New Baby Pictures

Below are the two newest pictures of little Tucker! We found out that he is about a pound more than most babies at his stage, which comes at no surprise considering Mommy doesn't miss a meal! I pretty much adore that, too... I love chubby babies! Anyway, the first picture is of his face-- he is facing the camera and his arm is resting on his cheek. The second is further proof he is a boy! What a sweet little thing :) Cant wait to meet him!

Halloween Pumpkins

Warning: One of the pictures below has the potential to be creepy and disturbing to some viewers!!

For Halloween, Derek and I did three different versions of pumpkins: we carved one, had a plastic one made with Tucker's name, and decorated my round , pregnant belly as a jack-o-lantern (the creepy picture mentioned above...). Because of logistics, we were only able to put two of the three on our porch for decorations, but did enjoy all of them at some point! Below are pictures of our different pumpkins...

Christmas Wreath

This is a little wreath I made while in a festive spirit. Even though its only the 5th day in November, this wreath is now hanging on my front door! I dont love it-- I could do without the antler-esque gold leaves on the top-- but I think it gets the job done. My favorite parts are the little birdies with the pinecones. It only took about an hour to make (would have been shorter, but I used wired to attach everything since there wasnt anywhere solid on the wreath to use glue) and, believe it or not, everything cost only $13.00. Pretty good deal, huh? Thank you, Michaels :) Now, if only I could get permission to put up the rest of the Christmas decorations this early!

So Much To Be Thankful For

Even though I jumped from the fall / Halloween spirit straight to the Christmas spirit, I thought I would dedicate at least one post to Thanksgiving. This year has been one of many, many blessings. So, keeping with the Thanksgiving theme, I am going to do just that-- give some thanks. And, it should be easy considering everything we have been blessed with these past several months. Since November has 30 days, I am going to list 30 things I am thankful for. Here goes!

1. My amazing, supportive husband-- he serves in the military, is earning his degree, splits the household chores and cooking with me, and still manages to cope when I am hormonal and a little crazy. He always shows me love, and is what makes each and every day brighter.
2. My adorable puppy, Charlie-- she never fails to make me smile. Even when I am napping and she jumps on my face she manages to be cute... She was my company when Derek was out to sea, and even though shes a dog, she is still our little baby!
3. Our unborn little boy-- how can someone be so loved who isnt even born yet? I adore his kicks, punches, and hiccups, and would even take the stretch marks, mood swings, nausea, and acne for another 9 months if it meant he was healthy and happy.
4. My amazing family-- I have a sister who I can laugh with, cry and complain to, and who is there for me no matter what, a mom who gives me love and support while keeping me grounded, a father who works hard and does what is needed while always checking on me, a brother who has become a wonderful teacher and amazing father, a brother-in-law whose humor is one of a kind and can always make you laugh and put you at ease, a sister in law who is smart, nurturing, and one of the most devoted mothers I know-- not to mention the biggest help through this pregnancy, a grandma that is still managing to be sassy and spry at 85, and two completely unique aunts-- one who would give anything to her nieces and nephew (whether it be time, money, support, love, or amazing food) and one who never fails to make you smile AND managed to kick butt with a broken hip.
5. My niece and nephew-- yes, they are part of the family, but they get their own number! These two precious people, one who is becoming his own little man and the other who is just a few months old have my heart. They each bring so much joy and happiness to our life, even though we dont see them too often. I know they will both grow up to be the sweetest and brightest of people.
6. My amazing in-laws
7. My friends
8. Mine and Dereks health (and everyone else's, for that matter)
9. Our cars
10. Our house-- especially for being so young
11. All of our material things (shallow, I know...)-- we have so much, and again especially for being so young. We have more than we need, and I am very thankful that we can live comfortably
12. Our education
13. Desserts, especially at this point in my life!
14. Great food
15. Candles (holiday scented, of course!)
16. Derek's time off
17. Snuggling on the couch with Derek and Charlie
18. The ability to work and provide for ourselves
19. The fact that Derek is NOT deployed, and will (hopefully) stay for the remainder of his enlistment on shore duty
20. Virginia Tech Hokies (and football in general)
21. Arts and Crafts, and cooking!
22. Facebook-- I cant lie, Im pretty thankful for it. It gives me something to do AND keeps me in touch with those I love!
23. A good nights sleep
24. Everyone in my family being happy, doing well, and alive (we have had some scares this year...)
25. Excuses to get the whole family together
26. Maternity jeans... so amazing!
27. Ultrasounds and amazing doctors
28. All of the freedoms we are given
29. Southern Living magazine (and all other reading material)
30. Everything else-- God has given us so many blessings, whether its small / materialistic things or bigger more important things... We are healthy, happy, and given so much by so many people-- we are thankful for everything we have.