Babymoon

A couple weeks ago Russell and I were talking about what we were going to do on his weekend off last weekend.  Since he is in the ministry, weekends off are VERY few and far between!!  Thinking he was going to opt for an uneventful, sit on the couch, take a nap kind of weekend, I was so excited when he suggested we get away!!  Dallas, Kansas City, Branson?!  I'm so NOT a spontaneous person, but this sounded like the best idea ever!  We hadn't been away on a trip just the 2 of us that didn't involve seeing friends or family since... our honeymoon!  Speaking of which... here's a pic from our honeymoon in June 2007.  :)  Back when I would wear something sleeveless without a cardi.  Ha!

So needless to say, I was thrilled at the idea of having some alone time with the hubby without any kind of agenda for the trip!  We decided on Branson b/c we knew we didn't know anyone there so we couldn't be tempted to go see some friends or family.  And really, we did a whole lot of NOTHING.  And it was fabulous!  We went to Big Cedar Lodge just south of Branson.  I highly recommend it to anyone needing a quick getaway!  It was so cozy, beautiful, and fun!  We know our alone time will be even more limited when the baby arrives, so we called this our Babymoon.  (But I'm really hoping we can squeeze in another weekend before June... fingers crossed!)  Here's some pics of the resort and our trip.  Enjoy! :)

Babymoon Bump - 18 weeks, 3 days :)

Table Rock Lake... so pretty w/ snow everywhere!

Where our room was... the Spring View Lodge

Right outside our room... If I could get in hot tubs, I would have been in that one!

Room Service!  We had never done that before so we spoiled ourselves!

So pretty!  Wish we would have taken this the day before the snow melted!

  We were only there for like 36 hours, but it was SO worth it!  Good food, pretty place, relaxation, and wonderful company.  I love him!

This past Friday we got together with some friends for dinner.  It was so great catching up!  I wore a dress my sister-in-law gave me and I actually felt cute so I made Russell take a picture of me.  I've had requests from family for more belly pictures, so request granted!

19 weeks, 2 days :)

And since I like to use the blog for birthday shout-outs... Happy 21st Birthday to my fabulous, gorgeous, funny, sweet sister Marissa!  I surprised her at her apartment at OBU with this ridiculous balloon!  Love you Rissa!

It Likes to Move It Move It

Yes, I can feel the baby move!!!  I thought I was feeling something around 16 weeks but wasn't completely sure so I started paying close attention to these subtle feelings in my tummy.  Then a few days later I decided to pamper myself with some Christmas money and got a facial.  As I was lying there completely still and enjoying the relaxation, I felt the baby!  It felt kinda like a ripple effect... like others have described a butterfly or something.  Since that day, I am more aware to little movements going on in there.  One time it felt like a little popcorn kernel popped, a tiny kick perhaps?  Then yesterday that happened 3 times in a row.  Hiccups?  I can't be sure of what any of these movements actually are, but I know it is the baby making them and that is exciting!!  I absolutely can't wait until they are hard enough that Russell can feel them too.  I know he's going to love that!

In other pregnancy news:

I haven't had another "episode" since my Tossing Cookies post.  Success!

It is almost a guarantee that when I sneeze, a little pee will come out - just being honest here, folks!

Russell and I took a semi-spontaneous trip to Big Cedar Lodge outside of Branson last weekend, more to come on that later!

Still having trouble eating meat... although I was able to eat some delicious fajitas at LifeGroup last night!  Thanks Jon & Jen!

I'm 19 weeks today which means half way is next week!  Crazy!

2 weeks and 1 day until we find out the sex of the baby.  It is killing me not knowing!!!

I think that's it for now...Oh!  and Happy 50th Birthday Mom!!!  Or Gammie maybe?!  What a blessing you are in my life and I am so thankful for you!  You are beautiful, selfless, encouraging, supportive, and the list could go on for miles!  I hope YOUR day is fabulous!  I just wish I could spend it with you!

Tossing Cookies... TMI?

Warning:  This post may not be suitable for those with a weak stomach.  But in my selfish need for documentation, I need to provide you with (possibly too much) information.  So they say that the first trimester is supposed to be the worst for morning sickness right?  Wrong.  At least for me.  I never once threw up during the first trimester.  I experienced lots of nausea throughout the day and extreme tiredness, but never got to the point of tossing my cookies.  That all changed in the second trimester for me.  So far?  Baby: 7, Me: 0.  That would be 7... puking episodes.  I told you, possibly TMI.  And I should also say that I have friends that threw up the entire pregnancy, so even though those 7 times were utterly unpleasant, I am thankful that for the most part I haven't been sick.  The majority of the 7 were cases where I let myself go too long in between meals.  It's like I learned early on that I should always have something on my stomach to avoid getting sick, and then ignored my own rules once I got to the second trimester.  Stupid!  Oh well, lesson learned.  Just because you're in the second trimester doesn't mean you're in the clear, Brittany.  Eat often.  (But apparently not meat...it grosses me out.  And anything too hot (temperature-wise) never tastes good in the evenings...weird, I know.)  The most recent puking episode is actually quite funny now that I look back on it.  Russell and I had been to a friend's gorgeous wedding, here's a pic of us in the photobooth... classic.

Our conversation before photobooth pictures: "Go Pokes, point to baby, silly, cute." Achieved!  Just wish we were taller :(

So anyway, I ate a bite (ok, bowl of cereal) before going to the wedding, just in case my stomach didn't want whatever they were serving.  Turns out they had awesome food, my favorite being french fries served in a drinking glass with ketchup at the bottom of the glass.  I didn't eat the meat or anything hot as mentioned above, but I had my fill.  When we got home, I started having some heartburn.  I have never had this before in my life, but I knew that had to be what it was.  I tried not to think about it and just go to bed b/c I was beat.  Then about 3am I wake up in PAIN.  I can only think of a couple times with the flu that I have been more miserable.  I tried sleeping in a recliner, Tums (gag me!), water, etc.  Nothing helped.  I finally got up about 5:30 and googled what I should do.  As I was reading about how to combat heartburn/acid reflux, OH NO!!!  I barely made it to the bathroom and... episode #6.  I decided after that I needed a fix and it had to come now!  So at 6am I took Copper (we had a friend staying with us and I didn't want him to wake her) to the gas station and bought myself some meds.  I thought I wasn't going to make it home... open the garage, run to the front yard AND... episode #7.  Now I have never in my life thrown up outdoors before and I'm sure if anyone had driven by they would have thought I'd had a wild night of drinking or something lol!  Nope, don't mind me... just pregnant and puking.  And mid-puking, trying to keep the dog from running away.  Heave, "Copper here!", heave, "Copper!"...you get the drift.  I'm sure it was quite a sight, but thankfully not many people are awake at 6am on a Saturday.  I finally got back inside, took the meds (doctor approved Zantac), and started feeling better eventually.  I'm hoping the heartburn thing was a 1-time deal and isn't going to become a trend b/c it was absolutely awful.  Anyway, that's my sick story!  And oh, I was telling a guy about it at church the next day and he said, "Why didn't you elbow your husband and make him go get the meds for you?!"  Hello?!  Genius idea!  Why didn't I?!  I guess I didn't want to wake him and was only focused on making myself better.  But next time, Russell is getting the elbow for sure!!!         

Louisiana Fun!!

The last few years Russell and I have been fortunate enough to spend 5 days after Christmas with my family!  They are back in our home state of LA in a suburb north of New Orleans.  Every time it snows in Ohio my mom does a little happy dance that she's back in warmer weather now!  This was Russell's first visit to their new home and he loved it!  We did lots of fun things, ate some great food, and enjoyed some much needed family time while we were there!  My mom helped us start our baby registry for everything not gender specific...the basics.  My sister and I enjoyed a visit to the New Orleans Museum of Art while the boys visited the WWII museum.  We took lots of pictures in the cool sculpture garden..see below!  We also enjoyed watching our OSU Cowboys win their bowl game!  Go Pokes!  I have to be honest though, this pregnant girl fell asleep way before the game was over!  But I'm glad they prevailed without me watching. :)  Other highlights are some maternity shopping, going to see "Black Swan" - crazy movie!, and a delicious New Year's dinner a day early!  Here's a few pics of our trip!

Huge safety pin at NOMA!

Some Mardi Gras in the trees!  Love the moss too!

Appropriate I would say.

This was so puzzling!  We could not figure out how the top part was suspended in the air!  It was definitely not hanging so we think the support has got to be underground.

A trip back in time to my childhood visiting my Granpa Cec in New Orleans!  We visited this place lots of times back in the day!

Hey!  Cinderella's pumpkin carriage!

The Boswell family prize possession... the iPad my dad won in a corn hole tournament.  I believe my sister was spending some time with her virtual family?

Bro's favorite spot in the house.

Self-timer!  After New Year's Eve eve dinner! :)

Aww! :)

Love him!

Poor Copper was an outside dog for 5 days at my in-laws' house while we were gone.  Needless to say, he TIRED.

It was a great trip and as always we wish it could have been longer!!  Oh!  I should also say on our way home we ran into some bad weather in Jackson, MS.  About 20 minutes after we went through there, a tornado crossed the highway.  Scary!  We stopped at a Walmart to let the storm pass... I was a nervous wreck!  No worries though, we got to Bossier City safe and sound and spent the night with my grandparents.  Made it to Tulsa the next day!  That concludes our holiday adventures!  Crazy to think that this time next year we will have a 6 month old to celebrate the holidays with!  Exciting! 

A Friske Christmas

Let's get caught up!  It might take a couple posts, but we'll get there!  First post = Friske family Christmas.  Due to Russell's job at the church, we spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in Tulsa every year with Russell's family.  We were so excited to spend it with the newest addition, our little niece Garner this year!  It's so weird to think that this was our last year to wake up on Christmas morning with just the 2 of us!  Next year we'll have a little 6 month old!  Crazy!  Anyway, here's some highlights of the festivities!

Copper in the Christmas spirit, waiting for his special treats!

Prego Christmas pic! We'll get a bigger tree next year! :)

Our nephew Grayson got a cowboy hat from us and bandana and boots from Grandma and Poppy.  Once he put it all on he said, "I'm Woody!"  He was so excited!

Uncle Russell helping Grayson open gifts!

Oh Tim... we love you.  Work on those guns.

Our precious niece Garner... awake and alert!

Grayson the tool man!

My father-in-law who Grayson named "Poppy" got this to take to his office.  It is the coolest thing ever.  Motion detected candy dispenser!  Genius!

Russell's big gift... a duck blind.  It's like a coffin and you lay in it until you see some ducks, then you open those panels, pop up, and shoot.  Can you tell he was excited?!

Playing rock band... Grayson's a natural!

How cute is this kid?!  I just love him!!!

My father-in-law got #2 in dirty Santa.  He spent the whole game trying to convince people to steal the cookbook and baking sheet he got.  In the final move of the game, that gift did get stolen and he went for the last wrapped gift instead of stealing anything.  What does he get?  A snuggie!!  And a maroon one at that!  Needless to say, he was not happy.  But we all died laughing when he put it on and starting acting like a priest or something!  Ha!  Also notice Uncle Jerry in the background with a pair of bug zappers.  Great dirty Santa gift if anyone needs any ideas for the future. Lol

As usual we were spoiled by Russell's parents with clothes (maternity for me, yay!), gift cards, hunting stuff for Russell, a new camera for me, and much more!  They are too good to us every year!  I feel like I've won the lottery when I come home and unload everything!  We also enjoyed a trip to the Christmas train at Dry Gulch with this crew.  Grayson would hear the train, stop in his tracks, and put his hand to his ear to listen to it.  Then he would exclaim, "Choo! Choooooo!"  Too cute.  I'm officially obsessed with him and have decided if our baby is a little boy I will do just fine!  :)  Next to catch up on... a trip to New Orleans to see the Boswell clan!  That's coming soon!

10 pictures = Frustrated Husband

I have been taking weekly pictures of my baby bump, and promised not to show another one til it looked more like baby and less like bloat.  Well, to any unsuspecting person this bump may just look like I've got a little extra in the middle.  But after looking at myself in the mirror more times than I probably ever have in my life, comparing my bump to others' online, and resorting to a rubber band on my favorite pair of jeans, I decided that this is definitely a baby bump and not a bloated bump anymore.

Only problem?  Getting a good picture of said baby bump.  I learned something... 10 pictures = a frustrated husband.  Of course he thinks I look great, don't look fat, thinks every picture is good.  But I don't.  I kept repositioning my arms, my head, the direction I was facing, etc.  Then I thought it would be good to hold up a little sign that said "14 weeks" for easier tracking of the pictures we've been taking.  Well that caused even more problems with my t-shirt not showing off the bump very well, etc.   So finally after 10 tries, Russell gave up with a "surely you can pick one of these."  I almost didn't post b/c I hate these pictures so much.  But like I've said before, document I must.  So here's what I'm apprehensive to show you...

And just think... there are 9 others that are even worse than this one!  Russell had the idea to face forward with the 14 weeks sign and then do one from the side to use my hands to show off the bump.  So those are the ones I ended up liking more than me awkwardly holding the sign and flattening out my t-shirt.  So here's the one from the front...

Prison photo much?  I felt like I was posing in the line-up at the county jail for this one.  At least my laughter at myself brought my hubby's spirits up a little bit.  So there you have it folks, 14 weeks.  I'm definitely looking forward to future belly photo shoots... hoping they won't take as long since the belly will be easier to detect as we go along.  But I'm not really looking forward to getting bigger everywhere else.  I didn't gain any weight between the 8 & 12 week doctor appointments, but we'll see what happens at our 16 week appointment.  Not that I'm keeping an eye on it at all... hence the brownie I'm about to devour.  Christmas food, bring it on! 

Heartbeat at Home

So... I know the doctor told us to wait a few weeks before using the at-home doppler to listen to the heartbeat so that we wouldn't get frustrated if we couldn't find it, BUT I was just too anxious.  So on Tuesday of last week we decided to give it a shot and SUCCESS!  We both were so excited to listen to our baby's little (fast) ticker.  We've listened to it every day since!  My sister got to listen to it on Wednesday night and she loved it too!  It's just the neatest thing ever.  Since I can't feel the baby yet, it's fun to listen to its heartbeat and feel a connection that way.  I'm so excited to bring the doppler with me next week when we go visit my parents so they can hear their little grand-baby!  So fun!  In case you were wondering, the doppler looks like this:

It's so easy to use and so fun!  I recommend any future mommy's to get one!  We love it!

On another note, we just wrapped up a great semester of Tippi Toes dance classes!  Our dancers were cute little "peppermint candy canes" dancing for their parents this past week.  I am looking forward to a week of working from home in my pj's and recital planning!  I love looking at all the cute costumes like this one...

If this baby is a boy, I sure hope I have a girl at some point so they can wear fun costumes like this and dance with me!!  Heck, I'll make a boy dance too... at least when he's little.  :)

Russell's sister and her family are in town today!  We will get to meet our little one month old niece for the first time today!  And see our adorable 2 1/2 year old nephew too!  They will be here for a week or so so we'll get to do the Christmas Train at Dry Gulch and other fun things!  I hope to take lots of pictures of these cuties!  Here's a pic of our adorable nephew Grayson...

If he's that cute, I'm sure his little sister is a doll!  Can't wait to meet her and get some good baby time this week!!!