It's crunch time!

It's crunch time and your final few days left to scramble for that fabulous consumerist holiday known as Christmas!! Hope you are doing well and ready for the day of presents and family!

This past weekend was quite busy. Friday night, Mira arrived for her holiday vacay and the full schedule of planned get togethers and activities. We started off her trip with a "girls night out" where a slew of us ladies went to dinner, then most everyone went off to a gathering at a friend's house. During this time, the boys all got together for food and partying and bowling. A good night was had by all.

Da Girls

Mira and I

My sisters both spent the night, along with Eli and Zabri, and we all got to hang out for the day and prep for our annual holiday party. Zabri was adorable and the party went really well and long, long into the night.

Cutie patootie

Sunset from our back patio

Hanukkah started last night and we had a lovely family dinner of traditional brisket and not so traditional potato latkes. After the year that Erik spent 2 hours slaving over the frying of said traditional latkes, we decided that the oven should be the way we make the shredded potato dish for this holiday from now on. I absolutely love the fried version, slathered in sour cream and applesauce, but I also think that assigning someone to the crappy task of being the flip-master of hot greasy potato pancakes, unable to do anything social because their only activity for the next couple hours can consist of nothing but inhaling smoking grease and burning arm hairs just isn't very holiday nice. OK, in a Jewish guilt, masochisitic way, it's exactly what someone should be doing for a Jewish holiday, but our family is barely Jewish-lite, so really, why bother with the torture? Anyway, the baked version isn't quite the same, but at least I still get to slather accoutrements, so I was satisfied.

Erik and I at my folks house. The menorah is behind the Christmas tree, so that we can really embrace all the gift giving holidays.

Great Aunt Shirley holding Zabri for the first time.

Despite my sarcasm regarding gifts, I really do love the holidays. I honestly get frustrated that we don't have more money to buy more stuff for our loved ones or more money to go towards materials for me to make things for them. Not to say that's what the holidays are about, but I enjoy giving gifts, even if it makes me crazy sometimes. I love seeing the decorations and the beautiful wrapping, the thought and love that goes into finding a gift for a person. I know that the recipient doesn't always respond the way we hope, but I enjoy taking the risk none the less.

In our family, the holidays are really about family and gluttony, but this year is the start of something new, the start of grandkids. This year the attention will all be on Zabri and his cuteness, next year the attention will be on us trying to keep the little ones from trying to pull the tree down. For now, I am savoring the luxury of sleep and the ability to shop when I want to, next year will be a whole 'nother beastie!

By the time I post again, it will probably be in the new year. I hope to have some good stories to share, or at least some witty commentary, and a nice selection of pictures. I wish all of you a safe and relaxing holiday week, filled with laughter, joy and love. Let's hope that the New Year brings us all growth and prosperity, love and fulfillment.

Erik and I send our love to all of you!

Happy Holidays,

Camian

First Snow

Dear Baby Boy,

We had our first big snow yesterday. I woke up to see the sky white and flurries of flakes tumbling down. I immediately felt a bit of glee as I piled on my layers of cozy clothes. Seeing the ground change beneath a dusting and then a thick layer of snow made me feel refreshed and hopeful.

I talked to you in my belly as we drove to meet Daddy for lunch. I told you how at this time next year you would be 10 months old and when it snowed, we would bundle you up in a puffy coat and knitted hat before bringing you outside. You would marvel at the texture and cold, and I thought about how I would get to experience snow again for the first time, but this time through you.

What will it be like next year, our life with you, our baby? First snow, decorating our house and tree, Christmas morning, lighting the Menorah and teaching you the Hanukkah song, will all of it be totally new or will it just be us, being a family? Daddy and I have been with each other so long already, and have become so comfortable in this life we have together. In a couple more months, you will come out to meet us and the world, and this life as we know it will be gone, just like that. Every moment from then on, we will be parents. I am scared and sort of sad and excited and hopeful. Everything will change with you, but Daddy and I can't wait to meet you.

You've been moving so much lately, squirming around, making me laugh. You got the hiccups the other night when we went to bed, and you couldn't seem to get rid of them. I just giggled, but Daddy seemed truly upset that you might be hurting, he kept saying, "Poor thing!" I just told him, you were doing what you were supposed to do, and no one ever died from the hiccups. I love feeling you moving around inside me, it makes you more "real" and it helps me get to know you just a little bit more. At 30 weeks, I feel like the time is flying by, and it's so hard to believe that in just a couple more months, we'll be a family.

I'm trying really hard to stay healthy for you, little one. And because I want the best for you, I'm monitoring my "lifestyle" more than I ever have for my own sake. My glucose levels have been high and so I'm having to watch my carb intake, read as: no more desserts, cereals, or breakfast breads (grrrr). I've seriously questioned how much of these dietary restrictions I can handle. Between the iron, the b-vitamins, the calcium and the glucose issues, combined with having to (God forbid) exercise, not to mention missing a glass of good red wine every once in awhile, I am struggling with almost constant eating frustrations, irritations, and flat out cravings. Right now I won't hold it against you, but one day, you wait, I'll be sure to hold it against you! You throw a fit about what you don't want to eat, and I am SO remembering what I did for you! Just a bit of warning my love....

Next week will be our last Christmas without you in our lives and Zabri's only one as the lone grandchild. Next year we will have you to shop for and fawn over, and the holiday season will all take on a different meaning. This year, stay warm and cozy in my belly, and Daddy and I will see you soon.

Lots of love,
your Mom

29 weeks on Monday

Has it really been 2 weeks since I posted something?! Time flies, especially around the holidays....

As of yesterday, I am at 29 weeks, and for those of you who don't speak pregger-talk, I just entered my third trimester and have just shy of 3 more months to go. I have really popped out recently and am marveling at how my body is changing, the lovely things like back rolls and swollen legs make me feel sexy.

Erik and I had our trip up to Colorado to visit the fam for Turkey day weekend, it was really nice, very mellow. We didn't manage to coordinate with any friends, but sometimes that happens.... Thanksgiving was fun, good company, good food. Drive back from CO, not good. What normally takes us between 7 and 8 hours, took us over 11 due to a horrible storm outside of Colorado Springs. Going 5 miles an hour, for 3 hours in packed traffic with cars off the road all over the place is not relaxing. Erik was awesome and got us home safe and sound. My hero.

Since we've been back we finished the nursery! OK, I barely did anything but supervise, so Erik really should get all the credit for completing what turned out to be a really long project. Due to the awesomeness of the previous owners, the prep work was a good sized project in and of itself. Having been a painter for a number of years, seeing things like painted window frames and general sloppiness all over the place, makes me annoyed and I feel it must be corrected. Luckily, my hubby and I share the characteristic of needing things done right in order to satiate our sick need for perfection. That being said, most projects that we work on take much longer to complete than if someone who doesn't give a rat's ass about whether the line where two colors come together is perfectly straight and clean. However, clean lines make us feel calm and like the world is not such a bad place after all. Sad, I know, but at least we have each other. So, our beautious nursery has perfectly straight lines and we love it.

Here are some pictures of me, the growing belly, and our cute nursery.

Me at my folks house for a family dinner.

Update on Tasha and her family:

Zabri Hill Schotte is already a month old! He is changing every time I see him and is still a total cutie-pie. As of now, I am only seeing him about once a week or so, but it's fun when we do get together. He is an eating machine, and will probably get some kind of award for his weight gain prowess.

They have now moved into their own house in Placitas, one that an old family friend is renting to them. It's a small old adobe 2 bedroom with brick floors, a fireplace, a hot tub, a greenhouse, and lovely views. They are still getting settled in, but so far they are really enjoying the space.


Happy Grandma & Grandson