Baking cookies

When the Christmas lights are twinkling on the tree, and its cold and snowy outside, I always feel like I need to bake. There is just something about cooking in the winter time that is so soothing-- the aroma that fills the house, the warmth of the oven, and the pure deliciousness of eating fresh baked cookies.
So whipping up a batch of sugar cookies was the perfect fit for the day-- Nick was home from work, the boys were looking for something to do (or maybe I was looking for something for them to do!!)and perhaps my growing belly and appetite figure in as well. Regardless, these sugar cookies were just right.
So... I made the dough and put it in the fridge to chill. Then we set up an assembly line.

Isaiah and I rolled the dough into balls

Nick and Joshua covered the dough balls with colored sugar

We lined them up on the trays

And then waited patiently for them to come out of the oven. These ready hands (Isaiah's) could barely wait to try one (or two).

Christmas!!

A few pictures from our house on Christmas Eve. Enjoy!!

Anticipation

Yesterday morning, my 3 year old sat staring at the presents piled up under the tree. He then looked up at me and said, "Mom, I think its time for me to open my new car."

I started laughing and asked, "Are you expecting a new car for Christmas, Isaiah?" He looked confused for a minute and then grinned like a cheshire cat-- as if to say, "I thought all presents were toy cars, Mom!?!?"

I love the childlike joy and anticipation of cars on Christmas morning. I don't know that he's getting a single one, but it makes me smile to think of him imagining all the boxes under the tree to be cars of different shapes and sizes. Because after all, cars make the best presents.

And no, this is not a hint for my husband (who reads my blog) to buy me a new car for Christmas.

Little Angels

These are the boys who smile like little angels, who beam innocently at their mother, and grin in delight. These are my boys.


These are also the boys that "washed" each others hair with hand soap one evening while we entertained guests. Playing a little too quietly upstairs, the "suspicious mom" in me quickly ran to check, and discovered not only soap in their hair, but also on their clothes, the mirror, and in their eyes. Things changed from quiet to loud quite suddenly.


So into the bath we put them, to wash all the tear causing soap. After making sure they were settled, we hurried back downstairs to bid our friends farewell. In the moments we were gone we heard laughter and glee, and our stomachs sank. Before we even arrived back upstairs we knew what it meant. And as we suspected, these "little angels" had been at work again. Water covered the floor, the bathmat, and everything around them.

Yes. These are the faces of my little angels.

Getting round

While I LOVE the end result of pregnancy and holding my beautiful babies, I still dread getting big and round. I am such a self conscious pregnant woman!! :) While most people notice the little basketball in my belly, and that "pregnancy glow," I instead get focused on the water retention and the clothes that don't fit.

If I'm honest, I've really done remarkably well keeping the weight gain to a minimum. I've been exercising every day and watching my diet. Despite my efforts it always seems that before my belly really gets round, my face shows off the pregnancy roundness first. :) I love the irony!!

Ah well, the good part is that I'm doing well, eating well, and the baby is growing strong and healthy-- thats worth all the facial and belly roundness in the world!! (just don't look for too many more pregnancy pictures)

16 weeks (4 months) and just starting to show

22 weeks (5 1/2 months) and obviously pregnant