December and the Approach of E(than)-Day

So, December was the storm before the storm! There was so much to do, so much to see, so much to celebrate, and so much for which to prepare!

On the very 1st day of December, my Elf came to stay for the season. I decided to name him Junior Olivia, but we call him Junior for short. At first, I was totally freaked out that he was coming to stay, and I kept making Mom and Dad assure me that they would be home when he came, but once I got the gist of his role, I decided that I really liked him. My feet could not hit the bottom stair in the mornings without immediately starting my search for him. He is a crazy Elf too; amongst his many hijinks throughout the month, he has eaten my Oreos, hung from the lights, peeked in my presents, and TP'ed the Christmas tree! He is so silly! Speaking of coming downstairs, I am a big girl now, and I come down after nap and in the mornings, but only after the sun has come up completely, all by myself; it is just in time too because Mommy won't be able to walk up and down the stairs for a couple of weeks once Ethan comes.

On the second day of December, I performed in my first-ever ballet recital, and I was quite the entertainer. I also made one beautiful ballerina! The lipstick was my favorite part! After a lot of brushing and pinning, Mom was able to get my hair into a teeny-tiny bun; my teacher, Ms. Hannah, said it was the cutest thing she had ever seen. I did a little warming up at home, and then we headed to the Central Forsyth High School Auditorium where we were met by Grandma, Aunt Mallory, Great Aunt Marsha, and Cameron for the main event. Since Mom wasn't allowed to take pictures or film during the actual performance, she and Dad captured plenty during the two dress rehearsals, which took place right before curtain call. During the first dress rehearsal, I was totally focused on the moves; although, our class was combined with another 3-year-old class, and instead of my classmates running over and telling me the secret during the performance, like we have always done in practice, we were all instructed to go and tell another girl the secret, which totally threw me off! Someone could have at least warned me before we got on stage; I just stood there for a minute trying to figure out what was going on - how rude! Anyways, during the second dress rehearsal, I decided to concentrate more on singing the lyrics to "Jingle Bells" at the top of my lungs. I, of course, was the only one on stage singing, so everyone could hear me loud and clear. I think I am more of a singer than a dancer. Either way, I had an absolute ball being on the stage; you have never seen someone smile so big in your entire life. I love to perform! Parker was very serious about her dance moves, whereas I was prancing, twirling, and grinning from ear to ear right behind her. I'm not much of a serious kind of gal. During the actual performance, I did a great job of combining my singing and dancing talents with a little room for improv in the routine. Everyone loved us! The big girls were super nice to us backstage too; they covered us in glitter and taught us some new ballet moves. We had to be backstage for over an hour before making our final bow - poor backstage moms! Thanks goodness Ms. Joanne volunteered to be our backstage mom so that Mommy didn't have to worry about me. After the final curtain call, I received tons of flowers, an ornament, and an Olivia the Pig ballerina from my adoring fans, otherwise known as my family. My first dance debut was a big success...that left me bouncing of the walls until 10:00 at night!

At the very beginning of December, we went and picked out a big Christmas tree for our house! Daddy and I also got our annual picking-out-the-tree photo; I have definitely grown a lot over the years. It didn't take long to pick the perfect tree, but the candy cane that I was given was way better...until I realized that it was a peppermint candy cane, which I don't like because they are hot! I also insisted on posing with the Home Depot shopping cart for a few photos. Mom has totally created a monster; whenever I do ANYTHING now, I say, "Mommy, look at me; I look so cute, so take my picture!" When we got home, we decorated our big tree, and I even got to decorate a little tree just for my room. Whenever I see a tree that I like, I exclaim, "Oh, my Gosh!" I really like our tree, so our tree gets a double "Oh, my Gosh!"


Right after picking out our tree, we met up with Lucas, Ms. Allison, and Mr. Ben at the Cumming Christmas Parade. Lucas and I landed the best seats in the house, on top of our Dads' shoulders. It was an okay parade; although, the absolute highlight was the candy and dancing in the street with Lucas. Of course, my favorite owl made an appearance, and they finally let him out of the bus! We also saw elves in a box, crazy golf carts, and Santa Claus in a really neat, old car. Lucas and I told our parents halfway through that we were going on a date, which consisted of us walking over to the curb and playing in a pile of dirt. Hey, if that's our idea of a date, Mom and Dad are totally cool with it! Prior to the parade, I was featured in the Forsyth County Newspaper once again; they ran my picture from last year to advertise for this year's parade. It is not easy being a full-fledged celebrity.

The day after the parade, Mom, Ms. Alisha, Ms. Laura, and Ms. Joanne threw a baby shower for Ms. Allison. Everything was pink, black, and white, just like the baby's nursery, and Mom was very proud of her most recent diaper cake, which she put together with Ms. Laura. The ladies had brunch, opened gifts, gabbed for hours, and, of course, took lots of pictures. Ms. Allison got a lot of pretty gifts for her little girl, and I think Ms. Allison really enjoyed it. They threw the shower just in time too because five days later...

Baby Juliet Rose Wheeler arrived two and a half weeks early on December 9 at 6:39 pm weighing in at 5 lbs. and 15ounces and measuring 19 inches long. The first couple of days were really scary because Juliet was having a hard time breathing, so she had to spend some time in the NICU. Mom got to go and see her, but I wasn't allowed. However, on the Monday after she was born, she was released from the hospital, and everyone is doing great! I have gotten to see her several times since she arrived home, and she is beautiful! Congratulations, Wheeler family and big brother Lucas!

This is the first year that I have really gotten into the holiday spirit, and I am so excited about Christmas! We have attended quite a few events to get ready for the big day and celebrate the season:

My ballet class had a little ballet party to end the year, and we got to wear our pajamas! I thought it was the coolest idea ever, and I wore the ballerina pj's that Aunt Steph got me for my birthday. At the end of the party, we did one last performance of "Jingle Bells" for the moms and then ran around like wild people. Grayson even got to join in on the fun. I've made several new girlfriends in my ballet class over the last couple of months, but Parker is still my girl BFF!

We left the ballet party to head directly to my playgroup's Christmas party at Ms. Alisha's house. Lucas was able to join the fun while his Mom and Dad ran errands to get ready for Baby Juliet's homecoming from the hospital. We all took turns driving the train around the tree, which was the highlight for awhile. Then we ate lunch, opened our sweet goody bags from Ms. Alisha, and decorated Christmas cookies before watching about two minutes of a Christmas movie and heading downstairs to jump. We are wild together! We do have so much fun though. In the picture above: Me, Tyler, Madden, Grayson, Lucas, and Parker

My, how we have grown! Playgroup Christmas Party 2009:
Selina (not in current group shot), Tyler, Me, Jackson (not in current group shot), and Lucas

 


Speaking of fun together, we all attended the Cool Bees Art Studio's Christmas art class, which was so neat! The studio has an art class for kids once a month. This month, we got to listen to a reading of The Polar Express, during which we got our own golden tickets and 'believe' bells that you can only hear if you believe in Santa; I heard mine ring loud and clear. Then we got to enjoy hot chocolate and cookies before making reindeer food, creating our own snow globes, and singing "Jingle Bells", at which I am a professional at this point! It was a great class, and we will definitely be going to another art class in the very near future.


During the week of Christmas, we headed to Lake Lanier Island's Night of Lights with the Goldsworthys, Littles, and Wheelers. Dad, Mom, and I got to ride in the Goldworthys' swaggin' wagon to see the lights, which were okay. However, the carnival, marshmallow roasting, running in circles, picnic dinner, and common chaos that follows my group wherever we go were awesome! Some of the highlights included a carousel ride with the dads, my driving all of my friends in the little train, and Tyler getting stuck in the fun house, which resulted in a rescue by his daddy DJ. Craziness follows us wherever we go!

In the middle of December, I performed in the Christmas performance at preschool, which baby Juliet got to attend 6 days after her arrival. I, like always, put forth my best effort and sang at the top of my lungs before sitting with Lucas and his family - I am such a traitor to my own family - to watch the other classes. I did make lots of sweet gifts for Mommy and Daddy though. After the very long performance, we had little class parties before being dismissed from preschool for the year.

Besides the big Christmas events, Mom and I spent every waking moment of the month getting ready for the big holiday. We have painted presents, made ornaments, shopped 'til we dropped, and packed, then shipped, lots of packages! I did end up stuck to the tape dispenser during the packaging process; I'm so silly. I love all of our Christmas decorations and the spirit of the season in general. We read a new Christmas book almost every night, and I was beyond obsessed with reminding Dad to move the bear on the Christmas countdown chart; if I had my way, we would move the bear 10 times a day, and Christmas would have come in a flash.

Santa Claus even sent me a video message to Mom's e-mail, and I was so excited to get it! I was a little nervous when I was waiting to see if I made the naughty or nice list; thankfully, the green light appeared, and I am on the nice list. I insisted on watching my Santa Claus message about 10 times in a row; I must be pretty special to get a personal message from the Big Man himself! I really like when he says that he is proud of me. Here it is if you want to see my special message for yourself:
http://www.portablenorthpole.tv/watch/gXqui7egBwRjbIGjDgzfSYA

The best part of the holiday season is that Dad has been around so much more. He is grounded from traveling until after Ethan's arrival, and he has gotten to stay home or work from home several days this month. My constant question to Dad is always, "Daddy, you want to play?" I love having him around all the time, and I have been even more hyper than usual; I've also had a few more major fits with him around, but hey, I've got my Daddy wrapped around my finger. My Daddy can do no wrong; I just think the sun and moon rise with him.

Mom and Dad attended the SoloHealth Christmas party, and it is hard to believe that just 4 years ago, the company Christmas party consisted of only Mr. Bart, Ms. Aly, Dad, and Mom. Now, Dad is the COO, and the company has more than 2 dozen employees. Crazy!

Mom got in a little Christmas dinner with her moms as well; I guess they gotta have their fun too!All of this lead up to the big weekend: Christmas Eve and Christmas Day! As is tradition, we went to Grandma's house on Christmas Eve for her yearly celebration. It was so much fun! There was tons of food; I, however, decided to stick to my cookie diet for the evening. After mingling and eating, we all called Santa's hot line with Grandma to find out where the big guy was; I just wanted to make sure that he was headed in the right direction. Later in the evening, we got to open presents! I got so many nice things: my bitty baby, my dress up clothes, singing Mickey, bitty baby's bed, high chair, diaper bag, and bath, as well as so much more! Harper got lots of great gifts as well, but she really just wanted to hold my baby and get in my baby's bed. I tried to be patient but did shoot her some nasty looks. Halfway through presents, Harper and I came across our matching pj's, so we decided to go ahead and get comfortable for the remainder of the evening. I love being part of the matching pj tradition that Mom, Grandma, Aunt Steph, and Aunt Mal have had for at least 15 years! Maybe someday, Harper and I will get the same pj's as the big girls.  Next year, however, we will have to go with gender neutral pajamas so that Ethan can join the fun. With my cookie-sugar-high in full affect, I played with Aunt Mal, Chris, and Grandma well into the night before heading home to leave food for Santa's reindeer and cookies for Santa; I have a sneaking suspicion that Opie ate the reindeer food. I was so excited for Santa's arrival; I have been counting down all month! Christmas Eve is sure to become one of my favorite days of the year, just like it is for Mom!

As a brief recap of Christmas, it was a perfect day. Mom and Dad woke up at 7:15 and waited downstairs, with camcorder in hand, for my descent at 7:45. They were expecting me much earlier. As soon as I saw my Santa loot, I screamed, "Lightning McQueen car!" and proceeded to throw all of my other gifts off of the car so that I could jump in. I then proceeded to run my car into the wall and leave a nice hole; I guess driving takes a bit of practice! Sorry, Mom and Dad! Needless to say, my car has been banished to outside driving only. As the morning went on, I took notice of all of my other goodies and opened TONS of presents from all of my out-of-state grandparents and god mom, as well as from Mom and Dad. I made out like a bandit!!! I am very loved! (Grandparents, make sure to watch the slide show below, for I thoroughly enjoyed opening and playing with each and every one of your super sweet gifts!) I decided, on my own, that I needed to write Santa a thank you card because I am such a sweet girl; however, I started my thank you card with 'I need you to bring me a helmet', and yes, I said that exact phrase as I was 'writing' my letter. Hey, I am all about safety. My bike helmet came in the mail from Gramma Eileen 2 days later; it got a bit lost on the way here, but now, I am ready to ride. After all of the presents under the tree were opened, Mommy and I took Daddy upstairs to show him his big gift, a new saltwater aquarium. I was told when I went with Mom, Aunt Mal, and Mr. Chris to pick it up at the pet store and throughout the whole month of December that it was called a tornado maker, which Aunt Mal convinced me meant tomato maker, so that if I spilled the beans to Dad, he would be totally confused. I, however, kept the secret, and now, I am totally lost as to how this big, glass tank makes tomatoes...or tornadoes! It was a lazy day of present opening and playing. I loved all of my gifts and made sure to give each one the proper attention. Mom was excited about her new earrings, new laptop, and camera lens, and Dad thoroughly enjoyed planning out his fish tank, as well as the big dinner he traditionally cooks on Christmas. Opie loved all of his treats, his new bed, and his new toys, especially the seal that I picked out just for him. By the time I woke up from nap, Grandma had arrived, and Aunt Mal and Mr. Chris were on their way. Dad made us all an unbelievable meal of prime rib and lobster spaghetti, and we spent the evening watching home videos, to which I performed all of my ballet moves and musical numbers in person for Aunt Mal and Grandma, and enjoying each other's company. It really was a wonderful Christmas! Thank you, everybody, for all of my gifts; I am beyond spoiled, and I know it! Love you all! Merry, Merry Christmas!

New Year's Eve with some of my bestest friends was awesome as well! We spent the evening at the Goldsworthys', and we didn't even get home until 11:00! Unfortunately, Madden, Lyla, Ella, Chase, Lexi, and Juliet didn't quite make it that late, but Lucas, Tyler, and I were still going full-force even when it was time to leave! I made it into bed at about 11:15, but I was awoken right before midnight by terrifying fireworks, so Dad and Mom let me come down to watch the ball drop with them. We could even see some great fireworks outside right from our couch! I'm not afraid of them anymore; I just don't like the loud noise that they make. My New Year's resolutions are to be the best big sister ever and a really good helper for Mommy; oh, I also want to learn to play soccer this year. Happy New Year!

On a side nap note, I went down for nap in shorts and a shirt one afternoon, and when Dad went up to get me after nap, I was still asleep but wearing mittens and a hat. I guess I decided that I needed some accessories while I slept. I am quite the fashion diva; just check out the outfit that I put together the other day for running errands around town; Mom liked the outfit and totally egged it on. Anyways, back to the bed story, I never go to sleep right away; I always get into a bit of trouble in my room before finally laying down, and Mom and Dad totally know it. I have been warned within an inch of my life to stop climbing on my dresser though; I think Dad is really serious this time! Speaking of serious, he did finally spank me for the first time this month for throwing a colossal fit at the Wheelers' house, which resulted in our leaving with me slung over Dad's shoulder. The spanking out in the car, after 20 minutes of trying to talk, calm me down, and get me into my car seat, was kind of pathetic though; it was more of a little love tap, not like a spanking from Mom. I just looked at him like, really!? It didn't even faze me. He wondered the whole way home why I didn't react.

Speaking of accessories, I find that mealtime is a great time to accessorize and express my personality through fashion. I am constantly coming to the dinner, or breakfast, table in different hats, scarves, pearls, etc. Mom and Dad never know in what attire I will be attending dinner. Here is just a taste:

Ballet Princess Dinner / A-Storm-Is-a-Brewing Fajita Night

 

Holidays are Here Dinner / Cowgirl in Pearls Breakfast

Final Ethan Update:
Week 35

Week 36

Week 37 1/2

Week 38 1/2 (5 days left!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ethan's nursery is finally done and ready for his arrival. His custom-made, owl-print pillow and changing pad cover arrived in the mail just the other day, and we have one spot left on the back wall for the painting that Ms. Sharon is creating for him. I think his room looks pretty cute, and I cannot wait to show him.

We spent the last week frantically tearing down Christmas and getting the house cleaned from top to bottom so that we are totally ready for Ethan's arrival. We also got Ethan's bassinet together, and I have decided that it is the perfect bed for my Bitty Baby, whom I have named Emma. There may be a bit of a battle when it is time to share the bassinet. Mom thought that getting Emma would be a good way to keep me occupied when she is tending to Ethan's baby needs; however, this plan may backfire in her face, for Emma has created more work. I insist on changing her 20 times a day, and I can't quite get her outfits on without a little help. I am a really good mommy though.

I have also taken up a new game of pretending to be pregnant; I figure Mom should have somebody who tries to relate with what she is going through. I spent several days this month with my baby, Little Piggy, under my shirt. I would say, "I can't walk downstairs because I have a baby in my belly". I would then explain to Mom that "I am keeping him in to let him grow a little bit more" before pulling him out and exclaiming that "he is very fragile!" Mom and I have been talking about her hospital stay as well, so I am constantly curious as to who is going to cut Mommy's belly and how she is going to get better, which has translated into my wondering how Little Piggy is going to get cut out of my belly. I think that I am a little worried about Mommy, but I am much more excited about and focused on my 4-day stay with Grandma while Baby Ethan is being born and Mommy is in the hospital. We are going to do lots of fun things! Plus, Ethan is being born at "The Baby Factory", also known as Northside Hospital, so I know that he and Mom will be well taken care of; Mom and I were both born at Northside, so we know first-hand. As of this very moment, Ethan will be here in less than 4 days!

The only scare this month was a little amniotic fluid scare, which resulted in an extra visit to the doctor's. I was totally confused as to what the doctor was checking for, and when the doctor said that she was checking to make sure Ethan is being good, I confidently announced that "my baby brother is being really good because our Elf is watching." The doctor got a kick out of that; that's right, Ethan, Junior is watching you too, so you better stay put until January 5th! I can totally handle any length doctor's appointment, as long as I've got lollipops.

This will be the last time you hear from me until after Ethan arrives, so I just want you to know that everything is going well, and we are so excited for the arrival of our new addition to complete our family! I'll let you know when he gets here; don't worry! Of course, there will be lots of pictures as well!

Mom, the English teacher that she is, would be appalled, but I am not even going to read this post over before publishing, which means you all are getting the raw, unedited version. I just want to make sure to get it out before the E-man arrives and life gets really crazy! Please, forgive me for my grammar, spelling, and syntax sins!