Snow Mountain Christmas

On Friday after Thanksgiving, we went to Stone Mountain again. We had been promising Drew we would go after the first time we went and chose to go after the TG holiday to enjoy the Christmas festivities. We were able to go with the Homer family, and we all had such a good time.
We started off with watching the Polar Express movie in 4D at the Stone Mountain theater. It was really neat when they sprayed water in your face as the train hit ice and you could smell the hot chocolate that was served on the train. It also looked like it was literally snowing in the theater as well.
Then, we rode the train (Drew was enamored again) and they played fun festive Christmas carols the whole time. Next, we played 18 holes of miniature golf. Drew had a blast playing golf since we have been playing with his indoor golf set Uncle Damon and Aunt Amy gave him last year for Christmas. When he'd get the ball in the hole, he'd run off screaming, "I did it! I did it!" It was too cute.
We ate some burgers for lunch, saw the snow angel, and then saw a musical Christmas show that really got you in the spirit of the holiday. Then, we saw a comedic portrayal of Charles Dickens' Scrooge story which was acted out really well, drank hot chocolate and waited in the rain for Santa Claus. Drew was excited to see Santa Claus and he proceeded to tell Santa all the trains he wanted for Christmas. It was so fun to see him really get into the holiday this year. Finally, we saw the holiday laser light show that they project up onto the mountain. The many lights that were lit at night were beautiful and it was such a wonderful day!!!

Black Friday

Last year I had a blast on Black Friday shopping with my sister-in-law, Wendy, and my mother-in-law, Colleen, for the first time ever. They really did initiate me into the whole experience. So, in honor of them, I was determined to join in this year.
Well, I looked and looked for something I wanted or needed that was worth getting up so early and going all by myself for. This was it. I decided I'd go to Walmart and get some Christmas pajamas for Drew. They were only $4/pair so I bought the Thomas ones for this year and the Mickey Mouse ones for next year. But I was disappointed with the fact that Walmart only has the specials they put in their ads, nothing more than that. And it was a madhouse - you couldn't even push your cart around so I abandoned mine half-way through. I left only spending 25 minutes there and $8 which I think is great but I would have loved to get a discounted Christmas tree which was decent or something I just couldn't refuse and there wasn't any of that. I have pretty much finished my Christmas shopping already getting good deals and I wasn't going to travel to the next town over for anything either. So, I did it - I experienced another Black Friday but it wasn't near as thrilling.

Hook 'Em Horns!

Thanksgiving Day included a fantastic dinner with the Homer family. It seriously was absolutely delicious and we ate a ton! They were so kind to invite us over and we thoroughly enjoyed our holiday thanks to them. Sophi (their 10 yr old daughter) is adored by Drew and he just played and played with her. She is so good with him and he literally cries when we have to leave their house.
We got home and put Drew to bed just in time for the late game here with Texas and Texas ATM. We wore our Texas orange all day (well, I don't have a maternity Texas shirt so it was really the boys that were dressed up but I do have my UT handbag I've been carrying all season long) and we ROCKED that game. It was awesome. I would have even liked the score to be higher although we beat the aggies by 40 points. There is just different emotions from me during that game than any other and I'll keep those to myself because I do have a lot of aggie friends but I really enjoyed the outcome. GO TEXAS!!! :)

29 weeks

On Monday, I was 29 weeks. I went to the dr. and they didn't really say anything else about my pain and discomfort lately. I met with a new dr. because my own dr. wants me to meet with all of the dr.s of the practice over the next month or so just in case they end up delivering me. So, I met with a male dr. and he was very nice but I was describing my symptoms once again thinking, "how would you know anything about what I am feeling and what I am describing?" It's a big barrier for me which is why I choose female dr.s for myself. Anyway, he said it could have been Braxton Hicks contractions as well but then I hear those are not supposed to hurt. SIGH... anyway, I've been managing the pain much better this week - taking it easy when I need to. My worst times of the day are after lunchtime but luckily that is when Drew typically takes a nap so I've been resting. If I do have a big day of walking and doing stuff, then I just simply schedule the next day with nothing too much going on.
Anyway, we were taking this picture and Drew wanted to kiss the baby so there you have it. He's pretty cute telling me when I eat that the baby must be hungry and he is excited to hold her when she 'gets out.' The only time he's been upset so far is the thought of sharing me with this baby as its mom. But we'll approach that when it comes. :)

Thanksgiving Feast

Friday was Drew's Thanksgiving Feast at his pre-school. They were able to choose what they wanted to dress up as, a Pilgrim or an Indian, and Drew chose to be a pilgrim. He told me he wanted to be a pilgrim because they came over to America to be free. He looked so cute all dressed up and he actually sang the song with his class. He even ate most of his food on his plate. It was really fun to be there with him again at a very special event. Enjoy the photos below! :)

It's Official...

FEBRUARY 9, 2009
It is this little one's due date as well as induction date. She won't be coming any later than this date so that is good to know. I'm not guaranteeing she won't come earlier but because this date worked out better with family member's schedules and I felt better about that date overall, it's official. The nurse said she is calling the hospital today to get the 7:30 a.m. time as well. Most of my family are coming in on Saturday so it does give another day or two if she does plan an earlier arrival. Thanks for all those who voted; it was a lot of fun to see what people had to say!

As far as my health, I started feeling better Wednesday and feel much better today, thank goodness. But Tuesday I was pretty worried it all wouldn't go away and bed rest was in my future. That was kind of scary so I am still drinking up plenty of water and making that my permanent habit. Thanks for all the support and concern.

Irritated Uterus at 28 weeks

So, yesterday was not a good day. I've been having pain in my pelvic bones for a solid week now, making it hard to get up and down. But I thought that was just because you can feel a lot of pressure because the baby has been sitting low for so long. But it got worse and yesterday, I was in a lot of pain. It felt like cramps, and I had difficulty getting around. David insisted I call the doctor and speak to the nurses there.
Come to find out, I have an irritated uterus due to dehydration. She said "tiny contractions" can happen because the uterus is irritated by not getting enough water in my body. So, my water consumption went into overdrive along with taking extra-strength tylenol. I did lie down, and I felt better. Hopefully, this will dissipate. I felt a lot better this morning until a few hours in, and I was hurting again. The nurse said if I can't make this go away on my own, I'll have to come in. But I do have another appointment next Monday so that gives me a few days to see what happens.

Christmas Village

So, I am starting to take out the Christmas decorations. For the past few years, my grandmother has given us all gifts from her own home for the holidays. I have always loved these villages with houses that light up, and I now have 7 of them! I am still working on how I am going to rearrange them as people walk in, but I love having David's grandmother's record player to put up my decor. Here is Drew with the houses that light up and a picture of them when you don't put the flash on. What was priceless is when I turned them on tonight in the dark and Drew visibly gasped saying, "OH MY!... IT'S WONDERFUL." David and I could not stop laughing. :)

27 weeks

I had a doctor's appointment this week, and it went well. The baby's heartbeat was slower, in the 130s, but healthy and strong. She has definitely moved more towards the middle of my belly instead of sitting so low, thank goodness. Although I am still experiencing pain in my lower pelvic bones.
The doctor asked me how I felt entering my last and final trimester, and I am definitely feeling like things have gone by fast. It seems the first trimester you don't feel well, the second one goes by before you know it and then the third one is the uncomfortable stage. I am starting to feel uncomfortable, but I know it only gets harder so I am maintaining positivity and appreciating everything.
I am regretting letting David convince me we could "really use" the king-size bed during this pregnancy. It all sounded good to have more room, although David would admit he was the one it really sounded good to, because I simply am having a hard time moving around in it. In order to get close to David, I have to roll over literally and it takes SO much effort and then to reach anything on the nightstand is a whole other story. But I know it will be heavenly after the baby arrives, right? :)
So, the last bit of news is that the doctor gave me two dates to choose from to have this little one. Feb. 3 or Feb. 9 (my actual due date) are the dates my doctor is on call, and I can be induced. I'd like to choose my due date, but I do fear I'd go early and my family would not be here as they are planning. Drew was induced one day before my due date, and I didn't have any signs he'd come early, but apparently each birth is so different and unpredictable. The date of 2/9/09 is pretty easy to remember and dates more towards the beginning of the month, I tend to have a harder time remembering. David seems to think there is no reason to have the baby come any earlier than she needs to which I agree with as well. It is also a bit further away from the holiday season which is always good too. So, what do you think? You can vote in my new poll up in the right-hand corner!

Drew's School Picture

This is Drew's school picture that was taken last month. I had heard the lady was really good at her job even though she was pretty strict with the whole picture-taking process. But you just dressed your kid for the day, dropped him/her off, and hoped for the best picture in the end. Basically, I was not there or anywhere near when they took it.

But sure enough, here is the picture, and I think it turned out so good! Even David was impressed and he is not easily impressed when it comes to photography. So, of course we bought the $35 package, and David already took one to work to put on his desk. I think it really captures Drew well, and I just can't believe he is smiling and looking directly at the camera. It also makes me realize how big he is getting! Enjoy! :)

Proposition 8

So, I know there is a lot of controversy on this issue but I had to bring it up. I heard from my friend, Mandy, who lives in California that there is a lot of "anti-Mormon sentiment" out there because Proposition 8 passed. Then, the demonstrations near the LA temple took place. I knew the LDS church had a lot to do with it but exactly what, I didn't know. So, I decided to find out by asking some people. Then, our Bishop got up today and talked directly to us about this issue for which I was grateful.

Basically, the church did not put its own money into this cause, but it did encourage its members out in California to do so. LDS people in California were estimated to raise about 20 million of the 38 million dollars raised to fund the commercials and the overall effort to pass proposition 8. However, LDS people only consist of about 1% of the population in California. Therefore, it obviously wasn't just church members voting for this proposition to pass but interestingly enough, the media is saying a big part of the African-American and Latino population actually helped it pass the most. Anyway, I find the information interesting to say the least.
I know the Catholic church was also fighting for this proposition to pass and here is what they stated in a recent press release supporting the LDS church.

Memories of Stone Mountain

"Look! I'm drawing Stone Mountain. Remember when we went with MawMille and Popo to Stone Mountain? Stone Mountain's my favorite... with lots of Christmas trees."

"Making memories" as my grandmother used to put it is so worthwhile. Good thing we bought a yearly pass and we are going back Thanksgiving weekend!

Stone Mountain

Last Saturday, we went to Stone Mountain for the first time. It was a gorgeous day, and it was a lot of fun. We visited many neat shops, rode a big train, rode up to the top of the mountain in a tram, and played on some rope courses. It was so great that David and I decided to get yearly passes so we can come back at Thanksgiving time for the Christmas lights and shows and probably in the spring time too so I can do the zip line (I've always wanted to do one). Anyway, we loved it and here are some really neat pictures of our adventure there.

VOTE!!!

We just voted! David, Drew and I all went together. Drew was able to cast a few votes in my voting booth with me. We all got these great "I'm a Georgia Voter" stickers (see image to your left). It only took about 50 minutes start to finish. And they had plenty of booths open but just not people filling them. I think they were working out the glitches with these yellow cards (seen to your left).
Anyway, I feel good about voting and have voted in every election I could since I was 18. I feel it is a way to honor the women who went before me and fought for my right to vote. Thanks to them, I am able to cast my own ballot and be appreciative of the freedom of choice that offers me. We'll see how it all turns out!

Ouch!

Today when I was putting Drew down for his nap, he hit his wrist on the nightstand while grabbing for his water. When I kissed it all better, he said, "Mommy, I'm falling apart!" hilarious what they pick up on and what they say...

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

The morning of Halloween started off with a wonderful pre-school program for Drew. He had his mom, dad and MawMille and Popo there so he was definitely the center of all of our attention. He dressed up in his costume as Thomas the Train and participated in a parade and then a sing-a-long. He didn't do so much singing as I anticipated he would do - he was more mesmorized by all the costumes of his friends I think. (Of course, on Saturday when we were driving in the car, he began singing all the songs they sang the day before). Then, he had a little party in his classroom afterwards where they played Bingo. Drew decided he didn't care what they were calling out, he just put a candy corn piece on all of his board spaces and yelled, "I win, I win," and then began eating the candy. Pretty funny little boy.
That night included trick or treating with some friends - the Ashley family - and Drew got the hang of it rather quickly. He looked like a pro. He then told David his bucket was getting too heavy and that is when we pretty much ended our candy run. What a fun holiday and great night all together with our family.

The beginning of our visit

Last Thursday, my mom and her husband, Sam, came in town to visit us. We were really looking forward to their trip as it's been since August since we've seen them.
I got the house all ready for them to come and see it for the first time and cooked some meals in preparation for their arrival. We were excited to have them in town for the holiday weekend.

Drew is sitting on "MawMille"'s lap playing catch with "Popo" and having so much fun. He is wearing the Halloween pajamas they sent him some weeks ago.

Going for a bike ride. Drew can really ride the bike they gave him last year for Christmas so much better now. He started off pretty anxiously down the driveway and had a slight spill at first but got right back up and rode down the sidewalk.


Drew and MawMille playing trains. He kept asking her to play with him all weekend long. Thank goodness for grandparents!!!

More pictures to come...

Jumping Jelly Bean

Jumping Jelly Beans has become a new tradition recently for Drew and his friends. We go every tues and thurs afternoon practically. It is so much fun for both Drew and I because he gets to play with his friends and I get to talk with all the moms! And he takes an awesome nap afterwards because he is so tired! I can only go when Drew has a friend there to play with because I can't do all the structures with him at this point in my pregnancy nor do I have the energy.

Here Drew is sliding down his favorite slide.


Drew is inside the jumping area. They love playing with these balls - we just have to make sure everyone has one!

And this is when he likes to throw the ball out and have me throw it back in to him.