Post-Christmas, Pre-Wedding!

Merry Christmas! We celebrated with my family on the 23rd and then drove to Natchez and had a great time with the Barnes family over Christmas! We relaxed, ate some delicious meals and spent most of our time being entertained by Carlyle! She is so talkative and fun to play with these days; we just love our little niece!

We are in the final countdown to the wedding!! We have some final errands to take care of today, and then festivities begin tomorrow!! Chad and I know we are so lucky to love each other so much and we can't wait to be husband and wife. We are also unbelievably thankful for our friends and family that have helped us with all the preparations - we could never thank you guys enough!!

And now, on to Baby!!  We are in week 17 and Baby B is 5 inches long and weighs 5 oz!! That seems huge to me, and I feel like I should start showing any day now! Once the wedding is over, baby planning mode will be going in to high gear, so look out!!

Hello, Second Trimester!

Baby Barnes and I have been in the second trimester for a few weeks now! It hasn't been the smooth sailing that the books and other mommies have promised, but I hear that's coming :) Today is:

Day 2 of Week 16

Day 4 of being sick with a terrible cold

4 days until Christmas 

10 days until the WEDDING

and 16 days until we find out if Baby B is a boy or girl!!

Baby Barnes is the size of an avocado, and growing stronger every day! In the next few weeks he/she will double in weight, add inches in length and I will start to feel the baby's movements! I think I am beginning to show - but no one else seems to notice, so the baby bump needs a little more time :)

Chad and I are officially licensed to wed! We are getting so excited to be Mr. and Mrs. 

This past weekend my sweet friends threw me a wonderful wedding shower!

 Tabatha (hostess), Toni (Tab's mom), me, Amanda and Emily! Thanks friends!! And my girls, mom, sister and soon to be sister-in-law came along for my WILD bachelorette party - painting class! It was so neat how everyone's painting turned out a little different! 

Chad celebrated the end of his bachelor-hood in New Orleans, and I am sure it was just as tame :) 

That's all from the soon-to-be Barnes family for now! We hope you have a very Merry Christmas with your sweet family!!

For to us a child is born, to us a son in given: and the government shall be on his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father and the Prince of Peace!! 

Isaiah 9:6

December Celebrations

We have had many occasions to celebrate in the past few weeks! Susan hosted a wonderful engagement party for Chad and me in Natchez! We had a great turn out!

My parents, Memaw and Great Aunt Clarice (not pictured) came to town for the party!

Along with my best friends, Emily and Tabatha! I am so lucky to have such great family and friends!!

And, of course, we all got to spend time with that fantastic Barnes family that I am marrying into :)

And a special thanks to our photographers for the night: Justin and Lauren!!

This past weekend, the celebrations continued! My mom and her brothers threw an 80th Birthday Party in Tyler for my grandmother! It was a great to spend time with family and Memaw felt so loved by everyone who came! Here she is with 6 of her 7 grandchildren and her 2 great-grandsons! 

Daddy in Training!

Here is Chad on his first pregnancy craving run!! And *SHOCKER* it was for some Jinbeh fried rice!!

He has been so sweet and helpful since I got pregnant! Plus he is over the moon excited about his son/daughter. He even puts up with my recent, uh, colorful mood swings :)  Just wanted to share how lucky of a girl I am!