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!