All our gifts are wrapped, our bags are packed, the car is loaded, and I'm just waiting for Matt to get off work so we can head to Weatherford. Today as we've been preparing for Christmas, I've been looking ahead to next year and how Christmas will be different. As excited as we both are to celebrate Christmas this year and about the wonderful memories we're sure to make, it's hard not to think ahead to next Christmas and the changes that are headed our way.
This is the last Christmas before we become parents.
It's the last Christmas that Rhapsody will have free reign of the backseat during the drive to Weatherford.
It's the last Christmas to celebrate with my parents at their house in Weatherford (They'll be living in Broken Arrow starting next month).
It's the last Christmas card picture of just the two of us (and Rhapsody).
It's the last Christmas we'll be able to drive our Focus home, because everything we need for the trip still fits in our trunk.
It's the last Christmas I'll wonder what it would be like to have a baby at Christmas (I'm glad we waited a few years to start a family, but I always get baby fever at Christmas).
It's most likely the last Christmas where we won't have to travel on Christmas day.
It's the last Christmas before Matt and I have a better understanding of the sacrifice God made in sacrificing His child for our salvation.
It's the last Christmas before we get to experience the joy of Christmas from a child's perspective.
It's the last Christmas dinner that won't involve feeding someone else or cutting up their food.
It might be the last Christmas that Matt and I are able to stay up until midnight on Christmas eve to exchange gifts with each other.
I just can't get over how blessed we are to have all these changes to look forward to. God has been so good to our family.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Santa Came Early
The past few years instead of exchanging Christmas gifts with each other, Matt and I have splurged and made a big purchase together that we can both enjoy. In the past we've bought a wii, a glass storm door and a laptop. This year we had tossed around the idea of getting new living room furniture, specifically a new entertainment center and coffee and end tables. (Somehow, our gifts keep going up in price). Matt's stipulation was that new furniture required a new TV. The same stipulation applied when we bought new bedroom furniture a couple of years ago. I think we have a pattern going, but I'll always give in if it means he'll go furniture shopping with me :).
We spent awhile looking earlier this Fall and then everything got busy and we put the buying on hold. We finally had some time a couple of Saturdays ago to go back to the furniture store and order the furniture, and it came in last weekend. We weren't expecting it until after the new year but were pleasantly surprised, and with some help from our friends we got it moved and situated last weekend.
Our previous entertainment center had been a Walmart special that we bought 5 years ago, and our coffee and end tables were hand me downs from my parents, so I was excited to have all new matching furniture for the living room. And I do have to admit that the big TV is pretty nice. We still exchange small gifts with each other at Christmas, but this is definitely our big present to each other.
We spent awhile looking earlier this Fall and then everything got busy and we put the buying on hold. We finally had some time a couple of Saturdays ago to go back to the furniture store and order the furniture, and it came in last weekend. We weren't expecting it until after the new year but were pleasantly surprised, and with some help from our friends we got it moved and situated last weekend.
Our previous entertainment center had been a Walmart special that we bought 5 years ago, and our coffee and end tables were hand me downs from my parents, so I was excited to have all new matching furniture for the living room. And I do have to admit that the big TV is pretty nice. We still exchange small gifts with each other at Christmas, but this is definitely our big present to each other.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Christmas Date 2010
One of my favorite Christmas traditions that Matt and I do every year is have an annual Christmas date. Basically it's just an excuse to spend an entire day together doing fun things, but I look forward to planning it every year.
We celebrated our date last Saturday and had a great day. Saturday morning we got up and headed to do a little shopping. We found out the gender of Lovebug on Thursday, so we wanted to pick up a few gender specific items and look at bedding and nursery decor. We also had a couple of other errands to run while we were out. Since Matt has been in Florida so much, most of my baby shopping has been with my mom, so it was super fun going with Matt. We got home about 11:00 and spent the next few hours baking and decorating Christmas cookies. I love baking and decorating cookies each year, and Matt is always a good sport and helps me. We've given some away to friends and have been munching on the rest all week.
After we finished with the cookies, we spent the afternoon playing Wii. It had been a long time since we had played, and it was fun to break it out again and play for a couple of hours.
That evening we got dressed up and headed to dinner here. It was really yummy. Matt had the filet and said it was the best steak he's ever had at a restaurant. The restaurant is at Utica square which is all lit up and decorated for Christmas. It was gorgeous.
Before Dinner
Rhapsody got jealous that she wasn't in the picture
It was a great date, and I was thankful that we could spend the whole day together doing fun things.
We celebrated our date last Saturday and had a great day. Saturday morning we got up and headed to do a little shopping. We found out the gender of Lovebug on Thursday, so we wanted to pick up a few gender specific items and look at bedding and nursery decor. We also had a couple of other errands to run while we were out. Since Matt has been in Florida so much, most of my baby shopping has been with my mom, so it was super fun going with Matt. We got home about 11:00 and spent the next few hours baking and decorating Christmas cookies. I love baking and decorating cookies each year, and Matt is always a good sport and helps me. We've given some away to friends and have been munching on the rest all week.
After we finished with the cookies, we spent the afternoon playing Wii. It had been a long time since we had played, and it was fun to break it out again and play for a couple of hours.
That evening we got dressed up and headed to dinner here. It was really yummy. Matt had the filet and said it was the best steak he's ever had at a restaurant. The restaurant is at Utica square which is all lit up and decorated for Christmas. It was gorgeous.
Before Dinner
Rhapsody got jealous that she wasn't in the pictureAfter dinner, we browsed another baby store at the square and then headed home. We had a couple more Christmas goodies to make and share so we spent the rest of the evening making turtles and chocolate dipped pretzels.
It was a great date, and I was thankful that we could spend the whole day together doing fun things.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Halfway There
Yesterday marked the 20 week mark in my pregnancy. I really can't believe that I've already reached the halfway mark and that this baby will be here in less than 4.5 months. We have so much to do before he/she arrives. Here's an update on my pregnancy now that we've reached the 20 week milestone.
Symptoms:
So far, the second trimester has held up to all the hype I've read/heard about. I feel great. I'm not nearly as tired as I was during the first trimester and no longer need a daily nap after work. I've still never had to deal with much nausea, and I'm so thankful for that. Really, the only symptom I've noticed lately is that I get pretty congested at night. And yes, that is a pregnancy symptom. my books have told me so. I asked my doctor for remedies and after trying a couple of her ideas, I'm starting to sleep better at night. For a few weeks there, I would wake up and spend 30 minutes blowing my nose before I could make it back to sleep. The last few days have been much better though, and I'm still sleeping really good at night. I only have to get up twice at the most in the night to go to the bathroom. I'm enjoying it while it lasts, because I know the 2nd trimester won't last forever.
Favorite Moments:
At my 14 week appointment, we got to hear Lovebug's heartbeat for the first time. When the doctor came in she said, "Now you're still in the gray zone of hearing the heartbeat, so don't freak out if we can't find it right away." Lovebug knew that his/her parents didn't need any added stress though, and as soon as the doctor put the doppler on my stomach we heard a steady heartbeat, such a precious sound. We heard it again at my 18 week appointment. It never gets old :)
I really enjoyed celebrating Thanksgiving this year with a little baby bump. It was a constant reminder of how much we have to be thankful for and fun to think ahead to a new guest who will be joining our table next year.
One of my favorite things about being pregnant is watching Matt interact with the baby. He rubs my belly all the time and talks to the baby everyday. When I picked him up from the airport a few weeks ago, he asked how the baby was, and I told him that the baby was able to hear sounds and voices. Right there in the airport, he bent down and started talking to my belly. I know I'm totally going to lose it when I see him holding that baby in his arms.
Lovebug has started kicking. So far, they've been pretty soft, and Matt hasn't felt them yet. Last night he was rubbing my belly and told me to tell the baby to kick. When there was no response from the baby, he told me I needed to work on my parenting :). I'm sure it won't be long before I can't get the baby to stop kicking.
Our BIG ultrasound is scheduled for tomorrow, and as long as the baby cooperates, we will know whether we have a son or a daughter. We're keeping it a secret until Christmas though, so don't expect any big announcements for another couple of weeks.
Maternity Clothes:
I've converted to wearing maternity jeans and dress pants. I told Matt last night that I was never going back to regular jeans. I was just going to wear maternity jeans the rest of the my life. They are much more comfortable. All my maternity shirts are still too big, so I'm still in regular shirts and sweaters.
Baby Bump pictures:
16 weeks
18 weeks
20 weeks
Symptoms:
So far, the second trimester has held up to all the hype I've read/heard about. I feel great. I'm not nearly as tired as I was during the first trimester and no longer need a daily nap after work. I've still never had to deal with much nausea, and I'm so thankful for that. Really, the only symptom I've noticed lately is that I get pretty congested at night. And yes, that is a pregnancy symptom. my books have told me so. I asked my doctor for remedies and after trying a couple of her ideas, I'm starting to sleep better at night. For a few weeks there, I would wake up and spend 30 minutes blowing my nose before I could make it back to sleep. The last few days have been much better though, and I'm still sleeping really good at night. I only have to get up twice at the most in the night to go to the bathroom. I'm enjoying it while it lasts, because I know the 2nd trimester won't last forever.
Favorite Moments:
At my 14 week appointment, we got to hear Lovebug's heartbeat for the first time. When the doctor came in she said, "Now you're still in the gray zone of hearing the heartbeat, so don't freak out if we can't find it right away." Lovebug knew that his/her parents didn't need any added stress though, and as soon as the doctor put the doppler on my stomach we heard a steady heartbeat, such a precious sound. We heard it again at my 18 week appointment. It never gets old :)
I really enjoyed celebrating Thanksgiving this year with a little baby bump. It was a constant reminder of how much we have to be thankful for and fun to think ahead to a new guest who will be joining our table next year.
One of my favorite things about being pregnant is watching Matt interact with the baby. He rubs my belly all the time and talks to the baby everyday. When I picked him up from the airport a few weeks ago, he asked how the baby was, and I told him that the baby was able to hear sounds and voices. Right there in the airport, he bent down and started talking to my belly. I know I'm totally going to lose it when I see him holding that baby in his arms.
Lovebug has started kicking. So far, they've been pretty soft, and Matt hasn't felt them yet. Last night he was rubbing my belly and told me to tell the baby to kick. When there was no response from the baby, he told me I needed to work on my parenting :). I'm sure it won't be long before I can't get the baby to stop kicking.
Our BIG ultrasound is scheduled for tomorrow, and as long as the baby cooperates, we will know whether we have a son or a daughter. We're keeping it a secret until Christmas though, so don't expect any big announcements for another couple of weeks.
Maternity Clothes:
I've converted to wearing maternity jeans and dress pants. I told Matt last night that I was never going back to regular jeans. I was just going to wear maternity jeans the rest of the my life. They are much more comfortable. All my maternity shirts are still too big, so I'm still in regular shirts and sweaters.
Baby Bump pictures:
16 weeks
18 weeks
20 weeksWednesday, December 8, 2010
Trimming the Tree
Sunday night Matt and I decorated our Christmas tree. He turned on Christmas music (Trans-Siberian Orchestra), I whipped up some hot cocoa and we got to work. Decorating the tree together is a really special time for us. So many of our ornaments are just bursting with memories and special significance from our childhood and our relationship to some of the best times in our lives. We spent the evening reminiscing and enjoying each other. We got a few new ornaments this year that I wanted to share.
We picked these up when we were in Disney World last May:
One of our traditions is to try and get an ornament during every vacation we take. We had fun shopping for these at the Christmas themed gift shops at the park.
We picked this up when I visited Matt in Florida in July. It was a mini vacation for us, and we wanted to document the vacation with a Christmas ornament:
These two ornaments came from a recent ornament exchange with our Sunday school class:
We just love our Sunday school class and all the couples in it, and I always have the best time at our Christmas parties. This year we ate delicious food surrounded by great company, played Dirty Santa for the ornament exchange, shared about our Christmas traditions, sang Christmas carols, and spent time in prayer. It was a really fun night, and we have new ornaments to document the memories with the couples in our class.
And here's the finished product:
I have one more new ornament to hang this year, but it's not quite ready for the tree. I'll be hanging it next week, and I'll be sure to share when it's finished.
We picked these up when we were in Disney World last May:
One of our traditions is to try and get an ornament during every vacation we take. We had fun shopping for these at the Christmas themed gift shops at the park.We picked this up when I visited Matt in Florida in July. It was a mini vacation for us, and we wanted to document the vacation with a Christmas ornament:
These two ornaments came from a recent ornament exchange with our Sunday school class:
We just love our Sunday school class and all the couples in it, and I always have the best time at our Christmas parties. This year we ate delicious food surrounded by great company, played Dirty Santa for the ornament exchange, shared about our Christmas traditions, sang Christmas carols, and spent time in prayer. It was a really fun night, and we have new ornaments to document the memories with the couples in our class.And here's the finished product:
I have one more new ornament to hang this year, but it's not quite ready for the tree. I'll be hanging it next week, and I'll be sure to share when it's finished.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Home Improvement
Before:
During:
After:
I love it!Friday, December 3, 2010
Thanksgiving Weekend 2010
Thanksgiving 2010 was a great success. This was my third year to host our families in our home and it seems to be getting easier and more fun each year. I really enjoy hosting and inviting all our family members to our home, and I hope it’s a tradition we can continue for several years. Matt and I started our holiday weekend on Wednesday. He took off work, so he could help me and have a little downtime before company started arriving. I started cooking and cleaning Tuesday night and finished Wednesday just a couple of hours before my grandparents arrived. Matt was a great help and willing to do anything on my list that I asked him to. Granny and Grandaddy arrived Wednesday about 2:00 and we visited and played a couple of rounds of Skipbo. My mom had a hair appointment scheduled Wednesday afternoon so Barry dropped her off and then made it over about 3:30. We visited for awhile and my mom got to our house around 5:00. We all ran down to Wendy’s for an easy supper and then headed back home to play cards for the rest of the evening.
Thursday morning we had a light breakfast. I made a lemon poppyseed cake and we had some fruit to go with it. We watched the parade and my mom and I did a few things in the kitchen. Matt’s family arrived around 11:00 and we just relaxed, watched the parade and got things ready for lunch.
Snickers was the newest member of the family this year. She is my parents' new dog. She kept us entertained.
We had a great Thanksgiving lunch. My mom took charge of the turkey (someday I promise I’ll learn how to make one), and my grandma brought dressing. I made mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, cherry salad, a new cabbage salad, gravy, and rolls. I also made macaroni and cheese this year especially for Matt. He’s not a big fan of Thanksgiving food (turkey or ham or the side dishes), so I decided to make him a dish I knew he’d like. It went over really well, so I think it will probably become a new staple on the Thanksgiving table. For dessert, I made a pumpkin roll, cheesecake and Granny brought an apple pie. I don’t know if it’s just because I’m pregnant but everything tasted so good this year!
After lunch was over, and the dishes were done, everyone just relaxed. Grandaddy and Madeline spent the evening working on a puzzle. Matt helped them some. We also had the Texas vs. Texas A&M game on, and a few of us played cards too. It was just a relaxing time spent with a full house of family.
Friday morning Matt and Barry cooked breakfast and we said goodbye to Matt’s family and Granny and Grandaddy. That morning/afternoon Barry and Matt spent the day golfing. Barry has recently taken up golfing as his new hobby and asked Matt to join him for the day. While the guys were golfing, my mom and I went shopping of course. We didn't join the crazy early morning shoppers but spent most of the day out and about. We went crazy at the maternity store in the mall, and I should be set with clothes for awhile. The sales lady seemed so happy probably because she got a HUGE commission. I had a better time shopping for maternity clothes this trip. Last time, I was only 11 weeks pregnant and wasn't showing and the clothes just looked so big and were hanging off of me. This time, I have a little bump (or bulge as Matt calls it), so the clothes fit better and actually looked somewhat cute. I still think my mom has a better time when we go maternity clothes shopping than I do. I'm pretty much totally in maternity pants, but haven't had to wear any maternity tops yet. After the maternity store, we browsed a few other stores. I got some new shoes and some Thanksgiving decorations that were 50% off. We also found a couple of cute baby stores and looked around to get some ideas for furniture, etc.
Friday night we just ate leftovers for dinner, played settlers and watched some football. Barry and I stayed up to watch the Boise State vs. Nevada game. That was a crazy game. I kept saying, "I'm going to bed after this drive," and then something crazy would happen and I'd have to stay and watch. We finally made it to bed about 1:30 in the morning.
Saturday morning, we went out to breakfast, and then my mom and I finished up some errands. We were mainly just browsing at a few stores and picked up a few things at Target. Meanwhile, the boys went home and destroyed my kitchen. We had scheduled to have ceramic tile installed the following Monday, so they spent all day moving appliances and scraping linoleum. They worked straight up until the bedlam game started. My mom and I supervised and ran to Lowes a couple of times to get them tools. They both worked so hard. I know Matt was so thankful to have Barry's help. He always just jumps right in and is willing to help. It made the job 10 times easier for Matt that Barry was there. We both owe him a big thank you.
Thursday morning we had a light breakfast. I made a lemon poppyseed cake and we had some fruit to go with it. We watched the parade and my mom and I did a few things in the kitchen. Matt’s family arrived around 11:00 and we just relaxed, watched the parade and got things ready for lunch.
Snickers was the newest member of the family this year. She is my parents' new dog. She kept us entertained.
We had a great Thanksgiving lunch. My mom took charge of the turkey (someday I promise I’ll learn how to make one), and my grandma brought dressing. I made mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, cherry salad, a new cabbage salad, gravy, and rolls. I also made macaroni and cheese this year especially for Matt. He’s not a big fan of Thanksgiving food (turkey or ham or the side dishes), so I decided to make him a dish I knew he’d like. It went over really well, so I think it will probably become a new staple on the Thanksgiving table. For dessert, I made a pumpkin roll, cheesecake and Granny brought an apple pie. I don’t know if it’s just because I’m pregnant but everything tasted so good this year!
After lunch was over, and the dishes were done, everyone just relaxed. Grandaddy and Madeline spent the evening working on a puzzle. Matt helped them some. We also had the Texas vs. Texas A&M game on, and a few of us played cards too. It was just a relaxing time spent with a full house of family.Friday morning Matt and Barry cooked breakfast and we said goodbye to Matt’s family and Granny and Grandaddy. That morning/afternoon Barry and Matt spent the day golfing. Barry has recently taken up golfing as his new hobby and asked Matt to join him for the day. While the guys were golfing, my mom and I went shopping of course. We didn't join the crazy early morning shoppers but spent most of the day out and about. We went crazy at the maternity store in the mall, and I should be set with clothes for awhile. The sales lady seemed so happy probably because she got a HUGE commission. I had a better time shopping for maternity clothes this trip. Last time, I was only 11 weeks pregnant and wasn't showing and the clothes just looked so big and were hanging off of me. This time, I have a little bump (or bulge as Matt calls it), so the clothes fit better and actually looked somewhat cute. I still think my mom has a better time when we go maternity clothes shopping than I do. I'm pretty much totally in maternity pants, but haven't had to wear any maternity tops yet. After the maternity store, we browsed a few other stores. I got some new shoes and some Thanksgiving decorations that were 50% off. We also found a couple of cute baby stores and looked around to get some ideas for furniture, etc.
Friday night we just ate leftovers for dinner, played settlers and watched some football. Barry and I stayed up to watch the Boise State vs. Nevada game. That was a crazy game. I kept saying, "I'm going to bed after this drive," and then something crazy would happen and I'd have to stay and watch. We finally made it to bed about 1:30 in the morning.
Saturday morning, we went out to breakfast, and then my mom and I finished up some errands. We were mainly just browsing at a few stores and picked up a few things at Target. Meanwhile, the boys went home and destroyed my kitchen. We had scheduled to have ceramic tile installed the following Monday, so they spent all day moving appliances and scraping linoleum. They worked straight up until the bedlam game started. My mom and I supervised and ran to Lowes a couple of times to get them tools. They both worked so hard. I know Matt was so thankful to have Barry's help. He always just jumps right in and is willing to help. It made the job 10 times easier for Matt that Barry was there. We both owe him a big thank you.
Of course we watched the game Saturday night. By now, I'm pretty used to losing, so even though we were favored, I never got my hopes up too high. It was a fun game to watch, and the Cowboys played much better than last year. I told Matt last week that even if we didn't win another game the rest of the season, it was still the best season I've seen since I've been an OSU fan, so I wasn't too upset, and it didn't ruin the weekend or anything. I kept reminding myself that there is more to life than football and I was glad that we decided not to buy season tickets.
Sunday after church Matt and Barry finished removing the linoleum in the kitchen before Mom and Barry left. I took a nap that afternoon and we spent the evening playing Settlers with some friends. It was a great weekend, and we're both looking forward to celebrating next year with our newest Baugher :).
Sunday after church Matt and Barry finished removing the linoleum in the kitchen before Mom and Barry left. I took a nap that afternoon and we spent the evening playing Settlers with some friends. It was a great weekend, and we're both looking forward to celebrating next year with our newest Baugher :).
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