As the last day in 2008 I thought I would recap some of my favorite (and your) posts from the past year (or so). Thanks to all of my readers for providing me with an outlet for information that helps mothers. I’m thankful to have seen my readership grow over the past 12 months and hope it continues into 2009.

Here’s wishing you and your family a great New Year’s Eve tonight!

Some of my favorite posts:

• One Moms Story of Love, Hope and Faith — this is my all time favorite piece because it’s a true story that can inspire all of us to live in the moment.
• Thomas The Tank Engine is Ruining My Night
• Bumbo, My Beloved Bumbo
• Family Yard Day turns into Family Lazy Day
• Observations from My Two-Year-Old

Some of Your favorites:

• Car cake — my post on how I made a cute car cake for my son’s second birthday.
• Five Things You Should Never Do With a Banana
• Outpouring of Assistance for Inspiring Mom Blogger

Photo courtesy gfpeck.

As I sit here, 8 weeks to go with pregnancy number 2, I wonder how Michelle Duggar did this 15 times. Fifteen pregnancies. 170 months of being pregnant. It’s hard enough to do it once or twice, but 15 times. Luckily, she has a couple sets of twins or her pregnancy number would be higher.  How does she continue to do it?

According to an article in People.com,

They’ve had a new baby approximately every 18 months since [they were married].”

When you think about it, she must be so used to it that being pregnant is her normal. She’s been pregnant more than she has not been pregnant (as an adult).

I believe in having children. In dealing with what pregnancy brings you so that you can have a healthy child, but I have a limit. I realize I am lucky to be able to get pregnant and have biological children, but that doesn’t make the nine months of carrying the child easier. Michelle Duggar must have a body of steel. She and her husband, Joe Bob want more kids. More than 18 kids. How ever many they can have.

Their oldest child, 20, was married September 2008 and says on his Web site he and his wife also want to have as many kids as they are able.

Having both been raised in large families, we have agreed to trust God in the area of children and the size of it.”

Not only at the elder Duggar’s probably going to have more children, sounds like they soon will be grandparents!

How do you make your decision on how many children to have?

Related:

• Duggar Family Web site
• Josh and Anna Duggar Web site (The Duggar’s eldest son and his wife.)

I won’t be posting for a couple of days to enjoy time with my family. I hope that you enjoy time this season with yours.

Merry Christmas!!

Dear Santa:

I haven’t written in years, thinking I’m too old for your magic. This year, however, I wish I’d written sooner. You see, I’m in a jam. I’ve got so much going on that I really just want a few things for me for Christmas. Nothing big. (Well, OK, I do want that photography light.) But, what I really want are a few simple things:

• I’d love for you to bake some sugar-free sweets. I’ve been baking this month for others and would love for someone to bake for ME. I know you read my blog so I don’t have to remind you that I have gestational diabetes. (A terrible form of torture during Christmas.) Since I have been baking for others, I haven’t had the time to experiment with some sugar-free recipes that I really want and now I’ve run out of time.
• Replace the batteries in my favorite black watch. I haven’t worn it in nearly a year because I haven’t had a chance to get the battery replaced.
• Import my old addresses.dba file into a new contact management system so that I can create mailing labels.
• Upgrade my blog to the newest version of WordPress; I’m several versions behind.
• Send your elves down to my house on January 2, (I don’t think they will be busy) to take down and pack up all of my Christmas decorations.

When you arrive on Christmas Eve, can you set the clocks back two hours so I can get some sleep? I think I’m going to need the extra time.

I still have a little bit of shopping to do before Christmas. And, I have ALL of my wrapping to do. Thought I would share a clever way to wrap a bow for those of you in the same boat I am right now.