More Snow!

What is with all this snow? Seriously, I am so sick of it! If I wasn't so close to having this baby I would be all over the internet looking for a deal to somewhere tropical. But since I am stuck here I might as well do some blogging. 

We got the sixth sign for over Ellie's changing table/dresser and Brett hung it last night. I think it turned out super cute and I am very happy with the results. 

The canvases we ordered for over her crib are finished and got shipped this morning. The lady who did them sent me some pictures and I am so excited. They match her bedding perfect and we think they came out GREAT!!

We also got an organizer for her closet so we could put her bibs, bath stuff, shoes, burp cloths, stuff like that in there without it being cluttered. I really wanted these polka dot bins from Babies R' Us for the organizer but they were too big for it. I got some from Target and Jessie suggested I paint my own polka dots on them. I attempted it with two and it doesn't look too bad (from far away) so I am going to paint a couple more. 

I also wanted to get a basket for all the lovely blankets Ellie has. I found this one at Target and it is the perfect size and color for her room and it fits most of her blankets. 

For Christmas my parents were so excited because the found the perfect gift for Brett, a camouflage  diaper bag! For some reason they think he is a big redneck and anything camo has Brett written all over it to them! When he first opened it he laughed it off as a gag gift but then he slowly started to realize it was going to come in handy. He will need a bag for when he has Ellie by himself and this one is pretty neat. It has a cell phone case and a bottle holder. Brett said he can take it with him hunting or fishing too. He will definitely be getting some use out of this gift!

While on the subject of my parents and bags, here is the super awesome diaper bag my parents got me. They also just sent me a new duffle bag for me to take as my hospital bag. They have always been so caring and generous and I am so lucky to have them as my parents and Ellie is so lucky to have them as her B-ma and Gramps! It is such a relief to know that Ellie is never going to need for anything because of the amazing families Brett and I have. We are truly blessed!

My hospital bag.

My diaper bag.

I am very excited for this coming week for a couple of reasons. My online class started last week and we will finally start actual work this coming week. I am excited because I actually have something to do to help distract me from counting down the days until Ellie! Another reason I am excited is because I am going to learn how to knit. I met my friend Julia through the bunko club I am in and I'm so glad! She is one of the sweetest people I have ever met and she is also super talented. She makes all sorts of cool things and is an amazing cook. She is my domestic idol! She made this beautiful stroller blanket for Ellie.

Isn't it adorable? Anyway, Julia is going to teach me how to knit a stocking cap and a matching diaper cover. Since I found out I was pregnant I have wanted to make something for the baby and I think babies in stocking caps are precious! We are getting Ellie's newborn pictures taken the week we bring her home so I am hoping the cap and diaper cover turn out the way I picture it. Here is what I am hoping to accomplish (in pink and white). I can't wait to get started!

Well that's it for now. I hope you all have a great day and stay warm!!!

Snow!

I have been stuck in the house for the last two days because of all the snow we got Sunday night. I think we got about four whooping inches! I realistically could leave the house but I need new tires on my car and am not going to take the chance of getting in a wreck. Brett is taking my car in on Thursday for some new sneakers so then I won't be such a nervous nancy when it comes to driving! Here are some snow pictures from our backyard. 

What is this stuff?

Thanks for the super cute and super warm rain/snow boots dad!!

Brett and I had a very nice weekend. We ordered pizza Friday night and watched LSU beat Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl (thank goodness!). On Saturday we got up and headed out to Bass Pro ( I am such a good wife, huh?). After a thrilling trip out there we headed to the Loveless Cafe to meet our friends Will and Heather for lunch. Heather is expecting a little girl in April, Madison Ann. Madison and Ellie are going to be such great friends! Will and Heather are a lot like Brett and I and we love hanging out with them and look forward to going through this new life stage with them!

After a great lunch we went to Brett's parents house to watch the Saints game and eat some more. Sadly the Saints lost but we had fun hanging out with the family and eating some yummy shrimp Mrs. Elrod brought home after visiting Mr. Elrod in Louisiana. We pretty much take our new camera with us everywhere we go so we can get lots of practice in before the arrival on Ellie. Here are some pictures we took.

Anna Claire (6) and Ava (2).

Ava and Miles. Ava loves dogs!

Me and baby Luke. He is 4 months and such a cutie!

Brett was still in good spirits even after the Saints lost. 

We have our second birthing class on Thursday night. Hopefully there are no more videos! We will be learning about relaxation techniques so I am looking forward to it. Ellie is the size of a pineapple this week! Our next doctors appointment is on Tuesday and I think we go every week after that which is exciting. I love going to the doctor and hearing Ellie's heartbeat! The doctor said they will not stop labor after 35 weeks...only two weeks away!! Hopefully she will stay in and bake for at least 37 weeks. I want her to be as healthy as possible although we are so anxious to meet her!!!!!!

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Baby!!!

I have been super busy this week getting all of Ellie's goodies organized and her nursery ready. Even though she won' be sleeping in there for a while it is still important for me to get it done! We got our chair and ottoman and hung curtains on Saturday. I was having a hard time deciding on curtains but finally made a decision and I am very happy with it. We also got five out of six of the signs that go over the changing table. The last one should be here by the end of the month. Of course I could not wait so my wonderful hubby hung them for me the other night. I also ordered small canvas paintings that will spell out Ellie. They will match her bedding and I am so excited for them! Hopefully they will be done by the end of the month too. There is also a small side table that will go next to the chair. We just wanted to make sure there was going to be enough room. Let me know what you think of her nursery so far.

Signs over her dresser/changing table. "Dream" will go next to "Fly".

A closer look.

Her chair, ottoman, and curtains. You can't really tell but they are polka dot .

The view from the door.

We also got our stroller delivered yesterday. It took us a little bit to put it together and figure out all the bells and whistles but we are very happy with it. It is a Bumbleride Indie and it's great. It is pretty lightweight and easy to fold and open. It came with a rain shield, pump, an extra large canopy for sunny days, and an adjustable cup holder. We cannot wait to take Ellie and the dogs for long walks this Spring!

My best stroller model pose.

I have pink accents to add to make it a little more feminine. 

If you are wondering where that belly came from you are not alone! She is getting big! So big that I can't sleep through the night because I can't stay comfortable and she likes to lay on my bladder. I heard this was going to happen, I just thought I had some time. I just keep reminding myself that it is preparing me for not sleeping when she gets here or for eighteen years after!! So if you see me in the near future please disregard the fact that I look like poop!

We started our birthing class last night. It went well and yes, we did have to watch a video. At one point I looked at Brett and his face was priceless! It was a mix of disgust and pure terror! Needless to say I don't think he will be assisting with delivering Ellie and that is fine with me! The video is intimidating but of course they show women who are having natural births. I am proud to say I am not one of those women! I just know I am cranky when tired and in pain and I want this to be as pleasant of an experience as possible so I will be getting an epidural. I applaud the ladies who are doing it natural but am not ashamed to admit that I'm not one of them! I am looking forward to the next four classes because I think they are going to be really helpful. We will cover relaxation techniques, epidurals, take a tour of the hospital, and learn about caring for a newborn. We are signed up for a breast feeding class scheduled for February 10th so hopefully she will come out after that. We will be delivering at Williamson Medical Center and I am happy we are. It is only fifteen minutes from our house and relatively small, which I like. 

I have been playing around with our new camera and had a little doggy photo shoot. I will leave you with some pictures of our furry babies. 

Miss. Cristal 

Mr. Miles. This is his face when he isn't getting any attention.

The look intimidating don't they? : )

Miles has been gaining pregnancy weight too!

This picture makes me giggle. Miles looks so funny!

Hamming it up for the camera.

She is such a great dog!

I'm Back (for real this time)!!!

Happy 2011! Well, it has been a while. This last month has been crazy between finishing up classes and preparing for the holidays. Since it has been so long I don't even know where to begin with updates!

I guess I will start with school. This semester was a tough one. Not necessarily because of the work but because I could never fully concentrate. My mind always wandered to something baby related. I was very excited that I still pulled off straight A's. Yup, another 4.0!!! For someone who never cared about grades, it feels pretty darn good!! You can just call me Einstein! I am taking an online class this semester. It is just a history class so hopefully it won't give me too much trouble. Good thing I have a smart hubby who is willing to help me out when Ellie gets here!!

As soon as I finished up with school I headed to New York for the holidays. I was nonstop when I was there and am still recovering. My mom and fabulous sister-in-laws threw me an amazing baby shower. It was at the Publick House in Southampton and it was perfect. The food was delish and most importantly the company was great! It was so nice to celebrate this special time with so many great friends and family. Ellie got a TON of stuff and she (as well as Brett and I) are so grateful! I am waiting on a friend to send me some pictures from the shower and as soon as I get them I will post more about it. It was that awesome it deserves its own post!

The day after the shower my friend Meg and I headed into NYC to see Elf on Broadway. After a fabulous lunch at the melting pot with Meg's college roomies in the home of Eli Manning, Hoboken NJ, we headed into NYC. We hit up Gap where I got some cute maternity clothes on major sale (very exciting). We saw Macy's and Rockefeller Center. Both were packed but we had to see them while we were there. The show was great. It was actually my first Broadway show (I know right?!) and I loved it!

The next week was filled with running errands and wrapping presents. We went to see the Turza side of the family on Christmas eve like always and of course I stuffed my face with all the yummy food! On Christmas morning I woke up first and when I went downstairs I noticed Santa didn't come! For the first time in my 26 years there were no gifts under my parents tree. I held back tears because it really hit me that I really was an adult now! I helped Santa and Mrs. Santa (who were still in bed) and carried all the gifts down and put them under the tree. I guess I was just getting in practice for the many years to come. My brother Stephen came over and we opened gifts with my parents. Brett, Ellie, and I definitely got spoiled! Ellie got some super cute outfits and little toys. Brett and I got a new camera. It is a Canon digital rebel and we LOVE it! We really wanted to get a good camera for when Ellie comes to capture all of her sweet moments and Santa did a great job. Not only did we get the camera but Santa also hooked us up with another lense, case, and large memory card. We also got an iPad which is one of the coolest things ever! We still have a lot to learn about it but so far I am obsessed!! My parents also gave us a special gift for Ellie. They gave her silver spoons with her initials. I teared up when I opened it. My parents are very thoughtful and are so excited for Ellie to get here (as are we!!). Santa wasn't the only one was good to us. Ellie got some super cute outfits from her Aunt Kate, Uncle Brian, and cousin Brady. And some generous gift cards from her Uncle Stephen and Michael. My brother GT and sister-in-law Amy got us a Sony bloggie touch which is super cool. It takes HD videos and pictures and you can upload it right to your blog. I am so excited to use it when Ellie gets here. This blog just got a heck of a lot cooler!!! We had such a blessed Christmas and we are so lucky to have such generous, loving family members!!

Brett gave me a very special, beautiful Christmas gift too. He got me another band to match my wedding band and engagement ring. We are going to get our wedding date engraved on my wedding band and when Ellie is born get her birthdate engraved on the new band. And as we have more kids, add their birthdays. Brett actually ordered the wrong one (bless his heart!) but the right one should be here tomorrow and I am very excited. He is such a thoughtful husband and I am so lucky I have him! I just know he is going to be such a great dad. He always tells me one of the most important things he can do for his daughter is to show her how much he loves her mom. I want to cry every time he says that. He is amazing!!

There was a snowstorm when we were in NY and we got stuck there for an extra two days. It was nice to see snow but not when it messes up my plans! It was a nice visit but it was great getting to our own home and seeing our dogs who we missed terribly!!

We went to the doctor yesterday for a check up and everything looks good. My belly is measuring perfect for 32 weeks (wow, I cannot believe it has been 32 weeks!!!). My weight gain is right on target and most importantly Ellie's heartbeat is perfect. I know the next 8 weeks are going to fly by but is it OK to want them too?! We are so ready to meet our little lady. We have been working on decorating her nursery and organizing all the goodies she got from the shower since we've been back and it makes us want her here NOW!! I know we need to enjoy this time together and we are but we can't help but be anxious! We start our birthing class on Thursday night and we're looking forward to it. We are just hoping we don't have to watch a video, we are not visual people!!  Let's just hope we don't pass out!!

Well time to get to the laundry that has been pilling up since we got home. I will leave you with some pictures we took in NY with the new camera.

Brady hamming it up for the camera!

Grace playing in the snow.

Beach Lane, Wainscott.

It was a beautiful day.

The duck pond in East Hampton.

Brett's new friend!