I'M EXCITED!

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I love this time of year - Advent, celebrations, cookie making, time with friends and family, a new year. The past month has also been full of exciting times and events unrelated to the coming holiday. Here's a list of things (in no particular order) that have me excited...

1. Baby C's sleep schedule. I believe that God knew I could not handle another bad sleeper. Baby C is one heck of a sleeper. I put him down at night between 8:30-9 and don't hear from him until 4am. There have even been a few nights where he has slept until 5 or 6am. I am a fully functioning adult right now thanks to his sleeping powers (which he got from his father, whose super power is the ability to sleep any time any where as long as he is horizontal).

2. K's enjoyment of the holiday season. This evening my father asked her what she wanted for Christmas and she said, "a tree and twinkle lights." Done and done. She has so enjoyed coloring on the back of everyone's Christmas card and making and giving away cookies. She also enjoys sampling the goods! I am looking forward to seeing her face during the Christmas Eve candlelight service and on Christmas morning.

3. Going back to work. As hard as it is to balance mom duties and a full-time job, I am so grateful to have a job. Not to mention one that I love. I have been back to work for four days now. All is going well and I am quickly learning the ropes. I really like the people I work with and the university as a whole. I am really looking forward to the start of the spring semester.

4. A clean bill of health. I went for my post-partum check-up last week and was given a clean bill of health. Although I had started running prior to my doctor's visit, I can now go ahead with all activities.

5. Time with friends and family over the holidays.

6. Marta - my new-to-me treadmill. I made the decision months ago to not invest in a double jogging stroller (more on this to come). Instead I started researching gym memberships and/or buying a treadmill on Craigslist. Lucky for me my parents were willing to part with their old treadmill. So now I have my own little running machine in the basement. She's named after the second to youngest Von Trapp child (do you know what movie/soundtrack has been running non-stop in our house?). I'm still trying to determine if I'm a morning runner or nighttime runner, but I am enjoying having a treadmill in the house that I can use at any time.

7. Baby C's first smiles. The kid just melts my heart. I love seeing his double-chinned smiling face!

8. My iPhone. I can scarcely remember a time when I didn't have text messaging, face-time, a camera phone, email access, GPS, and access to the real-time temperature at my finger tips. Oh, iPhone, I you.

9. The Seven Habits of a Highly Effective Family. D has been encouraging me to read this book for years now. I finally started it and now I cannot put it down. I'm shocked by how much I am enjoying and learning from this book. It is revolutionizing my thinking and actions. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

10. What is to come in 2012... we have plans to run several half and one full marathon. We are also planning some fun family vacations - one very special one may include a day or two at the Magic Kingdom on the west coast! D has a two month work sabbatical beginning in March/April and I will be off during the months of July and August. I'm also looking forward to watching C learn to sit up, crawl and eventually walk (though if he is anything like K he may not be walking by the end of next year).

What are you all excited about at this time of year? What has you ready to fist pump?