can Christmas really be over?

Time really does fly! My parents made the long trip down to NOLA to spend Christmas with Matt and I, and I was soooooo happy to see them! We had a wonderful, relaxing time. Saturday night we had dinner at NOLA, which was excellent as usual. Sunday, we went to church and then Phyllis and Jonathan came over (our friends from church). Jonathan, Matt and Dad went to the shooting range that afternoon. And Phyllis, mom and I baked Christmas cookies for the assisted living center beside our neighborhood. Monday and Tuesday, I had to work, but mom and dad kept very busy. Dad installed new light fixtures over both the bathroom sinks and two new faucets (a truly huge job!). They look incredible!! One million times better than the old! Mom did a lot of cleaning, and our bath tub looks new now!
Christmas Eve day, we went down to Fulton Street to see the decorations and had lunch at Gordon Birsch. That evening, Mom and I cooked a huge ham dinner (ham, mashed potatoes, sauteed sweet potatoes, broccoli casserole, and black bean mash). It was yummy!

Christmas morning was filled with surprises! Here are few snapshots of the gift opening . . . Matt and his makers and makers glasses (he was very pleased)

mom with her new bowls from dad

is this a face of pure happiness or what? new cowboy boot slippers!

this truly is the face of happiness . . . dad's new slot car (a porshe, i think)

frankie's present . . . a mouse on a string

my (very) big present from matt . . . a blue sapphire necklace

and matt's big present from me . . . the iPhone!

We were so glad my parents were here to share Christmas with us! It wouldn't have been the same without them.

We hope all of our fellow blog-readers had a very merry Christmas as well!

jackie's visit . . . short but very sweet

After a horrific day of traveling (see jackie's blog for a full description of her horrendous day), Jackie and Noah arrived for a short visit (Dec. 11-14). Connor joined us Friday night, and the next day and half was filled with good eating and lots of adventure (the good kind this time!). We ate at Sara's Friday night (mediterranean-creole mix), and the scallops were excellent. Saturday we got up early (or rather, Noah got up early and we followed suit) and went to breakfast at the Blue Bird Cafe. Then, on to Audubon Park to feed the ducks. After that, we took Noah to the Audubon Insectarium downtown New Orleans. The visit was short, but we made the most of our time! Jackie and Connor are always extremely busy . . . so we were really excited they were able to make the trip down. We topped off the weekend with dinner at Dante's kitchen Saturday night (our favorite restaurant) and a quiet evening at home with a fire and "fake" wine.

Noah thought this was his personal space to play in! he really loved this alcove.

feeding the ducks at audubon park

a huge swan joined in the feeding frenzy

onto the insectarium, where, yes, they served insect food. Worm salsa and chips anyone?

butterflies everywhere!

Jackie and Noah in the butterfly room

real butterflies in this room

Noah in the butterfly garden

Noah enjoying a rather messy lollipop on Connor's shoulders

Jackie at Jackie's

lunch at Muriel's was excellent (in their courtyard)

Saturday night with a fire and sparkling grape juice (indeed, no wine for us!) We did a quick gift exchange before everyone crashed for the evening. a nice relaxing evening.

the tulane anesthesia christmas cocktail party, but no cocktails for me

December 6th . . . the tulane christmas party at Dr. Primeaux's house. After picking up Kourtney and her husband, Ray, we arrived fashionably late to a very festive and bright Christmas party. Many of my coworkers didn't even recognize me in my cocktail attire (obviously, I do not usually look so good at work!). It was a nice evening (me, drinking shirley temples) with delicious food and jazzy music. Some pictures . . . me and Matt in the living room.

Kourtney and Ray

Dr. Gomez giving Matt some baby tips . . .

Our Christmas tree

Frankie hiding under the tree, trying to look inconspicuous!

Turkey Day at Luke's

I know this is coming a bit late, but Thanksgiving was a blast. We spent the day at Luke's house (one of Matt's fellow urology residents at Tulane). Tons of food! and lots of friends and doggies to spend the day with. Luke baked a turkey, and Ryan deep fried a turkey. Here is Matt, very excited to begin eating.

Here is Luke, carving his turkey.

too much food!

Matt, Luke and Ryan enjoying the warm Thanksgiving day afternoon on the back porch.

People food or doggie food?

doggie love!

Guitar hero (or whatever it is called) in the garage . . .

I'm getting some doggie love

oh miss frankie . . . longest whiskers this side of the mississippi!

baby update . . . 8 week ultrasound

Here are ultrasound pictures from 3 weeks ago, when I was around 8 weeks pregnant. My official due date is July 17th. As of Friday, Dec. 26th, I am 11 weeks. Lots of nausea and fatigue . . . and an all around in general bad, "I'm not feeling so good" feeling. Some days are worse than others, but I am hanging in there. And I'm eating a ton!! Got to have food available at all times! I keep teasing Matt and telling him that if I feel like this for much longer, this may be an only child!

Here is the print out of the fetal heart rate (FHR), which was 171. Doctor said fast was good!

need I say more . . .

for those of you who haven't already heard . . . it looks like we have a confirmed hit! right at the top of my uterus. I never really understood how to read these things (and have always found other people's ultrasound pictures ultra-boring) . . . but apparently that little black spot is the "yolk sac", according to my doctor. I am too early (around 5 weeks) to see anything significant, but have another appointment december 4th.

During the ultrasound session, I am commenting on how it just looks like a bunch of gray and black abstract images (meaningless to me, really) . . . while Matt is commenting on how full my bladder looks in the picture! go figure!

a 30 year old gypsy

Yes, yes . . . I am officially old now. No more, "oh, I'm in my twenties." My birthday came and passed so quickly, leaving me just plain 30! I must say that my husband went way overboard on the gift . . . an all-day spa package at the Ritz Carlton (salt bath, body massage, facial, body scrub, manicure, pedicure). It felt amazing, and relaxing. I was so pampered, I almost felt guilty!
For Halloween, we were planning to go to a party (which fizzled out, as Matt was too tired), but I must have tried on like ten gypsy costumes . . . this one was my favorite.
What a fabulous gypsy I would have made!


My dear sister also went way overboard for my 30th birthday, with this very classy, velvet jacket from Ann Taylor, and turquoise earrings . . . have to look good once you're 30!



Here is the dinner I made last week . . . proof that I really do feed Matt. (Don't know why he stays he soooo skinny!) It's kinda depressing to know that I'll be gaining so much weight (and will probably surpass him in size!).

Frankie loves me, even if I am old and 30!

(I'm reading my new dragon book in this picture . . . still not sure I'm sold on sci fi!)

apparently my blog is incorrectly named . . .

So . . . my friend Kourtney and I were driving down the highway (returning from an arduous day of shopping), and I commented on the scenery . . . the highway was literally built over the swamp (trees/grass growing out of boggy water). And I explained that this was why I named my blog "Life in the Swamp". Kourtney says, yeah, but you don't live here on the highway, do you? No, I admitted. She said, yeah well, if you wanted to accurately name your blog, it would be "Life in the Hood!" Is it really that ghetto? I asked, but then we both answered that redundant question together . . . YES! So . . . I guess I should rename my blog "Life in the Hood"

Of course, I couldn't post with including at least one picture . . . my nephew (Noah), who obviously loves his Aunt Carly so much that he can't even pronounce her name. But he loves me so deeply that when asked who is Aunt Carly married to? he can tell you, Matt! (yes, he has met Matt twice in his life of 2o months and can say his name, but not mine!)

remembering Wayne

I was very privileged to be with Wayne (my step-grandfather) and my family during the time of his passing to be with the Lord. It was a unique and blessed experience, and I wouldn't have missed it for the world. A myriad of emotions hung in that hospital room during his last hours on earth, as we all reminisced about our time with him . . . and those precious moments that seemed so short. Wayne had been in my prayers regularly during these past months, as his health deteriorated. Now I know that as I was praying for the Lord to ease his pain and to comfort him, give him peace . . . now I know the Lord was listening. For he is now in a much better place than any of us. I am ever so grateful for my amazing family, who were there to support and comfort each other during this time. I know that it meant a lot to my grandmother to have us all there. There is such healing in family.

Here are a few memories of our time with Wayne . . . these first two pictures were taken this past July, at the family reunion.
Grandma and Wayne sitting in Valerie's backyard . . .

Jackie and Wayne by the pool . . .

These are some snapshots from my wedding (July 2007) . . . Wayne had such a splendid time at the wedding. I think he had more energy than I did . . . he danced to every song!

He really liked dancing with this 'gal' . . .

Wayne and Leann dancing together . . .