Poopy Days Get Better When I Think About Holding Miss Bailey on Chrismas...

I couldn't think of a title for this post: so the title is courtesy of Matt. :)

It has been one of those days. You know the ones. I woke up this morning and couldn’t find a single attractive thing that fit. (And everything is clean!) I got stuck behind an accident on 195 and was 10 minutes late to work. I ran out of change and had to get an IOU from the toll booth. I forgot my umbrella and got caught in the rain. I had a 30-minute heart attack when we thought Matt might have an infection at his surgery site. I didn’t have time to toast my toast this morning. I couldn’t find my keys. I got to work- had 65 files waiting for me and a lovely email: “Here are 15 more files you’ll get tomorrow- can you please get them off of my books by Thursday?” Thursday... right. AND to top it all off... I think I may have found a stretch mark. You get the picture... it was one of those Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Days.

Then I got to talk to my sweet husband.
He listened to me moan and whine about how cranky I was and how horrible my day had gone. Then he simply said, "Well sweetheart... just think, in a few months, you'll have our sweet little bundle of joy in your arms and will forget about all the yucky stuff. That makes you smile, Right?"

He's right. It did put a smile on my face. Then, because it was that kind of day, I started to worry. I have so much to do before Christmas. What are we going to do for Thanksgiving? Will I even be able to fit anything in my shrunken tummy by then? What do you get a newborn for Christmas? Will I be home from the hospital by then? Will I be able to go Black Friday Shopping?

Yep... you get the picture. Worry worry worry. Natural for a first time Mommy, right?

Three deep breaths... it will all be okay. I think part of why I worry about the holidays so much is because of all the amazing memories I have from my childhood.

My mother made the Holidays magical. I'll give my dad some credit too. He helped (LOTS). I'll never forget the story about both of them staying up until 5am on Christmas Eve to put together my Barbie Dream House. (Naturally I woke up at 5:45!)

The list of things I'll never forget is as long as Santa's Naughty & Nice list!

-Feeling so proud when Mommy let me hang the homemade Toy Soldier ornaments on the tree for the first time.
-Staying up on Christmas Eve to help make "Christmas Morning Coffee Cake".
-Dad holding his hand up the chimney to ring Jingle Bells early in the morning so we thought it was reindeer.
-The little apple-shaped dish of pickles that was always on the Thanksgiving dinner table.
-Cornbread Sausage Stuffing- Yummm!
-Standing on a kitchen chair with Mom in our matching aprons while she taught me how to flute a pie crust.
-Decorating cookies on Christmas Eve, and giggling with Catie over the note Santa left.
-Reindeer tracks in the snow (the years we had snow).
-Mom and Aunt Wanda using my talking Barbie to prank call their brothers.
-Bundling up tight to go pick out the tree with Daddy. And Mommy staying home to make Hot Chocolate with candy canes in it to warm us up when we got home with red noses.
-Watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in our PJ's.

The list goes on and on and on. Every holiday was magical.
I can't wait to make these memories with our Little Bailey. I hope that her Holiday Memories will be everything mine are- and more.



There's nothing like seeing a child's happy smile on Christmas morning.



See- priceless!

Dad liked to hide and snap our picture as we came in the room to see the tree and the presents underneath. He even did it when I was 17!



I just have to take deep breaths and start gearing up for the Holidays. Truthfully... I'm so excited. I just have to not let the stress get to me.