Joseph Porter Chappell
12.17.09
7 lbs. 7 oz.
3:13 p.m.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
He's Here!!
We have been soooo very busy, but here are a few pics of the little man. I really have plans to write out the birth story, but I have also been trying to upload these for days, so we'll see about that.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
35.5
I am so far behind at this point that I am not even going to try to catch up! So I will just hit the highlights.
I am tired, uncomfortable and swollen. I am over this for real.
Okay so... big things:
1. This baby does have a name, and no, it is not a secret. I can't believe I haven't posted it... I had good intentions. (I was going to introduce him with a beautiful 4D picture of his sweet face, but then he didn't exactly cooperate, and I forgot.) We are naming him Joseph Porter Chappell. Both are family names. There were just too many options out there, so we decided family was the way to go (and Justin didn't want him named Edward Cullen Chappell...). Joseph was my great-grandfather's name and also Justin's grandfather's name. Porter was my great uncle who raised my Grandmother Frances (when Joseph died). We are going to call him Porter. I have only known one other Porter in my life (a good friend in college), and he is a pretty good guy, so I feel safe in this choice. We have gotten in the habit of calling him JoPo. Justin says that he is going to be the best running back in the SEC, and "Run JoPo Run" is a Nike campaign waiting to happen. I do hope he isn't too disappointed when the child inherits my athletic prowess... Anyway, we must stop calling him JoPo pronto...it just rolls off the tongue...
2. I had my last day at work on November 11. It couldn't have come soon enough. I have been super-busy trying to get everything done before the baby comes. I run out of steam quickly, so this has not been easy. Who knew how long it would take to wash all those tiny clothes?! And we still have not finished his room. And I have been trying to get all the Christmas presents bought and wrapped... my list is long, people. Please pray that I get it all done. I am not very good at sitting and waiting; I like a plan. And a firm date and time. And apparently that is not how childbirth works, so I get frustrated easily. I am a joy to be around...
3. Showers!! I have had several showers in different cities!! I really have felt so loved by everyone involved... my mother's friends, friends who drove HOURS to see me (one days after giving birth herself), perfect menus, no details overlooked... It has been overwhelming, to say the least. I was going to post separately about each one, but that would take forever, and I am still missing some pictures (why I can't be trusted to take them on my camera is beyond me....) These pictures are backwards chronologically, which drives me nuts, but whatever...
Lauren, Krista, Lyndsay, Sally, me, Lucy, Nicole & Carson
Jill, Kat, Kelly, Kristen & Kelley
My AU Besties: Caroline, Taylor & Lindsey
Pretty table at Kelly's house
The hostesses: Katie, Kristen, Jill, Nicole & Kelly
Mom opening her present!
Fun truck theme at Mrs. JoAnn's house
I am tired, uncomfortable and swollen. I am over this for real.
Okay so... big things:
1. This baby does have a name, and no, it is not a secret. I can't believe I haven't posted it... I had good intentions. (I was going to introduce him with a beautiful 4D picture of his sweet face, but then he didn't exactly cooperate, and I forgot.) We are naming him Joseph Porter Chappell. Both are family names. There were just too many options out there, so we decided family was the way to go (and Justin didn't want him named Edward Cullen Chappell...). Joseph was my great-grandfather's name and also Justin's grandfather's name. Porter was my great uncle who raised my Grandmother Frances (when Joseph died). We are going to call him Porter. I have only known one other Porter in my life (a good friend in college), and he is a pretty good guy, so I feel safe in this choice. We have gotten in the habit of calling him JoPo. Justin says that he is going to be the best running back in the SEC, and "Run JoPo Run" is a Nike campaign waiting to happen. I do hope he isn't too disappointed when the child inherits my athletic prowess... Anyway, we must stop calling him JoPo pronto...it just rolls off the tongue...
2. I had my last day at work on November 11. It couldn't have come soon enough. I have been super-busy trying to get everything done before the baby comes. I run out of steam quickly, so this has not been easy. Who knew how long it would take to wash all those tiny clothes?! And we still have not finished his room. And I have been trying to get all the Christmas presents bought and wrapped... my list is long, people. Please pray that I get it all done. I am not very good at sitting and waiting; I like a plan. And a firm date and time. And apparently that is not how childbirth works, so I get frustrated easily. I am a joy to be around...
3. Showers!! I have had several showers in different cities!! I really have felt so loved by everyone involved... my mother's friends, friends who drove HOURS to see me (one days after giving birth herself), perfect menus, no details overlooked... It has been overwhelming, to say the least. I was going to post separately about each one, but that would take forever, and I am still missing some pictures (why I can't be trusted to take them on my camera is beyond me....) These pictures are backwards chronologically, which drives me nuts, but whatever...
Me and Mom
Lauren, Krista, Lyndsay, Sally, me, Lucy, Nicole & Carson
Jill, Kat, Kelly, Kristen & Kelley
My AU Besties: Caroline, Taylor & Lindsey
Pretty table at Kelly's house
The hostesses: Katie, Kristen, Jill, Nicole & Kelly
Mom opening her present!
Fun truck theme at Mrs. JoAnn's house
I think that is it for today... I have to sing the praises of my sweet husband, who has taken over all the household duties and has listened to me complain non-stop with little irritation on his part. He did tell me to suck it up yesterday...that I only had a maximum of 4 weeks left, and couldn't I just keep it to myself for 10 minutes???? But he said that after listening to me grunt with every step all the way around the mall for hours... I wish I could keep it to myself, but it just comes out. Which is another good reason for me to NOT blog right now!! Who wants to read this drivel... I'll update when I have something nice to say. :)
And God bless single mothers. I think about them all the time.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Imagine That
We are in Dothan helping my parents with a home renovation project. {I am in charge of getting the lemonade.}
What better time to get a 4D ultrasound?
Too bad our baby is already completely defiant.
First attempt (yesterday 7:30 a.m.), he was balled up. All we could see was his spinal cord and back of his head. Zero pictures.
Second attempt (yesterday, 3:00 p.m.), this is what we got:
Little fingers saying "No pictures, please. I am far too beautiful for you to see my face."
I think he is very much like his Uncle Aaron...
What better time to get a 4D ultrasound?
Too bad our baby is already completely defiant.
First attempt (yesterday 7:30 a.m.), he was balled up. All we could see was his spinal cord and back of his head. Zero pictures.
Second attempt (yesterday, 3:00 p.m.), this is what we got:
Little feet
Little fingers saying "No pictures, please. I am far too beautiful for you to see my face."I think he is very much like his Uncle Aaron...I hope he is more cooperative when we try again...
I am staying here until I see what he looks like.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Thirty, Flirty & Thriving...
The birthday is over, and I think Justin has been sufficiently celebrated.
I wanted to make this birthday super special for him because:
1. He's 30.
2. He has put up with a lot of crap from me. I have not enjoyed pregnancy, nor do I know the meaning of the phrase "suffer in silence." The man is a saint.
I saved and saved all my piddly allowance for months so I could buy him a super cool, 30-worthy, adult present.
It's a Big Green Egg! But since I couldn't wrap that huge thing, I made a little green egg to throw him off the trail.
We had a party! With invitations! And yummy cake & cupcakes from a real bakery!
Here are two of my new favorite people. LeLe and Katie. LeLe is a recent Auburn grad and newlywed. She is taking my job at the church. We should all stop right now and pray for her. Katie also works at the church. She is the Children's Ministry Director. They are going to miss me SO MUCH come November.
Me and J on his big day.
Nicole, Sally and Adriane.
Peter the Pirate
Men. Outside in the heat and humidity. Sorry about the fog.
More men. More fog.
The bounty of food from Moe's BBQ. They really do a great catering job. I was impressed. Their stuff is yum-o. We had pork, beans & squash casserole. And white sauce. I do love a good white sauce.
We had to eat outside, because our house does not hold 40 people.
Me and Jason (who looks positively thrilled to have his picutre taken)
Chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream icing. Nicole said it was the best cake she's ever had! (It was a bit much for me...) From Something Sweet in Daphne.
Lighting the candles in my cute shirt!
Happy Birthday to you!
And thanks to Lucy for taking the pictures!
I wanted to make this birthday super special for him because:
1. He's 30.
2. He has put up with a lot of crap from me. I have not enjoyed pregnancy, nor do I know the meaning of the phrase "suffer in silence." The man is a saint.
I saved and saved all my piddly allowance for months so I could buy him a super cool, 30-worthy, adult present.
I think he likes it!
It's a Big Green Egg! But since I couldn't wrap that huge thing, I made a little green egg to throw him off the trail.
We had a party! With invitations! And yummy cake & cupcakes from a real bakery!
Here are two of my new favorite people. LeLe and Katie. LeLe is a recent Auburn grad and newlywed. She is taking my job at the church. We should all stop right now and pray for her. Katie also works at the church. She is the Children's Ministry Director. They are going to miss me SO MUCH come November.
Me and J on his big day.
Nicole, Sally and Adriane.
Peter the Pirate
Men. Outside in the heat and humidity. Sorry about the fog. 
More men. More fog.
The bounty of food from Moe's BBQ. They really do a great catering job. I was impressed. Their stuff is yum-o. We had pork, beans & squash casserole. And white sauce. I do love a good white sauce.
We had to eat outside, because our house does not hold 40 people.
Me and Jason (who looks positively thrilled to have his picutre taken)
Chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream icing. Nicole said it was the best cake she's ever had! (It was a bit much for me...) From Something Sweet in Daphne.
Lighting the candles in my cute shirt!
Happy Birthday to you!
And thanks to Lucy for taking the pictures! Happy Birthday!
Today is my man's 30th birthday!
In honor of his special day, I thought I'd share something a bit personal that I know will mean a lot to him.
Once upon a time Kristen encouraged me to make a list of all the qualities I would want in a husband. We talked a lot about our "hot Christian husbands," but we didn't know for sure what we really wanted them to be like. Since there were zero prospects at the ripe old age of 22, my list was lofty and ambitious. And long! And it had to be revised several times because, at that point in life, I cared a lot about non-character attributes. I believe "owns a car, owns a house, has a 401k" were high priorities...
I really put a lot of time and energy into the list, and of course, forgot all about it six months later (when Mr. Car, House, 401k asked me out--and he turned out to be a total idiot...). I found it a couple years ago when we moved here and was absolutely floored when I read it. My Justin is my list in the flesh. A totally hypothetical wish list of attributes stands beside me everyday, and I am so blessed to be his wife. I keep the list in my jewelry drawer, so I see it often. And every time I take a second to glance it over, I thank God for the person that Justin is, and that he chose me.
Here's the list... Don't laugh {remember that it's old--And if you get bored reading, just skip on...it's for Justin anyway}.
In honor of his special day, I thought I'd share something a bit personal that I know will mean a lot to him.
Once upon a time Kristen encouraged me to make a list of all the qualities I would want in a husband. We talked a lot about our "hot Christian husbands," but we didn't know for sure what we really wanted them to be like. Since there were zero prospects at the ripe old age of 22, my list was lofty and ambitious. And long! And it had to be revised several times because, at that point in life, I cared a lot about non-character attributes. I believe "owns a car, owns a house, has a 401k" were high priorities...
I really put a lot of time and energy into the list, and of course, forgot all about it six months later (when Mr. Car, House, 401k asked me out--and he turned out to be a total idiot...). I found it a couple years ago when we moved here and was absolutely floored when I read it. My Justin is my list in the flesh. A totally hypothetical wish list of attributes stands beside me everyday, and I am so blessed to be his wife. I keep the list in my jewelry drawer, so I see it often. And every time I take a second to glance it over, I thank God for the person that Justin is, and that he chose me.
Here's the list... Don't laugh {remember that it's old--And if you get bored reading, just skip on...it's for Justin anyway}.
- Spiritual leader who challenges me in my walk with Christ
- Ambitious and focused with direction
- Wise & mature
- Athletic
- Taller than me {imagine that...}
- Beautiful...eyes...
- Pure
- Funny
- Not afraid to cry before the Lord
- Likes me to sit in his lap
- Friends with my friends
- Honors me in words and actions
- Uplifting
- Genuine and real--no secrets
- I can be myself around him
- God focused
- Leader in the church
- Likes to play outside--even in the rain
- Not controlling or selfish
- Fun and spontaneous
- Likes to sing loud
- Plays an instrument {J can play a couple chords on the guitar...that counts?}
- Liked and admired by others
- Has a good relationship with his parents and siblings
- Intelligent, smart, stimulating
- Good with money
- Comforting
- Will scratch my head
- Likes to snuggle while watching movies, especially scary ones
- Loves me unconditionally without reservation
- Accepts my faults and helps me to improve
- Desires God's will more than anything
- Lets me shop
- Thinks I am the most beautiful woman in the world
- Can fix cars and household appliances
- Wants to travel
- Appreciates the "finer things in life" {I am pretty sure I meant good food}
- Gentle
- Has manners
- A servant
- Thoughtful
- Patient and kind
- Trustworthy
- Knows how to listen
- Stable and secure {maybe this was the car, house, 401k boiled down?}
- Decisive
- Unselfish
- Affirming
- Dependable
- Lets me stay home with the kids
- Sensitive, compassionate, affectionate
- Respectful and self-controlled
- Giving
- Attentive to the needs of others
- Makes decisions in our best interest
- Can cook
Happy Birthday to you, my Ju-C. I hope this year is our best yet. I love you more than anything!
We had a little party this weekend...more pictures coming!
Friday, October 9, 2009
Shop Till You Drop... Literally.
A couple weekends ago I headed off to Birmingham to do a little shopping with the Sims Sisters. What started as a quick trip to the city for Lindsey's baby shower quickly turned into a well-planned shopping extravaganza for Lauren. She had money to spend, and Lucy and I were more than willing to help her spend it. Being a personal shopper is so fun!! And exhausting...
We left Fairhope at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday morning. We stopped at Chick-fil-A for breakfast, and made it to Birmingham just in time to eat lunch at the new O'Carr's in Cahaba Heights. YUM-O!!! (most of the weekend revolved around food...) Lauren had never had their chicken salad before. Poor Lauren. She is now just as sad as I am that there is no O'Carr's here.
Me and Lucy had fun trying on all the stuff we would probably never buy...
Lauren had wads of cash. That must be nice. She got so much cute stuff!!
We had dinner at Surin West downtown (Super Crunch and Crab Angels, of course) and went back to the Summit for some dessert from Cheesecake Factory. TO GO. Notice that it is very dark outside. By this point, I thought for sure the baby was about to fall out right in front of Anthropologie. We didn't check in at our hotel until 8:30 p.m. I was about to collapse. 
Now a word about the Hampton Inn... I really really love the Hampton Inn. Their pillows are nice. Their beds are so comfy. Even their free breakfast is pretty darn good. I might could live in a Hampton Inn if I had to.
We woke up early on Sunday morning, ate at the hotel and got ready for more shopping before Lindsey's shower.
Lucy let me fix her hair. A mini-me! Isn't it beautiful? I do love a good poof.
Here's Lauren with all her bags...
And here's one of the v. cute shoes we all bought at Target! Our Target is lacking a bit.
I would like for someone to buy me this headband from J.Crew. It was $40, and I just couldn't justify that, which was really surprising. Usually when I am in Birmingham something inside me clicks, and I instantly revert to Single Emily who doesn't care about price tags and frequently blows entire paychecks on frivolous purchases. Maybe it was because I spent my last $20 on the purple shoes... Darn that Dave Ramsey.
We grabbed a quick lunch at Jason's Deli (a first for Lauren & Lucy) and finally made it to Lindsey's baby shower. It was so fun to see Lindsey with her pregnant belly! I can't believe that two girls who once had a serious yelling match over cleaning out a cooler for hunch punch are having kids. It is very surreal. I hope our boys will be roommates at Auburn and never ever drink any hunch punch.
Please notice that Lucy took down her poof. What a stick in the mud.
And when we finally got home at 9:30 p.m. on Sunday night, I thought I might die. For real. On the drive home I started having some sharp, shooting pains that I was pretty sure were not supposed to be happening. I described them to Kay Bostic, who immediately freaked out and said I should go to the hospital. I got home and in the bed, and they subsided. Since I already had an appointment with my OB scheduled for the next day, I decided to forgo the trip to the ER. He had to check me (which was quite painful...I wasn't prepared for that...), and he said everything was just fine. And that he could feel the baby's head. So apparently home boy is hanging out as low as possible without falling out. There is plenty of room for him in there...if I were him I'd move up a bit...stretch out... It would make 12-hour shopping days easier on both of us.
We left Fairhope at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday morning. We stopped at Chick-fil-A for breakfast, and made it to Birmingham just in time to eat lunch at the new O'Carr's in Cahaba Heights. YUM-O!!! (most of the weekend revolved around food...) Lauren had never had their chicken salad before. Poor Lauren. She is now just as sad as I am that there is no O'Carr's here.
Me and Lucy had fun trying on all the stuff we would probably never buy...
Lauren had wads of cash. That must be nice. She got so much cute stuff!!
We had dinner at Surin West downtown (Super Crunch and Crab Angels, of course) and went back to the Summit for some dessert from Cheesecake Factory. TO GO. Notice that it is very dark outside. By this point, I thought for sure the baby was about to fall out right in front of Anthropologie. We didn't check in at our hotel until 8:30 p.m. I was about to collapse. 
Now a word about the Hampton Inn... I really really love the Hampton Inn. Their pillows are nice. Their beds are so comfy. Even their free breakfast is pretty darn good. I might could live in a Hampton Inn if I had to. We woke up early on Sunday morning, ate at the hotel and got ready for more shopping before Lindsey's shower.
Lucy let me fix her hair. A mini-me! Isn't it beautiful? I do love a good poof.
Here's Lauren with all her bags...
And here's one of the v. cute shoes we all bought at Target! Our Target is lacking a bit.
I would like for someone to buy me this headband from J.Crew. It was $40, and I just couldn't justify that, which was really surprising. Usually when I am in Birmingham something inside me clicks, and I instantly revert to Single Emily who doesn't care about price tags and frequently blows entire paychecks on frivolous purchases. Maybe it was because I spent my last $20 on the purple shoes... Darn that Dave Ramsey.
We grabbed a quick lunch at Jason's Deli (a first for Lauren & Lucy) and finally made it to Lindsey's baby shower. It was so fun to see Lindsey with her pregnant belly! I can't believe that two girls who once had a serious yelling match over cleaning out a cooler for hunch punch are having kids. It is very surreal. I hope our boys will be roommates at Auburn and never ever drink any hunch punch.Please notice that Lucy took down her poof. What a stick in the mud.
And when we finally got home at 9:30 p.m. on Sunday night, I thought I might die. For real. On the drive home I started having some sharp, shooting pains that I was pretty sure were not supposed to be happening. I described them to Kay Bostic, who immediately freaked out and said I should go to the hospital. I got home and in the bed, and they subsided. Since I already had an appointment with my OB scheduled for the next day, I decided to forgo the trip to the ER. He had to check me (which was quite painful...I wasn't prepared for that...), and he said everything was just fine. And that he could feel the baby's head. So apparently home boy is hanging out as low as possible without falling out. There is plenty of room for him in there...if I were him I'd move up a bit...stretch out... It would make 12-hour shopping days easier on both of us.Thursday, October 8, 2009
Say Hello to My Little Friend!
I decided to be a bit domestic today and clean the glass on our front door. This is one of those chores that I never think about, and so it probably only gets done maybe twice a year. Unless it gets so bad that Justin can't handle it, then he will do it himself.
I even took off the grapevine wreath and set it to the side for maximum glass cleanliness.
I was adjusting the bow when I discovered that a pesky little lizard has made himself at home within the loops.
I screamed and ran inside.
And repeatedly tapped on the glass to make him go away. He didn't.
An hour later, here he is chilling in my wreath. Sorry the picture quality is poor... I wasn't willing to venture outside to take a good one...
Lizards kind of freak me out.
I even took off the grapevine wreath and set it to the side for maximum glass cleanliness.
I was adjusting the bow when I discovered that a pesky little lizard has made himself at home within the loops.
I screamed and ran inside.
And repeatedly tapped on the glass to make him go away. He didn't.
An hour later, here he is chilling in my wreath. Sorry the picture quality is poor... I wasn't willing to venture outside to take a good one...
Lizards kind of freak me out.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Delinquent...
I'm sure you have all been very concerned with my long absence.
Anyway, I found this little survey on my friend Betsy's blog, and thought I would use it to help catch up. And after this, I promise to be better. I am feeling MUCH better, so I really have no excuse.
Never fear. I am alive!
I just have nothing fun to write about. Although I am contemplating writing a book... "Pregnancy According to Emily." Should be extremely informative and on the verge of complete insanity... Has anyone read Jenny McCarthy's pregnancy book? I feel her. We have more in common than I would have ever thought.
Anyway, I found this little survey on my friend Betsy's blog, and thought I would use it to help catch up. And after this, I promise to be better. I am feeling MUCH better, so I really have no excuse.
How far along: 26 weeks (nausea went away somewhere between 20-21. THANK YOU LORD!)
Total weight gain/loss: At 22 weeks, I had gained 10 lbs. And I won't be looking again. I don't need to know. I will be obsessed and/or upset, so I am choosing to live in darkness.
Maternity clothes: Could someone please give me some $$ so I can look as cute as all these people I see online. I have purchased some jeans (that I LOVE), but most of my tops/dresses are getting a bit on the short side. Not that that has stopped me from wearing them and looking like a redneck streetwalker...It is hot here, people. I do have several cute fall tops & sweaters that a friend is letting me borrow. I wish I lived in California where it is not 5 million degrees, and I could wear them.
Stretch marks: None yet. But the boobs, they are getting large, my friends. I feel like puberty has arrived a bit late... And by "large" I mean relative to my previous size, which was non-existent. If you have seen me or talked to me, I am pretty sure I have made you aware of the situation at least 10 times.
Sleep: Not so much. I got a body pillow...heard that was supposed to help, but when you toss and turn whilst holding a body pillow... you still wake up. And my back has started hurting. But I will take this over nausea any day of the week.
Best Moment of this week: I have no idea... I ate a brownie at Chick-fil-A last night that was pretty awesome.
Movement: I have just started feeling him move. It is very very weird. My mom says that it "is the most amazing feeling in the world." I just think it is weird. He likes Justin, and will usually get busy when he talks to him. I don't feel "kicks," just some swimmy movement.
Food Cravings: After 20 weeks of crackers, life is good. Most things are appealing (except meat cooking). I have eaten a couple boxes of Oatmeal Creme Pies... And I really like gooey, cheesy sandwiches on crusty hot bread.
Labor Signs: None. But I thought for sure my water had broken at church on Sunday. Turns out, someone spilled their coffee, and I sat in it. My bad.
Belly Button in or out: In. But getting stretched daily.
What I miss: Feeling skinny. Sleep. My Paige jeans...
What I am looking forward to: What does this mean? Is this where I am supposed to wax poetic about how excited I am about labor & delivery? Not going to happen!! How about... I am looking forward to November 11. That is my last day of work! I am retiring!!!!!!!!!! (I know you are not surprised at all by this news. I am not exactly what one would call "ambitious"....)
Milestone: This is a good one... I am finally getting excited about the baby!! I really think that surprise + nausea= serious delusions for me. Now that I have had some time to rationally think about it, I am excited. So emotional progress is good.
And here are some of the fabrics for his room... I ordered the crib set from Javis Davis. I love it!! I know it is not very baby, but it is very Emily. Kay Bostic is quite concerned that there is no theme. She wanted Peter Cottontail. I told her he was back in 1980 where he belongs.
This is PeaPod... It is the crib skirt, a pillow and the material for a cornice board.
This is Eliza Stripe. It is the outside of the bumpers and the pleat in the bedskirt.
I'll get some pictures of the nursery up when it is done. We (and of course I mean Justin) are still painting.
Peace out.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
So I DID Have a Birthday...
You know all is not well with the world when I am a MONTH late on a birthday post...especially when it is MY birthday.
So I had one.
And I feel old. 29 is knocking on 30's door, people.
Justin left for his Mexico trip on the big day, so I was flying solo. He made arrangements for me to have a birthday massage at the place downtown. I ate lunch with the Carrigans and Nebrigs at Panini Pete's, and headed to the salon. They were running behind so I decided to get all my hair cut off while I waited. I was too hot with all that hair anyway. The funny thing is that when I went to pick Justin up he didn't notice that I had no hair for at least 15 minutes...
Anyway, the girls and I went out for a nice birthday dinner at Master Joe's, a new sushi restaurant downtown. It is soooo yummy!! They have great special rolls. We had the best time EVER.
So I had one.
And I feel old. 29 is knocking on 30's door, people.
Justin left for his Mexico trip on the big day, so I was flying solo. He made arrangements for me to have a birthday massage at the place downtown. I ate lunch with the Carrigans and Nebrigs at Panini Pete's, and headed to the salon. They were running behind so I decided to get all my hair cut off while I waited. I was too hot with all that hair anyway. The funny thing is that when I went to pick Justin up he didn't notice that I had no hair for at least 15 minutes...
Anyway, the girls and I went out for a nice birthday dinner at Master Joe's, a new sushi restaurant downtown. It is soooo yummy!! They have great special rolls. We had the best time EVER.
Carson, Nicole, Sally & Krista
Lyndsay, me & Lisa (see new hair!)
Everybody (minus Lucy, Lauren and Laurie who had better things to do--We missed you!!)
Kind of like when I lived in the Brown House with Kristen, Kelly and Katie. I was KEmily.
But that is neither here nor there.
Happy Birthday to me!
Lyndsay, me & Lisa (see new hair!)
Everybody (minus Lucy, Lauren and Laurie who had better things to do--We missed you!!)
I just noticed that I have an overwhelming number of friends whose names start with "L."
Kind of like when I lived in the Brown House with Kristen, Kelly and Katie. I was KEmily.
But that is neither here nor there.
Happy Birthday to me!
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Princess or Super Hero???
We had our friends over on Monday night for a little pink or blue party. Except Wal-Mart was out of blue plates, so it was Generic Princess or Spiderman...
Here are their picks:
And here is the winner:
If you are surprised, you are not alone!
I was nearly positive this kid was of the female variety. I even asked the sonographer if she was sure.
But kid wasn't really shy about flashing his goods. It was quite obvious.
I guess I should get used to the whole flashing thing... I haven't met a male yet who wasn't obsessed with genitalia... including Justin, who likes to flash his "wing dog" every chance he gets. (Thanks Lori & Jeb for that fabulous name, which we have adopted in our house).
I made a blueberry buckle (in the v.cute dish J gave me for my birthday). Here is Justin with blueberry all in his teeth:
The End.
P.S. I did not cry or carry on in any way. I am making remarkable progress.
Here are their picks:
And here is the winner:
If you are surprised, you are not alone!I was nearly positive this kid was of the female variety. I even asked the sonographer if she was sure.
But kid wasn't really shy about flashing his goods. It was quite obvious.
I guess I should get used to the whole flashing thing... I haven't met a male yet who wasn't obsessed with genitalia... including Justin, who likes to flash his "wing dog" every chance he gets. (Thanks Lori & Jeb for that fabulous name, which we have adopted in our house).
I made a blueberry buckle (in the v.cute dish J gave me for my birthday). Here is Justin with blueberry all in his teeth:
The End.P.S. I did not cry or carry on in any way. I am making remarkable progress.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Bienvenue a l'hotel Chappell
We have been so flipping busy at the Chappell house. I'm talking about the kind of busyness where you need a weekend to recover from your weekend... except in our case our busyness has come in the middle of the week!!
Our friends Kris & Mitch came to see us from St. Louis!! We hadn't seen them in so very long, and it was great to catch up a bit. Kelly McJ hitched a ride with them, and we all got to eat together at Felix's. I will use any excuse to eat there... I love their she-crab soup more than words can say. We made reservations for a private dining room, which I love to do when going there. It is so nice to be able to hear everyone and get to visit properly.
Unfortunately, nausea+sun+hour-long car ride=one sick Emily. I had to miss the cookout at the Carrigan's pier, but we made it just in time for the fireworks. Apparently, the city of Fairhope is going through some cost containment in the fireworks department. It was a total bust, and I was mad that I dragged myself down there for them. I kept waiting and waiting for the "finale," and it never happened. Darn this financial crisis.
Okay... on to last week... I got a text from Taylor asking if she could spend the night with me on Wednesday! Of course!! She was driving through on her way to New Orleans to visit family. And then Lindsey decided she would come too (which I still can't believe because it was so last minute, and Linds is just not last minute...)!! I was so very happy to see my college BFFs. I hated to miss our girls weekend in May, but this was the next best thing. We had a lovely lunch at the BayBreeze Cafe, and then Tay had to leave, which was very sad.
Saturday night we celebrated Jonathan's 30th birthday with a fiesta at the pier. It was so fun! I can't believe we are all getting to 30. It just doesn't seem possible.
Yesterday we had a send-off lunch for the Mexico mission trip that leaves on Saturday. I am so jealous that Justin is getting to go, and I have to stay home. The kids are all so excited, and I cannot imagine a better group of youth to go with--they are going to have a blast. I hope that Justin takes my threat seriously and comes home with some Mexican pottery in his suitcase.
And finally, Oliver is tired of all the company and events. He is ready to take a nap without interruption. His little eyes look so sleepy.
Our friends Kris & Mitch came to see us from St. Louis!! We hadn't seen them in so very long, and it was great to catch up a bit. Kelly McJ hitched a ride with them, and we all got to eat together at Felix's. I will use any excuse to eat there... I love their she-crab soup more than words can say. We made reservations for a private dining room, which I love to do when going there. It is so nice to be able to hear everyone and get to visit properly.
Nicole, Kelly, Kristen, Emily (greasy, ugh)
They left just in time for our annual July 4th celebration. Carson invited us to her parent's house down on the bay in Orange Beach for a cookout. It was so fun! Carson's mom had cooked this very delicious meal for all of us (it was her birthday!) and had to miss it because her 3rd grandchild was being born. So, thank you GooGoo for the wonderful food. I am so sad you didn't get any. :( We even had white sauce for the BBQ. I have never had that, and I have surely been missing out. Check out Krista's blog for pictures. She got lots of good ones of the water slide fun. The husbands really had more fun than the kids, I think. I only went down once...it was bit of a hard landing.
Unfortunately, nausea+sun+hour-long car ride=one sick Emily. I had to miss the cookout at the Carrigan's pier, but we made it just in time for the fireworks. Apparently, the city of Fairhope is going through some cost containment in the fireworks department. It was a total bust, and I was mad that I dragged myself down there for them. I kept waiting and waiting for the "finale," and it never happened. Darn this financial crisis.
Okay... on to last week... I got a text from Taylor asking if she could spend the night with me on Wednesday! Of course!! She was driving through on her way to New Orleans to visit family. And then Lindsey decided she would come too (which I still can't believe because it was so last minute, and Linds is just not last minute...)!! I was so very happy to see my college BFFs. I hated to miss our girls weekend in May, but this was the next best thing. We had a lovely lunch at the BayBreeze Cafe, and then Tay had to leave, which was very sad.
Lindsey, Emily, Taylor
But Lindsey stayed and we visited with Lucy and Lauren all day on Thursday, Friday and Saturday! These Dothan girls sure can talk. I didn't know half of the people they discussed even though I lived there my entire life... county school v. city school at its finest. I thought Justin and Jason were going to kill us for sure. And I am really surprised that Lindsey is still my friend at all because I volunteered her to "serve" with me at a dinner on Friday night. I thought that "serve" meant to pass out the food and clear the dishes off the table. I thought two hours tops. Nope. "Serve" meant actually serve the food and wash dishes and clean up stuff for FOUR hours. Did I mention that Lindsey is 23 week pregnant? I thought we would both die. But it was really fun, and Lucy and Lauren were there, too, so that made it better. What was not fun was getting so sick that I had to lay on the couch and watch TV for two hours before I could finally go to sleep. I am so ready for this to be over...
Saturday night we celebrated Jonathan's 30th birthday with a fiesta at the pier. It was so fun! I can't believe we are all getting to 30. It just doesn't seem possible.
Yesterday we had a send-off lunch for the Mexico mission trip that leaves on Saturday. I am so jealous that Justin is getting to go, and I have to stay home. The kids are all so excited, and I cannot imagine a better group of youth to go with--they are going to have a blast. I hope that Justin takes my threat seriously and comes home with some Mexican pottery in his suitcase.
And finally, Oliver is tired of all the company and events. He is ready to take a nap without interruption. His little eyes look so sleepy.
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