Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to you and yours, and Greetings from sunny Arizona!

Adam and I are in Arizona all week with the K-State football team and the rest of the travel party that consists of Athletics and football staff, administration, coaches, and families. We play Michigan in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl on Saturday. Adam's job takes us to the bowl game each year that we receive a bid, and this is officially our fifth bowl game together. It's so neat to think that next year our little girl will be joining us in the festivities. It has certainly been a non-traditional Christmas for us, and it has been tough to be away from family during such a special holiday, but we're having fun and soaking up the sun. We left snowy 10-degree Manhattan on Monday and arrived in sunny 67-degree Arizona. Talk about a big change!

I'm hoping to get caught up on baby girl updates during some downtime on our trip. Hard to believe we're already at 32 weeks--holy cow! Thanks for bearing with me.

We hope you all had a blessed Christmas surrounded by loved ones. May we all remember the true meaning of the season...the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ! Happy Birthday, Jesus!

27 Weeks.

Better late than never! Here's last week's 27-week update. Sorry for the delay!

It was another busy week around here. Adam's 28th birthday was on Thursday, so I made dinner for him (Chicken Taquitos per his request) and one of his favorite desserts (Deluxe Chocolate Marshmallow Bars). The kitchen looked like a tornado hit, but we let the dishes sit for the night so we could relax and watch the movie The Internship. It was a nice break, and we had some laughs thanks to Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson. On Friday we got to celebrate with his parents and grandma at Cox Bros. BBQ here in town. So yummy and such a blessing to be able to spend time with them. 

Adam isn't big on birthdays, but I refuse to let it pass like any other day. Hence the surprise candles on his birthday dessert.

Hey, at least I didn't sing to him. Once baby girl is old enough to sing with me, there will be no holding us back.

Doodles must have known it was his birthday. Her gift? Sitting on his lap. This never happens.

Doodles has also been cozying up in my pregnancy pillow. I can understand why she'd be drawn to it, so I can't say that I blame her. 

She looked so cute and comfy I couldn't bring myself to move her right away.

What's even cuter? This....

What else have I been up to? Loads and loads of laundry that look like this.

Yep, those are adorable little clothes for baby girl.

We have been fortunate enough to receive a ton of clothes already as hand-me-downs. I received about 6 bags from a co-worker who has three girls and a tub of toddler clothes from another friend. Talk about a huge blessing! The piles have been sitting behind our couch for well over a month just waiting to be sorted. I finally tackled this daunting project this weekend...first sorting by size then washing load after load after load, then folding and finally placing in the nursery. I'm still in shock over how many clothes she already has. It was so fun to go through all of them and oooo and ahhh over how adorable they are. I can't wait to see her in all the cute little outfits! How will I ever decide what to dress her in each day?

This is her closet so far....wow! Still working on the organization, but it's a start.

This doesn't even take into account the pile of pj's, bloomers, and hats in the dresser.

We are blessed, that's for sure!

We may or may not have forced Doodles to model a couple of the hats (before washing them). She was thrilled, as you can see.

OK, on to the (delayed) weekly update. As promised, here is the bump picture! I bet you thought I forgot.

27 weeks. Getting bigger, no doubt about it!

Of course Sadie had to be a part of the photo shoot. Proud sister.

No major changes last week...just more frequent trips to the potty. I think my poor bladder is getting squished. Still experiencing constant back pain and having lots of dreams each night. To add to the fun, I've had charlie horse cramps in my calves waking me in the middle of the night (talk about a rude awakening). I was giving Adam a hard time because I'm very dramatic when these strike, and he still doesn't wake up. I'm just grateful to still be sleeping through the night at this point. Baby girl's movements still catch me off guard at times. She has had a pattern of movement for quite a while now as I'm sure it follows her wake/sleep schedule. I absolutely love feeling her move--it's literally the neatest thing. I mean, think about it! I know I'll miss it after pregnancy, but it will also mean that she'll be here and in my arms instead!

Baby girl's stats for this week:

As of last week, baby girl weighed almost 2 lbs. and was about 14-1/2 in. long with legs extended. She's now sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and maybe even sucking her fingers. Her brain is very active now, and while her lungs are still immature, they'd be capable of functioning with a lot of medical help. Supposedly I'd be able to feel hiccups now, but I don't think I've felt them yet!

I'll be back this weekend for your 28-week update. I hope you all have a blessed Thanksgiving full of laughter, love, and tons of delicious food. Count your blessings--we are certainly counting ours and thanking God for everything He has given us!

25 Weeks.

Monday marked 25 weeks. Time sure is flying...

...and the bump sure is growing!

This is my "wow, look at that bump!" face.

Overall, I have felt pretty good this week minus your usual discomforts (back and shoulder pain) and sleepiness. According to my co-workers, my bump has finally "popped," but they still think I look small for how far along I am. Dad was here this morning to help with "Project: Nursery" and he said, "Yea, you definitely look pregnant now." Yep, you're right. I have definitely grown considerably in the past two weeks. I know, I know, you're probably thinking...that's nothing, girl! Just wait until you're closer to 40 weeks. You're right, I have a lot of growing left to do, but it's still a big change!

Sleep is getting more and more difficult as I struggle to get comfortable, and I know that will only get worse as well. I have also been having pretty vivid/weird dreams, which I have read is common with pregnancy.

I haven't had any weird cravings yet. I hear those typically come later. I do wake up every morning wanting orange juice though. We were always too cheap to spend money on orange juice pre-pregnancy (it's expensive stuff!), but you can bet your bottom dollar it's in our fridge now. Fortunately I've managed to get it on sale nearly every time.

The leftover Halloween candy is partly responsible for the bump growth this week. I refuse to tell you how many fun-size Snickers, Twix, and Kit Kats I've consumed since the 31st. Yikes. I'm grimacing just thinking about it. Adam did help a little, but let's just say I ate more than my fair share. I have never had self-control with sweets, so imagine what I'm like pregnant.

Adam and I started to get more serious about our vehicle search this week and have started test driving. I think we've both realized that time really is flying and that February will be here before we know it. Hoping our search is relatively painless. Time to get rid of the ol' Rally Sport that I've had since I was 14. We both have two-door cars...not a good mix with a baby + a carseat + a stroller + the million little things that must accompany said baby. Oh, and don't forget the 40-lb. dog that travels with us. Hence, the vehicle search.

Sadie and Doodles have been very sweet lately. Well, let's be real...Sadie is always sweet, so no shock there. The real surprise has been Doodles. She has been very friendly and has been sitting on my lap every day and has been more present. People say that our pets can sense when we're pregnant...so maybe that's what is happening. Whatever it is, I'll take it. They both like to follow me around. I like to think that they're already being protective of their little sis. I just had to capture this sweet moment the other night...

Just me and my girls. Sadie + Doodles + baby bump = love.

Baby girl's stats this week: 13-1/2 inches long, 1-1/2 lbs and is starting look more and more like a newborn. She is supposedly also growing more hair...unless she takes after me...then the poor thing will be bald until she's two. I read awhile ago that my uterus is now about the size of a soccer ball. For some reason that completely blew my mind. I guess that explains the bump!

Well, I do believe it's time for a nap...I have to take advantage while I can. If only you could stock up on sleep....sigh....

Until next time!

Happy Halloween!

Hey guys! Hope you haven't lost hope.

I'm back! So sorry for the delay. It has taken far longer than I ever anticipated to get back up and running...and it's still a work in progress. Long story.

Anyway, I know we have a lot to get caught up on, but I wanted to pop in with a Halloween photo. I'll work backward, starting with my next post, to get you all up to speed. I promise the gender reveal post is coming...it's next on the agenda, so check back later this weekend. You won't want to miss the photos!

Hope you all had a safe, fun Halloween! We passed out a lot of candy (OK, and maybe ate some too).

Our pastor's wife was sweet enough to volunteer to make me this AWESOME shirt!! Everyone loved it!

Bump.

Sportin' my newest look for the fall season...the 20-week bump.

Baby has been very active today! Feels like little bubbles in my tummy...such a strange but AMAZING sensation! Precious little one, your daddy is so anxious to be able to feel your sweet movements too. He asked when it would be his turn, so you better get big and strong so you can give him a good kick!