Christmas at Momo's

This year we spent the week leading up to Christmas with the Russells. We did so much fun family stuff that it's going to take a couple of posts...so bear with me ;) First, we went over to Momo's house. We got there a little early to start preparing the taco meat and make fudge.



It was my first time to make fudge and I was pretty excited that Josh's Mom offered to teach me. This recipe has been in their families for years...it is soooo good. Josh documented the event.

You add the first few ingredients and boil (sugar, pet milk, and butter)



Bring it to a boil for 6 minutes



Add the rest of the ingredients and stir, stir, stir! (chocolate chips, pecans, Hershey bars, and marshmallow cream)



Spread it in a pan and lick the spoon! (this is where the boys come in to help lol)



Yay! We let it cool and it was definitely enjoyed ;)



This Christmas was hard without having Lil Mamma here. She had already bought everyone's Hallmark ornament, a yearly tradition.



Caleb and Chelsea with their ornaments



Daniel



Seth



Ronnie and Andrea



Mo and his Aggie Grandsons



22 week belly pic

All growed up

Our first day in Dallas visiting the Russell's, we had the chance to see both Daniel and Seth play basketball. We were pretty excited because we never get to drive up to Garland for games.

First was Daniel's Freshmen team game. Here he is warming up.



During the game, go Daniel!



Later we watched Seth's Varsity game. Here he is warming up.



He's pretty unstoppable and got lots of blocks.



The Russell boys' fan club!



Funny story, during the game the ref made this motion



And I, being the experienced athlete, asked Josh if that meant "paddling."

"No babe, that means double-dribble."

He was laughing so hard he was almost in tears. His Mom, a collegiate basketball player, thought it was pretty funny too.

My Mom understands how I feel, she saw the Aggie Wrecking Crew hand signal and said "yeah, he was this close!"



I've since promised Josh that I will study up on sports before Peyton gets here. He doesn't want him to be embarrassed lol.

The ARTS SA Nutcracker

Back in October, we purchased tickets on Groupon to see the Nutcracker in December. It was our last day of school and the boys had finished exams the day before. I was so happy to get to spend some quality time with Josh. They had it downtown at the Municipal Auditorium which was built in 1926. It wasn't the Russian ballet, but they did a great job. The girl that played Clara was really good.

The Oler's



The Russell's



Funny story, a bird pooped while we were taking these pictures. We didn't realize it until we were inside the auditorium. He took it well.

They had a little market inside where you could buy, of course, nutcrackers.



typical Paul



Josh took this picture without a flash...I think he did a good job!

Oler Annual Christmas Party: Pajama Edition

The Sunday before we left for Dallas the Oler's hosted their annual Christmas party. They decided on a pajama theme since it was their boys first Christmas. We had matching pajamas that my Mom had given us the year before. I thought it would be fun to spruce my belly up with a bow since Peyton is our present.



Paul's Dad came down from Portland to visit before Christmas.



I LOVE their Christmas tree



Some of the gals that came, and Cy woke up because he didn't want to miss the party



Each couple brought 12, $1 stocking stuffers to put in everyone's stocking. We came home with some fun (and interesting!) items!



Here's a cute couple (the Wisely's)



We had a great time and will look forward to this every year ;)

Babysitting Twins

On Saturday, December 18 we got the opportunity to gain some baby experience while watching the precious Oler boys! We were with them from 3pm-midnight while their parents were at a wedding in College Station. They're Mom had already bathed them and put on their jammies, so all we had to do was give them their final bottle of the night. They're 8 months old and sooo sweet. When we walked in the room they were sitting up with their backs facing us.

"what are you doing here?"



The Lilies watched them the night before while we went to see the Nutcracker. They love their teddy bears!



Presley with Josh's hat



Presley sitting in the activity chair



I decided to hold Cy up to it so he could join in. He loved it! They would laugh and look at each other.



And a little video of the fun! (click on the photo below and it will lead you to the video)



Thanks Lindsay and Paul for letting us watch your boys!

Always/Sometimes/Never: Christmas Traditions

ALWAYS

help decorate my family's tree at Thanksgiving.

have a peppermint mocha from Starbuck's as soon as the season hits.

enjoy getting Christmas cards (we'll be sending our first out next year).

love singing Christmas tunes.

get matching family pajamas.

Sometimes

enjoy wrapping presents.

wish Josh and I would've put up a tree this year.

our family does a secret santa...my Dad makes up the riddles & they're awesome!

wish we had snow in Texas in December (pretty rare to see).

wish our families lived closer so we didn't have to spend this time apart.

never

have I missed a candlelight service on Christmas Eve.

do last minute shopping.

had I made fudge, but yesterday Josh's Mom gave me a chance!

complain about our 2 week holiday break from work.

can wait for Christmas to get here, and hate how fast it goes by!

Merry Christmas!

Love,

The Russells

22 week update...

Total weight gain:
4 lbs as of my Doctor's appointment on 12/20...eek :( Dr. said "it's about time" We didn't have a ultrasound, but got to hear his heart beating on the Doppler. 150 bpm

Maternity clothes?
Yes, but only because they're more comfortable. I can still wear my old jeans and work pants, but I prefer the band on maternity pants. My favorite maternity piece is black leggings with a belly band at the waist. I can wear some of my regular shirts, but some of them are too short.

Sleep:
It's been OK lately, just rotating from left to right side. I do have to wake up to pee at least 2 times in the night...no fun!

Symptoms:
Some nausea if I wait too long to eat. A sharp nerve pain down my left thigh that I feel once or twice a day. My feet are sometimes swollen in the morning.

What I'm looking forward to:
Getting Peyton's nursery ready! Half of his bedding came in from The Land of Nod. We've ordered the crib and I've collected over a dozen vintage P's for his wall. I need to order a changing table and pick out a rug. Oh and finish registering.

Bedding


Crib


Here are about half of his P's...Josh says I need to stop.


There's only one more P I need and it's a moss covered one! I found this on a blog and the art teacher at my school is going to help me make it.


Cravings:
I don't have that many, but the newest one is orange juice.

Aversions:
Peas, imitation Krab meat, the smell of burning butter (I'm not around the last one much, but I was around it this week and felt sick)

Best moment this week:
Being at Josh's 2 younger brothers' basketball games. Peyton was kicking away! Not sure if it was the big crowd or the whistles, but we like to think that he can't wait to play one day!

Movement:
More and more each week. He's been really stubborn about letting others feel him kick. I've been able to time it just right a handful of times.

Belly button in or out?
Slowly flattening out...or as Josh says "hanging by a thread"

What I miss:
Sleeping on my belly

Milestones: (from babycenter)
At 11 inches and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas is developing steadily.



Favorite moments:
Josh talking to my belly. He did it yesterday and Peyton kicked!

A Social Network Christmas

I saw this video on a blog I read. It really is something to think about. I love the instrumental song in the background.

Wine Tasting at Dr. Lange's

On Sunday, December 12 we headed over to Dr. Lange's house for a wine tasting with Josh's whiskey club and significant others. (Yes, Josh has time for softball, whiskey club, golf...since med school is SO easy) Dr. Lange, who is a big deal Cardiologist, was a main lecturer for their cardiology unit. They invited him to their whiskey club, so he wanted to return the favor and host a wine night. It was so nice. They got to try 3 different chardonnays, all from the same grape, but they tasted different. His wife had lots of food and Christmas goodies for us. Even though I couldn't drink, I still had a good time. :)

Of course, before we left Josh insisted on a belly pic. (20 week 5 days)


The Oler's


Dr. Lange explaining the 3 wines


Some of the whiskey club wives


The group in action


Dr. Lange collects nutcrackers, he has tons!


Boo, blurry group shot :( our camera was picking up the tree lights


Family pic by the tree