Overdue update!

These pictures are in baclwards order from when we took them, but you'll get the idea!  Tonight, December 26, our friends "The Burkes" came over and watched some tv.  Keagan and Hunter had a great time together - as usual.

Hunter LOVES his Uncle Moe.  He's so funny.

On Christmas night we went to Morgan's parent's house to celebrate Christmas.  It was so much fun.  Hunter enjoyed his first candy cane and lusted after Keagan's new train set!  I think we need to get him one!

Hunter helped Aunty B and Keagan open a gift.

Aunt Vicki, Uncle Nate and Tessa came to visit from Monday night-Friday afternoon

Family photo on Christmas(above)

Aunt Vicki trying to stop Hunter from destroying Tessa's train tracks. (Below)

What a big climber!

Dancing with his cousin (below)

Aunt Vicki is due with a baby boy in early April.  We compared belly sizes.  Mine is bigger (I only have 4 weeks left).

Such a good looking family!  Jeff, Vicki and Brian

Santa opening presents.

Tessa will be a "big sister"

Family photo on Christmas Eve before gift time

Calef family photo

Me, Hunter, Vicki and Tessa

SANTA!!!!!

Me and Santa

Tessa and Hunter LOVED playing the piano.  It's amazing what you can tune out when you have 2 toddlers in your house.

Sticker book time!  This kept Tessa happy and quiet for about 20 minutes.  Unfortunately, it only entertained Hunter for about 5 minutes.

Sticker books

Riding the train in Metlox

PLaying at Polliwog.  Tessa wanted to do everything Hunter did.  No matter what he ate or did, she wanted to be just like him.  It was so cute!  So, here are the cousins swinging together.

Aunty Vicki playing with Hunter in the play structure.

Tessa about to go down the slide.

The kids playing on the bench.

The only decorating Brian would do was to put the star on top of the tree.  Hunter is helping.

Hunter is helping Mommy decorate the tree.  The bottom 3 feet of the tree are decorated with plastic ornaments.

My big ol' belly.

Thor

Things have been so busy.  We cooked Thanksgiving dinner at our house and then we relaxed for a week before friends came to town for my baby shower.  Bridget was SO kind to put on a gorgeous baby shower for me.  I had 5 friends in town, Tiffany and 4 friends from my website (babyfit.com).  It was amazing, and I will post pictures of it soon.  Bridget is an incredible friend.

The day after my shower was my birthday!  I turned 28!  I can't believe how old that sounds.  So, we were planning on going to Disneyland but it was the only day of the year that it decided to pour rain.  We went shopping instead.  Not a bad day.  The following weekend we went for a nice dinner (without the baby) and enjoyed each other.  Hunter is at an age where he is very self-sufficient in being able to tell us what he wants to eat/drink and play by himself.  It's nice to be able to enjoy time with Brian while Hunter runs around bringing us toys and books to entertain himself.  I am going to miss that when the new baby is here, but I know I will enjoy the time with the new baby.

This weekend was eventful and fun.  I'm getting ready for the new baby.  Hunter's big boy room is almost done.  We got him twin bunk beds and we're decorating in a car theme.  The furniture has been a BIG to-do, but we're almost done with the store, we almost have all of it.  I need to decorate it still, but we're moving him next week when we get the mattress.  I'm super excited about it!  Given his preference for sleeping in our bed with us, I'm sure he will love his big boy bed.  I hope so anyways.

I submitted my qualifying paper and dissertation proposal yesterday.  I will defend it in front of a 5 person committee of professors who specialize in various areas involved in the paper.  On my committee I have a neurologist, a statistician, and 3 professors who specialize in various brain areas/cognitive capacities.  It will be a 2 hour defense in which they can ask me various questions about anything I should have learned in graduate school.  Usually they stick to the topics involved in the papers.  After that, I will just have to write my dissertation and I will be done with my Ph.D.!  I'm giving myself a minimum of a  year to finish my dissertation, and I plan on taking off a semester to spend time with the kids.  I'm relieved to not have to do work during every nap from now until then.  I'll let you know how it goes, but I've heard various comments through the grapevine that they "can't wait to pass me".  Sounds nice.  I'm excited.

There is something else very exciting going on in my life, but I'm waiting to see how it works out before we tell anyone about it.  It has been a big stress for the past week or so, but I think within a few weeks I will know how things will work out.

We wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.  After New Year's we will be preparing for my defense, and getting ready for the arrival of the new little guy.  We might try to squeeze in a night away from Hunter (our first one ever).  If not, the Burkes will have him for our first night away when we go to the hospital to deliver the new little guy.  Then it will be February!  Amazing how fast life is going, isn't it? 

As far as the hospital stay goes, we are planning to try to make it as short as possible.  Although we are looking forward to visitors, we hope to spend most of the time bonding just the 3 of us so we can go home and have Hunter with us.  I think we will stay in the hospital maybe 1 night and then go home, and ask the Burkes to keep Hunter for a second night but bring him to visit us for a little bit while we are at home.  Hopefully we'll be sleeping at home in our own bed, adjusting to life with the new baby.  This is the plan now, but you never know how life will change or what will happen - so it's all up in the air. 

That's the news for now.  I hope all is well with you.  Take care.