third trimester

27 weeks

154 pounds (26 pounds gained. this seems high, but i don't really have a goal weight and expected to gain around 35 pounds based on my bmi.)

i can hardly believe there are only 3 short months until our baby comes into this world! we have everything we need (i think): crib, arms' reach co-sleeper for our room (thanks mom!), tons and tons of outfits, diaper bags filled with goodies (thanks sis!), books, baby monitors, boppy pillow, bumbo, bathtub, rocking chair, car seat, wipe warmer, bottles, medela breast pump, blankets, and a million other things that could come in helpful with a newborn. it is nice having the first grandchild on james' and my side of the family! now we just have to organize everything and get the baby's room ready.

i sent what i thought was the worst christmas e-newsletter this year and got a surprisingly positive response! my original intent was the send the printed letter with handwritten christmas cards in the middle of december, but when that didn't happen and the kehrli update wasn't finished until christmas day, i decided emailing the document to relatives and a few random friends would be better than nothing. after looking up friends' email address on facebook (i have no address book) wondering how many of them still check the account listed and then replying to all on an email my mom sent to relatives months ago, my inbox started filling with responses! maybe an e-newsletter christmas card will be our new tradition. or maybe i still think it is a cheap and thoughtless alternative to sending cards, but will be my last resort in busy years to come. we'll see...

after a relaxing vacation, james and i are headed home tomorrow morning. we're breaking up the 11 hour drive by celebrating new years and staying the night with friends in st. louis and finishing the drive thursday. friday we're unpacking and then james leaves saturday for a 9 day work trip to mexico--sheesh! it is the last time we will be apart until baby kehrli arrives--i do not want to go into labor without a chauffeur!

in other news, one of my best friends in arkansas, brittney, just found out she is pregnant!!!! i am so, so excited for her. and one of my best friends from high school, heather, just got officially engaged!!!! the wedding is in may and i'm determined to be back to my normal size by that time so i am ordering a size 4 bridesmaid dress whether it is foolish or not.

i feel guilty that this entry is not about christmas, family, or new years resolutions, so here's a festive pics (my camera cord is lost so these will have to do until i can upload my own):

sarah, kim, em and me decorating cookies! (notice my terribly sad christmas tree)

the kehrlis, my sis and me eating at olive garden. abbey flew to wisconsin for my shower!

love!!

movin in

it's taking quite a while to unpack our new house and decorate, so pictures are coming slowly.

i do have one, though. say hello to my beautiful 50" plasma christmas present:

i'm not quite sure why it is my christmas present since james will probably watch it more, but i got to pick it out. we weren't going to get one until my old tv died, but i comprised by getting a cheaper fridge than originally intended so it worked out well. we're still trying to figure out how we're going to hide the cords.

last night james and i helped with the annual camp war eagle christmas dinner. we invite the 150 lowest income families that come to camp (80% of the summer campers come for free--thank you alice walton) for a christmas meal and give the children and parents presents. it is one of my absolute favorite events of the year because the families are so happy and thankful. somehow my husband gets suckered into playing santa every year, so here is a pic of him holding my friend kristin's baby, rachel (good practice!):

last but not least, my friend, sarah, from work gave us a few pacifiers. i just might have to start posting pictures of all of the fun gifts!

things to be thankful for this week: a place that james and i can finally call our own, a successful store call with clorox big wigs, james' picture in modern bride (ha, but really it makes me happy), many upcoming christmas parties, friends who genuinely care, generousity of people helping with the move and visiting, my work/colleagues, free membership to village on the creeks athletic club for a month, college bowl game pick 'em contests, and chocolate chip cookie dough, yum...

getting huge!

24 weeks

148 lbs (20 pounds gained)

this picture from thanksgiving doesn't really show how big i am, but there is no doubt that i look pregnant now! strangers are starting to ask when i am due, and i love that i have crossed the point of looking semi-pregnant (i could feel people's eyes staring at my belly questioning, "pregnant? fat? pregnant? maybe...")

my little sister, a nurse in the neonatal icu at children's mercy, says that our baby should survive if it is born any day now, woohoo! i'd like to keep it in the oven as long as possible, though. a majority of the babies abbey works with are premies and spend months in the hospital, so the longer the baby grows inside me, the healthier it should be. even though we're due april 1st, i'm guessing that baby kehrli will arrive around april 14 (both james and i were two weeks late, and i'm not nearly as big at 24 weeks than some of my other friends).

james and i've had a wonderful few weeks. being in lawrence was as heartwarming as usual, and it was a blessing to see family and high school friends. free state made the high school football championship game for the first time in school history, and part of me really wanted to go while we were home. however, the weather was nasty cold, and i didn't want to feel like a creepy high school has-been, so we went to the yatcht club with molly and jd and watched the ku v. mizzou game instead (go jayhawks!!).

i almost forgot how much i love hanging out with girl friends until these past few days. we had a panty shower for my friend, whitney, wrapped christmas presents for the camp war eagle christmas dinner, had a few other get togethers and loved every minute of each others' company. there is no doubt that i re-energize by being around people, and it's been hard not having all of my college friends around all the time, but i appreciate each time i can get together with friends. i'm so excited about christmas. james and i are taking two weeks off so we can go to kansas and wisconsin and spend lots of quality time with our families.

time to write our christmas letter. a few fun pics from thanksgiving break (i'll post pics of the house whenever we finish unpacking!)...

sis and me with our little cousins on thanksgiving

molly and jd were sweet enough to get us a baby gift

this might be one of my favorite pics ever. abbey and her boyfriend, brett, being goofy:

the boppy from my sis!

last but not least, some of my girlfriends at bella arte for a christmas dinner!

loves!!

wedding photo book

i promise i will write a longer post later, but my BIL is in town and we're moving tomorrow, so life's been a little crazy. in the mean time, i finished my first shutterfly album and am being an attention whore by posting a link if anyone wants to see (hey michelle did it too :)). i am pretty pleased with how it turned out!

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AcsW7Jw0bNma6&notag=1

Love yall!!!!