Bradley is the greatest

OK--so I KNOW I haven't been the easiest to live with this pregnancy. The first trimester was a roller coaster of exhaustion and nausea. We had some relief from month four through the third week in November--then we got hit with the whole "signs of premature labor" drama that pretty much knocked me out of being much help around the house at all, including being able to pick up Charlie Mac at all for about three weeks until things settled down again. I still can't hold him for more than a few seconds, but I keep trying (I know, I know--I'm not supposed to). On top of all of this greatness, I've become a slave to the most vicious mood swings--I am like a toddler myself; if I am tired or hungry--watch out! It's truly embarrassing!

Bradley has trooped right through it. He has always been a very hands-on daddy--which wasn't so easy with the school and work schedule he's had--but during the first trimester and now he is doing almost everything. He's the one who gets up as early as 4:30 with Charlie Mac and fixes us all breakfast. When we get home from work he's the one who's bathing, dressing and reading stories to Charlie Mac while I sit nearby. He's the one who fixes our supper while I sit nearby, often grumpy. He's the one who has rearranged all the furniture and built the nursery. He's the one who patiently waits for Hurricane Mood Swing to pass on over and somehow manages to love me just as much--and for all this I love him even more.

Thank you Bradley!! You are the best husband and father in the world!!!!

Willa Ann is SO busy--she takes my by such surprise a lot of the time! We are getting her room ready (a 8X9 walk in closet in our room with a window that we pulled all the shelves, etc out of--perfect!). It's three colors of purple with plans for a mural of flowers and vines below the chair rail. Her bedding/curtains will be sage green. We got a hood for her bassinet, so, it will be a little dressier than it was for The Iddle. I've been told I can't do much of anything by my doctor, so Bradley is putting it all together while I'm annoying him sitting in the doorway.

Charlie Mac is becoming such a little boy! He lives for cars, trucks, trains and tractors (gwaks, trachks, choo choos and traches)and you'd be amazed how many tractor advertising videos are on Youtube--serious entertainment. Try it--it's shockingly addictive. He has a pair of boots we got him for winter at the hunting camp that he wears all the time. He eats with a fork and spoon and puts his napkin in his lap. He refuses meat except for two occasions: once with fried catfish and once with a chicken nugget. He goes to ceramics twice a week where he paints a bisqued piece and he goes to story time at the Bookstore and Library twice a week where he has friends named Graham (Gam), Luke and Thomas. He had a playdate with Mamie and now asks for her all the time (Meme). We got him a lot of unbreakable Christmas ornaments that he hung on the bottom of the tree. Mostly on one particularly stunning branch. He had the best time! We decorated gingerbread men two Sundays ago and that was seriously a blast too. Raisens make great "eyyyes." He recognizes the letters "O" and "I" and the colors "rojo," "boo" and "gee." All blonds are named for his aunt "KayKay." But purely for the sake of convenience--he certainly knows who the real one is! When he talks to his Aunt Augusta on the phone, he asks about "Teensy." And when he hears my voice on our answering machine he says "Muhm" which is what he has named my mother. (Our voices sound alike, and since I'm right there in front of him, he figures that Muhm is calling out from that machine.) He also recognizes his Pawpaw on the phone. He calls my dad "dada" or "nahdada" (not dada), I can't wait to see what he ends up calling him! Roberts is Rara, and often so are fellas on TV that look like him. He also has called his Aunt to be, Frankie, "Rara", so who knows where that's going! "Augusta" is hard to say, but he probably will call her Teensy until he figures something better out. Maybe if she spends less time sleeping and in front of the TV over Christmas than she did at Thanksgiving, he will come up with something.....hmmmm Bee?