Monday, December 29, 2008

Alabama Christmas

A and I returned to the city last night after an awful day of travel. (4am wake up call, 2 delayed flights, 1 mechanical issue, 1 weather delay, 1 shut door, 0 meals, 2 lost bags and a very long taxi stand line) I went to bed last night at 8:o0pm! The doc may have said I could travel, but this trip was a lot on my body. A and I are both back at work today and praying for slow work weeks. I took a cab to work this morning--the walk just seemed like a marathon!

Overall, we had a great trip and we are both thankful that we were able to be with our families and see many of our friends. We arrived in Birmingham at 3am on the 21st after yet another day of exciting travel (1 canceled flight, several delays, an impending snow storm as we boarded, 1 deicing of the plane...and then we almost got kicked off the airplane because 9 people had to go and we checked in late--ever heard of that one?). Next year, we're staying put. =) We had Christmas with A's family on Monday night. They spoiled us rotten! His parents are buying us our stroller. I also received a beautiful Reed & Barton silver chest with my monogram and a full setting of my china. His brother gave me a silver serving spoon in my silver pattern and a new collar for Daisy (A received a matching belt). His sister gave me the Twilight book, have any of you read it? Baby J received a Chicago Cubs onesie/bib/booties (his family are big fans) and a t-shirt/bib from A's high school. He also received a monogrammed onesie and burp cloth, a kissy kissy jacket, two cute blankets, pacifiers, a Bama baby bottle and some toys. He did quite well for a child that has yet to arrive. =) Since our trip was cut short in Birmingham we did not get to see as many of our friends as we wanted, but we still had a great time.

On Tuesday, we rented a car and headed to South for my family's Christmas. The normal 3.5/4 hour trip took us a tad bit longer than usual due to frequent bathroom stops. Hey, I'm 8.5 months pregnant-what do you expect? =) I had my final haircut for awhile (I'm preparing to not have time for that kind of thing the next few months). We went out for a delicious Christmas Eve dinner with my family, followed by a beautiful evening Christmas Eve mass. A and I even got to see the priest who married us and tell/show him our good news. Christmas day was 80 degrees in South Alabama and we enjoyed a lazy day of opening more presents and relaxing. My brother and sister treated me to a prenatal massage at The Grand Hotel on Christmas day. I asked my masseuse if she wanted to move back to NYC with me for the remainder of pregnancy, but I just could not convince her. =) In addition to the massage, I received a nightgown/robe, 2 sets of pjs, a pink fleece robe and slippers (do you see a theme?) We received a ton of practical gifts for baby J (ultimate crib sheet, waterproof pads, warm clothes, socks, bath supplies, toys, books, etc). My parents gave us a pastel portrait of Daisy for the nursery. It is absolutely perfect and so sweet. It is being framed this week and shipped to us so I'll share pictures soon! A and I did small gifts for each other and we are buying either this camera or this camera sometime before the baby arrives! Do any of you have either one, I would love to hear some feedback. We're leaning towards the Nikon. My Mom outdid herself with a yummy Christmas dinner. It truly was a perfect day.

We were supposed to go to the beach on Friday, but by this point A and I were worn out, so we spent Friday and Saturday not moving much and taking lots of naps. My sister's friend, David, brought over 3 of his yellow lab puppies and we had a great time playing with the puppies. (If you live on the Gulf Coast and are looking to buy a yellow/white lab puppy--these are too cute!!) The puppies inspired a trip to the movies to see Marley and Me. I also painted some shelves for J's nursery...pictures to come. We went out to dinner on Saturday evening and tried to get to sleep early for our 4am wake up call. We had a action packed trip and it is going to take us at least a week to recover. I hope that you had a Merry Christmas with your friends and family.

So, I'm now in lock down in the city! I think another blogger meet up would be fun. Any interest? A and I plan on spending the rest of the month taking it easy, going on a few dates and getting ready for J. Any tips on things to do before the baby arrives? It won't be much longer now!

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi There. Your first camera link is actually linked to a dog collar. I have a cannon eos 40d and love love love it!

Tales of a Peanut said...

I got the Canon EOS Rebel for Christmas and looove it! It takes multiple pictures a minute just by continuously holding down the shutter button which is nice that you don't have to do a second setting to do that. And it has all kinds of neat features!

LyndsAU said...

80 degree weather for Christmas in Alabama. Ain't it grand :) I wanted it to be cold so bad. oh well! so glad you had a great Christmas. So blessed!

Beth said...

My puppy got that dog collar too for Christmas!! Glad you are back in NYC safely - we encountered the ridiculously long taxi lines as well, surely there's a better system at the airport :-)

Anonymous said...

Get lots of sleep now (if you can) and go on lots of dates with your hubby, because you won't be doing too much of either of those once the baby is here!!!

Mrs. Shelton said...

SO glad you had a great Christmas. We too are getting a new camera, but haven't decided on one yet. We got a camcorder for Christmas. I don't want to miss any moments, as I am sure you don't either!

Ashley, Kyle, and Baby Boy said...

i live in jersey city, from athens, ga, and would love to have a blogger meet up! my son is 9 months old!

what to do before baby j arrives:
read baby wise, baby whisperer, or happiest baby on the block....
purchase 'what to expect the first year'
wash baby clothes and blankets in dreft or all clear
sleep in on the weekends, enjoy a candlelit dinner at a fancy restaurant...

motherhood...it's amazing!!! you'll be great
(ps- we got preggo 2 months after our wedding in may 07...and moved to nyc metro right after wedding, too!! phew, it's a lot to handle all at once, so please reach out if you need to as i have been in the same boat!!)

Sandra said...

Get lots of rest!! You got some fab gifts for Christmas!!!

Anonymous said...

Wow - that's a very good haul for someone still in his mama's tummy!

Please add me to your preppy mommies-to-be list. I'm due July 16th (!!!!!)

Preppy Lizard said...

Wow sounds like you guys had a wonderful, busy Christmas!

We have the Canon EOS Rebel and love it. It takes amazing pictures.

Lauren @ Adventures of a Southern Newlywed said...

I am glad you all had a fun time visiting family!

Elizabeth said...

I got the Nikon D40 and love it! I wish I would've bought a DSLR sooner! My daughter just turned 1 and is such a wiggle worm. This camera catches all those action shots!

Suzanne said...

Sounds like a great holiday trip despite the travel dilemmas!

Midwest Prep said...

So funny- Big Guy and I did the same thing regarding presents- small gifts for each other, and we are getting a camera before the baby comes- I couldn't link to your first of the two options, but the one we are leaning towards is a Canon. I have Nikon in my head as better for some reason- nostalgia based more than anything, but the Canon has a display screen, so you can see the picture on the screen before snapping the shot- Nikons do not allow this, and you can only use the viewfinder- which isn't the biggest deal- but isn't as easy. I would say that all our research showed that both brands are great- go to a camera store and let them tell you all about them- and then go buy is somewhere else where it is cheaper.

Anonymous said...

So happy your travels were safe and fun! Even if they *were* arduous. Time to rest up and practice your deep breathing--it won't be long now!

Preppy Coastee said...

After reading Ashley, Kyle, and Baby Boy's Comment it sounds like a blogger meet up for girls from the south stuck in new york and new jersey... so fun!! :)

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