Christmas Eve

I don't really have pictures to share today but I still wanted to post a Christmas Eve post. I promise a flood of Christmas pictures later!

Everything has been pretty normal here in the Menkhaus household. Felicity is at that age where she is learning to interact with others and to entertain herself. It is weird to imagine not being pregnant and having two little ones that are not super needy newborns anymore! In fact, not being pregnant after almost 2 years straight of pregnancy, has been really weird at times. I still even get phantom movements that I feel. So strange.

Yesterday I started making our Christmas cookies, and today I have to do all our wrapping. Poor Benedict and Felicity are on a terrible sleep schedule! We have been keeping them out late ( I have to go out in the evenings now since we only have one car) these past few weeks since going to Alabama and now they don't want to go to bed until at least 10pm and they sleep until past 9am in the morning. On days like today where I am not babysitting, it is nice to get to sleep in but I know getting them back into a normal schedule is going to be hard.

Ben used to be my easy sleeper. You would tell him it was time for bed and he would go run and find his binky and blanket and then run around giving kisses before heading upstairs. Once upstairs we said prayers , turned on his glowing seahorse, and he was off to sleep. Now...he still gets his blanket and binky but he doesn't go to sleep. He screams and cries in his crib and it sounds so pitiful. I try to rock him but his little body is just on a different schedule and he isn't tired.

Last night, I announced it was bedtime at 10pm and Ben went through his routine, but instead of going upstairs, he climbed up onto the couch with his cup, blanket, and binky and snuggled into the pillows pointing at the couch while looking at us and nodding his head. That was a first! He wanted to just snuggle on the couch. It was so cute and we didn't have to get up early so I gave in. We all sat down and watched a movie together.Half way through I took him upstairs and he went to sleep without a fuss.

Hopefully this staying up late schedule will actually be a blessing since we hope to make it to midnight mass tonight. We shall see!

Speaking of Midnight Mass, I can't believe it is Christmas Eve. I feel like Advent just flew by this year! his whole year seems like a blur! So many great things happened this year, the most important being the birth of Felicity. I guess  I will have to ponder a year in review post for later.

I remember how exciting Christmas Eve was as a child. You waited expectantly for Christmas morning. Now, I understand that there is the danger of spoiling your kids on Christmas morning...but when I remember being a kid...I never felt spoiled. Obviously, I didn't think about it, but looking back...I always loved Christmas morning and I appreciated all the gifts I was given. It was just a special holiday. I loved setting up the tree and going to  look at the lights in the neighborhood. I remember driving to Grandma Bakers house in the snow a couple of years while listening to Christmas music. I knew it was the birthday of the baby Jesus, and I love it all. I hope my kids feel the same.

Well, it is Christmas Eve and that means I have cookie to bake, present to wrap, and babies to dress. I hope everyone has a  wonderful and blessed Christmas. Remember to celebrate the entire season and not just Christmas day!

Oh! And they say we won't have a White Christmas...but it is snowing right now!