Oh Christmas Tree...

Typically, I'm a sucker for the holidays. It starts in October when the air turns all crisp and Fall-y smelling, signaling three months of un-paralleled fun that includes my birthday, our wedding anniversary, Thanksgiving, Christmas parties (and more Christmas parties) and then of course, the piece de resistance.... New Years.

This year has been a slightly different experience. And while people keep telling me that I'm lucky to be pregnant in the winter instead of in the heat of the Texas summer, I'm thinking the next time I climb on the pregnancy pony, I'm going to time it so that I am 100% NOT pregnant during the months of October through December (yes, despite all my crabbiness and whining on this blog, I DO plan on Baby E having a sibling... someday... sigh).

Because, after this weekend, I've learned a few valuable lessons.

1. Decorating a Christmas tree is less fun when you fall over every time to you try to reach the bottom half of the tree.
2. All holiday parties are less fun when drinking cranberry juice or spritzer.
3. Drunk people WILL touch your baby belly more than if they were sober. A lot. And sometimes they will talk to your belly, which is uncomfortable when they can't stand up straight and keeping bumping their noses into your belly button.
4. Dressing up for parties is less fun when you only have a few clothes that fit because chances are you are wearing the same thing for the NINE HUNDRETH time.
5. People will say "You don't even look pregnant!" which is code for "Oh, I thought you were just fat," especially since I am compelled by cravings and hormones to set up shop at the buffet table.

Don't get me wrong, I'm still loving the holidays. It is just a completely different beast this year, and with less energy and more... heft... to get around, it feels like all the things that need to get done take more time than ever before. And, with poor Ben in the middle of finals, my natural instinct for putting everything on him so I'm stress free isn't going to fly.

Last night, Ben and I got our tree from Home Depot, and instead of rushing home to put on Christmas music and decorate like we normally do, we got the tree in some water and then spent a few hours on the couch. Eventually we (Ben) put the lights on it and we both called it a productive day. Hopefully, we can get the tree finished by the end of the week (I don't even HAVE high expectations for myself anymore) so I can post a pic of the tacky beauty it will become.