30 down, 10 to go!

Now that I've had an entire week off from subbing, I'm not sure I ever want to go back. Unfortunately, we do need to keep saving up, so I will continue working until Christmas break, as originally planned. The "vacation" was nice, though.

We had a great long weekend here in upstate New York. Nich had Thursday and Friday off, and it was so good to have him home so much, even though I had to work on Friday and Saturday at the mall. We kicked off Thanksgiving Day with our usual sleeping in and breakfast together. My upper back was still giving me trouble, so I lay on the couch as Nich put up our tree. I did get to help put the ornaments on, though. We had our Thanksgiving meal with friends and their extended family members (I think there were almost 20 of us), which was a fun time. Afterward, we rented a movie and went to bed early, since I had to be up early for my Black Friday shift.

I'm not a huge fan of people raving about their spouses or children -- especially children -- on the internet. It seems gauche most of the time, and in general, it comes across as boastful. I also tend to find it a bit ridiculous when people go on about their small children on FB, addressing the comments to their children who not only don't have FB, but they aren't even old enough to read yet. But all that aside, I have to say that I am especially grateful for my husband during this season of our lives. Knowing that I'm having to move slower and have certain needs (like having to eat breakfast), he woke up with me at 4:30 on Black Friday, went out and got me breakfast and orange juice, defrosted my car and then drove me to work so I could eat on the way. And so I wouldn't have to drive in the freezing rain, as I don't like driving much to begin with. He's extremely thoughtful and helpful to me, and I just wanted to acknowledge the fact that I am truly among the most blessed of wives.

The weekend was busy with spending time with good friends. Friday afternoon, we had a late lunch with Chris and Keri and then went to see "Megamind." It was good, but definitely not worth the exorbitant prices they charge for 3D movies. We definitely would not have chosen to see it if it hadn't been for spending time with friends.  On Saturday, I worked an extended shift, took a bath when I came home, and then Nich and I went on a bookstore date before a reunion party with friends who were home for the holiday weekend.

Our schedule is starting to pick up with holiday festivities, more frequent OB appointments, and various baby-related classes. My baby showers are in December, too. This makes me a bit anxious. I would have preferred for them to be sooner; I've heard from several young moms that the second trimester is most ideal. I am, however, very thankful that Baby G is getting showers! It's mostly just my own need for order and planning ahead, and knowing that I'll be writing thank you cards, doing laundry of baby items, organizing, and shopping for the leftover needs during the Christmas season when busy-ness increases is a tad overwhelming.

I'm going to go check off a couple more things on my "To Do" list now before my doctors' appointments this afternoon so they're not lingering for later on in the week. Despite all the things to do, I still thoroughly love the Advent season, and I'm excited that it's almost December. That said, here is my favorite Christmas song from one of my all-time favorite movies.