Dear Santa,

Dear Santa,
I could really use a new bathrobe which covers all pertinent areas so that Mama and Daddy will stop laughing hysterically at me and JUST PUT ME IN THE BATHTUB!!!
Love,
Beau ox

I've got a Holly Jolly... tummy!

Baby has certainly made an appearance these past few days. I'm quickly becoming an acceptable contender for the part of Santa's belly. Despite our household fighting off nasty viruses and the cold that never ends, Baby seems to be thriving. I can feel occasional kicks and flips, which makes every thing so much more real at this 4 month mark! This is probably my favorite part of carrying a baby, its like a sweet little conversation no one else knows about. January 5th we'll find out if Baby is really a little girl like everyone thinks. I'm pretty excited to find out. I have so much nesting to do! I think I've completely cleared the Woozy hurdle. I'd like to report no more throwing up problems, but that would be a lie considering my little bout Monday night. That was a horrible virus thing, not a baby thing. The sad part is Beau had it first, which makes me feel so sorry for him. He bounced back somewhat quicker than Mama, thank the Lord. Here's a photo from this weekend Aunt Melodee took of the belly. I'm actually a smidge bigger than this. We're in baby-will-double-in-size-this-month month. I obviously had no idea about the picture as I'm chasing Beau out of the bathroom, imagine that.

What is so much fun about the bathroom? My thoughts are: its LOUD when you yell and slam things, it might indicate BATH TIME (which is worthy of a happy dance beside the tub), flushing is just Awesome, the bathtub also doubles as an excellent storage space for clothes, books, toys, and Mama's Tupperware, you can hide in the shower and who can resist digging in the trash for cardboard paper rolls? Fun stuff I tell ya. Can't find Beau? Go check the bathroom.

But as we celebrate all these precious gifts and the funny things that go through Beau's head, I do have a heavy heart. Just as I'm shopping for the perfect beautiful headbands for my Aunt Janis' newly returning locks, another blow to our family. Aunt Betty has been diagnosed with breast cancer this week. I am so upset. We're still waiting to find out the details of what she must endure, how they will treat it and especially what kind of miracle the Lord has in store for us once more. My dear friend Jenny sent me a scripture once when I was going through a horrible time, it is as follows and I find strength in these words...

2CR 1:4-7 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.

Be thankful for your health this holiday season and pray for those struggling for theirs. My sweet Grandma Baker said, "If you have your health, you have everything." Amen Grandma.

The Twelve Days of Christmas

This is an email I received today that I thought was really interesting...

From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics.It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.
The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.
Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments
Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.
The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John. The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.
The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.
Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.
The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.
Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit-- Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.
The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.
The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.
The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.

Merry Christmas!

A little Christmas cheer

This is Beau figuring out the Christmas tree we had just set up. He's a big talker these days! We were having a great conversation about facial features right before I grabbed the camera. It is some unwritten law to not comply upon demand for toddlers.

Christmas is so Merry when you see it again through a child!

just a warning

Some of the Bear's favorite things: Books. Empty Cardboard Paper Rolls. Dishes. Pointing out Cars and Trucks. Bathtime. A Ball to throw.
Seems harmless, but oh no. Have you ever realized how many Christmas ornaments are balls? I mentioned he likes to throw them. We're working on this. Just a warning.

Ah Memories...

Let's see from about 1985 to 1997 I was notorious for catching some sort of snotting, hacking, feverish, sometimes throwing-up bug each and every Holiday season. The photos of red noses and videos of me coughing over the dessert table document my childhood plague. One year, Jenny and I were so sick, we had to skip Baker Christmas. Our whole family drove to our home 45mins aways and stood outside in the snow and sang Christmas carols. It's the only time in my life I've experienced carolers and something engraved in my mind. Amazing love is a good descriptor for my family. I remember being thankful I wasn't sick over the holidays as I got older, truly thankful. It's been a long time since these memories, so when I caught a nasty cold right before the Thanksgiving week, I wasn't too thrilled. Beau got it first, he recovered nicely in about 2 days, but not Mama. I lost my voice, hacked and snotted through SW Missouri and NW Arkansas. Ugh. No fun being sick, pregnant and chase a Bear. I'm so sorry if someone has caught it and is currently suffering. I tried to keep the crud at bay. Despite this little set back, oh and getting seriously carsick, we had some really wonderful visits with the family. I did not lose my taster, the most important part of Thanksgiving, so I have MUCH to be thankful for. I did not take pictures, phooey on me. HO HO HO on to Christmas!!!