Christmas...And the Home Stretch

Yes, we've only got a few weeks left until we get to meet our little girl! Here are a few pictures of the Christmas festivities - and Erin's ever-expanding belly - to tide you over until the big day arrives. We hope you all had a very merry holiday season and wish you the best in 2009!

Great-Grandmom-to-be makes a visit!

Christmas Eve Place Setting

Riley! - A preview of what's to come.

Uncle Brent comes to check out the new digs.

Brian entertains the pups. I'm not sure kids are this easy!

Turkeys go bowling

Erin and I had a lot of fun over Thanksgiving in Auburn and Opelika, AL with Erin's side of the family. It's always great to see family and work on plumping up for the winter.


Emma had a great time chasing ducks at the lake near the old house we stayed in. In hot pursuit she jumped out of a rowboat and swam after them, though she quickly found they could swim much faster.







This is a picture of happy Erin after a satisfying meal at the infamous Wafflehouse.










The family in front of the old house.



Bro and Sis acting nice.

















Emma and I going duck hunting in the row boat!

Baby Shower

Here are some pictures from the shower. Susan and Farrell really went above and beyond. They should be hired out as a team to plan parties! It was a great day and so fun to celebrate with friends and family.

The cake matched the invitations.

Excited Grandmoms-to-be!The amazing hostesses.
Fun chance for the college girls to get together. Great-grandma watches over all the festivities.

Beautiful spread! (Bellinis for the non-pregnant of course)

Bigger and Bigger Baby

Time is flying and Erin's little belly is expanding as the baby gets bigger and bigger. She's moving a lot as you can see arms and legs kicking out.

This is a recent picture of Erin and her beautiful belly.

Also recently we were at a friends wedding in North Carolina and Erin was able to find a nice maternity dress to fashionably cover the baby oven.

Baby's New Crib

Erin, Emma, Baby to be, and I now have our own place to live and call home. We closed on our new house in Alexandria last week and moved our stuff in this past weekend. We had two sets of movers as our shipment from Shanghai finally came in on the slow boat from China and we also had a local move as we moved things out of our many storage facilities (i.e., both sets of parents basements). We have consolidated all of our belongings in one place, which hasn't happened in many years.

Baby's room is filling up with clothes (more than she can wear in her first year of life). Emma loves the squirrels outside as they still do not realize there now is a vicious squirrel hunter living here.

Into The Final Lap

The baby has been cooking in the oven for 24 weeks today!


While we have been learning about an infinite list of baby products and wonder how they had babies before boppy pillows, Emma has been doing her part to get ready for the new baby.

Babymoon

Another four months until our bundle of joy is delivered, so we decided to take a short vacation to the U.S. Virgin Islands before our next vacation will require more bags and accessories than used to climb Mt. Everest.

The ocean was clearer than a pool.