No Rest for the Weary...

What a week! It's only Wednesday and I want another week to recover. I'm so exhausted! I was exhausted long before the holidays but these last two days are a killer! Running from one part of the family to another is very tiring for someone, even when they aren't pregnant!

Overall, the holidays went well. Matthew and I both received some very nice presents from our family. We're quite blessed in that aspect! After returning home late last night, we spent the evening attempting to put away some of the great gifts (Because so many are useful presents) and make some room in the living room. There just wasn't enough room under the Christmas tree for all our things (that's never a bad thing though)!

To recap some of the items we got here's a short list:

Matthew

• Drill and Drill Bits
• Dremmel and Accessories
• Butcher Block Cutting Board
• Mandolin
• Pyrex Bake ware Set
• Martini Glasses/Shakers Set
• Flask with Shot Glasses
• Tag Body Spray
• Moder and Pestle
• Stud Finder
• 3-D Art Dragon Picture
• 3-foot tall Knight with Armor/Shield
• Dragon Wall Art with Sword
• French Fry Maker
• Knife Sharpener
• Cologne
• Plyers and other assorted Tool Set

Hayley

• Nintendo DS
• Brain Age Game
• DS Accessories
• Necklace
• Robe/Slippers
• Gingerbread Tea Set
• Assortment of Shower/Body/Hair products
• Faerie Picture in Frame
• Butterfly Candle Holder
• Faerie on Stand
• Steeler Earrings
• Steeler Feather Boa
• Candle/Candle Holder Set
• Toaster Oven
• Wooden Trunk

Overall the holidays went well, now I just need a week to recover but I can't do that.... back to work I go this morning. At least it's a short couple of days. Today is my third ultrasound (Yeah ... MORE PICTURES)... then tomorrow morning I have a check up. I'm so sick of doctors at this point and I know the closer I get to March the more I'll be seeing them!

Be sure to stop back after tomorrow to see new pictures of the baby!!! I can't wait to see how she's developed. Hopefully they'll look even better than the last pictures (each set has gotten a little more clear and developed).

I think it'll be a pretty calm week at work for me at least. Most of the office has taken the whole week (and some of next week) off for the holidays. There's only 3 of us here out of the 12 that work in the office. I believe we'll be lonely all week too! It's not like much is going on. I think pretty much every business (with the exception of retail/food) is dead during the week between Christmas and New Years. Nothing is happening. No one is creating work, no one is even in the office. Driving into work today took the least amount of time because there's virtually no one headed to work. Most people have time off. I wish I did! In theory, I would have taken this week off too but I'm conserving every hour of vacation time possible for once Arabella arrives so I can spend as much time at home with her as possible because I know I want to!

I'm looking forward to next year so much. The holidays are really going to change for us, it's never going to be quite the same again. Next year will be thrilling with a baby of our own but the following years when she's old enough to kind of understand the concept of Santa Claus will be a thrill! It will be Matthew and I up all night stocking the tree full of goodies instead of just sleeping in and rolling out of bed. Matthew actually got a taste of what is to come this year helping our upstairs neighbor John build bunk beds for his son for Christmas after he went to sleep.

Apparently it took 4 grown men (with horrible instructions) 4 hours to put together a futon/bunk bed late at night. They were spotted by our other neighbor as he was getting presents from his attic at the same time. Oh the joys we've got to look forward too! I can't wait though!

I also can't wait until Arabella is old enough to do arts and crafts as we will most certainly be making ornaments/presents every year once she can do it! I miss making the ornaments with my mother as we did when I was younger so I'm ready to start the tradition back up with my daughter!

I've determined today is just going to drag on and on. I'm so excited about getting my third ultrasound today (but the 32oz of water kills me). I love more pictures of my baby. I'm about to start her scrap book shortly (I was waiting for more pictures so I can do more at once). I need to make a trip to Michael's to pick out the perfect scrap book to start. I was waiting until we found out what we were having for sure and now that we know (and will get a second confirmation at the ultrasound today). I may stop at Michael's this afternoon and pick out a beautiful book. Afterwards I think that I'll be hitting the mall to pick out a few DS games and possibly hit a few sales. I have some Christmas money I'm ready to spend!

Shortly I'll have a nice abundance of money from winning fantasy football as well. When no one thought I could do it, I came out of no where to win against John by two points thanks to SD benching LT in the 3rd quarter. Playing fantasy football has been so much fun this year. I can't wait until next year to play again (especially since part of our bet was naming the losers team). So what shall I call John's team next season? It must be something very funny and girly since he wants to pick on my team name so much! Ah well, I've got a whole season to figure that out!

Now that the holidays are over, Matthew and I have to begin the process of transforming the back room into the baby's room. We were waiting until after Christmas because it's just been completely insane. There isn't much that needs done and most can be accomplished quite easily, it's just a matter of getting in there and doing it! We need a nice weekend to just do it all at once, then get ready for Matthew to paint and then start moving our things into the room. My goal is to get this done in January which is quite feasible if we just get the time to do it.

Well, it's about time for me to go find some random project to do in the office. Perhaps occupying my time with something will make the day go a bit faster (it can't possibly go any slower). UGH! I'm ready to go home already and take a nap. I'm thinking of possibly taking a 1/2 day next week for New Years Eve (maybe even the whole day depending on my workload and what not). Might as well make a nice long weekend of a holiday! Not sure yet, have to see how the week goes and how my work goes. I may need to be here (I may not though).

Until next time! Happy Holidays!

The Story of Artex and the Christmas Stocking

I thought since it's Christmas, I'd share a funny story about my cat Artex and his Christmas stocking.

Last year, Matthew found it hard to believe my cat understands Christmas. He really does though! When I decorated for the holidays last year, I placed our stockings on our dining room mantle. Early on, I had already got Artex an assortment of toys/treats and filled his stocking up. It was up for well over a week and he never bothered with it until early Christmas morning. Matthew and I woke to the sound of jingling bells from him poking at the stocking from a chair below. He wanted his toys because he knew he was allowed them now.

That was last year, now let's talk this year. A much more entertaining story. I was a little slow on getting his toys/treats this year so they have only been in his stocking for a few days. I filled his stocking on Friday night after getting all the items and instead of hanging them this year, we just left them under the tree.

Well Saturday morning, I almost crushed his stocking sitting beneath me on the bed. Somehow it managed to make it's way into the bedroom and I know it didn't grow legs and walk in there. At first, I thought Matthew was playing a trick on me because the stocking was rather large and a bit heavy for a small cat to drag around the house.

I put it back under the tree where it belonged and went about our day. Sunday morning, I woke up to the stocking in the dining room. Nothing out of it (it was stuffed rather well) but it still had made it's way from under the tree.

I put it back again, this time in a different spot. Matthew woke up a short time later and we eventually had a nice breakfast. While sitting in the living room watching tv, Artex started sniffing all the presents and eventually made his way back to his stocking again. He pawed at it for a while trying to get it down from where I had put it on top of other things and then suddenly he took off running with the stocking in his mouth! I couldn't believe it!!!

He stopped in the kitchen and continued trying to get things out of the stocking, but had no luck (There's a box of treats basically stuck in there). I picked up the stocking again and put it back higher under the tree hoping he'd leave it alone and for the most part he did.

The day went on as normal and then in the wee hours of the morning, Artex woke us up fighting with the stocking again!!! Matthew woke up and put the stocking on the mantle and went back to bed. When I woke up for work today, I was stared down from the moment I woke up until the minute I left. He's mad we took his stocking away! I kept telling him he could have it tomorrow though!

Currently, the stocking is on the mantle in our dining room. In theory, he shouldn't be able to reach it but he's a clever little cat. I can only imagine how hard he's trying to get it down!

The moral of today's story - If you buy your pet presents.... put them in a very high location until Christmas!!!!

Christmas Eve

Finally! We've reached Christmas and I can't wait for it to be over. I'm already exhausted from doing so much stuff. I actually worked today (if you want to call it that). The office is literally empty with me, my boss and one other person. We're working until noon but I suspect we'll get booted out early!

There's not much going on so there's not really a whole lot to do. I've made myself a list of random projects for the week to keep me from going insane with boredom! I think just about every business is like this during the week between Christmas and New Years. I know our office is going to be almost vacant with only me and about two others working out of the 12 in the office.

In theory, I would have probably taken this week off too but with the baby coming, I wanted to conserve every moment of vacation time for when she arrives, I know I'll want it then!!! Matthew and I are getting more and more anxious with each coming day. We get to have another look at our beautiful baby on Wednesday afternoon so be sure to pop in Thursday as I'll be sure to post the new pictures of our baby. I can't wait to see how she's grown over the last month.

After the holidays, Matthew and I will be calling InSight in Monroeville to set up an appointment for a 3D/4D Ultrasound. I've wanted one since we found out we're having a baby. They are so neat and we'll actually get to see what the baby looks like. Since we're paying out of pocket for it, I wanted to wait until near the end of the pregnancy so we got some really great pictures. As of now, we're looking at mid-February just before the baby shower so I'll be sure to have the photos for the shower (I know people will want to see them).

We're starting to get down to the wire and about to get the baby's room ready. I thought about burning a few days in the coming months to get the room ready for the new arrival. Weekends just don't seem long enough to get anything accomplished, though I'm going to try really hard. With Christmas, nothing gets accomplished it seems. Though shortly after New Years, hopefully that will change.

For those still wondering, I'm hanging in there for Fantasy Football (Barely). Though right now I need a Christmas Miracle! I'm up by 21 points and John still has his #1 man, LT, to play tonight. LT could easily crush me with 21 points BUT..... the last time LT faced Denver he was held to only 16 points and as I've learned with football this season, ANYTHING can and will happen! Guess we'll have to wait and see what happens. With all the family events going on tonight it's a bummer I won't be in front of a TV to even watch the game (unless they decide to put it on at his grams ... which could happen). At least I have my cell phone where I can check my scores all night. So for anyone seeing me this evening if you see me glued to my phone from 8pm on.... I'm probably checking my fantasy scores!!!!!

Well back to finding random things to do with my time this week. Happy Holidays!

It's Raining on Sunday...

What an icky day. Rain, rain, rain and no real nice sunshine. At least it's not really cold! It's actually kinda nice!

Today has been rather uneventful and I'm glad. I went to big lots earlier to take back a table mirror I bought that was broken. I was really bummed it was so cheap because it looked really pretty. Oh well! Finished the absolute last of the Christmas shopping and wrapped the last two presents so I am officially done and thrilled about it.

Tomorrow begins the week of insanity. There is so much going on and I know come the end of next week I'm going to be exhausted! It's been really nice relaxing at home all day watching my football games. Matthew and I just finished watching the Browns/Bengals game. John had two of his keys on hte Browns so I had to watch the game to root against them (for many reasons). You have no idea how much I loved the intercepetions (-2 for each one). Gotta love it! John's still predicted to beat me but we'll see how Tom does in the next game. Tom Brady has been my team (literally) carrying my butt week to week and getting me to the superbowl. I love it! I'm so happy I picked him from the get go. Best decision I made all season. Now if only I could have kept myself with running backs, it'd be better!

Well off to watch the patriots game. I hope it's a good one!