The best Christmas present ever:) Allie Joy Nichols is here!

She's here!! Allie Joy Nichols made her grand entrance this past wednesday, December 17 at 1:31 pm. She weighed in at 8lb 2oz and was 19" long. The delivery was so much easier than my first-we went in at 5 am on Wednesday and they started an IV of pitocin to get things going. Then my doctor came in around 9 am and broke my water and I got my epidural shortly after. Things progressed quickly from there-my nurse said I would start to feel some pressure when the baby was getting close and so around 12:30 I called her in and told her I was feeling a little pressure and she checked me and I was 9cm dialted! So anyway, she came back about 45 min later, checked me again and it was time! She called in my doctor, I pushed twice and that was it! Allie was here!!

Now anyone reading this who had their baby at Northside in Atlanta (which is where I had Marissa) knows that the experience there is wonderful, so this hospital had a lot to live up to! But let me tell you...I don't have one bad thing to say about our time there. Every single nurse was so great, the room was very nice and Russell even said his bed there was more comfortable than the one at Northside. :) However, with all that said, I was still ready to get home to Marissa, so my doctor let us go home Friday morning and so began my life with two babies under 2 years....

Well, I know all y'all really want are some pics, so here you go. Our newest addition, Allie Joy Nichols!

Our first picture together as a family of four:)

This picture is my absolute favorite:) Daddy and his girls...

Everyone keeps asking me if she looks like Marissa...I figured I would let you judge for yourselves...Allie on the top, Marissa on the bottom-what do you think??

And finally, I had to post this one of Marissa and her papa (my dad)-she kept wanting to mess with his computer, so we gave her our old laptop to play with and she loves it, look at that smile!!

Baby Shower, Baby's Room, and Baby Belly:)

This past weekend our friends, the Allen's and the Ortiz's, threw us a wonderful baby shower/football watching party:) The Alabama vs. Florida game was on, so we knew the guys weren't going to be so keen on the idea of having a shower during that, so we all watched the game and during halftime, opened the gifts for Allie! Russell's good friend from high school, Scott and his very sweet girlfriend Megan, drove in from Birmingham for the occasion and it was so great to see them! Unfortunately, my pregnancy brain got the best of me and I didn't think to take a picture with everyone-just a quick belly shot (the only one I have taken all pregnancy) and one of the 3 of us. I so wish I would have taken one of all the girls and the guys, but, like I said, I'm just not thinking straight these days....Anyway, thank you guys again for a wonderful day, we had a great time! And here are the pictures we did take....

38 weeks pregnant

Since this is kind of a post dedicated to Baby Allie, I figured it would be perfect to put pictures of her nursery here. I am so pleased with the way it turned out and I can't wait to have a little one in there:) I used Marissa's bedding (since she will get her big girl bedding soon) and my wonderful mother-in-law, Gail, helped me pick out the fabric for the curtains and then sewed them for me!! And they (Russell's parents) also brought the chair from their house which matched perfectly and I snagged a stool from my sweet mom and recovered it w/the leftover fabric from the curtains. I also made the picture frames above her crib with inspiration from this post by Shannon. So anyway, enjoy the pictures!!

Oh and since we are talking about Allie-let me give you a quick update...I went to the Doctor yesterday and I am a couple cm dilated but she still hasn't dropped, which is very apparent to me and the constant pain in my ribs...but the doctor said I could pretty much go into labor anytime. I went ahead and scheduled an induction for the 17th at 5 am just in case she isn't here by then. I was a little hesitant to do that, but Dr. Ballard said all that would be involved for me is starting an IV and some potossin (which I had with Marissa) so that made me feel better. Keep us in your prayers and we will keep you posted on her arrival!!

Playing dress-up

One of the things I am most excited about when the girls get older is playing dress up! My mom used to have these long skirts (I called them broom-stick skirts...) and I loved putting them on and twirling around and my grandma also had all of her square dancing outfits with the petticoats and I would try those on everytime we went to her house:) So, I can't wait for Marissa and Allie to want to dress-up...well, I got my first taste of dress-up this past weekend as Russell and I were tackling the mess in our sunroom-we were unpacking and getting rid of things, and there was stuff laying everywhere, including some of my old purses and some headbands-well, next thing I know, I hear Russell say very quietly-"JJ, go get the camera, look at Marissa" So I got the camera and here she is, very proud of the look she put together!

What I love the most about this is how she knew where the headband went and how to carry the purses...Russell asked me how she knew how to do that and I told him I guess it's just a girl thing:)

And here is another shot of her playing dress-up in her daddy's work boots:)

And lastly-here a couple of pictures of me playing dress-up with Marissa and her new boots and sweater-dresses. So cute:)

I'm officially an adult.

Well, I did it. This past Thursday I officially became an adult, or at least in my eyes I did. I cooked and served a Thanksgiving dinner complete with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, rolls, and gravy all on my own. (Well, technically, mom and dad smoked the turkey for me, but I still heated it up and served it...) Russell and I found ourselves alone this Thanksgiving until the day before when I was talking to my friend Ashley from Georgia and she told me she and her hubby and newborn were also alone, so we all decided that it would be a great idea for them to pack up their beautiful baby boy Easton, their german shephard Luca, and theirselves and come on to Alabama! We had a wonderful time together and it was so great to finally meet Easton, he is such a sweet and happy little guy:) So anyway, Marissa and I went to wal-mart on Wednesday and got everything we needed to host our first Thanksgiving and I must say, it was quite a success! Everything turned out great (with the help of my mom and a couple emergency cooking question calls) and we had just enough for some leftovers that night. Unfortunately, we were so busy with cooking, babies and eating that we didn't take any pictures...but it was a great time! We hope that y'all had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your families and friends and yes, mom and dad, you are officially forgiven, I survived:)

I've been tagged by Shannon to try and think of 7 random things about myself (that other people might be interested to know). Here is what I came up with...

1. I had stick-straight hair as a baby. People are obviously always shocked when I tell them this and I wish I had a picture online to show you..but it's true. The madness of frizz and curls started sometime in middle school-which is just perfect timing to start looking different from everyone else....luckily, since then-I have found some amazing products for curly hair-so if you know anyone in need-check out http://www.ouidad.com/!

2. I absolutely HATE to be lost while driving. I get very aggravated and I have to find a map immediately. Which brings me to (please don't judge me too harshly for this)...I love to look at maps, I want to know exactly where I am going and how long it will take and how many more exits I have to go. (for example, I know that if you are driving along I-85 in South Carolina-it will take you exactly 106 miles-man, this makes me sound a little crazy and a lot dorky) As you can imagine...when Russell and I argue-it's usually in the car (and he's driving...)

3. I really don't like scary movies or ghost stories. I refuse to watch anything that seems to be even the least bit scary. When I was in high school, I went to see The 6th Sense with my mom, my friend Courtney and her mom, and I walked out within the first five minutes and watched Big Daddy instead:)

4. I have two tattoos, I got them both when I was 18 and I kinda wish they would both magically disappear...

5. I have over 700 songs on my ipod, but all I ever listen to are the four albums by the Dixie Chicks, over and over again. They have been and always will be my favorites:) I even convinced Russell to go to one of their concerts with me last year in Atlanta and it was AMAZING!

6. I was born in Hobbs, New Mexico. (isn't the scenery beautiful...that is located just outside of town)

7. I went through a serious tomboy stage when I was younger (about 4-6 grade). I wore my brothers' old hand-me-downs and I LOVED Micheal Jordan and anything to do with the NBA. My dad and I would always watch the games together and my room had Michael Jordan posters all over the walls and come to find out...Russell and I had the exact same poster on our wall (I mean, what proof do you need besides that little fact that we are meant for each other:)) So there you have it, 7 random things about me. And-just a little side note-if you want to make this little game really interesting-ask your spouse to help you think of things. I asked Russell and he immediately starts listing things about me that bothers him. I quickly told him that's not what I meant and that I didn't need his help....

So here are the rules:

*Link your tagger and list these rules on your blog.

*Tell seven random facts about yourself on your blog

* Tag seven people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs

*Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog

Ok-tag, you're it:

Jen

Ashley

Layne

Kristin

Katie

Emily

Amber

Halloween...Anniston, AL style:)

Now, Anniston, AL may be a small town (with terrible shopping and Winn-Dixie as their only grocery store) but let me tell you, they go all out for Halloween. Our Halloween this year started off on Wednesday night, we went to the country club (where Russell works) and had dinner, met some of the members and looked at all the cute kids dressed in their costumes. They also had a little pumpkin decorating craft for the kiddos, which I tried to get Marissa to do, but all she was interested in was gathering up all the markers and holding as many as she could in her hand. Here a couple pics from that night, they aren't that great though b/c it was a little dark.

Marissa the ladybug (with all her markers)

and here she is....still playing with the markers:)


This was the best we could get of Marissa, she was ready to go to bed (note to self-take pictures with one year old daughter at the beginning of the night)


Then, on Halloween night, there is a street that is a couple blocks from our house that goes all out! They block off the street, most of the houses and the people who live there are all decorated for Halloween, and they even have the headless horseman ride through the street before it gets dark (unfrotunately, we were a little late, so we saw him but just as he was passing by, so we didn't get any pictures...) Anyway, our friends, Stephanie and Richard and their little girl Hannah (who is 4 months older than Marissa) met at our house and we went "trick-or-treating" (as best you can with toddlers). Stephanie brought the wagon for the girls to ride in and even tied some festive Halloween balloons to it-it looked so cute and they loved riding in the wagon and looking at everyone!

Hannah, the witch and Marissa, the ladybug


This one is a little blurry, but I wanted to show you how cute the wagon looked:)

Daddy and his ladybug trick-or-treating (i love this picture:))

Score! Her first tootsie-roll!

This is Lucas, one of the little boys from the playgroup we go to on Monday's (which is how I met Stephanie)



They obviously didn't have to work too hard for their candy:)

Stephanie and me with our girls:)

A little of this, a little of that...

I guess this post is an update of sorts...first, and most importantly, baby girl #2 update:) I had my 32 week check-up last Tuesday and everything is going great! My doctor actually had an ultrasound done to check her growth, which was so much fun because it was a 3-d ultrasound so we were able to see her face (she looked right at us) and she was moving her feet around and the ultrasound tech was even able to see a lot of fuzz on her head...meaning she apparently has a head full of hair!! She may come out with more hair on her head than Marissa has right now:) She weighed in at 4lbs 5 oz and all of her other measurements were right on. And just in case you didn't know already, we have decided her name is going to be Allie Joy Nichols. My middle name (and my Grandma's name) is Joy and we both really liked the name Allie, plus I have a very dear friend from college named Allie. So, we are getting very, very close to her arrival and I just can't believe it's less than two months away. The pregnancy is still going well, I am starting to get pretty uncomfortable and the awful heartburn has reared it's ugly head again...I had it with Marissa about this time, so it didn't come as much of a surprise...Thank God for tums! But other than that, I am feeling great and just so excited to meet our little girl!
Update #2-The House!
Well, we have one room painted and the rest of the house to go:) Russell and I decided we should just tackle this place one room at a time, because I was starting to feel very, very overwhelmed. We painted the dining room this weekend and it looks great, I'll post pics tomorrow and I am going to paint the living room tomorrow. Next will be Allie's room and then, who knows. I finally got the bathrooms in usuable condition. They were seriously disgusting. Thank goodness for Magic Erasers!! These things are AMAZING! If you haven't ever used these, I suggest you run out immediately and go get some-they will change your life:) I wish I would have taken before and after pics of the tubs so you could see the difference....So we just need to get new floors in the kitchen and bathrooms and we should be set!!
Marissa has been so great for us as we are fixing this place up. We took her pack-n-play over to the new house and we put her in there and give her some snacks and set up the laptop so she can watch her Baby Einstein DVD's and she will sit there for a couple hours, watching her movie and eating her snacks:)
And lastly, I can't let you go without any pictures, so here are a few highlights from our outing to the Camp Lee Pumpkin Patch. Marissa and I went last week with our new playgroup and we had a lot of fun. It was pretty chilly that morning, so that made it even better! We played, did a little craft, and finally went on a very bumpy hay ride (that I was sure was going to make me going into early labor). It was fun, but really, why else would I go to a pumpkin patch with a 1 year old besides the opportunity to get a pretty picture. So here ya go, here is the pretty picture (and a couple extras)!

Daddy came home to have breakfast with us, so we got a picture with him before we left





In a perfect world, she would be sitting on the bench, looking at the camera, and smiling...but this was the closest we got to that happening

The House!

So, I kinda went back and forth on whether or not I wanted to post these pics b/c the house is, well....looking a little rough right now. But, I figured if I posted them, maybe I could get y'all to give me some decorating and painting tips and also, so you can see the before.
We finally got to go look around on Saturday morning and it's really not that bad. The outside is cute-it just needs to be pressure washed, the shrubbery needs to be cut back (luckily, my hubby knows a thing or two about landscaping:)) and that crazy palm tree has to go! (I still don't understand why someone would plant a palm tree in Alabama...)

The inside needs a little more help...as you will see, the paint colors are terrible, so basically every room has to be painted. The whole house needs a good scrubbing from top to bottom. The vinyl floors in the kitchen and bathrooms need replacing, and we need a new dishwaser and stove. There are obviously other things we want to do...but those are the things that need to happen before we can move in.

So, without further ado....here is our future home:)

The Before Pictures:

The golf course is to the left and the tennis courts are behind the house and to the right. (nice palm tree, huh?)

The view of the living room as you walk in the front door-Russell and Marissa are in the sunroom which is in front of the master and the door on the right leads into the hallway and kitchen. We would really like to do something with the marble fireplace...more than likely, we will just take it off and get a wood mantle. Luckily, the hardwood floors are in great condition!

The diamond-painted dining room-this is to the right-if you are standing in front of the windows in the living room, this room is to the right. The chair rail is nice, but the paint job has got to go...I can only imagine how long it must have taken the old owners to do that...

The kitchen and part of the master bedroom (I didn't take a better picture of the master...) You can see the sunroom through those "doors" of the master-it's kind of a wierd layout...I'm not sure how I am going to arrange it all b/c of the sunroom-I am wondering if there is someway to incorporate the sunroom into the master bedroom and just take out those doors and put up better (more private) curtains in the sunroom. Anyone have any ideas?

Marissa's bedroom (upstairs)-I love the window seat, it opens so we can store toys, etc in there.

The blue guest bedroom (upstairs)

the bright pink guest bedroom (upstairs)

And lastly, this is the room we are using for Allie's nursery (it is downstairs, next to the master). I think I am just going to get a crib and changing table, because I am thinking I can use the built-ins for storing most of her stuff, just buy some of those cute storage baskets. However, I have no idea what to do w/the fireplace...obviously it won't be used, so does anyone have any cute ideas on how I can cover it/hide it? I also want to get a pretty chandelier to replace the current light.

I didn't post any pics of the bathrooms or laundry rooms really because they aren't anything special. There are two bathrooms, one up and one down and the laundry room is behind the kitchen and it leads out to the backyard....which, the backyard, is FABULOUS! It is about 50 yards long and about 20 yards wide, it has a gate that leads directly into one of the tennis courts and there is a concrete slab that has a basketball goal and little fire pit. It will be perfect for the dogs and hopefully we can put a swingset back there sometime in the next couple of years.

Ok, so there you have it. That's our house! Russell and I feel very blessed that we get to live there, so don't let any of my complaining about paint color, etc. make it seem like I'm not extremely grateful for the opportunity to live there, so close to the course.

Well, please feel free to give me any and all of your advice on what to do and I will post more pics once some changes are made!