Merry Christmas!!

Internets, how was your Christmas?


Christmas at our house was fantastic!! We decided that we were going to stay home for the holidays--yeah, that whole buying plane tickets for Thanksgiving and Christmas was not working into our budget this year. I think both Craig and I were a little sad since this was our first Christmas without either one of our families, but we made the best of it!! We fully realized that NEXT Christmas is going to be sooo different than this one!


Craig was in charge of Christmas cooking since I had to work both Christmas Eve and the day after Christmas and he made a feast. Seriously. The fact that it was only going to be the two of us and not the entire armed forces did not really factor into his cooking plans. But the food (as always when Craig cooks) was delicious. We just had a very simple day with lots of rest and lots of quiet time.


Here's a couple of Christmas pics (plus the tummy picture for 27 weeks!). Finally, you are introduced to the puppy dogs! And yes, I AM rocking the snowflake pjs, thank you very much.





















I hope your Christmas was merry and bright and you were on Santa's nice list!!!

No, I have not dropped off the face of the earth

I just have been seriously late in updating!!! Sorry to all those who want to hear about my fabulous life. Are you on the edge of your seat waiting to hear all the glamazon things I have been doing? Are you?

Well, here's what's been going on: UNPACKING. And selling the crap out of Bath and Body Works products. Since not working since June, I beleive I have forgotten what it was like to work on a regular basis. And because I was hired as a part-time, holiday/seasonal worker at the local BBW, I suppose I should have been prepared to work more in the weeks before The Big Event of Christmas when shoppers come to the mall for the first time since l.a.s.t. Christmas. But the past couple of weeks have really knocked it out of me and I only work like four or five hours a day!!!!

Plus, we have had great visitors!!!!! My parents drove up the week after Thanksgiving to bring my doggies home (hooray!) and to help us unpack. They were amazing. Simply put. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!! They were workhorses at getting most of the boxes unpacked and getting the post-move-in clutter out of the way. Then about four days after my parents arrived, Craig's parents arrived from Wales and ALSO helped out. Craig's dad helped finish up a lot of the half finished painting jobs, so that was also a huge help.

It was really great to have them all here at the same time. My mom and Craig's mom had a good time looking at all the baby stuff we have so far and just talking about babies in general. They both rubbed my tummy and talked to the baby. I know that some people have a real problem with other people touching their bellies while pregnant, but I haven't found many people do that to me. I don't know if I just give off a Do Not Touch Me vibe or what, but random strangers have not laid one hand on me yet.

And soon after Christmas, Sister comes to visit!!! I'm excited that so many of our family have been able to visit so soon!!!!

So now we are just taking it easy unpacking the things that are left to unpack---mostly stuff from our old house that we don't need and should throw out. All the important things are unpacked and being used. We are really settling in nicely and falling in love with our new home each day.

This morning was the first big snowfall in Cincinnati and it was wonderful to get up, grab some coffee and watch the snow fall (then I had to go to work). Fortunately, Cincinnati knows how to deal with snow so the roads were safe and clear.

Baby is still doing great--he's still kicking away and now I can feel him actually moving, like turning his body. I love it!!! I'm getting anxious to meet him!!! My third trimester starts soon and I cannot believe how fast this pregnancy has gone.

***A (POSSIBLE) APOLOGY IN ADVANCE--we may not get Christmas cards out this year. The fact that Christmas is less than a week away has completely taken me by surprise. I'm hoping to get them out tomorrow!!!

I am Thankful

Craig, me, and The Bean were able to travel to Arkansas for Thanksgiving with my family. It was a much needed break!

Even though it's a brand new house, Craig and I wanted to put our stamp on it before our furniture arrived. So, from Thursday to Sunday night, we worked late adding to the house--I was painting (common areas--Sherwin Williams Latte; study and dining room Svelte Sage; master bedroom Techno Gray, if you are interested) and Craig set to tiling the laundry room (it was a vinyl covering before). YES, I PAINTED. Don't freak out on me please. I did my research and we picked a low/no VOC (the Harmony line from SW), was always in a well ventilated room, and took lots of breaks.

Monday was Moving Day!!! Even though all of our stuff is in boxes, it's nice to have it here finally! We spent one night in our new home and the next morning, we were off again.

My sister and my mom threw me a baby shower on Tuesday night--it was wonderful and we got a lot of really nice things for The Baby!!

Ah...my parents' home. I can (and do) say a lot of things about my parents and their habits, but one thing for sure--they certainly let you relax. And relaxation was definitely one thing Craig needed. Last week at work was a difficult one for him, on top of the hours after work he spent on the house. The poor man was exhausted and needed somewhere to completely veg out. We got here on Tuesday and haven't left the house since. We've barely gotten out of our pjs. It's been lovely.

And my puppies are doing great, as I knew they would. They love it at Nonnie and Poppie's house and I think the four of them are going to be sad to leave.

So, from my family to yours, I hope your Thanksgiving was wonderful and you were surrounded by loved ones.

Smell you later

HOORAY!!!!!! We closed on The House today!!!!!

I am excited for many reasons--we have a house to bring our baybee home to (and he has a NICE room. Sorry, guests, but he has a bigger room and closet than you). We have a backyard so that the two spoiled puppy dogs have a place to run around and go crazy (and even though you can't see it in the previous photos, there is wire mesh around the fence, so neither Bowski nor Barney will fling himself into the pond or chase after the nearest neighborhood child and/or dog). We have our gas range back! I can make bread in my bread machine! I HAVE A DISHWASHER AGAIN!!!!

But most of all...I am excited to be leaving the hotel and our one "open plan" room. The post title does not lie. There is some funky stuff going on at the Extended Stay and now that I work at Bath and Body Works, I have Wallflowers galore (Winter and Fresh Balsam...ahh).

Plus, we are spending Christmas here this year and I am looking forward to decorating the new house!! Isn't the front porch screaming for some Christmas lights and goodies??

In other news, Baby is still moving and grooving. He liked the whole closing process and, apparently, is as excited to get out of the hotel as we are because he was kicking away the whole time. Here's a picture of what we look like this week:

The House!!!!

We had the walk-through with the builder's representative tonight and all looks set to close next week. There are a few things left to complete on the house (range/oven still needs to be installed; dishwasher connected/garage door opener installed/fence finished), but nothing major that would potentially delay the closing.


Here are some pictures!!!

This is the kitchen, taken from the family room. The kitchen itself is probably smaller than our old house, but LOOK at the cabinet/storage space!! I'll take it! Plus, the open plan helps make the room feel bigger. The family room (you can see the pond!)

The front hallway, from the family room. The study.

Front porch

The backyard, looking to left. The backyard, looking to right. The dogs are going to have to deal with the smaller yard, but we were totally spoiled by the size of our other backyard.

There is an upstairs--we just didn't take any pictures of it. We have four bedrooms, two baths, and a loft up there.

And, then, there's the 21 week tummy picture, taken in our new kitchen!

The somewhat blank look on my face is due to the fact Craig rarely tells me when he is taking the picture (no 1, 2, 3, smile for him).

Proud Auntie!!!

Will you please look at the cuteness that is my oldest nephew (he's the fourth one from the right)????? I mean, really. He was a beautiful baby, an adorable toddler, but now this is just getting ridiculous. This is a picture of Nephew #1's soccer tournament this past weekend. His team won 2 games and lost 2. And, he's maintaining an A average in school. It's first grade, mind you, but obviously he is a genius.

Auntie is SOOO proud! And I wish that could have attended the tournament!! Auntie and Uncle Craig would have been there cheering you on. I can't wait to move into our house and get the internet up and running so at the very least, Sister and I can get on Skype and I can see my little buddies.

Auntie has tons of love for Nephew #2 as well!! So don't think he's been neglected!

20 weeks!

I am 20 weeks pregnant today, which means that this pregnancy is halfway finished, already. Now, now. Before you think to yourself "sucka, I can do math. 20 weeks=5 months. You are not pregnant for 10 months." I will just stop you right there and say, do not try to figure out pregnancy math. It just IS.

A 20 week photo for you!

The baby is moving and Craig felt him move for the first time on Halloween. He said it felt like a muscle twitch. Very "unreal." But, he loved it and always wants to feel him move.

Our house is almost finished!! We have our walkthrough next Monday and we close on 11/16, a little bit earlier than scheduled. Super excited--as much as we have enjoyed the Extended Stay America, Craig and I are both ready to leave it behind.

AND another picture for you!!! It's the front of the house!

That's about it for now--how are you?