Tardy Christmas Post

Alright, it is January 11, 2011 and I have yet to post anything about Christmas! So here goes...

This Christmas, aka our "last quiet Christmas as we know it" was... quiet! :) We did our thing, but the whole time I felt like it was more of a waiting period. With my pregnancy, Cheryl's upcoming nuptials, etc... I just felt like we were all looking ahead to next Christmas.... but none-the-less... it was a great one!

Christmas Eve morning we had brunch at Gigi's house for a little Howard get together, which was yummy. Then Jimmy and I came home, and before you knew it, it was time to go to church. Last year we went to my parents' church, so this year we decided to give our own church a try. Well... we choose the wrong service for this year. (Might be the right one for next year though!).

We made two mistakes: (1) we went to the children's service and (2) we sat in the balcony.

Now I kind of already knew it was the children's service, but didn't realize just how.... "kiddie" it was. Don't get me wrong, the kids were really cute and once our little bundle of joy is big enough he will be participating too... but as a couple's last Christmas Eve service, before a baby... it was all wrong. Secondly -- we sat in the balcony. Now being one of four children, you would think I would have known better... We always sat in the balcony in the very back row. As a child I didn't know why, but as an adult I do -- THAT'S WHERE THE BAD KIDS SIT! Man there were children yelling, talking, screaming, etc. During the service I turned and looked at Jimmy and said, "Are we really ready for that?!" :) hahaha....

So once the service was over, Jimmy and I came home to fix our Christmas Eve feast - consisting of lobsters, scalloped potatoes and a salad yummm...

After dinner we half way cleaned up and then put on the classic Christmas movie -- Christmas Vacation, starring my fav - cousin Eddie! :) I of course zonked out early and we went on to bed...

We woke up the next morning to find that Santa did find us "grown kids" and had a great morning! After we wrapped up our Christmas Cheryl came in from Aiken. We had a yummy brunch of breakfast casserole, southern grits, fruit salad and of course some pigs in a blanket (it wouldn't be Christmas morning without them!).

After we gobbled up brunch we then opened presents, one of the presents being a new snazzy dazzy camera from Grammy Cheryl so we can make sure we document Baby Boy Larson upon his arrival in April. :)

Then we chillaxed for a bit (Sadie was worn out from trying to decide which of her million toys to play with - she is quite spoiled), and then got ready for Christmas Day Round Three -- at my parent's loft in Simpsonville.

To say things were crazy is an understatement... and I loved every minute of it. The Howard household is starting to sound and feel a lot more and more like the house I grew up in - loud, crazy and full of kids! It was great!

We opened presents first since that's what you do when you have four kids who can only see the Christmas tree full of presents. After that craziness subsided, we ate a Christmas Day feast prepared by my mom, aka Nana. Once dinner was over the "big kids" (aka my siblings and spouses) headed downstairs to see what Santa brought us from Atlanta. (A few years ago mom and dad stopped buying lots of little gifts and started gifting furniture, something we desperately needed, considering we've only bought a few pieces of furniture since buying our first home in 2006.)

The other exciting event of Christmas 2010 -- we had a WHITE Christmas! Right before we drove to the loft, a little snow started to fall, and by the end of the evening, we had a pretty decent amount of snow! Our first one that I can remember!

It was a great Christmas, and I'm so thankful for my amazing family who makes it special each and every year! Here's to next year when Jimmy and I can start spoiling our own little boy! :)

Here are some fav pics from the day (sorry for picture overload):

 Tricia and her sweet boys:

 Hamilton & Gracie, BFF for Life:

The Hostesses with the Mostest - the greatest parents ever, Mom & Dad aka Nana & Pop:

My snazzy grandmothers staying warm by the fire:

Joy and... who is that? Oh my.. Adeline is no longer a baby! So cute:

 Gigi & Ma:

Frannie & her (GROWING) baby, Grizz:

Jimmers & I:

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Best friends -- Sadie and Max :)

Mom-mobile, check.

Since Jimmers and I have been down to one car since before Thanksgiving 2009, and sweet little bambino will be here before we know, we decided it was time to put our savings into action and purchase our family vehicle, or as I like to call it... the mom-mobile!

On January 1, 2011 Jimmy and I purchased our 2nd car together -- a Toyota Highlander (pictured to the right). I love the car, it is awesome. It handles well, had everything we were looking for, and was within budget (check, check and CHECK!).

Here's to hoping our patience, Jimmy's research and our luck will be much better with the Highlander than with our Volvo we purchased in September 2007... Fingers crossed!

Office Personalities

Although the personalities on the sitcom, The Office, are quite extreme.... every now and then I realize we have some quite extreme personalities in my place of work. I seem to have at least one weekly... sometimes daily.... story about one particular co-worker, who shall rename nameless...

I thought I'd share a story from this week...

Being the mother of zero children, having birthed all zero of them, this particular co-worker proceeded to tell me that I needed to... HAD to put cream on my belly to prevent stretch marks. And lately, I haven't felt like listening to this particular person so I told her how that is all "marketing." I was in the midst of explaining that I've been told by other moms that it doesn't really work for preventing stretch marks, but it does help with the itching, when she straight up cut me off, and told me I was wrong. Then, she also told me how much larger I looked now (with great big ol' bug eyes) than in the beginning of December when she last saw me. She also told me, "I'm not trying to be ugly, BUTTTT...."

Thanks... I appreciate that :)

PS-When Jimmy read this post this was his comment, "You forgot the part about how she emailed the entire office asking if they have gone to this Indian Dr. because she is concerned he can't speak English."

True, that did JUST happen. So this is one of those weeks with a daily story vs. weekly. :)

No Joints in the Belly, aye Larson?

So I wasn't very good about posting while on a 2.5 week vacation from work, but I'm prepared to make up for lost time. I'll post some pics and details from Christmas later this week, but I did want to document Jimbo's response to feeling our baby boy move.

We were going to bed one night the week of Christmas and I think we were both reading (or Jimmy was reading and I was dozing off, because I'm not lasting as long as I usually do now-a-days), when baby boy started really moving around...

Jimmy hadn't felt anything yet, so I grabbed his hand and put it on my belly... We waited and then, THUMP, a big kick! I immediately asked him if he felt that, and he said, "... well I think so... but I don't know...." So of course I ask, "What do you mean you don't know?! I felt him kick and you felt something, so you felt him kick!" ... his response, "Well... it didn't feel like a kick... It felt more like if I were to put my hand on my knee and feel the joint pop...."

Well Larsonia... there ain't no joints to be popping in my belly. That was sweet baby boy saying hello! :) Just wanted to make sure I remembered that in later years because I thought it was too funny.

You said what's in there?!

So a few days ago I decided to save some postage and deliver our annual Christmas Card to some family members in town. I went over to Hunter and Joy's, which was also an excuse to visit my cute nieces (and awesome brother and sis-in-law :).

Well, while I was there I picked up Adeline (pictured on the left) and was holding her... Then Gracie (pictured on the right) came up to me and kept asking me to hold her, which of course won me over, how can you refuse that face??

Well as soon as I was reaching down for her, Joy said, "Gracie! She's got a baby in her belly... she doesn't need lots of kiddies hanging off of her!" ... and then Joy went back to doing her business....

Well then I noticed Gracie was staring at my belly, looking at me like, "Say whaaaat?!" Then all of a sudden she started quizzically patting my belly, like, "... is there really a baby in there?" And then sure enough she lifted up my shirt to have a look. Joy and I started laughing and then Joy explained that the belly was inside the belly....

She then told Gracie that the baby could hear her if she wanted to say hey, or Merry Christmas to him... So she got really quiet and then whispered, "Hey bebe... Merry Christmas!" ... and then she gave him a kiss... She's going to be such a great big cousin to baby boy.

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First mobile blog post: Watching Tangled with Dad and Hamilton. :) So sweet!

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Kiawah Halfer

WARNING: PHOTO OVERLOAD -- I'M JUST SO PROUD! :)

This past weekend a group of friends plus the Larson's trucked it to Kiawah Island for the 33rd Annual Kiawah Island Golf Resort Marathon!

Of the ten travelers there were six runners, a pretty good mix if I do say so myself. Of the six runners we had five half-ers (Jimbo, Caro, Carrie, Brian.. aka Krisitin, and Ray) and one full-er (Tom... aka Yom). Of the runners it was three of the six's first 1/2 - and they all did AMAZING! 

.. and I'm especially impressed with how well they did considering the weather was absolutely HORRIBLE. It was cold, wet, rainy, icky. But they all stuck it out and finished the whole thing. So proud, guys! :) And not to forget the cheerleaders, we braved the weather too. It was hard standing in the cold, stinging rain, but someone had to do it. Cheers to Kristin, Becca and Julia!

Here are some of the pictures I captured from the race:

PRE-SWEAT, TEARS AND ROCK AND ROLL:

MY STRONG HUBBY MAKING HIS WAY TO THE FINISH LINE! SO PROUD: 

CAROL... AKA CAROLINE ZOOMED PAST ME SO I DIDN'T GET A PICTURE OF HER RUNNING - BUT HERE SHE IS, SMILE AND ALL AT THE END:

RUN FORREST! RUNNNN:

(notice the guy in the khakis, plaid shirt and red Bubba-Gump hat, AWESOME!)

RAY IS SPRINTING HIS WAY TO THE FINISH LINE:

CARRIE'S MAKING HER WAY TOO IN THE BLUE:

BARELY CAUGHT BRIAN COMING THROUGH LOOKING QUITE SERIOUS:

SAD TO REPORT BUT NO PICTURE OF TOM FINISHING (the standing was getting to this mama-to-be so I was situated on a near-by bench). IN THE SPIRIT OF TOM, HERE IS A TOM MUG SHOT FOR ALL TO ENJOY:

ENJOYING THE FESTIVITIES, WAITING ON OUR FULL-ER, TOM:

We not only traveled for the run, but also some fun! We stayed at Ray's aunt and uncle's house -- which was aaaamazing. It only intensified Jimmy and my dream of one day owning a beach house of our own (a gal can dream, right? :).

Here are just a select few from the evening of fun (PS-This weekend helped me realize just how ready I am for a big ol' Cam glass of vino :) -- but no worries, it is all worth it!):

IT WAS ALL DOWN-HILL FROM HERE :) - HAHA:

ALL THE GALS WITH CHRIS, OUR FABULOUS HOSTESS WITH THE MOSTEST:

ALL THE BOYS AND BERRIES WITH MASE OUR HOST... with the most?:

BRIAN HAS THE BEST FACIAL EXPRESSIONS OF ANYONE I KNOW:

Oh and forgot to mention... our lemon of a vehicle -- the volvo -- had some issues on the way there... (and back for that matter). But good thing I'm married to the smartest man alive! Jimbo fixed it both ways. Of course Carrie, Caro and I had to document... everything! :)

Overall, a fabulous weekend with new friends and old! They all gave me some major inspiration to do a half after ol' bambino is born... Perhaps the Nashville 1/2 in 2012?? Any takers?? :)

The Spoiled Rotten Drama Queen

No, I'm not talking about a family member, co-worker or friend... Nope, this post is dedicated to Miss Sadie-Stinker Larson... aka the Spoiled Rotten Drama Queen of the Larson abode.

Well this morning I left the house around 7:00 a.m. for a Chamber event downtown. As I'm in the event I feel my phone buzzing in my pocket. I pull it out - I have 3 missed calls, and it is only 8:00 a.m., something must be going on! Then I noticed Jimmers had texted me... "Send me a message when you get this."

Oh great. Something was wrong! So of course I text back, "WHAT'S WRONG?!" Long story short, Jimmy told me how she hurt her paw outside and that she literally cried for at least 3 minutes, hiding underneath our bed. Jimmy was running late for a meeting, so he had to end up just leaving her under our bed, which we have NEVER done. She typically is left either outside or in the laundry room. (Side note for those who are thinking ill things of Jimmy -- Sadie has always been a bit of a drama queen... and a bit on the sensitive side... You yell at her for tearing up a pillow and she acts as though you have ripped her head off...)

So I rush home to check on the little stinker... and guess who greets me at the door? Tail wagging, toy in mouth? Sadie. She was fine. Noth-ing was wrong. I let her outside, she ran around. She did circles around me. Gave me lots of kisses... Oh what a stinker.

Something's telling me she is starting to figure out why my belly is getting bigger... SOMEONE isn't going to be the "baby" of the house any more! :) Oh little Sadie... we love you!

Babyyyy Ruuuuuth?!

Nope! No Baby Ruth for this growing baby... but an odd craving I get a lot is for a Milky Way! Weird... I'm not typically a big sweet/candy person... but the Milky Way hits the spot for this pregnant lady!

Thanks to co-worker Janet Koss for making this baby happy! :)

Doesn't this look to die for:

1/2 Way & Happy Birthday!

Today we had our 20 week appointment (although I won't technically be 20 weeks until tomorrow), and it went really well! We not only confirmed we're having a boy, but we really got to see him in action. He was stretching out his wee little legs and throwing his hands all over the place. It was so amazing to see. He was coming in at 11 ounces, and his heart beat is 146. The tech took tons of photos and burned them on a CD for us which was so cool... So I've posted a few of my favorites below for friends and family to enjoy:

BABY BOY YAWNING:

STRETCHING OUT HIS WEE-LITTLE LEGS:

SWEET SIDE PROFILE WITH HIS LEGS CURLED UP :)

ADORABLE PIC OF HIS LITTLE LEGS:

And not to be overshadowed by her "little brother" -- today marks another Larson milestone: Sadie's 3rd Birthday! Although we haven't had her for quite three years, our little rascal turns three today, and I can tell you -- it's a birthday I was ready for. I can tell a huge difference in her from three years ago... Here are a couple pics from then to now. She is a really sweet puppy, or I guess I should start calling her a dog... but although she gets into trouble now and again, I wouldn't trade her for anything! Here's to many more years with our four-legged love bug!

THE NIGHT WE GOT SADIE:

 SADIE'S PUPPY TRAINING GRADUATION:

ME HOLDING SADIE AS A PUPPY AT THE OLD HOUSE:

SADIE NOW:

 A LITTLE HIKE FROM LAST WEEK: