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Meet Marilyn Hart McKinney

We are having a baby GIRL! :) Her name is Marilyn Hart McKinney... Marilyn after Locke's grandmother and Hart after my grandfather. We are so excited! We've ordered nursery furniture and picked out bedding and paint color for the walls. It will be very exciting to see the nursery come together. Here are some pictures from our 18 week ultrasound and today's 22 week ultrasound (which included a 3D ultrasound!)

It's a girl! (18 weeks)

You can see her sweet little hand in this one. (18 weeks)

Profile picture (18 weeks)

Her spine (18 weeks)

She looks like she has a little smile in this one and you can see her little toes. (3D 22 weeks)

So sweet! You can see her little index finger. (3D 22 weeks)

She's kind of being shy in this one. (3D 22 weeks)

Hiding behind her hands in tight little fists (3D 22 weeks)

She's trying to suck her thumb. She is so precious! (22 weeks)

And we're back...

I apologize for not blogging in so long. I was waiting until the exciting news was public before posting again. I knew if I attempted blogging before the secret was out, I'd be too tempted to spill the beans online. Well as I'm sure you all already know by now... Locke and I are expecting! I am just entering my second trimester and I'm due September 30.

I fully expected to see only 1 pink line like I had the month before, but when I saw that second line appear, my heart started to race. I ran down stairs and caught Locke right before he got in his car (he was headed to the graocery store to get cheese for dinner that night). I showed him the test and he asked "Well what does that mean?" I said "It means we're pregnant!". We hugged and kissed. It was so exciting! (Then he went to the store for cheese...he's such a good provider!)

Later that night, just to be sure, I took a different brand pregnancy test. It also came out postive. I showed this one to Locke and he said, "Well that one is a lot easier to understand". Haha.

This was one of the first perks I took advantage of at the grocery store.

Here's our little Sesame (that's what my Mom calls the baby ever since he/she was the size of a sesame seed during week 5) at 8 weeks during our first doctor appointment. Our second doctor appointment is scheduled for later this week.

Birthday Fun

My birthday celebration began last Saturday when Locke bought me a ring from James Avery. It features a garnet which is my birthstone. Showing off my new ring, we went to dinner at TGI Fridays and I had my favorite dessert...the Brownie Obsession!

Sunday night we had a snow storm and Williamson County was kind enough to cancel school on my birthday :) In fact, I didn't have to go back to work until Friday because of icy roads!! It was a welcomed break and made my birthday week even better :)

On Monday, my actual birthday, Locke and I went to the movies. We saw True Grit; I enjoyed it and recommend it. Then this past Saturday we took a day trip to Lynchburg, TN and toured the Jack Daniel Distillery. It was a free tour and very interesting! After the tour, we walked around the downtown square of Lynchburg and visited the little gift shops (but no Jack Daniels for sale, because it's a DRY county! Ha!) Then we had lunch at Miss Mary Bobo's Boarding House where we waited for the 1:00 dinner bell before being seated at a large table with several other dinner guests and enjoyed a yummy family style meal. It was a great day!

Locke standing in front of the natural spring that provides all the water for the distillery.

Locke and I posing with Mr. Jack Daniel himself! (He was only 5' 2" in real life... they added a few inches to his statue!)

On the Lynchburg downtown square.

After returning to Nashville, we met up with several of my friends to celebrate my birthday and Brooxie's birthday at Taco Mamacitas!

It was a wonderful birthday week!!

Merry Christmas

        Locke and I arrived in Richardson on Wednesday evening after a long twelve hour drive from Nashville. Poor Locke had to drive the whole way with a carsick dog and sick Vicky along for the ride. I went to bed early shortly after arriving and woke up Thursday morning feeling much better... just a 24 hour bug! Thursday was a day of grocery shopping with Mom. Then we went to dinner at Silver Fox with my family to celebrate my mom's belated birthday (December 13). After dinner, Locke and I met up with Melanie and her boyfriend, Bill, at Sherlock's in Dallas and enjoyed chatting and catching up.

        Friday was a day filled with baking and napping. Then we had family over for our traditional Christmas Eve dinner of yummy tamales, queso dip, homemade guacamole, tortillas, rice and beans. After dinner we went to church and then to bed with visions of sugar plums... except for my mom who stayed up till 1:30 a.m. still baking.  

         Christmas morning my grandparents came over and we enjoyed coffee and apple turnovers before the gift extravaganza began. For two hours we took turns opening gifts from Santa and family. Then we took our traditional family photo amongst the Christmas wrapping and boxes.

          Now everyone is relaxing (except for mom who is still baking and cooking!). Later today we will have around 20 people over for a big Christmas dinner.

Merry Christmas to all!!!

 

Garth Brooks

Locke and I enjoyed a night out at the Garth Brooks' Nashville flood relief concert Monday night. It was so much fun! Trisha Yearwood joined him for their duet and then sang a couple of her own songs.

We had such a great time... even from our our 3rd level nose bleed seats. :)

Let is snow!

It's our first snow in the new house!

View from the backyard

Abby taking a little stretch in the snow.