Thanksgiving in St. Louis

"This year was a Thanksgiving in St. Louis year for us. And in regards to pregnant traveling, I think that worked out to be the best plan. (Where as when I was pregnant with Jackson I was a very bad pregnant lady and traveled 2 weeks before Jackson arrived . . . how was I to know he'd come early?)

Most of my family had seen me in September (except for my brother John) but I think they were a bit unprepared for the change in my belly in just 8 weeks. While Ross's family is all out here and gets to see the progression at a slower rate, my family receives the shock of no belly to almost full belly. But sometimes that's more fun, there are better reactions that way.

It was wonderful for me to get to spend a week in St. Louis, where the air was crisp and chilly, but the sun shone brightly. Jackson had a grand time playing with all the St. Louis toys he only gets to play with when in town; he has a great memory for what he has to look forward to and races down to the basement at my Mom's house first chance he gets, and races to the guest room at my Dad's house for "his" toys.

BITB received a lot of attention too, and lots of yummy food (two Thanksgiving dinners is a pregnant lady's heaven). My sister Anna was the main one to feel my belly. Though she and Jackson (when he was Bucky) did have a belly game of Anna poke-poke-poking and then he kick-kick-kicking, I think BITB might not be at the interactive belly game stage, or maybe s/he is a bit more stubborn and didn't respond to Aunt Anna as actively as "Bucky" did.

But now we're back, and rightly so as it's time to get ready for Christmas, Jackson's 3rd birthday, and the arrival of BITB. It's nice to have our own home in which to do all these things, and it's nice to be able to travel and spend a lot of time with family (I'm not sure how comfortable I'd be traveling again, especially since it's not just with a belly but with a toddler as well)."
--Clare