Christmas in the Smokies

For Christmas this year my parents rented a cabin in Pigeon Forge, right outside of Gatlinburg. This is the second time we have spent Christmas away. We went skiing a couple of years ago. It was really fun and relaxing! The getting prepared and packing part not so much fun, especially during such a busy time of the year. But once we were there everyone seemed to enjoy themselves laying around, eating, and playing games. Also this year our family is growing! As you see Emily and her sister, Rebecca, were with us to celebrate Christmas. It was such a nice time to spend some good quality time together.

Playing Apples to Apples...1 of the many games we played.

Bella and Chester chilling on the balcony. They are best buds!

The PJ's we all opened up on Christmas Eve.

Christmas morning...we were so excited that there was a Christmas tree at the cabin!

(This will have to count as my 18 week picture.)

Bella and her jingle bells wondering where her present was....

Oh, there it is!

Gotta have Monkey Bread on Christmas morning. It's not the same without it!

Opening gifts. We got Michael and Emily some things from their wedding registry. This Christmas was definitely one more of needs and not "wants" between them and B and me. Wedding gifts for them and baby gifts for us!

Brantley "experiencing" a gift from Michael and Emily. They are mystery jelly beans. There are 2 of every color, but you don't know if the color you choose is the regular flavor or a really gross flavor. Brantley stopped and ate one in between each gift he opened.

I think this is the white one that was either coconut or baby wipe. You decide which of the two he got a nice big taste of.....

Michael's running gear from future sis-in-law Rebecca. She knows him well!

My parents also know him well...probably his favorite Christmas-Wedding gift. His very own Monkey Break kit. Next year he can make the Christmas morning Monkey Bread!

One of the gifts I put in B's stocking. The woman I work with and her husband received this as a gift a while ago at their daughter's baby shower. (I think it was mainly for her husband.) She came across it a couple of weeks ago and gave it to me. I thought it was perfect for Brantley and he found it extremely amusing! We all got a good laugh looking at it.

My parents got our baby girl her first Bible.

On Saturday we drove to Asheville, NC to see the Biltmore Estate. My family went about ten years ago, but it was definitely worth going again, especially at Christmas! It is amazing to see in the first place, but absolutely beautiful decorated for Christmas. When we got there we ate at a really yummy restaurant for lunch before going on our tour.

Entrance to the Biltmore

Coffee and Crepes

We had trouble finding somewhere to eat for dinner because it was getting late...you can never go wrong with Mellow Mushroom!

Sunday we checked out, packed up our things, and headed into Gatlinburg to eat at the Pancake Pantry! B and I have eaten at the one in Nashville many times, but this is the original. It was still just as good! If you're ever in Nashville you gotta try this place.

After full bellies, walking around, and taking pictures we headed back to Nashville. It was such a wonderful Christmas! I can't wait until next year when our family will be even a "little" bigger.

It's a...

Brantley and I are so excited to announce that we are having a

GIRL!!!

I can't even explain the feelings that came over me when the tech said those words. Yes, I cried. Everything looks like it is going and growing well and her heart rate was 152. Anyways, this is going to remain short and sweet and I will have to update you with more later. We just got home from our trip and (unfortunately) have to go back to work tomorrow. But for now I will leave you with a picture of our little sweetheart!

Here is a picture showing all of her. (Leg up, tummy, arm up, face profile.)

Isn't she just wonderful!?

Today's the Day...

How am I feeling 3 hours before finding out what "kind" of baby we're having (as Brantley humorously put it last night)? Such a mixture of feelings! Nervous, anxious, excited, happy. You get so caught up in the few previous weeks that you only think about what gender your baby is. The last couple of days have been more about I hope that everything checks out okay and it is developing the way it's supposed to. That's when the nervous feeling kicks in. Anyways, wanted to say thanks to those that voted on the gender poll and let everyone know before the big announcement that I voted BOY. There are a few reasons, but I think it's funny that 2 of my friends who are pregnant now with boys voted boy. So we will soon find out! Can't wait to write my next post (whenever that may be)...stay tuned!

Day of the "big" dr. visit and 18 and 1/2 weeks

Oh and did I mention...

We bought a new car! It's what I call my cute mommy car. I am super excited and have loved driving it the whole 1 day I've had it! It is going to be so wonderful to have for many years to come. I chose something this big because, as Brantley tells me, "You will be driving this car forever..."which means at some point I will be toting 2 kids around. I have loved these cars for a while and was so happy and grateful I was able to actually get one. It's not a new Pilot, but it is to me! I feel so grown up driving it around and will really feel like it's a mom car when my baby is in the back seat. I absolutely LOVE it! Here are some pics...

Family Christmas #2

The weekend before Christmas my mom's side of the family made it up to Nashville from Mississippi. It was great seeing them! My cousin, her husband, and kids got to come too. They had not been here before. Well, my cousin has but it has been a really long time and not since my parents or B and I moved here. Also, another cousin I only see once or so a year was able to join us from Kentucky. We did so many fun things and it was nice to catch up with everyone.

Grandparents

Opening their Great-Grandchild picture frame (see next post to get the details) and Loveless Cafe Strawberry jam and biscuit mix.

Opryland Hotel at Christmas!!!

Tatum, Mimi, Mom, and Erin

Adorable Tripp (Tatum's son)

The Cousins

Huge Christmas Tree

B and Me (17 Weeks)

We also went to see ICE. B and I have been twice before, but this year it was a different show and the theme was Charlie Brown. It was so cute! If you live near Nashville and you have kids (or even if you don't) this is a really fun thing to do at Christmas time. Everything you see is an ice sculpture.

The ICE slide (I took pics this year instead of sliding!)

Mom making her way down the ice.

In Snoopy's doghouse

I loved all of the cute characters!

"It's cooooold in here!"

The nativity scene they have at the end every year.

*Be sure and check out the other new posts below!*

Family Christmas #1

Two weeks ago we celebrated Christmas with my dad's side of the family. Most of them were able to come to Nashville for the weekend. We ate at the yummy Loveless Cafe, opened gifts, went to downtown Franklin to the Charles Dickens Festival, and went to Opry Mills and ate at the Aquarium restaurant. (This was not what we were going to Opryland to do, but it's where we ended up and that's a whole other story!) Overall, it was a very nice weekend with the family. It's always nice having them in Nashville to do fun Nashville things and just relax.

Loveless Cafe

Bring on the baby presents! My aunt and cousin gave us our baby's 1st Tennessee t-shirt. So cute! Of course if it's a boy the pink one will be returned, but they thought if it is a girl the pink is really cute! This was definitely Brantley's favorite gift (said with sarcasm). I was not surprised at all that this is what they gave us. This side of the family are huge Tennesse fans...the baby will be looking good on game days!

We got our grandparents a picture frame with our first ultrasound pic in it. The bottom says:

Great-Granchildren

Little people who take up your whole heart.

(at least that's as close as I can get without having one in my possession anymore)

Either way I loved these frames and was so excited I found them.

Downtown Franklin- Charles Dickens Christmas Festival

This was a really neat festival in my favorite place in Nashville. They have people dressed up as characters from A Christmas Carol walking around on Main St. and have so much deliciously smelling food, shops, and tents set up for people selling their own products. I want to remember this for next year. I will definitely go again!

Callie (cousin) and Me

The Aquarium

B, Bella, and Me (16 weeks)

*Don't miss the post below...it's new too!*