Girl's Weekend!

Last weekend, mom, Jenny and I went to Houston for a girl's weekend!  We have tried to do this the past 2 falls but mom and dad ended up being out of town for dad's work so it never worked out.  We took the opportunity now while we could!  

We stayed at our favorite...

The Magnolia Hotel in downtown Houston.  We loved it as usual!  They have free cookies and milk every night!

On Friday, we went to the underground place downtown where there are restaurants and shops (I don't know if it has an official name:)  We had always heard of it but never been there.  We were a little "underwhelmed"!  Don't know if we missed some of it but we didn't see a whole lot.  Then we went to the Galleria area to shop and ended the evening by eating at The Cheesecake Factory. We LOVED it! While we were at the Galleria, we went to Dylan's Candy Store. Michael and I had been to the one in NYC and this one was so precious too!  Every candy you can every imagine...right under one roof!  Fun atmosphere. The lady who started Dylan's is Dylan Lauren, the daughter of Ralph Lauren.

On Saturday, we started out at Rice Village shopping area.  Mom and Jenny went a little crazy buying stuff for Ryan...let's just say he definitely had the most bought for him!  There was a precious and VERY OVERPRICED maternity store that we enjoyed browsing through. Then we searched for a Super Target but could not find one.  Finally ended up at Memorial City Mall and did a little shopping. After that we were a little shopped out, so we went downtown to have dinner. We ended up here:

This was the coolest restaurant!  It is at Discovery Green park downtown.  The atmosphere was very New York :) The food was ok but the whole setting was worth the extra money just because it's fun!  Discovery Green is the neatest park! I would like to go back to spend a little time there.  They were having an outdoor movie the night we were there and they have lots of activities each week.  It's within walking distance of the hotel but it's quite a few blocks so I wouldn't do that until it's cool outside.  

We had a great weekend together!  I am always amazed that we live so close and don't get a lot of "quality" time together.  Everyone is so busy.  I am thankful we had this time together!  We'll have to make sure we do it again sooner rather than later!

Baby Boy Boom

What is going on?! I know 5 ladies who are pregnant besides me. 

5 out of 6 of us are having BOYS!  

Just seems to me it would be a little more even.  

I will be 32 weeks tomorrow!  Time keeps moving forward and I still don't seem to be getting motivated to do things around here.  When is nesting supposed to kick in?! I figured it would have by now.  Maybe that means I need to motivate myself and get busy! 

I am still feeling great!  Enjoying this season of life so much!  

Thoughts

I have been thinking of the actuality of bringing a baby home!  Whoa nellie.  I don't know why I haven't really thought about it in depth until now.  Maybe a subconscious self-preservation thing...but the fact is in about 11 weeks, we will bring home a baby that we are 100% responsible for!  What a responsibility!  

I have been around babies my whole life so they don't really SCARE me.  I have a ton of younger cousins (I am 2nd oldest of 21 grandkids on my mom's side alone) and I loved helping take care of them when I was younger, but thats been awhile. We have three nieces but I have not been around a baby boy much lately.  I am thinking of the things that you don't think about until the baby is YOURS.  Immunizations, soap, circumcision, sleeping position, feeding schedule...the list goes of for miles. I was laying in bed the other night picturing this baby that will be our blessing from God...for life!  

We go to childbirth classes this week...another thing that I have intentionally NOT thought much about :)  But now is the time to start!  I know we have a lot to learn and I am eager to. Breastfeeding class is in October and CPR class early November.  I'm so thankful that they offer these classes at the hospital.  

3 main things I am praying for about childbirth:

1) I would really LOVE to not have to have a c-section.  But if necessary, that's fine.  Just praying that Ryan gets in the right position and things progress as they should.

2) A good delivery nurse!  I think this could make or break your experience!  

3) Ease with breast feeding. I know some people who have had an easy time with it and some people who have not.  Praying it won't be a struggle.  I will do it either way though.

I realize that I still have 11 weeks to go :)  Just thought I would share some of my thoughts right now.  

Natchez

There is a town in Mississippi that Michael and I have fallen for...Natchez. It is right on the Mississippi River. Such a picture perfect small town, like one you would see in the movies!

This picture was from last October when we went and it was the weekend for the Great Mississippi Balloon Race. We have been looking forward to going back ever since!

We stayed at the Monmouth Plantation and it is amazing! It was voted one of the "500 Most Romantic Hotels" in the world!

The plantation is set up on a hill so you pull in the driveway and look up...and there it is. It looks very majestic.

The first time we stayed here, we stayed in the main house in one of the rooms. This was the view outside the room upstairs...so lovely.

This past weekend, we stayed in one of the old "servants houses" on the property. It's pretty nice too :)

They also have the most YUMMY breakfasts every morning! Oh so good! I don't have any pictures but think quaint building nestled in the trees with breakfast and coffee waiting...perfect :)

On this trip, there was no festival or very many people. We just had a quiet, relaxing weekend away. So nice! But...we are always glad to get back to Texas!

Weekend...

This past Saturday, Michael and I went to Galveston for the day.  It was such a nice, hot, low humidity, rare August day!  I don't think I have mentioned that we got a Jeep Wrangler a few weeks ago. We took it to Galveston with the top off.  Fun!  

We went to the white sand beach at Moody Gardens.  It was pretty nice...there were a few too many people there and the water wasn't super clean.  Example: We decided to leave after we were relaxing in the water and a BIG band-aide came floating by us.  There is not much that grosses Michael out but that did it! It still makes my throat contract when I think about it!  YUCK!  So we left there and went to the Strand for a bit. We saw the water line for how high it was during Hurricane Ike. The water would have been over our heads on the Strand.  Pretty scary.  But most of the stores were open and busy!  Then we ate at my favorite hamburger joint The Spot.  Yummy.  We had a good day and are trying to consciously enjoy these last few months of just 'us' time.  

The beach and water was actually not too bad looking. It looked a lot better than the chocolate milk that it usually looks like :)  

And of course, Michael had a good time because he has to put the jeep in 4 wheel drive :)

8 inches...

My stomach has officially grown 8 inches since I got pregnant!  I was 26 weeks pregnant in this shot (I am 27 weeks today).  I am still feeling great!  Loving seeing my belly change shapes when Ryan moves to one side and makes it lopsided.  Michael has been reading bible stories to him at night and a couple times Ryan has moved over to the side he was reading on. I think he is recognizing his daddy's voice.  

If you can't tell, I am really enjoying being pregnant!   I don't take it for granted.  I really appreciate every day and the blessing that being pregnant is. We can't wait to meet Ryan.  I am so curious what he will be like...what his interests will be, what his personality will be like.  What a miracle a new life is!

Hot Summer Nights

This past Saturday, Michael and I went to the Hot Summer Nights ride on 11th Street.  It was the neatest thing!  There were literally thousands of people lining 11th Street with their children, lawn chairs and bbq pits!  I have lived here my whole life and never knew of this sub-culture of car lovers :)!  Michael has told me about this weekend before but we have always been out of town on the weekend it was held.  There were so many old cars!  One thing we loved seeing were grandpas with sons and grandsons all hanging out and enjoying a past time together.  

We drove up and down 11th Street a few times and then found a parking spot at Checkers.  A car like the one below stopped at the stop light in front of us.  Next thing I know, he is revving up his engine and flames are coming out of the sides...on purpose!  I was sure it was gonna blow up right in front of us!  Needless to say, the crowd went wild :)  

Michael says the one from the other night had straight pipes coming out of the sides and it had a better paint job then this one I found on the internet. 

It's fun to enjoy something new!