Merry Christmas

Ok so I am a little behind…but I have a good excuse.
First of all, we want to thank everyone for the awesome Christmas gifts you have given us.
Mom and Dad: Joel is so stoked about his new video game – ps3 games are in my ‘we are not spending money on that’ category, so it is an extra special treat for him. And the nursing clothes will come in super handy since I might have this baby any day and am not allowed to go shopping! We almost ate all of the chocolate (not really but it feels like it) and I am freezing the rest, so we should probably be good for Easter too 😉 And, thanks for the cash: totally unnecessary but much appreciated none the less.
Aaron: YAHTZEE! We totally hit the jackpot! Thanks for rigging the drawing – JK. But seriously, I have been listening to tunes quite a bit lately, and I think we are bringing Joel around to appreciate Neil Young – he said the other day ‘He really does have a lot of hits…’ It means so much to me that you picked something out especially for the baby- I know you put a lot of thought into your selections, and to have an album you want to impress upon my child’s life is awesome.
Corey: Unfortunately I was put on bed rest very soon after I received my million mile warranty super awesome air filter. So I haven’t been able to prove the increase in performance just yet 🙁 But it is something to definitely look forward to when I am able to drive my car again – Oh, how I miss it so… Joel is stoked about the under armor as well, however he had to exchange it for size because he is SO FREAKING SKINNY (not cool). I am embarrassed to admit he has been cracking nuts with our meat tenderizer b/c all his nutcrackers are in PA. However, I don’t know that he is willing to use them to crack nuts anyway since they are antiques and some are not made to endure the wear and tear. And of course, he would never want to scratch William Shakespeare. I think I shall watch Rocky this week, since I have run out of things to do…
Gage: The flip is awesome! The perfect gift with little dude coming so soon! Thankfully, they don’t allow video cameras in the delivery room, but I am sure you will see plenty of other footage Joel thinks should be shared which should not. He will probably start his own youtube account before you know it. He youtubes like it’s wikipedia, and will most likely want to give back to such an educational resource as much he can. (He researched his surgery before he had to get it, and checked out a c-section just in case I have to get one. And, also suggested it when I was messing up the Easter bread – and I must admit, it did help.) So be on the lookout…
Jared: LOVE. Especially the wrapping paper (brown bag that says ‘Not lunch’ but has a grease stain on it as though you were using mayonnaise in the making of the shirts.) The pink paint ran a little bit in the wash, but everything else is A-Ok for now. I might send you some fabric paint so you can make some more. I have a ton of plain onesies that could use some flair. Until then, I cherish the ones I have.

Since we were planning to come to PA for New Years, I delayed finishing shopping for Christmas gifts. But then I got put on bed rest and couldn’t go shopping. Problem. I have been distracted as well as delusional – I really thought they would tell me I could go back to work this week, but instead they sent me to the hospital again. Wake up call: I am not going shopping any time soon. So, if I get everything wrapped and packed and get Joel to the post office, I am going to start mailing what I have here. The rest will be randomly shipped directly to you from the retailer as I am going to web-shop from the couch, while resting. However, I could randomly go into labor, so I might just send everything else up with mom after she visits. My apologies. I know no one is really worried about it, but this is the ultimate slack year for me so I feel bad. Also, it is something I really need to cross of my to do list.

Baby update: my amniotic fluid is still low (how low is being debated). They are trying not to induce me so the baby has more time to make sure his lungs are ready to go. They said everything would probably be fine if I had him now, but they want to eliminate time he might spend in intensive care. There is no emergent reason for him to come out now, so they are just going to keep monitoring his heart rate and fluid level closely until the time comes. So either I will go into labor, or they will induce me within the next 2 weeks. I learned my lesson, and I am not going to the Dr again without my hospital bag packed. I have an appointment on Monday, so more info then. Tuesday is when I will be considered ‘full term’ so it might be sometime next week… We’ll keep you posted!