Tis The Season...

One of the blogs I read regularly, encouraged us to share our Christmas traditions. I love Christmas. A part of what I love about Christmas, is the traditions built in generation by generation. In my family, Christmas starts the day after Thanksgiving, where my mom and her aunts brave the shopping madness to purchase gifts that will go under the tree. Christmas music christens the radio stations and Christmas lights are strung. If you have ever been to my parent's house at Christmas time, you will understand this correctly: My mom has collected enough Christmas decorations to make it appear as though we live at the North Pole.

Christmas eve is spent with my dad's extended family in Neiderwald, Texas (know where that is? Don't blink!!) Santa comes and visits all of the little kiddo's then we all scurry off to our own houses to fall asleep so Santa can come visit us!! Christmas morning, I have to talk myself into staying in bed past 6:30 a.m. (yes, I am 25; yes, I still wake up early on Christmas morning anxiously awaiting present time!) By 7:00 a.m. I am up, and "trying to be quiet enough not to wake the family".

Christmas morning, starts with stockings STUFFED with trinkets, followed by wayyyy too many great gifts from Santa and our immediate family. Everyone helps clean up and mom cooks an outstanding HUGE breakfast.

I love Christmas. It is a joyful, family-filled holiday season made with love and tradition. I can't wait to bring our Peanut into our family traditions, as well as start our own as the (cullen) Mills' Family.

Baby's First Thanksgiving

Dear Peanut -

Your FIRST Thanksgiving is two days away and I am so *thankful* to be your mommy already. I am thankful that God trusts me to grow and raise you in our family.

However, one thing I am NOT thankful for is the LACK of a belly bump. You are so sweet to stay as tucked away in my tummy - but, I am very ready for you to be loud and proud and poking out of my belly.

Love, Your Mommy.

In September, when I found out we were pregnant, I thought about how wonderful Thanksgiving is going to be with my protruding little bump. Everyone (who wants) could rub my tummy like Buddha for good luck. The reality of the situation - everyone has to wait for Christmas.

Happy Thanksgiving little baby. Happy Thanksgiving world!!

Gender Prediction -

I have taken several (time-wasting) gender-predicting quizzes online recently... you know, just to really see what those old wives tales have to say. So far, every single one says I'm having a boy. That means one of two things: Either A) Cullen is going to be veeerrrrry happy with a little boy or B) Our little girl is starting her life defying all old wives tales (which makes me happy - she is a girl with her own mind, doesn't travel the road more frequently traveled.)

I had a doctor's appointment today. We heard our little Peanut. My OB said Peanut's heartbeat sounds strong and "just perfect." We find out January 4th what we are having. Will it be a boy or girl, we'll have to wait and see...let the count down begin!

Glee, How I Love Thee!

In my last baby post, I talked about my emotions being completely out of whack since I found out I am "with child."

Tonight on Glee (my newest addition/obsession on TV) Finn sang "I'll Stand By You," by the Pretenders, to his sonogram. It summed up how he feels about his unborn baby... I couldn't have said it better myself.

"I'll Stand By You"

Oh, why you look so sad?
Tears are in your eyes
Come on and come to me now.
Don't be ashamed to cry, let me see you through
Cause I've seen the dark side too.
When the night falls on you, you don't know what to do,
Nothing you confess could make me love you less
I'll stand by you, I'll stand by you, won't let nobody hurt you,
I'll stand by you. So, if you're mad get mad,
don't hold it all inside,
Come on and talk to me now.
And hey, what you got to hide?
I get angry too. But I'm alot like you.
When you're standing at the crossroads,
don't know which path to choose,
Let me come along, cause even if your wrong
I'll stand by you, I'll stand by you,
won't let nobody hurt you, I'll stand by you.
Take me into your darkest hour,
and I'll never desert you. I'll stand by you.
And when, when the night falls on you baby,
you're feeling all alone,You won't be on your own,
I'll stand by you. I'll stand by youI'll stand by you,
won't let nobody hurt you. I'll stand by you
Take me in into your darkest hour and I'll never desert you
I'll stand by you.

One Trimester Down...Two To Go!

This week pushed me into my second trimester! (YAY!) Pregnant women have given me a ton of advise, wisdom and other tid-bits through my (so far) short and easy pregnancy. One of the most common tid-bits is that my feeling tired and exhausted will subside in the second trimester. Turns out, they are right. Since I found out we were expecting a sweet little bundle of joy, I have napped through my afternoons. I come home from school, fall asleep on the couch in the same spot, cuddled up with the dogs. I wake up long enough to cook Cullen dinner....then it is back of to sleepy land. All of the sudden this week - there was no desire to nap. It has been fabulous. I feel like I have my freedom back! :)

Now, if I could just get this bladder under control...


In other news, Cullen and I have another baby appointment this week! I am so excited, nervous, excited, back to nervous. :) I'll let you know.

Apparently... Pregnancy Makes You Emotional?

So, when I got engaged, I would hear songs on the radio that would make me smile. They would let me drift off to a dream world about how perfect marriage will be...

Not so much when I am pregnant. Every time I hear a song about a baby, I burst into tears. Yep, I am THAT girl. I am the girl you see driving down the road singing loudly, dancing - making a mess of herself in the car. I am the girl you secretly video tape and send into America's Funniest Video's for making an idiot of herself. Now, I am that girl who is driving down the road with TEARS streaming down my face.

Here is my current exapmle. No matter how many times I hear Carrie Underwood's "All American Girl", I burst into tears. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME??

I love being pregnant. Seriously.

Right Now!

I wanted to share a sweet little moment. I am sitting on my couch - life is perfect. I have the CMA's on, listening to The Great George Straight, sitting next to my wonderful husband, with the sweetest little boy dog snuggled up between us.

True story. This is the epitome of what makes me happy. Growing a baby with the man of my dreams, sitting on the couch, snuggled up, just loving life.

Thanksgiving...

Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Oh Boy, I am so excited. We get to gather and give thanks with family and friends. We get to be surrounded by the ones we love - AND, we can officially start playing Christmas music.

So, while Thanksgiving is just around the corner.... "It's beginning to look alot like Christmas!"

Baby Blog -

I have been keeping a seperate baby blog...and will continue to keep a seperate baby blog throughout the pregnancy.... wanted to share the link with you:

http://growingapeanut.blogspot.com/

It's Official: I Am Out Of The Closet.

This weekend, Cullen and I went to my hometown (Austin), for my sister's wedding. It was on Halloween, and it was so much fun. Everyone dressed in costume - and we had the most non-traditional wedding fun possible!



Equally as important as the wedding, we told our family and friends......

WE'RE HAVING A BABY!



It was so exciting to tell everyone. Yesterday marked 11 weeks - we are almost out of the 1st trimester, and I couldn't be happier if I tried. We have been to the doctor, seen the heartbeat, confirmed ONLY ONE healthy, perfect little baby.

I hope everyone's 2009 Halloween was as fun and exciting as ours!!

Oh Baby, Oh Baby!

It's official. We are out of the closet for good. This weekend, Cullen and I went to my hometown (Austin), for my sister's wedding. We also went home with an agenda. We were going to share the big news with the families. Friday night, the "rehearsal dinner", we told my sister the news, swore her to secrecy and went along our merry way. She told the kids, and Curt, and after my toast to her, she told everyone there. Surprise... the news is out. While I could have been sad about this... it was so sweet to see how excited she was for us. It is so heartwarming to have friends and family be so supportive and happy for you.

Saturday night, after the wedding, Courtney and Curt were off to Jamaica. While we were cleaning up, we told the rest of the family. They too were equally as excited. It was so perfect.

What an amazing weekend. I gained a brother-in-law, got my sister married, told our family the big news, and talked to my best friend for the first time in a week (my fault!)