Christmas Day

Hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas! Ours was nice, quiet and wet. It was rainy and cold all Christmas Day, which was odd since I'm used to sun and warm here in San Diego but it was a nice change, if only it hadn't rained every single time we had to take presents to or from the truck. We spent the day at Randy and Tracey's house. We got there around 9am and made breakfast, then the orgy of presents began. I tried to keep some semblance of order to the present opening but there was paper flying everywhere and after a while it was just chaos. Ian, as always, was entertaining to watch. He got REALLY excited about his new DS games and his Clone Trooper helmet (see pics below) but had the typical disappointed reaction to getting some clothes. Bryan captured the moment on our new video camera (our gift to one another this year) and as soon as I figure out how to load videos to the blog you can all see how hilarious it was. Nicole, on the other hand, squealed when she got new clothes and insisted on putting them on immediately. She is such a girl! Clothes, jewelry and make up were her favorite presents, along with a Barbie and some "paper" dolls. It's so funny to see my tomboy sister with such a girly girl. I got spoiled as well. We got a ton of great baby stuff and Bryan got me a gift certificate for La Costa Resort and Spa which I plan to use as soon as I've recovered from giving birth. I can't wait!! My back is killing me and a massage sounds like heaven. Later that day Dave, Marilyn, little Dave and Mara joined us for a yummy turkey dinner and more present opening. It was a nice, small family gathering and we all had a great time.

One tradition that we continued this year was Jesus' birthday cake. A few years ago when we tried to explain to Ian that Christmas wasn't just about Santa and presents, it was also Jesus' birthday, he insisted that you can't celebrate a birthday without a cake, so every year we have a separate cake with a candle and sing "Happy Birthday" to Jesus. Here is picture of this year's celebration. I hope this tradition lasts even as the kids get older. It's so cute.

Unfortuantely mom and dad couldn't join us on Christmas Day. Dad is still recovering from his latest round of chemo and the radiation is really starting to bug his throat. Bryan and I went and dropped off presents Christmas Eve. Besides being tired, having no voice and the "sunburn" on his neck he actually looks pretty good, though I know he feels horrible. He's gaining weight, which is positive, and radiation should be done on January 6, just in time for him to be on the mend when the baby is due. Marian was also sick on Christmas Day so we stopped by that night to exchange gifts. Next year should be more fun all the way around.

Rainy and wet Caremel Mountain Ranch. You can't see it but it was really pouring.

Nicole and her "paper" dolls. They actually have magnets these days but its the same concept.

At least someone was happy about getting new clothes.

Ian, the Clone Trooper.

Distracted by his new Batman DS game.

Beer and the Clash in the garage.

Even my face is starting to look pregnant!

Just because she's so cute!

And now for the latest baby news...

I'm 36 weeks and really starting to feel it. My belly seems to have popped in the last week or so. I'm definitely moving slower and my feet, hands and face look and feel swollen all the time. I've got a double chin for the first time ever! Yikes! Since Christmas Day I've been getting stonger and more painful Braxton-Hicks contractions (the "just practice" kind). They usually start a few weeks before going into labor but I'm still planning to ask about them at my doctor's appointment tomorrow afternoon. I start weekly appoinments now and my due date is getting closer. I'm still working until Janaury 9 but I'm really trying to get everything wrapped up as soon as possible just in case I have to leave early.

We got a lot done on the nursery this weekend. I was really in a nesting mood. The office is no longer. Its all baby in there now. The crib is completely done and outfitted with sheets and bumpers. We have all the furniture (glider, bookcase and dresser) and we plan to finish painting on New Year's Day. I washed all the clothing, bedding and towels, packed the diaper bag and put books and toys away on the bookcase. It's really starting to come together and I feel soooooo relieved. If we had to bring her home today we should be ready. Hopefully we'll finish decorating next weekend and I can post some pictures.

Happy New Year everyone!!

Merry Christmas!

I didn't get a chance to send out Christmas cards this year but here are some of my favorites from someecards.com for your enjoyment. Have a very Happy Holiday everyone!

Tim's Christmas Party

Saturday night was Tim and Bryan's annual Christmas party. It's supposed to be Tim's office party but a lot of friends always end up stopping by. It was cold and rainy and I was tired so didn't really feel like going but I'm so glad we did. It was a blast! The food Bryan (the other Bryan) made was amazing! I stuffed myself and paid for it later with heartburn but it was worth it. Then we did the White Elephant gift exchange. This year was livelier than last year and there was more stealing of presents, probably because the gifts were better. I got a hot chocolate maker. Bryan can't wait to make hot chocolate with our little girl on Saturday mornings and watch cartoons. Then, after all the presents were opened, the living room was spontaneously turned into a disco. Everyone danced, including my Bryan, and we had sooooo much fun. I'll let the pictures speak for themelves.

Tim and Bryan

The delicious food!


Surprising Tim with a birthday cake.



Bryan, the mad cake cutter.


My belly is finally bigger.

Dance Party San Diego!


And for my own enjoyment (and yours), the many faces of Bryan Reed:

Baby school

We have now hit 34 weeks! Only six more to go. I'm starting to feel the effects of carrying around 30 extra pounds. I've got the pregnancy waddle and it feels like I'm walking around on blow-up toys because my feet are so swollen. I'm also really congested (another preggo symptom) and have been keeping Bryan awake at night with my loud, labored breathing. I'm sure I'll be snoring any day now.

Baby girl has been moving all over the place lately. I can definitely feel legs, arms and feet through my belly now. And I felt the first hiccups last night. She didn't seem too happy about them either because she started kicking like crazy after about 30 seconds of hiccuping. Can't say I blame her. I hate them too.

And we finally got the office cleaned out! Woohoo!!! Bryan tackled the big job of reorganizing the garage last Saturday and it looks great. There's still some work to do to get the closet cleaned out but the office furniture is gone! I tried to help but my balloon feet and tight belly stopped me from being too much more than just moral support. My mom is going to come paint next week and we should be able to start getting things organized after Christmas. Fortunately my maternity leave starts two weeks before my due date so I should have time to do things like wash baby clothes and apply decals to the walls.

As this post's title implies we've also started to take some of our classes at Kaiser, or "baby school" as Bryan likes to call it. On Tuesday we had a labor & delivery tour at the hospital and found out where we need to check in, park, etc. so that when the big event happens we won't be running around looking for the right department. I'd already seen most of the rooms and stuff when Tracey delivered Ian and Nicole at the same hospital but it was good for Bryan to get the "lay of the land". Next Wednesday, on Bryan's 42nd birthday, we will be taking a Baby Basics class. Bryan gets to spend the big day putting diapers on dolls and giving them baths. How fun. And then on Thursday I've got a breastfeeding class (Bryan gets to skip that one). It's all starting to seem real now...

Vacation

Bryan and I took a little vacation this week. We had the day after Thanksgiving off so we decided to extend our time off with three extra vacation days. We had the use of my aunt and uncle's timeshare so we decided to take off Sunday for a mini-getaway in Palm Springs. The other four days we spent doing fun stuff around town, visiting the family and cleaning out the office. It was just what we needed, some relaxation before baby arrives. We ate at some great restaurants, saw some good movies and even listened to 80-year-olds play cool jazz at a divy little lounge in Palm Springs. Oh, and we managed to make a dent in our Christmas shopping. All in all, a great week off! Here are some pictures of the fun.

A beautiful day in La Jolla.

Contemplating life in front of a Palm Springs landmark named after Bryan's dad.

The baby wants ice cream!

Having a martini in a swank downtown Palm Springs bar.

After a delicious Italian feast in Palm Springs.

Shower

I've been meaning to blog about my November 16th shower for a while now but my mom and sister have been lagging on getting me electronic versions of their pictures. Fortunately my friend Whitney had some pretty good shots and sent them to me in a timely manner : )

Tracey and my mom threw the shower at Tracey's house in Carmel Mountain Ranch on one of the hottest days in November. Thank God for air conditionioning! We had amazing food; tons of salads, inlcuding my favorite artichoke dip, sandwhiches and desserts from a French place near her house. But best of all was the champagne and mimosas. I 've been craving them during this pregnancy and indulged in a glass. Yum!

It was great to see everyone! My mom's friend Kelly drove in from Yuma and Diane is finally back from her three years in Germany so there were mini-reunions going on all over the room.

We were completely spoiled by our friends and family and got most of our big ticket items, including the travel system and glider (both from the grandmas). We also got some cute clothes and tons of other baby basics like a Boppy and an umbrella stoller. Now if we could just get the nursery done I'd have some place to put everything. Thanks everyone for making my shower so special! Here are some of Whitney's pics. I'll post more if I ever get them...

Opening gifts.

The winner of the "Don't Say Baby" game.

Another baby shower game gone awry.

One Year of Wedded Bliss

Yesterday was our one year anniversary. I can't believe how quickly it's gone by...and how different things are today than they were just 365 days ago! Practically a whole new house and a baby on the way. But its been a fun, if somewhat exhausting, year and Bryan and I are closer than ever. Saying yes was the best decision I've ever made.

I started the day by getting a beautiful bouquet from my hubby that included some of the flowers we had at our wedding, red gerbera daisies (he remembered!). Then we headed out to breakfast at the Big Kitchen, a fun, delicious, divy breakfast restaurant just a block from my old apartment in South Park. We used to eat there all the time when we were dating. We hadn't been back in over a year so it was fun to go back and see the old 'hood. Then we headed over to Balboa Park and I took Bryan to my favorite museum, the Museum of Photographic Arts (MoPA). We spent about 45 minutes going through the exhibits and gift shop. I love that place! And finally we just wandered around the park and took pics. That park is so beautiful. I can't wait to get zoo passes and bring our little girl to see the animals. After the park we headed over to Guitar Center to check out some drum cases (I'm paying for part of them as an anniversary/birthday gift) for the drum kit Bryan got from Pinch last year.

We got home fairly early and spent the rest of the day watching football and enjoying our new kitchen. Except for the Charger's loss (grrrrrrrr!), we had a great 1-year anniversary. We're heading to Palm Springs this weekend for an anniversary/birthday/pre-baby celebration. Thanks for the use of your timeshare Aunt Karen and Uncle Don!

My beautiful anniversary flowers.

Me outside The Big Kitchen after breakfast.

Bryan in the Botanical Garden at Balboa Park.

Making yummy fish tacos...in the new kitchen!

Nursery Preview

Just a quick post to show off the wall decals I bought for the baby's room. I got these from Wee Gallery at blik graphics. They've got some great stuff if anyone wants to check it out http://www.whatisblik.com/

The room will be sage green, black and white. My mom is making the window valance and the crib skirt and Ian and Nicole are decorating the name letters for the wall. I will obviously post pictures when it's all done.

We have a kitchen!!!!

Yes, our kitchen is done! Well almost. They have one or two little finishes to do today and then we have to load all our stuff into the cabinets, but basically it's completed. We LOVE it! It looks better than we thought it would. Our 70's kitchen has now entered the 21st century. Here are the comparison shots.

Before

After

Our contractor, Remcon, started work on Tuesday, October 21 and they should be done today, November 20; just under 5 weeks to demolish, plumb, change the electricity, install new cabinets, appliances, countertops and flooring, re-drywall and paint. Not too bad! I'd heard so many horror stories about contractors being late that I was a little nervous that this wouldn't be done before baby's arrival. But I am very pleased! They did great work and we couldn't be happier. Very professional.

The planning process almost took longer than the constrcution. We started by picking out Ikea cabinets. A neighbor of ours used them in his place and we were impressed. We didn't want anything too ornate and Ikea had simple, modern designs that fit perfectly into our 922 sq. ft. condo. Remcon was referred to us by Ikea and from there we chose our Cesarstone countertops (like Silestone from Home Depot) and our flooring from Arizona Tile. We had saved some Home Depot gift certificates from our reception in May and purchased our appliances (range and dishwasher) with those (THANKS!). Bryan is very happy to have a convection oven and five burners to help create his culinary masterpieces. As the one who cleans up, I am very happy to have a quiet dishwasher and a flat stovetop (no more scrubbing under burners). While I love everything about it, I think my favorite part is that we can now see into the living room from the kitchen. We cut half of the hallway wall and created a little bar area between the two rooms. It makes everything feel more open and bigger somehow. No more cave kitchen! Along with the help of Remcon, it was all designed by Bryan on the Ikea software you can find on their Web site. Even with cutting the wall I don't think we lost too much cupboard space. We used lazy susans for both bottom corner cabinets and added cabinets above the sink. We'll see how it goes when we start loading up our dishes.

The work wasn't too disruptive...at first. There was always a lot of dust and we had the dining room table in the living room but really, it was bearable. That is, until they moved the refrigerator into the living room so that they could install the tile. That's when we started to feel a little cramped. By then we were also sick of eating out. There are only so many Rubio's fish tacos a girl can eat. Tonight is the first night we will able to skip the fastfood and cook for ourselves. We're so excited!

Here are some more pictures of before and after for your enjoyment. We flipped the stove to the other side and put the frig and pantry on the back wall.

Before

After

Before

After

And some more pics of the work in progress.

And in baby news...

My mom and my sister threw me an amazing shower on Sunday! I will tell you all more about that when some people send me the pictures (you know who you are :- ), but basically our friends and family spoiled us rotten and a good time was had by all.

Here's my 31-week belly shot from this morning. Only 9 weeks left! We're in the single digits. Scary. Now that the kitchen is done it's time to start turning the office into a nursery. It's never ending...