Christmas decorations

I just love decorating for Christmas! This year got cut a little short since we had just moved and went on vacation. It's been crazy, so the decorations are minimal. Here is our tree this year. It's real because Matt has always had to have a real tree. I love them because of the wonderful smell, but the needles are really hard to deal with! We went and picked it out together. It's a tradition that we started.

Here's our mantel. Once again, I didn't get to decorate that much. But it works. Wait, why are there four stockings? Let's look at that closer...

The middle stocking is for Roman Matthew Franks. We can't wait to meet little Roman in March!!

Baby's room

Matt and I became determined to finish the painting in the baby's room. We worked literally all weekend long! I can't believe it, but we are finished!! Now, I have to accessorize. The room is not finished, but I'm still going to update with some progress pictures. We had a great time painting together. Talk about quality time with your spouse! We were so proud!! Below are pics!

We had to put a coat of primer on the walls to begin. This is the first white stripe.

We started the navy at the bottom of the walls. Wow, that navy took 3-4 coats of paint!!

I'm measuring the second stripe along the wall.

We had to paint over the tape so it wouldn't bleed onto the next color. Matt is such a professional!

Look at that hot painter with the mask and the Christmas socks!!

Saturday morning, we woke up and started taking off the tape! It worked!!
The finished five stripes on a very textured wall!!!

We got the glider and ottoman in on Friday. We still need a lot of "decorating"
His crib with no bedding against the wallsYeah we're done painting!!! Everyone should try this at home!

Pregnancy Woes

So we've had a fun past week. Pregnancy has brought on some really fun new things like back aches! I can barely sit at my desk at work right now because of my lower back pain. Yesterday, I went to Brookstone and bought a lumbar massage pillow. Crap- my back still hurts bad and now it sounds like there's a vibrator in my workstation!! I guess the pain comes from counteracting the 20 lbs that I've already put on! Oh well, the joys of pregnancy!! If anyone knows of a good massage place in Dallas/Plano for pregnancy please let me know! I went this morning to do the glucose test to see if I have gestational diabetes. Hope not, that would stink!

On another note, Matt and I have started painting the baby's room. He is so frustrated with me because I came up with this brilliant idea to paint a faux chair rail with 5 different stripes of colors along walls of the 270 sq. ft. bedroom. He goes around yelling, "5 stripes!" all of the time! His dad even called him the other day inquiring who he could contact if he wanted to paint 5 stripes on walls in a large room. It's kind of funny to me! I am absolutely determined to do this and that I'm pregnant and can't help as much as I should! It's part of my colored drawing that I created a few months ago. Yes, I've been planning with drawings and print outs for a long time! It just better turn out good! The funny part is, there are actually 7 stripes! We're doing a light blue on top and a dark navy on the bottom. I promise to update the blog with more before/during pictures and then after pictures. We got the crib the other day and we're getting the glider and ottoman on Friday! I'm so excited to get his room all together.

Little boy Franks is so active! I love it! The other night, he was kicking and moving around a lot and then Captain starting barking. As soon as the barking started, it startled baby F and then he would stop and be still. Soon after the movement started again. This little cycle happened a couple of times. Good, hope he gets used to our barking maniac dog now!!

Keep checking, because we are going to announce his name very soon!! We've finally decided!! I'm so excited!! Below is my week 26 pic. If you look closely, you can see the belly button popping out! Sorry I look so gross, it was right before bed! Hope everyone has a fabulous last week before Christmas!!

I heart New York!!

Warning long post ahead!!

I went with my friend Alisha, her husband Jeff, and her sister Megan to New York last week for one last vacation before baby F comes. We had a blast!!! Matt had an overnight in Newark on Thursday night so he hung out that day and evening. Alisha's cousins also came and met us. Below are pics.

Lunch Wednesday afternoon at Serendipity

Yes, I ate that entire hot fudge sunday by myself!! Baby F and I loved it!!

Alisha, me, and Megan outside Serendipity

Rockefeller Center before the tree lighting

Way too many people!!! We had to leave because it was so crowded for the big show!

Broadway!

Such a cute pic of Alisha and Jeff

The World Trade Center This picture is for my dad!

Statue of Liberty
Yes, we actually took this picture!!

Preggers riding the subway
Matt's here!!!

Matt let me sit on his lap while we waited for Alisha to shop at this little dog boutique. I was Exhausted!!!They were filming a scene for Ugly Betty in uptown
We went back to Rockefeller Thursday night to see the tree actually lit up!

Matt's first time to Times Square. He said, "Good Grief!!" It was so cute! That's my Texan!

After Wicked on Thursday night. We were exhausted! Poor Matt had to travel back to New Jersey that night and fly super early the next morning.

I absolutely had to go to the Today show!!!

There's Al Roker with the real estate lady. We were on the show behind them yelling in the crowd like idiots!!

Alisha and me at the Today show

Strolling down Bleeker Street in the West Village

We took the Sex and the City Tour and stopped at Magnolia Bakery. Just Fabulous!!

Oh shoot!! I dropped half of my cupcake in the park and the pigeons got it!!

Cosmos at the bar that Aidan and Steve started in Sex and the City. Mine was a virgin of course!!

Carriage ride in Central Park

Central Park. Just love it!
Ice Skating!! Not me of course!

It was such a wonderful trip!! I had to cut it off a day early, though. By Friday afternoon, I was so exhausted that I knew I needed to come home. Matt was already home and I also really missed him.

So I'm going through security at the airport and I have to take off my boots. I noticed that my legs had blue spots like bruises all up and down them and I could see all of my veins. I was so tired, that I called Matt crying not knowing if it was safe to get on the plane with blue, swollen legs and feet. He got online and searched "flying while pregnant" and decided that it was safe. I made it home and spent most of Saturday in bed with my feet propped up. It was totally worth it!!! I'm all better now! I just love New York!!

Thanksgiving weekend

We spent Thanksgiving with my mom. Well, actually poor Matt had to fly on Thanksgiving and didn't get to Missouri until Friday night. My mom felt so bad for him that she fixed him a whole different Thanksgiving meal on Saturday afternoon. She even bought a new turkey! We had a great time with my mom, brother, and Elizabeth and their girls. Here are the pictures...

Thanksgiving day with my Meema, mom, and me

The whole family! Matt, Ashley, baby F, Mom, Andy, Caroline, Elizabeth, and Catherine

Matt, Captain, and me after church on Sunday afternoon

The family!

Friday night I went to dinner with my friends from home, Shannon and Sarah. It was so good to catch up with them!

It wouldn't be a typical post without my belly picture. Here's 24 weeks and growing!

Thankfulness

I love this season!! It's so wonderful to stop and thank God for all of his blessings. Here are just a few things that I have to be thankful for:

1) My relationship with Jesus Christ. We had a 40 days of prayer at church and we were supposed to give up something during that time to pray. I gave up all music except for Christian music. Whoa, that was hard! I worked out at the gym to only christian music and listened to only the christian radio station in the car. They honestly can play some good songs, but sometimes the songs are awful! That's when I just turned off the radio and prayed. Wow, it's been a great experience.

2) My amazing husband Matt! He is so giving, helpful, loving, caring, and fun! He's my best friend!

3) This wonderful little boy growing in my belly! I can't wait to meet him!!! He's very active already and responds to Matt's voice!

4) My mom! She's so helpful and giving! I'm so excited to go home tomorrow and see her!

5) Matt's parents! They have been so giving and hands on. They've been in town with us this past weekend. We've had so much fun! Pam took me shopping for maternity clothes yesterday! We had a great time. We always have so much fun with Bill and Pam. It wouldn't be a "normal" trip for them if we didn't go to the Fish Mongers! We went there Sunday night and Monday night.

6) Our brothers and sisters. Matt and I are blessed with such a wonderful family! We love you all - Mark, Whitney, Mike, Rusty, Trina, Mike, Cindy, Andy, and Elizabeth!

7) Our friends! We are so fortunate to have so many wonderful friends here in Dallas and all over!

Hope everyone has a fabulous Thanksgiving!!! Eat up!

Names for baby Franks

Ahhh, I'm so upset! Matt and I can not pick out a name for this little boy! We will both love one and then usually Matt will say he doesn't like it anymore! I'm getting so frustrated. I just want to call him something other than baby F. We are definitely using Dale as a middle name. This was my dad's name. By the way, today is my dad's birthday. He would have been 77 years old. Sad. Anyways, his name is ???? Dale Franks. Please email if you have any suggestions. We would love them!

On another note, lots has been going on. We finally got moved in. Here's a lovely before picture. I was exhausted! Poor Captain, he was pretty tired too! He now has triple the amount of space to run in! It's going to be great! We're having a funny problem with Captain. He won't just go in the backyard and go to the bathroom. The only way that I got him to go last night was if I put a leash on him and took him in the backyard. He's so used to having a leash. It's kind of funny!

Here's a picture of the baby's room before. I love these before pictures because you can actually compare your hard work! Stay tuned for the final product some day soon! We're putting a queen size bed in his room so I can sleep in there some while Matt is out of town. Also, the fact that his room is 17'x16' might have something to do with it. Aesthetically, a crib would be swallowed in a room that big by itself. If I had tons of money, I would create a baby suite like they did on Father of the Bride II. Oh well! We'll work with what we have!

Here's the picture of me at 22 weeks pregnant! This is flying by so fast!!! He's definitely growing!!! With or without a name, this boy is going to be here before we know it!