Well, we are back from our babymoon and exhausted.  It was wonderful.  Brandon is going to make a post in a day or so, after we upload all of our pictures and videos.  I will leave it to him to fill you in on all of the details!

Brandon was getting all the glory for finishing his square, but I finished mine too.  So I thought I should give you guys a glimpse into what I did.  I thought mine was pretty good until talented ole’ Brandon had to go blow mine out of the water.    Well, anyway, here it is!

I really enjoyed making it.  I was going to do some embroidery on it, since I have been doing a lot of that lately, but Brandon helped me come up with this idea, so I changed it.  The first paragraph is from the lullaby I sing to Aubrey Ann, and the second is just a little note from me.

We are in need of a new poll for the left side. Any ideas? Post a comment with an idea for a new poll and we’ll put one up.

Here are my thoughts:

If you were crowned Miss America, what would you do?

Which famous clown would you most like to have at your birthday party?

How old are you?

That is about all that I can think of, so please leave a comment with an idea for a good, new poll for this site!

Well, I didn’t want to be the absolute last person to finish so with Mari Jo’s creative help, I finished my square this morning. You can see it below.

The words are a modified version of Bob Carlisle’s Butterfly Kisses.

Created with Adobe Photoshop CS2.

Who will be the last person to finish their square??? Uncle PJ…You get my vote!

Well, we are reaching that point in pregnancy where traveling becomes more difficult. Back aches from sitting in one position to long, swollen ankles from not standing enough or too much, and not to mention the frequent bathroom stops, are starting to make the prospect of travel not so fun. So, before things get too far gone, we are headed on what we have decided to call “Babymoon 2007″.

Brandon has been planning this trip, so I have no idea where we are going. I have a few hopes and dreams though.

Now, I am passed the point where airlines will let me fly, so we will just have to cruise to these destinations (bummer!)

In my babymoon dreams we might be headed to beautiful Hawaii. I already told Brandon that if we go somewhere warm I am going to wear a two-piece regardless of my little Peanut.

Another destination I would definitely approve of is Fiji. I can just imagine it now, me and Brandon drinking some fruity drink with an umbrella in it, soaking up the sun. Ahhhh…the waves come crashing down around my ankles as a frolic through the warm sand without even a hint of discomfort. It is wonderful to dream….

By far my most popular destination is a cruise to Alaska. Not as warm, but it is a place Brandon has always wanted to visit, and I figure that I might as well go now when I am pregnant. I am always so hot, it would be nice to go somewhere and have to bundle up for awhile.

Now, there are a couple of things I forgot to mention. First, ummmm…we aren’t rich, and secondly, our trip is only going to be three days long. So I think that blows a few of these options out of the water. Wherever we go, I know it is going to be wonderful. I am soooooooooo excited!

This trip is sort of bitter sweet for me.  I know it will be our last vacation alone for awhile.  Brandon and I love to travel together, so we are going to make the most of this last trip alone.

Maybe Brandon will make a post giving you guys (and me!) a few hints about where we are headed. So far the only hint I have gotten is that it is going to be really relaxing. I can’t wait!

Well, we have finally reached the end of my 29th week, which is the last week in our poll “When do you think MJ’s belly button will pop?”. So it is time to post the results.

I know, I know. You can hardly stand it. You have been wringing your hands in anticipation. Have no fear, I am here to put your mind at ease.

After many weeks, and over 7 months, my belly button has yet to make it’s debut. So there you have it, I guess “never” was the right answer! Well, I still have ten weeks left to grow, so don’t be too disappointed if you just can’t wait to say hello to my belly button, I am sure it will make it’s debut sometime. What can I say, I have always been a late bloomer!

Here are the poll results:

Two of you thought it would happen in week 24-25.

Eight of you thought it would pop at week 26-27.

Five of you thought it would happen in week 28-29.

And eight of you thought it would never happen.

Unfortunately, in this case, I think we were all wrong. Well, we will just have to wait a couple more weeks.

So in honor of my belly button not popping, here are some new belly photos:

Here is my last picture posted at 25 weeks.

Here I am at 27 weeks.

Here is 28 weeks, I actually think my little Peanut looks bigger at 27. Must be the clothes.
29 weeks, not feeling very well.

And finally the big 3-0! Whoa baby!!!!

For those of you who simply can not believe that my belly button hasn’t popped yet, I intend to provide proof. If you are offended by seeing a bare pregnant belly, please avert your eyes and accept my most sincere apology.

I will let you all know when the belly button decides to make an appearance, I think we are close! Have an idea for a new poll? Leave a comment and we will set one up!

So, after many months of procrastination and stress, we have finally completed our registry. I am glad it is done, but it sure was fun to imagine Aubrey Ann with all of her things. I thought that I would make a comment about a few of the items Brandon and I registered for, and post some pictures. I had a lady come up to me in Target and tell me how lucky I was that I had a husband who would register with me. I completely agree! I am specifically going to remark on a few things that Brandon thought were necessary, simply because it was cute!

The very first thing we registered for was a book called Father to Daughter: Life Lessons on Raising a Girl (Paperback).

Brandon saw it at the counter while we were waiting for our “gun” and simply had to have it. After he read a few pages he was all “mushy” all day. Anytime he would see a little girl with her dad he would have to point her out to me. The funniest part was that after hours of registry, Brandon had to check our registry list to make sure it was on there, and sure enough, it wasn’t. So we had to go back to put it on.

Another thing that Brandon was rather excited about was a Jumpster in Jungle Jubilations.

This is a little bouncer that hangs in a doorway so the baby can develop leg muscles by bouncing. Brandon loved the thought of our little one bouncing around the house!

Lastly, we had decided that we would not register for clothes, but that we would let people choose if they wanted to purchase such items. However, dad just couldn’t resist. As we walked by newborn socks he turned to me and said “People might forget these!”.

He was just worried about his little girl having cold tootsies! So our registry includes no clothing, but has an ample amount of socks. I have visions of a little girl running around our house naked as a jaybird, but with some toasty toes!

There are some definite differences between the items men and women get excited over, but I thought that Brandon’s items were especially cute and revealing as to what kind of daddy he will be.

I love you honey, and Aubrey Ann does too! Happy Valentines Day!!

Registering for Aubrey Ann wasn’t nearly as easy as it was when we registered for our wedding. This time there were other factors to consider like safety and long term usage.

When we registered for our wedding I was just excited to shoot stuff with the scanner. Now we need to decide if the stuff I shoot is going to last 5 years and if it is the safest option while still considering price. More like doing your taxes rather than going on a shopping spree.

We registered at both Babies ‘R’ Us and Target. If you’re interested, the links to our Registries are below and will be in the sidebar as well:

Target Registry

Babies ‘R’ Us Registry

You might notice the same items are on both registries. That is so people near a Target can shop there even if they don’t have a Babies ‘R’ Us around.

So here is the video from part of our big registry day. This is at Babies ‘R’ Us in Fresno.

Here is a video that answers the question we’ve been asked the most often, “What does her baby room look like?” Or the variation is, “Do you have a theme for her room?” So to put these questions to bed (pun definitely intended), here is a video:

Attention Agents: If you would like to have Mr. Hopkins act in any of your Hollywood films, please contact his agent, Mari Jo.

About a week ago, I think our little girl had her first case of the hiccups. I woke up in the middle of night feeling little spasms in my belly. At first I thought she had joined a “Riverdance” troupe and was doing a really good job at keeping the beat.  But then I realized that they typically don’t let babies in utero join “Riverdance”, so I think it was the hiccups.

Aubrey Ann, you are soooo cute! We love you!

For the last couple of months, I have been on the search for the perfect lullaby. I have searched high and low for the lullaby that heals every skinned knee, makes sleep easier, and even mends a broken heart. Well, after much searching, I think I have found it. The lullaby is called “Baby Mine”, and it is beautiful. Since I have found it, Brandon has been playing it for me every morning so I can sing it to our little girl.

Here are the lyrics:

Baby mine, don’t you cry
Baby mine, dry your eyes
Rest your head close to my heart
Never to part, baby of mine

Little one when you play
Don’t you mind what they say
Let those eyes sparkle and shine
Never a tear, baby of mine

If they knew sweet little you
They’d end up loving you too
All those same people who scold you
What they’d give just for
The right to hold you

This verse revised by Mari Jo:
From your head to your toes
God loves you, goodness knows
you are so precious to me
Cute as can be, baby of mine

Here is the link where you can listen to the music. The music on this version is sorta silly, but you get the idea. Listen to Baby Mine from Dumbo.

You can also download the song from iTunes.
I think it is so sweet, and I hope Aubrey Ann does too! We are so ready for you baby girl!