Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Wow it seems like just yesterday I was blogging about putting up our Christmas decorations and now it is almost here. The last few weeks have been fast and furious around the Jarrett household with lots of Christmas parties, family gatherings, doctor’s appointments and the normal hustle and bustle of this holiday season. Last weekend we traveled to Dallas for the annual Jarrett Christmas gathering. This year the party was at Aunt Linda and Uncle Jerry’s house which is always a special place to me because when I first moved to the metroplex they let me live with them for a few months while getting adjusted to my new life and looking for an apartment. As always it was a fun time with all of the family! We also had our family Christmas with Justin’s parents and his sister Lisa and her husband Steve. Of course Ava Kate came away with the most gifts of all. I don’t think she is going to be spoiled or anything! Unfortunately I came home with another sinus infection. All this crazy weather really isn’t helping.

Last week we had two doctor’s appointments- one with my OB and one with the specialist. We got to have another sonogram with the specialist and she has really grown since the last one. She is now almost 2lbs and about 13 inches long. The doctor said she is still measuring right on track for a March 25th due date. They said I am measuring right where I should be. And the best part of all is they said she is now big enough to survive outside of the womb which was such a huge milestone and so good to hear! When he was doing all of the measurements and he was measuring her head I said is it big? He looked at me funny and said no it is normal. I said well me and her father both had big heads so I just kind of figured she would also. I’m sure he thought that was an odd question. We also watched the epidural video last week and I had my glucose test which many of you know I was a little worried about. I managed to not pass out although I did come pretty close. I think I’m finally starting to learn how to keep myself from fainting. I was also getting a little concerned about labor and talked to my doctor about that last week and she told me she has had lots of fainters but never once have any of them fainted during labor. I kind of thought well that is reassuring but at the same time I also thought I might just be your first!

The nursery has come a long way since the last update although not without some small and large hiccups. We got to pick up the changing table and the side table and they both looked great and matched the other furniture that Justin painted and stained very well. Justin finally got the crib painted and stained although it was quite an undertaking. The spindles and the varnish finish on the crib both proved to be headaches to paint over although he did it and it looks just beautiful! In the middle of all this there was a spill on her carpet which put a pretty large ugly stain in it but yesterday we had someone come out and patch it and no one would ever know. The fabric for her chair finally came in and we got the chair and ottoman recovered and they are gorgeous! Last night we got most everything hung up on the walls and her mobile hung on the crib so now all that we really lack is her bedding and curtains which will be started on in the next week or two! I imagine I’ll be spending lots of time sitting in there reading to her, singing lullabies and just dreaming of the day I get to see her face!






“God grant you the light in Christmas, which is faith; the warmth of Christmas, which is love… the all of Christmas which is Christ.” – Wilda English

I hope this holiday season is a wonderful time of joy, hope and peace for you and your family. I didn’t quite get to sending out Christmas cards this year with all the other events that were happening so below is our online Christmas card to you all. My sweet friend Kimberly was kind enough to take some photos for us for a Christmas card but then I just never did get it together. If we had sent one though this is what it would have said.

May your Christmas and New Year be filled with joy!
With Love,
The Jarretts
“The Lord has done great things for us and we are filled with joy.” Psalm 126:3

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas...

I have had this song stuck in my head. I love this time of year more than any other time of year. This is when my very sentimental and somewhat cheesy side comes out. My mom created lots of sweet traditions for us when we were growing up and I have continued most of them since Justin and I got married. It has been so exciting to me this year to think about how next year our Ava Kate will be here to be a part of those traditions and I'm sure I'll have some new ones I create just for her. Some of my favorite Christmas traditions are every year my mother has given me an ornament and so now my tree is a collection of memories. Pulling each ornament out of the box and putting it on the tree brings back memories of years past. Justin and I now do the same for each other and so I also have special memories of past Christmases with him. I already bought Ava Kate's first ornament- a glass bird. Since her name means "like a bird" and her nursery has lots of birds and nests in it I thought nothing would be more fitting than a bird ornament. It was the first ornament to be hung on the tree. Another favorite tradition is tree night. This is the night we put up the Christmas tree and decorate it. Growing up we would go pick out a fresh Christmas tree and usually have some yummy snack foods and hot chocolate while we decorated the tree. In the background Christmas music was playing or else a Christmas movie was on. This is another tradition I have carried on. Sunday Justin and I decorated all of the house and got the tree set up. We got lots of yummy snack foods and watched Elf with all the lights off except for the lights of the tree. We also had a tradition on Christmas morning. Natalie and I could not get out of the bed until we heard the Bing Crosby record playing White Christmas. I can't wait to continue this tradition with Ava Kate although instead of a record I'm sure we'll use the ipod. If any of you have favorite family traditions I would love to hear about them.
I have always loved the classic look of white Christmas lights. I love pulling up to the house and seeing the beautiful glow of the lights.
My nativity is one of my favorite parts of our Christmas decorations. I love putting it out every year and remembering the wonderful story of our savior's birth.
The stockings are hung on the bookshelves- no chimney in this house!
Our sentimental tree! It is not beautiful and themed but all the memories it holds make it so special!
My sweet little bird's first ornament!
The ornament I got at the Nutcracker Ballet my mom and I went to when we lived in Denton. The Nutcracker Ballet is another one of my favorite things about Christmas and definately a tradition I'll start with Ava Kate.
The ornament our dear friend Randy gave to me when I was a little girl. Randy passed away when I was in eighth grade but she has always been a very special person to me!
The ornament we bought the year we went to New York right after Christmas and during New Years. It was such a romantic trip and a wonderful place to be at Christmas time. It will always be one of my favorite memories with Justin.
The ornament Justin gave me our first Christmas together. It has always been my favorite one he ever gave me- so sweet and romantic.
One of the first ornaments my mom ever gave me and look it is a bird. It is barely held together and has to be gently propped on a branch because the hook fell out of it but it has always been one of my favorites.

The Nursery

We have accomplished quite a bit on the nursery in the last couple of weeks. It is now painted a beautiful rose color with a pretty pink shadow ceiling- between Justin, mom and I we got it done in a weekend. The closet has also been painted and all of her little clothes are hanging in it. Justin painted and distressed her dresser and her bookshelf. The dresser already has clothes in it and the bookshelf is already full of all the books we have bought for her along with the ones of mine my mom saved for me. My dad and Justin got the chandelier partially hung although it is going to have to come down and have a little work done since a couple of the lights are not working. Four of the eight fabrics for her bedding, curtains and rocker have arrived and they look just beautiful with the paint color. Justin is working on priming and painting her crib which has been a little more of a project than I think either of us had imagined. By the end of the week we will probably have the rest of the fabric for her room along with the changing table and nightstand. So check back in the next week or two for more photos! You will notice in the pictures all the decorative items are just spread throughout the room. I want to wait until all the furniture is in its place before I hang anything. I have definately been in the nesting phase. I find it hard to sit down at all and I pace the hall and constantly pop my head in and peak in the nursery. I finally had Justin put the rocker and ottoman in there even though they haven't been reupholstered yet so I would have a place to sit. I love to sit in there and look at all her little things and dream of the day I get to sit in there and rock her and sing lullabies to her and read to her. You'll notice in the picture below we have our travel system now too. That was our Merry Christmas from Nana and Pop. What a wonderful Christmas gift that we will get lots of use out of!

My belly has really started to pop in the last couple of weeks- Thanksgiving helped with that. We also can see her moving now which is one of the coolest things I have ever seen and also a little surreal! Sometimes we both will just sit staring at my belly for the longest time just waiting to see her move again. I think I finally am about over the nasty sinus infection I had for a couple of weeks. I'm just so thankful to no longer have to take any medicine. I know the doctor says it is okay but you still can't help but worry about how it is impacting the baby. We were able to get back to the gym this morning which felt great! I always feel so good when I go back after I've been out for a while. I just feel like I could do anything when I'm in there on the bike getting my heart going and blood pumping. Right now life is good, no great! It is my favorite time of year, I feel good, I get to enjoy feeling my precious little bird moving all through the day and only about 3 more months until I get to meet her in person! I feel tremendously blessed and thankful right now! "The Lord has done great things for us and we are filled with joy!" Psalm 126:3
Freshly painted!
Didn't daddy do a great job on the bookshelf!
All her little clothes and shoes hanging in her closet and don't forget the tutus!
The pretty chandelier and dresser and my favorite seat in the house right now!
Merry Christmas from Nana and Pop! Thank you!
24 Week Belly Photo!

Letter to My Bird

My sweet little bird,
You have become my only thought these days. I have definitely entered the nesting phase probably a bit early but all I want to do is prepare everything for you. I have a hard time sitting down and resting because all I can think about are all the things I want to get done for you before you arrive. I am probably driving your poor daddy crazy with all my to do lists. Every penny I have I want to spend on you. I am a lover of fashion- shoes, purses and pretty clothes but ever since I found out about you I could care less about any of those things unless they are for you. It is amazing how much a tiny little life can so drastically change you even before I have gotten to hold you in my arms and look in your sweet eyes. I can only imagine that in that moment this love and this desire to provide you with everything you need is only going to be magnified. Feeling you move has also become an obsession. I just sit with my hand on my tummy waiting for your next move. It is just such an amazing thing to feel you move and to have those sweet moments with you. One night not too long ago I woke up in the middle of the night and just couldn’t get comfortable. As I was laying there you started moving and you kept moving for quite some time. I just laid there enjoying feeling your every move and praying for you and your future. It was one of my favorite moments with you so far. One of my favorite past times these day is just to sit and dream about you. The other day your daddy said "Gosh I'm ready for her to get here, I'm just so ready to see what she is going to look like." I feel exactly the same. It is sort of a conflicted feeling because I enjoy so much knowing you are growing inside of me and seeing and feeling you move but at the same time I'm so anxious to actually be able to hold you in my arms and finally see your sweet little face! What a wonderful and amazing blessing you already are to us!
I love you dearly!

Your mommy