Baby Bump

I'm getting quite the baby bump with this one.  So far, my weight has mainly been in my belly, which I'm hoping will make for a quicker weight loss after the birth.  It could also be why I have been having quite a few flare ups with my sciatica pain.  Anyhow, here is my bump at 29 weeks.  Just a little over two months to go.  Starting to feel very real now.... (Aaaaahhhhhh!!!!!)

PS - I'm back to thinking the baby is a boy.  Chad is kind of thinking this way also now.  I'm so bad with guessing, though.  Early on I thought boy, then for the later part of the 1st trimester and most of the 2nd trimester I thought girl, and now I'm back to boy.  Just glad we have names picked out either way :)

Preacher Baby

We are convinced I am carrying a preacher with this pregnancy.  It is the complete opposite of Meredith, who was our music baby.  Here is why we have come to this conclusion:  This baby does not make much, if any, movement during the worship songs at church on Sunday morning.  However, when Pastor Baker gets up to speak, watch out!  My belly starts moving in all kinds of directions.  We noticed this very early on in the pregnancy and it's quite hilarious.  On the other hand, Meredith was a mover and shaker when it came to the worship music, which can mirror a rock-style concert in our church, though I don't remember her moving much with the sermons.  What's so funny is that even now, Meredith will stop whatever she's doing at times and dance to music that's on TV, the radio, or that we are singing.  Who knows, maybe this is the next John the Baptist, or Joni the Baptist (if it's a girl) :)

Family Pictures

It's that time of year again....time for family pictures!  Actually, it's a time to get Meredith's pictures for Christmas and then get a few of Chad and I with her :)  We opted for an early Sunday morning photo shoot, hoping they wouldn't be too busy, but alas it was crowded as usual.  Guess it's just that time of the year.  We had to reschedule once because of a bruise Meredith had around her eye, due to a fall off the slide, so we didn't want to push the date back again.  Meredith did surprisingly well in the actual photo shoot, much to our amazement.  She is usually so squirmy for pictures we try to take.  However, trying to hold her still while we chose our favorite pictures was a different story.  Next time we'll have to take a sitter along with us!

All decked out for Christmas

What a big girl she is getting to be!

Our little bookworm :)

Hard to tame down all of the hair in the back :)

The Prentice Family

I love this picture, especially since we didn't get any professional pregnancy pictures while I was carrying Meredith.  It won't be long and we will be a family of four!

Pumpkin Patch

One of the highlights of our Fall was visiting our local pumpkin patch.  I was able to go several times with other moms and once with my parents.  Though I don't think I ended up getting my money's worth with the season pass I bought (do you sense any bitterness?), it was fun and will be even more fun next year when Meredith can participate in more of the activities.  Here are some pictures of our adventures:

Lauren and Meredith.  (Meredith had a nasty fall earlier in the week, so that's the reason for her bloody nose).  It was VERY cold this particular morning.  I loved the little wagons they had available, since the strollers didn't push so well in the gravel.

Mommy and Meredith in the corn bin.  I found corn EVERYWHERE when we got back home...in the van, washing machine, and her boots.

Pre-Ride...all smiles.

So far, so good...

This is one of those rides that will be better next year.  She kept falling down off the seat :(  I wish they would have allowed me to ride along with her.  She was pretty scared at this point.

Post ride...all tears :(

This was one of her favorite activities - going in the miniature houses (including a post office).  This is on my wish list for my Dad to build for our back yard.  Isn't it cute?

She loved pushing the shopping cart around.  She's used to being on the other end, as I push her around the store.

Washing her veggies.

The view from inside the miniature house.  Beautiful!

Riding the tire-made horse swing.

We even got to go on a hayride around the pumpkin patch!

She did not like this activity.  My Dad tried to jump on it with her, but she would have none of it!

Grandpa Perry, Meredith, and Grandma Perry

Call Me Megan Crocker

Well, I'm no Betty Crocker, but I felt like one today.  It was our turn to bring snacks for Chad's Wednesday night high school ministry Bible study.  We needed to come up with snacks to feed 35+ kids and group leaders.  Though I love to cook and have enjoyed it even more since we got married (it's never fun or easy to cook for just one person), I'm not big on baking.  It's not that I don't know how, it's just that I'm not a big dessert person.  Sure, I'll have sweets now and then (don't even get me started on my recent pregnancy-induced DQ Cookie Jar blizzard craving), but I could do without.  I'm the one at Thanksgiving that would rather have seconds of meat/potatoes, rather than having dessert. 

Anyhow, I came across a super simple recipe for Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies.  I can't believe I just admitted that....me and peanut butter?  Well, it was a sacrifice I made for Chad, because it is just about his favorite food ever and as for me, I absolutely hate the taste of it!  I guess opposites attract.  To balance it out, I also made a store bought package of oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.  Not that there will be any leftover treats after high school guys go through line, but I'm hopeful.

So, I cranked up the Christmas music on my iPod and began baking.  It kind of put me in the holiday spirit :)

Meredith just discovered the oven light.  She had just woken up from her nap (can you tell by her hair?) and was in a trance as she stared at the cookies baking.

Finally, I will leave you with this humorous e-mail I sent to Chad after my baking experience with the peanut butter cookies:

Do you know how much I love you?  Well, I'll tell you!

I have been hand rolling every PB cookie and have PB stuck under my fingernails.  Also, since you weren't around, I had to taste test one of the cookies.  I can't believe I did it.  I now have this awful taste in my mouth! :)