12/31/10
2010 in Review
12/30/10
Books Read in 2010






Christmas 2010

12/21/10
Our Christmas 2010


12/20/10
Week 27

Total Weight Gain/Loss: This is a really personal question and I refuse to answer. Just kidding...but really the farther along I get, the more I realize how much I don't want to answer. Right now I'm at 26 pounds. I think this is the first week that I can see the weight in my face.
Maternity Clothes: All maternity pants and most shirts. The shirt pictured above is not maternity which could be why it looks SO TIGHT. We will retire that shirt now.
Gender: BOY!! Eli Tree
Movement: He moves A LOT at night. I didn't feel him much this weekend and it got me really worried. I came home from church on Sunday and drank a large coke trying to get him to wiggle around and move. Today my Dr told me if i put my phone on vibrate and put it on my belly it will get him to move.....interesting. He has been moving a ton today. I like to lift up my shirt and watch my belly move all around. I suggest only doing this in the comfort of your home.
Cravings: Just a cheeseburger on Sunday night. I could feel it in my bones I had to have it so bad.
Symptoms: Sleep has still been pretty bad this week. I have this horrible pain that I get from sleeping on my side, the only way to make it go away is to sleep on my back and while pregnant you aren't supposed to sleep on your back every night. I might try putting a pillow under half my back to make sure that I'm still elevated a bit and to hopefully help the pain. We will see if this helps. Also heartburn is coming back and I wake up with really bad leg cramps.
Best Moment this week: Spending the weekend relaxing with my husband. It feels like we are always on the go so it's nice to have a weekend here and there to do absolutely nothing but be together!
And my favorite husband quote of the week:
Weekly Weekend Update
So we watched Home Alone, ate some pepperoni pizza with a side of fried ravioli, followed by fresh funfetti cookies.
It was a good night.
Saturday we started our day by trying this little hole-in-the-wall breakfast cafe by our house. We have seen it a lot but never knew if it was any good.
It is one of those tiny little places that is either going to be downright nasty or completely amazing.
It was COMPLETELY AMAZING. I have a feeling I will be frequenting that breakfast place a few times before Eli makes his appearance.
After breakfast we ran around town and tried to get some last minute Christmas shopping done.
I say tried because we have no idea what to get a few people and we spent a lot of time trying to figure it out.
I also spent a good amount of time in Lowe's looking for my husband because he decided to walk away from me and not answer his cell phone when I called (he was on the other line).
But story is neither here nor there and might cause some not so good emotions to flare up again.
Later that night we tried some sample colors on the wall that will be Eli's nursery. I have a vision in my mind that I'm going for but not sure how to bring it into fruition. I think I've decided which sample below most fits the picture in my mind, but I still need some time to think about it.
After church we had a community lunch. My friend Jayma came by that to help me serve. We were dessert-servers. And as a pregnant woman I have to say that the desserts looked extra delicious.
I should have gotten an action shot of us serving our desserts but I couldn't find Luke and didn't want to ask somebody else to PLEASE STOP WORKING HARD AND TAKE OUR PICTURE. I only feel comfortable doing that with Luke.
So here we are after the lunch. Kinda posing the same, not on purpose.
Sunday night we had our Christmas staff dinner with the church. It was yummy and I ate my full meal, and then stopped on the way home and got a cheeserburger and tator tots. And I still could have eaten something else. I was SO HUNGRY. I think baby boy is growing.
I can't believe this week is Christmas week! I'm working Mon-Wed so it doesn't quite feel like Christmas is right around the corner, but it is. Craziness!
12/16/10
Time for Random
12/15/10
Week 26

I had stuff to do after work and knew I wouldn't see Luke till later that night when I was tired and sleepy looking so I had a co-worker take this picture at work. The sunlight is hitting my face which makes me look very angelic looking, don't be fooled. Also, we are focusing on the belly here, not the face.
Also in pregnancy news: sometime between Saturday and Tuesday I grew A TON. Actually I think it was Eli who grew, but still I got large(er). I can definitely tell he is bigger in my stomach, as I feel him in more than one place at a time. Plus my belly button has started doing weird things. I have a very deep belly button so I dont think I will get an "outie" but it has started changing shape according to where he is sitting. It's so funny to watch!
How Far Along: 26 weeks (actually I'm 27 weeks today but I like to recap the week before)
Total Weight Gain/Loss: I'm up to 21 pounds, but I mean really who is counting at this point? (besides the Dr. who will probably give me the smack down at my next appointment)
Maternity Clothes: All maternity pants. And if I'm going to be honest (which, when have I not been?) those are getting a little snug also. I'm not sure what I will wear in February but I'm looking for work appropriate Pajama pants. Shirts are all pretty much maternity. If I could go back in time I would have bought a size up in maternity pants instead of buying my usual size.
Gender: BOY!! Eli Tree
Movement: I'm not sure how much babies are supposed to move at this point, but he mainly just moves around at night. I feel him some during the day, but at night he is having a party in there!! Love of big movements and I feel movement on both sides of my belly at the same time. He's having fun in there and he is definitely bigger!!
Cravings: Nothing in particular. I honestly feel like my eating habits aren't that different from what they were pre-pregnancy. And every time I say this Luke busts out laughing, so apparently he thinks differently.
Symptoms: Little to no sleep has finally hit me. I have been tossing and turning every night this week and I think it's because he has been growing so much. I am exhausted during the day. I went to bed at 9:00 last night, I think the last time I went to bed at 9:00 was when I was 5 years old. Plus I wake up many times a night to go to the bathroom, most of the times they are false alarms, even though I felt like I was about to wet the bed!
Best Moment this week: Spending time with college friends talking about kiddos and pregnancy, and also feeling him a lot more.
And my favorite husband quote of the week:
Whoa, look at your belly, and you still have 3 months to go!!!
Always a source of encouragement that one.
And for the record, Luke's comments never bother me. He tells me all the time how beautiful he thinks I am while pregnant and mushy stuff like that. I choose to share the hilarious stuff he says when not thinking because it really is funny to me.
And a front shot. I can't get over how much I grew in a few short days! I'm loving watching this "science experiment" with my body. My mom told me to just get ready cause it's about to grow a lot more!

12/13/10
Christmas Decorations 2010
This is our first Christmas in our home and I was excited to see it all decorated for Christmas. We are quickly approaching our one year anniversary of moving into our home, and I have loved seeing the house through each season. Christmas is by far my favorite season in this home, although I do love summer when the grass and trees are so lush and green. But nothing can beat watching a Christmas move with the hubs, with nothing but the light of the Christmas tree. So sweet.
I don't have a ton of decorations, but I know it's something that will grow throughout the years. I have already been given some great hand-me down Christmas items from my mom and grandma, and those pieces will always be special to me, and I know I will continue to grow my own.
Let's start at the front of the house the front door:
When you walk in, our dining room is to the right:
I got these printables from this blog. I LOVE them and got compliments on them this weekend when we had our friends over.
Walking into the living room you see the tree:
And the tree with the wall piece that my mother-in-law had made to match our tree. She LOVES Christmas decorations so she gets really into it all. I love this piece.
Our fireplace doesn't have a mantle, I have gone back and forth with deciding whether to add a mantle or not. Luke doesn't care either way, so it will be my decision. I was really sad to not have a mantle to decorate for the Chrsitmas season, but I also love the uniqueness of our fireplace and I'm not sure if I want to mess with it. Maybe I will decide before next Christmas.
I got the stocking holder at Kirkland's.
Another printable that I got at Craftily Ever After and also our Christmas card from last year. I decided to start a tradition of framing our card from the previous year. I like it.
Our nativity scene. I LOVE this. Some friends gave it to us the first Christmas we were married and I cry every year when I take it out of the box. True story.
I love the Willow figurines, and especially love them at Christmas. Each year my grandma gives us a Willow ornament for our tree, with the year on it. I will always treasure these.
A Christmas Scentsy warmer in our living room. It is burning Christmas Cottage. Yum.
A few small details in the kitchen:
These vases (is that what they are called?) travel throughout our house when I am wanting to change up things. I move them around and they feel the void of buying something new. This year I put these colored mini ornaments in them, I love the way they turned out:
Santa on the kitchen table:
He is pretty and glittery:
A santa cookie jar:
My nativity Scentsy warmer, this is my favorite Christmas warmer, and also a snowman platter, I want to get a Santa platter next year to match the other santas in the kitchen:
Thanks for touring our home!
Weekly Weekend Update - College Christmas Party
All but one of us live in Oklahoma, but we are all spread out living in different cities and Tambra lives in Houston. She moved there after getting married last August. But she was able to find a cheap plane ticket and fly back for our college get together this year!
We met each other in the dorms freshman year and lived together for most of the rest of college. As any group of girls does, we have had our ups and downs, but remained friends throughout the years.
I was a bit stressed leading up to the event, as it was at my house and when any event is at your house you want to be fully prepared and want everything to be "perfect". But at the end of the day on Saturday it was clear that my worries were unnecessary. It was a great day, with some great friends.
I am thankful for the people in these pictures. They have provided many fun times and laughs throughout the last eight years of my life, and I love that we still get together each year.
The annual girl's picture in front of the tree:
Here we both are at 26 weeks:
My sweet husband and I at the end of the day. We are thankful for a home where we can host our friends and enjoy a fun day with them.
12/7/10
Week 25
Total Weight Gain/Loss: Not sure, but I bet it's a lot. I'm going to try and sneak over to the wellness center on campus and weigh myself.
Maternity Clothes: All maternity pants. Shirts are a combination of regular and maternity. But getting to be mainly maternity. Actually pretty much all shirts are maternity minus the shirts that I wear underneath my other shirts.
Gender: BOY!! Eli Tree
Movement: I've been feeling him more and more lately. It doesn't feel like swift "kicks" it mainly just feels like he's rolling around all in there.
Sleep: Horrible! I was sleeping on my back, but decided that my stomach was getting big enough that I should probably go ahead and start sleeping on my side. Um... how do people sleep on their side?? I toss and turn all night long. My dr told me not to panic if I wake up on my back, which is good because I find myself waking up on my back, so I roll over on my side and try to fall asleep again.
What I miss: Not really anything this week. Other than sleep! HA!
Cravings: Italian food. I could eat it for every meal.
Symptoms: I started taking some medicine for my heartburn and it has been SO much better this week. Lately I feel like I have to go to the bathroom so badly, and I will run to the bathroom, sit down, and barely anything comes out. I guess Eli was just "resting" on my bladder. Also I had that bad nose bleed this week and I've been getting bad leg cramps.
Best Moment this week: Registering was a lot of fun!
And my favorite husband quote of the week:
12/6/10
Registering and a Bloody Nose
Fast forward 2 years later and it's time to register for baby items.
Despite our past, we managed to successfully complete a day of registering and even managed to have fun while doing it!
I was the scanner and scanned our items while Luke meticulously marked items off on our registry checklist the store provided. He took his job seriously and was so frustrated if he couldn't find the item on the checklist.
Things did get a bit confusing at times and we made several phone calls to my mom and I pulled up my blog of this post several times to reread comments and posts.
I am really excited about the items we registered for. We are that much closer to seeing our sweet little guy!!
Here we are in all of our registering glory. I am always shocked at how pleasant Luke looks in pics because he definitely thought taking our picture was the dumbest idea ever.
Registering is very exhausting. This big mama was tired and needed to rest her feet.
As we were leaving the store, Luke told Eli that he was lucky he didn't have to hear us fighting, that we were kind of crazy last time, but this time around registering was much smoother.
Afterwards we ate lunch at Chili's. I love their queso.
On the way home we decided to make a stop at Best Buy which is in the busiest intersection of our town. I mean cars everywhere, people honking, cars stuck in traffic for hours, craziness.
It was at the point when we were right in the middle of this mess that my nose deiced to start GUSHING blood.
I'm not talking about a cute little nose bleed, "oops there's a drop of blood" nose bleed. I'm talking a nose bleed like somebody chopped my nose off.
And in that moment all I could worry about was how embarrassing it was.
I wasn't worried about getting blood on my maternity jeans that I have worn 293 days in a row, or my new shirt, or even the seats in our car. All I was worried about was everybody in the other cars looking at me with my nose plugged, head bent back and blood still POURING out of my nose.
I'm not really sure why that would embarrass me so badly? I mean I'm the girl who pretty much shares every detail in my life, causing my mom to beg me to STOP SHARING SO MUCH INFORMATION WITH THE WORLD.
But for some reason that nose bleed on that busy street on a Saturday afternoon just about did me in.
We are going to pull the pregnancy card on that one.
Luke kept saying "why is your nose bleeding?!?" And I kept saying "I don't know but its so embarrassing are people staring?!?!"
I'm not really sure WHY he was so concerned with WHY my nose was bleeding.
And I'm not really sure WHY I thought people in other cars would be looking at me, or even care that my nose was bleeding
I finally got the bloody nose under control, just as Luke pulled into a Starbucks and ran inside to get paper towels, I couldn't go inside, I was an unsanitary mess.I asked him to get a bunch of wet paper towels and he came back with about 150 dry paper towels and one paper towel that was barely wet on the corner.
Our communication at its finest.
But I managed to get myself cleaned up, while Luke kept asking WHY my nose was bleeding.
I think the fact that I am big and pregnant and bleeding out of my nose was alarming to him.
I would like to see that same alarm at 2:00am when I wake up screaming because I have the worst leg cramp ever.
Theoretically speaking of course.
And I just spent entirely too long telling a story about my bloody nose.
12/2/10
Thursday Thoughts
2. Men are the most difficult people to shop for. What the heck do you get your dads and brothers for Christmas?!?!? Annoying.
3. I cannot believe that it is December. Um....where did this year go? I really think this was the fastest year ever. E.V.E.R.
4. I LOVE this time of the year and getting Christmas cards in the mail. Unfortunately due to our financial situation this year I didn't feel right spending money on Christmas cards, it just didn't seem necessary. However a family friend who takes picture and designs cards offered to do our cards in exchange for some Scentsy products (that I sell). This was AMAZING and helped so much. Thankful for the little things like that.
5. I wish I could see all the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills prior to plastic surgery. I think it would be interesting.
6. Speaking of, I love Andy Cohen. He is hilarious.
7. I have been craving Italian food like nobody's business. I could eat Olive Garden everyday. Except I don't. Sad.
8. I think I have started doing too many numbered random posts. But its a good way to get my thoughts out.
9. I was looking back through my blog and I love that I did Project 365 for the first part of the year. I wish I would have stuck with it all year long. I'm going to attempt to do this again in 2011.
10. Tonight I ate the most delicious spinach artichoke dip ever. I also felt like I could actually feel my butt getting bigger as I ate it. It might have been my mind playing tricks on me, or I might just be really in touch with my body, but I swear I felt it getting bigger.