I mean what I say in the title because believe me, none of what I’m about to write would be true if we didn’t have the imminent arrival of a baby to motivate us.
We are completely finished with Christmas presents – not just purchased and/or made, but wrapped and delivered. I mailed my family’s presents in November. I was done wrapping all of our other presents over a week ago. We’ve now delivered them to family around here so that, in the event that B2 comes before Christmas, we don’t even have to worry about them.
(OK, actually, I just remembered that I have one present I still have to wrap for Ellie but if it doesn’t get wrapped in time, I don’t think she’ll notice.)
I don’t think I can even express how nice it is to have everything finished before late night Christmas Eve. I’m remembering Christmas 2009, when I undertook a really ambitious list of presents to sew and then really only managed to get them all sewn because we had four snow days just before Christmas. Four! When did I really think I was going to get them done?
We consciously started planning for Christmas extra early this year and we also consciously asked ourselves, “How can we bless our families and express our great love for them but still radically simplify our gift giving?” It made a huge difference.
And now, I’m just grateful for the peace and calm that I feel…
until of course I have a bit of a twinge of pain and then I think, “Was that a contraction? MAYBE!!?!?!?!?!” and then we’re off on a whole different topic! 🙂
I do want to remember this for next year though because who says that this can’t be our practice every year, even without a Christmas baby to motivate us?
Salmon and Souvlaki 
My son (almost 9, now) was due on Dec 11th so I was done shopping and wrapping by Thanksgiving that year!! He didn’t come until Christmas Eve, but I was ready anway! Good luck to you, hon. 😀
Wow – a full two weeks overdue huh? That would have made waiting hard! I suppose you can tell him that it’s his fault he has a birthday so close to Christmas! 🙂 And thank you!
Oh, he loves that it’s the day before Christmas!! It was very hard because I assumed he would be born near the beginning of Dec, not the end! When is your actual due date?
12/30 but Ellie was a week early so it’s hard not to think/hope that this one will be early too. We’re just hoping for before the new year for the tax write off! 🙂
I know that’s right!! 😛
Oh, and I’ve been done for two weeks myself *this* year! Just sittin’ back waiting for the big day now!! 😉
Isn’t it such a nice feeling? I don’t want to forget it for next year! 🙂
Pingback: Mark’s Birth Story (In Honor of His First Birthday), Part One | Salmon and Souvlaki