At Home With The Billetts: update and shower fun "lubbock style"...times two

greetings everyone! i seem to be falling behind on my blog posting. i have no excuse, really...life is just happening all around me. as i sit here this evening, the fall breeze is blowing outside, our dogs are sleeping (big surprise) and austin is relaxing on the couch preparing for a new week. i know, i know...we billetts need to calm down!!

we are a mere 26 days away from our lives becoming alot more eventful than they are right now. excitement galore!!

i am in the process of gathering and packing my things for the hospital. i've got the cozy pajamas, the comfy robe, warm slippers, various toiletries, a puppy coloring book with a brand new box of crayons, a couple novels, a handful of magazines, a crossword puzzle book, etc. of course my main sources of "entertainment" will be holding owen, visiting with any company that decides to come visit, and walking up and down the hallway hoping to regain mobility as quickly as possible following the surgery.

this tuesday, following my doctor's appointment, we are taking a tour of the labor and delivery floor at the hospital where owen will be born. both austin and i are looking forward to finding out some specifics and finding out how things will go on that blessed day!

over the weekend, my mom played "photographer" and took some maternity pictures of the mommy- and daddy-to-be a local park. there are still a handful i want austin to take of just me, so once they are complete, i will post some of our favorites.

showers have been the highlight of many of our weekends the last couple of months. not only have i been able to see dear family and friends during these times, but i have also unwrapped many wonderful gifts that will be utilized by our sweet boy. it has been such a blessing (and relief) to have so many people reach out to us as we prepare to become first-time parents. everyone has been so good to us and we are beyond appreciative. i've said it before, but austin and i are TRULY blessed by the people in our lives.

on october 11, we had baby shower #3 at the home of one of my students here in good ol' lubbock. the hostesses at this shower included 5 amazing ladies...debbie tucker (mother of a student i have homeschooled for two-and-a-half years), karen boynton (mother of one of my first homeschool students), cindy pratt (friend of my mother-in-law), patti poff (mother of austin's best friend), and billie lu billett (my mother-in-law). the shower was held in the living room of debbie's gorgeous home. we had cake, fruit, nuts, mints, punch, and baby booties filled with m&m candies (blue, of course!!) here are some pictures that capture the fun and beauty of that day!

here are the ladies mentioned above: (from left to right) patti, billie lu, me, cindy, the beautiful alyssa jayne (standing in for her mom, karen, who had to work that day), and debbie.

this white blanket was made by karen boynton. it is knitted in a diamond pattern and has a texture that i love! i am sure owen will love it too!! so cozy and special!

do you recognize the adorable "clothesline" letters? they were made by my best friend, riley, and were originally created for the odessa baby shower!!

this past friday, october 23, baby shower #4 was held at the middle school where austin works. it was a come-and-go, casual occasion since it took place in the teacher's lounge during the teachers' lunches. we had a light lunch followed by yummy cake! we only took a couple pictures at the school, but then once i got back home, i arranged the gifts on the coffee table for the third picture seen below. one of the highlights...we received a car seat (for austin's car) from the assistant principal who really cherishes austin and all the selfless work he does around the school. he can always be counted on, and she wanted us to know how much she appreciated that! she had me go last week to pick out the one we wanted, so i did a bit of internet research and then headed to babies r us to make the final decision! we are quite pleased...and once again, ever-so-grateful! i hope all of you have a wonderful week. i will be getting that post together with maternity pictures as soon as the last few shots are taken (this week i hope!!). i will close with one of the pictures taken on saturday showcasing my 35-week bump/hemisphere. 3 people in the last 24 hours have made comments about how owen has dropped...and how they think i am just days away from giving birth. one lady simply said (to my mother-in-law) "she won't make it to the 20th" while another told austin "i bet he's here in 10 days or so." all i can say about that is YIKES. YIKES. YIKES!!