OB Update

Well I had my doctor's appointment yesterday afternoon and everything still looks good! All of my vitals were good. I only gained 2 more pounds since my last visit making it a grand total of 25 since becoming pregnant. I credit that to being much more active this pregnancy and having reason(s) to be so much more active and on the go! My blood pressure was good and I've had no issues with any swelling. Baby had been measuring a week+ ahead but is now tapering off and measuring correctly with the number of weeks pregnant I am. My doctor didn't seem concern and said it could be due to running out of room to grow as well as at this stage but babies are not growing in length anymore, but adding weight. His heartbeat was still good too. No progress though but she did say my increase in Braxton Hicks contractions was a good sign. I do not go back until December 1 and I will be 37 1/2 weeks pregnant. There were no available appointments with her before then. I was a little nervous about having to wait 3 more weeks to be seen but she seemed that it would be okay. I don't think anything crazy will happen until then (fingers crossed)! Who knows that might be my last appointment, ha!

Countdowns Updated

40 days till my due date!!

5 weeks 5 days to go!!

I honestly don't think I will make it that long so that just means even less time remaining. I have an OB check up tomorrow afternoon. Hopefully it will go well! Both P and H were born during the 38th week so I figure #3 will follow similar suit if not earlier. I turn 37 weeks the weekend after Thanksgiving so as long as he bakes until then, I'll be happy. I'm going to predict the first week of December for his arrival. Cannot wait to meet the little guy :)

47 days till Christmas!!

Can you believe it? Are you ready? Less than that of shopping days!!! I'm very excited for this Holiday season!! Its going to a memorable, magical time this year! What a blessing to have my husband home this year and a new baby in the family!!! We have already been getting our decorations ready and have great ideas for inside & outside the house. I have completed all of my holiday shopping for the kids and have even made a good dent in the wrapping department. I look forward to this time of year... we have lots of plans on our agenda as well. We want to start some new traditions and revisit old ones. The kids (minus the newborn) are at a great age of wonder and imagination and I can't wait to see these next 40 some odd days unravel for our family!!! :)

Weekend Recap

Another great weekend for the Doggette family!! :) Some people may find our weekends boring but that's how we are and what we like to do. Our weekend began early on Friday since Brandon got off work earlier than usual. We decided to do some roaming around town and look at Christmas decorations. Yes, we are those people who decorate the weekend of Thanksgiving. If it wasn't considered tacky, I'd probably do it sooner, ha! Our first stop was Hobby Lobby who currently has most Christmas decor 50% off. We were in Christmas heaven! We contained ourselves though and picked up just a few things. We purchased a new angel tree topper for our Christmas tree as well as some garland and 2 boxes of white lights. Brandon wants to do the traditional, classic look outside as well as inside this year for our decorating theme. Then we headed over to Lowe's to see what they had to offer. I want to do wreaths on all the front windows of the house. I found some gorgeous ones at Hobby Lobby but even at the sale price, they were still around $30 a piece and we need 4 so that's quite a lot just for wreaths. Lowe's had some plain but pretty, classic wreaths with just the red bow and only wanted $10 each so that was much more budget friendly. However, they didn't have too many to pick from so we went ahead and purchased them (otherwise knowing our luck we would go back and no more available or not enough). Brandon also picked up a six plug power stake that also has a timer. This will come in handy for all those lights outside and we wont have to remember to plug them in and out. I can't wait to start decorating... only a few weekends to go! After that it was time for dinner so we stopped at Zaxby's and ate a yummy meal before heading back home. We took Murray on a short walk. Then upstairs for bath time and story time for the kiddos. Both were in bed by 8 :)

Saturday morning, we all slept in until 8. I am so lucky my kids are great sleepers! This mama really appreciates a good night's sleep :) We had a mixed morning of laziness and productivity. I made cinnamon rolls for breakfast. The kids played upstairs some in their rooms. Then we headed outside while Brandon finished taking down the Halloween decorations, cleaned out the garage, organized all the Halloween decor, and loaded up the truck for a dump run. P and him went to the local dump while Henry watched shows and I got ready for the day. The garage looks so much better! We had sandwiches for lunch and watched some football. Henry laid down for a nap and we cleaned/organized the attic. Brandon got all his Christmas lights out to see which ones worked and how many bulbs & fuses he would need to replace. Yes our house will probably be decorated in the next few weeks, ha! I guess that's what happens when you have a husband who loves the holidays and missed last year! I got Henry up from his nap and we all got ready and headed into town to do some more roaming. We went to Target first and looked at all their Christmas stuff. They had a few things we liked but their selection wasn't as big as I thought it would be. We purchased a new countdown to Christmas calendar and found Murray a little Christmas doggie sweater :) Next stop we went over to Babies R Us/Toys R Us. I was itching to spend my gift card I had received at my baby shower and the kids of course wanted to look at toys. Too bad they don't know we are DONE Christmas shopping for them :) Then we headed home to get ready for dinner. Since football was on including some important games, I fixed us a pizza and some wings. It was good & yummy!! Too bad the SC game didn't end up so well :/ The Kansas State v. Oklahoma State was quite a game to watch as well as the LSU v. Alabama game! I always enjoy a good football game. I even was productive in my TV viewing and wrapped some Christmas presents. I was able to make a little dent in the stock pile up in the attic. Crazy again I know for already wrapping presents but there's only a limited amount of time left and I know I'm not going want to wrap with a newborn to take care of. All in all, a good Saturday for us!

Sunday morning the kids woke up around 730 which was the old 830 since time changed over night. I was a bit worried they'd wake up too early and then it would be a LONG day. We had a quiet morning then we all got ready for the day & headed out. We went to the nice, big Walmart over by exit 11 to see what they had for Christmas decor. They had a much larger selection than Target. We picked up two plug in candlesticks for the upstairs windows and a few other small things. I saw a Christmas tree I really liked there and it was reasonably priced but not sure we necessarily need a new tree especially since we've had ours since '06 but have only put it up a few times. I did see a 3 ft. multi colored tree I am going to get for the upstairs landing and make that the kids' tree. I saw some cute ornaments at Target for it. After there we ate some yummy lunch at a sandwich place we had never eaten at before, Jimmy John's. It was really good, something different for a change. I recommend their tuna, very tasty! Then we drove down to the Riverwalk and walked that trail as well as let the kids play at the playground for a bit. It was a nice day weather wise and the kids had fun exploring a different park for a change. On the way home, we had to pick up dog food for Murray. Henry fell asleep in the car and continued his nap at the house. Brandon, P and I piddled outside some. I vacuumed out my car and cleaned the inside some. Henry woke up around his usual 3 o'clock. We then took Murray for a long walk around the neighborhood and let the kids play outside some in the front yard. Need to take advantage of the nice weather and daylight while we can. This time change is going to hard to get use to! Brandon fried up some chicken tenders for dinner; and I made baked macaroni & cheese and corn to go with them. It was yummy! Unfortunately, Murray was out back unnoticed and drank up some of the cooking oil in the electric skillet. Yuck! So we spent the rest of the night cleaning up after him and trying to make sure he was ok. He spent a few hours outside until it seemed the worse had passed. Poor dog but he should know better! I think he learned his lesson and we did too, ha! Sometimes I feel like having a pet is like taking care of another child :/ On an update, he is doing much better today! Hope everyone had a great weekend as well!!! :)

Baby Shower

Yesterday, my good friend Christina hosted a baby shower for me at her house. It was a small group with just three of us ladies but it was still a nice time. My friend Nicole that I've known since our days at Fort Irwin and is now stationed here at Fort Campbell was able to attend and it was great seeing & catching up with her! Christina created a delicious spread for lunch. On the menu was pimento cheese sandwiches, egg salad sandwiches, chicken salad sandwiches, crackers & spread, chips & dip, cupcakes, and punch. It was all very yummy!!!! We spent the majority of the time sitting around and chatting like women know how to do, ha! I opened my gifts and was blessed with some goodies! I received a gift card to Babies R Us which is always nice to have :) I was also given the Moby wrap I have been lusting after. I got it in the color black since its a neutral color to wear and it also matches my stroller and diaper bag. I also received some products for at the hospital and my postpartum healing. These will come in handy for sure! My aunt and mom weren't able to attend to but sent gifts anyways. They are so thoughtful! My aunt purchased a few items off of my Amazon wish list. I received 3 new great products I've been wanting... the Boppy Newborn Lounger, an ear thermometer, and the Happi Tummi Removable Waistband (to help with gas & colic). My mom sent me a Target gift card which I am already itching to spend on the last essentials I need to pick up. Francis Scott and I are beyond blessed to have such good friends and family!!! Looking forward to using all my new items and gadgets as well as for Scott to meet all these amazing people!!! :)

Happy Halloween!

Hope everyone had as spooktacular holiday as we did!! It was so much fun and the kids really enjoyed themselves trick or treating around the neighborhood. Henry really got into this year and loved walking around holding his pumpkin bucket. And of course P made great strides this year and actually said "trick or treat" to every door we went to... so proud of my typically shy child! They both looked adorable in their costumes!! P went as Princess Belle from Beauty and the Beast and Henry went as a Train Conductor since of course one of his favorites is TRAINS! The designated hours for trick or treating were from 5 to 8 pm so I fixed them an early dinner of grilled cheese sandwiches so we could get them dressed in time. Brandon came home from work around 5 and we got them all decked outside. But it wasn't quite dark yet nor did we see any other trick or treaters walking around, so we hung out in the front yard till closer to 6. I ended up taking them around one of the short loops by myself so Brandon could be at the house to give out candy and scare little kids, ha! We survived the first loop but I did have to carry Henry a few times. The space between houses with porch lights was spaced out and he got tired of walking. When we got back to the house, our friends the St Johns were there. They had come by to see our house all decorated; and Christina and I loaded up the boys in the wagon and took them and P around another short loop so the kids could load up on more candy! Needless to say by the time we were finished trick or treating, both P and Henry had their pumpkin buckets full! I let them pick out something each and both decided on a bag of Cheetos. Once I had gotten Henry cleaned up and in his pajamas, I ran up to BK to get Brandon and I a late dinner. By 8 we had no more candy, all of it had been given out. We had a few stragglers after that and we just had to tell them we were out of candy. Good thing I bought two jumbo bags!! All in all, we had a great night and made some great memories :)

Weekend Recap

Oh how it seems like this month has flown by, Tuesday marks the first of November! Before I know it the end of the year will be here.. its crazy how time really does fly :) Our weekend was another short one, somewhat productive and somewhat lazy. But really that sometimes is the best kind of weekend. Friday was a very lazy day for the kids and I. While Brandon was at work, we hung out at home inside. The weather was quite dreary.. cold, windy and more rain. Nonetheless, it was a great excuse to stay indoors and be homebodies. I was somewhat productive in my activities by cleaning upstairs (dusted and vacuumed), did a load of laundry, wrote out my meal plan and grocery list for next week.. nothing vastly exciting but needed to be done. The kids played for awhile upstairs.. we had pizza for lunch and while Henry took a nap, I napped and P watched some shows on Netflix. Brandon got home a little earlier than usual and he picked up Chinese for us for dinner. It was very yummy and a nice treat! Rest of the night was spent playing with the munchkins upstairs and then bath time and getting them ready for bed.

Saturday morning, we woke up to some sunshine. It was still a little chilly but I can handle the cold much better when its nice and sunny outside. We had a lazy morning before getting dressed and ready for the day. We went up to Walmart and roamed around some. Hard to believe they are already getting Christmas decorations out! I guess it wont be too long before that holiday is here. We came back to the house and I made pizza biscuits for lunch. Henry went down for a nap around 1 and I tidied up a bit around the house as well as did a load of Army laundry. It was quiet time for P and Brandon watched some college football... the Arkansas v. Vanderbilt was a good game to watch! Once Henry got up from his nap, we all played outside some until it was time to get ready to head to the Oak Grove Halloween Party. We got the kiddos dressed up in their costumes. Henry looks so handsome as a train conductor and P decided on Princess Belle and looked adorable! (I'll have to take better pictures on Monday to post.) We stopped at Wendy's for a quick dinner on the way.. not knowing what food would be available and not wanting to eat too late. It was tasty and even Henry ate really well! However, the Oak Grove event was a bust and we should have recognized that with the line of traffic just to turn in and park. It was VERY unorganized with no one directing traffic or what was going on. It was all inside several adjoining buildings but there was only one line to enter and only so many were allowed to enter at one time. The line (no kidding) was wrapped around the parking lot. It was insane.. at least an hour wait from the end of the line to the door. There was no way the kids were going to wait in that and especially not just for candy (that they don't eat anyways). Needless to say we left that mess! Note to self next year don't even attempt, ha! Thankfully, we already had plans after the event to go to a coworker of Brandon's, Chief Shoenfelt, house. He is Halloween crafty as well and has been talking to him about the spooky set he made in his garage. They live out in Oak Grove so we stopped by. His house was very neat and definitely spooky. Henry was not sure of it and neither was P. We visited with them for awhile and took the kids to a few houses in their neighborhood since they were already in costume. The city of Oak Grove decided to do Halloween Saturday night instead of Monday. The kids really enjoyed it especially Henry. He loves carrying his pumpkin from house to house and he did not want to give it up. Its not that he cares about the candy, I think he just likes that he earned it or something. It was quite chilly so after a few houses they were done and we headed back home. The each picked out a treat from their buckets and of course my kids pick the pretzels, ha! Then we got them ready for bed... both were tired... P even asked to go to bed. Both munchkins were down by 8 :) Brandon and I watched some football.. including another WIN for South Carolina!! The Stanford v. USC game was another good one to watch as well!

On Sunday morning, we all slept in until 830! That never happens in this house especially not for P or Henry. They both must have been tired from Saturday's activities. It felt good to sleep in, this mama appreciated it greatly :) The rest of our morning was lazy.. I made blueberry muffins for breakfast and afterwards the kids went upstairs to play. Brandon did some yard work then it was lunchtime. Henry laid down for a short nap while Brandon watched football, P played the Wii and I read some in my book & dozed a little too. After Henry got up, we headed downtown to the museum. Its our go to place when we need something to do. The kids always enjoy being there and playing. Henry LOVES the trains. And its technically free since we just paid the membership fee for a year. We lucked out today and the place was practically ours. The kids had a blast and easily spent over an hour there! On the way home, we stopped at a local Mexican restaurant for dinner. It was oh so yummy and always nice not to have to cook! Another weekend of limited cooking for me, but I wont complain :) I cook on the weeknights and even did so well as not to eat a single lunch out all week which is a big deal for me, ha! We came home and took Murray for a walk around the neighborhood. Then upstairs for story time before bath time and getting ready for bed. The kids watched a show then both were in bed by 8. Another successful yet lazy weekend which is good because we have a full, busy week ahead of us that's filled with some exciting events! :)

Flashback Friday

Pictures of Halloweens Past:

October '06

Our first Halloween (Brandon was in AIT in '05) and I was pregnant with P.

We were living on Post at Fort Irwin, CA.

October '07

Peighton's First Halloween

P was only 9 months old and the cutest little pumpkin ever!

Notice our decorations got better that year :)

October '08

P was almost two here. She didn't dress up that year. We went to Disneyland to Mickey's Trick or Treat Part the weekend earlier. Plus we lived in an apartment in Barstow, CA with not many

places to go trick or treating.

October '09

P was 2 1/2 and a fairy princess. She was too cute!

We were in SC for that weekend and went trick or treating around my parents' neighborhood. Then attended a Halloween Party at the neighbors' house. This time I was pregnant with Henry. Notice a pattern, ha :)

October '10

P was Princess Jasmine and Henry (his first Halloween) was Rex the dinosaur from Toy Story.

Brandon was deployed and thus we were at my parents' for the holiday.

Aunt Danielle and Miss Shannon took P around the neighborhood. Henry went to a few houses to show off his costume but mostly we stayed at Mimi & Papa's and passed out candy.