How We Know Carson Had a Great First Christmas

1. Dad and Mom stayed up Christmas Eve--until well past it wasn't technically Christmas EVE anymore--putting together her gifts.  And even though she's too young to "play" with them, she already loves looking at them.

2. I mean really, who doesn't love a purple monkey?

3. We got to read Christmas stories on Christmas Eve.


4. Both of our families spoiled her beyond belief.

5. Even though Carson is too young to go to church during this germy season, we know God was looking down on her this Christmas.

6. Carson got to meet some family she hadn't met yet and visit with some she had.

7. It was our first Christmas as a family--how could it be anything less than great?

Carson's Life So Far

1. Dec. 1, 2009--Birth.

2. Dec. 1-5--meet family, meet friends, live in hospital

3. Dec. 5--go home, meet dogs, see nursery

4. Dec. 6--meet Cousin Patrick

5. Dec. 7-10--Grandma helped take care of Carson (and Mom and Dad, dogs, and house)

6. Dec. 8--first sponge bath

7. Dec. 14-16--Gram and Poppy helped take care of Carson (and Mom and Dad, dogs, and house)

8. Dec. 14--lost umbillical cord


9. Dec. 15--Carson's first girls night!  Very exciting and fun.

10. Ongoing--bond with Dad and Mom, sleep, poop, squeak.

Things I'll Miss About Being Pregnant

1. How far out of their way strangers will go to help you.

2. Typing with two hands.

3. For once in my life, my ass looked proportional to the rest of my body.

4. The feeling of anticipation and curiosity--what will she be like, what will it feel like to be a mom...?

5. That terrified look in some men's eyes when they see a pregnant woman coming toward them--in the grocery store, mall, or a restaurant.  I never figured out if this look was due to personal experience with pregnant people or lack of it.

6. Always knowing where my daughter is and that she is safe.

7. People will let you blame ANYTHING on pregnancy--too much appetite or too little, mood swings, naps, poor job performance, forgetfulness....

What Switching to 6th Grade from 8th Grade Has Taught Me

1. There is a fine line between being brain damaged and being in the 6th grade.

2. 6th graders RUN everywhere. And when they arrive full-speed at their destination, they are biologically programmed to smack/hit/tap/annoy the nearest person.


3. 6th graders would marry their lockers if they could.


4. 6th graders can't chew/digest food.

Well, at least the one who choked until he threw up in the cafeteria today can't.

And the one who puked after he saw it isn't doing so good either.


5. Schedules are really hard for 6th graders. I'm not sure why. It's a list IN ORDER of classes to which they should go. And yet, it is the end of the first week and EVERY PERIOD, they ask me where to go next.

My response? (after a deep breath) "Point to the class on your schedule where you are now."

They point. "What is the next class on the list?" They point again, and yet still look at me
questioningly.

"GO THERE." And they act like they never would have figured that out on their own.

Yikes.


6. If you let them tell you one story...they will NEVER STOP TALKING. I can only listen to so many disjointed yarns about shoelaces, pudding, or an older sister's boyfriend's cousin before I want to die.


7. Having a child 'on the way' in no way gives me more patience dealing with children. Good to know.