Love this season

One of my favorite things about the season is that people will make more of an effort to get together as a family then they do the rest of the year. Even though my sister and her family live in Phoenix, I don't get to see her as much as I would like. With work and other obligations, there doesn't seem to be enough time to get together.

But last night we all dropped everything and got together to make sure we got to hang out before Christmas. And it was a blast. I don't think I have laughed that hard in months--my niece Jessica can leave us all in stitches.

And they got to see Danica--who they have been wanting to see again since they met her on Vetrans Day. They were so excited they even volunteered to change her diaper and hold her throughout the meal. And she loved it.

In the second picture you can see the pink ballet slippers with flowers that they got her. Umm I am not sure how well pink ballet slippers go with a cowgirl outfit. Any Nicolls want to comment on that?

They gave Corey and I a swing as our gift--they swear that their swing was a life saver when Jessica was little. And Danica seems to love it. She may not look as happy in the picture--she got cranky when I had to stop the swing so I could take a picture. But when its going she seems to love it. :)

Overall it was a wonderful way to spend an evening--and a night that really helped me to remember the true meaning of the season--family.

Baby Shower Fun

Today Danica and I went to our baby shower--and we had a blast. There was yummy food and we had a lot of fun talking to our friends and family. And Danica got all kinds of cute gifts to play with. But first and foremost she came home tired so Corey and I put together one of her gifts (a bouncer from Aunt Shirley) and as you can see Danica is enjoying her gift. She has been napping pretty much since we put her in it. Ahh isn't she cute?

Thank you everone for the wonderful gifts and for coming to meet Danica--she had a blast.

Fun Stuff for Danica

Since I am sure my dad will start reminding me that I have not been blogging lately, I decided to post pictures today of some more of the fun things that Danica has gotten lately.

Saturday I had to work the Education Fair on our campus. It was a lot of fun getting to see a lot of my students participate in the professional development. Plus I got to find out about a lot of the educational and fun things to take kids to once Danica gets older--actually in most cases I found out that the places Grandma and Dad used to take Heather and me to have changed names. For instance, Mesa Southwest Museum is now called something like Arizona Museum of Natural History--I thought it had closed. So I was very excited to find out about all the things Corey and I will be able to take Danica to in the future. :)

But I also go to buy Danica books--and get them signed by the author. It was so exciting. And the books are very Arizona focused which will be great since Danica will be a fifth generation Arizona native. Plus the book "Don't Call Me Pig!" was named something like best children's book by the governor not too long ago.

Having Arizona-focused children's books for Danica made me think that I needed to find some books in honor of Corey being from Massachusettes. I am trying to get the book "Make Way for Ducklings" which I found out is the state children's book of Massachusettes. There are statues in Boston to commerate it and everything--so I will probably have to order it online so Danica has something very Massachusettes as well.

And yesterday we had the Cousin's Dinner. Aunt Shirley had more wonderful gifts for Danica. The Pooh blanket may be my favorite, but I made sure that everyone got to see the back of Danica's halloween outfit since I think that was Aunt Shirley's favorite thing. :)

Today I go to my weekly doctor's appointment so I will probably be updating everyone later today--but I wanted to make sure everyone got to see some of the fun stuff that Danica has gotten lately.

Belated Thanks

Okay I have finally had a chance to take some pictures of some of the cute things people have gotten Danica lately so I could share them with everyone. I am hoping this is my last really overwhelmingly busy week at work--by the end of the day I will have driven to Coolidge three times in three days and that takes a lot out of a pregnant woman. But next week should be better. :)

Anyway, my Aunt Shirley and my dad helped Corey and I get the Pack n' Play that could double as a bassinet. So Danica has a temporary bed in our room. Now I am not sure how excited Corey is about the new addition to the room--the only place we could put it was on his side of the room. So when Danica wakes up Corey will have to get up to hand her to me. I have never been so glad to have my dresser on my side of the room. hehe.

I was so excited to find a Pack n' Play that complimented the colors in Danica's room and was Winnie the Pooh. So when she is done using it as a bassinet it will be a great play pen for her that compliments a lot of the things she has gotten already. :)

And Corey's mom finished a beautiful knitted blanket for Danica. Aren't the little flowers on it precious?
So overall I have to say that Danica did really well this week. She got some beautiful gifts. Belated thanks to everyone since I haven't been able to blog until now.

Thank You to the Grandpas-to-be

Corey's dad and my dad each gave us the money to get a great gift for Danica--her infant car seat and stroller. So now we can take Danica home from the hospital!! Which is a good thing considering that she is due in just over a month. But it doesn't seem like she is doing much towards moving into a head down position--I swear her head is still invading my rib cage. But I will have more info tomorrow after my appointment. For tonight, look at her cute car seat and stroller that Corey got to put together on his day off. Wasn't he lucky?

Gifts for Baby

Tuesday we had our cousin's dinner--if you weren't there you should have been because it was a lot of fun. But aside from that my Aunt Shirley gave Danica a few more gifts that I just had to share because they are so cute.

The outfits are so cute--and Danica also got a hat, washcloths and extra sheets for the crib. Danica will love them. :)

Happy Birthday to Me

Yesterday was my birthday. Corey and my dad took me out to Joe's Farm Grill for lunch. The Ahi Tuna Sandwich was super yummy, but my Aunt Shirley would never be able to eat it because it is rather spicy.

But my Aunt Shirley gave me some wonderful gifts to share with Danica. First she contributed to the rocking chair I wanted--I don't have a picture yet, but Corey ordered it and it is going to be here this week so I will more then. Then she gave me lots of fun Pooh stuff for Danica:

Corey had flowers delivered to me at work. Usually at work we all go out to lunch for people's birthdays. But since today is the first day of school, the group decided to have pizza ordered in for lunch. Which worked out perfectly because Corey's surprise arrived right as we were eating, so everyone got to see the beautiful flowers with the pink balloon:

And you may notice the streamer in the top part of the picture--I kind-of started a tradition of decorating the office of the birthday people in my area. So of course today they did it to me. But I almost messed it up because I am usually the first person to arrive. My friends knowing this, actually beat me into work but the person with the master key did not. So they took my key and sent me on a errand--but the effect was fun:

So overall it has been a fun birthday. :)

New Clothes for Danica

During our cousin's dinner yesterday, my wonderful Aunt Shirley gave Danica a couple of more outfits. The green one is nice and heavy, so it will be perfect for December and January when Arizona is not 100 degrees (at least I vaguely remember that there is a time when it won't over 100 degrees but right now it feels like an impossible dream--it feels like summer will never end, but that is a topic for another post--hehe). And I am pretty sure that the pink one will be one of my dad's favorite outfits for the baby.

And luckily my dad gave gave Danica the perfect accessory for the pink outfit--a pink cubs beanie. :)

Corey still holds out some hope that Danica will be a Red Sox fan, but really how could she be a Red Sox fan with so many cute Cubs outfits to choose from?

My dad picked out all of these cute Cubs things for Danica. And wait for it--he ordered all of these things online by himself. My dad has almost reached the 21st century--he reads blogs on a regular basis, he has started to comment on the blog--well my blog, and he has ordered stuff online. If we can get him to reply to email then he will be all set. :)

Friends and Registries

My friend and I have been trying to meet for lunch for a couple of weeks--but it was one of those things where Murphy got involved and showed that anything that could go wrong would. But Friday Murphy stopped messing with us and we were able to get together. We went to Joe's Farm Grill which was yummy. My friend--who for some unknown reason does not obsessively watch the food network--had never heard of Joes. So she was all about trying everything. It was fun.

She also brought some gifts. What she told me about was the gifts for Brandy. One of those circles with the ball that the cat can swat round and round. Since we have already established that Brandy is a little camera shy and consequently does not like to play with her toys when the camera is ready--I decided not to try this time. But let me tell you that she has a blast with her new toys. All Corey and I heard for hours was that ball going round and round.

The gift she decided to surprise me with by just putting them in the bag and waiting for me to find them was clothes for Danica. And the shocking thing is that this friend bought very girlie clothes--with lots of pink. She is not big on the pink for girls and blue for boys, but when I told her about being the poor baby who was bald for almost 2 years (which meant I got confused for a boy at times), she figured I had good reason for getting lots of pink things. :)

Then Saturday I got to talk to my sister--actually we were all going to have lunch together but that plan didn't work out. But I got a little scolded for not having started a baby registry--again back to the list of things that needed to get done. So Saturday I went and started them at Target and Babies R Us. And I got to take advantage--for the first time--of one small advantage to being pregnant:

Now I will admit that there was other parking that was just as close to the door--but really I don't have that much more time to take advantage of the special parking. So I decided to enjoy it. Plus this was after I started the registry at Target (which is apparently going through a season change--I didn't realize there is a season change on baby stuff like strollers, but apparently there is) so everything was limited quantity which means it is not a good idea to put on the registry because people may not be able to find it. So I needed a lift.

My need for a lift also led me to get Danica the first clothes I have bought her--well my need for a lift and the fact that they had a huge clearence on clothing (I understand clothing having a season but really strollers?). So I got her a cute dress with a hat--it will look good with a white long sleeve shirt if it is chilly when she is able to wear it. And a pair of pants and a white shirt. And a pair of capris with a yellow shirt.

Those outfits almost made the pain of starting registries worth it. I swear the lists they give you to help plan your registry only make it worse--really are we supposed to put baby shampoo on the registry? I know we need it but it seems weird to register for it. And how many different strollers do you really need? The list has at least 5. I think that is crazy. Where are you supposed to store 5 stollers?

So that was my Friday and Saturday--I hope you all got a good laugh. :)

It's Like Christmas in July...well except for the heat

I am usually much better at telling all of you about the cute and adorable things that my wonderful Aunt Shirley has gotten or made for the baby--that's the Christmas part. But I am not going to lie--this heat is a killer so every night after work and dinner I am pretty much done for the day. So my blogging has been a little lax lately. But today I am catching up--thanks in part to a day off from work and getting my back popped by my doctor. I feel as good as new.

So now I will tell you all about the Christmas part. My wonderful Aunt Shirley made me--well more specifically she made Danica--two new receiving blankets. They are so cute--one has hearts and if you don't know I love hearts and one has cute little bees. So cute. And she also got Danica a couple of outfits to wear. And she was so excited about the ruffles on the back that I took two pictures so you could see the cute fronts--and the rufflely backs. And she also got Danica a pair of Pooh socks. So now Danica officially has the first clothing items that will match the theme of her room. I am so excited.

Also in all the fun of playing hooky from work today, I got to pick up another part of the decor for Danica's room. Today she got the blanket that goes with her bedroom set and the mobile. Now I would share pictures of the mobile but the company did not put a picture on the box--bad marketing--and I don't really want to open it until we get the crib. But as soon as we do--you all we get to see more pictures. And the best part of the blanket is that it is incredibly soft--at least I thought it was the best part. Corey and my dad just seemed to look at me like I was crazy when I was all excited about how soft the blanket was--hmm maybe boys just don't get as excited about fluffy and soft pink things?

So that has been my--well more correctly Danica's--Christmas in July. Has anyone else gotten to have Christmas in July?

The Ban Has Been Lifted

I just realized how long it has been since I wrote anything. Work has been crazy--the new buildings are finished and we are going to be temporarily relocated the beginning of next week. So my office mates and I had to have everything set up so we could work from a temporary offices. Not a lot of fun.

But I thought I would write today to let everyone know that my ban on chinese food--the one that was started primarily because the mere thought of chinese food made me nauseous--has been lifted. At least for today. Corey was thrilled because we were able to go to Mongolian BBQ for the first time in almost six months--for the record this is one of Corey's favorite restuarants that happened to open a location by our house, so Corey was not thrilled not to be able to eat at it.

We met Corey's mom and stepdad for lunch. And Corey's mom gave the baby a few more gifts that she had made--including a very cute matching hat, sweater and booties. :)

She also gave us Corey's baby spoon for safe keeping. You can't really see it well in this picture but it is engraved and very cute--oops I almost said pretty but I don't think Corey would like that. So I think between this spoon and the baby doll I have that my Granny Johnson made for me, Danica will have some very special items in her room. :)

First ASU T-shirt

My work friend gave the baby her first ASU T-shirt. Isn't it the cutest?

I do have to say that it feels more real to be able to say her than to just say the baby. And the baby has been moving a lot lately. Her favorite time to go crazy is about 2 or 3 in the morning. She just starts tossing and turning like crazy--which for the record makes it very hard to sleep.

It's not ASU but...

Today the baby got his/her first souvenir gift--first gift brought back from someone's trip. In this case, my generous aunt got the baby a gift from her trip to Wyoming to see my incredibly smart cousin graduate from law school.

Now I will forget for a second that it isn't ASU--you know the most wonderful school on the planet (in my humble opinion). I will just admire that Wyoming has wonderful taste in colors--that is definitely something I can get behind.

And while Cowboys aren't quite as cool as Sun Devils--what Nicoll doesn't love Cowboys (as long as those Cowboys aren't from Dallas--but that is another issue). :)

So Corey and I will thank my wonderful, generous aunt on the baby's behalf. :)

A Day Out With the Girls

One of the only downsides to my job at ASU (have I mentioned that it is really my dream job), is that I ended up moving further away from some of my friends. And I had to leave a few of my friends at UOP (and for that I am sorry because I really don't wish that place on anyone--but that is a post for another day...hehe). So yesterday was the first time my friends and I had been able to get together since like December.

So we went to lunch at Macaroni Grill off of the 101 and Tatum. Usually this is a nice centrally located place to eat--which is easy for everyone to get to because it is right off a freeway. But yesterday no. The 101 was undergoing a major construction thing that involved going down to one lane before closing completely.

Luckily I had decided I wanted to make some stops at other stores on the way (namely USA Baby--since now the only store is in Scottsdale...not cool). So I took the 51 and I got off before it got too crazy. Poor Jenny. She was on the 101, and it was taking her 30 minutes to go 2 exits. Not fun. Luckily I got a hold of Colleen in time to switch from the 101 to the 51 and so she didn't get stuck. But we all ended up arriving late.

We weren't able to hang out as long as we planned--thank you construction...grr. But we did get to walk around Desert Ridge Mall after lunch and my friends spoiled me. Jenny got me a bunch of onies and a full outfit and a cute blacket. Colleen got me some cute socks and a toy that her kids picked out special for the baby.

Overall it was a fun and exciting afternoon. I can't wait to find out whether the baby is a boy or a girl so I can really decide on a theme for the room. There was some very cute stuff for a cowboy themed room if we are having a boy--which is what I think we are having. Corey thinks we are having a girl--but I haven't settled on a theme for a girl. :)

An Overdue Thank You

My incredibly generous cousin sent me some cute things for the baby. But since I have been working like a crazy woman (what can I say--I am racking up the comp time, it may come in handy later...hehe) I haven't been able to thank her. Of course she may not have noticed as much since she is busy preparing for her trip to Wyoming, but still I don't want her to post something on her return to remind me that I didn't properly thank her. My cousin has quite a way with words...hehe (now I am in for it--nothing by love for you Bradi).

And since I mentioned her trip to Wyoming I want to send out a congratulations to my incredibly smart and accomplished cousin Cody who is graduating from Law School. I am only hoping that the next car accident I am ever in (knocking on wood now) Cody can send a letter to make the insurance company play nice. Isn't that what lawyers in the family are for? I would add a picture of my cousin, but I don't have any on my computer. But next time I am at my dad's I will see if I can find a good picture to add so everyone can see what the future lawyer looks (looked--depending on the picture I find...hehe) like.

I hope everyone has a great time in Wyoming and I hope I get to hear about it all very soon.

What To Wear?

Corey and I had lunch (or dinner--or whatever meal you eat at 3:30pm) with Corey's mom today. Corey's mom has obviously been working up a storm on things to give the baby. Pictured below you can see that she has made a cute little white jacket/sweater (really I live in Arizona, is there a difference?), a toddler-sized bib, and a bunch of booties. Personally I think the booties will match the Cubbie outfits very nicely, but for some reason my Massachusettes-born in-laws are thinking Red Sox. :)

Celebrate Good Times

First--I have to celebrate the fact that my wonderful, creative, and very talented aunt gave me another wonderful gift for the baby. A hand-made burp cloth and receiving blanket. It is so exceptionally cute that I had to share a picture.

Second--I have to celebrate finishing my first semester as a graduate student at ASU!! Which--just in case you were wondering--is much harder and more stressful then being a graduate student at UOP. But it is also a lot more rewarding. :) Now I have a couple of weeks before summer school begins. :)

First Baby Gift

My Aunt Shirley wins the award for giving Corey and I the first gift for the baby--so I thought I would post a picture and let everyone see the totally cute outfit that my aunt got us.

Thanks Aunt Shirley.