What a Difference a Year Makes

A year ago this weekend I finished my first half marathon and looked like this....

This year my biggest accomplishment for the weekend was baking a batch of cupcakes, and I currently look like this....

39 weeks.. 1 more to go.  4 more days of work left.  The end is near!  All I can say is that hopefully this time next year, I look more like picture 1 than picture 2 :)

Avery Grace's Nursery

The nursery is finally done.  As in completely done...  So relieved that all that is left is a sweet baby to sleep in it!  I gotta say, I'm pretty stoked about the finished product.  It was a joint effort between M (mostly M) and me...with a lot of help from my mom and M's parents.  Matthew set up the crib, hung the chandelier, painted the room, painted the changing table and added new hardware, and built the bookshelf with his dad.  I would like to call myself the creative brains behind the project :)  But really, I had help with that too.  Here are the pics from start to finish.

Junk room.

This is actually a little cleaned up from before. 

Finally painting over the previous owner's nursery 7 months after we moved in.

Lexi has grown fond of laying down right in front of sister's crib. 

Starting to organize. 

Finished!  Just need some photos of baby girl for the frames.

Homemade bookshelf.  And the dress hanging in the frame is mine from when I was a baby.

Bow holder made by my friend Kelly.  Framed "A" made by Whitney

Close up of the bookshelf.  How beautiful is it?!

2 more weeks.  2 more LONG weeks of work. I keep saying to myself, "I think I can, I think I can."  I've been having contractions the last week or so.  They will be regular for about 30-45 minutes (at 1 hour we're supposed to head to the hospital), but as soon as M and I start prepping to go, they stop :)  Avery is fickle.  If she does not come before May 7th (my due date), we will go into the hospital the night of the 7th and induce on the 8th.  I am/was NOT a fan of induction, but my doctor is leaving to go out of town on the 9th for a week and half, and I didn't want a random doc delivering her (which I know can happen regardless if she comes on a weekend or a night when he's not on call).  Praying that she decides to come on her own beforehand!

Showers and Visits

This is Andrea posting from Matthew's account. Blogger has informed me that I have reached my photo upload quota, and insisted that I pay for more space. Instead, I will from now on post from my husband's account until he runs out of space. Take that Blogger!

My sister-in-law informed me today that I have been neglecting the blog. I would normally lay out a list of excuses, but I'm 37 1/2 weeks pregnant, and I feel like I shouldn't have to apologize for anything :)

We have been incredibly busy the last few weeks getting the house ready, organizing closets, putting together baby swings/bouncy seats, installing car seats, etc... Plus, I have to fit in time on the weekends to lounge around and nap. :) I'm so OVER being pregnant, and I cannot wait for Miss Avery to grace us with her presence. M is convinced she is going to come early, but I'm not so sure. We've been walking 45 minutes or so almost every night in hopes it might speed things along, but I think our baby girl is quite comfy. Matthew and I are so ready to meet our precious girl. A couple of times a week, we will just go and sit in her nursery and talk about how we cannot wait to hold her and see what she looks like.

Since I last posted, I had 2 more showers here in Houston and M's parents came to visit us.

34 weeks prego before my church shower.

Sweet friend Kelly. Don't know what I would do in Houston without her!

Wonderful hostesses

Then my incredible co-workers threw me a small shower at the end of a work day and surprised me with our car seat and stroller! No kidding!!! I was shocked to say the least. M and I could not believe that so many people at work had contributed to the purchase. Trust me, that thing is not cheap!

Homemade quilt made by my co-worker Lisa. Love it!

And most recently, M's parents came to visit us one last time before Avery's arrival. M and David spent a lot of the weekend building a bookcase for the nursery, and it is perfect. I won't show you the finished pic of it until I post nursery pics, but trust me when I saw that they did an amazing job. Sandra also sewed the curtains for Avery's nursery while she was here, and they are absolutely beautiful. Exactly what I wanted. I would like to say that I was a huge help in the process, but let's be real...this girl can't even sew on a button. We also enjoyed watching our Cats play that weekend and win #8! We cannot thank them enough for all the help. I promise next time you're here, absolutely NO house projects :)



One more baby bump picture. Don't know if I plan on taking anymore. I'm starting to look more than just a little swollen :(

36 weeks!

Celebrating Easter with the Russells.

Here's hoping that the next time I post, I will be a new mom. Not likely, I'm sure. Pics of the finally finished nursery to come soon hopefully!

The Wait is Over

14 years.  14 LONG years.  Fans of the Big Blue Nation can finally sit back and relish National Championship #8.   We suffered through the mediocrity of Tubby's last few seasons, Gillespie's crazy and not so secret off court "issues", and the heartbreak of losing in the Final Four 1 year ago ( that M and I witnessed in person.)  But, the drought is over.  Feels good to be back on top :)

What a great year.  Thanks for bringing it back home boys.  GO BIG BLUE!


*Pictures to come soon from our weekend with M's parents here and the long awaited pics of the almost done nursery!