Countdown to Christmas Eve Baby!

About a week before Thanksgiving, my kids and I constructed an advent chain of sorts to countdown the days until Christmas, since my due date was December 25/26. This gave my kids--especially the two younger ones--a more tangible way to understand how many days remained until Christmas, and, possibly, the approximate time until our baby would arrive. Of course, I fully expected that he would arrive closer to New Year, but it was still a good countdown for the children. It also helped me cope when I began to get impatient with the remaining time to wait for baby's arrival. When I looked at these paper strips, they didn't look like many, and the chain got noticeably shorter quickly. Here's our countdown chain a few weeks ago:

What a worthwhile wait. Look at our Christmas Eve baby! I can't wait to post his birth story and the few photos I have from that adventure.

He's so long he doesn't come close to fitting in this stocking! 21 1/2"

8 lb 10 oz means nice round cheeks/jowls on my newborn!

Look how long he is! No wonder I was so uncomfortable. How did he fit inside me just yesterday???

Photography by Trebor Sutler