A little something to tide you over...

Okay...so I am woefully behind on my blog posts! It's just that SO much has been going on, I haven't had the time to write it all down. So, until I can collect my thoughts and arrange them into the perfect posts, here's a little pregnancy survey I stole from another blog to tide you over:

How far along?: 18 weeks.

Total weight gain: I know most women wouldn't really love fessing up to this, but I think putting it out there for all the world to see may make me think twice before adding that triple dip to my ice cream cone. So here goes...so far...7 pounds....not too bad yet, but we'll see how the next few months go.

How big is baby?: According to my weekly emails - the size of a sweet potato (5.5 inches long)! Still pretty small, but growing every day :)

Maternity clothes?: Yes and no....I've definitely outgrown the slacks I used to wear to work, so those are slowly being replaces with oh-so-comfy stretchy fabric pants. Gotta say - I'm loving them!

Stretch marks?: Not yet - but it's still early.

Sleep?: Great - these cool nights have made it so comfortable to snuggle in for a good night's sleep.

Best moment this week?: Hmmm....the week just started, so we'll see....

Movement?: Nothing I've noticed yet....I'm kind of bummed about that, but hopefully, I'll start having that experience in the next week or two.

Food cravings?: It might be that Halloween just passed, but my sweet tooth is back with a vengeance! Lately I've been enjoying some dark chocolate truffles...a gift from my sweet MIL :)

Belly button in or out?: I've always had an "outie", but it looks the same to me right now.

What I miss: Being able to go days on end without feeling like I'm going to gag for no reason - sigh...

What I'm looking forward to: Our next ultrasound in two weeks - it will be so fun to see our little one again!

Milestone: Does outgrowing pants count? :(

Rainy Days

As anyone living in Texas knows, we have been hit with quite a rainy season this fall. Mind you, I'm not complaining...I actually love rainy days. The overcast sky, the big dark clouds, and the distant rumble of thunder. I find this weather refreshing and comforting. While these rainy days may keep us indoors a little more often than we'd like on these cool autumn days, we haven't let them slow us down a bit. Last weekend was full of family fun...despite the rain.

We kicked the weekend off with a surprise birthday party for Ryan's sister, Blair, on Friday night. Her sweetie, Stephen, planned the whole thing, and she was definitely surprised. We all had our near misses as we talked with her throughout the day, but thankfully, no one spilled the beans before the party. She was serenaded by our waiters at the Mexican restaurant (and made to wear the ever-fashionable sombrero), and we even had a delicious birthday cake inspired by our beloved Baylor green and gold. Great job Stephen!

The in-laws were in town for the party, so they stayed with us, and my mom-in-law and I treated ourselves to a mani/pedi session Saturday morning before heading to Waco for the Baylor game.

Of course, as soon as we got settled in our seats at the stadium, the rain decided to make an appearance once again. We were caught in quite a downpour, but we were well prepared with hoodies, panchos, and plastic seats cushions. Luckily, the rain let up after a while and Baylor went on to win its third game of the season. Go Bears!! All in all, a great weekend!

Happy Fall Y'all!

It's officially fall at our house! This is hands-down my favorite time of the year! I love the cool weather, throwing open the windows (and reducing the A/C bill at the same time), decorating with pumpkins, wearing cute sweaters, and spending our Saturdays returning to our beloved Baylor for football games and good times with old friends. I love the family gatherings that always happen this time of year and making the first hot chocolate batch of the year. I know some of you out there are summer lovers, or spring aficianados, but in my opinion, you just can't beat the autumn season.

Despite what Ryan may think, I even enjoy those lazy Saturdays that come along every once in a while when we spend all day snuggled up on the couch, watching college football, and consuming enormous amounts of chips and queso, pizza, and Dr. Pepper.

The fall is always busy for us, as I'm sure it is for many of you, and this year is no different. I'm pretty sure every weekend from here till Christmas is booked with football games, weddings, family reunions, and holidays. So far, we've already made it to two Baylor home games and will be heading back to Waco tomorrow for another game. We were pretty disappointed to hear that our star quarterback may be out for the rest of the season with a knee injury, but we'll be there to cheer on the team no matter what!

Here's a sample of us decked out in our game day gear - I also love that every football season gives me a good excuse to buy new outfits for the games :)

Things are going well with Baby Fitz too - I'm feeling much better these days and I got to see the baby on another ultrasound a few weeks ago. Our little one is apparently quite an athlete already - he or she was bouncing around and waving at me the whole time :)

Our Little Lime

After weeks of impatient blog silence, Ryan and I have some very exciting news to share....a little Baby Fitz is on the way! Our bundle of joy should be arriving on April 3, 2010, and we're thrilled! According to the weekly baby emails I get, Baby Fitz is about the size of a lime right now (which might explain the title to this post to those of you who were wondering).

I have to admit, we've been hoping for a baby for a few months, but we're still having a hard time believing this is really happening...maybe that's why God gives you nine months to get ready :)

It's such a surreal feeling to know the Lord is stitching together a little person inside me right now. I had my 12 week check-up today and got to hear the baby's heartbeat for the first time - wow! What an amazing Creator we love and serve. I feel so blessed to be a part of His plan for this new life.

I'm sure I'll have lots of exciting baby posts in the future...but for now, enjoy our little one's first picture (from the 8 week sonogram):

Cooking with Fire and Wild New Decor

Last weekend we had a great time officially "christening" Ryan's new grill. Every August, we celebrate another healthy year for Ryan, and this year's celebration included the purchase of a new, manly grill. I have to admit, this purchase may have been partially motivated by the fact that Ryan's little sister has been taunting him for weeks about his inadequate outdoor cooking devise. Blair bought her first house a few months ago and somehow ended up with a grill much bigger than ours :) Naturally, we could not let this go on....in fact, as we were shopping for the new grill, Ryan made a point of calling Blair to ask how big hers was....just so we could be sure ours was bigger :)

So after buying this enormous man-oven, we had to invite a few friends over to "bless" it with a multitude of meats. We had six couples from church over, who each brought their own main dish. The ladies stayed inside...content to be relegated to salad duty, while the guys broke in the grill. It was a great evening!

As if all that manly grilling action wasn't enough, we also added some new macho decorations to the house. After two years of anxious waiting, Ryan finally got the call that the animals he shot in Africa were ready to be brought home. So, we are officially a "hunter's household" with animal heads hanging in our living room (I did put my foot down and kept them out of the bedroom!).

Lucky for Ryan, I grew up in a family where the hunting theme always dominated a least one room in the house. My dad is a serious hunter, and he's the one who invited us to join him on that amazing trip to Africa. Here are a few pics, and I have to say, I think these animals actually look beautiful in our home. They are certainly conversation pieces!

That's right people...since I'm the official decorator of the house, I naturally had to jump in and make sure the placement of Mr. Impala was juuuuust right.

The gemsbok was quite a bit heavier, so I reluctantly let Ryan handle this guy :)

This is Ziggy, our zebra rug...we've had him for quite a bit longer than the others....I have to admit, it looks really cool in our living room.

Ahh memories....this is where our journey into Hunter Chic began...rockin' the khaki!

Anniversary & Cherished Friends

The weekend before last, Ryan and I had a blast celebrating my parents' anniversary with an intimate dinner party. A few months ago my sister Heather suggested that it would be nice to plan a special dinner for them this year. So we reserved a private room at Silver Fox - a great steak and seafood place - and surprised Mom and Dad with a little dinner party. My friend Mary made beautiful flower arrangements, Heather brought a cake from the same bakery we both used for our wedding cakes, and I made a fun slideshow - thank you Mac computer! All in all it was a fabulous evening, full of laughter, great food, and the sharing of sweet memories. Congratulations Mom and Dad! We love you!

As if the anniversary celebration wasn't enough excitement for one weekend, we also had the pleasure of welcoming some dear friends from Florida for a brief visit. My old college roommate Paige was in town with her sweet, albeit demanding, hubby Jordan (what's the big deal about wormy apples and not being served breakfast until 10:30 a.m.?) and their ADORABLE little girl Finley. I just LOVE you guys and I'm so glad we got to spend a little time with you this summer!

We miss you Codes - counting down the days until we share our "family" bed at Homecoming!

We'll Miss You Poppa

Last week, Ryan and I got the sad news that Ryan's grandfather (Poppa to us) had gone home to heaven. We've known his health was declining for the last few months, so it wasn't a surprise, but his sweet presence will still be missed in our lives.

Poppa was a great man, husband, father and grandfather, a truth that was evident in all the stories we heard over the weekend and during the sweet memorial service. Ryan's mom delivered a beautiful, touching eulogy, and we continue to keep her in our prayers as she mourns the loss of her Daddy.

Poppa had a great sense of humor and loved to welcome new members of the family (including me) by offering them a piece of "candy." Thankfully, I had been warned before hand that Poppa's "candy" was actually chewing tobacco! An accessory he never left home without :) My favorite memory, though, is how every time I saw Poppa, he would ask me if I had a rolling pin and if I knew how to use it to keep Ryan in line :)

Poppa was very special in Ryan's life too. He cheered Ryan on at all of his baseball games when he was growing up, gave him his first taste of tobacco, and loved to take him fishing. We can only hope that our own kids have such special relationships with their grandparents.

What a comfort to know that Poppa was a man of God and is finally home with his savior now. We'll miss you, Poppa and look forward to rejoicing with you again one day!

"For I am ready to be poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge will award to me on that day - and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing." 2 Timothy 4:6-8