BIG NEWS: rings, babies, and spray tans

Well, a lot has happened in the last week, so here's our update with pictures to follow:

Stephen and i finally got a date night! We don't go out much thanks to our diva daughter, but this week our roommate Robby stayed with her after she went to bed so me and Stephen could have dinner out. It was so fun. We ate food I didn't prepare, way too much of it... Didn't have to clean up- maybe the best part. And we just got to talk. We weren't in a hurry and it was wonderful.

Then Friday came. What a great day. My good friend Claire was about to get engaged on Saturday, so me and another friend convinced her that we needed spray tans and manis. She didn't have a clue. Since it was a secret there was no talking her out of her green nail polish choice, but at least I was the one that looked like an oompa loompa after the spray tan. I did lots of scrubbing. But the best part of Friday was my doctors appointment where we got to hear the HEARTBEAT of our SECOND baby! That's right people, Blakely is going to be a big sister! And I have searched for a big sister shirt, but apparently the retail world doesn't think you should have kids this close together so I might have to make my own.

I am almost 13 weeks which is SO crazy to me. Sooooo different from when I was preg with B. I haven't felt sick much at all, just tired (probably thanks to my busy-body daughter) and it has FLOWN by cause I don't even have time to remember I'm pregnant until I crawl into bed!

Anyway! Our friends Blake and Amanda came in town for the engagement so we hung out with them on Saturday and cooked for the big party. It was a big success. And then we rested all day today.

Whew!!! It has been a crazy week, and now we are just trying to get everyone well!- Stephen has a sore throat, B is getting over a bug, and I started feeling a little crummy today. We are excited for a little more time with daddy at home and a fun thanksgiving and some SHOPPiNG on Friday. Happy thanksgiving!!!

Date night!- I finally learned how to fishtail :)

yay!  Claire's engaged!!!

Friends!

I assure you, this is not a joke.  This is after I washed my face only a few hours after the tan.  I ended up showering two times and exfoliating my face three times to look semi-normal in the above pic with the Claires 

The most wonderful time of the year...

You know, lately I have been hearing a lot about Nordstrom's sign that says they will not be "decking their halls" till after Thanksgiving so as to celebrate one holiday at a time.  Most people that I have heard talk about this are really happy about it.  I have no problem with this, but I must also praise the establishments that want to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year for as long as possible.  :)

I LOVE that when I go peruse Old Navy, there is Christmas music playing.  I LOVE that Starbucks is using their Christmas cups.  I LOVE the TJ Maxx Christmas commercials- hilarious.  I love all Christmas commercials.  I love my December "Real Simple" issue that I have already read cover to cover.  I love that there are some radio stations that began playing Christmas music on November 1st.  I am not a hater on people who choose to wait until after Thanksgiving to indulge in all the Christmas festivities- that is totally fine, but what I don't understand is people who are so bothered by people who choose to start early.  People like...my grinch husband.  He whines and moans when I try to listen to Christmas music, buy Christmas candles, watch Christmas movies, and get out little holiday decorations.  I love Thanksgiving just as much as the next person, but one of the things I love about it is that we are in the season.  I still have my pumpkins and fall decorations out, but you better believe that before Thanksgiving we will be putting up our tree and Christmas wreath and other decorations (despite the protests of my husband...), because I just don't think one month is enough to celebrate Christmas. 

So, Nordstrom, that is totally fine that you are choosing not to "deck your halls" until after Thanksgiving, but I will be decking mine a little sooner.  And I'll start with my daughter, who has been wearing Christmas PJs for a few months now.  :)

Eleven.

Can you believe it? Me either. Here she is

She is pretty much exclusively walking and has been since about 5 days after her first steps. She's wobbly when she first wakes up and has taken several early morning falls. But once she's awake shes pretty good! She loves exploring. I have to close all the doors in the house, otherwise I can't find her!

She is having a rough time adjusting to daylight savings. She was getting up at 5 and taking virtually no naps. Today she slept till 6 and it was wonderful.

She has been eating good lately, but I'm wondering if it's too much. Crazy, I know. But she eats like 32 oz of formula a day plus baby food and table food. No big deal, but she pees a crazy amount. Just what you wanted to know. I mean, she went to bed at 7 two nights ago and had completely soaked through her pjs by 10:30. That's not normal. And every night if I don't change her in the middle of the night she will be soaked by our 5am wakeup call.

Oh yeah! She go her first tooth and boy was it rough for the first week! I'm talking, fussy, clingy, didn't sleep, didn't eat, drool, etc. She also decided she no longer wanted to sleep in her bed. Like would SCREAM every time I put her in it even if she was asleep! So Stephen insisted we go back to letting her cry. It was hard, but she is better. Cries a little sometimes, but generally puts herself to sleep after a few minutes of deciding which binky she'd like to use that night. :)

She waves bye bye and sometimes says it. Says mama, dada, Barbara, bottle, dog, and we think she says Robby- our roommate.

She stands at the gate and cries when dad leaves and waits for him there when she hears him come home.

She has such a goofy little personality. She loves to imitate whatever noises we make, she loves peekaboo and hide and seek. She is sneaky too. I know she is doing something she isn't suppose to when she is quiet. She will also run if she hears me coming when she's gotten into something she isn't suppose to.

Only one more month and I'll have a ONE YEAR old!

Chicken

B has a tooth coming in (finally!!!) so she has had a rough couple of days. Fussy, clingy, not sleeping or eating well, diarrhea- which my mom swears is a symptom of teething. So needless to say, we didn't do much on Halloween, and would you believe our doorbell only rang once for trick- or- treaters? But I had a chicken costume so I at least had to put it on her for some pictures. Now that she can walk there is no being still and cooperating for photos. She's wayyyy to busy. So this is the only good one we got!