It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

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Helping dad decorate the Christmas tree (and we only broke one ornament!)
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas
Everywhere you go

Take a look in the Five and Ten

Glistening once again

With candy canes and silver lanes aglow

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas
Toys in every store
But the prettiest sight to see
Is the holly that will be
On your own front door




A good team!


The Lionel Steam Train at the Volunteer Park Conservatory

Theo LOVED the train and they ran it especially for him (even though the conductor was planning to take his lunch break just as we walked in).

I kept Theo home from day care yesterday to have one last date with my little man before he has to share me with his little sister. We went to my last ob appointment together and he got to help the doctor find the baby's heart beat. He told the doctor, "No give momma an owie." (We've been telling him that mommy and daddy have to go to the hospital and mommy is going to have surgery and have an owie so he'll have to be very gentle when we come home.) We said, "No, no owie today." It's good that he's looking out for me.

Then we headed to the Volunteer Park Conservatory to check out the Holiday Express Lionel Steam Train, which they ran especially for Theo. The voice on the train said, "All aboard the Empire Builder, platform 3, departing for Chicago, Illinois." I told him it was going to pick up Grandma and Grandpa and he watched intently as it went around the track and when it finally stopped, he said, "Grandma and Grandpa get on the train." It was super cute. Then we had lunch at my favorite cafe, the Volunteer Park Cafe.  
My lunch date playing with his giant cookie.

We met Seth after work at the downtown Macy's to meet Santa. Theo was a little hesitant and forgot what he was going to ask Santa for ("More cars and lots of presents" is what he told me) and then kept asking Santa, "Get down, please. Get down." We managed to get a smile out of him and he didn't cry so overall a big success!
It's actually a cute pic!
Hanging out with Santa at Santaland at the downtown Seattle Macys.
We're scheduled for a c-section at 12:30pm on Friday (yes, in two days). It's weird to think that we just get to go check-in and viola, we'll have a new baby! Hopefully, we only have to stay a couple days. Overall, I'm fortunate that I tolerate pregnancy quite well - from having only mild nausea and needing a few extra ZZZs in the first trimester to feeling great and biking 4-8 miles to work every day (and back again) until 34 weeks. This baby girl has been quite pleasant and I really can't complain. Honestly, I thought Theo was an easy pregnancy but this was actually easier than the last time because I wasn't on my feet running around like a chicken with my head cut off as an intern on the medicine wards and therefore I didn't have pre-eclampsia this time and I made it to full term! Besides the big belly and big bust, which I read is a gift to husbands from the "Titty Fairy" to congratulate them on their good work, the only downside to pregnancy is having to wear the same maternity jeans and maternity shirts everyday for weeks since no other clothes will fit. At least last time I could just wear scrubs every day. I'm also lucky to have no stretch marks, no acne, no GERD, no back pain, no mood swings, no waddling, no cavities, and no swelling. I have had some insomnia recently (partly due to my head cold and partly because of the baby) and made a to-do list of 22 things last night at 4am to get done in the next 48 hours. Four down, 18 to go... 

The real downsides of being pregnant are watching my husband devour a dozen oysters and a beer and not being able to have even one (of either) myself. Not having a glass of wine with dinner (yes, I know it would probably be fine but better safe than sorry and I can't wait to open the bottle of Reisling in the fridge on Sunday) and not eating sushi (especially the chirashi bowl from Musashi's). Besides a little head cold this past week thanks to Theo and day care, Seth hasn't had to put up with much snoring this time either (sorry you've been sleeping on the couch, dear)! 
Overall, I hope the recovery from the c-section on Friday is speedy and that this baby girl starts sleeping through the night by New Years (wishful thinking, I know). We're so happy to have help from family and friends over the next few months. We welcome visitors so come on over! More updated to come next week so keep reading!
38 weeks and ready to pop!
Theo making a snowball with the first snow in Seattle (and throwing it at daddy who's standing outside. Now that it's 60 degrees, it all melted and we can't complain. Sorry MN!
Sunset over Green Lake with the Space Needle in the background.


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