Breakfast With Santa

A couple weeks ago when KB graduated, we stayed the weekend in Arlington to hang out with our Lake Arlington friends. My how things have changed in three and a half years! We all have kids. The place is crawling with kids!

Anyways, as people with kids do, we try to find ways to entertain our kids and enjoy seeing them have fun. The weekend we were in Arlington a "Breakfast With Santa" was held, and of course we went...because what parent could pass it up?!!!

Last year AB's first meeting with Santa did not go so well, so we hoped, but did not expect great acceptance on her part this year. The day started out well. AB slept in, she played with our friend's son, and we all went to the breakfast. However, as soon as we walked in the building, we heard Santa walking down our hall. The first thing AB heard was a bellowing, "HO HO HO MERRY CHRISTMAS!" Yeah she freaked out, totally scared. Santa came around the corner, and AB stuck her head in between my legs. Her second meeting with Santa was not promising. We made it into the fellowship hall, ate breakfast, caught up with our friends, but the inevitable moment of meeting Santa was fast approaching.

The area where Santa sat was decorated like the North Pole. Here AB was very involved with greeting the polar bear. As far as she was concerned, this was the highlight of the North Pole, but mommy really wanted that picture with Santa...

So mommy, daddy and AB waited in line, but when AB's turn finally arrived, she was not thrilled. If you want to know what she is saying throughout this who ordeal, it is "MOMMY!" Also, here are some lovely profile belly shots a couple of you have been asking about.

I am trying to get her to look at the camera, but clearly she is beyond listening by this point.

Finally AB is safe from the scary man in the red coat and white beard. Good grief. It was so traumatic.

Proud Wife

Six and a half years ago, as 23 year olds, KB and I met as graduate students in Fort Worth. He had already completed a semester and I was just starting out. We looked about like this -

About a month into our relationship we attended a wedding that my mom and brother also attended. While at the reception, just as KB reached over to get my attention (touching my leg), my mom snapped this photo and sent it out for all the rest of my family to see. I never even held hands with guys in front of my parents and this was the first glimpse my dad had of KB. They knew it either had to be love or I had lost my mind.

About 7 months after we started dating, one chilly January afternoon KB asked me to marry him. It was well thought out, and I almost ruined it by going shopping instead of making it to lunch on time. My frozen friend Shelley hid in the bushes for hours waiting for us to get there. She took all of our pictures that day.

We were engaged for 4 months and did all of the necessary engagement stuff - like taking engagement pictures.

Then we got married! We met, dated, became engaged and were married in less than a year. It really did not feel that fast, and when you know you know right?

Anyways, to my point. We were married in May 2005. KB finished the coursework for his graduate degree in December 2005. He was also required to complete 2 years of on the field training. However, I was only a year into my 3 year graduate degree when we married. He waited the 2 additional years for me to graduate...

...then we moved overseas. Two years into our time overseas he officially fulfilled the requirements of is graduate degree, and this past Friday he was finally able to graduate...5 full years after he finished all of his coursework and 3 and a half years after I graduated. Patience for sure.

It is official, my husband has finally graduated from graduate school! Congrats babe.

Settling In (For Sure)

We have been here a little over a month and a half, and time has without a doubt flown by! I do not know about other people who write on blogs, but I often see or think of something that would make an entertaining post. However, when I sit down to write...it is all blank. Therefore this is going to be a post full of random thoughts, nothing really holds them all together other than the fact that I am the person typing them. Go figure.

One of the strangest adjustments to living here is the time the sun rises. Now that Daylight Savings has passed things are better, but it freaked us out that when we woke up at 7 am it was still dark outside. Where we live overseas, the sun rises at 4:30 am. Here in the US I felt I needed to check two different clocks for confirmation that it actually was time to get out of bed.

AB has become a little jabber mouth since we got here. Her vocabulary has exploded. KB and I are still the primary translators of her own personal language, but we are quite impressed. I guess being around English speakers (other than her parents) helps.

I am growing fond of our van. The seats are quite comfy and we can fit almost anything in it. When I see it in a parking lot and realize it is our car, I still cringe a bit, but I am moving on.

I spend so much less time cleaning here in the US than I EVER do overseas. Dishwasher! Vacuum! Huge washing machine! Dryer! No pollution! Adequate cleaning products! I wanted to wait until we came to the US with a child (because everything is more complicated once you have one of those) to make an assessment, and I can say with full confidence that even with a paid helper overseas, it is much easier to keep our home clean in the US than where we live.

Having kids has entered us into a whole new realm of the population. Instead of noticing someone's cute shoes (which I still do on occasion), I now notice people's strollers. I think "look at that one, I bet it folds up tightly and is light." I understand how moms sometimes fail to notice their appearance because now they are checking out other people's stuff - "oh look they have a Bjorn baby carrier...Angelina Jolie has a Bjorn baby carrier." I also get all self conscious when I bring out our vintage stroller that has lovingly been used for at least 15 years. It is free, so I am grateful, but when I see a certain stroller go by, I get stroller envy.

My belly button pops out very early when I am pregnant. Sometimes I need to strap it down with a bandaid, but usually my belly band can do the trick. However unfortunately I am now far along and nothing can contain it. KB and I were at a Christmas party on Friday. When I stood up to go use the women's room, because us pregnant ladies always need to go potty, someone said "oh my gosh, look at your belly button!"... or something to that effect. Apparently I got all embarrassed and red.

I only have 8 more weeks until I am due, and I am thrilled to be nearing the end. I am very happy to be pregnant, but my body is tired of being pregnant. I must say that except for a few things, I have a fairly easy pregnancy, so I really cannot complain much. My first trimester was characterized by headaches and a near constant nausea - incredibly happy to see that one pass. Other than the return of my friendly heart problem, my second trimester was a breeze. In my third trimester my heart is still doing its crazy thing, my hips are begging me to sleep on my back again, and Braxton Hicks contractions are more painful that I remember - however that's all, like I really cannot say much else that would not make me sound like a complaining wimp. In my last pregnancy I had horrible back pain, but I think being here in the US with carpet and no stairs I have managed to avoid it this time around.

I am a person who warms up slowly to change, so it is still strange to me that I will have a little boy in my arms in 8 short (or long) weeks. I have begun to shop for the little guy, but I am waiting to do the real shopping till after Christmas. I just hope I can get myself in and out of the van in a month.

This is AB at HEB last week.

"Driving" a car at the mall

This girl loves her stickers!

Today we went to a Christmas walk in Georgetown, Texas. It was a lot of fun. It seemed like something out of a movie (to me). The weather was a bit more chilly that we expected, so KB is wearing two sweaters, and we used my wrap to cover AB's legs. Do not forget to check out our vintage stroller, don't get jealous!