This year has brought a lot of changes to our family life. Since Jacob started law school in August, we don't see him nearly as often in the evenings. And even when he's home, he usually has a ton of reading to do to keep up with his classes, so I've had to learn to adjust accordingly. I read a lot more, and usually spend my evenings editing photos while he's studying. Luckily I have Halle Girl around to keep me company. Although she's becoming extremely independent (and sometimes naughty), she is still very loving and will pipe up with, "Gimme HUG!" or "Lub you toooooo, mommy" just when I need it. :)
Recently she started saying, "so happy see you gan!" when she wakes up in the morning. And she particularly enjoys playing hide & seek so she can announce, "Ready not! I coming! Whar you? I coming!"
Jacob is enjoying his classes immensely. We both feel like he picked the perfect program to pursue. Law School has been challenging (to say the least) but he does enjoy the material, his professors, and his new friends. And we've managed to develop a system where we (at least) get to see him at dinner time and Halle's bedtime. Now that he's home for the Christmas break, we've been working feverishly to fix up the extra bedroom for the upcoming arrival of Baby Brother.
Speaking of which, I am about 32 weeks along, and that means we have LESS than 2 months left until he makes his debut. I'm right on track with weight gain and other milestones, and although everything is going well, I definitely feel anxiety sometimes when I realize how close we are to having another little person in our home. I know it's going to be fine, and I have so many supportive friends and family at hand, but I still get a little scared sometimes. BIG changes are coming. HOWEVER, I'm also thrilled when I realize how close we are, because becoming a parent the first time (with Halle) was such an amazing experience. Getting to know her and raising her have been so much FUN overall. We get so much JOY from her, that it can only get better from here right? Having another person around to teach, play with, cuddle, and love can only make life better.
Since we're gearing up for a new member of the family, we've been rearranging some of the bedrooms around the house. We moved the bunk beds into Halle's room and moved her toddler bed to the attic. She was concerned at first when we started emptying all of her things from the walls. She kept picking up hats & toys and told me, "No Momma. No. Hat on wall. My toys. No Momma. My chair. Stop, Momma Stop!" and then she'd ROAR at me like a dinosaur. She roars when she's displeased with us. HOWEVER, despite the changes, I think she's happy with her new bedroom arrangement. She spends a lot more time in there and chooses to play in her own room rather than out in the den. Sometimes she'll especially request that we close the door and leave her alone so she can play undisturbed. It's so strange to see her turning into an opinionated little girl. I miss my polite baby daughter sometimes, but I also really enjoy watching her discover new things and learn new ways to communicate her feelings.
Some of the other changes in our recent family life are our church callings. Back at the end of the summer, I was released as a teacher for the teenage girls in our ward and called as the new Choir Director. It's been a bit overwhelming at times (because I know there are so many other people in our ward who are more qualified), but I have really enjoyed putting together musical numbers for church and organizing beautiful arrangements for our meetings. We just had a big Christmas Activity where I had to put together a short program. It was a little stressful, but it turned out great, and the Christmas Spirit was so strong in the delivery of those songs.
Jacob was recently released as a Ward Missionary and now serves as the Elder's Quorum President. His first reaction was shock and dismay at receiving the call, but he's starting to get the hang of things. We've got an awesome group of young families in our congregation, so Jacob has a lot of support from the other Elders in the ward. It will definitely complicate Jacob's already complicated schedule, but I know we'll figure out a way to handle it.
I'm excited for Christmas. Although life ALWAYS gets so busy during the holidays, I feel a lot closer to God this year than ever before. I feel like there's more room in my heart and my mind for spiritual things. I enjoy teaching my 2-year-old about the baby Jesus. We sing songs together, and make treats, and color pictures of the manger scene. She sings "Twinkle Star" and "Child of God" to our nativity set.
When we brought our tree to the church a few days ago for the Christmas activity, Halle recognized the loss immediately. She walked into the empty living room and said, "Oh no! Chri-mas tree lost! Oh no! Whar you?" and then after we brought it home again, she gave the branches a big hug and said, "I lub you Chri-mas tree. Lub Chri-mas"
That about sums it up. Life is good here in the Huddleston Home. Baby boy is rolling around in my tummy as I type this. Halle is out playing with Daddy while I get some work done. In a few days, I'll get to see my siblings and create more wonderful memories with their families.
MERRY CHRISTMAS.
Love, Jane
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