A Little Pink

We are going to need a little pink...okay maybe more than just a little with

TWO GIRLS

Joining our family!

We found out right before we left Texas and I was in such shock. We spent a long time with our MFM doctor discussing my history and other things. Then after the whole appointment we thought wait...can we find out the genders?  He said he'd try and so he quietly looked for a long time without saying anything...back and forth between both babies. Then he asked if we'd be okay with a girl?  or two girls? I was in shock. I honestly didn't know if he'd be able to tell at 15 weeks....especially if they were girls. Two girls was the last thing I was expecting to hear. I really had to hear it again from the next ultrasound appointment a few weeks later, before I'd really make any announcements. But our first doctor was right...TWO girls it is and we are more than thrilled to have them join our family.

It will be different to add a little pink to our home. We are so full of blue...boys, cars, trucks, dinosaurs and tools. I won't even know what to do with bows, and ruffles and little baby dolls. It will be an adjustment and a fun adventure!

As my tummy has gotten bigger, I think it's starting to sink in a little bit more with Andrew. He will pray for the babies in mommy's tummy. And the other day I was laying on the couch and he came up with his doctor set. He wanted to listen to the babies with his stethoscope.  He'll even share his toys and lay them on my big belly for the babies. It's pretty cute!

Just last week we were out shopping and I decided to walk through and look at some baby girl clothes (which is so weird after always being in the "boy mode" at the store) Andrew had pulled off some dresses off the rack and asked me if we could get them for the baby sisters. Now really...how can you say no to that?

All afternoon he was carrying them around. It was pretty fun to see how excited he was for a couple of dresses. 

We've got lots to do to prepare for these little ones and I'm afraid not much will happen before they come. We're still trying to unpack and get settled...which isn't happening very fast since I can't do much myself and I most likely will be put (or put myself) on bedrest in the next 4-6 weeks. Hoping these girls will hold out until October.

Road Trip

After a crazy long month and an even crazier week trying to get ready for the movers, by the time they pulled out, Stephen and I just looked at each other. We were so tired and I thought to myself in the empty house, "Here we go again." We were both ready for a week of RELAXATION!!!

Our car was packed and we were ready to head out. Since it would take the movers a week to get to the new place, we decided to use that week to vacation and see the countryside and a few fun sights along the way. Also, breaking up a 12 hour drive over a few days was definitely nice with a toddler in tow.

First stop. Arlington.

Okay really this was back tracking to head west to Arlington. BUT we had to see the family one more time before we left. We have loved living so close and being able to do so much with them and get to know them the past two years, while living in Texas. Stephen's Aunt PJ was kind enough to make dinner for everyone and since we were homeless....let us spend the night.

Saying one last goodbye to family

Next Stop. New Orlean, Louisiana

The first day we had our longest drive ahead of us. So we started out early. By 4pm we made it to New Orleans!  (all in once piece too!)

Andrew actually does quite well in the car and is pretty easily entertained. We only had one meltdown with 7 hours of driving.  

 Riding in Style!

That evening we found some yummy cajun food. 

Fried Alligator, Shrimp Gumbo and a Po' boy. Yum!

We drove past a lot of the Cemeteries...which were incredibly interesting since they are below sea level. Everything is in vaults above ground. We saw a number of them around town.

The Stephen and I had a little misunderstanding, I told him I wanted to see the french quarters and the historic part of the city. Well, he drove us to the french quarters and we got out and ended up walking down Bourbon Street. Yes. This is a famous street in New Orleans, but I did not want to be there at dusk with my little boy. We got the worst feeling and left immediately. So the next day we had to redeem ourselves and took another quick jaunt to the french quarters, found Jackson Square, which was beautiful, stopped at the famous Cafe Du Monde and enjoyed some fresh OJ and beignets. There were so many fun street performers and it was a totally different feeling. The architecture in the french quarters is beautiful. A much better way to see New Orleans!

 Burboun Street at dusk

 Outside Cafe Du Monde enjoying our Beignets and OJ

 Walking around Jackson Square

 They had some of the most beautiful and unique architecture in New Orleans

The street performers were a lot of fun too!

I know that New Orleans is known for Mardi Gras and everything else that brings along with it. But I wanted to go explore, since it was on our way. Now that I've done that, I've pretty much seen everything I'd ever want to there and really have no need to go back.

Also that day we decided to explore the bayous of the Louisiana swamps. We drove out of the city a little bit and found a group that does tours. It was really neat to step into an old boat and let them take us out deep into the swamp. It's just as you'd picture it tall trees growing straight from the swamp with spanish moss dripping from every limb.

Old rickety houses built up on stilts along parts of the swamp and bugs buzzing past you. We saw a bunch of little alligators swimming along. They'd come right up next to the boat and our guide would feed them...and even tease them a little bit. Some were babies about 2-3 feet long and others were quite large about 8 feet long. You could spot them from a distance with their eye and nose peering out of the water and then as the boat got closer, they'd start swimming towards to investigate. It was kind of creepy and kind of cool at the same time. Andrew loved seeing them jump up out of the water and grab the bait the tour guide was holding.

We also loved seeing some wild boars that were roaming along the bank. We even almost witnessed a baby boar being eaten by an alligator...something you'd see on the Nature Channel. But thankfully the baby boar was fast enough and escaped.

Last stop.  Pensacola, Florida

This was my kind of relaxation and we were able to spend a few days here. Our hotel was right on the beach and we could just walk through a gate to get to the ocean. It was perfect.

We spent lots of time hanging out on the beach, playing in the pool and of course sleeping in. It was perfectly wonderful and we got the much needed R&R in.

Andrew seriously loved the sand. Once he started digging and playing in it, he did not want to leave. It's been almost a year since we'd played at a beach. He could have cared less about the playing in the sand last time, but this time around he was a little sand crab. As Stephen and I read and relaxed, he played right by our sides. It was so relaxing.

Then we spent one afternoon at the National Naval Aviation Museum, where the Blue Angels are based out of and practice a few days each week. Too bad we missed them by just one day! It was huge and there were some neat exhibits. Too bad we only had a few hours.

Future Pilot!!

As all vacations do, it came to a quick end and we were heading to Atlanta. After living out of a suitcase for a week we were anxious to get to the new place and start getting settled. We camped it out on the floor for a night in our apartment. Then early the next morning, the movers showed up and we were back at it again.

We are slowly getting settled and I really mean slowly. I'm not able to lift anything being pregnant and that sure puts a damper on the whole unpacking thing.

Andrew is being patient too. He's been such a good helper and the first week we were here he was so enthralled with the new place. He'd walk into a room and name everything we have. "Here's the bathroom...we have a bathtub, toilet, paper toilet, lights, and a sink with water" It cracked us up. The newness has now worn off and we are still adjusting to living in an apartment. Which for Stephen and I, we haven't done since we first got married 7 years ago. Also, I'm trying to be patient with everything so disorganized around the new place and really trying to take it easy. It might take us the entire summer....or until these babies are born to unpack and organize. But we'll get there...eventually.

 The maze of boxes was endless fun for this kid!

My little helper!

Saying Goodbye...

I think I was really in denial that we were moving, almost up until the few weeks before we left. May was a crazy month getting ready to go. Lots of last minute doctors appointments for myself.  Along with Andrew's doctors appointments, a follow-up MRI and another round of Botox treatments to get everything in order before we leave.  Plus, trying to get medical and school records transferred over to Georgia has (and still is) a big headache. Remind us about all of this when we're contemplating moving again...please!!!

But of course we had to get in a few lasts...

• We were lucky that Stephen's little brother James decided to fly down this way to see a good friend of his get married in the Dallas Temple at the beginning of the month. So we were able to spend a few days with him while he was in town. We did a few of our favorite things one last time. Unfortunately Stephen had to leave a little early and fly to Atlanta for work, but we got some good playing in. 

Spent a day at the Dallas World Aquarium and loved seeing all the animals.

Andrew was a little disappointed there were no horses...and we couldn't convince him that they would have seahorses. But I think him being entertained by the penguins made up for that fact. 

Then of course we had to find some good Texas BBQ. Rudy's is one of our favorites and we divulged into some delicious meat. 

• My sweet friends who've I've become so close with the last year threw me a baby shower/goodbye party. It was darling and I should have taken pictures of all the hard work that went into it. I seriously felt so loved and touched that they would do that for me before we left. 

Love these ladies and miss them dearly already. Sad that they won't be able to meet these two littles.

•  I don't know if Andrew really understood when it was his last day of school. We had to pull him out about 2 weeks before school really ended. He sure does miss having the school bus come to our front door each morning and he still talks about all his teachers and friends his misses too. I'm so glad that in the month he went to school, he dived in and learned so much. We will miss the wonderful program he was able to be apart of. 

Here he is excited as always waiting for the bus to come and pick him up for his last day of school.

• We made some amazing friends while living in Texas. Some of Stephen's co-workers were among them. All being in the same rotational program we haven't all been in the same place at the same time except this year. But even then, we've met up and taken trips together, spent holidays together, and when everyone's in town for conferences we'd go to baseball games, tour the city together or just hang out and cook delicious exotic food. All of them are staying in Dallas for their final position...except for us. So we decided to head to our favorite Thai place for one last get-together. 

Andrew is really going to miss these guys. They spoil this kid to death! 

• Andrew loves the park. Mostly because we take his walker and he just runs free. We had tons close to our house that we frequented a lot. So we had to hit up some of our favorite parks one last time. He especially loved Oak Point Nature Preserve, just a mile from our home. His favorite was the big lake. He loved looking for the ducks and walking over the bridges.  

• Going from a 4 bedroom/2 car-garage home to a tiny apartment was a challenge. We had TONS of stuff we knew we just couldn't take. So we spent lots of time on craigslist posting everything from fridges to lawnmowers and everything else we knew we didn't need. I'll be honest. We got rid of A LOT and threw away or donated even more. But somehow we still filled up this tiny apartment and are going through another round of purging as we unpack. Ahhhh yes. Just another one of the many joys of moving. 

• Somewhere in the month of May Stephen DID have a birthday, just so happened to be the day before the movers came. He's had a incredibly busy month transitioning to this new position. He was gone for almost half the month, spending time with his new group in Atlanta and working on projects they needed him for. He had a huge project due on his birthday and because we were moving that week, told them he had to stay in Dallas. Still he was hard at work most of the day. He was able to get off a little early and come in with me to my last doctor's appointment with my MFM dr. where we were able to find out the genders of these two littles growing inside me.  We tried to do a little celebrating in the morning before the craziness of the day began. But poor guy didn't get much as we were up till the late hours of the night, preparing for the movers the next day. 

Then before you know it the movers showed up on our doorstep early the next morning and that was that. I was very grateful and spoiled to have the AT&T pay for movers. They did everything for us....Literally. I sat on my couch for two straight days while these men packed up my entire house, loaded it onto a truck and drove off. I was so grateful too, being pregnant AND having to move...this was the only way we could have done it. 

 Does this scream Atlanta to you or what? 

 Watching the mover haul everything was pure entertainment.

 He sat on the porch for almost 30 minutes watching them load up the big trucks and then of course waved goodbye as they drove off. 

Our wonderful home at 3333 Timber Brook. We absolutely loved living here. 

Texas will have a special place in our hearts!