special thanks.

Let's see...

I have some thanking to do. Thank you, mom, for yet again, educating me that I am not, in fact, "9 months pregnant" as I said I was in my last post. She took me through each month and counted over the phone (which I assume, she was also illustrating with her fingers as she counted (she uses her hands a lot when she talks)). I am actually 8 and 1/2 months pregnant. After her "speil" I nicely told her, "thank you" and then said something like, "When you wear elastic waistbands, over-sized-shirts from your husband, and look like I do at the moment---you deserve to say whatever the heck you want and people should just nod their heads." We both laughed and agreed.

So, correction, I'm technically not 9 months pregnant. My doctor reminded me that I only have TWO more appointments (meaning the next two weeks) and then the third appointment is when the baby will be here! ----insert audible gasp here--- I know. Tell me about it.

While we're in the mood of thanking, let's give another special thanks to Ashley for giving me the BEST EVER white chocolate popcorn recipe. It is so good, in part, because it is SO easy. Ahh, those are the best kind of recipes.

You want to know the POP secret (pun intended)?

Pop ANY kind of popcorn. Yes, I'm talking the microwave-able bags. I did Kettle corn, Ashley did another kind. Both tasted great. Melt a half of a bag of white choc. chips. Drizzle over popcorn and mix with fingers (pre washed fingers please!) to evenly coat. Then, spread on wax paper to cool. Package. You're done. Easy cheesy.

So, I did a *few* neighbor gifts this year. I'd like to do a lot more, because I think it is fun to give people little gifts, but alas, as my doctor so sweetly noticed (another special thanks inserted here) as I was at my appointment yesterday morning--- I'm retaining water. I'm swollen. Nice. Thanks for noticing, doc.

These days I FEEL major pregnant. And, standing for long periods of time (you know, melting white chocolate chips, doing dishes, etc.) just isn't as fun as it might have been a month ago. So, if you got one from us this year, consider yourself blessed. If not, please understand it's not you, it's me (love that line).

Here's a glimpse of what they looked like:


Now, as I type, I realize that my mom is a subscriber to my blog. Thanks, mom. So, I can't really well post images of what I've been up to, because I hate ruining a real surprise (remember how I said I'd post what I did the other night? well, wait. some more).

But, I'll post some snippets of what SHOULD have been finished LONG ago. Yes, this was the painting that was started in Tillie's room before she was born. And, since I had the paints out the other night, I crept into her room and pulled this puppy off the wall and finished her up. I don't like it as a WHOLE (most paintings I never do), but I like a few parts of the whole. Here are the parts I'm more glad about:
And, while we're in the mode of thanking (wow, I guess this should be my "Thanksgiving" post too), I wanted to thank Matilda Mae (yes, my first born) for so kindly biting me. Hard. Two incidents. One on each leg. Mega bruises now. Both times I had been talking on the phone. Can we say attention starved? Wow, let's fix this situation asap.

(here's the most recent picture of the gem (thanks, Becca). Get a load of that darling face. Oh my. She is SO cute. Yes, I know. Super darling. But, let's focus on those chompers!)

When I was asking my mom what I should do about the biting situation (also telling her my fears of a certain newborn being bit), she said, "Well, you know what the books say?"
"What?" I responded.
"Well, I don't know if I agree with it, but they say to bite the kid back."
"WHAT?!? That is AWFUL! I can't believe you are telling me this!!"
"I said the BOOKS say this, not ME!" retorted my mom.

(long pause.)

(me thinking.)

"Well, I hate that idea." And I still do.
(in the end my mom said she can't remember what she did when my sister Becca was a biting terror. in fact, she didn't even really remember that Becca had a biting problem. I remember. Probably because I was the one getting bitten. Nice.)

So, any other suggestions blog land? Let's nip this in the bud before January 8th, okay?
(p.s. I used to think the phrase was "nip this in the butt" and never quite understood why SO many people would use the gross expression. And, more, I never could figure out what it meant! Now, we're all resolved. Good.)

h. e. l. p.