Longing for some Italian Grandma-esque advice and nagging.... I am really missing my Grandma and Paul's Nana right now. In my family, usually a pregnant woman would get all sorts of unsolicited advice from her Italian Grandma somewhere along these lines: Grandma: You know what you need? You need to eat some fish. Look, I made you some special. Pregnant Granddaughter: Grandma, I really don't want fish. G: YOU may not want fish, but the baby wants it. PG: Grandma, nobody wants the fish. Thank you but no. G: I heard about a lady who didn't eat fish when the baby wanted it... and then the baby was born with a fish head! Do you want that to happen to you? Eat the fish! PG sighs and starts to eat the darn fish. I have witnessed this in my own family, but now that I'm the pregnant one, I don't have anyone to nag me in quite that special way. So I'm asking you to throw on the mantle of Italian/Jewish/Polish-ness (all Grandmas are the same at heart) and please send some old-fashioned nagging and superstitions my way so my child won't grow up deprived.

Our Christmas was wonderful, but tiring due to the amount of snow falling and the continuing spell of exhaustion the little one puts on me. I got to spend it with both wonderful families and my fairy godchild, Joey. It was lovely going to Mass with the snow all around, giving thanks for the baby Jesus, and finally winding up in front of a roaring fire with my hubby and baby. listening to (great music for me and the little one): Pied Piper by Donovan (thank you, Paul) The Muppet Show 25th Anniversary Collection (thank you, Craig)

I always used to say it wasn't Christmas until I heard "Wonderful Christmastime" on the radio. I haven't heard it this year, not once. I have it on tape, but that doesn't count... now I'm actually searching the airwaves (and netwaves) to hear it. All this so I can gleefully sing, "The word is out... about the town... the dog just died... the house burned down.... we're simply having a wonderful Christmastime." more! more! The history of the "How The Grinch Stole Christmas" special. The year in review, Google-style. Just fascinating. I'm a little surprised "french toast" didn't make the top lists. Better luck in 2003, eh?

And more presents and goodies for you are here.

Good news! I am more than halfway done knitting my baby blanket — now I get to decrease and the rows will start getting shorter, making my mandate to knit 2 rows every day, no matter what, a whole lot easier. I have some fuzzy purple yarn that I think I want to crochet around the border when I'm all done so it's more colorful. You can make your own! Get the pattern here. The description reads: "Since it is knit on the bias, the blanket tends to stick on the baby, at night, when the mother is asleep, which is a Good Thing." Anything that involves sleep sounds like a Good Thing to me.

We spent a fun day with my brother and his family — it was Joey's 5th birthday. His latest obsession is Def Leppard, which he pronounces with an "a" as in, "Daddy, can we please play the Def-a-Leppard CD now?" After the 20th request, daddy gave in, and we were all treated to seeing Joey jump joyously up and down and sing to the music. Daddy also didn't have a blank videotape for the camera, which is a shame because it was absolutely hysterical. I asked Joey, "But what about the Beatles?" (his last obsession.) He assured me that he still liked them. Phew. All is not lost.

My husband's piano studios are at our house. They're soundproof.. But what I didn't realize is that people in the waiting room can hear me singing in the kitchen. The other day, I stepped out to ask him a question, only to find a mom in the waiting room grinning at me. "Was that you singing Age of Aquarius in there?" Well, actually, it was, and I was pretty loud because I happen to love that song and it was on the radio. So I fessed up but was inwardly embarassed.... who else heard me? Then last night we had a recital/party for all the adult students, and I related this story. Three of them said right away, "Oh, we hear you singing in there all the time!" Good grief! Thank God I play the oldies station while I make dinner... otherwise they might have heard me singing about how hot is was getting in here and that I needed to take off all my clothes. Yeesh. [Side note: I actually sung ON that station a couple of years ago. No fooling.] singing along with in my car: The Muppet Movie Soundtrack (sadly, out of print!) My mix tape entitled More Roger Miller Than You Can Shake A Stick At Billy Joel's Turnstiles and Streetlife Serenade Beatles for Babies: because you gotta start them on the right track early on

Last night we had a "passing of the torch" ceremony for Cornerstone (from our team to the new one who will run the weekend in Feb.) and I was recruited on the spot to do a reading. It turned out to be the one where the angel comes to Mary and tells her she's going to have a baby. Everyone asked me later if that was on purpose, and I have to say honestly that I think it just worked out that way. :) And then this morning, I woke up from a dream I don't remember. But I did wake up sure that I had just been holding the baby in my arms. It was a really wonderful way to wake up. reading/just read: Nothing Left Over: A Plain and Simple Life — I am so into this beautiful book. The Fiery Cross — The latest in the Outlander series. The Right Words at the Right Time — When simple words can change your life.

Had a lovely but exhausting weekend with buddies from college and then was in a Christmas concert at my church. Being exhausted and singing in front of people, combined with extra pregnancy hormones, made it very difficult to keep from bursting into tears from sheer emotion. One of the solists sang "Mary, Did You Know?" and from there on it was all I could do to not weep openly in front of everyone. There's something amazing about being pregnant at Christmas — I feel such a link with Mary. I can understand some of the feelings she must have had; being pregnant and uncomfortable, scared at what's ahead, and still loving this baby inside her and marveling at what he'll become. And then just as I got myself under control... the children's choir sang. Good grief. ;) So I put a huge smile on my face and just sang my heart out. linkage: Elf Bowling 3 is out! Woo hoo! Download the whole series for free here (and expect your productivity to go down the drain).

On my way into work yesterday, I passed a nursery selling Christmas trees. They have a nice shiny new sign that advertises that they also sell wreaths and "garlin". I wondered; do I enlighten them to the fact that what they're selling is, in fact, "garland"? It's a painted sign. I didn't have the guts to stop and tell them about it, but apparently someone else from the spelling police was on duty and alerted them since this morning the signs were all spelled correctly! (The last time I almost stopped was when the local Burger King advertised "halepeno poppers". It was fixed the next day.) So now the jewelry store down the street at work has a misspelled sign (they spelled it "jewelery"). Do I tell them? Or do I mind my own beeswax?

Thanksgiving was just lovely, thank you; both our families were together and somehow we wound up getting to take home a pecan and a pumpkin pie. Yum. Speaking of pumpkin pie; we've been trying to figure out how many songs mention it. So far, we've got "Sleigh Ride" (my fave), "Home for the Holidays" and "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" (and there must be others....) And according to this book, a slice of pumpkin pie counts as a serving of vegetables! All kidding aside; we're so very thankful for all the blessings we've received this year, especially the one that arrives three months from now and keeps kicking me. :) note: My blog is now a year old. See what was going through my head when it all began.