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!