Christmas...a little late :)

 Colton's face seeing his Christmas...I think he was still out of it :)

 His new Basketball Hoop Santa brought him!

 Mini Toy Story Characters that were in his stocking that he LOVEs!  He even puts them to bed every night before he goes to bed...so cute!

 Inside of his BUZZ tent with all of his farm animals from "GA-GA"

 His sweet new track for cars!  From the other "Ga-Ga"  (He was definitely more spoiled from his grandparents than his parents...thank goodness for them as well as great-granparents :) 

 And here I am...almost 37 weeks.  I feel like I got really big for a while and now she has dropped so low that I am looking smaller than before...also more painful than before I think!

 They have absolutely loved the time they have had to spend together, I know Colton will be devastated when Matt starts school again and the baby comes at the same time, because he is pretty spoiled right now with our attention!

 Here they are looking good all dressed up to go out to a fancy dinner on Christmas!

 Colton had to bring his Toy Story characters in with him..as well as feeding them and giving them drinks.

    And here we are...it was an amazing dinner, definitely not one I could re-create, so I'm glad we went out!  Matt got prime rib and I had ham!  It was actually really fun to go out to dinner on Christmas day, something I have never done before! 
  I didn't take any pictures, but on Christmas Eve we had a little get together with 4 families and everyone brought their favorite appetizer and dessert and their favorite Christmas stories.  We ate, sang Christmas songs, and told stories.  It was perfect for us :)  Then we came home and got to open our Christmas Pajamas before bed! 
    I think it would have been harder having Christmas on our own if it was our first year of marriage, but this is my family now and we really enjoyed our little Christmas together :)

Now if we could just get this baby coming out before school starts!  I had another doctors appointment on Monday and she said for sure I could be induced 2 weeks from tomorrow!  But..she also said I was already dilated to a 2 and this baby might just come sooner. I  have to get a non-stress test twice a week from here on out because she is big to make sure everything is ok :)  I feel like my house is almost ready for her and we are getting so excited to have another addition to our family!

My crafting, nesting self

     I think I have been a little bit crazy this week with trying to get EVERYTHING done for the baby to come.  A few days this week I feel like Matt has been wishing he was back in school studying 14 hours a day!
   We have re-organized every room/closet/nook in our house, as well as cleaned it, taken 3 trips to the Goodwill and probably 50 to the dumpster!  I am starting to feel just a little bit more prepared.  Now all we have left is shampooing the carpets, spot cleaning all of the furniture, dusting, mopping, washing all the baby stuff, as well as every other item in our house, etc. etc. etc. :) 

    I do have good reason for this...I had an ultrasound today to check the babies growth.  At 36 weeks she is 7 lbs. 8 oz. and her head is measuring 39 weeks 6 days---YIKEs!  I go to the doctor Monday and hopefully we'll be having a chat about her coming a little bit early...preferably before Matt goes back to school on the 10th.  Therefore, I need to get all this stuff done so I can RELAX when she gets here (as much relaxing as you can do with a 2 year old and a newborn with your husband in his first year of law school :)

    I also have had time to make this cute bow holder, I am feeling really crafty.  I come from a very very crafty mom and family for that matter, but I never really picked up on the craftiness. I guess having a daughter has brought some of it out of me, because I have also made about 10 bows, and bought material to make many many more :) 

   Well, tomorrow is Christmas Eve and I am giving Matt and myself the weekend off to enjoy :)  Back to work on Monday, but for now Merry Christmas!!!

Christmas in Moscow

    For Christmas this year, Matt and I and Colton are staying here in Moscow.  Basically, I am due in a little over 3 weeks and that's our main reason for not loading up ALL of our Christmas and ourselves in our not so large car and driving 9 maybe 10 hours through possible snowy, icy roads!  We also have a 2 bedroom apartment with A TON of stuff and need to get things organized a whole lot better in order to add another person to our home!  Of course I have been really excited to be able to be here, with Matt finally at home, and to enjoy our last couple of weeks as a family of 3, even more so, enjoy putting our wonderful sleeping 2 year old in bed at 8 or 830 and actually having evenings to spend together.  I know this is going to change in a few weeks! 
   However, although we are loving the free time we have to spend together, of course we miss family!!  Last year, we were in Germany, and were SO lucky to have Matt's parents, little sister, and my little brother with us for 2 weeks!  I have never been big on having to have my same traditions for Christmas Eve/Christmas Day so last year was perfect.  Growing up, it was always my parents and I and my brothers for Christmas and I didn't know any different, I loved every single Christmas and have some great memories of Christmas!  So, being just the three of us this year is just fine with me, and I know it will be a Christmas I remember!
    All that being said, Christmas still wouldn't be Christmas this year if it weren't for our amazing families.  When we went to visit Pocatello and Utah for Thanksgiving, we mentioned that we most likely would not be coming back for Christmas.  Both families made sure they loaded us up with all of our Christmas presents to bring back home, even though they had to get all of their Christmas shopping in 5 weeks early!  We so so appreciate both of our families.  Not just because of these presents that they sent with us, but because of how much we know that they care about us.  Although we can't be there with them all, they wanted us to enjoy our Christmas, and probably did way more for us than they needed to.   I think I have been feeling especially emotional these last few weeks knowing that I will soon be having a new baby and just being pregnant, but I am so thankful for the amazing parents that I have and for their sacrificies for me and now that I see with Colton.  My mom will be coming up when I have my baby and is willing to stay as long as needed.  My dad lost his job back in the summer and is still trying to find something, yet she is willing to drop everything and leave my dad to come up and help us and meet her new grandaughter.  Everyone keeps asking me if I will have help, and I have to brag, because I think my mom is the best helper anyone could ever ask for!  I know it will still be hard with Matt starting another semester and not being around and having my 2nd baby, but I'm not even worried because I know that my mom will be here to help out!  I'm also grateful for my dad for never stopping her from coming up to help, although it makes his responsibilities a little bit heavier, he has always supported her!  We are also lucky because Matt's parents are so wonderful too, I mentioned to Matt's mom that because we couldn't be there for Christmas, all I really want is a yummy home cooked meal from them, so they asked around to find one of the best restaraunts in town and got us a gift certificate to go eat there on Christmas Day, how thoughtful is that? 
    Anyway, enough of my blabbing, I just wanted to express my gratitude to our amazing families, and how much we appreciate them more than they can imagine and will miss them this Christmas season, but hopefully we will see them all season after this sweet little girl is born :)

So much to be Grateful for!!

I am grateful for this baby girl inside of me, AND that I have less than 5 weeks left :) 

I am grateful for our awesome ward and that Colton has such good friends...even though he loves the girls the most :) 

Kardynn and Colty,,,

They are SO cute together, although they definitely have their battles, they get so excited when they see eachother still, and A lot of times play really good together!

Cute kids...Bevyn, Colty, and Kardynn

I am grateful for the Christmas season!  Colton has gotten to go see Santa twice, and although he didn't scream and cry, he definitely didn't LOVE sitting on his lap! 

Reaching for his dad!

I am grateful for my happy (most of the time), healthy 2 year old!!!  At his doctors appointment he was 36 inches (3 ft.) tall and 34 wopping pounds! 

I am also grateful that Matt will be finished with his first semester of Law School tomorrow!!  It has actually gone by really fast, but was a TON of work for him and some long days for Colton and I!  However, we are proud of the hard work that he has put in and so glad that we get 3 weeks with him!!

Beginning of the Holidays!

We have had an Awesome past couple of weekS...I'll just start of with this week.  Today, Colton and I went with some friends to see a free movie at the mall (don't know if I'll do that again, Colton lasted about 45 minutes and pretty much had no desire to watch it after that) Anyway, then they had free lunch and pictures with Santa (Colton was scared of him, but finally sat on his lap.  Then, as soon as we were walking away, he RAN back, almost got in someone else's picture, saying "Ho, Ho, Ho")  Here is the Only picture I took, Colton and Bevynn. 

 LAST night, on Colton's birthday we had a VERY small birthday party for him.  All week I debated on whether or not I needed to do one (we had one at home with him) and finally, the day before his birthday, I couldn't imagine not having a couple of his friends over to at least sing to him! 

He was excited about all of his presents, except for the 2 shirts I got for him, he literally threw them to the side and dove in for another present!

 Kardynn had to help him blow out the candles, he gets a little shy (ok A LOT shy) and would barely blow out of his mouth!

 I am CHEAP, and I got some of his plastic animals and put them on his cake...hey, he liked it!  Funny story, Colton would get SO embaressed anytime anyone would sing Happy Birthday to him.  The morning of his birthday, I sang it to him, and he buried his face in the couch.  THEN, we went swimming with Kardynn and Alyssa, we sang it to him while walking into the pool, and he stuck is tounge out and put his head down, at the pool, we always sing Happy Birthday to the fish in our class, this time we sang it to Colton, once again buried his face...anyway, this must have happened 15 times!  Every time he had the same reaction.  I don't know why he is such a shy little boy!!

 Colton and Kardynn hanging out.  I love that they have so much fun together!  That's the first thing he said after we had been in Utah/Pocatello for a week was Kar-Kar?

 Playing around with Dad on his birthday!

 I just had to throw this picture in...this is my Belly at almost 34 weeks pregnant--it is bigger than what I was with Colton, but I think I just thought I was way bigger because I popped out faster--it is starting to even out, but I definitely am still bigger--and still have 6 weeks to go!  Oh..and I went really dark with my hair (kind of on accident, it's ok, but I think I prefer blonde :) )

 So..now for the awesome part!  We got to go see our family for the first time in almost 4 months for 10 dayss!!!! (ok...2 were basically driving days)  ANyway, we had so so much fun.  I think it was a nice break for Matt, even though he got a lot of studying done, and I loved seeing Colton with his family!!  The unfortunate thing is...I took 0 pictures!!  My mom did take a few at a birthday party we had for Colton with Matt's family...Here is my dad and Colty opening presents!

 Matt's mom got him this horse that also makes noises...so fun!!  We are so lucky to have such awesome parents and families!  He got some FUN gifts...and it's crazy how much of a difference it has been this week coming home, he never wants to leave the house!  Definitely good for a new baby coming...things to keep him entertained!  Thanks family, we love you!!

 Colton with his great-grandpa...he was scared of him at first, but once my grandpa offered to read him books, he would have sat on his lap all day!

 Here is Colty eating his chocolate brownies (I decided Brownies are always better than cake!!!)

I was also able to have a baby shower while we were there.  Matt's extended family and mine were invited, and it was So great to see everyone!  I also got some GREat stuff!!  I didn't think I was even going to have a shower, and beginning to panic that this little girl was going to be wearing ALL of Colton's old clothes, so it was wonderful to have such an awesome family to have a shower for mE!  I will have to post some pictures of all the fun stuff I got!  I have probably looked at it all 100 times since we got back! 

Overall, it has been a great month!  I am SO looking forward to 2 weeks from now when Matt is done with school and we can spend 3 weeks together!  He has worked so hard this semester and I really hope that it pays off in the end! 

Happy Birthday BIG boy!

It was Colton's Birthday Yesterday!!!  I can't believe he is 2!!!  We had a very very small birthday party for him, but he still got shy when everyone sang "Happy Birthday!"  We are so glad he is in our lives :)  More pictures to come!

Colton's 1st Birthday in Germany!

The day our sweet little boy was born!