Pictures of Christmas Past.

Christmas is just 7 days away!!

This year Brandon and I will be spending Christmas at home. Over the last five years we have spent Christmas several holidays apart.. I'm very excited that we get to wake up on Christmas morning together. So this morning I was looking through our Christmas pictures from the last five years and thought I would share a few. It's funny to see how much we have changed.

2006 At a work Christmas Party.  We spent this year apart.

2007 At home before he left for Tennessee.

2008

2009  I spent part of the holiday break in Kingsport and then drove home on Christmas Eve.

2010 We spent 7 days in Kingsport, 3 of which we were snowed in with no electricity!

14 Days until Christmas!

I'm so excited Christmas is almost here.  We are "grounded" this year and can't travel too far so we will be home for Christmas.  I love getting to see family around the holidays.  Last night we received a visit from Nonnie, Aunt Sharon, and Johanna all the way from Birmingham.  It was great to get to have dinner with them and visit a little while afterwards.  Here are a few pictures. 

Catching up

I haven't blogged in a while so let me catch you up on what we have been up to.  For Thanksgiving we traveled to South Carolina.  In the past Brandon's family has celebrated Thanksgiving at his Mom's house in Kingsport, TN.  This year we celebrated in North Augusta/Aiken, SC.  We stayed with Brandon's brother and enjoyed 4 days with the family.  We ate good food and did a little bit of shopping.  In no way did I intend to do my usual Black Friday shopping, but we did get a few good deals over the weekend and online too.
While we were there we had a little surprise baby shower given by Brandon's family.  It was very sweet and we are so grateful for all the wonderful things we received.  Here are a few pictures.

Baby Shower Time!

We had an awesome time at our shower last week.  We were so excited that we got to celebrate with our friends and family.   Thanks to everyone for making this such a special night! I know some of you drove a long way! Baby girl Jennings is going to be a very blessed little girl. She got some great gifts and some very cute clothes!

4D Pictures!!

Today we got to experience the 4D ultrasound and got to see our sweet little girl.  She was just a little shy and very sleepy.  She was stretched across my belly with her head up under my right ribs.  She liked to keep her arm up next to her face but every now and then she would move it for us to get a peek.  She definitely has hair.  We were wondering if she was going to be bald since both of us were little bald babies. She looks like she might have my little turned up nose and some big cheeks.  So here are a few of her best moments today.  We surely can't wait to meet her!

Sticking her tongue out.

Being shy.

Yawning.

Knoxville

We spent this weekend in Knoxville with our friends Chip & Haley.  We were very excited to get to see them for the first time since we found out they are expecting their first baby!  We had a great time at the UT/SC game even though we didn't pull a victory.  Thanks to Haley and Chip for the tickets!  Here are a few pictures!

While we were out Chip snapped a few pictures of Brandon and I.  Here are a few of our favorites. Thanks Chip! 

Baby Girl Jennings Update



26 Weeks

We are at the 26 week mark.  Our little baby girl is growing fast and the time is flying by. She is much more active now kicking and bouncing around in there all the time.  Brandon has been lucky enough to get to feel all her activity lately. It's so sweet to see him smiling feeling her moving around.  I think she is doing cartwheels sometimes.  A few days ago I went for a checkup at the cardiologist.  I have had an irregular heart beat a few times a day for the past few years.  So they did an echo cardiogram to check things out.  Since I'm fresh out of ultrasounds until our 3D next month I asked the lady if she could see babies with "that wand."  She said "Why, do you think there is a baby in there?"  Hello? I'm 26 weeks pregnant, why cant you tell?  Okay, so I thought that, I didn't exactly say those words. :)  Anyway, after the echo she checked out the baby girl and sure enough there she was bouncing around on the screen.  I have a fetal Doppler at home, so I can hear her heartbeat anytime I want.  But, it's always reassuring to see her on the screen.  The cardiologist appointment checked out okay, and as long as I take care of myself my irregular heart beat should cause no problems right now.

Brandon is home from traveling today.  He was only gone 4 days and while that is nothing I was so sad to see him go on Monday.  I'm sure it's the hormones but it was much worse than when he traveled before I was pregnant.  I was sitting at home that night wondering how I had endured the 6 week trips before.  Brandon is my best friend and truly my soul mate and I can't stand days without him.  I don't know what I have done in this life to deserve such an amazing man, but I thank God for him everyday.  He is so selfless and always puts me first. Beyond opening doors and paying for my meals, when I first met him I was amazed that he thanked me for simply spending a day with him.  He still does it now, 5 years later..He thanks me for the simplest of things, the things I consider so small. 
      Jackie Kennedy's love letters have recently been made public, letters she had written to an old flame in the 40's.  I was reading about them the other day and she described what she thought it should feel like to be in love.  She said "I've always thought of being in love as being willing to do anything for the other person — starve to buy them bread and not mind living in Siberia with them — and I've always thought that every minute away from them would be hell."  She was right.