4 cities tour: Part 2

City #2: Austin

After our trip from Houston to Dallas, we headed to San Antonio for a mini vacation, a mini baby-moon if you will, and stopped in Austin on our way down.  Our stop in Austin was for one specific purpose: Franklin BBQ!  In Texas Monthly, it was rated the #1 BBQ place to eat in the COUNTRY!  It started out in a trailer and just recently moved to its own permanent location.  We got there around 10am, waited in line until the doors opened at 11am, and then waited in line some more as people moved through until about 12pm when we got our food.  We got a little sampler plate - some lean and fatty brisket, some sausage and some turkey.  They had Dublin Dr. Pepper from the fountain (YUM!) and delicious sauces.  It was quite the delicious treat.  Afterwards (somehow) we ate ice cream at the Cool Haus traveling ice cream truck.  Needless to say, dinner was quite small.

 I really would have liked to take a pic of us in line but I felt a bit silly so I just took a pic of the line.  With our 2 hours in line, we became friends with the people right in front of us.  They took off work to come just to Franklin's.  

The sign, and these two random men.  I did not realize they were in my photo.  It kinda looks like they are posing but I do not know them at all!

City #3: San Antonio

We finally got to San Antonio (after a brief stop at the San Marcos outlets) around 3pm.  We have done all the traditional San Antonio sights many times before so this trip was more for relaxation than anything else.  We stayed at the Ruckman Haus bed and breakfast in the Sun Room.  We actually spent a lot of time in the gorgeous room just reading, watching tv, and relaxing.  The breakfast was delicious and was so filling we really didn't need lunch and the two owners, the Ruckmans, were so nice and friendly.  On Saturday, we went out to the La Cantera Resort where I spent the day being pampered at the spa and Ben golfed.  We ended the day with a nice dinner on the river walk.  So fun and relaxing!

Reading - I pretty much started and finished the Hunger Games this weekend.  Soooo good! 

Let's call this the belly shot, vacation style!  25 weeks

 Walking up to the amazing sun deck on the top of the house...

The beautiful sun deck - on Friday when we got there, I spent the afternoon reading and napping up here.  I was even visited by a squirrel! 

More sun deck...with a view 

Self portrait! 

And from the top of the stairs

City #4: Houston (Katy, HOME)

We ended our tour of Texas at our home in Katy.  It was nice to be home after 4 days of traveling.  The cats were happy to see us and I have spent the day reading and napping with them snuggled up next to me.  

4 cities tour: part 1

We realized as we were heading back to Houston from San Antonio after going through Dallas and Austin that we have traveled to 4 of the major cities of Texas in 4 days!

City #1: Dallas (Allen then Richardson) for Keith's wedding (my brother)

Belly shot, wedding style - 24 weeks! 

I wore this dress to my rehearsal dinner and it still fits!  (ha, its stretchy)

Traditional self photo, waiting for the wedding to begin 

The Happy couple - Keith and Marisela - plus the rest of the Pulliam family

The Coopers and the brand new Pulliams 

My brother and I

The wedding was beautiful and sweet.  It was great to see my brother so happy.  Keith and Marisela make a wonderful couple!  

Next up, Austin, San Antonio, and Houston

21 and 23 weeks

So I've gotten a little behind on the belly shots.  It seems that every time I think to take one, I've already changed into comfy clothes or PJs and who wants a picture in those?!  Anyways below are the standard shots.  I've added a comparison photo in the same shirt (I saw Jana do this on her blog) and it makes me realize how much I've grown and how I really wasn't that big when I thought I had grown so much.  I'm sure I'll feel that way in a month about the size I am now.

16 weeks

21 weeks

23 1/2 weeks

I'm still feeling good and sleeping well.  I definitely feel bigger but not huge.  My sweet kiddos tie my shoes for me and pick up things off the floor.  I can still do it but they love to help and its not so easy anymore.  I still feel queasy after a big meal but gum helps.  I don't have any consistent swelling, just now and then my hands feel fat but then they return to normal soon after.  I don't know what causes it.  

Sweet baby boy kicks all the time and I can feel him now throughout the day.  In our 20 week sonogram it was so fun to see him kick on the monitor as well as feel it.  He is growing normally and perfectly they said and we are so thankful.  4 1/2 weeks until my 3rd trimester!  I can hardly believe it.   

2011 in Pictures

Goodbye 2011 and Hello 2012!!!  This is the year our baby boy will be born in.  This is the year our family will go from 2 to 3.  This is the year that...the Hobbit comes out!  Haha and so many more important and not so important events.

Without further ado, I bring you the highlights of 2011 in pictures!

February 2011, I went to San Fran to visit the now Lindsey Adkins

Spring Break - March 2011 - Coopers and Kalinkes (my sister and her family) go to Lockhart and surrounding areas and had 3 BBQ meals in one day.

April 2011 - Coopers come to visit for Easter.  Lynn's hair is REALLY long.

June 2011 - Last minute trip to Jamaica with friends

July 2011 - Coopers x3 go to Gulf Shores Alabama

For some reason, Ben and I are the only ones who decided to do the prom pose.  

July 2011 - Wedding #1 - Lindsey Bunker and Ben Adkins in San Fran!

July 2011 - Ben and Lynn go to San Francisco and Napa.  The Napa trip ties with Seattle for #1 vacation together.

September 2011 - Labor Day weekend - Coopers and Coopers go to Vickburg to help move his grandparents to Tupelo.  I was secretly about 4 weeks pregnant here but no one but Ben and I knew!

September 2011 - Happy Birthday Ben!  @ Brenners Steak House in Houston

September 2011 - Foster the People Concert with the Mortons (also secretly pregnant here)

October 2011 - Wedding #2 - Jamie Bruchan and Eric Shing

November 2011 - We find out that we're having a BOY and the planning begins!!!

2012 is going to be one of those crazy transitional changing all the time years.  But we are so excited for these changes (and a little nervous...) and thank God daily for his blessings and faithfulness to us daily. 

And don't worry...a Christmas post is coming. 

19 weeks

Christmas is almost here!  Tomorrow, we will have Christmas #1 of about 7.   But oh how I love it.  And oh how I love family time.  It just makes me so happy.  Today I was very domestic and made THESE low fat, whole wheat cinnamon rolls.  They are in the fridge ready to be baked in the morning.  I hope they turn out well!  On to the reason for this  post...

19 weeks

I know I usually do 2 at a time, but no posting will happen next week due to Christmas fun so I thought I'd go ahead and post.  Is it weird that my belly looks pointy?  It sure doesn't look pointy from my view.  Must just be the angle of the picture.

At 19 weeks, I'm feeling the baby kick!  Ben was able to feel one strong kick and that was exciting.  Energy is still up (it's 11:43 and I'm awake!).  I'm feeling more of the limitations of having a tiny person inside me such as bending over not being as pleasant, as well as getting up from the floor (I sit on the floor a lot at school).  

One big feat we accomplished this week was to get the carpet upstairs cleaned and the baby room cleared out!  That means it is ready for baby things!  So far, we have 2 outfits, a bag of random diapers I have left over from making diaper cakes, and 2 sweet blankets.  We don't need much else right?!

Some of my favorites

I wanted to share two of my new favorite things.

One is the cupcake shop Sweet.  Pretty much every time we go to City Center, we go to either Yard House or Ruggles Green.  I love them both.  And pretty much every time we go, I get a salad...so that I can fully enjoy a cupcake from Sweet afterwards.  They are delicious for one, and two, they use all organic, all recycled materials. I just love all their stuff and love their vintage style shop.  And last time we went, we met the two owners - two young guys who have started their own business.  So go check it out the next time you visit City Center in Houston.  I recommend the red velvet cupcakes covered in sprinkles!

My second new favorite thing is this website I found called pixlr-o-matic.  I love instagram on IPhone but was looking for something for the computer that I could use for pictures I wanted to actually print out.  It takes your pictures and adds cool effects to them - mostly making them look vintage and old.  I find it funny that the old, vintage, and used look is so in right now, but I admit, I love it too!  Take a look at the three photos below.

Normal.  Nice Photo.  Not so exciting.

Vintage.  Old.  Beat-up looking :).

Or perhaps you like the more whimsical style.

I want to go and do this with all my photos now and see what they look like!  Such fun.  Enjoy!

16, 17, 18 weeks

Here's the last 3 weeks of photos.  Looking at the last photo, I'd definitely say I've grown, or shall we say HE has grown!

 16 weeks

 17 weeks

18 weeks - In my last year's winter workout clothes.  That shirt only has maybe a month left!  

At 18 weeks, I'm feeling good.  Nausea is almost gone completely and is easily remedied by some mint gum after meals.  And as I have mentioned, I've got most of my energy back.  New fun symptoms include heart burn and my feet hurt a lot sooner in the day if I haven't sat down as much.  Also this week, I started feeling Baby Boy move around!  It's subtle and not forceful at all but I can tell the difference now between baby and the other rumblings in my stomach.  It does not cease to amaze me how amazing God is in His creation of this little guy.  I can't wait to find out what he's like!

Developments - this week I started exercising more with my new found energy and it has been so nice and feels so good.  We continue to talk about names but are keeping the name a secret until birth!  Just a fun surprise for the end.  And soon we will start clearing out the now craft room to make room for a baby room.  So many fun things ahead!