Lazy days in Houston/The ultrasound results are in!

So a couple of days after Laura left, the girls and I packed up the car and headed down to Houston to stay with Jason while he was down there for a 1-month rotation at Methodist Hospital. We thought I was going to arrive sometime while he was still at work, so he left this sweet little note for us along with a couple M&M bags. Isn't he so cute?!

I have such a sweet hubcap!!


We went out to a local Thai restaurant and picked up some Chicken Pad Thai for dinner and brought it back to the apartment, so we could watch the first presidential debate between McCain and NObama. ;)

The next afternoon, we headed over to the hospital for lunch and to see where Jason had been working for the past week and the girls loved the fountain and the statue of Jesus - or as Katie liked to call Him, She-shush. :)

Kristin and Katie in front of the fountain


Kristin and Katie with "She-shush" ;)


We spent the rest of the day driving around Houston - trying to figure out where the nice parts of town were. We ate dinner at Panera Bread and then headed home (our temporary home that is) to take advantage of the cable!! I'm not going to lie to you...a lot of time was wasted in front of that dumb TV!

The next morning, we headed over to Joel Osteen's gi-normous church, but we got a little confused with the whole parking thing, so we got there too late for the service. We ended up walking around, so we could figure out where to bring the girls for Sunday School the following Sunday and we also spent a little time in the church bookstore (which was also gi-normous).

Taking the looooong walk from the parking garage to the church entrance


After that, we went back to that Thai restaurant for their lunchtime buffet. Blah! It wasn't very good. Kristin even gagged a couple of times on one of the desserts. I also remembered why I hate buffets! I don't like having unlimited food in front of me - because even if it doesn't taste good, I still feel like I have to eat it to get my money's worth. Ugh... We came back to the apartment and took the girls over to the community swimming pool. It was so cold, but they didn't seem to care!! We spent the rest of the day being lazy in front of the TV while I did laundry.

Jason and Katie watching Kristin


A very happy Kristin


Kristin practicing her new found swimming skills


The next day was Monday, so Jason was back at work. The girls and I stayed in the apartment all day long doing nothing but watch TV and play - just waiting for Jason to get off work. Soooooo very unproductive. I wished there had been an Internet connection - then I could have searched for things to do in Houston! I'll have to get some plans together before we go to Houston again in April!

The next afternoon, the girls and I headed back to San Antonio - since I had an ultrasound scheduled for the following afternoon. We got back in time for me to run some errands before dinnertime. Katie got her 18 month shots at the hospital (much to her disappointment), I made a grocery run to the commissary (to save ourselves from having to shop at Wal-Mart) and I even squeezed in a little birthday and Christmas shopping before getting us some dinner.

The next day was the big day!! I had been praying that we'd get a clear shot of the baby's "goods", so we could be sure whether we were having a boy...or another girl! I took the girls for a 2 mile walk around the neighborhood, took a shower, dropped the girls off at my friend Cami's house and headed off to my ultrasound appointment. I was seen fairly quickly, but the ultrasound itself took a good chunk of time (measuring and checking the baby's anatomy). Then it was finally time to get some pictures and see whether we were going to have a boy or girl!! My heart was pounding while the technician took her time looking around and pointed things out whilst taking pictures (unfortunately they weren't very good pictures). I kept praying and praying that the sex of the baby would be VERY obvious!! And after a little while, she finally said, "You're having a boy." She turned the screen around for me and pointed out the VERY obvious boy parts!! All I could say was, "YES!!!" I was surprised how very noticeable it was!! I'm no technician, but what I was looking at was very easy to make out! ;)

So now that we're sure we're having a boy - the name has already been decided on (which is convenient because we didn't have anything picked out for a girl). Jason was very adamant about naming our first boy Caleb (which is strange because he normally isn't that into picking out names) after Caleb in the Bible. It has something to do with Caleb and Joshua standing up for what they knew was right even when everyone else opposed them (or something like that). That sort of reminds me of what I thought about Jason when I met him in high school. :) Then I picked Anthony for the middle name (after Jason's late brother and our best friend - Tony).

Baby's profile


Baby's "goods" ;)


I know we would have been just as happy to be having another girl, but I was really hoping to have at least a couple of boys. And it's exciting to know that we'll be experiencing something sort of different (if that makes any sense) - like boy toys, clothes and issues. Especially for me - I only had one sister, so the only stuff I know about boys is what I've seen with my younger brother-in-laws! I'm really excited!!! I've already gone and bought a couple of outfits from my most favorite kids store ever - Gymboree!! I can only go in there when there is a big sale and when I have coupons in hand - otherwise it's just too expensive! Okay - so I've given in a couple of times without either (for baby shower presents or if there's something really cute that I'm afraid won't have the girls' sizes later). I can't wait to meet our little baby boy!!! Woohoo!!!!

Anyways - I picked up the girls, mowed our front lawn (so we wouldn't get written up for an unkempt lawn while we were out of town), packed up the car and drove back to Houston.

The next evening I watched the vice-presidential debate between Palin and Biden. I thought Palin SO won that debate!! No question!!!

The rest of our time down in Houston (about 2 weeks), we didn't do a whole lot. Jason worked, Kristin and I did home school and Katie ran around and around the apartment. When we were done with school each day, we'd play and/or watch TV (Disney and Nickalodeon during the day and exhausting presidential news coverage at night).

20 weeks


Jason forced Kristin and I to go get our nails down one Saturday while he waited for us next door at the bookstore with Katie. I love getting my nails done, but I hate to spend the money!! Jason wouldn't take no for an answer! He even walked us into a nail salon (despite my protests) and asked for two manicures. Sheesh. How embarrassing. ;) So I gave in and we got our nails done.

Kristin's first professional manicure


Ah...I always love a good french manicure!!


Kristin is most pleased with her choice of nail polish :)


I found my most favorite place for groceries (HEB Central Market)


We did try to go to the Houston Zoo our last weekend there, but it was closing early for some function, so we went down the road to some garden club place. Eh. It was pretty lame, but I guess it was something to do.

Me and the girls at the garden club


Jason and the girls at the garden club


The most interesting thing at the garden club...our little squirrel friend ;)


So like I said - we REALLY didn't do a whole lot while we were in Houston. The most we did was go to their huge mall called the Galleria (which was crowded but really nice) a couple times, we ate out a some restaurants, we went to Joel Osteen's church (is he ever not smiling?) and we spent most of our time together at the apartment. One of our favorite places to go for tea and dessert was this little cafe/bakery called Ruggles. I mostly loved their condiments!! Jalepenos, pickles, roasted garlic, marinated onions...mmmm...condiments!! :) Yeah I know I'm strange. I could say it's a pregnant thing, but then I'd be lying. It's a Tricia thing. ;)

So yes - I'm disappointed for not figuring out a plan for Houston, but I'm not that upset about it. Jason has another rotation there again in April, so we'll have another chance to do it right next time. I'll definitely be putting a little more thought into it - maybe get a travel book or two and go to the ITT office on base to see if they have tickets for anything interesting down there. At least next time it won't be unfamiliar and we'll know our way around. :)

Kristin's doodle pro drawing of us flying to Grandma Christie and Grandpa Neil's


Kristin's drawing of Daddy


...and her drawing of Mommy. Do my ears really stick out like that?! :)


Katie doing her usual thing - trying on everyone's shoes.


When we got back, Jason decided it was time for Katie to make the move from her playpen to her toddler bed. Of course she was very excited about it and she did really well the first night, but for some reason she thought she could get out of bed the next night and roam around in the dark until she could find the door and cry for us to come get her. Argh! So now - being the lazy girl that I am - I have put the playpen back in the room next to her toddler bed (where she sleeps happily with no problem). I'll give it another try in a couple weeks. I'd do it sooner, but I love my sleep too much!! :)

Katie is very excited about moving into her big girl bed!


She passes out easily the first night...but not the next night (why is it that my camera works better in the pitch dark than it does in dim lighting???)


22 weeks


Katie happy to have a yard again.


Kristin being cute and cheesy as usual :)


So I'll end this now, so I can start writing about our Fall party, the Pumpkin Patch and Halleluia Night at church...then I'll finally be all caught up - luckily for you...my two or three loyal readers. ;)