Jill sent us:

<<  And this
 shall be a sign unto you, that this is the normal way to feed a baby.  Ye
 shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes & lying in a manger.  >>

Loved it!  However, let me point out one thing....IM(NS)HO, the "manger" was
very large and accomodated both Mary and Jesus easily.  I don't think she
birthed on the dirty stable floor.  I think that Joseph cleaned out a large
manger (remember this was the stable of an inn which had to house all the
visitor's animals as well -- who on earth would bother with those little bitty
things we see in traditional nativity scenes??) and filled it with fresh hay
for Mary to birth in.  And, I think the local midwife was there, along with
Mary's mother -- and probably Joseph's mother too -- remember ANYONE who was
of the house and lineage of David had to go to Bethlehem to be taxed, so they
had to go too.  Anyone who is thinking Joseph delivered this baby by himself
-- nah, I don't think so.  (OK, so my dh delivered Timothy, but at least I
knew what to do and was there helping him between pushes...but that's another
story...like Mary & Joseph, we didn't have any electricity either -- but I did
have a bed, and didn't have to share with the animals).  There were probably
lots of people there.  It's possible of course that they had set up some sort
of housekeeping in the stable, as it doesn't say that she birthed the night
they got there -- it says, "and while they were there, the time came for her
to be delivered..."  (paraphrase).  It's also possible that the innkeeper
simply didn't accept their HMO [not preapproved, you know], and wouldn't let
them in.  <VBG>

Anyway, I suspect that Mary was also in the manger, breastfeeding Jesus when
the shepherds came to visit, while Joseph was feeding her figs, dates, and
giving her sips of wine.  And her mother was bustling about, cleaning up as
best she could, clucking about how dreadful it was that her grandson had to be
born in a stable of all places -- I wonder if SHE knew that he was to be the
Savior?

It's fun to speculate anyway.  At least we are quite certain that the UPS
truck didn't pull up in front of the stable and drop off a case of Similac
with iron!

For all of you celebrating tonight and tomorrow -- have a very Merry Christmas
-- and to everyone, the happiest of New Years!

Warmly,

Jan Barger, in Wheaton, IL where it is sunny, nippy, and there will be no snow
this year for Christmas!