Time Is Flying...

...suddenly we're already 6 months pregnant! As we approach 25 weeks in a couple of days, changes are continuing to take place. My belly is noticeably getting larger (people we don't know can actually tell I'm pregnant now). Clinton's performances are becoming grander in scale. Rodney and I often like to sit and watch the waves across my belly as Clinton moves around. He tends to move the most at night, and I keep having dreams he's trying to get out. The other night I dreamed he crawled out of my belly button, was actually a girl, and was so small I lost him trying to get him to the hospital. I spent the rest of the dream looking for him.

WE HAVE GOOD NEWS IN OUR HOUSE!! Rodney finally took his GMAT (after a 6-week crash course study session) and got the needed score to start grad school. Originally, he was going to start in January, but has decided he would like to be able to focus on me and the baby...so grad school will start next fall. I think that schedule will accommodate us all a little better! Clinton and I are so proud of Rodney and this commitment he has made to benefit our family...Gracie Mae is just sad when anything takes her daddy away from play time!

Speaking of Gracie Mae, we FINALLY got our new fence put in last week and our little spoiled princess is in doggie heaven. She goes outside in the morning and stays out until the sun goes down. She spends her days napping in the sun, monitoring the fence line and greeting every person who gets within 1000 feet of our yard. We opted for a semi-private fence so Gracie could see out, and it seems to have been a great idea...which I must give Rodney credit for (I wanted a 6 foot privacy).

Rodney is currently in Pennsylvania for 2 weeks, so I have been looking for things to pass the time. Yesterday I went and set up our baby registry at my favorite store...Target. Today I made lots of goodies for the trick or treaters who live on our street. I made Texas Cowboy Cookies, Chewy Cocoa Brownies and Rice Krispies Treats. I made really cute bags with each of the kids names on them. I also made some glitter pumpkins I saw on Martha. I just took those little baby pumpkins and smothered them in gold glitter. With the pumpkins, some red leaves off of my tree from outside and a cute runner I got at Target, I have a very wonderful center piece on my dining room table. I would take a picture...but I still don't have a camera! I was going to carve some really cool pumpkins for the front porch, too, but everyone is sold out of pumpkins...boo. I have also already started making plans for Christmas. My family is coming up here for the holidays and I am looking forward to hosting my very first Christmas! So I do spend a lot of time in my cookbooks and on Martha's website working on decor and menus. I'm sure I will continue to find a number of other things to pass the time until my husband returns to me...otherwise, my hormones and I will just have to sit and cry about being all alone!

...and oh, the hormones. They are making me do things that are completely out of character for me. I have been crying...about nothing. I have been craving all that mushy romance stuff that usually strikes me as corny. AND, I put in all caps because this a big one,...AND I have been cleaning house...like crazy. Anyone who knows me knows that a spotless house is not, and never has been, a priority for me. I think a house should look lived in and be comfortable for those who visit, not so clean it becomes too sterile for people to relax--or require every ounce of my energy to impress people. In the past, I have asked my husband several times for a maid...and have been denied. I have driven him crazy with my lack of concern about that load of laundry that's been in the dryer for a week, or the dishes that are piling up because I won't unload the cleans dishes from dishwasher, or the 15 pairs of shoes by the door. NOW...I do laundry every other day. I have a spotless kitchen at all times. I sweep the floors everyday. I've been vacuuming very often. And I even cleaned the bathrooms the other day...which Rodney is usually gracious enough to do for me because I truly hate it. Maybe Rodney will get lucky and this will become habit....or, honey, maybe you should enjoy it while it lasts. We'll just have to see! :-) Last Saturday I went on a cleaning frenzy! When Rodney came home, he just walked around with wide eyes...and actually said to me, "Wow. Our house smells so good...it's never smelled like this before."

Anyway--that's a week in the life of us (and by us I mean me and my hormones). We will continue to keep you updated. Hopefully with pictures, soon. We would love to hear from you all. Lots of love...Courtney