Christmas in November

With Halloween over, Brian, Dominic, and I have skipped Thanksgiving and gone straight into Christmas festivities.  I know some people hate how Christmas decorations have already gone up and all of that before we have even got to close to Thanksgiving, but the reason we’re doing this is because with the baby getting here around Thanksgiving/the beginning of December, we’re not going to have much time to do much Christmas-related stuff considering we’ll be bound to the house for the month of December.  I don't want to shaft Dominic out of the fun Christmasy activities.   

So last weekend, we started our Christmas fun by going to the Center for Puppetry Arts to see the “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” puppet show.  This was Dominic’s 2^nd puppet show as he and I went to the Roswell Cultural Center in June to see one of their summer puppet shows.  This one was a much bigger puppet show, but it wasn’t the traditional Rudolph story, so Brian and I were a bit disappointed.  Dominic seemed very interested in the show and, therefore, sat extremely well for about an hour.  I was on edge the entire time though, worried he would lose it at any minute.  I made sure he had something in his hands the entire time, which he ended up chewing on because his canines appear to still be bothering him.  Thankfully, there were no outbursts or anything, but once the show had run an hour, Dominic started to become a little restless, and Brian and I used it as an excuse to leave early as we were done with the puppet show ourselves.

That afternoon, Brian, Dominic, and I did some Christmas shopping and ended up buying some of Dominic’s gifts as well as some other presents for other people.  I still haven’t heard from most of my family as far as what they want for Christmas despite emailing them a couple of times, asking for an early response.  So I’ll have to just give them what I think they might like, and they’ll have to deal with it.

The next morning – with the time “falling back” an hour during the middle of the night – Dominic woke up bright and early, and we went to Phipps Plaza for Dominic’s appointment with Santa Claus.  Last year, Dominic’s stranger anxiety hit in full-force a couple of weeks before our appointment, and Dominic ended up crying with Santa.  I was hoping that this year would be different as I had played Santa videos for Dominic to “prep” him, and his stranger anxiety has gotten better.  However, I knew that most likely it wasn’t going to be pretty, and unfortunately I was right.  As soon as I put Dominic in Santa’s arms and backed a few steps away, my poor, little boy started bawling - so much that he was out of breath and so red in the face that he was almost the same color as Santa's suit.  I stood by the camera and watched him as Santa and the photographer tried to get a cute picture, but Dominic just waled louder and louder, reaching out for me to get him.  It was so sad, but at the same time, it was hysterical.  However, watching the video is excruciating for me to watch because Dominic looks so scared and upset.  

Merry Christmas!

After attempting to give him his Snoopy lovey (his favorite object of the moment), I finally had to go sit next to Santa and hold Dominic as Santa read Dominic’s Christmas list for the video.  The 2 of us could barely fit on the bench together.  It was funny sitting up there because looking at the camera, I had a total feeling of déjà vous since this was exactly where I had sat so many times before when I had gone to the Phipps Santa throughout my childhood (a different man who has since passed away).   Apparently, poor Santa was having a bad morning because the little boy before Dominic as well as the twin boys after Dominic both cried on Santa's lap too.  All I can think is that next year, with BCM joining Dominic that chances are poor Santa will have to deal with 2 crying boys again.  Brian and I may have to join them up there for that one to make sure Santa doesn't go crazy. 

Once our Santa appointment was complete, we went from Phipps to Lenox to grab an early lunch and go to the Pink Pig, which didn’t open till noon.  By then, Dominic was exhausted (probably from all of his screaming, crying, and the traumatic Santa experience in general) as it was like 1:00 to him considering the time change and when he woke up.  The Pink Pig is a little train that Macy’s puts up around Christmas each year and is a big holiday tradition in Atlanta.  Even though I was born and raised in Atlanta, I never had been on the Pink Pig until last year when we took Dominic for his first time and started the tradition for our family.  Dominic seemed interested in the ride, but he also looked just exhausted.  He fell asleep on the car ride home and promptly slept for another 2 ½ hours in his crib after that. 

Yawn...time change = sleepy boy

Riding with Mommy

Riding with Daddy

Meanwhile, I’m 37 weeks pregnant, meaning only 3 weeks left till my due date.  The doctor told me that I could induce about a week early, meaning I could have just 2 weeks left…or of course the baby could come any time!  The uncertainty of not knowing when BCM will decide to arrive is driving me crazy.  I’m a planner and just need a date to feel calm, but obviously that’s not going to happen.   I also asked the doctor about staying at the hospital for just 1 night instead of 2.  She said that would be fine with her as long as it’s okay with the pediatrician…in other words, as long as the baby is okay.  Of course, I wouldn’t want to leave him at the hospital anyway, but if he’s fine, then I think I would be more comfortable leaving early.  That way I could get home to my bed and to my Dominic.  I just remember sleeping horribly in the hospital because the nurses would come in hourly to check my vitals.  I guess we’ll see how it goes.

Brian and I got to see BCM at our 35 week ultrasound appointment!  Everything looked great with him!  He's in the proper position, head down facing my back. Unfortunately, his position made it so we couldn’t see his face or get any cute ultrasound pictures. L  He was moving all around in there, and they said everything looked good, so it was a good visit!   We considered taking Dominic with us to the appointment, but honestly it would have been more trouble than it was worth with him trying to get into everything.  We almost had to take him with us because he had been sick with a cold and had to stay home on Wednesday but luckily was well enough for school that morning.  

My hourly wakeups continue, so I’m absolutely exhausted all of the time.  My sleep just keeps getting worse and worse and less and less.  I can’t wait to be able to sleep soundly and comfortably again – even for just a couple of hours at a time between BCM's feedings, and most importantly with both of my boys just a few steps away!  I’m so excited!! J 

We’re slowly but surely checking items off our “to do” list, trying to knock everything out little by little as the clock is running out.  I finished Dominic's "sub plans" for my sister Stephanie and my mom while they watch him when I'm in the hospital.  I washed and organized all of BCM’s newborn and 0 to 3 month clothes (primarily Dominic's old clothes) all in the nursery drawers and closet.  I still need to wash BCM's socks, mittens, and hats too, and pick out his “going home” outfit to pack.  I’ve started packing my suitcase – meaning I have a suitcase where I’m piling clothes and other necessities to take to the hospital on top of the suitcase at this point.  

The car seat is installed, which involved Brian moving Dominic’s car seat from the middle seat to behind the driver’s seat and putting BCM’s car seat in the middle seat.  Both seats are rear-facing, side by side.  I had been a bit worried that they wouldn’t both fit that way, and we’d have to move Dominic’s seat to be forward facing or have the two seats be on each side with nothing in the middle.  Luckily, the two rear-facing seats fit.  Next on the list...Christmas decorations!  Still a lot to do but the biggest priorities have been taken care of, making me feel nothing but excitement for BCM's impending arrival!