Christmas 2011

Right after our doctors appointment on Friday afternoon we headed west for Christmas 2011. We are very very very blessed that all of our family lives with in about 45 minutes of each other so we are able to do EVERYONE's Christmas- but it sure makes for a busy 2 days. 6 Christmas' in 24 hours... WHEW!

Sorry I have very few pictures. I took a ton- but my camera ate them ALL. I think it was a faulty memory card... one minute they were all there and the next there were "no images"---sad day. But it is like I told Chase if that is the worst thing that happens all Christmas then it was a great Christmas! So all the pictures you see here are borrowed. :(

We started our Christmas marathon Christmas Eve afternoon at Chase's MeeMaw's. MeeMaw's cookin is the best! Getting to eat at her house is a present in itself! She has the best down home, country cookin'. (I wish I pictures to show you the spread...sad). After a yummy lunch we opened presents. Mary Claire got tons of stuff and she is not even here yet. She is one lucky little girl! I never thought I would be so excited to get diapers!!!

These are the only pictures I have from MeeMaw's

Then it was back to Nana and Pops' house for a quick wardrobe change before communion.

We met my family and MawMaw and PawPaw at church in Millington for family communuion. I love this time for us all get together and pray as a family- giving praise for the year behind us and asking for continued blessings next year. And the comic relief from 2 small toddlers (not mentioning any names) was pretty good too.

After communion it was off to MawMaw's and PawPaw's for family time and another yummy dinner!

Chase, Anna Marie and Mary Claire!

The best way to win over an Asian... Food!

The ultimate turkey trot... He was laughing believe it or not... 

and after it went down hill after that...

not sure how they ended up in their skivies... but it sure was funny!

After Dinner it was time for Presents Round One with the out of towners. So wake up PawPaw!!!

Look Alive Guys!!!! It's time for presents!!!

Then off to church for the Christmas service. After all, that is the reason for the season!

Up Next: back to MawMaw's for Present Round 2!

This is one of my FAVORTIE times every Christmas! There are like 20 people all opening presents as "organized as possible." As hard as MawMaw tries, we never open "ONE AT A TIME!!!!". It gets loud and crazy up in there... Laughs galore. Man I love my family!

  

   

                                                                         Gray REALLY liked his present from William...
                                                             and Bates had to join in on the lovin'

After Presents Round 2- It's off to NaNa and Pops' house for more presents!!! By the time we got there this year the boys had alrady hit the sack... they had to get in bed early cause SANTA WAS COMING! So it was an abreviated present opening- just a few each- but we HAD to knock out some of them because the presents we over taking the living room! Then it was off to bed so Santa could come and we could get some rest before another busy day.

SANTA CAME!!!!!!!

He even came to see Mary Claire!

***Sorry no pictures of Christmas morning... stupid camera!***

Up next Christmas breakfast at Gran-nannie's. Well, this year it was actually at NaNa and Pops' because PeePaw was sick.

Gran-nannie always makes fresh squeezed orange juice for Christmas breakfast. It is sooooo good! I really look forward to my yearly glass of fresh squeezed orange juice!

Up next... Presents!

  

Gran-nannie and Uncle Dane

Mac Demi and Lidia :)

 And to finish Christmas with a Bang... it's on to MiMi's for Lunch.

The adults all play dirty santa. It is always so much fun- you never know what kind of gifts there might be in there (besides the annual lottery tickets). Last year there was Deer Urine :) Thanks guys!

MiMi changed the rules up this year... the person who got #1 got to go first, but then at the very end got their pick of any gift- even the "dead" ones... Leave it to MiMi to mix it up! "The first shall be last and the last shall be first" she said. 

Chase and I made it out scott-free with Rudolf decor for the car and a craftsman ratchet set. 

Then it was lunch. YUM!!!

 And the annual couch picture

And that concludes our whirlwind Christmas! WHEW! 

Like I said before we are so very blessed to not have to pick and choose who's Christmas' we can do each year, but it sure makes for a busy 24 hours. By the end of it all I was exhausted... and FULL!!!

I anxiously await to do it all again next year, but with Mary Claire in tow! Hang on baby- It's a wild ride! 

Tummy Tuesday

Week 30

Mary Claire is now around 15.7 inches long and weighs in at a whopping 3 pounds. This is what all the books and websites say, but I hear of babies born around this time and they are only a pound and a half to 2 pounds, so who really knows??? Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. Hopefully she will get her daddy's eyes- both in sight and color. :)

I had my 30 week appointment last Friday (with the nurse practitioner) and the million dollar question.... How much did "Momma P" gain? ONE POUND! Wahoo I did it! Dr McGowen is going to be so proud of me when I see her next week at my 32 week check up. I didn't gain another 9 pounds- just like she asked. 

But on to the real point of the visit- Mary Claire had another great check up. Everything was right on track. My belly measured 30 inches, her heartbeat was "perfect", and all was well.

After the doctors appointment we headed to Memphis for Christmas. It was kind of neat to be pregnant at Christmas time. For the first time I felt like I could really relate to Mary- I feel like I can better understand what her emotions could have been. I mean seriously people... I could not imagine riding on a donkey all day- not knowing what was happening to my body- having only Chase to help me give birth to our child- and above all not having clean clothes or a clean bed to put my sweet baby in! She had to have been so scared, felt so alone. I have an all new appreciation for Mary. She was quite a remarkable woman! 

*** We aren't going to mention that I cried during EVERY song about Mary sung in church***

She is going to be here before we know it! 10 more weeks... that's so hard to believe!    

Tummy Tuesday

Week 29

Let me just reiterate that I really don't look this big in person. I have had NUMEROUS people tell me they follow my blog and "thought I'd be bigger." I don't know what it is? Maybe the camera adds 10lbs? or maybe it's the skin tight clothes? or maybe, just maybe, it's the photographer?... You know I can always find a way to blame it on Chase :)

Mary Claire is now just over 15 inches long and about 2 1/2 pounds. Her muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and her head is growing bigger to make room for her developing brain... She is going to be a smart girl!!! According to the baby books, her little bones will soak up over 250mg of calcium from my body every day for the rest of the pregnancy. WOWZERS! Guess I need to make a conscious effort to drink more milk.

I'm pretty sure she is going to be an olympic swimmer. As much as she squirms around in there, she is going to be a great swimmer! We will just have to work with her on not swallowing so much water because apparently it gives her the hiccups something bad. That could really hurt her lap times. :)

I must really look pregnant now because this has been the first week that multiple people have the nerve enough to ask me when I am due, with out being prompted that I am pregnant. (I am still working up the courage to tell someone I'm not pregnant, you know- just for a reaction, HA! ) I have felt like I look pregnant, not fat, for a while now- but apparently I am just now beginning to really show in my scrubs. So, have these people just thought I was getting fat for the last 7 months???

Long story short- Chase and I have have decided to go ahead and rent a condo in Spring Hill starting at the first of the year so that we are not in between houses with a new born, or even worse- trying to show a house with a new born, a postpartum momma, and lots of family in town. (I will blog on this later) We get the keys on January first to start the slow move in process- but I have had some serious nesting on the brain. I am constantly day dreaming about cleaning, organizing, painting, decorating, etc. Come on January 1!!! Until then I will be nesting in my head.

Tummy Tuesday

WEEK 28

"First week of the last trimester"

Is it just me or are Tuesdays getting closer and closer together?!?!?

Mary Claire is now weighs two and a quarter pounds and is 14.5 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can blink her eyes, which now have lashes. With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through my belly. She's also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

I have come to the conclusion she is not kicking or punching me... She is swimming. She just rolls and moves a lot- never a real blow to the ribs or elbow to the kidney. When she moves I usually feel her in 2 opposing spots. She is just rolling over and getting comfy. I just picture her like my little Orca Whale... so graceful!


She had hiccups for the first time this week. It was like a little heartbeat pounding right inside my right hip bone. So sweet!

Friday was my last monthly doctor appoint- from now on I go every 2 weeks! AGH! It's getting so close!!! All was well at my appointment. Her heart beat sounded "great", my belly size was "right on track", and the blood work they drew last visit came back "normal." I also got some info on pre-registering at the hospital, and finding a pediatrician. There was only one small hic-up... I gained 9 pounds since the last visit!!! Woops! She said that was fine since I had gained so little this far, but to "try not to do it again next month."... We will see about that, but I'm not making any promises. :)

So Momma P had a SERIOUS "pregnancy brain" moment this week. I have been carefully watching my hands and feet for swelling, because I sure as heck do not want to have to have my wedding rings cut off or stretch out a good pair of shoes. So, with that being said... Chase's work Christmas Party was this last Saturday night and all night I kept sliding my rings up and down my finger because they were kind of tight- not bad- just tighter than normal. All night I kept checking to make sure it wasn't getting any worse. After the party- I took off all my jewelry, got ready for bed, and went and sat on the couch and watched TV for a little bit with Chase, his boss, and his bosses wife (Hi Patty!) I looked down at my hands (still concerned they may be swelling) and I noticed the indinations from my rings on my RIGHT hand.... CRISIS AVERTED! My hands were not swelling... Dummy just had her rings on the wrong hand all day! HA! We all got a good laugh out of it though. :)

Tummy Tuesday

Week 27

I am 27 1/2 weeks along today--- just incase you are doing a count down to due date, it is in a mere 12 1/2 weeks! Wahoo!!! Christmas and New Years will be here and gone before I know it, then it will be crunch time for the final preparations before she makes her BIG debut! Time has really flown by...

Mary Claire now weighs almost 2 pounds and is about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended. She's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and maybe even sucking her fingers or thumb. Maybe she will be a thumb sucker... babies are so cute when they suck their thumbs! Her brain tissue is developing more and more each day, and it is very active now. While her lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if she were to be born now. But let's just hope she stays put until at least after Valentines Day. I think it would be neat if she was born on February 20th because that is Chase and my "Dating Anniversary"- or Maybe February 29th since it is leap year. But- as long as she is happy and healthy I don't really care when she comes! I'm really excited to meet her :)

New for Momma this week- LEG CRAMPS!!! I never knew they were common in preganacy until I had them 4 nights in a row and googled it (after the stomach virus I vowed never to google symptoms again, but I just had to know). Apparently they are very common in the late 2nd trimester and into the 3rd trimester. My expanding belly is putting pressure on the veins that return blood from my legs to my heart as well as on the nerves leading to my legs. And unfortunatly, they will only get worse and there is not a lot I can do about them- BUT if this is my only complaint (along with occasional heatburn) I'll take it!

Check out my belly button... It's doing a disappearing act...

Please disregard the dark line developing down my belly.

I got a flu shot this week too- I figured I'd better since she asks me every visit if I have gotten it yet and I have another appointment this Friday. I don't want to be on her naughty list right here at Christmas time! :)