The Great Christmas Tree Search

Don't let this picture fool you. BellaRose was a champ when we went to look for a Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving. Who wouldn't be happy to be out following their mom while she looks for the perfect Christmas tree in 37 degree weather with 50 mph wind gusts!? Poor girl had tears rolling down her face from the wind, but she never once cried or complained. Because she was SO good she even got her own 2 foot Christmas tree. He is like a mini version of the fat guy I got. You will be happy to know he is perfect! I will show you pictures once he is properly decorated. I just needed to brag on BR for a minute.

#2 is still just kicking. She is now 2lbs according to Baby Center and is the size of a head of cauliflower. They always make her into some vegetable or fruit. I would much prefer examples such as a cheeseburger, fries, spaghetti, sushi, cupcakes, you know things I can relate to. I told Worth she was a cauliflower head, and he said "I like cauliflower". I am 27 1/2 weeks, I had a picture for you, but my belly button looks weird so maybe later on that one too. I can't believe that I am almost (or am I in it, I still don't know) in my third trimester! WOW!

All the boxes of Christmas decorations to sort through. This really is one of the most wonderful times of the year!

Coming along!

This issue of my blog will be about flooring!  It is complete in BellaRose's big girl room as is the paint.  We are getting closer and closer to having BellaRose's big girl room all done.  We decided that we are going to get rid of the current double bed and opt for a twin.  There will be a sweet little table and chairs under the window.  Of course molding needs to go up and replacing the cracked window is in the future, but we are on our way.  Worth asked BellaRose when she would sleep in her big girl bed and she told him in 40 days.  So there you have it!

It is funny I am pregnant with Baby Girl #2 but it is still all about getting BellaRose's room ready like with the first pregnancy.  

I am not sure how well Sweetie Baby is going to do in transferring to her big girl  bed.  She LOVES the crib and has no desire to move out of there.  She is not one for change, just like the momma!  She is, however, excited about her "new room" and I let her pick out the paint color (sort of).  

While Worth laid down the hardwood floor BellaRose pretty much watched from the hallway in her rocking chair.  She really wanted to be in on the action and actually helping, but we deemed a 2 year old and flooring nailer a bad idea!  Aren't we good parents!

Proof that BellaRose is going to be a good big sister to #2!

Style Nook

So Margaret is starting a style blog!!!  I am so excited about this blog!  Margaret has impeccable taste and loves to find a great deal.  Those 2 combinations are going to make this blog so outstanding.  Go check it out, follow it, love it!

Here is the link for Style Nook.

6 years!

A funny thing happens when you have kids, the pictures become less about you as a couple and much more about the babies.  That is ok but when you are searching in your photo files for a pictures to show the people it becomes a little hard.  This was taken at Leah's wedding in Hilton Head in April.  Such a fun time and awesome getaway for us.  

We jusy went on another awesome getaway to Beech Mountain where Worth's sister has a 2nd home.  She graciously let us stay there for the weekend and took BellaRose for a night as did T-Love and Big Poppa.  THANK YOU!

Worth and I had a wonderfully, much needed, relaxing time.  Bless his heart, he even told me I looked the same as our wedding day!  What a good man.  

I love you deeply Worth.  You have been my "other" for almost 10 years and I could not have asked for anyone better to walk beside on this journey.  You are an awesome Dad and an AWESOME husband.  THANK YOU!!

5th annual Pumpkin Carving Contest

Okay so here are a whole lot of pictures from the Pumpkin Carving Contest at Matt and Margaret's house.  As I mentioned it was SO much fun.  Funny thing is when they started this tradition we were all childless and now it is overrun by our kids, and so much fun!  I love seeing the costumes that everyone picks for their kids.  We had a fireman, a Steeler, a Daisy, a Cupcake, Scary Skateboarder, a UNC cheerleader, Yoda,  a Pirate, and a Gangster.  Quite a variety!

THANK YOU FOR A WONDERFUL PARTY!

So the Swann Family was not going to participate in the carving contest.  One set of Swanns did not even bring a pumpkin (Becky and Jeremiah, not to name any names), the other set of Swanns might have been called some names on my part to get them to play.  My heckling worked though and they carved a pumpkin, even though Niki gave Nick something that amounted to a sharpened paper clip to carve their pumpkin.   

THE WINNING PUMPKIN!!!!  

FINALLY!

23 weeks

Well here we are back to measuring life in weeks and months.  I was so happy when BellaRose turned 2 and I did not have to figure out how many months she was.  Now I measure life in weeks and how round my belly is getting.  There are times I forget about the belly because so many other things have my attention particularly a certain cute 2 year old.  I feel like I am in that awkward pregnant girl stage where it is tough for me to see my rounding figure.  I know I need to push that vanity aside because what is happening inside this belly really is amazing and a little weird (come on you know it's true).  

The other night we were at dinner and there was a tiny new little baby there, BellaRose saw it and patted my belly.  That was a neat moment.  She knows about baby sister, and where she is living right now, but I never realized she connected the two.   She likes to feel baby sister move too.  We have still not named #2 yet.  We have a name in mind but we aren't ready to commit quite yet.  BellaRose likes it, and when she is says it is real sweet.  We will tell you once we know for sure.

The pictures below crack me up.  This is sweet girl in the morning.  She has taken to calling herself Rosey, which I LOVE.  I would not want her calling herself Bella, I don't like that by itself, but Rosey, so sweet!  She wanted me to take a belly picture of her this morning.  That is why her PJ's are unzipped.  She also put this outfit together and was standing there leaning on the table.  There are so many things to point out here, like the one ear out of the hat, and her shoes on the wrong feet.  This kid has a load of personality that is for sure.

In final Grant news, we had out 5th annual pumpkin carving contest at Matt and Margaret's house.  For the 1st time our pumpkin was crowned the winner!  We got to bring home the awesome turkey statue and a very generous visa gift card!  We are pretty excited.  Worth of course is taking all the credit (read the visa gift card) because he did all the work, but I am doing a lot of work too (see above picture)!  Those pictures will be coming next post.  Such a great party, one of my favorite of the year!

On Saturday I took pictures of Hannah and Kelvin's wedding.  Those will be coming soon, but you can go to my photo blog and check out Hannah's bridal pictures.  Sorry about the little business plug but I have to do it where I can!

On Sunday we loaded up the family truckster (honda) and headed down to Greenville for some birthday celebrations.  Christian, our nephew, shares a birthday with me.  I say with me b/c I am older and have had it longer!  He turned to double digits and bought himself an iPod touch, a kid after my own heart.  Sadly we don't have pictures of them (Cameron too) because they had basketball practice during part of the celebration.  Worth did get a couple pictures of Taylor and Rocco being rad on the ramp they bought with their own money!  

Angela took these of the sweet BellaRose coloring and then of the beloved birthday song, with my beloved ice cream cake (thank you mom) as BellaRose keeps taking my beloved icing!  She might have learned it from me though.

Loving the fall!

Worth raked up a leaf pile for BellaRose and she has been LOVING it!!!  We can't walk by without her wanting to jump in it.  Isn't that what fall is all about?  Crunchy leaves, and playing in leaf piles!

I recently celebrated a birthday as many of you have wished me to have a happy one.  Thank you so much!  It was a beautiful fall day.  I spent the day with my mom and the evening the my wonderful husband.  I got loaded down with spa gift certificates that I can hardly wait to use.  I want to spend hours and hours there getting myself pampered!  Life has been SO good and it just keeps getting better.  Thank you all for being in my life and the love and joy you bless me with on a daily basis!

Baby Girl #1

I have been meaning to share this picture with you for some time.  Well now, here you go.  Me and my sweetie baby this summer in Hilton Head.  Don't you just want to eat up BellaRose.  I was newly preggars and not feeling so hot, trying to get love from sweet girl.  

I wanted to thank you all for your excitement on baby girl #2.  I know you would have been excited either way for me, but it just means a lot.  Can you believe we will have 2 of these beauties?!  Oh poor Worth!  I wonder if #2 will have brown hair and blue eyes?  I think that her ultrasound picture looks like BellaRose.  We will see I guess.  We have 2 names that we are throwing around, still not sure.  When we have BellaRose say them they sound so cute.  Maybe I will tell you soon.  I am not sure I am ready to hear what everyone thinks just yet.  I have to be confident in them first so that I can defend them!  You know they are not going to be traditional with a Worth and Sunday deciding.  

The word is..

As most of you know right now, we are having another baby girl!  BellaRose will have a sister.  I don't think that this is bad to say, but both Worth and I had hoped for a boy, but I was thinking the whole time it was probably going to be a girl.  I was right.  But I have to tell you that I LOVE MY SISTERS!!!  I love them with my whole heart.  It took us awhile to get as close as we are b/c they are so much older then me (but you can't tell), but now that we are older we are so close.  There is nothing like the bond that sisters share and so with that I am thrilled that BellaRose will have a sister!  I pray that they will be best of friends and watch out for each other and survive me going through menopause together (this last statement reflects nothing on current mothers of such age)!  

The MOST important thing though is that SHE is healthy!  The heart looks great, the spine looks great, the kidney looks great, no cleft palette.  Health was our biggest prayer and it has been answered!  We have no names yet.  I have some thoughts.  One in particular I am trying to sell Worth on.  We will see.  At least I don't have to change the nursery......much!

Here are some cute pictures of sweet girl.  It seems like we got a lot of good ultra sound pictures of her today.  

Thank you for all your love and support!  Your excitement over this little girl has made us so excited.  We have loved talking to you!