Zooday

We go to the zoo so often with friends that I rarely bring my camera. If I’m being truly honest, I brought it on this particular zooday because the girls had new dresses (compliments of Mimi) and I thought they looked really cute in them.

L to R: Brooke, Erin(with Wayne), Henry, Oliver, Frederick, Alice, Norah We were very excited to catch both Kolas awake and active! This one looked right at me and winked – I swear!! Alice, Frederick, Norah and Henry We spent a long time in the Children’s area of the zoo and played on the playground and petted the goats. It warmed up by late morning – definitely one of the nicest days we had in January. We truly walked all over the zoo – from the Koalas to the Wilds of Africa where this Jeep is!

Grandpa Dean visits Dallas / Big News

Just before Thanksgiving I found out I was pregnant (due July 24th). I had been feeling sick for about a week but I thought it was because I was stressed about a talk I was giving for the Management Society. When that came and went and I still felt sick I thought I might be stressed about Thanksgiving and Alice’s birthday – and also stressed about that the fact that I was so stressed it was causing nausea. I mentioned it to a friend who joked that I was probably just pregnant. That quip spooked me enough to take a test and I was very surprised and excited to find out that I was in fact expecting. My morning sickness has been more severe this time around and when I complained to my parents my dad offered to come out for a week to help (my mom couldn’t come because of a scheduled scan). It was a huge help to have him here and just knowing help was coming made me feel a bit better. He made the kids and me breakfast everyday and cleaned the house and really just did everything. He allowed Bryan to concentrate on work during a busy time without feeling like he was neglecting us and kept the kids out and about.

While he was here we took the girls to see Santa at the mall. Their cute smocked candy cane dresses were made by our old neighbor Paula. I really wanted to get a good picture of them to give Paula but Alice wanted nothing to do with Santa. Santa offered her a cookie and she crept over to get it but pretty much as soon as she had it she walked away. Oh well, the photographer got a good one of Norah which is hard enough as it is. Grandpa Dean got to witness Norah’s obsession with Christmas carols. We spent a lot of time listening to the Pandora Christmas station and Norah singing along. She’s learned most of the words to most Christmas carols.We also went to the Children’s garden a few times When my dad left on Dec.17th I only had to get through a week before Bryan was off for Christmas. His visit really broke up the weeks of feeling sick and made it seem more manageable. Thanks for all the help Dad!

Garden Cafe

We met up with some friends for a delicious lunch at the Garden Cafe in Lakewood. It was a breezy, but sunny and warm winter day and I’m glad we took the opportunity to be outside. We didn’t as many nice days in January as we did last year.Benjamin and Norah played at the park across the street together before and after lunch