Christmas is such a wonderful time of year! It is a time to enjoy family, eat good fun, disappear in the luster of the lights, but most importantly, it is a time to remember the greatest gift of all -- Christ's birth! As my belly continues to grow and grow, so does my heart! I find myself thinking of all kinds of special memories that I want to make, and traditions that I want to start to make the holidays an extra special time of year. I, especially, want to make sure that Baby Dalton understands the true meaning of each holiday along with enjoying the treats given to him.


I've been trying to brainstorm traditions for Christmas because this holiday is one that kids anticipate all year long. So, these are the ones that I'm going with ... If you can think of anymore to add, please let me know!


1. Write a letter to Santa telling him of our WISH LIST!


2. Purchase Christmas pajamas for the kids to open on the 24th as well as an ornament for their collection!



3. Eat popcorn, light up the fireplace, and watch Christmas movies! (Especially Jay's favorite childhood Christmas movie, Emmett Otter's Jug Band Christmas)


4. Go see Christmas lights!


5. Bake cookies on Christmas Eve! Open TWO gifts ... Our pajamas and ornament!

6. Read the Story of Christ's Birth!

7. Buy gifts for a child on the Salvation Army's Angel Tree

Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With his sense of movement well developed by now, Baby Dalton can feel me dance. And now that he's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), you may be able to see him squirm underneath my clothes. Blood vessels in his lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that Baby Dalton's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing him for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as the dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze him when he hears them outside the womb.