Baby Shower #2

This past Saturday I had a baby shower in Palestine. I drove up with my mother-in-law and got there just in time for lunch (well planned no?)

I get out of the car, I don't make it halfway down the sidewalk and my mom and grandma find me. Mom starts crying and grabbing my stomach

(she hasn't seen me since I got a belly!) and so grandma cries to. What nice southern lady manners, not letting anyone cry alone. (name that movie)

Before I know it the camera's are out. I am smiling and hugging and posing.

When I see the photos later I could just die. Hello? Someone let me touch up my hair and makeup will ya?

So here is my 29 week bump with my cousin's 38 week bump.

I have some nice hair in that one huh? No lip color either. Thanks guys. I later heard my male cousin on the phone say "you should see Breann and Audrea try to hug, it's pretty funny."

Men Suck.

After lunch we caravan'd out to the party site, a place called To the Moon and Back in Montalba, TX. This is what we saw when we pulled up:

How awesome is that??

Outside shot of the building:

The Party Room, all decorated:

And check out this cake!

I opened all the presents after a game or two. I was happy to see the diaper bag that Lee agreed to carry around and not feel like a putz:

And my grandfather gave me an antique Amtrak train set:

Pretty neat huh?

On Sunday I got to meet Olivia LeeAnn Tatum, the newest addition to the Great Grand Children (the 3rd girl!) She is 2 weeks old.

Audrea is due any second with a girl, Zoey Mae Williams, and then I am behind her with the first Great Grandson - Logan! Babies everywhere!

You might be in your third trimester when...

1. You are sitting still at your desk doing nothing, then your face turns beet red, your arm pits get sweaty, and you start panting. Yay hot flashes!
2. Mexican food is a food group.
3. You can't sleep because there is a basketball strapped to where your stomach used to be.
   
4. 
   

My first baby shower!

I have to say, I am really lucky to work with such great folks. Everyone gets along and we all support each other.

So to have 2 people in the office only 7 weeks apart in their pregnancies, things have been interesting!

Yesterday, the office threw us a joint shower! I am really touched by how generous everyone was and we had a really nice time!

Ok so here are just a few photos of our little party:The cake! Dessert Gallery... Yum!

Presents!

There I am in all my 28 weeks glory!

This is Sheridan, she is ahead of me by 7 weeks and having a girl!How cute is that towel???
I loved those little outfits!

We had a very very nice shower and both were lucky to have such generous and happy people around us.

Next shower: Sept 25 in Palestine.

I have ordered thank you notes just in time!

Thursday Fill In

Outside my window..it's dark...
The time is..9.58PM
Today I feel.. I felt great actually. just tired of the heat.
I am thinking.. I am so glad tomorrow is Friday!
At the moment, I am thankful.. for the wonderful people at the baby shower today!
I am going..bed here pretty soon.
I am wearing..black tank top and yoga pants
I wish..I still had Fridays off. I am thankful, however that my company is doing great and I went back to full time so fast.
I am reading.. A Charlie Huston book and Real Simple Magazine. Almost done with both. Hmm, book store trip on Sunday?
I am working on.. paying bills. Yuck!
I am hoping.. i continue to feel so great now that I am entering the last trimester!
I am hearing..Something on TV Lee is watching.
I bet you didn't know.. that Lee is the most important thing in my life and I can't wait to see how wonderful a dad he is!
One of my favorite..times of year is FALL!
I confess..I worry constantly about being a good mother, good wife, and good doggie mom.. all at the same time.

Weekend Plans..

Saturday: Hair! Yay! Shopping and then going to an 80's party! I will be the pregnant cheerleader and Lee will be the jock that knocked me up.
Sunday: Lee is watching football in the Man Cave at Ben's so I will be shopping (books, baby stuff, groceries.) Otherwise, resting! Baking cookies maybe? Getting the house ready for my mom's visit more likely...

I nabbed this from Okie's!

Things to do with a pregnant belly

We all know the main purpose of a preggo belly - to incubate a tiny human.

While that is all well and good, you end up finding many other nifty uses.

For me it's either holding extra flour for me while baking..
Or
Holding "things".

There are many things my belly, @ nearly 28 weeks, is great at holding for me.

Like coffee mugs:
(Say Hi to Teddy! on the ottoman who gets increasingly curious as to what I am doing..)

And ice cream bowls:(I love my latte bowls from Anthropologie. I love the cookies and cream ice cream that was in that bowl a little more...)

My phone has found a second home here:
(oy the fingerprints)

Now and then the belly is used as a ledge to rest a book or magazine:(Hello fall issue of Real Simple! I want that grey chair....)

Super awesome and convenient arm rest:(also good for feeling all those kicks and punches! Teddy is demanding a head pat...)

And on the rare occasion I get to hold this, the remote is cozy and warm here as well:
(head pat granted, Teddy is back to snuggling with froggy...)

It's super fun when one of these items is resting on my newfound shelf and Logan kicks and they move.

How's that for a parlor trick?

Are you ready for some FOOTBALL??!!!

Sunday we attended a football kickoff party at Jennifer's house.
I have to say, of all the parties I go to (you know, I am such a socialite and all) Jenn's are the BEST. Best food, best fun, best everything.
I had high hopes for this party and I was not let down!

First the FOOD:
Seven Layer Dip. No one else makes it like she does..In fact I don't' think any other chips were opened because everyone was eating the dip.
Even Lee, right out of the middle like a caveman.

Then the other sides: little smokies in sweet and sour sauce. Now, this is the sauce I have heard of a million times and never thought would be good but it so is. Grape jelly mixed with chili sauce.
See? Sounds odd.. but it's good!
And queso with meat in it.

Yes please!And to top it all off: WINGS. Grilled wings that tasted better than any stupid fried hot wing I have ever had...

Oh i think that's venison sausage. I didn't eat that. I did eat some of those cookies in the background and like (2) brownies.
But don't tell my Dr that.

Please?

Jenn has 2 Tibetian Terriers.
They hate the heat.
So they lay in front of a fan like this:

Being that I am in my 7th month of pregnancy (27 weeks) and it's freaking 97 degrees outside all the time...
I really wanted to be that dog.
So when I got home I laid on the bed in front of a fan and was blissfullly happy!

In about a month we have a baby shower planned at Jennifer's that is NFL themed and even on a Sunday.
I look forward to more food just like this.
(ok, and presents. just to be honest...)

But really - that dip...

Addicted?

Today I was looking through our DVR thinking about the upcoming Fall season that kicks off today on many networks.
With AT&T Uverse, it's really easy to schedule and organize what you have recording. I realized quickly that we may have some conflicts (i.e. too many things at once) so I made a spreadsheet.

Embarassingly, I am still addicted to at least 3 shows that are really meant for teenagers.. but these I am quick to delete and just read what happens on Television Without Pity if the DVR is full or I just don't have time to watch it all...

I converted the spreadsheet to a JPEG so I could share our addictions... I only have 3 new shows for this year as some just look too silly.

Anyone else out there watch too this much TV?

NFL Sunday Kickoff!

Below is what happens when you are surrounded by football! I wrote this at my kitchen table this morning with NFL Gameday on the tv and Texan's collars on my dogs...

NFL Sunday:

'Twas the Sunday of football and all of the fans

Were preparing their coolers with bottles and cans

As laptops and big screens pulled up the stats

Wives pulled out large bowls of goodies and snacks

The Fantasy Teams were drafted and ready

Bad words and name calling were soon to be heavy

Children and pets were dressed in team colors

In a few cases, so were the mothers!

From the Texans to Saints, Cowboys and 'Pats

Raise your beers high because football is back!

No longer a "Study"

Actually, to call it a "study" would mean we sat in this room, read books, had meaningful conversations...
No. This room is part stash room for crap that has no real home, and part computer room. However the laptop in the living room gets way more play than the nice Mac.
So - there used to be a loveseat/ottoman in the room (you know, for the book reading..) but we gave that away. Here is how the room looked the other day:
(complete with cat..)And this is a shot of "stashing" mess. It's just awful. That closet has shelving in it that has all my small appliances in it. That little green table is for wine glasses - my Papa built that and there is one sole wine glass because we have ample kitchen cabinet space (that keeps dust off too..) Ironing board is almost always out because I iron as we need something. Being that I am not a morning person, pulling out and putting up that ironing board every time I need it... wouldn't make me happy. Oh and I have no real place to put it anyway...
(Like the fish?)

Thursday we moved the desk to another wall so we could put the bed there.
Now it looks like this:
We still have to move everything around on the walls, but that is an easy task. I also need a rug and a night stand. But at least if someone needed a place to sleep for the night, we could accommodate them!
(complete with cat...)
Can't you see how the green in the spread and pillows complements that fish? Yeah... it's the little things...

Lazy Gardeners - and Fall

We are lazy people in this house. We sleep as late as possible, even on weekdays. We drink coffee and lay on the couch and watch trash TV.Lazy.

Therefore, gardening has been a misadventure for us. What? I have to water? Really?
Yes. Oh and fertilize? ugh, yes.

So off we went last weekend to Buchanan's in the Heights. Our number 1 goal while there was to find someone, tell them we are lazy, and have them tell us what to do.

Lee had one idea that he ran by them - to lace a soaker hose through the garden so all we have to do is walk outside, turn on the hose, and walk away for 45 minutes. They blessed that idea (probably thinking "wow, seriously?"). Then they said we were 2 weeks late planting the fall crop so showed us what fertilizer we need to use.

After all that, we bought 6 tomato plants, 2 cucumber plants, and some herbs.

A view through the cage (above)

Above are the cucumber plants. What's with the flower you ask? To attract bee's so they will pollenate the cucumbers for us. I was unsuccessful in "screwing the squash" last year... don't ask. See my fabulous basil in the background?

A close up of the herbs: Oregano, thyme, sage, and rosemary (unseen, to the left).

I have done everything I can to make Fall appear.
Pumpkin Spice Latte's at Starbucks.
Fall color on my toenails at the pedicure place.
Banana bread (homemade).

All have been torture, let me tell you!

Off we go to have lunch on a patio somewhere to enjoy this awesome weather! Maybe mother nature saw my efforts and decided to bestow among this pregnant woman (and her many pregnant friends) some cooler weather....
Thanks chica!

Changes in Attitudes?

5 1/2 years ago - Lee and I got married. It was one of the happiest days of my life and I look back on it fondly.

As the years have progressed we have gotten our dynamic down almost to a predictable science. We know what the other likes to watch on tv, what to eat, what not to eat (i.e. Lee HATES marmalade..)... we are like peas and carrots.

In fact we have often talked about how lucky we feel that our marriage has been so easy. It just works!

Lately I have had an issue with coming to terms on how a baby is going to change this "us" that I know and love so much. We won't be able to be selfish with our time anymore. Sleeping in will never happen again (until he is like 15). We will have to make sacrifices we aren't used to. Things will simply change.

A lot.

So how does one look to the future "us" and not be so afraid? What if the future "us" isn't as easy? What if the future "us" isn't what we dreamed it would be?

Lee has a much less pessimistic view of the future "us." He thinks Logan will make us love each other more. That we will become even better and closer.

Must be nice not to have raging hormones that cause constant worry....