John Hall @ 23 Weeks

Today I had a doctor’s appointment and as usual, got to take a little peek at John Hall. I feel like the luckiest person on earth to get to be able to see him every time I go in. To top it off, Amy doesn’t seem to care that I video some of it to enjoy well after the appointment is over. Jason surprised me on Christmas day with a Mino flip video camera which is the smallest video camera I have ever seen. It films in HD and fit into my tiny clutch purse. It’s so convenient to carry around, I hope to have it available to capture all those precious moments I wouldn’t have been likely to if we had one that was larger. It also came with some pretty nifty ways to edit videos, so I hope to have this thing mastered by the time he arrives. John Hall is pretty still during the morning hours, so maybe afternoon appointments are better for catching his movements. She says he is about a pound ½ so he’s a little chunky monkey! She says everything looks great which has made my day!

The Best Rooms are Painted with Good Intentions!

Jason and I were sitting around with nothing to do, so we decided it would be a good idea to paint the nursery and baby’s bathroom. I sincerely mean this when I say I genuinely thought I would be able to help with the painting. We went and picked up the supplies, enough for me and Jason to both work with. We got home and started the preparations on the room and Jason commented that he wasn’t sure if I should be painting. He looked on the side of the paint can and there was a nice warning for pregnant women to avoid exposure. I was so disappointed that I couldn’t paint. I kept telling Jason it was no fun not getting to help when he was getting to have all the fun painting John Hall’s room. Jason, on the other hand, told me that if it was any consolation, he wasn’t having much fun painting all by himself. We matched the color to the bedding and I love the way it has turned out. It is such a bright and cheery tone; you just feel happy when you walk into the room! The nursery is finished, but needed a little touch up in a few places so we figured it would be okay for me to get to do that since I really wanted to help. Jason’s still working on the bathroom; I know John Hall will think he’s such a lucky baby to have a nursery painted so nice by his daddy!

Delicious but not so Nutritious!

Here are three very good reasons why it’s not a good idea to visit the grocery store when you’re hungry and pregnant!!!!

Little Boy's Toys

We went to dinner with Kelly, Michael, Jacob, & Caleb where they informed me that Santa had brought the boys “Rock Band” to which I responded by inviting myself over to play. Everyone gets to participate in this game which makes it so much fun: someone plays the guitar, the bass guitar, the drums and vocals. I had to sing a song which I had never heard before by "The Ramones" (Rockaway Beach - I think it was) and it was so hard. Kelly and Jason were playing their little hearts out and I messed the whole thing up. Still, we had a good time breaking in the little boy's Christmas toys!

2008 Hall Christmas

This year we celebrated Christmas with a new addition to the Hall clan, James. It was fun having a newborn around to cuddle with, plus it gave Jason and me plenty of practice for when the baby arrives! We couple brought something to snack on that we thought the whole family would enjoy…I’m not sure why Adam thought everyone would like a dried out – week and half old pound cake! Other than that contribution, the food was wonderful as usual. We adults played dirty Santa, but the main focus was on the kiddos like it should be. Jamie ended up with Adam’s gift which was a “constant emotional support” for 2009 (you can click on the picture with the card to read his pledge to the winner of his dirty Santa present – I am glad I ended up with the present I went home with!) Jennifer won the "find the pickle" in the tree game which had a really nice prize that I wish I would've won! The kids (even John Hall) got so much stuff and I think the grown up boys seemed to enjoy some of their presents as much as they did. The little rap video with Jason and Adam should demonstrate that! The other video is of Jacob asking questions from some cards Mom & Dad had relating to relationship building. I would say Jacob well prepared to start kindergarden next year! Jason and I hope you have a very Merry Christmas!!!

Her Majesty

Last night we were invited to dinner with the Hefner’s. Stacy’s niece, Ashley, was in town to surprise Madison for her birthday so we felt especially “special” to be included on a family outing with them. Ashley is such a good kid. She was Bixby’s (town outside of Tulsa) homecoming queen this fall and is a star student there. We were all very sure she was going to attend school at Arkansas next year, but she decided to stay close to home and go to OU….regardless of her choice in schools, we still love visiting with her!

Week in Review

It’s been a pretty quiet week around here. Due to the ice, we were stuck in the house for a couple of days which caused us to be a little stir crazy. Still, I never get tired of seeing our surroundings blanketed in white. Our Christmas shopping is done and all the gifts have been wrapped. I finally sent out our cards yesterday, but was disappointed when we got them; part of Jason’s head is cut off….it was totally my fault because I wasn’t paying attention to the proof they show you before you place the order. My Christmas present from Jason, a new camera, arrived this week and has been a ball playing with. I just can’t wait until John Hall is here to be my photography subject. Jamie has been packing up her house and brought some of Sam’s old goodies yesterday. Another addition to the nursery was a mirror to go above the “changing table” which is actually a Bombay chest that will be used in another part of the house once we’re out of the nursery stage. His baby book was delivered yesterday. I am so pleased with how it turned out and can’t wait to start filling out the sweet little pages. Something fun that I’ve experienced lately is I can really feel him moving around. There has been nothing more reassuring than knowing that he’s still in there and doing well! We’re looking forward to next week and celebrating Christmas with family! Dad says they’re current on their homeowner’s insurance, so if the kids should burn down the house, it’ll be okay. Should be fun!

Fires and Friends

We went to eat steak with Tonya and Kevin at a new place in town. It was so cold outside and we finished dinner early, so they invited us over to cozy up to a fire with hot chocolate. We had to run home to pick up sugar free for Jason, so I took that opportunity to change into comfy clothes. I was relieved to find that Tonya had done the same when we arrived at their house. It's so nice to be comfortable around friends when you don't care if you're basically in p.j.'s!

T.V. delivery

Today Jamie and Samuel came to visit and brought some things for John Hall. She had a bag full of baby blankets, another bag with crib mattress pads, and a lifetime supply of baby lotion! They were here when the freight truck arrived with the glider for the nursery. The truck driver was a little concerned when I came out of the house shooting photos…the first thing out of his mouth was “why are you taking pictures of me?” I guess he didn’t know he was delivering an item to Ms. Paparazzi herself! After I took the first picture I realized he was unloading a huge flat screen television and NOT a glider. We corrected this and he found the correct box with the chair. Samuel enjoyed seeing the nursery, climbing under the crib and changing table, and testing out the new glider.

John Hall @ 20 weeks

We had our 20 week appointment and Amy indulged us by letting us film part of the ultrasound. She said he looks just perfect and things are growing the way they should. She did his measurements today and he weighs 14oz. What a big boy!!!!

Christmas Bunko 2008

Last night was my neighborhood’s fourth annual Christmas Bunko party & ornament exchange. We played several games (ideas given to me by mom) and everyone seemed to enjoy them. I have really enjoyed being part of this group over the years. It is had been such a blessing to not only get to know the people who live around you, but to establish genuine friendships with those people is priceless!