Whew! 'Tis the Season!

This holiday season has proved to be busier than ever!  Chris and I are both working extremely hard both outside of the home and inside as well. We are trying our best to balance being good parents and good providers.  Sometimes it gets the best of us.
But we are trying!

Here are some updates from the last month...

Peyton started soccer!  It is a class for 2.5-3.5 year olds and is led by two coaches.  The coaches are GREAT with the kids and know just how to motivate them (with stamps and stickers, naturally!).  It took Peyton a few visits to really warm up, but now she is a star!  She loves to run up and down the field kicking the ball.  Lots of friends are in her class including Gray Spencer, Maya Oldham, and Lydia Terdik.  She looks forward to going with Daddy every Saturday morning!

We drove home for Thanksgiving this year.  It was a lot of fun to see family and friends.  On the way down, we stopped in Orlando for an annual holiday lunch with the Munroes and the Joyces. The kids are getting so big and our families are all expanding.  It is really great to have evolved from high school and college friends into being spouses and parents!  My how time flies!

We are looking forward to staying home for the Christmas and New Year holidays this year.  We are busy decorating and preparing for Grandma, Grandpa and Mimi to visit. The tree is up, lights and garland are hung, but Chris (aka Clark Griswald) insists we need more lights.  We'll see how this turns out!

In pregnancy news, I am 21 weeks...just over halfway there! I am feeling GREAT!!! Still running in short spurts.  I can go about a mile at a time and then I have to stop for a bit.  But it does make me feel good and balances out my diet of Happy Meals and candy.  The baby is very busy.  I hope this is not an indicator of how busy he will be as a newborn!  We still don't have a name, but will let everyone know as soon as we do.

The room decor is picked out and the carpenter comes tomorrow to start installing the wainscoting. Chris will paint after the holiday visitors leave.  We will take lots of pictures!

That is about all for now!  We had lots of catching up to do! 
Ta Ta for now!

Much Love!

Here is a picture of Peyton wearing jammies that Mimi bought for her and her Baby.  She also LOVES the pink Christmas tree in her room!

Drum Roll Please...

IT'S A BOY!!!!!!

Chris and I are so thrilled to announce that we are having a baby BOY!  We are over the moon to have one of each.  We just cannot express how blessed we feel.

The shopping has begun and decorating plans are in the works. No names yet, but we have a short list.  We will keep you posted!

Sooo much LOVE!!!

Here is a profile of our baby boy

Here is his little foot

Can't Deny the Kitty Cuteness

Peyton was totally, I mean totally into Halloween this year. She dressed as a black cat. She just couldn't stop staring at herself in the mirror and saying "meow!". The makeup and ears were her favorite part. As soon as she figured out that candy came with this holiday, it got even better for her! She wanted to go to every door and say "Trick or Treat!".

It was a blast!

Oh Yes I Did...

Yes, yes, it is true.  I am a sucker for gimmicks. 

Here is a prime example: The Intelligender Test. 

This test is supposed to determine the gender of your baby as early as 6 weeks prego. Basically, you are supposed to pee in this little cup that has mystery crystals in it.  Then, you leave the cup undisturbed for 5 minutes.  If the liquid turns green it is a BOY and if it turns yellow, it is a GIRL. Riiiiiiight.  I cannot lie, I was warned about this sham by Danielle.  But, I had to see for myself!  Well, as you can see, the results are somewhat inconclusive! When compared to the green band, the liquid looks a little green and when compared to the yellow band, it looks yellow.  In the end, we decided that it looked more yellow than green.

Soooo, are we having another GIRL???  Stay tuned...

Best Foot Forward

Ahhhh....I love you, second trimester!  I am feeling GREAT!  It is like someone turned on the energy light switch.  I am not sickly or nearly as sleepy as I was a few weeks ago.

On Tuesday, I had my usual big workout at BootCamp class.  Unfortunately, I pulled an abdominal muscle and it left me hunched over in pain for the last two days.  Miraculously, I woke up this morning feeling AMAZING!!!  So, I decided to brave a neighborhood run.  With Chris shaking his finger and giving me the heart rate speech, I bounded out the door.  Britney and Beyonce blaring in my ear, I was able to cruise for about two miles.  I could have gone a bit longer, but Chris's fatherly voice kept ringing through my mind. I settled on the two miles and walked the rest.  Not too bad for a girl who is 3 months pregnant!

I See the Light!

Last Monday we had our second appointment to check on the little peanut.  We go every four weeks.  It is nice to connect with the doctor and hear the baby's heartbeat.  It is those reassurances that get you through the next four weeks of uncertainty.  Funny, even when you have done this before, it feels totally brand new again.  We have forgotten everything!

The baby's heart rate was strong and the doctor indicated how great of a sign this was. I got some silly questions answered like: Can I use Crest Whitestrips? (YES)  Can I continue my bootcamp class?  (YES, just moderate a bit)  Can I sleep on my back? (YES, until about the 6th month)  Ahhhh....I love reassurances.

Almost all of the nausea has subsided.  I am still very tired.  Could it be because I am chasing a 2 year old?  But, the fact that I am feeling better is awesome.  I can finally see the light at the end of the First Trimester tunnel!!! Wonderful!  Only 28 more weeks to go! :)

Our next appointment is at the end of October!  So Much Love!!!

Just One!

Today we had our first OB appointment.  It went great!  We got all of our questions answered and lots of valuable information.  We have forgotten so much in the last 2 + years!  The most fun part, of course, was the ultrasound.  I later learned that Chris was on pins and needles over the fact that there could be twins in there.  Twins run in my family.  Since we only want two children, he was relieved to find out that there is just one little peanut in my belly! The baby's heart rate was about 133 bpm.  He/she is measured to be about 7 weeks old.  Our estimated due date is April 20th!  Our next appointment is in 4 weeks!

If Ya Don't Know, Now Ya Know...

It is true...the Jones family is expanding!
A bit of a surprise to us too!

We have narrowed the event down to the Don Cesar. 
How appropriate!

We are very excited about the newest member and will keep you posted!

Much More Love!