Is She Supposed to Do This?

Is she supposed to do this at 3 1/2 months old? She absolutely loves to stand up on our legs, on hard surfaces (with us holding her, of course), and on her changing table when we are putting on her pj's at night. I thought about placing her against the couch (as seen in the picture), and what did I find out? She can do this without assistance from us--not for much more than a minute or so, but still she can do it. In case you are wondering, she puts most of her weight on her legs, and they stay steady while she still holds on with her arms, and of course, uses her tummy for balance too. Someone told me that she'll probably be an early walker because of this....what does this mean for me?

I truly enjoy the Christmas season--not only because of the miraculous significance it has for me as a Christian, but also because of the things that go with Christmas...the lights, the decorations, the food, the music, giving special gifts to family and friends that I hope will enjoy what we picked out for them. I have tried this year to not only keep things simple, because I don't want to lose sight of the real reason we celebrate CHRISTmas, but also because I have a much higher calling now as a mom to share what this season means with my daughter. (I love being able to write that...my daughter. Ahhh.) I have enjoyed putting up the What God Wants for Christmas nativity set in Micayla's room and showing it to her and doing a very short version of the Christmas story (since she is so young, I went ahead and pulled out all the pieces and put them out instead of following the book...that will hopefully happen next year!). I have loved singing Christmas carols (the old fashioned way--from the hymn book!) to her at night and having her mimic my singing. I've enjoyed baking for Hudson's office staff, my co-workers at the Police Department, and for friends that we've had dinner with.

Speaking of baking, there are a few things that I almost have to make each Christmas season if I can find a good excuse (i.e. Christmas parties, work lunches, etc.). Some of the things that I really look forward to having/making each year are: Hudson's favorite Orange Balls, Buckeyes, Peppermint Fudge, Peanut Butter Blossoms, Santa's Favorite Cake, Mom's Crab Dip, Little Smokies, Sausage Balls, and People Puppy Chow. Thus far this year, we've only had the Little Smokies, and Peppermint Fudge, though I just pulled out the last batch of Peanut Butter Blossoms for my work lunch tomorrow. Yum! I've thought about trying something new each year to vary up the menu, so this year we (Hudson helped) made Cheezy Ranch Chex Mix for his co-workers. Balancing motherhood, wifehood (is that the right word?), home stuff, the dog, and trying to work at the police department and see a few clients has proven challenging, so the usual hasn't been the usual. I might try my hand at Snickerdoodles this year too--though I really don't have a good excuse to make them. What are some of your favorites that you enjoy having each year around the Christmas season?

While typing this post, Micayla began figuring out how to spit, you know, like a raspberry or a zerbert (think Cosby Show!). My glasses are going to have to be cleaned continously I can tell. She found great amusement in herself by doing so, and I now see spit running down her chin. Ah, the joys of having someone who figures out new things each day, and I'm not being sarcastic...I really enjoy the fact that she is figuring out new things each day, and I know it will only get better.

Dinner options at our house have hit bottom---I'm tired of making the same dishes that I know we like, but when I look at new recipes, most seem too complicated for dinner for 2, which is usually interrupted by the third member of our family. Suggestions and/or recipes of easy things that you have liked would be appreciated--consider it your Christmas gift to our family (ha ha!). I did manage to get something different for tonight's meal--since I wasn't working today, and because my child woke up at 5 am and has been fussy all day because of it, we got out of the house and finished our Christmas shopping (I only had 1 gift left and knew exactly what to get my Dad), and the car ride was a good soother for Micayla. I remembered reading my friend Dawn's blog a few days ago and she mentioned our friend Stephanie's recipe for Ham Delights--and inspiration hit me. So off to Walmart for a couple of needed ingredients for the Peanut Butter Blossoms, but also for Ham Delights. Is it wrong to have Ham Delights as a meal? I hope not! I should get started on those while Micayla decided that napping in the swing was the thing to do!