Goodbye November, Hello December!

Well, we survived Turkey Day. I envisioned lots of relaxation during my week of Thanksgiving - hahahahaha...


Monday was spent shopping with Mom. After one antique mall, an hour at Neiman Marcus, and a quick stint at Babies on the Boulevard, I had to call it quits. I was exhausted! I used to have serious shopping power - now just when I'm in the groove of spending, I have to sit and rest. And I'm not even sporting heels these days!


Tuesday was pie-baking day. I went over to my Dad's to use their new oven so I could bake all the pies at once. Sadly, our oven is old......perhaps the first oven ever invented. It's an inch bigger than our microwave and definitely not up to par for holiday baking. So I hauled all the ingredients over there and baked away. That evening was spent packing for our trip down to the in-laws. It's one thing to pack myself, but I can't even imagine what it will be like to prepare a baby for a few nights away from home. Even packing all of Brisket's necessities was tiring. We had her bed, chew toys, regular toys, food, treats, blankets, etc. - this dog does not go without. I think we're in for quite a shock :)


Wednesday - travel day. We left a tad later than planned, but everyone can blame me because I hit the snooze button about 3 times. The traffic was a breeze, thankfully. We made it south of Dallas in 20 minutes and for the first time EVER, I did not take a nap. Although, Rock probably preferred I had slept for a bit. I'm sure he planned to have a relaxing quiet drive, listening to George Strait's greatest hits and me snoring. However, I was full of energy and overly chatty, which made for a quick trip. We arrived and hugged all of the family. My beautiful sister-in-law, and her family drove down from Michigan and it was so much fun to spend time with all of them. All of the kids had grown at least a foot since our wedding last year. We all ate fajitas and the women headed to BINGO. The highlight was definitely riding with my mother-in-law as she drove 90 mph through all the winding country rodes to make sure we weren't late. I had a small heart attack, but we survived. Sadly, none of us won, but we did have a good time.


Thursday - bring on the turkey! I've never seen so much food. Turkey, ham, pork roast, broccoli casserole, green bean casserole, cranberries, 7-layer dips, brownies, queso, cookies, mashed potatoes, yams, cole slaw, dressing, gravy, pecan pies, apple pies, OH MY... I lasted until the 3rd quarter of the Cowboys game before falling deep into a coma on the couch. Waking up with drool on your face surrounded by family is always a treat. Thank goodness for those maternity pants - if I hadn't been sporting an elastic waistband, it could have gotten ugly.


Friday came and it was time to head back to Dallas. Brisket was sad to leave, but so exhausted from playing with Annie the German Shepard and Shawn's nephew that she didn't move the entire way home. I kept checking the backseat to make sure she was still breathing. Thankfully, traffic wasn't bad during our return and we made it home safe and sound.


All in all it was a nice holiday. We went with my parents Saturday night to see The Blind Side, which we loved, and relaxed the rest of the weekend. Well, AFTER putting up the Christmas tree and decorating the house. 23 weeks pregnant and never a dull moment...

Half-Way Mark

So I'm officially 20 weeks pregnant today. Half-way there! I can't believe we'll be holding our little baby girl in 20 weeks - time has absolutely flown by. And yet we still have so much to do...

We're in full swing of working on her nursery and not to disappoint some of you, but we will not be doing pink and brown. I know, I know, it's shocking. I've loved those colors forever, but I think our wedding covered it beautifully. Now it's time to expand our hue horizon. Baby Lyla will enjoy a more rustic-themed room, complete with a faint turquoise accent wall. I've scoured the earth for the perfect wicker wreaths to hang over her crib, distressed "L" decor, and vintage birdcage to hang (ok, Rock will be hanging it..........and painting for that matter). I think I've kept Etsy in business single-handily, ordering this and that. I LOVE Etsy! So her nursery is a modernish shabby chic with muggy turquoises, creams, and perhaps a splash of fuchsia here and there.

The crib should be here next week - so excited! I do feel a bit helpless - all the hard stuff is on Shawn. The painting, the shelf-building, the crib putting-together.........wait a minute - I am carrying this child! I suppose it almost equals out in the end..............well not quite. But it's nice that he is home and can help out. And we're still happily married after exhausting trips to Ikea, in which he patiently let me look at every inch of the store.

It is awesome to feel her moving around in there. She definitely responds to sugar........loves her sweets (unfortunately, just like mommy). I can't wait for Rock to be able to feel her. He is talking to her everyday and I do my best not to pee on myself from giggling. It's still so weird to have someone down there talking to your belly. I'm sure he is getting sick of me constantly asking him to inspect my belly for stretch marks, veins, or any other imperfections. I just know they're coming regardless of how much coco butter, vitamin E, almond oil concoction I'm basting myself with everyday (fine, twice or three times daily). I'm glistening more than a freakin' butter ball turkey!

Speaking of turkey, I can't wait for Thanksgiving - we're going down to Hallettsville to be with the in-laws and luckily, Shawn's sister and family are coming down from Michigan. We don't get to see them nearly enough, so we're excited. It's always fun to go down there and breathe fresh country air, look at the thousands of stars, and relax. And of course we'll do a belated Turkey Day with my Dad and Beth the weekend after - thank gosh for flexible family!