New clothes for the little man

When Kimberly and Stuart Nolan were in town, we hit the outlet mall. I could not resist getting my little man a few things. I know he will get plenty of clothes to get us through the first several months so I bought 9 month and 12 month sizes. Check out the light blue teddy bear fleece. You can't see the legs but it has paw prints on the bottom of the feet. Also, check out the bib. Kimberly saw it and I had to buy it. It says, "cute but messy . . . just like my daddy." It's perfect for Russell's baby!

Merry Christmas!

Here are some pics of Maggie . . . I mean "Santa's Little Helper". She looked so cute bundled in this white fleece blanket. She looked like a little polar bear.

We hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas!

More pictures from our fun-filled weekend

Congrats Katie and Ben Dean

I found out my friend Katie is expecting her first baby. Katie and I went to high school together and both ended up in Jackson, MS for a short while. Baby Dean is due only a few weeks after Baby Solomon. Congrats Katie!

Baby Solomon milestones

Today, during church, Russell felt the baby kicking for the first time. I was so excited that he finally felt him kicking. For the past week or so, Russell has been trying to feel him but everytime he puts his hand on my belly, he would stop (or else they would be too light for him to feel.)

Russell felt him twice during church, once on the way home and again when we got home. For some reason Baby Solomon was all wound up this morning. I heard babies get active when you sit still. I guess that is true.

Final Game in Texas Stadium

For all the Cowboys fans, tonight is the final game in Texas Stadium and, of course, the last home football game of the season. It should be very exciting! We will be there early and dressed in Cowboy's gear. Be sure to look for us on TV!

Fun filled weekend with friends!

Last weekend, Kimberly and Stuart Nolan came from Jackson to visit us. We had a blast!!! On Friday night we cooked out at the house and relaxed. On Saturday morning we went to the park for a little exercise. After that we ate Mexican food, went to Highland Park and to the outlet mall. Saturday night we went to the McKinney town square. We went to the bar at Rick's Chophouse and the wine bar next door. We ended up at Goodhue's for a super delicious dinner. After dinner, the party continued in the hot tub back at the house. On Sunday morning, we went back to the park to play disc golf a new game Russell discovered. It was actually alot of fun and as it turns out it is quite popular around here! Sunday afternoon was the Cowboys game against Eli Manning and the NY Giants. It was a really fun weekend and we can't wait for the Nolan's to come back! Next time they have to bring there little princess, Reagan!

Late start

Last night, McKinney got it's share of the wintery mix going through this part of the country. I tried to take a few pics but the sun has not come up enough for any pictures to turn out from a distance. Nevertheless, it's nice to spend the morning in front of the fireplace with the fam . . . and a hot cup of coffee!

Five months!

There is no hiding the fact that out little man will be here soon! We are already half way! I think I am starting to feel him move more. I have had some strange feelings. It is still hard to tell exactly what I am feeling but he is definitely getting stronger!

My new wheels

Last night, Russell and I went to pick up my new car after months of agonizing research (on Russell's part). He brought me in last Saturday to seal the deal . . . and I did. At one point Russell said he felt bad for the salesman. What? The point is to get the best price, not to make friends. The negotiating was pretty fun especially since I got a price much lower than Russell was expecting!

The car is a 2009 Nissan Rogue which is slightly smaller than the Murano and gets better gas mileage. I wanted a white one so the salesman found one for me at another dealership. Needless to say, we are all happy. Russell was very anxious to get me in a safe vehicle before the end of the year and, of course, we need a safe car for when our little guy arrives.

Birthday Flowers

Here is a pic of the beautiful flowers I got for my birthday. Russell sent me one bouquet to my office. The other came from my court partners. They got cupcakes and Starbucks to share with everyone at the office and flowers with a nice card. It was really nice of them and got my birthday off to a good start. I was a little sad to be celebrating without Russell since he was out-of-town. I was also in the middle of two tough jury trials. Luckily, one came back on my birthday with a guilty verdict. The other came back on Thursday with a guilty verdict so it was a nice (but stressful) week.

Nursery at Mimi's house

My mom called last Monday night and said "guess what I have?" She had gotten a crib for her house. I am only 4 and a half months! She saw me at Thanksgiving and I guess she realized the baby would be here before we know it.

Now, she is talking about shopping for the bedding. She found some bedding that has a matching red gingham lamp to match. She said it reminded her of the bedding in my nursery. She is so excited!

Look what I found under the tree

Friday night, I found a pink set of golf clubs under the Christmas tree. They were a late birthday present from Russell. He also got me two dresses, a picture frame, and some flowers.

I think Russell was more excited than I was. He was truly glowing when I found them. I have played with him a couple times and I have to use his too-tall clubs. He said he wanted me to have my own so I will play with him more often. He also said we can play together as a family. (He seems to think Baby Solomon will be playing golf at the age of 1). I explained to him that I won't be able to play much for the next year but he said that they will last forever. I guess he is right. They are pretty cute.

Friends forever

Russell and Rhodes had a great time over the Thanksgiving holiday. They went to the Cowboys game and to Six Flags and they played the Wii and got in the hot tub almost every night. As you can see, Maggie and Rhodes were good friends, too.

Happy Birthday to me!

I post everyone else's b'day so why not mine?!? :)

Winter Wonderland

Here are a few pics of our Christmas decorations. We still have not started on decorating outside. I like the first picture of the snowman family. It's just like us with the baby boy. All they need is a Maggie dog!

We are thankful for our BABY BOY!!!

Yes, we found out that we are having a BABY BOY!!! The proud papa is beside himself. We were both convinced Baby Solomon was a girl so it was a shocker when we saw that Baby Solomon is a boy. And, let me say there is no doubt on our little man! We found out yesterday and have been fortunate to share our happy news with our family over the holiday.

This has been a wonderful Thanksgiving. I hope all of you are having a Happy Thanksgiving, too!

Nice Hair!

I was doing some chores around the house when my little Pumpkin came to find me. Her hair is a little long right now and there was static electricity in it. I guess it is from the cold weather. Isn't she funny? The picture doesn't do her justice but I just had to take one.

Welcome to the world Anna Claire Gabriel!

My cousin and his wife, Kelly, had their baby girl yesterday. She weighed 7 pounds and one ounce (I think). She was scheduled to arrive on December 1st but she was ready to join the world a little sooner than planned! Congrats to John and Kelly.

KICKS!

On Tuesday night I think I felt Baby Solomon's first kicks. I had eaten a chocolate cookie and I felt them about 30 minutes later. I heard eating something sugary can trigger the baby's movement. But, I wasn't trying to feel anything. I really did not want to sit around waiting for something to happen. I wanted it to be a surprise and it was.

The movement feels really strange so I called Meryl for some confirmation. She felt her first kicks the weekend before last. The first kicks are so small that it is hard to know what you are feeling. I will be ready for Baby Solomon to power kick me so I know exactly what it is!

Russell was out-of-town and was looking forward to coming home so that he could be a part of it. But, I told him it was not strong enough for him to feel . . . yet. He is such a supportive sweetie!

John and Kelly baby shower pics

Here are pics from John and Kelly's baby shower back in September. Better late than never!

4 months and growing!

Today, we are four months pregnant! I can't believe it! My belly is really starting to grow (especially over the last week or so) and I know those first kicks will be coming soon. Meryl felt hers about a week ago so I am anxiously awaiting Baby Solomon's first felt kicks! The second trimester is so much more exciting than the first.

Russell's Pheasant Hunt

Here is a picture from Russell's pheasant hunt last week in Kansas.

Maternity Pants

Today is the first day that I wore any type of maternity clothing. I wore some black maternity pants. At 15 weeks, I could have held off a little longer. But, what for? They are soooo comfy! I only have one pair for now so I will resort back to regular clothes tomorrow. Some people suggested the belly band as a transition piece but I did not get one. Since the maternity pants are so cozy, I think I will just buy some more of those. After all, I will need them soon enough!

Registering for Baby Solomon

Today, Russell and I went to register at Babies R Us. I think the most exciting moment for Russell was being able to park in the "Expectant Mother's" parking spot. I told him that was not really necessary but he said we needed to take advantage of the opportunity.

Registering took a little longer than I expected. We registered for the big things. I could tell Russell was getting anxious after a while so I put him in charge of some "important" tasks. He picked out the baby car seat, baby gates, and baby monitors. He did a great job. When I got home, I looked at the website and the car seat he picked out was a top rated car seat. Once we were home, I registered on-line for many of the smaller things that I did not think Russell would have the patience to register for at the store!

Baby Solomon's heart is beating strong

We went to the doctor on Monday. The nurse said Baby Solomon has a strong heartbeat. Baby's heart was beating 155 and 157 beats per minute. We find out very soon whether Baby Solomon is a boy or a girl. We are so excited!

Happy Halloween!

This is the first item that we have personally purchased for Baby. Isn't it cute! It is hard to see but the little pumpkins are embroidered onto the onesie. I couldn't pass it up. I am going to have to completely avoid children's clothes around the holidays! Next year we will have a little trick or treater of our own!

Backyard intruder

We had a squirrel invade the backyard on Sunday. Maggie, Russell and I were all watching while the squirrel was trying to bury it's acorn in the ground. For some reason, it was fascinating to us. The first picture is self explanatory. Of course, Russell had to hold Maggie to keep her from running after the squirrel. In the second, the squirrel got scared away and ran up the fence. The third picture is Maggie trying to figure out why the squirrel ran away and why she can't run up the rock wall and over the fence.

Congrats Meryl and Russell

Today I found out that my good friend Meryl and her Russell are expecting Baby McClendon in April! I am so excited for them and I am really excited that we will be able to go through this process together! Congrats!!!

Back on Track

Our Cowboys got back on track today with a last minute win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They have a tough schedule ahead so it was nice to get the win. It was probably the most fun game that I have been to so far. First, I felt really good. In some of the previous games I was still battling the morning sickness. Second, the game was really close which always makes things more exciting. Also, we are getting to know all the people in our section really well. They all know we are expecting so they ask how I am feeling and try to keep updated on the baby's progress. I thought things would be a little more mellow since it was a 12:00 game as opposed to 3:15. No way! The fans were crazy as ever. GO COWBOYS!

Things we didn't know before

Now that we are expecting we are learning all kinds of things we did not know before. For example, did you know that firefighters at any fire station will install children's car seats for free? All you have to do is stop by any local fire station. They do this because so many car seats are not properly installed. If you know of any helpful tidbits like this, please pass them on to us!

Childcare

For the past few weeks, Russell and I are working on childcare for when the baby is born. Russell is more anxious about proper childcare than I am! He asked me to set him an appointment. So, he started the process by touring a daycare on Monday. There are so many daycares around us to consider. Russell visited the daycare where our doctor keeps her children. He is such a good daddy already! We also are considering taking our baby to in-home childcare. Let us know any pros and cons of daycare verses in-home childcare.

Second Trimester!

Can you see the bump? It may not be easy to see but trust me, it is there! We took a picture of my belly at 2 months and we are going to take a picture to mark each month. Russell says my belly has not gotten any bigger but I think he is just being nice. My clothes are slowly getting tight around my belly! Last weekend, I even bought my first pair of maternity pants. I thought maternity clothes would be quite drab. The pants are too big right now but they actually look cute. The most important thing is keeping my expanding belly comfortable!

Dr. Roberts gives Baby Solomon a "thumbs up"

We had another doctor appointment on Friday. Dr. Roberts says the baby and I are doing just fine. I actually began to feel a little better toward the end of last week. Yes! Alleluia! I must admit I have nothing to complain about compared to what I have heard other moms-to-be go through but the daily nausea gets very annoying after a while. Dr. Roberts said that hormones peek at week 10 so I should begin feeling better and better.

Our newest project is finding the right childcare for the baby. Luckily, Dr. Roberts lives close to us and told us where she takes her babies. Also, my boss told me of an in-home daycare that he used.

I guess I left out that detail. I decided to go ahead and tell my boss after the good doctor report on Friday. He was very supportive. I knew everything would be fine but I was a little anxious about telling him. Unfortunately, I had to leave after I told him so I did not get to tell anyone else. I will tell them next week.

I guess that's all to report for now. Our next appointment is early November.

Happy Birthday Morgan!

Today our niece, Morgan, turns one year old. Happy First Birthday, Morgan!

Mix It Up

Last night Russell and I went to the Mix It Up social at the country club. It is an event for all the new members to get to meet each other. We already met several of the couples but we met some new people, too. Actually, our doctor (OBGYN) and her husband showed up. They have been members for three years but came to socialize. Russell also won a door prize for sinking three putts. He won a free golf guest pass.

Another busy weekend

This weekend has been crazy! It all started last Thursday when my Grandma Barbara came to visit. She got here late on Thursday and Friday morning we had a neighborhood garage sale. I went to work on Friday. I actually had an assault trial that lasted into late Friday afternoon. By the way, I got a well deserved guilty verdict!

Nevertheless, Russell and Grandma were in charge of the garage sale. The garage sale was about more than just getting rid of junk. We had already decided all proceeds would go into the baby savings. Anyways, the garage sale on Friday was a huge success. We got rid of 90% of our stuff.

Friday afternoon, my parents and my brother arrived. My mom, my Aunt Mona, and I hosted a baby shower on Saturday so my mom helped with that Friday afternoon.

Friday night, everyone who was in town went out to dinner and after dinner, my mom and I did a little personal shopping.

On Saturday morning, the garage sale continued and we prepared for the baby shower. Around noon, other family started to trickle over for the 2:00 baby shower. The shower was from 2:00 until 4:00 and it was really fun. My cousin and his wife got lots of great gifts for their baby girl who we found out will be induced the day before my birthday, December 1st.

After the baby shower, I crashed. Between the stressful trial, the two-day garage sale, and hosting the baby shower, I was EXHAUSTED! After my nap, Russell picked up take-out because I was still too tired to go out.

On Sunday, it was back to Texas Stadium for the Cowboys v the Bengals. Fortunately, the Cowboys won this one. We had a great time. Russell insisted on buying me a pink Tony Romo jersey before the game. We went to the Corral Club before the game to eat at Hooters and listen to a really good band. At half-time, we went to the Stadium Club to cool off and get a drink (non-alcoholic for me!) It was another really busy weekend. I will post baby shower pics soon.

Princess Maggie

My baby got a haircut this weekend. Here is yet another picture of her and Russell napping. We have plenty of room in this house but the two of them insist on squeezing onto the loveseat together. So sweet!

Fun filled weekend

This weekend, Russell and I stayed very busy. I must say I was not looking forward to all of our scheduled activities but I had a surprisingly great time. Friday night, we played in the Drink and Drive golf tournament at the Country Club. Two couples play on each hole. When we signed up, they assigned us with another couple. They were the nicest people. We had such a great time that we are playing with them at the next Drink and Drive tournament in two weeks. As you can tell by the name, Drink and Drive, this tournament is all about having fun. I am not the best golfer but I am doing well at putting. We used two of my putts when we were on the greens. Russell seemed impressed!

On Saturday, McKinney was having Octoberfest downtown. Downtown McKinney has been under construction and it was completed for this festival. They had music, food, games, and shopping. After Octoberfest, Russell and I watched the LSU/Mississippi State game. It was actually close and we were proud of Mississippi State.

On Sunday, we went to the Cowboys game. They lost but it was really fun. They play an easier team at home next week so we are looking forward to that. Also, this was my first home game (except for the preseason game but that doesn't count). We took some pictures. Our baby attended their first Cowboys game at the age of 8 weeks and a few days! Impressive!