Happy New Year !!

Hope everyone has a safe and Happy New Year !! I had hoped to get a new belly pic and some pics of H's and Major's rooms on the blog today since I am off work today, however......why is it that my day off usually ends up being more exhuasting than the days I work ??? I did get some last minute birthday shopping done for my favorite daughter who will be 16 on Saturday (WHAT- how did that happen??) and made a trip to HEB -which was almost worse than having to work today- I mean really ....you know it's a bad sign when you go in and they have no carts :( I am off on Friday's so hopefully I will get the pics up tomorrow- no promises though b/c I have to get the Christmas decorations put away and work on a special birthday post for Kels- I hope everyone has a great 2010 filled with lots of love, laughter and good health !!

Yikes -It's almost Christmas !

Where has the time gone ?? I'm feeling pretty unmotivated these days to shop, wrap or do anything holiday related. Maybe it's this ever growing belly that seems to get bigger everyday !! I am trying hard to force myself into the Christmas spirit- normally by this time of the year I have long sent out Chrismas cards ( not happening this year but I will try and send out birth announcements so maybe I can redeem myself that way :) have all the presents not only bought, but wrapped and under the tree- not so much this year. I still have a list of things to buy, presents stashed around the house waiting to be wrapped, and 2 big Tupperware containers of Christmas decorations that didn't quite make it out of their home this year. Now don't get me wrong I haven't been a total Scrooge, I did get my tree up,lighted garland on the mantel and staircase as well as some other lighted decorations around the house and a special "mini" tree in Houston's room just for Sesame Street ornaments,and Kurt not only got the out of control bushes in the front yard trimmed but lights on them as well ( thank you sweetie). But, I still somehow feel "behind"...I am off work until the 28th and am so excited -I think I may attempt to build my first ever gingerbread house with H and Kels and I am pretty sure I am nesting. I have gotten most of Major's clothes (which are actually Houston's clothes with a few new additions) washed and ready and in the closet, his room is ready except for one last thing that needs to be hung on the wall, and I made a trip to Babies R Us yesterday to get some last minute things I thought might be good to have on hand with a baby around ( you know bottles, diapers, baby wash, onesies :)

I will leave you with a description from Baby Center of what Mr. Major has accomplished as of this past week of growing. I hope everyone is having a healthy, blessed Christmas season so far.

Your pregnancy: 34 weeks

How your baby's growing:
Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

Candy Cane Crack !

I am not even kidding- if you have not tried these Candy Cane Hershey kisses yet then consider yourself better off !! I tried them for the first time yesterday and have already been back to Target to get 2 more bags :) I can't get enough of them-they are white chocolate yumminess with tiny bits of peppermint mixed in - yeah everything in moderation- ok I might try that with the next bags because the first one is on it's way out quickly ! And my Dr. just told me my weight gain was doing great at my appt this past week- wow- guess I won't be hearing that at the next appointment ! are you noticing a theme here with the peppermint? and what's funny is that I dont even like regular peppermints- go figure!! Happy eating if you dare.

Can't argue with that !

So please join us today for Body 101 with H-man. After going to the bathroom the other day Houston proceeds to tell his sissy that " poop comes out your hiny, not your penis" ...HA-can't argue with that !!!

Happy Turkey Day !

Hope everyone is going to have a wonderful Thanksgiving with their family and too much good food !! Here are just a few things I am feeling especially thankful for this year:

1. God- I am so thankful for his presence in my life
2. My husband- I love this man more than words can express and although we don't always see eye to eye I know he always has my back and loves me more than anything
( well except maybe the Longhorns-HA.. Hook 'Em Horns, Beat A&M )
3. My kids -
Kels: I am so lucky we have the relationship that we do and I think she is
one of the smartest, funniest, most gorgeous people( inside and out) that I know
Houston: he keeps me laughing every day and has the biggest heart of any 3 1/2 yr old I know
Major: he reminds me every day of God's greatest gift of new life
4. My family- they are always there for me no matter what
5. My friends- hopefully everyone is lucky enough to have those rare friends that would be there for you at a moment's notice
6. My health- I am so lucky to be able to do all that I do and I am very grateful for a healthy pregnancy thus far
7. My job - I am so blessed every day to be able to work from home and spend time with my kiddos while getting paid
8. Our military- a huge thank you to them for their daily sacrifices so that we may enjoy being with our families today and every day
9.My home- thanks to my hubby for working so hard to give us a beautiful house- I can't wait to decorate for Christmas
10.Starbuck's skinny vanilla latte's:)

I'm sure I could think of many more but I must go get dressed and make my corn casserole for lunch today- Have a safe, blessed day and weekend !

It's almost here !!

Ok- It's only 10 days until New Moon comes out and I am sooooooo excited ! It's release date isn't officially until Friday, Nov 20th so Kels and I are going to see it Thursday night at midnight -which is officially Friday :) Yes I am 36 yrs old and totally excited about this movie, enough to the point that I am going to stay awake to see it at midnight ! There are not many things I would stay awake for at this point and sleep is a luxury I know I wont have soon, but Edward is worth it !! I will let you all know how it is :)

This and That

One of my favorite seasonal things this time of year is Peppermint ice cream- I love it !!! we are a house divided when it comes to the brand though- Kels and I love Dreyer's and my hubby picks Blue Bell- although I don't buy ice cream much when I do I usually buy Blue Bell, but the Dreyer's peppermint is so much creamier there is no comparison. So if you are in the store and see it - try it ! You wont be disappointed- it is seasonal though so don't wait too long ! You know you are preggie when you devote almost an entire post to ice cream :)






On a random side note - did you know Bon Jovi is going to be in Dallas in April ?? I heart Bon Jovi !! anyone want to go ? think a breastfeeding momma could rock out 2 months postpartum :)

To Snoogle or not to Snoogle ?

Ok- so I have been debating for a while whether or not to spend money on a body pillow called the Snoogle- what this pillow does is cradle your body -your head,hips, belly, back,or some combination thereof depending on how you arrange it- Between the frequent trips to the bathroom, the random back and/or lower pelvic strains and Major's increased movements at night I have not been sleeping too great for a while now ( yes I know this lack of sleep thing is only going to get worse once he is actually here :) So today I decided to just bite the bullet and go to Babies R Us and purchase one- I needed a few other things from there so I felt the trip was justified since it wasn't just for me. I got it home and out of the package to try it out and I did not want to get up- seriously ...this may cause problems come morning time. I'm sure my hubby will not be happy since he already has issues with my "wall of pillows" and now there is just one more added to the crew but what can I say- a preggie girl needs her sleep !! Have a great week.

Spiderman, My Belly and a Sneak Peek !

We had a great Halloween- H-man was Spiderman and there were times I wondered if his costume would last until Halloween. I bought it about a month before Halloween never dreaming he would like it as much as he did. Last year he wouldn't even put on his dinosaur costume and we ended up improvising with a horse/cowboy combo from the year before. Well,this year was entirely a different story- From the moment we bought it, he wanted to try on his Spiderman costume at least once a day and many days could be found sitting in his Elmo chair, costume on, watching Animal Planet while eating his lunch ( yes some days he watches tv while eating lunch- what can I say- a girl has to get some work done :)




Spiderman out in the neighborhood





Spiderman's big haul






We recently went to my 27 week Dr. appt and all looks great with Major-he's growing right on track and we are getting really excited to meet him! Here's my 27 week belly pic.



Here is a sneak peek at Major's room- I have to give props to my hubs b/c he picked out the paint color and I absolutely love it !!! He did it with no swatches, fabrics or anything with him-when I asked him how he picked out the perfect blue for his room he replied that "he just picked a blue that he liked" Wow- what a novel idea. If I had gone to pick out paint it would have required at least one or two fabric swatches, Major's bedding, and hours of looking at paint samples. There is something to be said I guess for not having to make everything difficult :} I will post more when his curtains are fnished, hung and the extra bed is out of there. I will give you a hint that his room is going to be a camping theme- bears, fish, canoes and tents. I wanted to re-use some of H-man's things from when his room was a fishing theme b/c he had so many cute things, but wanted to give Major his "own" room as well.



I'm going to throw in some pics of when we went to the pumpkin patch a few weekends ago on this post too, b/c we all know that by the time I post again it will be time for Christmas trees and Happy New Year wishes :)










Hope everyone has a great rest of the week !

20 Week Belly Pic

I took this pic last weekend after cleaning and doing laundry most of the day which is why you dont get to see my face ( you know the kind of day I'm talking about... no make-up and crazy hair ) Please excuse the lovely cut off sweats and t-shirt as this is my normal work day and weekend wear ( unless I have a big day planned that involves getting "dressed up" to go to Target or the grocery store :) Hope everyone has a great week !

Lots to share

Yes I am actually posting- for those 3 or 4 of you that still check, thank you :)I could blame it on the fact that I still cannot find my camera cord since we moved
( ahem, yes it's been 20 months)but truth be told at the end of the day laying in bed watching House Hunters wins over blogging :( We had a busy and great summer.We started off with a week in Port A with my parents- went to the aquarium in Corpus Christi and spent a lot of time at the pool. Had our annual Smith family reunion in July which was hot but always fun. Followed that up by a fast and furious trip to H-town to see the circus and go to the zoo ( H-man is obsessed with all things animal at the moment )Kels took the classroom portion of driver's Ed and got her permit- she still has to complete the actual driving part of the course so that she can get her license in January- Yikes !I can't believe it's already time for my baby to be driving :) She started her sophomore year at Georgetown High a couple of weeks ago and is enjoying it so far. . Houston has become quite the big boy and is finally potty trained- can I get an Amen !! He started pre-school yesterday and is so happy to be back in school. He has most of his same friends in his class this year that he did last year so it was a cute reunion for them yesterday. Kurt has been busy working and is beyond excited that his beloved Horns are playing again finally, as well as the beginning of hunting season ! I have just been busy working, trying to keep up with the kiddos, and growing Thomas #3 whom we found out last week is a BOY :) We are so excited to welcome this new little blessing and can't wait to meet him in January. Here are some pics to tide you over for the next 6 months until I post again- Ha ( hopefully it wont be that long :)

Circus

Zoo







Kels-first day of school

H and Hayden at meet the teacher day

Houston- first day of school


H-man and his teacher Mrs Kari

The newest Thomas-I think he looks like Houston-Ha

March Madness !

I am really late getting these pics up but to say it has been a crazy month would be an understatement. We had Houston's b-day party at the Children's Musuem on Valentine's Day and it was great ! I highly recommend you visit there if you havent already ( they have an area for babies too so it's great for all ages) but I digress...anwyay ...the day after the party Kurt and I left for a fabulous week of skiing in Colorado with our friends Cliff and Amy. My mom stayed at our house with Kels and H since they both had school. I was really worried about leaving him ( not b/c I dont trust my mom- she's the best ) but the longest I had been away from him ever was 2 nights. Well I will have you know that I did great...I didnt cry the entire time we were gone ( backing out of the driveway doesnt count since technicallly we werent gone yet :) We had a great time and Amy I managed to get in a day at the spa and matching tattoos ( yes we are dorks and yes they are real) ! Once we returned home Kurt returned to his new position of Sergeant ( Congrats babe - we are proud of you !) that he had only been at for one week before we left. I started some training for work that requires me to be at North Austin Medical Center Tues-Fri from 8am-noon. Now most of you know that I work from home which translates most days to me being in my boxers until noon and then getting dressed in shorts and a t-shirt and putting my hair in a ponytail..make up- HA- what's that ?? only if it's Sunday and we are going to church. So, not only have I had to be somewhere at 8:00 am, I've had to be dressed and have a presentable face and decent hair. I know this is not a big deal for you guys that do it every day but for me it has been a huge adjustment. Kelsey and I have also joined the Rec Center here in Georgetown and we go work out every day ( except Sunday b/c they are closed ). We love it and H likes to play in the kids room- It's a win win for all ! So my days have pretty much looked like this :training in the morning, rush home to work for a while and feed H lunch and spend some time with him, go work out, come home and work some more, dinner and bath for H and then get everything ready to repeat the next day. Kurt has been working some crazy hours as well while he gets acclimated to his new job so I literally have everyone's schedule on a calendar to remind me who is where at what time. So I think that catches us up- here's your reward for reading to the end- pics! The first ones are of H's b-day party and the rest are of our ski trip. Have a great weekend!

H-man is 3 !!

Happy Birthday to my sweet boy who turns 3 today !! Here are a few things I love about you:

1. when you say " I love you mommy" out of the blue for no reason

2. I love how you take care of your frog Chez and tell me "Chezzie need chatstick"

3. I love how much you love your big sissy

4. when you say "I comin get you"- that totally cracks us both up :)

5. when I ask you something and you respond " oh right sure"

6. how excited you get when you hear the garage and know that your daddy is home

7. how cute you sound in the morning after I put all of your "Buddies" in your bed with you to play until you decide you are ready to get up

8. how you are such a great helper to mommy in the kitchen always

9. how you say "Dumpee Dumpty" instead of "Humpty Dumpty"

10. How amazingly you sing the song " Day One " that you learned at sunday school- melts my heart every time I hear it !!!

11. How much you love chips and salsy !!

12. How you tackle me with the best hugs ever :)

13. How every animal is a " scary" animal- if I ask you what sound a bear makes not only do you growl but you tell me that is a "scary bear"

14. How much you love going to school to see " your boys"

15.How you always want to go to the slide at the park not to go down it but to chase me around the slide :)

Thank you Houston for making the last three years even more special than Daddy or Sissy and I could have imagined- we love you soooooo much !! Happy Birthday BoBo- we love you !!

Happy Birthday Kelsey !

Yes my baby had a birthday- A MONTH AGO....so we all know I am way behind updating but I wanted to do a special post just about Kels in honor of her 15th birthday. Her actual birthday was on January 2nd. We had a great day- my mom came and stayed with Houston, and Kels and I got to go shop just us girls and hang out all day ( I'm so blessed that she actually still likes me -most of the time-and wants to hang out with me :). That night she had some friends come over and I dropped them off at the movies and then they spent the night. They are great girls and only got really loud ( that I heard) one time when they were singing ( who knows maybe one of them will make it to American Idol).

Of course I am biased but there are many other people that would agree with me that Kels is one of the smartest, sweetest, loving, kind-hearted people that I know. She makes me proud everyday to be her mom. She is an amazing daughter, sister, and friend who loves God with all her heart. Dad and I are so fortunate to have you for a daughter andHouston is so lucky to have you for a sister !!Thank you baby for making me a mom - I love you with all my being-Mom

Please pray for Tuesday!

Click on her picture and please send up some serious prayer for this sweet girl and her family !! I cannot even imagine what they are going through !

Yes I'm still here !

Ok- I know, I know I am the WORST blogger ever - I dont have a really good excuse so I will spare you trying to come up with some not so great excuses ! As I type this I am also working, watching H demolish the playroom trying to play with every single toy he owns, drinking my cold latte leftover from this morning, all while contemplating the laundry that needs to be done, the vacuuming that is begging to be done and the nagging question "do I cook or feed the fam leftovers tonight" ?
( for those of you that know me really well, you know the answer to that one and I wont really have to think on it too long ). I am working on a long post to catch everyone up on what the Thomas fam has been up to and also some long awaited new pics of my clan, as well as a blog makeover. I just wanted to get something posted so my last title wasnt "goodbye March" since it is almost March again..sighhhhh. Hope everyone is doing well and stay tuned for more...