26 Weeks!

So here I am with a 26 week old baby bump! :) I couldn't be feeling better. I have tons of energy and take Journey on a 2.5 mile walk almost every morning. Believe it or not, I've hit the part of my pregnancy where cleaning fans seems like fun! I guess that would mean I'm officially "nesting" because I don't think I've ever cleaned the fans in our house.

Tyson FINALLY felt Baby T kick last Monday night...it couldn't have happened in a more perfect way. We laid down to say our prayers...I lay in bed and he kneels beside me on the floor and holds one of my hands with his, and the other he puts on my tummy. In the middle of his prayer, the baby kicked really hard and he stopped praying and said (in quite possibly the most excited voice I've ever heard him use) "Was that it?!"...and I said "YES!" and I wish I could describe the happiness in our room. He kept praying and thanked God for being able to feel his baby move. I will never forget the way we both felt that night, and how amazing it was to share such a special moment together.

Pickles and Ice Cream

Ever since we started out on this adventure to become pregnant, I've been wondering what it would be like...what it would feel like, what I would look like, and of course, what I would "crave" since cravings and pregnancy seem to go hand in hand. I thought I would be eating pickles and ice cream and need milkshakes every night...but that has most definitely not been the case. No, for me and Baby T, our weakness has been....Taco Bell. Yes, you heard correct. Taco Bell! At night after dinner I don't want cookies or chocolate or ice cream...I want Tyson to get in the car and go get me some of the cheapest fast food available! I can't remember the last time I had Taco Bell prior to being pregnant...literally, it had been YEARS. As you can imagine, I'm not proud of this craving, so I have been trying to deny it as much as possible...but I think Tyson was so sick of hearing me talk about it, and then offer to go get it like the sweet husband he is, and then me say "no, I don't need it", that he finally put me in the car and drove me there one night. Thank you, sweet husband for helping me let myself give into this craving TWO times...both have been insanely delicious. :)

Finally at the drive-thru...

...and I couldn't decide what to get!

So we went for an assortment!

You're probably wondering how such cheap food could be so GOOD to this pregnant woman?!

I'm not sure how, but Baby T and I seem to love it!

24 Weeks

I went in for our 24 week appointment yesterday. We didn't get to have an ultrasound this time, but I still got to listen to the sweet heartbeat of Baby T. (which was in the 150's and sounded "perfect" according to Dr. Peterson) It has become my new favorite sound -- everything else seems to disappear and the world feels just about perfect when I hear that precious heart beating. Dr. Peterson measured my 24 week belly and said it was measuring just right...and that my 15 pounds of weight gain so far are just right too! I've started noticing a very foreign feeling that I've never experienced in my life, and for those of you who have it, I have so much sympathy for you now...heartburn. Holy moly. All I can say is, thank you Mr. Tums for inventing your magical product. Now, it might be a combination of my recent love for peppermint patties and spicy foods, because apparently chocolate, peppermint and anything spicy are all huge culprits for heartburn...or it might mean that Baby T will be born with a head of hair. Either way, it hasn't been easy to cut back on the peppermint patties! I've also started noticing another foreign feeling, one that I've been waiting for my whole life, but this one leaves a smile on my face every time....Baby T has been moving like crazy! I think it's kicks are getting stronger each day. Tyson still hasn't felt it, but he's been able to SEE it - which he thinks is pretty crazy, but amazing all at once. I have fallen in love with this feeling, and as much as I can't wait to meet our baby face to face, I think I might really miss feeling it move and kick when it's born. 24 weeks down, 16 to go, and I'm loving every minute of this second trimester!

Our snowy Copper Mountain Christmas!

When we first found out about Baby T, my parents sat all of us kids down with our significant others to talk about plans for Christmas. A few years ago (actually, it's been SEVEN, which is really hard to believe!) we had one of our most favorite Christmases when we went snow skiing with our best friends the Joneses...and my parents suggested that we do it again - skip out on the presents and spend time with family and friends making priceless memories in beautiful Colorado. Naturally, we were all 100% on board! Even though I sadly (but happily, because it meant I was pregnant!) knew I wouldn't be able to snow ski, I couldn't imagine a more picture perfect Christmas than sipping on hot chocolate while surrounded by beautiful snowy mountains and an amazing family. But I truly could never have imagined THIS! We spent a full week in a gorgeous ski-in/ski-out Copper Mountain home with our other best friends, the Christansens. There were 19 of us total - which included 6 kids between the ages of 10 months old and 8. And we had an absolutely perfect Christmas vacation. We ate GREAT food, played games, skied our hearts out, danced to the Wii, sledded in the snow, and some of us laughed so hard we literally threw up. No present could possibly compare to spending such special time with the people you love most. (There's no way we could ever say THANK YOU enough to my parents for such a magical, unforgettable Christmas!) And even though I didn't ski, I got to spend LOTS of quality time with my precious nephew and niece, Trent and Tess...I made sugar cookies with all of the kids...I sat on the balcony, drank hot chocolate, and watched as all of the skiers came down the mountain right in front of me...and of course, I loved on Baby T.

After we got back, I spent a day at home doing laundry and re-packing while Tyson went to work, and then we hopped in the car and drove up to Fort Worth for our Christmas with his family. His parents just moved into the most beautiful home I've probably ever seen - which made it feel just like we were on another vacation at a gorgeous resort! We saw all of his aunts and uncles and grandparents and had so much fun visiting with them. His parents took us out for an incredible New Year's Eve meal at Eddie V's and then we watched as Tyson and his brothers set off a ton of fireworks on the bluff at their house...it was quite a display! How blessed we are to be surrounded by such loving families!

Kelly and Trent on the bus with ALL of our luggage on the way to the airport...

T & T...Tyson and Trent

Too cute!

Tess & my mom (Nona) getting on the airplane.

Tess was SO excited! She hadn't been on an airplane since they came to visit us in Australia 2 years ago...

Keith & Katie...little did she know that she was about to get ENGAGED in a couple of days!

The entire Sadler Family...the kids did great on the flight!

Tess riding the Uncle TyTy pony...

After a 2 hour drive from the airport, we made it to Copper Mountain! A view from the balcony...

The main living room...

It was truly a ski-in/ski-out place...the slopes were right there!

The huge game room...

And checkout the theatre room!

On the second day, everyone was ready to hit the slopes...especially Kelly in her retro 1980's ski bibs!

Katie, Robert, Tyson, Kelly and Keith all ready for a day of skiing!

Mike opted to keep watch of the slopes for the day...

Nathan had fun playing with the sleds.

We entertained the kiddos with lots of painting and crafts while their parents skied.

We also played a bit of dress-up and put some Uggs on Russ!

That afternoon we got Tess all bundled up in her new snowsuit to play in the snow!

Tess and my dad. (Papa)

Isn't she the cutest thing you've ever seen?!

Tess & Papa getting ready to sled!

She wasn't sure about it at first, but she LOVED it!

Keith and Katie watched from the balcony while we sledded on the slope...he proposed to her the very next day right there! That's right, Keith is getting married!

My best friend, Tess Marie!

The Sadler Family

I love this guy. Best dad ever!

I love this guy too! Best husband ever!

Delanie gathered up a ton of snow for an afternoon snack.

Jason and Russ ready to go sledding!

Tess and Russ liked it so much they wanted to go together...

I'm so lucky to have such an amazing sister. And can't she totally sport those bibs?!

Kelly and Kristie

The 3 Casswell Kids...

The original Casswell Family....

The expanded, newer improved, Casswell Family!

Tess got a bit tired and decided it was time for a snow nap.

Tell me he's not the most adorable little man you've ever seen?!

I see where he gets it from!

Tess and Uncle TyTy in the middle of a snowball fight!

Here is Tess and mommy on her first day trying to ski!

Kelly helped her get the skis on before they went on the lift...

It was a bit of a rough day and Tess had had enough after about one run...

She decided she'd rather sit with Kristie and Russ than try skiing anymore!

Back on the slopes after the lifts closed down for more sledding fun! Isn't he going to be such a great dad?!?! I can't wait!

Tess looking up to her new-found friend, Delanie!

Another day, another try and she did it! Here's Tess skiing from Mommy to Daddy.

I got to play with this handsome guy while they skied!

He was loving that apple!

Tess wanted to make a snowman one day....

So her and Nona tried their best, but the snow just didn't want to stick...

And this was the finished product that she named Kokomo.

'Tis the season to be pregnant because 'tis the season to eat! :)

On Christmas Eve we got all bundled up and went to the town center to watch santa ski down in a nighttime torch parade!

We stopped in at a chocolate factory for some treats!

I just wanted to eat him up!

Tess wanted to sneak into this car for a pic with Uncle Tyson!

Kelly and Trent waiting for santa....

He came down in this lighted torch parade, which was pretty neat and made all of the kids extremely happy!

So on Christmas Eve night we had an ugly sweater contest! I picked out our matching ones...can't you see how much he loved it?!

Man, we look good!

Kristie, Jason and Russ. They were lookin' good too! I didn't get pictures of everyone else, but it was a house FULL of awful looking hotties!

The kids all got matching Christmas jammies!

Papa read them "The Night Before Christmas"...we didn't have the book, but the iphone saves the day again!

Tess turned 3 the day after Christmas and I made her a cake...her favorite part is the batter though!

She loves to call herself a "batter licker"!

I couldn't get her to give me a real smile at all!

She was just way too excited!

I can't believe that Tess Marie is THREE years old!

She had a GREAT birthday!

Finally time to come back to Texas...of course she had to ride the pony through the airport!

Too cute!

Ending a great year with an awesome New Year's Eve dinner with Tyson's family! Ty and I are looking forward to the New Year and our brand new adventure coming in April!! :)