Leading up to Christmas!

We could tell this was going to be a fun year for Davis! He loved the Christmas lights! "Ooooh Mom . . . look . . . pretty!" He enjoyed looking at Santa Claus! "Santa Claus, Ho . . . Ho . . . Ho . . ." he would say! Mimi and Pops started a yearly tradition of giving him a little something Chistmasy at Thanksgiving this year, and this year it included a jumbo stuffed Santa for the fictitious side and some board books about baby Jesus and Christmas. Have I ever mentioned how much Davis likes to READ!!! (or I guess I should say be read to!) Lets just say Mr. Jumbo Santa did pretty much everything with Davis, and Davis was not happy at all when we packed him up today!

Well one of Davis' most memorable outings for the month took place on Tuesday, December 11th. Tim was out of town on business, and Davis and I tagged along with D's twin cousin's, Cooper and Charlie, and their mutual friend Hayden. We took the kiddos to ride the Pink Pig at Macy's at Lenox Mall. After the Pink Pig we headed to pick up some food at the CNN center and then took the kids to see the lights at Centennial Olympic Park. Let's just say their favorite thing about the park was running free in the sweltering 75 degree weather!!! Is it Christmas or what?

Let's talk about the Pink Pig -- first of all I had the hardest time finding clothes for D to wear -- I mean here it is mid-December and you can't breathe outside! I wanted him to wear something festive but most of his Holiday attire wasn't suitable for summertime weather! Let's just say that I pretty much packed the house making sure we had adequate attire should the weather dip at night fall!

The famous Pink Pig

Davis absolutely LOVED it! We rode it twice, and he is still talking about the "pink pig" on the "track!" As you can see, I couldn't even get a good picture of both of us on the ride! He wanted no part of the camera, he had too much too look at, listen, and take in! PS -- they didn't consider pregnant momma's when designing the pink pig! I could hardly bend my swollen and achy legs enough to get them inside without totally squishing Marleigh to death!

Here is one of the many photos that I snapped of D -- in a trance like state! LOL! It was great! I was so happy that he enjoyed it! Cooper enjoyed it too! Charlie and Hayden weren't too happy about riding it a second time! I was just thankful D didn't pitch a perfectly normal 2 year old - tantrum when I told him we weren't riding it again!

Here is a look at the twins with Kristi and Rodney!

And last but not least, Hayden! (I didn't get a shot of mom and dad with him during the ride! Sorry!)

After the Pink Pig it was time to head to the CNN Center and Centennial Olympic Park! Boy, I had no idea what I was in for -- being 7-8 months pregnant and chasing a 2 year old around Centennial Olympic Park! I should have brought the monkey backpack along so I could have kept him on a leash! LOL! One thing that we quickly learned upon entering the park -- is you never know what you might come across on the benches in the dark corners of the park! LOL! Don't ask, but it was very suitable for small children!!! How many hotels are there in walking distance from the park? Go figure! Anyway, Davis enjoyed watching the people ice skate at the ice skating rink! I think his favorite part was the music, he was showing off his dance moves from the stroller! :)

Here are the lights of choice! The kids had a ball with the lit figure of a man and woman ice skating! It was in the center of the area we gave them free range, and it literally took all 5 of the adults to keep up the 4 little munchkins! Bless their hearts, they were all sweating up a storm in this crazy weather!

Don't get your hopes up, Davis is not posing for the camera! This is Davis playing his favorite "I seeeeeeeeeee you!!!!" game!

A worn out Davis telling me that he sees me again! I am thinking that is a good thing that he can see me in this crazy as all get out park! I sure hope I could see him with all the wierdos that were around every corner!

(Above) Literally, my only shot with all 4 kids in it! From L-R: Charlie, Hayden, Davis, and Rodney holding Cooper!

Mommy holding Davis in front of the beautiful Christmas tree, this was right after D got away from me and headed straight for the rode right behind the tree! Needless to see he was not a happy camper about being sweeped up after running free! I have NO idea what in the world caused this hilarious expression on his face!!! He was really as happy with me as he looks here!

Well I think I can honestly say that we have a new yearly tradition! I don't think Davis will let us forget about the pink pig! He brought home a cute little stuffed pink pig and a pink pig ornament that I put his name and year on! What can I say mom is a sucker to make her little one happy! Next year we hope daddy can join us! We almost took him again, but I don't want to spoil him more than he already is, so he can wait until next year and introduce his sister to the pink pig! He is quick to tell Daddy that the pig is on "tracks" though!

Where does all my time go?

Marleigh Update!!!

Wow! I am behind again! What else is new? I can't even imagine what lifes going to be like in just a few short weeks! It doesn't seem like I should already be working on 33 weeks!!! Here is a few quick updates about what has been going on the past month or so with Marleigh! Check back in the next day or so as I will have an All about D post!!!

Tim had to travel the first 3 weeks this month, so last Sat. we decided to go as a family and get another quick peek at our soon to arrive new addition! We did find out that Marleigh is breached, but that could still change. She has 8 more weeks! Here is Marleigh waving and flashing a quick smile to all of you!!! I was very torn at whether or not to go back again to Baby's First Images, but I knew if I didn't that I would have wished I would've, and I am SO glad we did! The pictures and our dvd are AWESOME!!! It was worth every single penny and then some!

The above "video" is not really a video -- it is just a progression of shots of Marleigh -- but I still thought it was sort of neat. As you can tell by pictures and videos she LOVES her hands near her face! We even watched her open and close her eyes a few times and she even at the end began sticking her tongue out at us. That was pretty funny!

Here she is acting silly and sticking her tongue out at us!

The last few weeks have been VERY busy!!! Marleigh has been blessed with 3 wonderful showers!!! My best friend Lindsey gave us a shower here at the house for my close friends, Tim's cousins gave us a shower at his mother's house for both sides of our family, and my incredible school gave us a shower! I am really liking all this "pink" stuff! I have already begun washing her things, but let's not talk about the nursery! LOL! Tim is off work the next two weeks so the plan is as follows: finish putting the wood floors down in the new office in the basement, put in 2 doors, and the moulding. Move the office downstairs. Paint the old office and get Davis moved in his new "fire truck" room. Paint Marleigh's nursery and get it ready! Luckily I will have some help! In January one of my neighbors is going to take care of the decorating of Marleigh's room. She is going to help accent in D's room, but she has already got a great design for Marleigh's nursery. I am so happy that she is helping me out, and I am sure it will look GREAT!!!

My "Friend" shower was perfect! It was so great to spend time with my closest girl friends and their kiddos! I had to add this picture of Davis taking care of and standing guard over his future wife, Ms. Jamie Partin!The food all looked great and TASTED great! Lindsey went with a dessert theme, and I don't think anyone at all had any objections!!
Some of us made these cute as all get outs -- bubble gum babies!!! I am so going to do this at the next shower I throw!!! Of course my Mother In Law added the blanket for brownie points, so Lori deemed her the winner!

We had to do the all time embarassing: How Big is Mommy Game! My neighbor and good friend Heather took the prize for this game! It was quite close between my mother and Heather. Here is mom giving her ribbon one last fit!

I dont' have that many pictures right now of my family shower. My camera battery died, so did my mother in laws and my brother in laws, so I am hoping that I can get more to post real soon!!! The food was scrumptuous and the cake was absolutely adorable!!!

My work shower was a lot of fun -- It was a joint shower with me and another fellow teacher, also named Amanda, and also having her second, a baby girl!

Me and my "roommate" aka Job Share Partner, Sandee! I don't think I looked too bad considering I had spent all day with Kindergartners! I LOVE my job!

The cute table my creative K-buddies set up for our goodies!

Yummo - great food and a beautiful cake!

My buddies making fun of me and my disappearing body!

All in all things are going well! I have been very sick this month with it coming/going. I have been to the doctor 4 times and was admitted to the hospital this past Monday. This cold is putting strain on my heart and lungs - causing my heart to race at a resting rate and my O2 satuaration levels to be low. Luckily Marleigh seems to be uneffected! The new meds are helping, and I haven's used the inhaler. I go back to the doc. on Friday after Christmas, and we are hoping for all to still be well! The doctor has not made his final call on whether or not we are looking at another C-section or a VBAC. I have quite mixed emotions and Tim is 100% for another C since all went so incredibly smoothly last time. My doctor is going to do at least one more ultrasound at either 35 or 36 weeks to do measurements, etc. If she stays breached, then we will totally go for the C! :) Keep us in your prayers as we have a lot to accomplish in the next few weeks, and I am already feeling the strain of being miserable. All I can say is that carrying a girl has been MUCH harder for me!