happy holidays

As we round out 2015, I wanted to say how grateful we are to have so many supporters surrounding us during this exciting time. If I don't say how appreciative I am, chalk it up to being constantly uncomfortable/tired/pained/forgetful.  When I'm not walking around in a daze, I'm likely napping or trying to nap!  I have a newfound respect for working  preggos/mothers that somehow make it through the day unscathed.

We were lucky enough to have my brother visit for Christmas and New Year's this year, with the exciting news he'll be relocating back to Florida early next year. Not only will Shaun have his Auntie Lys close by, but he'll have his Uncle Jay too! Family is a priority for 2016 now more than ever, and whether related by blood or not, you all know who you are, how important you are to us, and how glad we are to have you in our lives. We wish you a happy and healthy new year, and will be back in a few days with pics from our 4D ultrasound!

32 weeks. . .

We had our 32-week ultrasound yesterday and Shaun is looking great! He's 4 pounds 4 ounces and in the 65th percentile.  I also got my tdap vaccine and want to chop off my arm today, but I know it had to be done! We go back in 3 weeks to check in with the doctor, but are looking into scheduling a 4D ultrasound in the meantime.  Here's a shot from yesterday:

Shaun @ 32 weeks

Time seems to be flying by and I feel like we'll never fully be ready, but we can't wait to meet our little boy! Life is going to change drastically and we're both so excited for it.

Slight delay, but what a trip!

I got sick a few days into our OKC trip (hence the posting delay), but aside from that, we had a blast! Friday the 4th was our maternity shoot with the fabulous Lisa at LG Photography, and we are thrilled with how the pictures turned out! Just a few of our favorites that made our holiday card this year:

Saturday was the boys' superhero themed party - and I think it was a success!  It might seem like it was more a party for adults - especially since we forgot to grill the hot dogs for the kids until AFTER our food was ready... but everyone had a great time: 

me & Ash

Awesome Avengers Cake!

D & Iron Man

Sunday we went to the Thunder game (after dining at our favorite Greek place, Zorba's, of course).  Bonus - they beat the Kings!

Thunder Up!

Sadly, Monday was our last day with these munchkins.  I'm so grateful to have them in our lives! They grow sweeter by the day and make us laugh to no end.  

Ellie

Ace

Elliott is very excited to teach Shaun all about Christmas trees next year.

Serious cousin discussions

Can't wait to see them again soon!

size isn't everything, but...

I'd like to think I've been handling most of the bodily changes and accompanying discomfort pretty well.  After getting a Snoogle, my sleeping infinitely improved. But since I can't sleep on my back, I flip sides every hour or two.  Last night was a low point - my feet are starting to swell, and they look huge!  I soaked them in Epsom salts, elevated them... all to no avail.  I finally gave up and tried to go to bed just to escape the pain.

soaking didn't help :(

D and I are headed to OKC tomorrow to visit our friends, Ashley and Nathan, and we couldn't be more excited.  It's a yearly tradition (for the past four years, anyhow) to attend their son Elliott's birthday.  And since Archer (their youngest) is an early January birthday, they combined the parties and are basically accommodating our schedule so it doesn't coincide with my no-fly period.  After meeting on our honeymoons five years ago, we've been (virtually) inseparable and I wouldn't have been able to navigate this pregnancy journey without her!

I love her!

Up until this point, aside from the morning sickness early on, I've felt like nothing TOO spectacular (aside from the fact that Shaun EXISTS) has been happening that I needed to document it.  But now that our little peanut is moving around so much and the belly is oh-so-apparent, it seemed like a good point to jump in.  Life is going to change in a big way very soon, so I'm going to try to capture all of it. :)

Thanks for coming along for the ride!

times are changing...

I decided to revamp this blog to focus on the center of our world - the arrival of Shaun! Not to say I'll never post recipes again - I enjoy food WAY too much for that - but for now, this little person who isn't even here yet seems to consume most of our time and thoughts. I figured this would be a good way to let all those people who are so excited about him to get a peek into the day-to-day.

Tomorrow starts week 29 - the time has just been flying by! So far he is happy and healthy, with what I assume is just the usual discomfort to be expected. He's kicking up a storm and feels like a giant has taken up residence in my belly, but Darren and I couldn't feel more blessed. We're taking our last few trips before I become a house-hermit.

To close, this has been a fan favorite so far - and I feel my expression accurately depicts my shock at the size of our monkey. :)

Til next time!