12 Random Christmas Facts

All right I'm in the mood to post this now...

1. Every year, for as long as I can remember I have gotten a toothbrush in my stocking (except this year; come on Jesse.) It's kind of gross to think that I only changed toothbrushes once a year until I started buying my own, but oh well.

2. It is a tradition to pick out one ornament every year. My very first is a teddy bear on a sled with a package of gifts on the back from 1984.

3. Jesse, for a while, used to get his Christmas presents on Thanksgiving, crazy I know. So, ever since we got married he has a really hard time waiting to open them until Christmas. I thought this was going to be the first year that we were able to make it, and I told him that we had to wait until 12:00 am Christmas morning to open them. However, I wasn't feeling so well and all I could think about was sleep, so we only made it to 11:00 pm. Maybe next year.

4. I like to decorate for Christmas early... really early. This year it was the week before Thanksgiving. I made Jesse help me decorate the tree. He was kind of a grump about it though and told me that he refused to have Christmas spirit before the day after Thanksgiving. We are going to keep working on this attitude though.

5. I LOVE Christmas lights. Every year I have to beg Jesse to put them up, but he always does, and they always look so good!

6. My new favorite Christmas movie is Elf, it is sooo funny; second is White Christmas. My least favorite Christmas movie of all time... It's a Wonderful Life, it is kind of a downer.

7. Every year for a while, my family makes this cherry coke salad for Christmas dinner. It's cherry jell-o with pineapple, cherries, and coke. Delicious!! Turns out it was Jesse's grandma's recipe that my grandma got from the old church cookbook. We didn't realize this until Jesse and my first Christmas when he said, "I think I've had this before."

8. My dad's mom used to make the best Christmas ham ever. She would cook it with brown sugar and some other spices, and cook it covered for hours until it was so tender and juicy that it would just fall off the bone. I used to love it, but I can't figure out how to make it.

9. We always open stockings Christmas morning before breakfast.

10. My parents used to always tell us that Santa came, but they would wrap the presents that Santa brought in the same paper as all the other ones, and then my mom would write out all of the gift tags. Not very creative, so needless to say, we always had a sneaking suspicion that there was no Santa.

11. The most memorable Christmas present from my childhood, don't ask me why, was a gift set that my parents got for me that had Minnie Mouse nail polish and lipstick in it. My first nail polish ever!

12. I also will always remember the Christmas with my dad's family where everyone got matching sweats. Each family got a different color, ours got light blue, and the sweatshirts had puffy white snowflakes and our family's last name printed on them.

Merry Christmas

Update

I just thought I would give a little update. I've been tagged to do a 12 random Christmas things whatever-they're-called but I don't think I'm up to it right now so I'll do it later. I just finished up my last semester of student teaching last Friday, and while I am really going to miss my 6th grade class I'm glad I'm done now. Partially because I think the morning sickness just hit, not bad just constant.

I had so much fun this semester getting to teach the 6th graders. They are a really interesting bunch. I don't think there was a single day that I didn't look forward to. I'm going back this Wednesday to go on a field trip with them, and I was promised that I would be let in on any fun things going on next semester too. Looking back on both of my student teaching experiences I really did learn a lot about what I am going to be like as a teacher, and how I want my class to be.

For now I am working on finishing up a few classes, trying to get into a long term substitute position for next semester, and growing a baby! Hopefully this next semester and summer are going to be somewhat relaxing (after those classes are done) and very enjoyable. I've got a lot that I'm looking forward to, and while I say that I can't wait for baby to come, I hope this time doesn't fly by to fast so that I can enjoy the whole process.

P.S. I have found myself getting teary eyed at the most random things. For example, that stupid Hallmark commercial where the carolers give out cards that play songs instead of actually singing. I'm assuming it has to do with the hormones, but Jesse thinks it's so funny, and when he laughs I sometimes cry a little bit more.

Yep, That's Our Kid!!

So, after almost a year of anticipating when I might be able to make this announcement: I am happy to introduce to you, baby. As it seems, we Williams don't like to keep secrets for very long. And so while this might seem to soon to be announcing this type of news, I think I'm just going to go ahead and spill the beans so we won't have to worry about it anymore, plus I'm pretty excited. After four positive at home pregnancy test results on Thanksgiving day we are thrilled to finally be expecting.

We went in for our first visit to the doctor today and we have a healthy baby on the way. We were able to see the heart beating during the ultrasound, and it was probably one of the most incredible things I've ever seen. Honestly, if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes I would still be wondering if I could really be pregnant.

Anyway, I'm six weeks along right now and my due date is set for August 4th... although I'm wondering who even actually delivers on their due date, and why did we spent ten minutes in the office with the doctor trying to figure out the exact date? I'm feeling great so far. I haven't had any morning sickness or anything, just a little tired.

As for answers to some anticipated questions:

• Will we be finding out if the baby is a boy or a girl? Uh, yes for sure! How else am I going to decorate? I have some great ideas but they're a little gender specific.
• Do we have any names picked out? We have agreed on a couple of names, which I am not going to reveal at this time. I can however assure everyone that they are not Octavius or Fingus as suggested by Jesse.
• Are we ready to be parents? No, even after seven months of trying for this, we are still not ready. Jesse has some worries of his own, and while I might say that I've had all the experience in childcare that I will ever need to raise a kid I find myself remembering a lot of parenting "what not to do's" and very few "what to do's."
• Do I realize that I am going to be at my biggest during the hottest month of the year, and miserable? Yes I do! We'll see how that goes.