We're Half Way There!

Dear Little B,
It's official, I'm on the decent and there are 136 days to go (give or take) until we meet face to face! That's right, we're half way through and the countdown has officially begun. The countdown for your arrival and for my existence back into pants that button! Wahoo!  

two squishy little feet to play wiggle!

fingers better to tug on your heart strings!

We've been silently whispering brainstorming ideas at night as we say our prayers and sitting in your room considering the possibilities and the ideas that we've talked about. I like laying there thinking about what will be in that room. Laughing to myself as I picture it filled and full of joy!  Your dogs, Tucker & Leeya have already created some sort of fort for you; don't worry you'll meet them soon.

Twenty weeks to go and there's lots to think about, but we're sure having fun putting the pieces all together. I know that the rest of the world is looking forward to your spark as well, but I'm counting on the little moments we get to hold deep in our hearts that were made just for us!

So...now that the hustle and bustle of Christmas is quieting down, let's get crackin' on that list of things to do!

A Very Merry

Boy oh boy it's been a whirlwind around here this last week!
Between visitors, holiday excitement and the joy of the season, Tim and I are pooped! Every year we try to maintain some sense of tradition, spend as much time with family as possible and find time to enjoy the holiday with each other as a family too. It's a lot, and even though we grumble sometimes because it always catches up to us, it's all worth it.  Instead of doing a weekend review, I think I'll highlight the week because there was so much going on!

Tim's brother and his girlfriend stayed with us for a few days and we hit some great Austin-y places.  I was glad that Tim was able to get in his annual big-brother-moment when we went to Amy's Ice Cream to play on the playground.  I wish there was video of Dan spinning round and round because it will never be re-created, but sadly I wasn't very good about taking my camera with me on our holiday journey.

There were delicious family dinners, lots of family laughter, a round of Spite & Malice (family card game), and even a day in San Antonio/Sea World with Tim's Sister and Step-Dad. What a treat! It was cold and drizzly most of the day, but the lights were awesome and we got to see all of the animals. I even fed a dolphin! I haven't been to Sea World in years, and it still has that magical touch where I leave wanting to be an animal trainer when I grow up!

The holiday was/is just as it should be, wrapped up in a bow of family on all sides! We missed our extended loved ones in California, Tennessee, Virginia, Florida and everywhere in between but we giggled remembering holidays and memories spent together and the wonderful smile that they all bring to our hearts.

*Highlights*

There's an awesome new addition to our kitchen, the Keurig coffee maker!

Feeling what I think is actual movement (and not just gas) on Christmas!

Taking Tim to see his first movie in at least a year, and sitting on the second row because it was so crowded.

Telling Tim that I can't wait to be in pants that button again next Christmas!

Opening the mystery gift that showed up at our door for Little B and finding out it was from some very dear friends of ours! It was a wonderfully, adorable surprise!

Watching Tim still get excited about new toys! He loves his new remote control helicopter from his Dad!

Tim opening a Christmas gift to him from his Mom only to find a 3 pack of baby bottles for Little B!

Getting our official welcome in the church bulletin!

Seeing Beauty & The Beast a week before Christmas, I could have jumped on stage and sang every word. OK, maybe not in the right key, but still...

 

All in all it was a wonderfully blessed holiday and we couldn't be more thankful for the year we've had, the journey that we are on and the people that are riding the wave with us.

Thank you for the merriment 2011!

Love, Joy & Peace for 2012!

Weekend Review

The weekend turned out beautiful! The weather was chilly, but the sun was out and this girl loves the sun!
Oh and holy jingle bells - I didn't get sick! Thanks Little B for keeping my super-powered immune system nice and strong!

Pictures of our backyard looking so nice and pretty thanks to our yard guy & pool boy (Tim)!

Tim's Mom found this outdoor furniture at an Estate Sale last weekend and we're so glad she did! It's awesome!

Tucker enjoyed the backyard and some sunshine too!

Every year I try to find a way to display all of our Christmas cards (probably my favorite thing about Christmas) and this new addition to our holiday decoration has got me smiling daily!  I love adding the cards that come in every day to the garland.

Here's what the toy chest is looking like these days. Just waiting for it to dry so that we can put it back together and see what else we want to add to it (if anything).  I know that Tim's very excited to get it out of his garage.

Meet Tracy, Tim's new iphone!   Yes that's right, he's named her.  Between his old, nextel brick-style phone and his first edition blackberry, he deserves this step-up in technology.  

Other Weekend Highlights:

*Tim's Brother and Brother's girlfriend arrived Sunday night from Virginia for a week of Christmas festivities!

**  We went to a Christmas party on Saturday night of some friends that we know from the lake house. I always tease about crossing the line between how you know certain people and then getting to know them in other circumstances, especially when you start mixing lake life with real life in town. Turns out these folks are fun both at the lake and in town! Sometimes lake life and city life don't always mesh.  There was a white elephant gift exchange and I lost the best Santa Hat that I'd ever seen, but on the upside, I got a pretty funny gift that I can regift at the next white elephant party that will be sure to cause some laughter!

***At the above mentioned Christmas party I was told that I was keeping my figure very well for being pregnant. I wasn't speechless (which never happens). The whole party came to an awkward silence and finally I think Tim said, "Thanks...I think" for the both of us. Everyone laughed and we were able to move along in the party.

****I think we've just about got all of our Christmas shopping done! Wahoo! There's just one more little thing that I need to get and it's pretty easy, so I won't be fighting any huge crowds. I'd like to go ahead and say that I'm very grateful for the invention of online shopping!

***** I've already said it once, but it's definitely a highlight:  I didn't get sick and catch what Tim had earlier in the week.  I was really worried.  I'm not a good thrower-upper as it is, and mixing that with a belly and all does not sound like any fun at all!

It feels good to be bad sometimes...

Now my belly isn't quite this big, but this is how I feel sometimes.

I know there are things that I shouldn't do, for instance go to a Christmas party where there are people that have been ill, but I want to go! I hate missing out on fun, even break-dancing-kind-of-fun!  Tim wouldn't allow me to go to his work holiday party this week because there was a flu going around the office.  I threw a temper-tantrum, told him that I had a kung-fu immune system and pouted till I was blue in the face. I still didn't get to go. However, Tim went without me and still woke up the next morning with a killer stomach flu. We're still waiting to see if I get it. Keep you fingers crossed people!  There's been some major disinfecting going on around our house in hopes that we've kicked the funk out for good today though.

I have joked around with my Mom that this pregnancy has been nice to me because when Little B comes it's going to be a mini-Tim (regardless of gender) and will definitely keep me on my toes!  Really though, we all like to cut loose, and no one wants to miss out on something fun right? That goes for Little B too I think. There's some excitement to come and I'm getting ready for it!

It's not bad when there's a weird pregnant chick trying her hand at break dancing, or booty shaking for that matter, is it?  Now, if you see me spinning on my head, to a boombox, with some gangsters, at the corner of 6th and Congress, on a cardboard box, then maybe we should talk about what's good and bad for Little B, but for now...eh we're doing just fine. 

Weekend Review

The weekend was great! Holiday parties, productive home projects and celebrating my sister-in-law Erin's 21st birthday! Here's some random pics through the week/weekend!

Some say cravings are pickles & ice cream, but I have always loved both - separately that is! Tim makes fun of my love for pickles (always has) so I snapped that picture just for him one day when I snagged a glorious pickle at lunch!

HIGHLIGHTS

* Little B got its first package in the mail! Tim made me put it under the tree and now I can't say thank you to whomever sent this awesome surprise until after the holidays.   I have to admit though, it will be super fun to have it to open on Christmas morning.

*Erin's birthday was awesome! She braved a tattoo (the pic above is her getting ready), we went ice skating, to dinner and then to the Zilker Christmas Tree for some spinning! I love the tree and the lights. It really helps put the spirit in the festivities!

*  My chest/toy box for Little B is coming together and I'm really looking forward to being done.  We were going to paint our old dresser also and reconfigure it a bit to use it as a changing table/dresser for Little B, but now I'm second guessing all of the nooks & crannies. We'll see how things finish out with this small project before we make any drastic decisions.

*  My belly is looking more and more like I drank too much Miller Lite. It's a bit difficult to hug someone without Little B going in for the hug as well.  I wore my first official "maternity shirt" on Sunday night and had to laugh as I told Tim I looked like an animal (I think it's the raptor) from Jurassic Park.  If you're looking for a good laugh, ask me to do the impression. It's pretty hysterical.

A Whole New Meaning for Organic

borrowed from a company called Pumpease Organics

I receive multiple silly emails daily with all sorts of deals and steals for all sorts of stages in your life. Sometimes these deals are wonderfully exciting, other times I get pictures like this and I run away screaming from the computer. I think this picture will forever haunt me.

I know there are lots of ways to parent and nurture your children, and many different schools of thought when it comes to nursing, but wow. This picture. There aren't enough words to describe my feeling of icky-ness when I look at it.

Just sayin'.

Weekend Review

Aah the weekend.
The rainy, cold and snugly weekend left Tim and I antsy, but not wanting to do anything all at the same time.
We got some pictures on the walls, had our first fire in the fireplace and even prepped a chest that I'm going to paint for Little B's room!

Weekend Laughs & Memories:

* Santa came early when Tim won a GREEN EGG at a silent auction Friday night! He was so excited that I thought there were tears in his eyes. I've been told that this thing is literally the ultimate cooking experience. Tim can't wait to have it proudly in our backyard. I think Tim will make me find a cover for his new green friend.

* Tim reluctantly (I begged and pleaded) came with me to try on maternity clothes. Um, can you say bonus points! This baby daddy went to the MALL (I haven't gotten him there in 2+ years) during the holiday season in yucky weather and there was no beer included!  As you can see, he made the best of it, and looked pretty good with the fake baby bump! :)

*  Surprising Erin (Tim's Sister) with some Tiff's Treats! For those of you not in Austin, or who maybe don't know about Tiff's Treats...they are delicious cookies and brownies that are served WARM! I loved getting to see Erin, especially since we both got a yummy treat out of it too!

*  The tree is decorated and looks awesome!  It was sitting naked for about 2 days until we got around to it, but I'm happy to say that we have officially decked the halls. I love the traditions that we have created that seem to be a bit of a compromise between our two upbringings. We're somewhat strange and name our trees...I know there's really no explanation, but this year's tree is named Chuck. He's pretty great. Oh and did I mention that our house smells wonderful? Well it does, you should come get a whiff!

*  We stocked up on firewood to help us stay warm through the cold snap Austin is getting right now, and we made a friend doing it! Gotta love an older guy in coveralls/overalls! I think when Tim turns 70 that will be the first thing I buy him. I can't help it, old men in overalls gets me every time!

*  We also caught lots of football games, saw the movie Friends with Benefits (very funny and cute, although the ending was a bit far fetched), and I wined about not having a puzzle because that's what I do when I'm bored and stuck inside.  I'm glad we were forced (because of the weather) to have a low-key weekend because from here to the end of the year is going to be a fun-holiday.loving-busy.as.heck-whirlwind!

Things You Won't See

We recently went to an event in a new, trendy, part of Austin.  While we were participating in the casino games (chips exchanged for raffle tickets), I glanced across the outside patio to see a man wearing a bizarre wrap that looked like an ace bandage wrapped all over his torso. At first I couldn't figure out what this new accessory was, but then when I saw him sit down next to a woman holding a very small baby. Now, granted, I know there are all sorts of slings and baby carriers, but I can promise you won't see Tim sporting some crazy, hippy, (read very female) item around at a nice, adult event with friends and colleagues...especially if the baby isn't even in the silly thing! On the flip-side, I know I can't promise that in our own home we won't have some weird parenting practices that work for us that others might find completely strange, but we'll figure those out in our own space so that we can laugh at ourselves, instead of others wondering what the heck is that guy wearing!  *excuse that horrible run-on sentence*

I mean really?  Who does this? "Oh sure honey, Bobby and I are going to go mow the lawn. Oh no, don't worry, I'll have him wrapped to me. It's so comfortable and easy!" I won't even mention the five other things that Tim found wrong with this photo.  

This is so not Tim, and honestly I don't think I could take him seriously if it were.  I'm sure that things are going to change a bit for us, and I would be disappointed if they didn't, but there are certain things that I'd like to somewhat maintain.... our style, our "swagger", and our sense of humor being first and foremost I think. When you live In A Benton World, if you don't have a sense of humor, you don't have anything.

Happy Weekending! Hope you're wearing a fantastic accessory (no baby necessary) to your next night out!