The Gift Giving has Begun, Though Possibly a Bit Earlier than Usual

So, apparently Hubby and I aren’t very good at keeping Maggie’s Christmas gifts a secret. This could really be a problem as she gets older.

It’s the end of November and so far Maggie has already gotten her “big” item:

A Maggie-size chair. She needs it now, you see, because she loves to read her books and didn’t have a little place of her own to enjoy them. Needs it. We couldn’t possibly wait another 4 weeks. It wouldn’t be fair to us. I mean her. It wouldn’t be fair to her.  *ahem*

Incidentally, she is really enjoying it.

And without the Maggie-size chair, I would not have caught my angel doing this just a few minutes ago:

Yes, my girl reached up and turned off the camera. Smarty pants ;-) She was jumping on the chair after this. How do they think up the idea of doing something that, technically, could give mommy heart failure? The girl is fearless and that terrifies me.

(Oh goody. I just looked over to check on her and Maggie has now climbed from chair #2 to chair #3 and gotten a hold of my cell phone. It’s like ‘Goldilocks and the 3 Chairs’. Hang on … sorry, I had to go rescue my phone because last time she got Hubby’s, she dialed 911. No, I am not kidding.)

Anyway, I’m hoping to get her talking on video soon because y’all, the girl talks all. the. time. This time around she was distracted by The Grinch Who Stole Christmas on TV, and who can blame her, it’s certainly a favorite of mine, but I want you to hear her sweet little voice. You can’t help but smile when you hear it.

Until then ,,, hope y’all have a blessed Advent!

**Updated** The girl fell and went boom about 10 minutes after this post was ready. Apparently Mommy potty breaks will have company until a certain Doodle learns not to climb on the rocking chairs. Lovely. :-)

An Update on Baby Will

I wanted to update y'all on Baby Will. Below is the email my uncle sent me, along with new pictures. I know from experience how much prayer helps preemies, so thank you all so much for your faithfulness in prayer for this wee one.

Here are some photos of Cindy's son Josh and his wife Jackie's little boy Will.

 He seems to be doing very well. He is now about three weeks old. He has been breathing on his own for a couple of weeks (with an oxygen hose up his nose). They have now taken the pick (?) line out of his heart which means that his heart seems to be doing good. He has had two head scans and one organ scan and they all have come back with good results.

He has been taking his mother's milk and has been gaining weight. He has been loosing some also which is what they want him to do so that they know he is not retaining it.

Jackie had an abscessed tooth that had to be treated and in doing so she became dehydrated and her milk stopped producing. They have now had to put the baby on formula and rice. I'm not sure if that is good or bad. Please pray that Jackie's milk will start producing again and for the health of little Will. They are hoping that he will be able to come home by Christmas.

Thanks for all of your prayers. I hope everything is going well for you, Jorde and Maggie.


All our love,
John and Cindy

Please remember his parents in your prayers, as well. I cannot imagine having to leave my baby at the hospital each night. Thanks, y'all. You're the best :)

A Little Hallelujah

Billed as a "Random Act of Culture" by the Opera Company of Philadelphia, singing the "Hallelujah Chorus" is actually praising God ... in Macy's! What a beautiful, amazing experience ... wish I could have been there :)

5QF: 11.19.10

Well, I took a little unexpected bloggy break. Work has been crazy the past couple of weeks, and when I got home at night, the last thing I wanted to do was get on the computer. So, I didn't :)

Happy Friday, everyone!



1. What Christmas song do you loathe? Feliz Navidad. It's on repeat for the month of December here in AZ.

2. Do you and your significant other cuddle at night or sleep on opposite sides of the bed? Sleep on opposite sides. Both of us need our own space, so it works out nicely.

3. Have you ever had surgery? Yes, on my left arm. It was broken in a head-on collision with a drunk driver. Fun times.

4. When do you typically have your holiday shopping done? The first week in December. I usually start shopping in July, so by the time December gets here, I usually only need little pick-up stuff.

5. If money were not an issue (and you HAD to pick something), what would your ultimate luxury item be? Hmmmm. Probably a home library. I am always running out of books, or re-re-re-reading ones I already have, and can't seem to get library books back on time, so having my own library would be awesome :)

5QF: 11.05.10

1. If you could have any talent and turn it into an occupation, what would it be? Hmmm...probably digital card making. I do for all card occassions now and really enjoy it.

2. Would you rather have a house at the beach or a cabin in the woods? A cabin in the woods. So long as the woods were located near civilization and shopping. Hubby would choose a house at the beach.

3. Is there any meaning or reasoning for the names you chose for your child/children? When Samantha was born (at 19 weeks), the name I *thought* Hubby and I had talked about/agreed on was Grace. But I was in recovery and our priest had come to the hospital to baptize her and needed a name, so Hubby chose Samantha, which apparently was his favorite girl name. Samantha's middle name, Michelle, is my middle name. For Maggie, Hubby gave me free rein since he named Samantha, so ... I really loved the name Maggie but also wanted to give her a "Chief Justice of the Supreme Court name", and so chose Margaret Grace. Margaret is a Saint and also the middle name of Maggie's godmother, and Grace was the name I'd wanted to use for Samantha and also in honor of Jesus' gift to us.

4. What is your guilty pleasure? (I know we've done this one before, but I'm guessing people's "guilty pleasures" change frequently. At least, mine do!) Starbucks Java Chip Frappacino. Mmmmm.

5. Do you live in a house that is deep cleaned or straightened? Straightened, although I do get an itch occassionally and we do a grand overhaul, pulling out couches and washing down walls. The itch doesn't last long, though, and if it doesn't get accomplished on cleaning day, it has to wait until the next time :)

Group Nap

Hubby woke up from his afternoon nap this past Sunday to this ...

I have nothing more to say ;)