What a weekend!

I spent most of last week in Memphis for my company's annual leadership conference, and boy was I excited to get home! Friday night, we got together with a few friends and went bowling, something none of us are particularly good at and not really the kind of activity I would typically bring Owen along for. He was really anxious to give it a whirl, and he did about as good as you could expect a 4 year old to do, considering we didn't use the lane bumpers! We figured out that "granny style" was his best approach...


The only problem was that by the time his ball made it down the lane, it was going so slow that it would enter the ball return without resetting the pins. On average, it took four rolls per frame on Owen's turns, which was slowing us down considerably. Since we were on a schedule (thanks to Owen's bedtime and the upcoming league reservations), after about 5 frames like this, I wound up rolling Owen's turns to get us out on time. He had a ball, though. Each time he took a turn, he would run back to us in the seating area and just laugh hysterically as he watch his ball putt down the lane. I love that he is so willing to try new things, and almost always with a very cheerful attitude!

This weekend, Mother Nature decided to give us a nice break from the frigid weather we've had lately and give us a little sneak peak of what spring has in store for us. We enjoyed 2 days for crystal blue skies and 65 degree temperatures. Owen and I spent some mommy/son time on a picnic together at Shelby Park this afternoon. Although he was more interested in playing with sticks than actually eating, it was so nice to spend some sweet time with my #1 son on such a beautiful day.

Of course, we knew this was too good to last...as I write this, I am listening to a steady rain shower outside, and temperatures are expected to dip back down this week. But we sure did enjoy it while it lasted!

V-Day and B-Day

We were so lucky to be able to spend Valentine's weekend with Gran and Pop this year! They had gone to Memphis earlier in the week to go to a musical with Gran's sister, Katherine, and her husband, Tom. Since they were already so close to Nashville, they decided to just drive on over for a few days, and we are so glad that they did! Friday night, Owen spent the night with Gran and Pop while Richie and I went to a performance of the Blind Tiger Dames, for which Richie was in the band. We woke up bright and early Saturday morning to meet up for an elective ultrasound just to make extra sure that the new baby is indeed a boy (he is!). We followed that up with brunch at Noshville, a great local Jewish deli. That night we rented Monsters vs Aliens and ate pizza. When Gran and Pop were getting ready to go back to the guest apartment, Owen asked if he could spend the night with them again. And of course, they couldn't refuse!

Sweet moment with Pop at Noshville

Sunday morning, we met up at Loveless Cafe waaaayyy out in Bellevue for Valentine's Day breakfast AND, most importantly, Pop's birthday (a day early). The food was delicious, but the wait was a bit insane. It was so nice to be able to celebrate Pop's birthday with him in person. Owen had lots of hugs and kisses for Gran and Pop, and we really hated to see them go!

Going in for a smooch...

Soaking up all the love and attention!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, POP! WE LOVE YOU!

January wrap-up

Life has just been rolling right along here in the Lister house. There have been two main events occupying our time and attention: a real live snow storm and, of course, preparing for the baby! A couple of weeks ago, the weatherman predicted another round of snow. Keeping in mind how accurate the most recent prediction of this sort had been, we were skeptical, to say the least, that we would see much of the white stuff. That Friday, it started. And it just kept coming! I wound up leaving work at 10 a.m. because the roads were already getting bad. I made a quick trip to the Piggly Wiggly and the movie rental store before heading home to hunker down. I wound up getting a terrible allergy/sinus attack that weekend, but Richie and Owen were able to get out and about for some fun in the snow. They went sledding with the Cassells and had numerous snowball fights in the backyard. Here's Owen on his bouncy horse/sled (Richie's idea):

We've also been working hard on the house, as my nesting instinct has kicked in hard and heavy. In the last two weeks, we've hung curtains, bought a headboard and bedding for our room, framed and hung about 9 pictures/paintings, got a rug for Owen's room, and just generally started making preparations for the newest little Lister. #2 is quite a mover--Richie and Owen have both felt him kicking and squirming around, and sometimes we can even watch my stomach move, which is just so weird. Owen has been getting into the spirit of things by suggesting more baby names (General, Blaster Head, etc), giving a free pacifier from the midwife clinic a test run (see below), demonstrating where his little brother can sit to watch Star Wars with him, you get the drift...

We're more than halfway done already...our little guy will be here in just a few short months! We still have a lot to do and really need to get a name figured out. But in the meantime, we're enjoying our last months as a family of three!