warm and fuzzy feelings.

love this guy.

Baby Charli says hello...

I cannot wait to kiss these cheeks in person!

This one was our favorite because she was smiling.

I wonder if she'll look more like Wyatt?

You can't see hair well in 3D images, but in the 2D you can and the tech kept commenting on what an impressive amount of hair Charlotte has already.

I guess we'll find out soon enough!

(Halle commented on the picture below, that Charlotte has a "fat neck".

It's actually the umbilical cord that kept floating in front of Charli's face.)

We had a hard time getting a great shot of her face

because her hands and feet were always in the way!

"This little piggy..."

Mouth open

I'm so amazed at the blessings of technology. Can you imagine what women 100 years ago (or even less!) would say at the opportunity we have to see our unborn children in such detail???

I'm making my list, checking it twice...

One of Santa's elves disguised as someone close to me asked me what I wanted for Christmas this year, and in the moment I drew a complete blank. The only thing I could really think was, "I honestly don't need anything." What a wonderful feeling that was! - to know that I had been blessed with a life where my needs have been met and I truly can sit back and know my children don't go hungry, I have not only a roof over my head, but a roof that is attached to a home that is beautiful, warm, and filled with the people I love.

The conversation ended and then of course later that night a couple things came to mind - not things I need, mind you. These are all things one can live without. But with a greedy sparkle in my eye I decided to write them down, in case Santa's handsome elf ever wanted to give that question a second chance...

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A few baby "wants" (again, not needs, but they sure are fun to have):

I can't believe how lucky [blessed] we have been. The biggest laugh I've gotten out of this surprise pregnancy was the fact that last May when we had a yardsale I sold - even gave away - the last of our baby stuff, I was probably 2-3 weeks pregnant and just didn't know it. So we're basically starting from scratch and yet through the generosity of friends and neighbors we pretty much have everything we need. They have been thoughtful enough to offer their baby items they no longer wanted to hang onto. We have a crib, baby swing, baby bathtub, playmat, even carseat. I've been given some clothes and even diapers! People truly have been so good to us that we're well-equipped for Charli's arrival in February (January?????). The above 3 items are really all that's left on my baby wish-list.

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I am shuffling-challenged. I cannot shuffle cards gracefully or effectively. It's like watching a 3-year old trying to use scissors for the first time. My parents gave me their old shuffling machine, but the lure of it was too much for my kids and one day I found it in the playroom next to a pile of 52-pick-up and yes, they had shuffled on down to Buffalo and broken my shuffler. So I'd love a new one. Not only does it spare me the embarrassment of trying to control my hand-eye-coordination with a stack of UNO cards, it makes me look super-cool and chic that I even have one in the first place.

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I'm not a daily reader of my NOOK, but I love to keep it in my purse and when I find myself waiting (in the school carpool line, the doctor's office, or while our BMW (Big Mormon Wagon minivan) is getting the oil changed), it's wonderful to be able to pull it out and read a little something of my choosing. I'd love to put a few more books on there!

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I also wouldn't turn down a gift certificate to here:

to shop the after-Christmas sales, because next year I want a 6 ft. slim prelit tree for my front room window. Do we already have a tree? Yes - and I love it! It's in our family room and it has decorations from my childhood, Brett's childhood, our children's childhoods, and souvenirs from our travels. To me it represents who we are and where we've been. But I have a hankerin' to put a 2nd tree, a more formally decorated tannenbaum, in the room guests see first when they enter our home. I wanted it this year, but decided it would be smarter to be patient and hit those clearance sales in the days following Christmas. (See how greedy I am? One tree isn't enough...)

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A little birdy told me this was a delicious scent, and if I have a weakness for one thing, it's perfume. I can go cheap on many things in life - clothes, food, even some hair products. But man, do I love me some expensive perfume. And if it isn't expensive, I am enough of a snob I want it to smell expensive. Wouldn't mind trying out Victoria Secret's "NOIR"...

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This may sound unusual, but I've wanted to do it for a long time and never feel I can justify spending the money, so I'd love a gift certificate for some business that transfers home movies from VHS to DVD. Our VCR has finally bit the dust and it saddens me that I can't just pop in a videotape of memories to watch.