34 Week Update and Shower Pictures

On Tuesday, I had my 34 week check-up. Everything is going great and Blair is continuing to grow (and move a lot!). We go back to see Dr. Schmidt in two weeks, then we'll see her once a week until Blair arrives. At our 36 appointment, we'll do another ultrasound to see how much our baby is weighing and what our options may be as far as a birthing plan.

On Friday, Travis and I went to Babies'R'Us and purchased Blair's glider (a big THANK YOU to the Wright family!!!), the pack'n'play, and B's diaper bag. This weekend, Travis and I are finishing the bathroom and working on Blair's room. We have most of her laundry done and wall decor hung. It is all really starting to come together and we are getting VERY excited!

As promised, here are some pictures from the Couple's shower last weekend. Thank you again to our very generous hosts and all of friends and family for attending!

Travis and I

Jenn and I

Me and all of the Ladies!

Travis and all of the Guys! Love that little onesie!

All of the great stuff from Casey and Jordan!

Allyson and I

Travis and I with a car seat from the hostesses!

Measuring our combined waists with TP :)

Craig, Zoey, Allyson and I

Kristen, Courtney, Jenn and Allyson

Adorable diaper wreath from Allyson

The cutest favors... fortune cookies!

The sign-in table

The food table with the cutest decor!

A Weekend of Celebrating!

Whew, what a busy week and weekend! I say that from the comforts of my home on a Monday... I had to call in sick today because I was so exhausted from the weekend. Being 8 months pregnant, I have forgotten that I can't do as much as I used to. You forget how easily your ability to recover is. Ok, here's what all happened...

Friday, Travis surprised me with a beautiful arrangment of red roses at work. They were huge and so beautiful... such a wonderful birthday surprise. Friday night Travis and I went to Damian's (downtown) and had a delicious Italian dinner. It was so nice to go downtown and have a nice romantic dinner to celebrate our birthdays!

On Saturday, Travis and I attended our second baby shower... a shower given to us by my closest girlfriends, Allyson, Cheryl, Courtney and Roslyn, one of my mothers-in-law. It was such a fabulous couple's shower... the girls had decorated and planned everything down to a "t." From the baby onesies, to the favors to the food... I don't know how I am ever going to be able to top hosting a shower like that! It was so wonderful to see all of our friends and family (even Zoey made her first public appearance to be there!) and to celebrate our baby girl! I can't wait to post pictures, I hope to get the pics soon so you can all see. A big THANK YOU to not only the guests, but the amazing and generous hosts. We truly appreciate it and love you all!

Our friends Casey and Jordan were sweet enough to bring us a TON of adorable baby clothes that their daughter Reagan had grown out of. There were so many clothes, I was convinced that Blair would not be able to wear all of them so I divided up the clothes and gave half to Zoey. I don't think that Blair will be repeating an outfit for quite some time. Thank you Casey and Jordan!

Saturday after our shower, Travis and I went to Benjys in Rice Village to meet up with his coworkers for a few late drinks. Travis' boss's boss was in town from Canada, so I got a chance to meet him and chat with his coworkers. I love Travis' new group... they are a lot of fun and really nice!

Sunday we celebrated our birthdays (again!) with my family at Lasagna House. Everyone was there and it was a delicious! We are a big group, but we always have a lot of fun! Mom and Dad had given us the 3D/4D ultrasound for our birthdays, so it was neat to see everyone and talk about seeing our Blair in "real life."

Sunday afternoon was spent purchasing Blair's stroller, doing baby laundry, and working on the bathroom. Doing Blair's laundry was very surreal, it was just another reminder of how soon she will actually be here. I am so excited, nervous and anxious all at the same time. It's like a dream that is soon becoming a wonderful reality.

Unfortunately, after a very busy weekend filled with excitement, I was exhausted. Literally. I started feeling bad last night and it lasted all night. I didn't even eat a steak dinner Travis had prepared! Between horrible nausea, a very sore back and dreaded acid reflux (which has cropped up in the last week and occurs in the middle of every night and makes me terribly miserable), I was a mess. I came to realize that I had pushed it too far this weekend. Too many events and not enough rest forced me to call into work today. I hated to call in sick this close to the end of the pregnancy, but my body needed rest, and I needed to do what was best for me and my little one. I was ordered to rest and hydrate (which I did!). I did do a little online shopping, getting some of the last minute baby things that we needed (a diaper bag, more bottles, and Blair's bathtub).

Tomorrow afternoon I have my 34 week checkup with Dr. Schmidt. I suspect that soon we'll be seeing her once a week. How quickly Blair's arrival is coming! I get butterflies every time I think about holding her (or is that her little feet kicking my ribs?!?). After carrying her for 9 months, I am MOST excited about Travis getting to hold her. I think my life and my heart will be complete.

Pictures below are of my birthday roses (not to be confused with my beautiful Valentine's Day arrangment!), Trav and I before our dinner date, and a belly shot at 33 1/2 weeks.

We feel so very blessed and fulfilled being surrounded by such wonderful friends, family and immeasurable amounts of love. Travis and I couldn't be luckier.

Lots of LOVE,

A & T

Core Beliefs at 29

Every morning on my way into work, I listen to the radio. Generally, I leave it on 94.5 – which is an ‘alternative’ station. Despite it’s open forum of discussions and topics on any given day, there is a segment that is done, every morning around 7:45am. It’s usually a 60 second spot called “Lessons from Life” from Jim Jackson, one of the pastors at Chapelwood United Methodist church.

The other day, Pastor Jackson asked what your core beliefs were. He said to grab a piece of paper and a pencil and write “I believe” 25 times, leaving space to finish the thought. He said then to take an hour to write down the things you believe in. Once finished, order them from 1-25 based on importance and there you would find your core beliefs.

I found this to be a fascinating idea and in honor of my birthday, I decided to see what my core beliefs were after 29 years of experiencing life and love. I am sure with each passing year and as major milestones and experiences come into our lives, that these will change in importance and may even fall of your list to make room for others. It's a fun exercise that allows you to reflect on the important things in your life. I have put both mine and Travis' below.

Ashley...

I believe that God will never give you more than you can handle.
I believe in the importance of being a great wife and mother.
I believe in appreciating the small things in life.
I believe in being grateful.
I believe that God has created one perfect person for you… the only question remains is whether you have found them yet. Once you find them, you should hold onto them forever.
I believe in the power of prayer.
I believe in doing what is right, even when it is not the easiest.
I believe that life is what you make of it.
I believe in doing your best.
I believe in compromise and communication.
I believe in helping others less fortunate than you – one day you may need the favor returned.
I believe in laughing out loud, uninhibited.
I believe that a day spent snuggling with the one(s) you love most, is a day well spent.
I believe that everything in moderation keeps you sane.
I believe that a strong family, love, and support are pillars for a growing child.
I believe in saying “I love you” as many times as you think it. You can never tire of hearing those three words if they are truly meant and felt.
I believe that some people walk in and out of your life, while others become lifelong friends.
I believe in loyalty, kindness and humility.
I believe that life mistakes make you the person you are today.
I believe that “keeping up with the Jones’” will only make you miserable and feel unfulfilled.
I believe if you follow your heart, it will never lead you astray.
I believe in cooking too much food, rather than not enough.
I believe that age is only a number; that what matters is how you feel in your heart.
I believe in holding hands.
I believe in surrounding yourself with good friends, good family and good food.

Travis...

I believe in God and His Son Jesus Christ.
I believe in love.
I believe that my wife is my best friend.
I believe that you have to have a positive attitude to get the best out of life.
I believe that rock and roll will never die.
I believe that my conservative beliefs are founded in logic.
I believe God is always with me in good times and in bad.
I believe children should be taught manners, respect, accountability and love.
I believe it is good to get weird once in a while.
I believe music sounds better on vinyl.
I believe the best way to get far in life is to work as hard as you can.
I believe borders, language and culture define a society.
I believe in order to be a good person, you have to want it and work at it.
I believe that there is no such thing as relative normality.
I believe that people should be accountable for their actions.
I believe that a little empathy goes a long way.
I believe that radical Islam is the biggest threat to freedom in the world today.
I believe most people rely too heavily on preconceived notions instead of seeking the truth.
I believe that life (or at least the “human experience”) is defined by love.
I believe that football is the best sport, ever.
I believe that Radiohead’s music is art of the highest echelon.
I believe people should be proud of exactly who they are.
I believe in the right to keep and bear arms.
I believe in laughing loudly at anything that you think is funny.
I believe there is no point in getting nervous for anything; everything turns out the way it always would have.

What are your core beliefs?

Working on Week 34

This past weekend, Travis and I had a lot of fun. On Saturday morning, we went to Kylie's basketball game. It was a lot of fun to watch them play (and I think Travis was planning plays for Blair's future games!) and see the girls get into it!

After the game, Travis and I got down to our next home project: the guest bathroom / Blair's bathroom. We have a really cute shower curtain and bathroom rug that we registered for (when we got married), but the aqua and brown didn't really go with the yellow walls and floral border. So, we decided to paint the walls aqua and we'll add brown accents to tie it all in together. We still have more work to do (which we will finish this weekend), but we are having fun getting to hang out and make our house beautiful.

Travis and I enjoyed a quiet Valentine's day at home. We made our "honeymoon sandwiches" and made cookies for dessert. It may not sound like much, but it was perfect. Travis sent me red roses at my office, as he has done for the last 4 years! :) I love getting flowers and he gives them to me often... I am a very lucky girl.

I hope y'all enjoyed watching The Bachelor last night and seeing all of the beautiful scenery in Anguilla!

Travis and I have an exciting couple of days ahead... Trav's birthday is tomorrow, mine is Friday, dinner on Friday night to celebrate our birthdays, then our Couple's shower is Saturday. We'll close out the weekend with a birthday lunch on Sunday and finishing up the bathroom remodeling! I am already exhausted just thinking about it!

32 Week Check Up

Today we had another visit with Dr. Schmidt... accompanied with an ultrasound of Baby Blair. The ultrasound tech informed us that Blair was already 5 pounds. Yep, that's my girl. Still 7-8 more weeks to go in utero and we are already at 5 pounds. She's like a little bowling ball! Dr. Schmidt isn't at all concerned with her size or my overall weight gain, so everything is going great!

We got to watch her open and shut her mouth, stick out her tongue and give a big yawn on the ultrasound. And yes, it was precious. After drawing some blood, we were out of there. Back in two weeks.

Stats:

• Total weight gain (since becoming pregnant): 19 pounds (not bad considering her size!)
• Waist: 38 inches
• Pregnancy cravings: this hasn't changed much... I still enjoy anything sweet and at least once or twice a week make pancakes/french toast/waffles and bacon for dinner. Last night I came home and made club sandwiches for dinner, and baked brownies and blueberry muffins. We can't explain it - but neither Travis or myself is complaining. Still loving my morning chocolate milk.
• Other "fun" symptoms / side effects: I haven't had any more charlie horses (VERY happy!), but the rest of the side effects still remain. But both B and I are healthy, so I can't complain.

In other interesting news... Allyson texted me last night to say that the show, "The Bachelor" would air an episode next week that was shot in beautiful ANGUILLA! For those of you that do not know, that is where Travis and I spent our honeymoon. 8 glorious days and nights... we cannot wait to go back (as soon as we can)! Don't forget to tune into the Bachelor next Monday night to see Anguilla's beautiful beaches on the quaint little island!!!

A Sneak Peek at Blair's Nursery

"Sometimes the smallest things

Take up the most room in your heart"

-Winne the Pooh

As promised, here are some pictures of Blair's nursery. I didn't make nearly the progress that I had intended, due to the wall vinyl experiment. I have never used wall vinyls before, so Trav and I were brave to try it out for Blair's wall. Let me just tell you - it is stressful! Maybe because the quote that we had picked was so large and the font was very "loopy." It was very difficult to carefully peel off the backing and then to secure it to the wall, but once we did - it was worth it. I needed a nap after we finished! :)

We have a few unfinished mini projects for her room, one being a photo collage I am putting together of pictures of Travis and I when we were younger (2-3 years old). I am putting the pictures in 5x7" white frames, and we are mixing them- color and black & white. I still have a couple of pictures left to get, but you'll see the start of the project below. Once we finish, we'll hang them on the wall.

Blair's Monogrammed Bloomers

The first thing I bought for the nursery... a Thomas Kinkade print of Peter Pan

THE wall vinyl

A view of Blair's room, peeking in from the door


I love this!

The photo collage project

Blair's Lladro lamp... Mimi made the lamp shade!

A peek inside the crib

Hanging shelf that holds mine and Trav's silver cups, baby mementos and Nao figurines

Blair's book shelf

We still have some things to finish up... the room is definitely coming together. I can be a little picky about the look and feel of her room... that's why it is still "in progress." It has certainly come a long way from when we started last August. I hope to have it complete by the end of February... that way all we will missing in the room is our Blair Bear.

A Very Busy Week...

On Wednesday, February 2nd, Miss Zoey Daniella Almon made her entrance into the world! Travis and I are the proud Aunt and Uncle to a little 6lb, 1oz little peanut. She is super precious and we are very excited for the new parents. Since Travis has been on antibiotics, he hasn't gotten the chance to see her yet, but we are hoping in the next few days... we wouldn't want her to catch anything. Craig and Ligia were able to bring Zoey home from the hospital last night and are getting settled into the new world of parenthood and lack of sleep.

This past week has been freezing... literally. Temperatures (on some days) did not get above freezing. This of course means that Travis' job has been crazy hectic with long hours and non-stop scheduling. The Houston weathermen were predicting Friday to be a snow day (this being our "Winter Storm 2011"), so Houston began shutting down Thursday. Since Travis had to be at work on Friday, Direct put him in the Renaissance hotel for the night to ensure he would be able to safely make it in. Houston didn't see any snow, but we did get a lot of ice. I went into work late once the roads began thawing out. It took nearly 20 minutes to get the ice to melt off my car! Today was back in the 60's, so it's been a nice change from the cold temperatures.

Today, Aunt Sharon and Aunt Sara hosted a baby shower for me! It was a wonderful shower and we are so lucky to have so many wonderful family and friends to help us celebrate Blair's impending arrival. Here are just some of the pictures from the shower... thank you to everyone that came - especially those from out of town!

Tomorrow Travis and I plan to do more work on Blair's room... mostly the finishing touches (like hanging pictures). Once we get done, I will post pictures of her beautiful nursery!