The highlight of Thanksgiving is always Jason.

The highlight of Thanksgiving for me is always spending time with my brother. I look forward to it every year. This is the one time of year that Jason and I catch up and spend time together with a focus on each other - even if there really isn't anything new to say. I do see Jason at other times throughout the year around his racing schedule; however, this is the one holiday where the priority is some sibling bonding time. I love the fact that each year this is our time together, and this Thanksgiving weekend no exception. Last week Calvin and I went home for the annual Stockert "Night Before Thanksgiving" with Jason, Brandy, Mom and Dad. It was quite calm for us this year given that I'm pregnant and Calvin still physically hurts from the party last year. We had fun none the less, and we definitely didn't get in the way of Jason and Dad still having a good time. In my opinion, it's the kind of family bonding that the holidays are made for. I am claiming now to watch out for next year though. Calvin will be in charge of baby and I'm planning a night of checking out for Mommy!

Thanksgiving Day with Mom's side of the family was as truly enjoyable as always. My mom and aunt stuffed us full or delicious food and enough left overs for 3 more complete meals! They really out do themselves and spoil us every year. Then on Friday and Saturday Calvin and I went to my grandparent's mountain house in Sparta, NC with Jason and Brandy. I guess somethings never change with little sisters. We like to tag along whenever we can!

While in the mountains we met my Aunt Patty and her family at a choose and cut Christmas tree farm. With their help we picked out the perfect 7 foot tree to go in the corner of our living room. Since Sunday the 28th was the first Sunday of Advent we put of the tree and decorated it Sunday night! Below are pictures of the tree in our living room and the glass angels on our kitchen bar that my grandfather has given me over the years.

I'm glad the Christmas Season is here. Decorating is fun when it includes only two boxes of decorations full of only things that you love. This year Calvin and I are making Gingerbread Caramels to go with our gifts. I also have a fun craft idea that many of the women I love will be receiving as gifts. (This is really the only time of year I ever attempt to be crafty.) So I hope you all are also getting into the Christmas spirit, pulling out the same old holiday cds, and thinking about ways to be sweet to the ones we love. The only thing now is to work in more time to exercise.

Christmas Cards: To send or not to send, that is the question.

Every year I consider Christmas cards. I always debate on whether to send or not to send. Last year I even admit so sending retaliatory cards only. That's right, if you got a card from me, it was only because you sent me one first. I know that makes me lazy, but I still love you all just the same!

When considering Christmas cards for this year, thanks to my dear friend Megan, I caught sight of a few designs from Shutterfly. I love them, and after seeing the choices I knew for sure this was the year to get back in the groove of sending well wishes to all our loved ones. As we start to prepare for our family of three, this seems like a good thing to do. Why wouldn't the people closest to us love to receive an annual picture card to remind you that we're thinking of you and we love you dearly? I know that it does always bring a smile to my face when I receive cards from others. The good news is, this is the last year of having to stare at just me and Calvin. Next year there will be someone even cuter in your mailbox waiting to wish you a Merry Christmas.

I'm also excited to tell you that because of this post they are offering me 50 free cards (If you're a blogger you too can get 50 free cards, find out more here). 

I feel like each year I realize more and more the importance of family and friends. I'm looking forward to taking time this year to make sure the people most important to us know that they are loved. Thanks Sutterfly for making it so easy to reach out to friends and family this holiday season. I am now looking forward to the Christmas card season for the first time since we got married.

Below are a few of my favorite designs from the tons available to choose from. Any opinions on which one to go with?

A 3 Yr Old. Planning for Baby. & Happy Thanksgiving!

Last weekend Calvin and I kept Brooke's daughter Adah. Brooke should be proud, she has really raised a sweet girl. Adah stayed with us from Friday night through Sunday morning. We were able to keep her fed, clean, entertained and safe. So I guess that deems it a successful weekend! Adah will be turning 4 this December, and I think one of the most entertaining events of the weekend was seeing her interact with a friend her age in downtown Mebane where hands were quickly interlocked and the loud gibberish conversation that only they could understand began. Calvin promptly looked and me and said, "So you think we're having one of those do you?" But I know he really thought it was just as adorable as I did.

Here's a picture of Adah and I on the "carousel" at Sonic. 

As far as the update for our household goes - overall things have been pretty calm for us here. Calvin is working on a puzzle, he has finished his first round of paperwork to begin the ordination process, and he is doing really well in classes here at the end of the fall semester. Right now I am consumed with online shopping/comparing of baby items like: cribs, carriers, car seats/strollers, bath tubs, diaper bag, bedding and more. All of this is in the effort to try to find what is best for our particular needs. We are planning to clean out and organize what is now the office over winter break to get it ready for the baby in the spring. This is a great time to do it because Calvin will have plenty of time and I will be taking vacation for the last 2 full weeks of December! I guess we'll probably work on our registry then too while we have the time to think about it together. Oh, and also, my best friend Lucia (who is a wonderful photographer) is planning to put me in touch with her friend Tracy who specializes in newborn photos. Take a look at her website. Won't this be perfect to have photos like this once the baby comes?

 
One last thought for today. My best friend Brandy sent me this image in an e-mail. The caption was: How pumpkin pies are made. In honor of all the pumpkin pies that will be eaten this weekend I felt like it was a must to post on the blog. Have a happy Thanksgiving and I hope you enjoy your families!

A Pregnancy Update

I'm at 13 Weeks and in maternity clothes already! I love stretchy pants. They are so dang comfortable. I have no idea why we as women don't find a way to make these stylish with or without a baby in the belly. Of course, since I've always carried my weight around my midsection it is lovely to go to a store and shop where everything in the place is made for you to have a large belly! While it does feel like I'm early to maternity clothes, when considering the belly band many women use - isn't that basically the same thing as wearing the stretchy part of the pants on maternity clothes anyways? Maybe it's different if the maternity clothes don't fit your body style as well as they fit mine.

There are quite a few Fun Facts for this stage of the pregnancy:
This week the baby is the size of a peach!
Fingerprints have already formed on the tiny little fingers.
Plus, according to the book my Aunt Diane sent me in the mail, the baby is already practicing the basic reflexes that "are essential to a baby's survival." Right now there is still plenty of room for the baby to move around in the womb. This won't be the case a few months down the road. So the baby is already trying to bounce or leap by using the walls of the womb as a spring board. This is the "stepping reflex" apparently; which explains why babies jump and try to move forward when you hold them upright on your lap as an infant. Isn't that pretty amazing?

So as the first trimester is coming to an end, so is morning sickness from what I can tell. I think I'm starting to get more energy back, although it is not uncommon to find me asleep at 8:30 pm these days. Apparently now I'm headed into the time of gaining about a pound a week. So soon there will be a real belly to rub verses one that just looks like I've gained a few. At this point I am most looking forward to being able to feel the baby move and the 20 week ultrasound where we'll hopefully learn the gender.

This week we also checked one other big thing off the agenda. I'm very happy to say that daycare is now reserved for our baby starting in September 2011! We will have the only infant 3 day a week slot at KinderCare. This daycare is located right around the corner from where we live and work. I have to say that the ladies that run this daycare are by far the most accommodating and customer service focused of all the places I spoke with. Right now we're expecting for Calvin to be able to keep the baby on Mondays, daycare will cover the middle of the week, and we'll get to see my Mom every Friday as she helps with the 5th day of the week. It's perfect really. It will save us so much money to only go part time, and since I get off a little early on Fridays Mom won't have to miss date night with Dad!

As a side note: I've had several people ask if Rascal can tell that I'm expecting. My response is that I definitely think so. Most of the time now he is sleeping right under me on the floor instead of laying on the floor closer to my feet or at the foot of the bed. I can't get up now without him moving for me. When he jumps up to snuggle with his front paws on the couch, he has not jumped directly onto my belly since the very beginning of the pregnancy. Also as I type this he is cuddling with us in the bed. His head is on my lap which in the past would have never happened while I was doing something else.

Today one of my goals is to take my Aunt Sissy's advice. I'm hoping to get Calvin to video tape me twirling around in the same place wearing the same outfit over the course of the pregnancy. Hopefully at the end we'll be able to edit it together as a progression of time experiment!

The Rally to Restore Sanity

To be honest, the best part of the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear was getting to spend the weekend with Ian and Rebecca Scott. They are one of my favorite couples. I love how easy it is to hang out with them and letting me crash at their place made the weekend really cheap! Thanks again for being such great hosts.

While I am glad to say that I was in attendance, and I love John Stewart for creating this event - I was a little disappointed with the rally itself. It was much much better to come home and watch it back on the dvr vs. being there. With all the visual jokes and the music guests they lined up it was a great event on television!

We actually had a fairly good spot in the crowd. We were about half way back on the National Mall. There were 3 different large monitors I would have been able to see had I been 3-4 inches taller. The consensus across the crowd was just how unbelievable it was that everyone was so friendly, quiet and subdued. I guess the correct word really would be "sane".

I wish I had more to say about the weekend. Overall it was a lot of fun, and now I can check attending a rally or large event in Washington D.C. off my list of things to do! Below are some pictures of us at the rally and the view from where we were at. Also Ian and Rebecca's neighbor had the best Halloween decorations in their yard I've ever seen. The picture doesn't even do the whole scene they created justice. It was very scary, especially when the lady who lives there stuck her head out of the front door and told us to come back tomorrow night at dark for the full show. I wonder what else they had planned once the sun went down...