a big belly

So my tremendously talented friend Jessica of JShumway Photos took some pictures of me, my belly, and Millie a few weeks ago {yes the belly is a separate entity}. I have been going through that final stage where nothing fits and no amount of make up and doing your hair helps you feel pretty. I'm down to 3-4 shirts that actually cover the belly and a few stretch pants. Anyways after doing this maternity photo shoot I can see the beauty in pregnancy again. Thanks Jess for helping me remember what all of this is really about ♥

it was like out of a movie

Life has been a bit chaotic. I've been trying to organize and clean on top of all the normal day to day tasks. I feel a bit guilty admitting this but I have not done one thing to prepare for the baby. Not one. I'm almost 38 weeks! That is my goal for this week. Millie is still such a ball of energy, I think as I slow down she speeds up. She is excited about everything. A few days before Halloween we carved pumpkins which was the thrill of her life. Every day she would have to check on them and turn the LED lights on and off. We also were invited to a sweet Halloween party where Luke and I went as 1986 Prom King and Queen. I looked sick. I can't remember the last Halloween I was something pretty like a princess. Nope every Halloween I've been things like a Kindergartener on Pilgrim Day, or a white trash girl, or the latest, a knocked up '80's prom queen. The party was a blast with Luke winning best actor for acting out the entire video from the movie The Ring. I was so proud. 

On Halloween night we were sitting down eating dinner prepared with a huge bag of candy when around 6:30 the doorbell rang with the first trick-or-treaters.The first group consisted of about 6 kids. We had barely sat down when the doorbell rang again with another group. We looked outside and to our amazement/ horror the entire street was crowded with kids coming our way! Within 15 min. we had gone through our entire bag of candy! We were scrambling. We gave out a whole box of Costco fruit snacks, cleaned out our personal stashes, and I was preparing to start handing out bags of dehydrated apple chips when our neighbor took pity on us and gave us 1/2 a bag of her candy. By 8:00 we were out of ideas and ducked inside our home, turned off the lights, and put a sign on the door that read "Sorry out of candy". 

Why this felt like a scene from a movie:  

1. All of the neighbors pulled out lawn chairs and sat at the end of their driveways with big bowls of candy.

2. Neighbors were out chatting and mingling, while music played in the background.

3. The street was packed with trick or treaters all the way down the road. Masses. Crowds. 

4. The full spirit of the holiday was felt and everyone was into it.

I can't wait for next year!

I've met the best group of friends here who've taken me in and after only a few months of knowing them I feel like we've been friends forever. They are so sweet and threw a baby shower for me at the Chuys (which is like the best tex-mex place in Austin). 

Millie carving pumpkins for the first time (Dad doing all the work).

A flashback to 1986 Prom King and Queen

Some super sexy gals. We had a spider, some really sassy flapper gals, yours truly as the prom queen,
and yes calm down, Marie Osmond.

Luke's attention to details, like socks with sandals, almost won him best costume.

Millie out trick or treating. I think she was a fairy??

Trick or treaters lined up and waiting for Luke to give them candy.

The crowds. Love it.

36 week belly. 

The baby shower.

Cute little clothes!

My new friends! Hooray! 

a post full of pictures

We are officially in our new home! Hooray! Words can not express the utter joy I have at being in MY own home. It has been a long time coming. No more dealing with cigarette smoke in our apartment or people partying after midnight at the pool with loud music (which was right next to our apartment), no more fighting for the close parking spot and hauling in 3-4 loads of groceries plus a 2 year old in 100+ degree temps being huge and prego.... let it suffice to say, yes I'm really excited to be in a home. I've only posted a few pictures of the house which I took as we were moving in thus the rooms are basically empty. We do plan on painting and doing some fun stuff with the furniture and yard, but meanwhile our student hodgepodge furniture will have to work.

I am huge and pregnant. I still consistently get asked by complete strangers if the baby is coming any day and if I'm carrying twins (no exaggeration, Luke has been there a few times and can vouch for this). It is finally starting to cool down to the mid 80's and it actually feels really really nice.

Millie turned two this weekend and we took her to the Austin Zoo. It was pretty small but it was perfect for her. It only took us 1 1/2 hours to see all the animals and she got to feed and pet goats and sheep. She was in heaven.On Sunday we invited a few friends over and had cake and ice cream.

This is the afternoon we moved in. We had not seen rain since we moved here in June. The day we moved it rained. It was so nice. Everyone was outside dancing in puddles and playing in their yards. 

The entry way. 

The living room fireplace

Kitchen

By request: my 32-week belly

Millie seeing a tiger for the first time

Dad pointing out the animals

The adorable birthday outfit Grandma Colledge gave her.

pig

One of her favorite animals at the zoo

Feeding the sheep

Helping me make her birthday cake.

The flexed hand, the open mouth, the eyes bulging in excitement, picture taken mid jump. She was really excited to get a puppy that walked and barked.

white cake with strawberries and Blue Bell blueberry ice cream

She got to eat waffles on the special birthday plate.

this crazy girl

Warning: there are mostly just pictures of Millie in this post.

I am usually the one taking the pictures and therefore really don't have any of me, except the awkward ones where I have Millie on my lap and I'm holding the camera out in front of us. For those who don't have a tugging in their heart of missing this little girl, I apologize. For those who want to see how much she has grown and what she(we) have been up to (Colledge's & Cooks) this one is pretty much for you. 

Now that I am (somewhat) a full time mom my life revolves around this little girl. I love it. She makes me smile and is in that stage where I want to pull my hair out and at the same time laugh and pull her into me and kiss her all over her messy face. 

just some new antics that make me want to giggle and/or cry in frustration:

1. She is loving coloring, but only with markers (the washable kind) she colors on her paper and then when that is full she colors on her hands, legs, face, tables etc.

2. In a desperate attempt to make her excited about getting into her car seat I made an audio CD with a few songs from the movie Tangled (she is obsessed with the movie, especially the horse). Bad move. EVERY time I get into the car with her now I have to put on the CD. To my chagrin I now have every song memorized. 

3. She is loving my underwear/lingerie drawer; it is her perfect height. She dresses up in it at least every other day. I've daringly posted a picture of her dressing up yesterday. 

4. My least favorite one: I usually put her down for her afternoon nap in just her diaper, as it is so hot in her room. A few weeks ago she started taking her diaper off. Yes this includes wet diapers and messy ones. We now duct tape it on.

5. Loves singing her ABC's and counting up to 15. Once a day, at her request, I sit down with her and help her write her ABC's and numbers up to 10. Then she carefully takes her time tracing them and saying each one. 

*Side note: only 15 more days to go until we move into our new home! But who's counting? 

This past July in Utah. She misses her cousins like crazy

Her careful tracing of ABC's and numbers

When I took these off her I think I counted 13. 

What an adjustment. Going from working like crazy being busy every second to not. It has actually been really nice. You would think if I had extra time I would be more on-top of blogging!

Luke is loving his job and loving the people he is working with. Everything at work is the perfect fit for him and his work-ethic. I don't think I could have hand-picked anything better. 

Millie is just a little ball of energy. She dances and sings, colors, jumps on beds, loves reading books, exhausts me! She is so much fun. She loves to swim and has no fear of jumping off the edge of the pool even if no-one is there to catch her. Obsessed with Elmo and Barney. Every night when we tuck her in she requests "I love you" song from Barney.

Me. I'm still typing and helping out with minor WF stuff. I'm huge and prego. While I'm out running errands people are always commenting, 

"Wow! When are you due?" to which I reply,

"Thanksgiving" and they respond 

"Oh my goodness, you still have a while, are you carrying twins?" 

so much tact. I am not kidding, this is the exact conversation I had at the grocery store this morning! love it! I never realized how much work it is to move to a new place, registering cars, moving bank accounts, drivers license, etc. We just put an offer on a home and now we're in the process of getting all the paperwork together for financing. 

Let me preface this by saying: I am really happy here and have met some wonderful people and really know that this is where I need to be in my life right now. But there are a few things I miss about Utah, my family with babysitters, to be able to go to movies with my mom and sister, running errands with them, my friends and girls night out, crafting with Jamie, the mountains with biking and hiking, cool mornings and nights, rain, world-class camping right in your backyard. 

We had family pictures taken right before we moved

Millie's 18-month pictures I took right before we moved

No my daughter is not handicapped. Why would you ask?

24-week picture. 

At the farmers market which I'm obsessed with.