Christmas in K-town

It's hard to believe Christmas is over. It came and went so fast this year. As always, Jonathan and I spent several days in Knoxville to celebrate the holidays with our families. We spent time with my dad's family, my mom's family, Jonathan's family, my stepdad's family and even found time to visit a few of our favorite friends. It was exhausting, yet totally terrific! 

Here are some photos from our 2010 Christmas celebration... (Sadly,  didn't take nearly as many as usual. I didn't take any photos at Jonathan's parents' house. Fail!)

 Alfie and me on Christmas Eve

 Our little family. Hard to believe I'll have a baby on my hip next Christmas! Who will hold Alfie? Poor little guy. He has no idea that his world is about to change!

 My dad and me celebrating Christmas Eve at my Mamaw's house.

 Jonathan and me before the Christmas Eve candlelight service at his mom's church. I am so glad we were able to go! It was the first candlelight service I've attended, and it was my favorite part of Christmas this year.

 Alfie Ralphie was SO excited to open his present.

He was the entertainment of the day.

 My mom put treats in the bag to get him to do this.

 Yay! Toys (and treats) for Alfie!

 Anything else in there?

 My mom is slightly obsessed with my baby bump. She made me stand like that.

 Nick and Dwight

 Nick and me. He wanted to touch my belly, so I touched his too.

 Purple people! I swear this was not planned.

 What an exhausting Christmas for Alfie.

I love my little man.

 Seriously. I might be obsessed with this dog.

 My cousins Emily and Kelsea

 Em and me

 My cousin Katie and me. We really, really love each other.

 Aunt Frances, Mamaw Mozella and Aunt Cindy

 Mom, Cindy, Tina and Mamaw

 The boys.

 Em and sweet Leah

Cousins!

What a great Christmas! I hope yours was just as fabulous!

Bump Watch: 20 Weeks

Rocking my orange today! Go VOLS!

Pregnancy Highlights: Everything is a highlight! I feel so lucky that my pregnancy has been smooth so far. Praying the next 20 weeks are just as wonderful!

How Far Along: 20 weeks

Size of baby: Banana baby!

Total Weight Gained/Lost: I don't even want to know. I'll hop on the scale again after the New Year.

Maternity Clothes: Still rocking my maternity wear and loving it!

Gender: It's a GIRL!
Movement: I feel lots of movement early in the morning and at night before bed. I still can't feel anything from the outside, but the flip flops in my tummy let me know there's definitely something going on in there!
Sleep: I loved visiting our families for the holidays, but it's so nice to sleep in my own bed again!

What I miss: Nothing right now. 

Cravings: Steak! Jonathan cooked for me last night (steak, baked potato and asparagus), and it was perfect!

Aversions: Apparently Baby Collins does not like spaghetti from Loui's (one of my favorite restaurants in Knoxville). I had dinner there when we were in town for the holidays, and I was so, so sick that night. Yuck!
Symptoms: My balance is way off! I nearly fall over when doing the simplest things (like carrying bags or putting on my shoes in the morning).
Best Moment this week: Sharing the "It's a Girl!" news with our families during Christmas. Everyone is so excited! And, my gosh, Baby Collins is such a lucky girl already. She received so many gifts for Christmas (diapers, wipes, a blanket, stuffed animals, money, cards, etc). We are so grateful for the kindness of our family members and friends. This baby is a lucky little girl.

The boy/girl verdict: We're having a...

After much anticipation, Jonathan and I are so excited to share a couple of adorable photos of our sweet Baby Collins... SHE is a beautiful baby GIRL!

I guess my "feeling" of having a boy was way, way off, but it's OK. I've never been more thrilled to admit that I was wrong! Of course, we are just so excited to add a sassy little Miss Priss to our family and so very grateful that Baby C. is healthy!

 Isn't she just beautiful? Our doctor says she is developing perfectly. At the time of my appointment last week, she weighed about eight ounces. I am sure she weighs more now, because she is growing rapidly these days!

One of my favorite 3D photos. She's looks so shy, but Jon and I know better. I mean, she is my daughter after all. =)

Needless to say, this Christmas was by far the best to-date! We both feel so very blessed to have this sweet little one in our lives! And, good grief, she is so loved already! We are so thankful for the prayers, well-wishes and kind gestures we've already received for our baby girl.

Bump Watch: 19 Weeks!

 Remember the horizontal stripe tunic I blogged about in my one and only "Fashionable Friday" post? Well, this is it! I finally decided to wear it... while pregnant. I blame my pregnancy brain for the lack of self-awareness (i.e. the size of my J.Lo butt these days). 

Pregnancy Highlights: Ultrasounds, heartbeat sounds, good food, maternity clothes. Right now, everything seems like a "highlight." I feel very blessed, and I am truly loving pregnancy!
How Far Along: 19 weeks
Size of baby: Mango baby!
Total Weight Gained/Lost: Six pounds, I think. My weight gain has been much more rapid in the second trimester. Probably 'cause Baby C. is growing and growing and growing!

Maternity Clothes: Lately, I am loving maternity dresses paired with cardigans. Especially since I am finally to the point where I actually look pregnant (and not like I just ate a lot at lunch).

Gender: We finally know, and we are so, so, so excited! I promise to share the news publicly after we tell our families and close friends.  
Movement: I think the baby likes to practice doing back flips early in the morning. I haven't felt a true "kick," but there's definitely something going on in there.
Sleep: The baby dreams began this week. The other night, I had a dream that I had a newborn baby boy. I was out in public with the baby when he had a diaper blow-out. I was completely unprepared! I didn't have a single diaper, wipe or even a diaper bag! Eek! I'm pretty sure this was my first mama-to-be stress dream.

What I miss: Red wine! I indulged in a small glass the other night (with my doctor's permission), and it was divine!

Cravings: Steak still tops the list, and I can't get enough watermelon. 

Aversions: Garlic, barbecue and -I can't believe it- but junk food! I am usually a junk food junkie, but I've had too much sugar this holiday season, and I am over it! My body is craving salad, veggies and fruit!
Symptoms: No symptoms to report this week. Unless "looking pregnant" is a symptom.
Best Moment this week: The big gender-revealing ultrasound, for sure!!!

All bets are (almost) off

Tomorrow is the big, huge, life-altering day. You know - the moment I cannot stop blogging about. (Sorry about that, by the way. I'm trying really, really hard not to become completely and totally baby obsessed.) In a few short hours (like, OMG!), we'll find out whether Baby Collins is a little Mr. or a little Miss! I am so excited I can't stand it. It will -without a doubt- be the best Christmas Eve Eve ever.

Speaking of the big gender reveal and Christmas...

Since we knew we would get to have the big ultrasound right before Christmas, the original plan was to ask our ultrasound tech to put the result (boy or girl) in an envelope and seal it tight. I thought, "Oh what a wonderful gift for Jonathan and I to open on Christmas day!"

Cute, right?

Yea, that was the plan. 

Until I got to thinking.

What if I have questions? What if I can't see the -ahem- "anatomy" in the blurry ultrasound photo?  To put it bluntly, I am probably going to need the medical professionals to point out the pee pee (or lack there of). And since I won't get another ultrasound for a while, I need to pay close attention and ask as many questions as possible. 

I know, I know. I'm totally self-destructive. So much for my picture perfect present on Christmas morning. 

I can't help it though. I'm going to need to know the boy/girl verdict right then and there. And I'm going to need to see the proof.  

Sidenote: The news of Baby Collins' gender won't "go public" (i.e. blogged or Facebooked) until after Christmas since we're delivering the "It's a Boy/Girl!" news to our families in person during the holidays. Sorry, friends. You'll have to wait a little longer. I know you're crushed. =)

2010 Family Christmas Card

Thanks to the super-duper blogger promo from Shutterfly, I was able to get really lovely personalized cardstock Christmas cards this year for very little out-of-pocket expense. It was a challenge though, because with little man (or lady) Collins on the way, I had a very specific vision of what I wanted for our 2010 holiday greeting.

Criteria:

• A classic design (nothing too cutesy)
• Classic colors (no pink, lime green, etc., although I do love those colors!)
• Placeholders for three photos (all of equal size), with space for three captions

Pretty simple, right? I wish. The three photos of equal size/three captions thing really threw off the search process. There are very, very limited options in this category. Luckily, I found the perfect design though, and I love the way it turned out!

Email from my Father

Melinda,
I got baby Collins' new bedding. No need to thank me. I have more shopping to do.
Love You,
Dad

 Yes, this is a photo of NASCAR baby bedding.

God help my unborn child. Especially if it's a boy!

Bump Watch: 18 Weeks!

Pregnancy Highlights: So far, nothing beats seeing Baby on the ultrasound at eight weeks and hearing the heartbeat at my monthly appointments. Lately, I am enjoying watching my belly grow. I think I look a little more pregnant every day!

How Far Along: 18 weeks
Size of baby: Bell Pepper Baby!
Total Weight Gained/Lost: Five pounds gained (not bad at all, according to my nurse!)

Maternity Clothes: I wear the same outfits over and over and over. I can't wait to get all my new maternity pants hemmed, thanks to my amazingly talented (and sewing machine owning) Mamaw!

Gender: We'll find out December 23, and we are so excited!

Movement: Maybe a little from time to time. But, unfortunately, I think I've been too busy to notice. Work is kicking my butt lately.
Sleep: Still sleeping great. Trying my best to sleep on my left side, which is not my preferred side, but apparently provides better circulation to the baby. Who knew?!

What I miss: Thanks to all of the Christmas parties we've attended lately, red wine tops the list!

Cravings: Watermelon, raspberry tea from Sonic and steak. Oh, and a couple of days ago I begged Jonathan to make a mug of hot chocolate for me. My culinary cutie pie did not disappoint!

Aversions: I officially hate garlic. And barbecue.
Symptoms: It's not a pregnancy symptom, but unfortunately, my panic attacks have returned. I thought I was definitely having a heart attack the other night in the wrapping paper aisle at Hobby Lobby. Luckily it wasn't a real heart attack. Turns out, I just need to calm down.
Best Moment this week: Realizing that maybe I do have motherly instincts after all. Despite the snow and ice, I tried to drive to work Monday morning. When I saw three wrecks between our house and the interstate, I immediately turned around and went home. Ordinarily, I would have soldiered on to the office with my fingers crossed. But as a mama-to-be, there is absolutely nothing more important than my baby's safety.

Nursery Inspiration - Baby Boys

As I've mentioned a time or two, I have a pretty strong feeling Baby Collins is a little boy. I'm not sure where it comes from, but I've conducted an unscientific survey of moms, and apparently the "feeling" can be the real deal. Several mommas I know swear they knew their baby's gender long before it was confirmed by medical technology. Of course, the "feeling" can also be completely off. At any rate, I have a 50/50 chance of being right about this boy thing, so I'm sticking to it (until the ultrasound tech tells me otherwise).

Needless to say, I've spent a lot of time pondering the possibilities for Baby Collins all-boy bedroom. Here are some masculine nurseries I'm loving...

Designed by my all-time favorite, Candice Olson, this baby boy's room is super-fab. While theme rooms really aren't my thing, I love the color palette. There is no doubt that this room is made for a little man.

Is this one a little boring? Probably. But I kind of love the simplicity of it. It's a room that a baby boy could really grow into as he gets older. With a few accessory and/or color changes here and there, the room could easily be transformed into something fabulous for every stage of a child's life.

This nursery makes me really, really want white furniture for Baby Collins' room. It looks crisp and fresh. Surprisingly, I don't mind the powder blue walls either, especially with the fun accent wall. I usually don't like patterned walls, but for some reason this works. It looks preppy (which is exactly the look I want if Baby Collins is a boy).

How stinkin' cute is this?! It's probably a little bit modern for my taste, but I really, really like it. I'm not quite sold on turquoise in a boy's room. I'd probably go with a navy and green palette instead.

This is super cute and super funky. Again, probably a bit modern for my taste, but I love the gray walls paired with the pops of color. It's the kind of room that little one could really grow into as he gets older.

This is just so, so sweet. I love the white walls paired with the muted blues and tans. It's simple and airy and oh-so fresh. As a realistic mama-to-be though, I know better than to paint a baby's room white!

For now - these are the designs that stand out for Baby Boy Collins. In just a few short days, we'll know the gender and the nesting can begin! Oh, I can't wait!

Nursery Inspiration - Baby Girls

While most people are dreaming of a white Christmas, sugarplums and Santa Claus, I am dreaming of cribs, paint colors and baby bedding. With the big "It's a Boy!" or "It's a Girl!" ultrasound just a week away (eek!), I am beginning to get pretty excited about the nesting that will surely ensue almost immediately after learning the gender of our little bundle of joy.

Since I am 89% certain, we're having a boy, today's post is mostly for fun (and just in case I'm wrong). Here's some sweet baby girl eye candy I've been admiring online. 

I love, love, love the muted color palette in this option (it's SO me)! And I love that the room isn't entirely pink. The gray wall color is perfect!

Here, I love the hot pink accents paired with the muted green. The curtains, chair and rug really tone down the drama of the hot pink. And I love the white furniture. It looks so crisp and clean. I am very torn on furniture choices. White or dark wood? I can't decide.

OK - this is just stinkin' adorable. It's so, so, so girlie! But the patterned wall gives it a little bit of modern glam. (A baby girl's room must be glamorous!)

I'm not sure if this is a nursery, or an older child's bedroom, but I love it! The light pink is so pretty, without being too over-the-top pink. To me - there's nothing worse than a Pepto Bismol baby bedroom. But, if done correctly, an all pink room can be quite pretty.

This is right up my alley. Love the super girlie white crib paired with the unexpected shades of blue. If Baby Collins is a girl, I am definitely leaning toward a blue/aqua/gray color scheme.

 This might be a bit much for a baby's room (it looks more like a living room than a nursery), but I like the concept. I keep telling my dad (who insists that Baby Collins' room should be decorated in NASCAR or G.I. Joe) that we're going for the "sophisticated baby" look. This option definitely has some inspiring elements. And, again, I love the unexpected blue for a girl (I realize this is probably a boy's room, but I would never, never, never put flowers or a paisley print in my little man's bedroom).

These are just a few girl-inspired options I am loving right now. Of course, I could completely change my mind next week (especially if/when the doc. says "It's a Boy!").

'Tis the Season to be Pregnant!

It's the most busiest wonderful  time of the year! 

While everyone around me is popping corks and slamming back eggnog, you can find me at the dessert table at every holiday party in town. There is no denying it; Baby Collins Mama Collins has a thing for sweet, yummy holiday goodness. I'm ignoring my caloric intake like never before, because 'tis the season to be pregnant, y'all! (Don't judge me.)

 

Our weekend was jam-packed with holiday awesomeness. Good food, good company and good times, for sure. Friday, we went to a holiday party hosted by my boss. Then, Saturday night, we attended the annual Deloitte party with Jonathan's co-workers.

Before the photo recap can begin, I must confess; I wore the same dress to back-to-back Christmas parties (seriously, quit it with the judging). What can I say? I'm preggo, and I refuse to buy two holiday maternity dresses!

 My co-workers: JoEllen, me, Mackenzie, Natalie, Ramona, Mindy and Michael

 Jazz Hands!

 Alfie and me before the Deloitte party on Saturday

 My handsome husband and me

 For those of you who want to see the bump

Our friends, the Coulters

 Ashley and Melinda preparing for a photo: "Which side is your good side?"

Ashley and me!

Happy Holidays, friends!!!