Nashville Wife

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Merry Christmas 2018!

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Christmas Opryland Hotel NashvilleMerry Christmas to all of my wonderful blog readers! How are you celebrating? What I love about holidays like Christmas, New Year’s, and Easter is that they are celebrated by people across the world, each with their own traditions. It’s just really neat to me to think about millions (if not billions) of folks from different countries and backgrounds, although thousands of miles apart, all focused on the same thing at the same time.

This year, Mr. Handsome and I are on baby watch. Perhaps our son will make his appearance tonight or tomorrow. Although he still isn’t due for another two weeks, I have been having quite a few contractions. We haven’t decided for sure what our plans are for the day, but we are going to make homemade deep dish pizza for dinner, which is something that he always did with his family growing up, and we are planning to watch The Sound of Music later. (Mr. Handsome isn’t a huge fan of Christmas movies.)

 

Midwife or Doctor, Home Birth or Hospital? Oh My…

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home birth or hospital birthWith my due date less than four weeks away, we are nearing the end of this pregnancy journey and are very ready to meet our son. I’m also eager to have labor, delivery, and recovery behind me. Mr. Handsome and I have chosen to deliver our baby at a hospital under the care of a nurse midwife. I have had a few minor complications during pregnancy that likely won’t cause any issues during labor, but in case something comes up, we like the idea of having access to emergency care.

We feel very comfortable with our midwives, and we are praying that my delivery will be smooth and uneventful. I will say, however, that I am someone who really enjoys the comforts of home, so the idea of a home birth sounds very appealing. In today’s society, I love that there are so many delivery options for expectant moms, and I’m curious to hear what your thoughts are. Midwife or doctor? Home birth or hospital birth? What is your birth plan of choice, and what are the pros and cons?

Nesting

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Throughout my pregnancy, countless people have asked if I have had any cravings, and the answer has always been no. With morning sickness, certain foods (like fruit and carbs) have been easier to eat than others, but I haven’t found myself desperately desiring something specific. In the past few days, however, another common pregnancy “phenomenon” has hit me in a big way: Nesting.

For those who are not familiar with nesting, it’s when pregnant ladies have an intense urge to clean and organize everything in sight before their baby arrives. And let me tell you, it’s no old wives’ tale.

This week in particular, I have found myself wiping baseboards, moping floors, packing our hospital bags, setting up the baby’s room, deep cleaning the kitchen, organizing our closet, stocking up on hygiene and pantry items, dusting all the nooks and crannies I can find, and even tidying up the yard. Some of those tasks make a lot of sense, but I understand that some of them don’t…especially the last one. But that’s what happens when instinct takes over. I also know myself, and I know that not being able to clean the house while I recover from delivery is going to be difficult for me, so I aim to start with a [very] clean slate to make things less stressful for myself and Mr. Handsome.

Ta ta for now! I’m off to go organize my shoe closet. Feel free to share your experiences with or thoughts on nesting.

Christmas Music

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The day after Thanksgiving, I jumped in the car at 8am to do a few hours of Black Friday shopping, and the first thing I noticed (aside from the frost on the windshield and the frigid morning air) was that quite a few radio stations had suddenly started playing Christmas music. We still had turkey and stuffing leftovers in the fridge and pie crumbs on the table, but Thanksgiving was over, and Christmas had officially begun.

Let’s get a discussion going about Christmas music. What are your favorite songs, and when do you start listening to them? My favorites are “The Little Drummer Boy,” “O Holy Night,” and “Do You Hear What I Hear?” I’m a traditionalist who doesn’t pull out the Christmas carols until the beginning of December.

Must-Have Baby Items

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With Black Friday and Christmas sales starting to pop up, I’m scrambling to purchase the last baby items on my list. We recently received a gift card from friends with the inscription, “Baby’s almost here, and you’re going to need lots of gear.” That couldn’t be more accurate! For someone so small, he sure does require a lot of stuff.

I’m a bit of a minimalist, so before I purchase anything or add it to my gift registry, I always ask myself if I really, truly need it. Sometimes the answer is no, but more often than not, it’s yes. Raising a baby would be pretty difficult without clothing, diapers, wipes, pacifiers, a car seat, a stroller, blankets, burp cloths, a crib, some type of diaper bag…and the list goes on. But there’s also a long list of “not complete necessities but they sure do make life easier” items.

As Mr. Handsome and I prepare for our baby boy, we want to make sure we have what we need. Whether you’re a parent or just someone who has been around babies, what are some items that you recommend we purchase? They can be absolute necessities or just things that will make our life easier. Ready, Set, Go!

Music

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A while ago, one of my readers asked if I play any instruments. As many of you know, Mr. Handsome is very musical. I have shared videos of him playing guitar and banjo (his main instruments) as well as violin. He never ceases to amaze me with his musical ability, and I love listening to him. (Below is a video of Mr. Handsome playing “Amazing Grace” on a 300-year-old violin.)

Over Christmas, we were visiting someone who had a piano. Mr. Handsome took classical piano as a child, but it had been at least eight or ten years since he had played a single note. Well, he sat down and performed, from memory, a beautiful rendition of “Jesus Paid It All.” He isn’t great at reading music, but he has an excellent ear.

Now as far as my musical ability goes, I grew up taking violin lessons. I started in fourth grade and continued into my first year of high school, but when my family ran into financial struggles, I decided that the strain I would be placing on my parents by continuing music lessons was not worth it. I continued to pick up my instrument from time to time and play for fun. One of my college roommates was also a violinist (as were several of the three dozen girls I lived with), and the two of us enjoyed playing duets during our study breaks.

When Mr. Handsome and I got married, I attempted to learn the mandolin, which has the same strings as the violin. It’s a fun instrument, but I quickly realized that there were just too many other things vying for my attention to justify investing the amount of time necessary to learn a new instrument.

As a side note, I also took singing lessons for a year during college

Do you play an instrument? Or perhaps you’re a singer?

Thoughtful Christmas Gifts

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It is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35). This biblical truth is especially evident at Christmastime, as we are all eager to find the perfect presents for our loved ones.

This year, instead of trying to come up with gift ideas at the last minute, I started a list on my phone that I have added to periodically since my wedding in June. When it came time to purchase presents, I had thoughtful, unique options for most of our family members.

Mr. Handsome and I celebrated two Christmases, one with his family and one with mine. The picture to the left shows my in-laws’ tree just before we opened our gifts. With two parents, seven kids, two children in-law, one granddaughter, and one boyfriend, there were 13 of us.

It may seem that there was an overwhelming amount of presents under the tree, but we didn’t spend an overwhelming amount of money.

My husband’s youngest brother wrapped up several of his favorite devotion books to pass on to his younger siblings. My mother-in-law made a dozen freezer meals for her second-oldest son who lives alone and has limited culinary skills. Anne (my oldest sister-in-law) and I found a number of gently used Christian books on Amazon for as little as $3.00 each.

What does your family do at Christmastime to place a greater focus on giving than receiving?