We'll be home just the four of us Christmas morning and then see my parents in the afternoon.   The other day I asked my mom who's house we were doing dinner at- she says" I'd assumed yours so the kids can show us their new toys and we can just bring all the gifts"  I said ok.  Why did I say ok?  Why didn't I say "mom, I'd prefer your house b/c I'm hosting the night before and it's just.too.much"?    She will help with the dinner, quite a bit, but it's just another thing to deal with...... 

I'm totally the type that volunteers for too much and then regrets it later and I've done it again.  I may talk to her about switching, we'll see. 

I also need to find a way to get SIL and BIL to host a holiday dinner.  In the 6 or so years they've lived together, we've had one at their house.   I do the rest and it's getting a bit old.  They do always bring something, but honestly that's not the same. 

Ok vent and pity party over...  (for now)

What kinds of Christmas things do you do with your kids?  I'd like to take him to see carols, but I'm not sure where we could go.  I'm afraid he'd want to leave after about 10 minutes, so I don't want to pay much if anything.  We'll probably see Santa this year and I am going to pick up a few Christmas books (The Night Before Christmas and the Polar Express) to read.

Also, how much do you involve the kids in getting gifts for others?  I want him to help with the giving, but I also like to order things online and he's not a good secret keeper.  I was thinking about having him help me pick out a small present for DH and DD and maybe we'll make something for the rest of the family and daycare teachers.

Just curious as to what others do!

Buggy is 18 months old today - I have no idea how that happened so fast, but my baby is not so much a baby anymore! Ann took her pictures this morning, and I have to AW them - Ash wanted nothing to do with taking pics, and Ann still did an amazing job with it. My sweet girl is so BIG!

RIGHT.

Get out of my kitchen, woman! And stop trying to tell me how to take care of my baby, since you haven't done it yourself for about 35 years.

So is there a service where I could pay a meal-making place or a chef to make individual frozen meals for her so she could enjoy something a little more home-cooked?  Any ideas (she's in the Spokane, WA area)?

I'm pretty much done having kids. By that I mean that I'm definitely not planning on any more but nobody will give me permanent birth control until I hit 30 years old (seriously - I've asked about 3 dozen providers, PP, etc.). That said, I've got tons of eggs. I've been considering donating my eggs because there are so many awesome parents who haven't gotten the chance to be parents because of IF issues completely out of their control.

Would it be totally weird to donate eggs to someone I know or know through a couple degrees of separation? It feels wrong to sell them (which is essentially what you do imo when you go with one of the big agencies) and I want to know that they're in good hands. It doesn't matter to me whether I have contact with the couple. In my mind, once out of my body they're not my eggs. They belong to their parents.

I've already knit SIL a scarf, but want to add something to it.  Also, I have nothing for my brother.

They love to cook, drink "local" coffee (i.e., not startbucks), and do things outdoors.

Oh, and it will have to be mailed.

Any ideas?

Except this year I'm feeling like maybe trying something else.  I still want to be economical for all, but I'd love to go somewhere fun, festive (holiday-geared) and a bit more special.

Any ideas for anything like that?  I guess I'm not thinking just a dinner out, but maybe something interactive?

So when I change pediatricians, I just have the old one send the files on to the new one, correct?  Or does the new pediatrician request them themselves? 

I requested them before and it took forever (3+ weeks) to have them transferred from our CO ped to the MT ped, so I'm wondering if it's easier to have a new office request them from the new MT ped instead of me.  I was hoping to get a follow-up appt on my son at a new family practice.  It would be in less than 3 weeks and I'm not sure if they need the files then or if those can come later.

Also, would you send a letter to the office letting them know your issues or just review a poor doctor online (not sure where, but I've heard of doctor-type grading websites)?  There was also one great doctor, so I would review him online and in the letter as stellar, but overall the practice had ridiculous wait times (more than an hour and half in 2 out of 3 of our scheduled appts to just get back into the room) and that one doctor needs some major improvement in his bedside manner with both the parents and kids.  WWYD for a review?

http://www.uncommongoods.com/product/grandparents-journal

Happy shopping.

I was also thinking of getting her a pretty horseshoe necklace.  She has always been involved with horses and it symbolizes luck and she could sure use some of that.  I thought it would be a nice gesture, but DH thought it might be taken wrong.  What do you think?  We get along well, so there's no backstory or anything that would make her overanalyze my motives (that I know of).  Or is it too much, given that she won't be getting us anything?  It's less than $40, so not expensive. 

Thanks!

His best friend died this past weekend. He had brain cancer, and had been fighting it for a few years. My dad made it a point to see him at least once a week since he was diagnosed. They had been friends since elementary school, and he was my brother's godfather, and just a good guy.  He was only 66. I just feel so bad because my dad was unable to spend any time with him the past 2 months, and wasn't able to attend the wake or funeral. I know this is weighing heavy on him, along with everything else he's dealing with.

I fixed all of the data types I could find, re-did the chart, and voila - we have dates.

Now all of my data points are jacked.  The data itself is accurate, but it doesn't correspond with the $ value on the Y axis.  Ex: data point with value $6,268 is over the $11,000 mark on the Y axis.  Grrr.

I love, love, love my earrings! I can't wait to give you a big hug when I find out who you are!

Tell us about yourself! 

I just got a text from my sitter stating "H wouldn't sit on Santa's lap, but she stood by him and told him she wanted a new Barbie house for Christmas since her mommy gave hers away!" 

See what I get for trying to put ideas in her head?!?!?

Man, so glad that we found someone! 

I'm torn on what to do.  I want to encourage long sleep stretches, but I also want to make sure she eats enough and that my supply isn't impacted. Do I try to get her to wake up more and eat?  Or do I pump when she wakes but doesn't eat well?  Or do I not worry about it and appreciate the sleep?

Considering getting the living social deal for it.

DH probably won't be a fan but I'd like to take the boys.

Between measuring ahead, baby being around 8lbs already according to todays ultrasound, and me having irregular contractions, my OB agreed to a sweep today (I will be 38w on friday, ticker is a few days off).

And now we wait...

I was in the car with the 6-month-old I nanny for today, and he usually absolutely hates being in the car, screams the whole time.  Today, I put on the Muppet Christmas Carol soundtrack, and he started making little cooing, singing noises and was singing and laughing for the entire 20 minutes in the car.  That movie is magical for more than one reason!

Help!

Does that mean that she's staying with you?

I long for those days at the end of maternity leave where I was looking forward and excited to get back to work.