Proof That Married People Are NOT Dull

So I was listening to a comedy routine on XM yesterday, and the guy was making fun of married people and how boring they are. He went on about how married people have game nights and how pathetic that is, so I thought I defend us and post pictures to prove that our game nights are a blast...even by married people standards.

1) Not sure what was disgusting to me...probably Miriam. Wow! I got a lot bigger from month 7 to month 8. Oops.

2) Jen LOVES when people make the sophomore face. Chris needs practice.

3) Haha! What else needs to be said about this rock band? I think Tommy is frightened by Jen's inner rock chick.

4) Most of us are terrible, which makes Rock Band Night even funnier...especially when Tommy has to tell Jen THREE TIMES to bring him a drink. Geez, Jen!

5) Even Joe from Alaska (that's right, Alaska) thought we were the coolest married people.

Clarksville Shower

Last Saturday Debbie, Jen, Miriam, and Teresa threw a shower for me in Clarksville. Mom drove up from Maryville to come with me, and we had a great weekend together (it isn't often that anyone gets to spend one-on-one time with Mom, as her life is crazy). C was out of town the whole time.

The shower was really cute, and they tortured me with shower games (which I despise), but we had fun. Debbie made an adorable diaper cake (which took me over two hours to take apart!), and Jen made the baby a personalized onesie that says "Chevy," in honor of his Office-themed name while in utero. Chris did not find it as funny as I did!

After we left the shower, Jen and Miriam picked up pizza and joined me and Teresa at the house to play Partini. We were so hysterical that when Chris called, he thought we were drunk...yes, (insert sarcasm here) I avoided alcohol for 8 months only to chance my child's brain damage in week 32. If more people laughed until they cried and couldn't speak, we would not have communication gaps like this. Sigh.

Baby Showers...and (FINALLY) a Name

Last weekend Chris and I went home to Maryville for the first of our baby showers. Debbie and Dave came down also, and Debbie's family from South Carolina drove over as a surprise. It was so fun to see them! We also finally committed to a name (Mason Ward Baker...mainly I gave in because I wanted burp cloths monogrammed at Dandylions while we were in town). Ward was Debbie's maiden name, and Grandaddy Johnston was a Mason, so we like the historical significance of the name. I've already told Chris, though, that if we have another boy someday, his name WILL be Anderson.

The first shower was for family and friends and was hosted by my sisters and sister-in-law. They did such a great job, and we had a huge turnout (Chris took all the guys bowling while the ladies were busy!). People gave us WAY more than we ever expected...you'd never have known it was a recession! Mary, Megan, and Kristin bought our travel system, and Mom bought our extra car seat, so we were really excited. And my nephew Jordan won his race at the UT meet, so we all stopped during the shower and cheered when we heard the news. He set a new school record!

After the shower Chris and I met his family and Jeff, Kristin, and Gracie for dinner. They all get along really well...which is a smidge frightening.

On Sunday we had a second shower hosted by my home church, Broadway Baptist. We are so appreciative of all the people who worked hard to pull the showers together for us. You should have seen us trying to load up the car and Dave's truck with all the gifts! It was crazy! As soon as we got home we organized everything and started putting together the travel system and the other big gifts. Chris even put the high chair at the kitchen table, even though I told him it would be 5 months before we use it! Haha! He just grinned and said, "I'm such a good daddy." Oh, if only all his old college buddies could see him now.

Avoiding Boredom When You're Pregnant

The list of things I cannot do right now is getting longer every day, so I'm trying anything to avoid boredom at this point (going to bed early usually wins out for lack of more interesting alternatives).

A few weeks ago, we went to Opry Mills and made the baby's first teddy bear, which Chris named Archie (some reference to Dr. Do-little, I think), at Build-a-Bear Workshop. My sisters had come in and helped us do our baby registries, so Chris had a loooong day of shopping with the Keller girls. Haha! I posted a picture (top) my sis Megan took during the bear-making process.

Last weekend I made Chris take me on a road trip, so we went to Dover, TN (who knew there was such a place!?), and toured the Civil War battlegrounds at Fort Donelson and the National Cemetery. We also ate at one of Chris' hole-in-the-wall favorites, the Dairy Dip, which was greasily delicious! The weather was perfect, and we had a great day just driving and walking and talking. We used the tombstones in the cemetery as inspiration for baby names, but still no luck. Sorry, everybody.

We had game night at Miriam and Nick's later Saturday night and sat around the fire pit. Yay for roasted marshmallows!

Favorite Engagement Photos (For Those Who Never Saw Them)

Clarksville Friends

While I was looking at pictures to upload I saw all the pictures of my new Clarksville friends, and I thought I would stop to write a public thank you to them. Jen and Miriam (and a lot of others) have made the move to Clarksville so easy and fun for me. I don't regret for a minute our decision to relocate here (even thought it's likely only for a few years), and they've been a HUGE part of my life since we moved...and of Chris', too, since we made all our husbands be BFF!

You two are the coolest, and I love you! I am, however, going to publish the "senior picture poses" you made at my house as well as evidence that Nick needs Miriam's help to Wii hula-hoop. And I'm posting one more picture of one of our parties (who knows which one?) where the boys and girls stayed on separate levels of the house in typical fashion. Haha! Tanicia and Kendra are the cutest! Can't wait for game night this weekend!

A boy!

We had the ultrasound on February 3rd and found out we're having a boy (let the record show that I knew it all along!). Mom and Dad drove up to be there with us, and Debbie came too. Chris and I went in first alone, and it took over 20 minutes before the ultrasound tech could see enough to tell us the gender. He had his legs crossed most of the time. Big surprise that our child would be difficult!

Then we brought in our moms and made them wait to see evidence before we told them the big news. Again, he had his hands between his legs, so we couldn't see anything again for quite a while. Hmmm...wonder where he inherited that trait? Finally, he cooperated, and they saw their grandson for the first time.

Mom had been hoping for a boy to help even out the numbers in her grandkids, and she brought in three giant bags of clothes and all kinds of gifts for our little guy. Debbie brought over all the blankets she had crocheted for Chris as well as the one she brought him home from the hospital in and the one Mamaw Baker made for him when he was born. This is going to be one warm baby!