Wow, It is almost Christmas.

So I'm thinking that maybe this year I am a bit of a scrooge, not because I want to be but that is the way that it is turning out. The money is so tight, I'm having a hard time getting into everything. This is the first year that Phil and I haven't got to any Christmas parties and no shopping. So, I have put a very small tree up, no presents under it, and no Christmas cards sent out in the mail. Oh why am I such a Scrooge this year? But in my heart I'm not. I am having my children with me, my Mom, and my family. I am just not spending any money. But that is fine. Family and friends are precious to me, and they are all the gifts that I need.

And Now for the update on "Peanut".

The most dramatic development this week: Reflexes. Your baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, his toes will curl, his eye muscles will clench, and his mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, if you prod your abdomen, your baby will squirm in response, although you won't be able to feel it. His intestines, which have grown so fast that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into his abdominal cavity about now, and his kidneys will begin excreting urine into his bladder. From crown to rump, your baby-to-be is just over two inches long (about the size of a lime) and weighs half an ounce

So, this Scrooge is wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas. May it and your New Year be full of laughter, love, and many blessings.

Charlie