Merry Christmas 2013!

So we are super lame and don't send out Christmas letters. Sorry, guys! There are lots of pictures of us (or at least of our adorable offspring) on Facebook, and here is our electronic version of a Christmas letter!
2013 was definitely a fun and crazy year for us, and involved a lot fewer medical problems and hospitalizations than 2012-hooray!
Josh is about to start his last semester of school. He will graduate in early May of 2014 with a Bachelor's degree in English. We aren't sure what will happen after that, or what may or may not change with our family dynamics or life situation, but we are super excited for him to achieve this milestone! He has worked really hard in the English program here and will graduate with an amazing GPA! I think he also feels that he has learned a lot about writing on the way, which will hopefully help him as he seeks to finish working on some books and other writing projects he had started. He is always looking for feedback, so if you are interested in reading something from him, let us know! He has been keeping pretty busy between school and being Ben's full time caretaker as well as all-around house despot (I haven't cooked a meal in a VERY long time, and let me tell you, he can cook circles around me anyway!).
I am doing okay-other than being extremely pregnant! (But thankful to have made it to this point of pregnancy, so even that is doing okay!) Still working for the university as a physical therapist and clinic supervisor of a freestanding clinic on the north side of town. Definitely still struggling to find the work/mom balance, if such a thing even exists. This year, I am happy to report that I have not been hospitalized once (and hopefully the only reason I would be hospitalized in the last remaining few days of the year is if Hadassah comes!) so that has really been very nice. I have been thoroughly enjoying Ben during the moments I do have with him, though I wish I had more time-he just grows up so fast! But I know from talking to my mom that is the case even if you stay home with your child.
Ben continues to grow and change at a very rapid pace! He is really at a very fun stage right now-walking and communicating (I'm not sure I can exactly say "talking"-he does have a big vocabulary in terms of number of words he knows, but he doesn't really string them together much) and very interactive. He gives hugs and kisses (on his own and by request) which is also wonderfully fun! He typically sleeps on his own without waking now, though sometimes he needs a little attention in the night-but the norm now is for him to sleep through the night or settle back down on his own, which is really very nice! The child eats constantly (which I'm sure is why he is so tall and also a reflection of the fact that he is really in perpetual motion)-and I am pretty sure he frequently eats more than I do in the course of any given day! Some of his favorite things include: eating, talking on the phone (Facetime), looking at photos and videos of himself on the phone, The Bellybutton Book, hugs, being held, being played with, hollering "Daddeeeeeee!!!" if the kitchen timer beeps, showers, nursing, his new carseat, and pushing buttons. I'm excited to see how he does as a big brother. I know it will be a big change for sure, but I really think he is the type of kid who will enjoy having siblings. I hope!
Hadassah is still cooking at the moment, though she has given us several false alarms (and I still have a sneaking suspicion she doesn't intend to stay in there too much longer-which is fine, as she is now at a "safe" gestational window to come). I am so excited to see this little girl's personality and hold her in my arms. I'm definitely looking forward to maternity leave (though dreading having to go through the "leaving my children to go back to work" stage again) for the sake of both her and her big brother. I know there will be lots of challenges and lots of joys with this new adventure of parenting childREN instead of just "little son"-and I pray that we have lots of grace to do so well and wisely in this coming year!
We love you all and miss those of you we haven't seen recently! Hopefully the next blog post will tell of Hadassah's safe arrival!