2012 Year in Review

I recently re-read my 2011 Year in Review and it inspired me to recap 2012 :-)

January

-We rang in the new year with one of my best friends - Britt, who was visiting from Scotland.

  -Brandon got his first job as a practicing attorney! This job was everything we could have hoped for, and one year later Brandon still loves it. It's 2 miles down the street from our house, he loves the people he works with and it's in an area of law that Brandon really enjoys: Employment Law.

February

-We watched our friends Jason and Erica say "I do" in Arizona!

 -I attended my very first So Cal Blogger meet-up!

March

-I participated in the Shine Beach Clean-Up in San Diego

April

-Brandon and I celebrated our 5 year dating anniversary (do any other married couples still celebrate their dating anniversary?)

May & June

-Found out I was pregnant! and spent the next few months throwing up and miserable!

 Seriously - these months are a fog to me now.

July

-Began to feel relatively human again. Sprouted a gut, and got to see our baby GIRL via ultrasound!

August & September

-continued to grow larger, and feel better and better by the day.

 -started my very last class of my Master's Program!!!! 
-moved out of our tiny duplex and into the cutest little house.

October

-Took our babymoon to the Virgin Islands {26 weeks}

November

-I finished my last class and officially have my Master's degree!!! Hallelujah!

-We had our baby shower and announced baby girl's name :-)

 -We celebrated Brandon's 33rd Birthday

December

-We had an incredible Christmas with both of our families {37 weeks}

 -started to feel a little nervous about the bundle of joy that is due in just two short weeks!
-I finished about 17 loads of laundry washing all of her tiny things
-Brandon put her swing together
-Almost done packing our hospital bag 

Merry Christmas!

Brandon and I spent Christmas Eve with my family, and we spent Christmas day with his family. We decided that Christmas Eve morning would be our time to open up gifts to each other and have breakfast together before heading to my parents. Brandon attempted to make Poffertjes (which are these heavenly pancake like things that we ate every day in Amsterdam). They turned out more like mini muffins but they were still really good covered in powdered sugar and homemade whipped cream.

Brandon got his beloved Cotton Candy machine that he's been hinting for months that he wanted, a wide angle lense for his iPhone, a few sweaters and some new cologne. I got a three hour mommy-to-be package at a spa near our house! It includes a massage, facial, lunch and a "tired feet" pedicure. I almost cried of happiness. I made my appointment for this Saturday :-) 

 

Christmas Eve at the Qattan's

• Mexican Feast
• Presents by the Christmas Tree
• Snickerdoodles
• National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation by the fire

                                                                                                   My "little" brothers 

Christmas with the Grays and the Barbatos

• Polar Express (and naps) by the fire
• Watching our nieces open presents by the tree
• Homemade cotton candy
• Prime Rib Dinner

 {Some pics from Brandon's new iPhone wide angle lense. He took the first one and said, "Oh babe, you aren't going to like this." Why? Because I look like the Kool Aid man? Ha!}

I hope everyone had a relaxing and wonderful holiday!

The Gray Christmas Card

Last year I had so much fun making our Christmas cards (out of cupcake liners) but this year I just didn't have the energy. I found one I loved on Etsy. It's kind of a modern spin on the "Christmas Letter". 

So to all of my blogger friends, 

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and Happy Kwanzaa!!

35 Weeks 4 days - 3D Pics

Friday I had my 35 week appointment scheduled, and I was finally going to get an ultrasound! I haven't seen baby girl since our 18 week appointment. I can't tell you how anxious I was to see her and hear that everything was fine. I was also so curious to get an estimate of her size. Well imagine my pregnant disappointment when I arrived at my doctor's office only to find that the office was closed due to an emergency! I was crushed. I huffed and puffed and waddled my way back to the car determined to find a way to see her. I whipped out my phone and asked Siri to call A Baby Visit - a place in San Diego that does 3D ultrasounds. They were able to get us in that evening :-)

The first thing I asked the tech to check was that she was still a girl haha. I have had this fear that our gender ultrasound was incorrect and so I haven't washed any of the clothes we've received "just in case". I couldn't have been giddier to learn that she is indeed still a girl. The tech told us that she has a TON of hair (which really excites me) and we couldn't believe how chubby her cheeks are already. They did all the measurements and told us that she is currently weighing 6 pounds 9 ounces! That is how much Brandon weighed when he was BORN. If that is actually how big she is already, I need to prepare to have a very large baby girl. 

We had a hard time getting a clear shot of her face because she was nestled up by my placenta, and stubbornly refused to move. Even though we poked and prodded her the entire time. These were the clearest shots we could get. 

And my personal favorite, seeing her frowny face when we kept poking my stomach trying to get her to turn her head:

I didn't think it was possible for us to be any more excited to meet this little one, but I was wrong!!

Christmas Home Tour

Brandon's 33rd Birthday fell on Thanksgiving this year which he was very excited about. I always feel a little bad because he doesn't get his own special day, but he doesn't seem to mind. We went to the Original Pancake House for a birthday breakfast, and then went over to his sister's house in the afternoon for Thanksgiving. 

Don't mind the fact that I look like a house!

Literally the day after Thanksgiving we picked out our tree and put up our decorations. We were both so excited this year! Here is a little peek into the Gray Home :-)

 This bell ornament was a gift Brandon gave me after we got married. It has our names engraved and "Our First Christmas". It's one of my favorite ornaments.

 Little Lucy ornament! And I love how big Santa seems to be looking at skinny Santa