Rainy Thursday in Louisiana

We are spending the morning watching the rain fall outside and watching Dora and Boots attempts at stopping that sneaky fox-"Swiper, no swiping!" We have had a bit of a wearisome week. Brighton has not been sleeping well, and Jon even stayed home to work on Tuesday because I did not sleep at all Monday night. Will wakes up at 6:15, so any attempts at sleeping in are always foiled. I was very grateful for Jon on Tuesday. It was really nice that he recognized what a zombie I would have been had he not stayed home. I took the kids out later that afternoon and picked up a "miracle blanket" at a specialty store fore babies in town. This blanket keeps babies super swaddled and has a money-back guarantee to work in 30 days yada yada yada. I must say that I had my doubts, but I am sitting here this morning having slept more than four hours last night! I was able to feed Brighton and put her back in the bassinet where she fell peacefully asleep! I was able to wake up with Will while Brighton stayed asleep long enough for me to read to Will and get his milk.
I have a busy day today preparing for Amanda's arrival tomorrow. I am very excited to have my sister for a visit since we haven't seen each other since August. We have been decorating for Christmas this week, and I can finally say that I'm finished. I made wreaths for the door and enjoyed putting out all of my Christmas dishes. We bought a very "Charlie Brown" tree this year knowing that it may possibly be pulled onto the floor by overly curious hands. We figured that should this happen, it would be better that the tree weigh next to nothing and not be filled with irreplaceable ornaments. Will has pulled a few ornaments off, especially the Cars ornament I picked up for him this year, but he is learning how to be careful with them too. He has also made the Christmas tree corner his little fort for parking cars and eating snacks. Jon and I found him behind the tree last night quietly eating Chex mix.
We are still adjusting to life as a family of four, and I am slowly learning what it takes to be a mother of two. I received a very nice card from a friend from Trinity Church. It couldn't have come at a better time, and I broke down in tears just reading it. I needed to hear some encouraging words from a mother whose "been there." It is wonderful to know people are praying for us. I needed a reminder that the exhaustion will pass, and I need to relish each moment with my two little ones. I love being a mom even for all of the stress and challenges. It is a constant learning experience, but the rewards just keep coming!