OK, so the following post was actually written on December 31st, but I didn't publish it immediately because I was hoping to get the 3D ultrasound pictures scanned.  Obviously it didn't happen.  Since then, much has happened, so I will now have to write another post to play catch up.  Maybe tomorrow.... :)

So I've just spent over an hour catching up on various posts of friends and family.  And even though my bum seems to be going numb, I can't help but start at least a draft of a post.  Updating my blog has been on my to do list for at least 3 weeks, but there's something that's pulling me in at this moment.  If I think and try to identify it, I think it's the fact that I'm such a horrible journal-keeper, and this seems to be the only medium I can actually follow through with in recording my thoughts and events of our lives.

First, an update about the baby.  At our 20 week visit at the end of November (see? I'm not very good at keeping up-to-date), we got a sneak peek of the baby, including 3D shots of it.  I think it's already starting to look more like Kevin's side than mine.  We did NOT find out the gender, so don't even think about asking.  There are so few good surprises in life.  Besides, we didn't find out with Lauren, so I'm sure we have enough unisex clothes for at least the first 3 months.  Although, on second thought, this baby will be born during a completely different season, so we just may still end up buying clothes.   I'm now 24 weeks, and the child seems to be doing well in there.  It's kicking harder, seems to be migrating upward, and is finding a new locale on the right side of my ribcage to call home.  Thus, heartburn and reflux are making a return appearance.  Next Dr. visit is the lovely glucose/diabetes test.

I am happy to say that I felt a lot more festive this Christmas season.  However, it seemed to fly by faster than I would have liked.  For an instant, I might understand why people start getting in the spirit of it just after Halloween.  But I still think it should be outlawed for retailers to start doing Christmas music and displays until the week of Thanksgiving.

Perhaps one reason Christmas was more fun this year was because Lauren is finally at the age where she kind of gets the concept of Santa Claus.  She seemed to fall in love with the classic Rudolph movie, although it seemed to prompt her to add clarification that there are no monsters in her bedroom at night.  And she really enjoyed helping make sugar cookies at Grandma's house this year.

On a completely different tangent:  Lauren is doing really well with potty training.  I was a bit worried the first couple of days because she was 0 for 3.  But then the 3rd day it just kind of clicked and she was 6 for 6 in a row over the next couple of days.  She is as stubborn as, if not more than, me, so there are times I really have to work to get her on the potty.  But as long as she doesn't get too excited or distracted, she does well.  Some of you may be better parents than we are, but finding bribes that worked seemed to be the key to her success.  Although, we'll see how it goes once we run out of the bribes.