Ode to Gal Pals

No matter what season of life I've been in, God has been so faithful to provide solid girlfriends.

The kind of gals with whom you can say whatever off-the-wall thing is on your mind or blubber about your insecurities.


Girlfriends who teach you how to be a good friend and girlfriends who tell you when you should honestly walk away from that relationship.

Girlfriends who take time to be at your big moments and girlfriends who will go with you to egg that bad relationship guy's car.


Girlfriends who call out wonderful things in you and remind you of promises that you can stand on.

I think about the dear friends that were in my life for just a season and the ones who have walked with me through years and years.

Gal pals are worth investing in, worth making time for, worth being vulnerable. Thank you, God, for women who make us feel surrounded and rooted. Validated and understood. Less guilty about eating another Christmas white fudge oreo.

1000 calories of marshmallows

Week 20 Baby Belly

The huge Christmas Tree In Front of Our House

Whatta Man, Whatta Man, Whatta Man, Whatta Mighty Good Man...

We are having a great weekend and looking forward to a short work week- woohoo! Because it's a short work week, I don't have that sad Sunday-night-the-weekend-is-almost-over-feeling.

We went to a big ol' Thanksgiving party on Friday night where my contribution (death by chocolate bunt cake) caved in and spread out into a weird, much flatter bunt cake. I used twice the amount of chocolate chips in the recipe and think that they compromised the structural integrity of the cake. Oh well, still tasted good.

Everytime you hear "Bunt Cake", do you think of My Big Fat Greek Wedding? Bunt Cake. Boooont Cake?

Anywhoos, we left the Thanksgiving party before the beer pong or knife juggling began, as is probably appropriate for lady in my delicate state, right? Plus, Grandpa Jennings and I like to be home by 9 p.m., duh.

Did I tell you that Powers ate an entire bag of marshmallows last week? We left it, unopened, on the kitchen table. We came home and the bag was on the floor with no marshmallows left. 1000 calories in that bag, folks. And Powers didn't even puke. Impressive, huh?

Playin' In the Snow

vs. 

Strange Dream

I dreamt about our son last night. He looked just like Jerica's son, Jack throughout the dream. He was about a year old and we dressed him in all Baylor clothing. We took him out to eat in Austin, Texas with my family. I held him up to my mother so that he could see her and say Hi. Then, suddenly, our son turned into Powers (our dog) and started licking my mother all over the face. This shape-shifting didn't surprise me at all. Instead I said, "Oh, he remembers you Mom!"


Then I let Powers down and he sprinted onto the restaurant's long table's bench and jostled about the food on the table.

Weird huh?

Christmas Card Picture 2006:

Feliz Navidad

Christmas Card picture 2007:

Hope your Christmas is as classy as we are.

Christmas Card picture 2008...no idea. Currently suffering brain freeze/laziness.

Suggestions?

**EDIT***

I am not suffering brain freeze. That's what you get when you eat ice cream too quickly. Whoops. I'm losing my mind.

**EDIT EDIT***

Although ice cream does sound really good right now. That is all.

Benefits of Growing A Baby on Thanksgiving

Aw. well thanks for all the name support and help. We are going to journey on through this process and just maybe the good Lord will send us a dream and tell us the name in it and we can close this book once and for all.

Or he could send us Gabriel, the angel, and he could give us a name! Either way, either way.

Meanwhile, we are getting buttloads of snow up here in Erie! I wish I had my camera here because we had a foot fall on Monday night! It was so beautiful because it was also thundering and lightning and the whole world was really bright.

Also, I had forgotten how light outside the snow makes the night time. Because the white blanketing everything reflects the moonlight and streetlights, you can really see quite a bit at night. It sure is pretty. Adam & I put on our boots and took a Lorelai walk (Don't tell Adam I called it that- Gilmore reference) with Powers on Monday and soaked up all the pretty snow.

We really couldn't have picked a better time for me to be pregnant. I cannot wait until Thanksgiving. This Thanksgiving I am pregnant and, therefore, expected to expand and so I can guilt-free eat my share of spinach madeline and dressing. (No comments on gluttony, thank you.) I'm also not into my 3rd trimester so heartburn hasn't hit yet. Also, helping contribute to the best Thanksgiving ever is stretchy maternity pants! I bet everyone in the fam is going to want a pair by the end of Turkey Day!

What is in a name?

Apparently, everything! This name ordeal is way, way bigger than I thought.

See, before we knew the sex of our child, names were so simple. We had a boy name and girl name that we'd both liked since forever ago. They were nice, they were different but not too weird. We liked them. It was too easy.

Now, the SECOND that we found out we're having a boy, suddenly we're all...
"Wait, we can't name our son _______, people will call him ______ when he's in jr. high!"


It's all so real. There is this little baby boy coming. For real. And he's going to grow up and go to jr. high. And then he's going to be a man. With a resume (prayerfully) with his name on top!

So, we have names that we like now but which one. Which one. WHICH ONE?!?

We have a hard enough time making our minds up ordering off the menu at Chili's.

Per Your Request

Week 18 baby belly

But I gotta tell you, this is morning belly




and evening belly is a whole different beast than morning belly



Seriously, it looks different at night.

Sono Time!

So, it's a boy.  We are thrilled to death!  It's so funny because once you find out the sex, you're automatically like, "Of course!  That's what we always wanted all along.  Obviously!"  Regardless of what you thought beforehand.  I can't wait to have a mini-Adam running around here!

Yesterday morning our sonogram was at 7 a.m.  So we arrived there at like 6:40 a.m. with ants in our pants and beat the office staff.  We can't help it!  They called me in first (score!) and so Adam and I followed the sonogram lady into the room and she squirted some (nicely warmed) gooey stuff on my stomach and went to town.  She asked before hand if we wanted to find out and we said, "Heck yes!"  So, SECONDS LATER, she said "Here we go- it's a boy!"  We looked up and there were his two booty cheeks with a little peep in the middle.  

I had been feeling the boy vibe and so had lots of other people, I think, but it's still so crazy to imagine this little guy in our home.  It makes this whole experience so much more real-feeling, to call him "He" and look at nursery stuff that's not neutral.  

Funny thing- at the sonogram, they are measuring for all this other anatomical stuff- leg bone, spinal chord, cerebellum, etc.  It was SO cool to see the baby's stomach, bladder, everything.  This baby really is marvelously created, it is awe-inspiring. 

Well, so I had drank a butt-load of water beforehand because lots of folks told me that it would help with the clarity of the picture.  So, all of a sudden, the sonogram girl goes, "Oh my gosh, your bladder is gigantic! It's like bigger than the baby!"  We laughed.  She kept asking if I had to pee and I tried to play it cool (No, I'm fine!) but at one point, she needed the baby to turn and so she had me go to the restroom.  What a relief!  

The baby moved a lot!  He was kicking and flailing all around.  She asked if I'd had coffee or breakfast already and I actually hadn't because I was so busy chugging water and it was so early.  I think we just have an active kid on our hands!  

So, praise God for this baby boy!  It is so weird to feel so much love for this person you've never met.  Just thinking about him makes me insides all warm. I just want to cuddle him.  Sorry for the cheese factor but it's true!  

Guess What?

It's a BOY!

Weekly Traditions

Get ready, cows.  Winter's comin'.

Near Waterford, PA.  

One of mine & Adam's new traditions is Wegglebutt's Weekend Study Time (Wegglebutt's is our name for Wegman's grocery store).  Essentially, this entails me preparing  a grocery list for the week.  ("What do you want to eat this week?"   "I dunno.  Whatever you want sounds good."   And so on.)  

Then we go to Wegman's and load up on the salad bar and Adam gets chilli, too.  Then we go and sit in the cafe and eat lunch and visit and then Adam studies and I read something non-medical.  This week, we even saw our friends, Bill & Christie while we were there and got to visit for a while.  Then, I go and fetch the groceries while Adam studies (He has a habit of making impulse buys that sit in our cabinets for weeks to come.)

One of our other weekly traditions is pre-test ice cream.  This one is pretty simple.  Basically, the night before Adam has a test, we don't cook supper.  Instead, we go to Cold Stone Creamery and order two chocolate devotions (But you gotta replace the chocolate chips with oreo crumbs...ooooh, so good.)  

Adam does have a test tomorrow but it's poopy weather outside tonight so we're officially breaking our ice cream tradition and eating hot chicken tortilla soup instead.  

Our other tradition we're trying to get off the ground is:  Cinco de Quesadillas.  On the fifth of the month, Adam cooks his rockin' quesadillas for supper.  This is yet to happen on the exact 5th of any month.  What can I say?  I don't look at a calendar when I make up my grocery list! Here's to hoping that December will ignite the tradition. 

Ole'.

Adam's First Paternal Dream

A couple of weeks ago, Adam had his first paternal dream (that he remembers). So, he dreamt that we were visiting family and he was lying on the couch with our baby lying on his chest. So, he fell asleep and when he woke up, the baby was gone. He began frantically looking around and asked, "Where is the baby?" Someone said, "Oh, well when you fell asleep, you rolled over and the baby fell onto the floor."

Adam was so upset but everyone assured him that the baby was fine and that this happens all the time.

So, he walks over to the crib and the baby is lying there with black eyes and a broken-looking nose. Adam felt awful.

Then his dream fast-forwarded a few years and he is facing my cousin Adrian's daughter, Audrey. ( I think we'd read your blog right before bed!) Except in the dream Audrey was our child. The same child that fell off Adam's chest, except now her face looks fine. Adorable, in fact! So, Adam bends down and says:

"Hey. I'm sorry about letting you roll off and hit the floor when you were a baby."

And Audrey says, "That's okay, Dad!" And scampers off to play.

Toddler-Kickers

Yes, Adam & I made it to the polls yesterday at 6:45 a.m. Regardless of your views, I think we can all agree that we won't miss radio and t.v. commerials with the deep accusing voice:

So-and-so says that he wants to help children. They why is he pictured here kicking a toddler?

Muhahahaha.

Now, it's time to pray for wisdom, humility, and vision for our new president.

Anywhoos, pregnancy confession:

Finished off a pint of Ben & Jerry's Half Baked ice cream last night. Just bought it on Sunday. Whoops.

Monday Happenings

It feels like it should be 10:00...but it's only 7:00.  I love fall back but it's always so strange to come home and it get dark so quickly.  By the end of our walk...the street lights were on!  What the h-e-doublehockeysticks?

I'm thinking about tomorrow morning...should I wake up early and go to the polls (they open at 7 here) or should I go after work?  I'd really like to go first thing...I just can't be late for work (starts at 8).  Hopefully everyone else will just have good intentions but not really wake up to go at 7 so that Adam & I  can bust on up to the front of the line and get our vote on.  

In other news, my sweet mom sent me my first pair of maternity jeans!  Yes, they are glorious.  You just pull them on up (no buttons or zipper!) and they expand away.  Thank you Mom!  I was worried about our baby having a Levi button imprint on his/her face.

She also sent some loooong maternity shirts.  Praise the Lord, I have noticed that my shirts are getting shorter ( Maybe Adam is shrinking them?).

Speaking of, Adam had a hard test today and I'm going to enjoy some delicious oatmeal chocolate chip cookies with him (thanks for the recipe, Jen!) while Powers stares at us with his pitiful, starving orphan face.

Oooh, tomorrow I'll have to tell y'all about Adam's first paternal dream.

Expecto Halloweeno!

Harry Potter cracks a joke with Paulie Bleeker. Yowza, Harry is hot. 

Friday night, Sarah & Drew threw a rockin' Halloween party. Complete with good food, Catch Phrase, ghost stories, and s'mores.

S'mores, Paulie & Juno, Harry & Hermoine, Dog & Busty, Hunchback & Esmerelda, Self-Absorbed & William Wallace

Some of the gals at the party. 

(L to R:  Top row.  Brooke-Juno, Camille- Hermoine, Bethany- Dog's wife, Jamie (half a s'more  Bottom Row.  Sarah as Esmeralda from the Hunchback, Christie as self-absorbed) 

Harry Potter (complete with scar) and Hermoine. We love Hogwarts!

Me casting a spell on Adam.  (Note my partially unzipped pencil skirt.  Baby is growing!) 

Sarah's incredible decorations. Watch out, Martha!

Telling spooky stories by the fire outside.

Best costumes of the night: Bethany & Josh as Dog the Bounty Hunter & his large-busted wife

Brooke & Freeland as Juno and Paulie Bleeker

William Wallace. Leading his countrymen towards a rockin' Halloween. 

Quasimodo tends the fire for us.  Back to the bell tower!  

We had a fun Halloween!  Much better than last year's huge disappointment.  Speaking of, shockingly, we did have a few trick-or-treaters before we headed to the party.  Glad we remembered to get a bag of candy.  Hooray!