4 months pregnant!

Well, as of yesterday I am 16 weeks pregnant. As much as it feels that it is dragging on, at the same time it is flying by! I was going to wait to post my first pregnant pics until we found out what it was, but I snapped one of Karly chatting with "it" and decided it was too sweet to not pass on. I really didn't think I was showing, and my scale hasn't gone up much but my belly is definitely rounder and harder than it was even just a few weeks ago. I was hoping to hold out another month, but I am guessing the belly is here to stay for awhile! Now just have to hope my regular pants will hang in there with me for a few more weeks! Other than my impending fatty doom I am feeling much better. They shouldn't tell you at 12 weeks things are better...really its 14 or 15 before you are human again. Chris and I are getting a little closer to agreeing on names. Part of me really wants a girl because I have already done a girl and the stuff is just so much cuter! The other part thinks a boy would be a neat change. Plus, I don't know how much more pink I can handle! Karly and Chris battle with the belly...Chris: "make daddy proud and grow a weiner!" Karly: "please, pretty please be a girl" and we do this atleast once a day! Poor baby isn't even here and is already getting bossed around.

Here's a picture of Karly telling the baby how much she loves her, encouraging her to be a girl, and giving her some Christmas kisses!

This Christmas

Christmas was much different for us this year. It's our first Christmas in Texas away from our families. My grandparents have done Christmas Eve dinner at their house since probably before my birth! I really missed that tradition and gathering this year. I am thinking of starting a Christmas Eve dinner tradition next year so I won't have to miss it ever again! Christmas Eve we went to dinner with some friends and did our present swap with the kids. Christmas morning it was just us and Grandpa Oxford opening presents. I skipped breakfast since our first stop was lunch at 12:30 at Jason and Tammy's house. Lunch was great! We did a white elephant swap and did a little mingling...right when it was feeling like nap time we had to head to Danny and Gay's for their Christmas at 3:00. We had a great and family fun filled day! Thanks to everyone for making our first Christmas here special! We love you all! To our far away family & friends...we truly missed you. It just wasn't the same without you! Love to everyone!

I had so many pictures I thought putting them in a slideshow may help (and take up less space)...enjoy!


Christmas Morning at our house

Christmas at the Bandel's & the Craig's

Holiday Photo Shoot

Right before Thanksgiving I finally was put in touch with a photographer that looked like she could take some pretty great pictures! I left her a message and had no return call :( I pretty much came to peace with the fact that no pictures would be going out to our loved ones in Christmas cards! This was a bit of a bummer as I typically give framed pics to my grandparents for Christmas! I decided to try to call one more time about 2 or 3 weeks before Christmas and managed to get an appointment! I was pretty stoked as I had an appointment and Chris's fat red nose was looking better (from his wreck). At 130 I get a phone call with this lady cancelling! WHAT THE HELL?!!?! Our appointment was only 4 hours later! Super flake! Luckily our cousin was in town and after a quick phone call she said she would try her best! Lucky for us, she did great! We got a few cute pictures so I thought I would share! Enjoy! Thanks again Laura!

Firework Fun!!

Karly had a sleepover last weekend...I don't like sleepovers :) Either way, she had her chit chatty little friend over and played babies and scream and run from the dogs for almost 2 days..yay! Saturday night Chris decided to bond a little with them...what else do people in TX do to play with their kids?!?!...give them explosives! Now that it's almost New Years all the firework stands are open! Chris LOVES fireworks! He gave the girls sparklers which I suppose are fairly safe. He then decided to let a big one off...just to try it out. Unfortunately he didn't think about the dogs! First BOOM and they bolted!!!! Sooo, we have a firework that seems to never end and my dogs running towards a highway with me and 2 little girls screaming after them. Just another lovely night in TX with my family!

A little clip of Karly and Danielle being fairies as they like to say.

Sucky Fingers

No more "sucky fingers" for Miss Karly! At 10 years old she has finally given up the habit! Ok, so she was encouraged/bribed. Chris made a bet with her that she couldn't go 2 weeks without sucking. If she did she got to pick something to buy....she decided she wanted press on nails. I don’t think she realized they are 5 bucks and she could buy them herself. Either way my poor baby was like a little crack head desperate for those fingers! “but Momma you don’t understand! They taste so good and make me all warm and cozy!” Of course I told her to go ahead and suck but she refused to lose this bet! She is as stubborn as Chris! Every day she would tell me the countdown to 2 weeks. I actually felt a little bad for her, her entire world revolved around counting these days down and trying not to accidentally suck. Well, she made it! She got her fake nails that lasted all of 1 day! She isn’t allowed to wear them to school so she waited until the weekend to put them on…by the next night she had ripped them all off. Shockingly she didn’t go back to sucking much! She still will from time to time in her sleep, but has done really well with it! My baby isn’t a sucky finger baby anymore!

As Promised

A few pics from Karly's ballet and cheer. They had a little end of the year ceremony showing a few things for the parents and gave out ribbons for perfect attendance.

Such a little nerd! Wouldn't want her to smile nice like I asked...no, must be a goofball!

Cheer I got there late, so the one pic I got is through a window and with my phone! Sorry!

That's my little baby on top!Karly's cheer class

I couldn't tell you the name of what she is doing here, but it's supposed to look like that :)

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…which just so happens to be my favorite time of year! I love the weather, the sounds and the smells and even the hustle and bustle of all the crazy holiday shoppers! I must say this year is far different than any other, yet the same as every year….just less wine! I did my shopping as usual but instead of doing it last minute with my sister, I went early with Karly. Not quite the same since she doesn’t enjoy a relaxing cocktail while breaking for lunch but an enjoyable day with the one I love just the same. I am very sad that I won’t be going home to see my family. Thinking about it truly brings me to tears, so I will move along. I must say that while I will miss my family tremendously I am very lucky to have married into such a loving and welcoming family. This year definitely has brought much change to my life. Here’s to new traditions and my first holidays in my new home!

Dance!

Karly's dance classes invited parents to sit in on class yesterday to watch a few demos of things they learned and such. I have always known that my still camera recorded, but never really think to use it. Well, wanting to share with my AZ family I thought I would give it a try...not great quality, but enough for you to get the idea.
I also figured out the tricks and attempting to stay still with my butt and legs asleep :) Hopefully next time less wiggling from me :) Still pics to follow soon!

Baby Update

Just wanted to share with everyone our last doctors appointment update. It was December 3, I know I am really on the ball :) and all is well! We got to hear the heartbeat which was pretty amazing. Doctor said my uterus is growing well and seems like everything is perfect thus far! My next appointment is Dec 30 and hopefully in January we will know what "it" is!

Christmas Jars

Better late than never! I shared this experience with my sister and a few others, it was a great dose of humbling and I wanted to pass it along.

A few weeks ago, before Thanksgiving, I was feeling a little sorry for myself. I miss my family and friends and was really bummed that I won’t be able to see them this year for the holidays. Add the fact that Chris worked Thanksgiving and is scheduled to work Christmas Eve and Christmas day and you have the perfect ingredients for a pity party!

Karly was at dance and I had been talking to our cousin Tammy about some holiday ideas and was actually feeling a little better. Went in to kill some time in Barnes and Noble which as many of you know is quite easy! I grabbed a few Christmas spirit type books to check out hoping one would help ground me. There is never anywhere to sit so I head to the children's section where the table is typically open. I get settled with my books and Chai latte and start in on this new pick. It is very Jesus-y....a little too much for me. Either way, I keep reading and get about 2 chapters in and the author references one of his other books...The Purpose Driven Life, which is super religious. Not that it’s a bad thing, just not my thing. So I am still giving it a chance...I am almost to the next chapter and not super sold on it but realizing it is short enough I can just read it there for free and buy something else. Yes I can be a big Jew! A few minutes later this odd looking lady who works there walks up to me. She is very frumpy and a little awkward and I am really not wanting to chat it up. Here is our conversation:

Emp: How do you like the book?
Me: oh..it's ok, don't know if it's really my thing (remember, I live in the Bible belt. One of the first questions people ask you is what church you are a member to...seriously)
Emp: Yeah it was a little too religious for me...
Me: (sigh in relief)...me too!
Emp: Will you take a recommendation for the best holiday book ever?
Me: of course
Emp: I worked at a B&N in California and this woman insisted and pushed me to buy this book. I wasn't too sure about it but then I read it. It was great. It reminds us no matter how bad we think we have it someone has it worse. People tell me I am so sorry you have cancer. I remind them that the man receiving radiation before me is so ill he has to be wheeled in and has an 'X' drawn on his head where is tumors are. I walk in jamming out to my iPod and walk myself back out. I am blessed. This book reminds us of the Christmas spirit...not of the overzealous greed.

Needless to say at this point, I am crying. Big huge alligator tears rolling down my cheeks! She is even tearing up at this point. She goes on to tell me how when she bought the book it was her first Christmas away from her family and the book reminded her of the good in the world and how lucky and blessed she really is. This person was exactly what I needed though in the moment I didn’t even know it.

Of course I started the book there and bought it. It's an easy read, but I love the message. I read it in less than two sittings and didn’t want it to end. I even have Chris and Karly convinced to let me read it to them. Check it out...probably not for everyone, but I loved it and would love to start the same tradition.

www.christmasjars.com

Mistletoe & Magic

Karly’s cheer class performed in the Mistletoe & Magic show this year. What a chaotic mess that place was, but so many cute things! Must start saving so I will have Christmas money for next year! Aside from being worse than standing room only, and Karly’s class being plagued with the flu they did great! Karly along with a few other girls fought the cold sweats and held in the vomit long enough to perform! The picture quality is fairly crappy. We were just far enough from the stage that it was tough…good think I have a tall husband to reach over the crowd!