Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween everyone!

I don't know who is more excited, me or Eva! My mom and I took her to the Farmers' Market this morning. They had a costume parade. And all the kids got Halloween buckets with candy, coupons, and things like that. I think it's neat that the city did that. They also had a costume contest for every age group.

Yes, my little princess won for her age group! She dressed up like Snow White. I tried to convince her to be a ladybug. Or like I call them, Lovebugs. But when Joe took her to pick up her costume, they came home with Snow White. Joe said they walked in, she saw it, and had to have it! They had to go to 5 stores to find her size. Good thing I had decided to stay home. I couldn't have waddled around that many stores.

That's the picture from a website, of her costume. It came with the dress, shoes, and a little bow. But Lola made her a cute red and gold bow. It is just too precious! Then, before Joe left for Las Vegas, he bought her some ruby studs. Yes, because she needed them! He is too cute!!! Today I put on some red tights. It was kind of cool outside. And a little bit of makeup on her. Red lipstick and a little blush. But her dark hair and light skin just worked perfect with the costume!

Little Mikey, Rach and Mike's son won for his age group. He was a fireman. They even brought his puppy with him! A dalmatian of course! And Maribel, Sals and David's little girl won for her group. She was a Ladybug. I helped Sals out with her. We put a little makeup on her. Made her some rosey cheeks and bright red lips. Marissa was a Race Girl. She is very much a NASCAR fan. And in love with a certain, Mr. Dale Jr. Never mind that she just turned 4 in September. Mariella was a lion. That girl definitely has the personality to pull it off!

After waddling around for a few hours, we all went to eat at Chilitos. You are talking about 3 pregnant women, and 5 kids! Those 2 guys knew we needed to eat. It was delicious! And we made a plan for the rest of today. David and Albert are taking Sals and David's little girls trick or treating tonight. David offered to take Eva. Because let's be real, I am just over 2 weeks away from my due date.

Mike and Rach also offered to have us over for an early dinner. And I really want some pizza! Which is nice. Because we are taking the kids to the mall for the Monster Mash tonight. It's from 6-7:30PM. I can handle that! Another costume contest. And lots of trick or treating in the mall. My mom and I decided to stay here and hand out candy tonight after the Monster Mash. That's the plan.

Right now, Eva is taking a nap. I just got up. Yup, I took a nap too! When she gets up, we are going to have a snack. Then dress her back up. That way we can webcam with Joe. He is anxious to see his little girl all dressed up! He is such a good dad!

That's it! I hope everyone has a safe and wonderful day. We have a pretty busy evening ahead of us. And I am excited! Oh yeah, I dressed up too! I'm a pregnant Raggedy Ann! ♥Anna Marie♥

He Didn't Want to Go

Joe left this morning. He went with the band to Las Vegas. Along with Lola, Manders, and all the members of the LBs and their support crew. Yup, hair, makeup, clothes. The whole bunch of them left. Because they have shows for the next 2 weeks.

Joe didn't want to leave. He insisted yesterday, that he was going to stay home. Because he went to Charlotte, just a few weeks ago for another gig. But I knew he had been looking forward to this. Because the band doesn't play many gigs. Because they are all family guys. Into ranching and farming. The music is a hobby. Something they do to blow off steam.

The BBs have decided to only perform for political events or politicians that they support. Or for a friend in North Carolina. Or events in Texas. And 2-3 times a year, in Las Vegas. It's not often. And the band has been rehearsing for a while. I just knew I had to talk him into leaving. He would drive us both crazy if he would stay.

My mom volunteered to stay with Eva and I until November 8th or 9th. Then she is going to go back home with my dad. And on November 14th, my parents and in-laws are going to come and stay with us until after Emma is born.

We had a plan. And I talked all night, last night. Finally convincing Joe. I had already packed his bags. When the band left this morning, he looked happy. We agreed to call every single day. And to use our web cams. That way Eva can see her daddy every day. I promised to have my phone with me at all times. And J promised to have the plane fueled and ready to go in case I go into labor. We have it all covered.

Now, I just hope Joe allows himself to have some fun. We always enjoy spending time in Las Vegas. I want him to have fun and enjoy this trip. I told him that he has to go eat one of those mini wedding cakes for me too! Because I love those things! These 2 weeks will fly by. Before we know it, Joe will be back home! Until then, I am going to go enjoy some of my mom's cooking! ♥Anna Marie♥

No Worries

Our dear friend Lola is doing our nursery for us. Pretty much, she has done all of our friends' nurseries. Lola is super talented. And in my opinion, should be an interior designer. She did a beautiful job on Eva's nursery. We sat down and talked about what I wanted. For Eva, I wanted a room done in pink and chocolate brown. With a nice glider. And a crib that would convert into a toddler bed down the road. A nice reading nook. Maybe a window seat like Lauren's.

We sat and talked. She took notes. Hired a painter. My husband, Joe insisted on new carpet. And before I knew it, we had a contractor working in the nursery. Before long, he had put in a big window seat with a nice storage unit underneath. He put up wainscoting. The bones of the room were done. Lola and I took a few trips to look at fabric and furniture. But I never really knew what was going to go in the room. But I was very confident with her decisions.

The day of my baby shower, Lola showed me the finished nursery. It was everything I had ever dreamt up! My husband had even made a toy box for Eva. In the same design that was in the fabric. You see, Lola and Joe worked on the nursery together. When she would be stuck between 2 ideas, Lola would call Joe.

But the nursery was perfect! The crib was the perfect color, size, and style. She got 2 gliders for the room. One for me, and one for Joe. Lola remembered all the small details that I hadn't even thought of. This, for a woman that doesn't have a child. But the room had style, grace, and a timeless feeling. It was not one of those nurseries that screams baby girl. With lace and light pink everything. It is a room for Eva to grow into. Lola made sure of that. A room that our daughter can use well into her teenage years.

Lola sewed everything. She made all the bedding. Sheets and all. Made the curtains. Cut and painted wooden details that were hung on the walls. Lola bought the perfect picture frames and put the most amazing pictures in them. Everything we could ever need or want was in there. I couldn't have asked for more.

When I got pregnant with Emma, we immediately asked Lola to do her nursery. Well, we didn't know at the time if she was going to be a boy or a girl. But right away we started to brain storm. Ultimately, when I found out I was having a girl, I wanted a ladybug room. More of a "Lovebug" room. That is what my mom called them when I was little. I have such good memories of ladybugs as a kid. And so, our vision was born.

This time around, well Lola is even more busy than normal. She travels all the time. And is not around much. Let's not forget that Eva was born in February. There are a lot less things to do in the winter, than right now. The band is booked almost up until my due date. But Lola has tried. She has hired a contractor. And after the whole paint fiasco thing. We actually got everything done. The bones of the nursery are now complete.

Everything else, well is still waiting. Lola purchased the fabric. And from what Joe will tell me, the furniture is ordered. But guess what? The band is going to Las Vegas for 10 days. And Lola's sewing machine isn't working. I know not too stress. Our nursery is nowhere near completion. But I am surprisingly calm about it. Because Lola has a way of making miracles happen.

My dad has also been working hard on a bassinet for Emma. He made one for Eva. He hand carves them. They are gorgeous! Joe is working on a toy box for Emma. I have no clue what it looks like. It is top secret! And my father in law is working on Emma's bookcase. He made Eva's and even carved her name in it.

So ya, Lola has a lot of people that she works with. But she has everything so ridiculously organized that I am in shock! I know that by the time Emma makes her grand entrance, we will have the most amazing nursery you have ever seen. Because Emma's Nana (Godmother) is pouring her love into Miss Emma Grace's nursery. ♥Anna Marie♥

Happybee's italian craft & quilt shop GIVEAWAY

Boutique Stitches and Daniela are hosting a giveaway for this Grey Sky lariat. Isn't it cute? I really like it because it is light. You could wear it around the house with a t-shirt and jeans. Or add it to a cute outfit when you go shopping. Daniela's shop Happybee has a lot of other stuff as well.

Like this cute Panda pouch! You could use it for makeup or change. Just about anything.

Daniela also offers tea. I always think about cool Fall evenings when I tihnk of tea. I have a big tea drinker now that I am pregnant.

If you want a chance to win this amazing scarf by Daniela, go to Boutiqe Stitches and enter the giveaway! The winner is going to be very lucky! ♥Anna Marie♥

SportySweetie GIVEAWAY tutu outfit inspired by your favorite sports team

Boutique Stitches and Sporty Sweetie are hosting a giveaway. You have the chance to win a Sports Themed Tutu Outfit. Aren't they adorable? I think so. Eva likes to wear cheerleading outfits and tutus. We bought her a little cheerleading outfit from our Alma mater. I could just see her wearing one of these outfits. Michelle also offers other items.

Like this Breast Cancer Awareness Onesie. This is something I would definitely buy my girls. You can't ever start too early. Good causes should be taught early in life.

And this little outfit is too cute! There are outfits that are military related. Very cute. Along with a police officer and fireman one!

If you want to win one of these cute outfits go to Boutique Stitches and register right away! Every little girl would love to dance around in their very own tutu! ♥Anna Marie♥

Lil Lady Bows Strawberry Chocolate Headband w/Matching Bow GIVEAWAY

Boutique Stitches is hosting a giveaway. Lil Lady Bows is giving a headband and a bow as the prize. I just adore these kinds of bows for Eva. I have never tried a headband on her. But these are super adorable! Liliana has so many cute things in her shop. Look at some of the beautiful stuff she makes.

I just adore this hairpin! This is something that I would wear. Just a little fun to add to your hair.

Aren't these cute? They are Scooby Doo characters made out of ribbon!

And this bracelet. I just adore it! It is very cute. Something you could wear every day.

If you want to sign up for the giveaway, go to Boutique Stitches and sign up! You will not regret it. These are some very cute items! Any little girl would adore this pink bow! ♥Anna Marie♥

Miracles of Pregnancy

Being pregnant is one of the most amazing things ever! I'm serious. The first time I felt Eva move inside my belly, I was so excited. It was a feeling I couldn't quite describe to Joe. When she started to really move and kick, Joe got to experience it too! I can still remember how excited he got. The look in his eyes when he felt Eva kick.

But the miracles of pregnancy are amazing. You feel your baby growing inside of you. You can feel them doing flips. They kick. Heck, Emma likes to grab onto my ribs. But they are amazing feelings nonetheless. Even on the days when the kick to no end. Or won't let you sleep. You just feel all of these amazing things going on inside your body.

There are other miracles that happen. There is the ever expanding belly. One day, you just wake up to a belly. With no real warning, you just wake up one morning, and your belly has grown. Or like Joe says, the bun has popped! Yes, both times that I have been pregnant, I just woke up one morning, and I had my bump. It still surprises me that I could go to bed and there not be anything there. But when I wake up, I have my belly.

There are also the funny and weird cravings you get. The kind that you can't describe or understand. Like how one day you want to eat an entire jar of pickles. And the next day, you can't stand the smell of them. Maybe there is a craving for Sonic corn dogs. Yes, you go every single day. Then you feel sick when you just see the Sonic logo. That happens. For the first few months, I hated the smell of eggs cooking. That put a major damper on my husband's mornings. He likes to eat eggs for breakfast.

But he dealt with me. He helped me through the horrible morning sickness too. The kind that would leave me hugging the toilet for dear life. Joe would hold my hair back. He would slowly rub circles on my back. Just letting me know he was there for me. Let me tell you, I feel very blessed to have the husband that I have.

Through it all, being pregnant is a miracle. It is one of those things that I cannot fully describe. You just have to feel it, to understand it. I would go through months and months of morning sickness if I had to. Anything to ensure I would have a healthy, pink baby after 9 months. Those are the miracles of pregnancy.

Like the first time you hear your baby's heartbeat. Or the first time you get to see them during an ultrasound. Those are moments you will never forget. Just like I will never forget the 1st time I held Eva. That beautiful pink face. She left me speechless. Even with all the baby goop all over her, she was still the most gorgeous baby I have ever seen! To just think, Joe and I made this beautiful baby. And she grew for 9 months inside me, that in and of itself, is a miracle. I can't wait to hold Emma Grace. ♥Anna Marie♥

What a Week!

It feels like this week is never going to stop! We had the big birthday party last weekend. My primos Gabe and Linda were in town visiting. And we had other friends that were here for a few days visiting too! All of that just beat me down. I have little to no energy left. This pregnancy is kicking my butt!

But then, Joe surprised me with tickets to go see Brad Paisley. I couldn't turn him down! So Thursday, we made the 3 and 1/2 hour trip north, to go see the concert. Surprisingly, a lot of our friends and family went to the show. We were worried about the weather. It had been raining all day long! But we pushed on. Joe rented us a nice room nearby. And all of us decided to go have some good BBQ before the show. We went to Quarter's. Hello! That is some good food!

On the way to the concert, it was still raining. And I was really starting to worry. But as we sat in traffic, trying to get into the venue, the rain stopped. The air was cool. But it was nice. The concert was so good! If you haven't seen Brad Paisley perform live, you should! He is a really good live performer! :) This is about the 4 or 5 time we have seen him live.

We stayed the night. And yesterday, in the early afternoon, we made our way home. I think we might have been home for a half an hour. Maybe. Just enough time to get Eva ready. And to drop all of our bags off. But Joe and the band were performing at the rodeo last night. An hour south of were we live. Both the rodeo and the show were amazing!

In fact, tonight and tomorrow night, we are going to the rodeo and the band is performing. It is a real honor for them. These are the type of things that I enjoyed as a kid. The rodeo. We used to go as much as we could. I would get to buy Red Vines and a Coke. And we would watch the rodeo for hours! Joe used to compete in the rodeos too! Yes, my husband was a bull riding, crazy horse bucking, cowboy! But I love him all the same!

Our weekend is jam packed with things. I just have to remind myself, we can sleep all day Monday. I just have to make it to Monday! But these are the fun things in our life. And I have to enjoy them. Because soon enough, we will have a baby. And we won't be getting out of the house much! ♥Anna Marie♥

Friday Fill-ins

1. My car is in the garage at home.

2. The rodeo is coming up next.

3. Lately, things seem to take a lot more effort to complete.

4. My bathtub is one of my favorite 'hiding' places.

5. What happened to letting the pregnant lady rest?

6. Traveling at 8 1/2 months pregnant is not impossible!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to going to the rodeo, tomorrow my plans include watching Joe perform and Sunday, I want to sleep! ♥Anna Marie♥

Emma's Godparents

Joe and I take these things very seriously. Godparents are very special. Especially to our children. And in our traditions. We went the traditional route with Eva. My parents are her godparents. When I got pregnant for the 2nd time, we tried to think of good godparents for our 2nd baby. We decided if the baby was a boy, Joe's parents would baptise him. If our baby was a girl, we would pick some friends. Or maybe someone else in our family. We even thought about my cousin Gabe and his wife Linda.

Our dear friend Lola, she works in the hospital where I'm going to have Emma. She's an intern. And works with my doctor part time. The rest of the time, she works with the pediatric units. For our 1st ultrasound, she got to do it. We were thrilled. She even made Eva a small baby carriage thing. She crocheted it and put a small baby doll in there. Lola made sure to include Eva in the entire process. Eva was so excited when Lola had her help "find the baby."

Then when we were going to find out the sex of our baby, Lola happened to be working with our doctor again. It was fate! He let her do the ultrasound. And Lola gave us the amazing news, that we were having another baby girl! Joe and I were thrilled! And we were so excited to get to share this experience with our dear friend.

That night, Joe and I sat and thought about it. Who would we like to be Emma's godparents? We thought about Gabe and Linda. We love them so much. But they are touring the world, literally. Gabe is in a professional mariachi. And we are not sure when they will return. And we really want for our baby's godparents to be active in her life. Joe really wanted his cousin to be Emma's godfather. But he is single. We needed to find a godmother for Emma.

Lola loves with all her heart. She gives of her entire soul. And I couldn't think of a better woman, that I would trust with my daughter. There is not a better woman out there, that could be a better role model, for our daughter. It is crazy how obvious the decision was. But how it took us a while to figure it all out.

Emma's godparents are 2 very amazing people from our lives. Miguel is someone that Joe grew up with. They have been through so much, in their lives together. Joe respects and loves Miguel like a brother. There has never been a time in their lives, when they could not depend or rely on one another. And Lola, well I can't say enough good things about her. She really does represent every good thing in life. She is truly a woman that loves, and acts on love. We would be honored for Emma to have both Miguel and Lola as role models.

People have told us, time and time again, that the people we choose to be Emma's godparents will be honored to take on that responsibility. But Joe and I, are honored that they have agreed to love our daughter as much as we already do. To see how excited they both were when we asked them, that alone, let us know that they were the perfect godparents. God has sent them into our lives for a reason. To love our daughter, Emma. ♥Anna Marie♥

He's a Great Daddy!

My husband is a really good dad! I am not joking. I always knew he would be a good dad. When we were teenagers, we would sit and talk about having kids one day. We would sit and talk about how many babies we wanted. Who they would look like. And what kind of fun things we would do as a family. I would watch how good he was with all these kids. In some ways, I think that is what made me fall more in love with him. The love and patients he had with kids. And when I freaked out during my first pregnancy, he calmed me down. He assured me that we were going to be great parents. I'm glad he had all this confidence. Because I was freaking out.

But over the last 2 days, Joe has just showed me why I love him so much! We were listening to the radio. Eva is really into the oldies right now. It cracks me up. There are certain songs that she knows the words to, or just likes to dance to. Joe was working on some paperwork. I was playing with Eva and trying to email my mom some pictures. The song "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" came on the radio. Eva just lit up!

She started dancing. She knows part of the chorus. And was singing away. She got Joe to put on her pink boa and some pink sunglasses. They danced around the den. He had her laughing hysterically! Let me tell you, it takes a real man to do that. Joe was just so into making Eva happy. The danced and goofed off until it was bedtime.

And tonight, Eva was trying to convince her daddy that she should sleep in the "Big Bed." That's our bed. As much as she has her daddy wrapped around her little finger, it just isn't working. He did make a deal with her. Joe agreed to read her 3 books if she would sleep in her bed. Our dogs, Jack and Jill will also sleep in her room. :)

Joe is such a good daddy. He is so patient with Eva. No matter what is going on. The 2 of them will sit for hours figuring something out. Like when we bought her this dollhouse for toddlers. The 2 of them sat there putting it together. She is always at his side, helping her daddy. Or sitting in his lap watching him work. I can't help but get all teary eyed when I walk into a room and see them sitting next to each other, staring at some project. Just the 2 of them in their own little world.

I know that I am very lucky. Not all men are like Joe. He prefers to be home with us. Every night, we eat dinner together. We spend time together as a family. Playing with Eva, reading books, or watching some cartoon. My husband isn't afraid to put a frilly hat on his head, to get a smile out of his daughter. And I enjoy the fact that we put her to bed together. Joe is an amazing daddy. ♥Anna Marie♥

Marissa's Birthday Party

Yesterday, we went to Marissa's 4th Birthday party. She isn't your typical 4 year old. Not at all. She is 4 going on 40! Her birthday party needed to reflect that too! The girl is IN LOVE with a NASCAR driver who in fact, I would say is even older than myself. She just had to have a Dale Jr. Birthday party. No lie!!!

Marissa is so girly. She is always in a dress. ALWAYS! Marissa is in folklorico dancing. And she goes to pre-school. She also started violin lessons this past summer. Such a girl! But she acts a lot older that she is. But not in a bad way. She is a good big sister to her younger sisters. Marissa is definitely a hoot though!

We got to the party, and she was in her frilly pink dress. Ready to have some fun! The party was all too cute. Pink balloons everywhere! But as prevalent as the pink balloons and cute #4's were, there were tons of #88 balloons and these little NASCAR cars. Ya, she has a HUGE love for NASCAR. To the point, she left us to go change into her race outfit and watch the race. Until her "boyfriend" wrecked. hehe

But the party was a blast! Her parents both played in a mariachi group years ago. My primo Gabe, actually played in the group with them. And when they left the group, Lola took Sals place in the group. David still plays from time to time. But most of their very close friends still play mariachi. After we ate, which was amazing! Mems cooked all the food. Real authentic comida! All of these musicians played. Played and sang mariachi. For hours! It was so much fun. Because that is the music that I grew up around.

There was a pinata. 2 actually. 1 was of Dale Jr. But that is just for Marissa to look at. Sals told me that Marissa is planning on putting it in her room. Um, next to her life size posters of him? I guess. The other was a #88 car. That's the one that the kids got to bust open. And was it loaded! It made me wish that I was a kid. Or an adult that wasn't afraid to fall over because of my ever expanding belly! There was so much good candy. And wait for it...money!

We stayed very late. So late that Eva fell asleep. That was after hours and hours of dancing to the music. All the little kids danced around. We got to listen to the group play and Lola sing. This was one of my favorite kid parties ever! The food was amazing, the entertainment was incredible, the food was so yummy! In fact, I'm thinking about the big slice of birthday cake that is on our counter! :) ♥Anna Marie♥