Seeing that light at the end of the tunnel....kind of

Today marks my 38th week of pregnancy completed... onto week 39, one more doctors visit, and a scheduled induction for the evening of the 19th. Megan will most likely be born on the 20th (not a day too early in my opinion). I walked out of my appointment today feeling a tad overwhelmed-- 2 gas station krispy kremes later, the sugar seems to have intensified my anxiety. Getting my house in order, stocking up on food, delivering gifts to neighbors and friends, completing an endless list of errands, cleaning and vacuuming my car, but most of all, cherishing my last 10 days with Lilly, my bestest little friend.

Pregnancy Update

I went to my 36 week doctors visit this morning.

I am 1 cm dialated. wahoo!

In two weeks from today, we will schedule my induction with the hospital for the following week. Until then, I guess there won't be anymore news unless I go into labor by myself...

THANKSGIVING

Beating the pie filling and taste-testing (she gets the multi tasking ability from her mom)
Nana and PaPa came bearing gifts. A huge frosty for the front yard- but seems to have made a home in my living room... Lil loved it! Thanks you guys!
Nana and Lilly making the french silk pie.


This year, I held Thanksgiving at my house with my immediate family. I was an awful picture taker- I only have a few to share. My mom and dad and little brother arrived the evening before to start cooking and hang out. Rachel, Jason, and Paisley came the next morning. The menu consisted of:

4 Kinds of Appetizers

(mushroom turnovers/ crab cakes/spinach quiche/and brie)

1 Smoked Turkey

1 Glazed Ham

Mashed Idaho Potatoes/ Gravy

Mom's Famous Sweet Potato Balls

About 60 Green Bean Bundles

(Handrolled by Cordy)

Bread Stuffing

(Courtesy of Dad)

Southern Cornbread Stuffing

(my fav)

3 Dozen Homemade Rolls

(Preston Senior Citizens)

Fresh Farm Corn

no time or oven space for spoonbread :(

BeBe Pineapple Punch

1 Pumpkin Pie

1 Pecan Pie

1 French Silk Pie

1 Pumpkin Cheesecake

I want my family to know how thankful I am for them. Every single one of

you bring something into my life that I would miss not having you there.

i LOVE YOU, LOVE YOU, LOVE YOU!

Trim and Paint and Carpet- Oh My!

Eric (Nate's hunting/fishing buddy) installing the carpet.
The basement is done! The basement has a HUGE family room, 2 bedrooms, 2 storage rooms, and a full bathroom. There still seems a lot of work to complete (organizing, cleaning, paint touch ups, etc.) but with all of Lilly's toys in one area, and a guest bedroom for nana and papa during babytime, I feel so relieved to have the extra space.

Megan's Boutique Carseat

I just cannot wait to bring the baby home in her new carseat.
I found a woman the makes these custom carseat covers and all the accessories on ebay. It is so plush and cozy!

"I'm a pink puppy!" ~Lilly

Panting-

Tonight sealed the deal for me, I'm a dog lover!
Are you believing those eyelashes! She'll be wearing mascara as soon as she can figure out how to do it herself I think. She loved it!
Hood on.
L to R: Tandi (kitty), Marley (princess), Parker (pirate), Boden (boxer), Lilly (the pink puppy), and Piper (sprite)
Grandma and Grandpa Merrill posing with pink puppy.

Fall Ensemble

THANK YOU NANA AND PAPA!
Lilly got dressed an hour and half before church today and flitted around the house in her new dress and shoes.
Brown raw silk, smocked bodice with pink embroidery, pink pearls, and pink piping! Love it! Maybe it's my southern roots talking, but there's just something special about a little girl in a smocked dress.

32 weeks along...

I think I am carrying this baby a little different than Lilly. She seems to be completely contained in only the space in front of my hips. I think I carried Lilly in my back a little more.
Standing in Megan's room- this is kind of a preview... you can see part of the wall.... I can't wait to blog the room when it's all done!

Eraser Soup

I haven't been blogging so much because (a) nate has had the camera in his truck and (b) not much has been going on. Mostly Nate's birthday (no picture documentation), weight gain, and the uncomfortable nights that make for a sleepy, can't wait til it's time to go to bed again kind of day. Strange as it sounds, the best sleep I get these days seems to be when Lilly does take a nap and I nap with her. I am relishing this time I have with her right now before the holidays and baby Megan. Monday marks the end of week #32. I'll post a belly pic later.
It's so funny to watch Lil get excited over these little erasers. She holds them, counts them, looks at them, cooks with them, and it suddenly seems as if I should be buying all her toys at the dollar store.
Cooking up some 'erazors soup' for lunch.

"Quote of the Day"

What a busy morning Miss Lilly had. Before I even came out of my room, she had emptied the toy closet and played with everything. She was ready to move onto play doh (at 9:00 in the morning). She kept herself busy for a good 45 minutes at the kitchen counter with my cookie cutters and a baking sheet- arranging her cookies just so on the pan. As I was walking in toward the kitchen to check up on her, I saw her-- standing in her chair, hands on her hips, proudly looking at her play doh creations, and then, extending her arms out toward her loyal subjects (Baby Bear, Giraffe, Kendall, and Happy Bear who were sitting on the counter keeping her company) in an excited, giggly kind of way, she said,

"It's all so magical!"