Merry Christmas!

As I am exhausted right now being nine months pregnant and all, I boycotted most traditions of Christmas. So, no tree, no lights, and no cards this year. However, I could not go without making my grandma's Swedish coconut cookies or without taking a picture of Alfie dressed in something festive. And this year, Heather's dog, Rosco, also is here to join in the torture. Aren't they the cutest little elves ever? I can hardly wait until next year. I'll have a baby and a dog to dress up!

36 Weeks: Let the Countdown Begin...

So I was awaken by a phone call this morning... school was delayed. Then just as I was getting out of the shower... school was cancelled! I was a little disappointed because 1. I have a ton to do at work today and 2. now I will lose a bad weather make-up day in the spring when I had planned on being at home with the baby. :( Something about icey roads, but personally, I think the roads are just fine. Oh well, I am making the best of things... laundry will get done, floors were swept, and Grandma's Swedish Coconut Cookies are being made! On a side note, I was frantically looking for warm pj's since it is 20 something outside and laundry still needs to be done.... I tried on these jammies from pre-pregnancy days and lo and behold! They actually fit!!!! The jacket doesn't fit around my belly anymore, but the pants fit just fine! Wahoo!!!

The Nursery

Slowly, but surely the nursery is coming together. The walls are painted. The crib and changing table are assembled. And last week, the recliner rocker came in. Now I just need to figure out what I am going to hang on the walls!

Here I am putting the crib together. Brandon came in to help me attach the springs, but I am proud to say this was more of an independent task!

The finished product. (Notice the kitty paws underneath he crib.)

Putting together the changing table. (All by myself!)



Working hard!

It took me several days over a couple of weeks to finish this because it was quite tiring, but Yea! We don't have to change her diapers on the floor!

My favorite part of the room! Where I am sure I will be spending many late nights!

32 Weeks

Baby Showers

I had my last Baby Shower this past weekend, but there are no pictures to show. It was a lovely shower with my friends, but I guess you will have to take my word for it. The following pictures are from my El Paso Shower last month and my Work Shower last week. I am finally starting to feel a little bit more prepared now! As if feeling totally prepared is even possible!

El Paso Shower

The cutest guests at the party.

Miss Melanie had been waiting patiently for me to cut the cake!

Healthy eating begins early.

Adorable burp cloths.

Me and Miss Melanie attacking the Edible Bouquet.

Work Shower

Her first hair bows.

I was so excited to get the bottle warmer. I had been up worrying it about it the night before for some odd reason. Now Brandon will have no excuses for feeding her in the middle of the night!

I am loving sitting in this chair at the end of a long days with the kiddos.

31 weeks

Happy Halloween!

Yes, I tortured Alfie as usual and I decorated my belly. Silly, I know, but so necessary since it looks like I swallowed a pumpkin!

You have the right to remain silent....

His mugshot. He looks guilty to me!

Profile view. Doesn't he look pitiful?


Yes, I actually did this to myself and it is much harder to do than it looks!

27 Weeks Belly Shot

We are officially in the third trimester and almost 7 months!

Yea for Little Girls!

After months of searching, I finally decided on the bedding for the nursery! I am thinking a white Jenny Lind style crib and maybe a green or yellow glider chair. definitely lilac walls! Yea!

23 Weeks

I feel so huge and I am only a little over half way there!

Her First Pair of Shoes!

Secretly since we found out we were having a girl, I having been jonesing to buy our little one her first pair of shoes. And since, Robeez are all the rage in baby footwear, I was planning on buying this brand. I finally broke down and bought a pair today at Whole Foods because they were on sale for $4 off, which isn't much , but it gave me an incentive to buy them. When I came home and put away the groceries, I left the shoes out on the counter for Brandon to see. Our proceeding conversation went something like this.


S: Did you see the shoes I got her today? They're all the rage in baby footwear.
B: Yeah, I saw them. What's so special about them?
S: I don't know, they're little and cute and made of leather.
B: Oh. So, why does she need them?
S: Because all the babies are wearing them these days. And she'll need them to complete her cute little outfits.
B: Oh. Are they even going to fit her? They look kinda big.
S: Yeah, she'll grow into them.
B: So, they're like crawling shoes?
S: Yep, she'll need different shoes when she starts to walk. She'll need more support.
B: Oh, OK.

I guess men really do not understand why it is that women need so many pairs of shoes!

The Hover Craft

After I began my second trimester and my belly started to grow, I was no longer able to sleep on my stomach as I have done for many years. All the books say not to sleep on your back any longer at this point either. So, what's a girl to do? Well, first she tries to prop up every extra pillow in the house around her to stay on her side and keep comfortable, but to no avail! The pillows kept moving and falling off of the bed. Brandon hated the invasion of the pillows and slept on the couch. No fun at all!

So, online I went in search of a solution. First I found the Bumpy Total Body Pillow. They carried it at Target, so I went and picked one up. It SUCKED!!! It was flat and offered no support. I was barely showing at the time and knew I was only getting bigger, so I would need something much better than that. Online I went again. This time I found a pillow by Leachco called the Back and Belly pillow. The BEST $70 I have ever spent in my life! I love it!

I didn't realize just how much I loved it until a couple weekends ago. We went to San Antonio for a "Babymoon," as some call it. We had a full size bed, which is considerably smaller than our King size and I braved the trip without it. I was miserable the entire weekend and barely got any sleep at all!

Here I am, back at home enjoying my sleepsaver, aka. "the hover craft."

Brandon, on the other hand was less than thrilled with this purchase as is takes up a considerable portion of the bed. (He decided to start calling it "the hovercraft" because of it's size and it looks like a flotation device!) I say, "was" less than thrilled. The other night, I went into the bedroom to find him comfortably propped up in the hover craft watching sports.

Brandon caught enjoying the hover craft!

Even Alfie enjoys the hover craft. (Kanga does too, but she doesn't like to pose for photos!)

It's a...

GIRL!!!

Hi-ho, Hi-ho! It's Off to Work I Go!

So, today was my first day back to work after a long, hot summer. I have somewhat mixed emotions. On one hand I was pretty bored and a little lonely this summer, not being able to to my usual activities. On the other hand, I am so ready to be done with it all!!!

Now about the belly...What a difference 4 weeks makes! I actually look like I am pregnant and not like I just wiped out a Taco Bell (as one of my dear friends put it!)

Check back tomorrow. Our sonogram appointment is at 1 pm!

Weird Cravings

Okay, so far I have not really had any weird cravings per say. I mean, I don't have a strange compulsion to go outside and eat dirt, or even to have pickles and ice cream for that matter. I do however want the occasional glass of cold lemonade. This morning however, at 5 am, I woke up hot as heck and irritated with Brandon for being in the bathroom and taking a shower. 15 minutes later, I am unable to fall asleep. Suddenly, all I can think about is pancakes and bacon covered in syrup and I am starving! So, up I go to the kitchen and I make myself my first breakfast of the day. First? you ask. Well, of course. I eat all of the time!!!!!

Baby Update

We had a doctor's appointment today and got to hear the heartbeat. All is well and I am feeling better. Our next appointment is in four weeks and it is the BIG one. The ultrasound! Yea!!!

The First Belly Shot!

15 weeks along! Expected due date is January 10th!

Our Trip to Maui

We just got back from our trip to Maui. We joined my parents and brother there. It was hot and humid, but beautiful! I only wish that pregnancy didn't make it feel ten degrees hotter! I left with a heat rash! Other that hat we had a lot of fun. The guys went snorkeling almost every day. Mom went shopping a bunch. I enjoyed the pool, the beach, and laying around reading. We went some place new every night for dinner, which really posed a pregnancy challenge for me. I didn't get to eat anything fun. For instance, we went out for steak and every else got their steak cooked medium rare. Mine came out looking like a piece of coal. I also didn't get to try any sea food because it seemed like everything was on the DO NOT EAT List. Oh well, there is always next time! Enjoy some pictures taken on our trip. There were tons more of course, but this will give you the gist of it!

Pretty scenery.

Our trip out to Wailea.

Mom and me in Lahaina waiting for a table at Cheeseburger in Paradise.

Eating at Ruth's Chris. Being pregnant makes steak houses no fun at all. No wine, no crab cakes, and beek jerky instead of steak! Yuck!

At Roy's Restuarant.

Underwater fun!

Mama's Fish House. Yum!

Enjoying our balcony. Check out the view!

The Feast at Lele. We all really enjoyed the luau.
We also enjoyed stuffing our faces.
Brandon enjoyed staring at the waitress. Hmmm.....

Dad enjoying the view of the ocean.

Enjoying the beach.

Soooo... is the baby growing in my thighs or my uterus?