My Grown Up Christmas List

Ok, so this is my least favorite Christmas song EVER, and I'm warning you now, that I'm not going to wish for world peace (although that would be nice, those politicians are angry people), or no more lives torn apart (although this is a good thing to wish for any time of year). No, my grown up Christmas list is made up of mostly Etsy, and just some all-around fabulous things that would be great to gift to anyone!

After cleaning out my parents basement of my childhood things, I came across one of my old diaries. I guess I was always meant to be a blogger... regardless, it had a Christmas list dated September 14, 1992. There are two things humorous about this date. First, I was already drafing my Christmas list 3 months before my parents would even start to think about Christmas (my Mom disappeared for a week straight every year right before Christmas to finish her shopping). Secondly, I was almost 6 and a half years old (2nd grade?) and already wanted baking supplies. Here goes:

- NKOTB tape (NKOTB translation: New Kids on the Block)
- Flannel shirt

- Stirrup Pants

- Boom Box
- Pink Bathrobe with "Minny" Mouse on the pocket
- Radio alarm clock
- A bag of candy
- Molly's glasses (from American Girl dolls)

- Ears Pierced
- Easy Bake Oven with brownie kits
- Oven mits for Easy Bake Oven
- Glow in the dark star stickers to put on my bedroom "seeling" (ceiling)
- Strawberry Astronaut Ice Cream
- Edible Bubbles
- Movies
- A TV for my room
- Computer game for "Where in the World is Carmen Sam Deego" (I was an excellent speller)
- April's Yellow and Purple bikini (that poor bathing suit was so ugly. Gotta love the 80's!)
- SPY swim meet bathing suit
- SPY bag

And that concludes the list. I'm actually surprised that this list was still housed in the diary, since I remember promptly taking my long and detailed Christmas list and hanging it on the refrigerator after drafting it. Maybe I created a new one.

On a side note: I was a strange kid. My family still teases me about wearing Stirrup pants (unfortunately, there is proof that I wore them...along with a "Minny" Mouse sweatshirt), and what 6 year old girl asks for Astronaut ice cream?!

Moving on... my list has changed a bit, and while my kitchen gadget requirements have changed a bit, they still make the list. My poor husband. Trying to finish decorating a new house AND preparing for a new baby does not a happy bank card make! I just like to call it "nesting."

And now for the list (and of these would make great gifts!):

This wreath is to-die-for. If only I could hang it outside on my front door... Embellished with a bright red bow, I think this would look ah-mazing hung in any house for Christmas! (SOURCE).

For the chef or baker in the family: a microplane grater. I've been eyeing these for years now. Every time I grumble when I have to pull out my huge cheese grater just to shave some chocolate or zest and orange. Would be great for topping off Holiday coffee with some fresh nutmeg! (SOURCE).

I think this is the cutest little ornament. I love the rustic qualities and that you can personalize it. Her store, MaternalNEST is awesome and has so many baby things I'd love! If you ever want to buy my something for baby, you won't be able to go wrong here. (SOURCE).

This calendar is so pretty!!! Would love to hang it in my kitchen, or even in my office for some cheering up. (SOURCE).

It's no secret that I LOVE EmersonMade. I own one of her flower pins and I wear it every chance I get. I love her flower hair clips and her new clothing line, but this would make for an awesome accessory (and conversation piece) to any outfit! (SOURCE).

I cheated and bought this for myself already, but this would be fabulous for the baker on your list! I've never seen a cookie-cutter like this before and for the $1.25 price tag, this would make for a perfect stocking stuffer (perhaps before Christmas to encourage some candy-shaped cookies!). (SOURCE).

For Him:

I bought these shoes for Bobby for our winter photo shoot (you'll see on our Christmas cards!) and he's worn them several times before and after. Every time he wears them, people swoon. I take full credit for these since I found them. The price tag isn't too shabby, either, making this a great gift for your hubby or boyfriend! (SOURCE).

Got a man who loves to grill? Don't let the early evenings deter him from cooking out. This grill light attaches to the grill's handle, so it flips down when the grill is open, thus giving him light to cook by! (SOURCE).

Give him a classic look with this traditional Navy Pea Coat. He will wear this for YEARS, and the quality from J. Crew will withstand. It's on sale right now for an absolute STEAL. I just bought this for Bobby as his early Christmas gift (he needed one) and he loves it. Warm, but not too bulky, and stylish yet classic. (SOURCE).

Sleep pants. What guy doesn't like to lounge? The appeal to these is that they are material that are like hospital scrubs and don't cling or get too hot. The drawstring waist makes them comfortable. The blue is classic, in case you can't get your man into Puppy Dog Critter Flannel plants. (SOURCE).

Does your man love Mad Men as much as you do? Bobby and I have become attached to that show (not the most moral show, but MAN, I love the clothes and style!). Have your man sip Don Draper style with these silver-rimmed double Old Fashioned tumbler glasses, just like the ones from the show. How great would these look on a bar at Christmas?! If you want real vintage glasses from the 1960's, try Etsy.com. They have a lot of sets! (SOURCE).

There you have it! Have you finished your Christmas shopping yet? I'm about 75% of the way there. Living in the country forces me to shop online. Over the 3 years I've had to do this, online retailers are offering online shoppers some really awesome deals...sometimes even better in the store. I always Google "Coupon Codes for __________" (insert any store name) to find free shipping or a percentage off my order. Most of the time, I can always find something for an even better deal! What are you Christmas shopping tricks?! Are you the shopper who is finished by Halloween?!

It's a....

BOY! Baby Barrick is a boy!

*Note to self: Look less awkward in action pictures. Thank you.*

We had our 19 week sonogram at the hospital on Friday that revealed everything is healthy and normal with our sweet boy! He weighs about 8 ounces and is about 6 1/2 inches long. We ate lunch right before the sonogram, so he was moving around a lot at first. Then the food coma kicked in, and he started yawning and then fell asleep. It's quite amazing to see this living thing moving around inside my belly!

I've been able to feel our little peanut moving around consistently in the last week, which has been such a strange feeling, but good to know that he's moving around. Despite my ill-fitting yellow top in the pictures, I feel like my belly has popped out a little bit in the last week!

For the record, we have picked out our boys name, but aren't revealing it until Baby Barrick is born. Sooorrrrryyyy!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We sure have a lot to be thankful for.

...and now, off to Black Friday shopping (online) and to register for Baby Barrick at a baby superstore. I'm dragging Bobby along, so it should be interesting!

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Bump: Week 16 & 17

Ok, ok, ok... so the last time I took a belly picture was when I was 13.5 weeks along. I thought I would be more diligent about taking belly pictures every week, but I just haven't felt like it!

(I'm actually just annoyed that I don't have much to show for all that sickness, so I didn't want another reminder of what I DON'T have to show for being pregnant. Boo).

So to appease the beckoning crowds, here are baby bump pictures from last week (week 16) and this week (week 17)! I really feel like my tummy is growing, so *fingers crossed* that I'll be popping out soon! I'm lookin' a little rough, so please forgive the dark eyes and cranky smile.

16 weeks here

17 weeks here

New symptoms: Crazy heartburn, appetite has returned (for the most part), skin is breaking out (lovely), hair and nails are growing like crazy

Cravings: Pizza, Tacos, anything Citrus

Turn-Off's: Chicken or any kind of white meat, anything chocolate (except hot chocolate)

We've purchased the Consumer Reports book of Best Baby Products (found on Amazon.com HERE) and have been browsing through it for research on big ticket baby items: strollers, car seats, cribs, baby monitors, etc. I've also started about 38953 baby books, all of which are sitting on my night stand.

Baby Barrick is currently about 5 ounces, which is about the size of a turnip, and also about 5 inches long. I should be able to feel the baby kick in the next few weeks or so, but I think I've already felt some fluttering...

Our next big milestone will be the day before Thanksgiving when we can find out the baby's gender! I'll do a big reveal on here, so check back soon for that news! And yes, we are finding out.

The big, bad basement project is still under weigh! I have absolutely no pictures of the project this far, as it pretty much looks the same as before. Plumbing is almost finished and framing will be finished in the next 2 weekends. 5 months until Baby Barrick gets here, so that's our deadline.

Ok, I am probably boring you right now, but thanks for checking in! I am unbelievably busy with MB Photography this time of year, so I apologize for the lack of updates. I can assure you that once December and January roll around, things will be slowing WAYYY down and I will actually have time to blog about this baby and our crazy, little life down here in Southern Maryland.

Thanks for checking in!

Pretty Please?!

Can someone please buy THIS for me for Christmas AND convince my husband that it's AWESOME?! How clever!

If only we didn't have a brown front door...

What's on your Christmas list this year? My family has discovered the beauty that is Amazon.com Wish Lists. It's great for my non-tech-savvy Mother, so she can just print them off and run around to the stores (haven't gotten her to shop online yet, which I think my Dad is happy about).

A Pink Replacement

Do you think Killian would be mad if I traded him in for one of these?

It was too cute, I just had to share.