience. A peaceful knowing of things to come. As a child Christmas Eve was a struggle for me. Tossing and turning in bed, counting down the hours until I was allowed to wake my parents to open presents. Somehow I would eventually doze off only to awake with absolute thrill and excitement when I saw the sun was up. It was time to enjoy the celebration of family, of presents shared; of a delicious breakfast and the thankfulness that baby Jesus was born to earth to become the Savior for all, the best gift we could ever have.

I continue to have times in my life of similar excited anticipation and this time is closest to those restless Christmas Eves of my childhood. Every night is Christmas Eve as I try to guess the arrival of Cody. We are officially full term and past any incubation time I have ever achieved with the other two. I am grateful we are here. Aside from sleepless nights I am not in any state of true “get-this-kid-out” (although you can still pray for Chris and Ryder, they get the brunt of my woes)*. And yet, my excitement to meet this little guy might be perceived by others as impatience. For me, it’s just joy in anticipating the big celebration to come.

November was a great month filled with Thanksgiving feasts and harvest in preparation for December. Our “harvest” consisted of lots of trips to the park, picnics in the car with the kids and Chris when the wind was too cold at the park, cleaning and organizing (some call it nesting, I call it “what else am I supposed to do to keep my mind off him coming?”), getting responsibilities at work organized and delegated. Impromptu visits to Colonial Williamsburg and Christmas decorating inside and out!

Ryder is anticipating the celebrations to come as well. He told me he is waiting on his “pair”. That Rory and I are a pair because we are girls and have yellow hair. He is waiting on his Cody because he is a boy with red hair like him (we shall see!).

Rory has finally introduced the word “Yes” to her vocabulary, along with “Will you help me please?” “Ryder, I love you!” “May I have your phone please?” and a fabulous, although not completely in English, version of the ABCs, Twinkle Twinkle, and Jingle Bells.

Bring on December and all that it has to offer. We are ready. We are excited!

*Toby is also looking forward to me not taking up his couch and sleep time at 2, 3, 4am as I watch Hallmark Christmas movies or busy myself with reading, knitting, etc. What else is a girl to do with a 25lb belly strapped to her middle? Sleep? HA!