Christmas season

Technically Christmas does not begin until Christmas Day but it is hard not to celebrate and feel the Christmas spirit through out the holiday season. Ours is off to a great start this year. We are healthy (ALL of us, knock on wood for Harper), happy (besides the 100 cat fights a day) and thankful.  WE have lots of ice on the ground here in Keller and both girls are going stir crazy. HG went out to play for 30-45 minutes a few times yesterday but we kept Harper in. Besides being clumsy and we felt stitches would be the result, poor gal would have woken up sick this morning I am sure.  We so don't need that right now. She does however want to get out for Chick Fil A in the car soon. I think she means drive thru.

Thanksgiving Day turned out to be great. We headed over to the husband's family that lives about an hour away. Both girls were full of excitement as we prepared for our day, seeing their quad cousins is always exciting. Harper is just their size and if we can keep HG calm, she is a great big kid to play with the little ones. Lots of delicious food, a warm house that had plenty of room for us all and family rounded out a great day.  Amber even got some cute pictures of the four of us and we actually got them. Thanks! So many times, pictures are snapped and it is 6 or so months later and we might see them. This was a rare treat.





The rest of the weekend, I seriously can not remember. Lots of time inside playing and spent Sunday afternoon in Weatherford Grandpa's 93rd Birthday.

School was back in session this week and we couldn't have been more excited. The girls were ready to go but the husband and I were on the verge of a break down. He gets out, he works, etc but I hadn't had a break since school. I was about to explode. I love my kids beyond words but couldn't wait to pee alone, without little eyes watching me. Or shower for that matter. :) I tried to shower alone recently and in 5 minutes, both girls came in crying telling on the other one. Five minutes or less is all I need to scrub with dove.

 

 

Harper has not had a breathing treatment since Monday, that is four full days and hoping to go a longer stretch.  We have been extra careful and I have been keeping ALL Camo hair out of the laundry room, rug and back door area. Or to the best of my ability.  With the cooler weather, he has a kennel in there and I do clean it daily. Animal hair is unfortunately one of the things that triggers her breathing difficulties. Our dr told us to try and stay out of houses with in door animals, sometimes easier said than done.  Even being outside with Camo will make her cough and her poor little nose pour.

 

Making her own pancakes for dinner one evening.
She loves Brinner minus eggs for dinner.

Working on our Advent calendars.

Harper Style is always a hoot.

Willie was on tv the other night and HG might have had a minor panic attack.

She went snapping away her phone (isn't turned on for cell service) camera for pictures.

One night this week, we put up some lights outside beating the cold.
The front was moving in as we worked and the temps began dropping quickly, calling for warm jackets.
I think poor Frosty is frozen to the ground at the moment.

The girls made this snowman as one of their crafts recently.
He was missing a mitten in a matter of minutes from all the jumping and pulling.

 

Preparing the yard for decorations when you can't see your toes is an adventure.
Raking was super easy but when it called for picking up the leaves, I had to call in the husband and HG.  The girls enjoyed throwing and jumping in the leaves more than picking them up.

We have been reading this book a lot.  If your kids are a Mickey or Minnie fan, head to the Dollar Tree and grab one for a buck.  Both of my girls love it.

The husband requested a couples Christmas gathering at our house recently so we set the date for last night (6th). It was really our only free weekend until after Christmas and we have a feeling I will be on full bedrest by then keeping Mr Hudson in. Little did we know that when we planned a Prime Rib sit down dinner with a salad bar, potato bar, cakes, pies, various appetizers and a wine bar that it was going to ice terribly.  While we hated to cancel with 9 couples for sure coming, we wanted our friends to remain safe.  I was watching the news all morning and terribly worried about putting the girls in the car so that was a given, they would not be traveling to Irving. Both girls had planned on spending the night and camping out in the living room of their grandparents while we hosted the Christmas dinner out here.  Lucky for the grandparents, it iced and the girls did not keep them up all night.  My girls, they aren't exactly sleeping in sleeping bags on the floor girls but it was a fun idea. We've spoiled them with nice warm beds once they turn 2.

After lots of baking and cooking on Friday, we turned to some crafts. I was not only about to blow up from all the eating, I wanted my kitchen to remain clean for more than 10 minutes. We tackled HG's Christmas party favors for school.  They will do a new book exchange as well on the 19th that is $4 or under, we might be picking up another Mickey Christmas one since it will work for boys and girls.  The last couple of years, we have done some pretty neat and fun Christmas things but she was really involved in deciding come this year.  More so in deciding than the actual doing the craft because she wanted to be outside.  Harper on the other hand was loving all the craft time.  We did Rudolph noses, Santa Bells and a Christmas card packaged in adorable little sacks from Hobby Lobby 50% off sale.  We also send in a dozen cookies for a cookie exchange after their Holiday Program.  I will work on Harper's school favors, with her next week.  We are doing the same Santa bells but probbaly reindeers with a sucker in it instead of the rudolph noses.

She was so eager to go outside all day.

We kept Harper busy or at least tried.

Lots of ice in the yard still.

 

Harper and all her babies for bedtime.

Brobee, a little doll and her own baby Hudson.

The baby doll is actually HG's baby Meredith from Mia a few years ago but Harper totes it around all day and night.

She will wake up during the night, looking for baby Hudson in her bed.

This was after her afterschool bath and after dinner.
I gave her regular 1 % milk from Sonic instead of her just drinking water.
Lets just say there was poop up to her neck.

HG making Chuy's Jalapeno dip we made for the party, the unhealthy version.
Next time, I will make a smaller batch and use half fat stuff. :)
It is amazing though, will post that next.

Baby Hudson was a rockstar on Thursday.

30 weeks.

He got 8 out of 8 on his BBP.

My fluid was down from the previous week but isn't anything to worry about.

Yet.

He is very active.

Very.

My activities have been slowed down by my Doctor and nurse.

And more contraction medicine was added.

The only downfall is that it trustfully lowers my blood pressure and I feel terrible for a few weeks.

Being on blood thinners, adding something that lowers your blood pressure, a 2 year old and a 5 year old isn't a perfect match.

Oh and a traveling husband I might add.

Right now, I will only take as needed and don't have to set an alarm in the middle of the night.

If they pick up, more than 4 an hour, then we will have to up it or I will have to head to L&D for the lovely shot.

The other night, I had 8 in an hour and just knew I was heading in.

Luckily, after a decent sleep, I woke to only 1-2 an hour.

My cervix is still long but the contractions can make it thin and shorten.

With Harper, it didn't but with HG, I was only at a 1 at 36 weeks.

The girls will begin their babysitter on the 16, this will help out a lot.

We will be in a routine with their babysitter and schedule once they get home before I am put on bed rest or deliver.

 

 

We still haven't added anything to Hudson's room.

I did order a valance for his room.

I am a fan of curtains, not valances but with us moving so soon and his window being tiny, I thought it would work.

Plus, it is the fabric I was going to order the curtains so we can tell if it really works or not.

Then I worried about him having 2 windows when we moved and not being able to get another set matching curtains.

So, the valance will have to work for now.

I am sure I will add a grey curtain or white for that matter, behind it.