A Shower of Roses for Our Baby!

On the Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. . . 

~ Delicious Food ~

~ Tea and Ciders ~

~ A Yummy Carrot Cake ~

~ Fun Games and Raffles ~

I now have quite the supply of diapers!!! Thank you all so much!

~ Friends and Family ~

~ So Many Gifts for the Baby ~

~ A Special Surprise ~

Marci pieced together 48 rose themed squares, from friends and family, both locally and online, into this beautiful quilt for our baby! What a treasure this will be for her!!!!

I was so touched to see all the thought and love that went into this gift, including lovely squares from women I hardly know. Thank you all so much!!

*It may take me awhile, but hopefully I can take close ups of each square to share with you all, so you can see it up close. The photo hardly does it justice!

~ Tea and Honey Stick Favors ~

Thank you so very much Marci, and to all of you that contributed to making this such a special shower for our baby, our little Christmas Rose!

May God reward you all for your kindness and generosity!!

My Daybook ~ November 23rd

Outside my window... it is very cold but also so beautifully sunny! I sure wish I felt up to going outside...

I am thinking... about how blessed I am to have such wonderful friends, both in real life and online!

I am thankful for... kind, thoughtful, and way too generous friends, including the friend, who gave me the most lovely baby shower this past Saturday. I can't wait to upload some pictures to share with you all!

I am wearing... a big warm fuzzy sweater and thick socks. I came down with an awful cold late Saturday night and, even after spending most of yesterday in bed, I am still feeling really sick...

I am remembering... my post from November 23rd of last year, the day before I miscarried our little Gabriel. It is hard to believe it has been a year.

I am going... to work on a grocery list for hubby to pick up at the store tonight. I still haven't gone shopping since my fridge broke down, a week ago... If it wasn't for Thanksgiving in a few days, I'd be tempted to see just how long I can stretch what is in our cupboards! ;)

I am reading... not much at the moment, though I am hoping to have a chance to catch up on my emails and the 500+ posts in Google Reader soon!

I am hoping... that my ultrasound (and intuition) was right. Wouldn't I be in shock if this baby turned out to be a boy!!!

On my mind... I am really trying to focus on creating a grocery list... It's hard when you need to make it for someone else!

From the learning rooms... This will be a short week, so I was hoping that we would get a lot accomplished today and tomorrow. So far it isn't happening...

Living the Liturgical Year at Home... This week we will celebrate the feast of St. Catherine of Alexandria on Wednesday. Each year we make a Heart Shaped Cake and this year I will also include a Wheel Shaped Pasta Dish with dinner.

Noticing that... it is really really hard to keep my children on track with their school work when I am not feeling well.

Pondering these words... It's a BOY!!! Head on over and tell Erica congratulations!

From the kitchen... lots of herbal tea and fluids for me. Leftover Hearty Beef Stew and Rolls for everyone else. I was so thankful this weekend for those freezer meals I made for "after" the baby was born! ;)

Around the house... signs that we will be welcoming a baby soon. Where on earth am I going to put everything?!

One of my favorite things... Do I have to pick just one!?!? I wish I could share photos of all the lovely gifts I've been receiving for Rose! I'm sure I'll be posting some soon.

A few plans for the rest of the week:

• Get better!
• Start writing Thank You cards
• Work on creating an address database for our Christmas Cards/Birth Announcements (Can you believe I've been hand addressing about 150 cards every year?! It will be nice to have it all in the computer for once, if I can find the time to actually input them all.)
• Weekly OB Check-Up
• Celebrate the Feast of St. Catherine of Alexandria
• Celebrate Thanksgiving!
• Compile a post of all the recipes for December over at Catholic Cuisine
• Yikes! I have a lot to do this week...

A Picture thought I am sharing:

The beautiful quilt made for our little "Rose."
Thank you to ALL of you that contributed to this surprise project!
I absolutely LOVE it!!!!!

To see more daybooks visit The Simple Woman's Daybook!

Making a list...

I've been making Christmas lists for awhile now, ever since I found out this baby was due on Christmas. Most of them have just been in a notebook on my nightstand, so I haven't blogged much about them. I was asked by a few of you to share my lists this year, and perhaps if I actually blog about it, it will help me "check them twice" and finish up any details I am more than likely forgetting!

Even though I keep telling myself I am "almost ready" for Advent and Christmas, I still feel completely unprepared! I guess it is just because I really have no idea when this little one will arrive... Our other children have been born anywhere from 3 weeks early (Chiquita) to 3 days early (Snuggles), which (if that is any indication) would put her arrival at anytime in December...

Anyhow, one of the lists I've been working on, was gifts for St. Nicholas Day. In our home, we have a family tradition of giving our children new slippers, gold coins, and a new Christmas Picture Book (to add to our collection) from St. Nicholas on December 6th.

Here's a peek at the picture books I purchased for this year:

For the Family: St. Nicholas: A Closer Look at Christmas

"This beautiful, fully-illustrated coffee table book provides a closer look at Christmas and the St. Nicholas of history and legend. Full of historical information and rare illustrations from Christian traditions around the world, this book will entertain, inform, and inspire readers as it teaches the true meaning of Christmas giving."

*If you check out the used/like new copies available on Amazon, it is MUCH more affordable!


For Captain: Christmas at Stony Creek

"The pond at Stony Creek is perfect for ice skating, and a blanket of snow is on the ground. It's almost Christmas. Pipsqueak wishes she could spend the days at the pond, then curl up in front of a glowing fire with her family. But Papa has gone away to search for food. He promised to be home soon, so by Christmas Eve, Pip is worried. What will they eat for Christmas dinner? How can they celebrate without Papa? Pip knows she must do something. There are mountains of food in the huge house on the hill. The one filled with cats and traps. The most dangerous place in Stony Creek. Mama has forbidden everyone from even mentioning the house. Pip's not sure she has the courage to go there, but she has to try. She has to do it for Mama, Kit, Will, Nibs, Nan, and baby Finny. For Christmas. And for Papa. Braveness starts with a single step."

For Rascal: An Orange for Frankie

We first discovered this book from the Christmas Mosaic book list and it has become a favorite. This year we are finally adding it to our own collection!

For Twinkle Toes: The Princess and the Kiss: The Three Gifts of Christmas

"In The Princess and the Kiss: The Three Gifts of Christmas, Christmas has come again to the kingdom, but the king and queen (the original princess in The Princess & the Kiss) have a serious problem. Their precious daughter is becoming spoiled. No longer does she appreciate her gifts as she should nor does she remember the true meaning of Christmas. Her troubled parents come up with a plan to cure the princess of her selfishness. This Christmas will be different-she will receive only three gifts, each one as precious as the princess is to her parents. What will the princess do with the gifts she receives? Will she at last discover the true meaning of Christmas? Children and parents alike will treasure this timeless story that reveals the biblical truth-the best gifts come from the heart."

For Chiquita: Angela and the Baby Jesus

"Frank McCourt's first Christmas book is by turns tender and heartwarming, and wholly unforgettable. Angela is six years old and worries for the Baby Jesus on the altar of St. Joseph's Church near School House Lane in Limerick, Ireland, where she lives. December nights are damp and cold, and the church is dark. The Baby Jesus' mother doesn't even have a blanket to cover him. The Baby is sure to need Angela's help, even if she is not allowed to step near the altar, especially by herself. Filled with the character and incident that have made Pulitzer Prize recipient Frank McCourt internationally renowned and beloved, Angela and the Baby Jesus is a timeless story of family--and all of its joy, tradition, love, and incongruity--and a book for the generations to cherish."

For Snuggles: Christmas in the Barn 

Snuggles loves all books about animals!  We usually check this one out from the library, but it is another one I'm very happy to add to our own collection.

For Rose: All for the Newborn Baby

"Mary sings a lullaby to the newborn baby Jesus as He lies in the manger, and in her song she describes how the world around Him is rejoicing at His birth."

(I also just ordered a used copy of this book, which looks so sweet!)

I've already purchased this years slippers for everyone, including a darling little pair for the baby! I was so excited when I saw them at the store last week shortly after receiving a darling little outfit, from a very thoughtful friend, which I think I'll be taking to the hospital for our little rose to wear home. The slippers look like they were MADE to match and there was only one pair and they were size Newborn-6 weeks! I was SO excited!!

I have always wanted to order St. Nicholas Chocolate Coins for his feast day, but every year just end up sticking with the little bags from the local store. We usually repackage them though and attach a little note from St. Nicholas.

Breakfast, after Mass, will include a Candy Cane Coffee Cake and St. Nicholas Hot Cocoa. (We always make this to give away to friends as well!) Oh, and since it was such a hit with my children, I'll probably make St. Nicholas Pizza once again for dinner. (Very easy and cute!)

This year, I also purchased a Playmobil Nativity Set as well as a Wood Nativity Block Set (Catholic Child had them on clearance last month, though they have since sold out...). I think I will give the children one of them on the first Sunday of Advent, and save the other for one of the O Antiphons. I just haven't decided which to give when... I always love having nativity sets that the children can play with in addition to our family nativity.

Ok.. that's all for now. I'll try and post a bit more about our plans later!