Week 33

Christmas is only 9 days away!  Can you believe it?  We've got lots of gifts under out tree.  Now if only some snow will stick it would really feel like Christmas is coming.  We got some snow late last night and the sky looks like we might get some later today.  Yippie. 

Dave's tiny office had their Christmas party on Friday.  Everyone was supposed to bring a dish and most ended up bring store bought roasted chickens instead!  What cheaters... One guy was going to make lasagna but stopped by Popeyes for some chicken  and biscuits instead!  Haha. It was funny.  I made the easiest dish ever.  Its just a bag of frozen cheese ravioli -thawed, mixed with a 4 oz jar of drained mushrooms, a 2 oz package of pepperoni, and a jar of traditional Prego sauce.  You mix it  put it in 8x8 dish and then sprinkle the top with 1 cup shredded Swiss Cheese and a little sprinkle of Italian seasoning.  That's it.  Bake for 40-50 minutes.  Its so easy.  I doubled it for the party and it was a bit hit.     We exchanged Elephant gifts and almost all the gifts were booze!!  Isn't that terrible?  Three out of the four wives in the office are pregnant!!  We took a BBQ sauce set.  The only other non booze gift was a casserole dish!  We got a bottle of Crown Royal.  Pooie.  Dave thinks it tastes horrible so I told him to put some amaretto and sweet and sour mix in it to make one of my fav drinks ( but I obviously didn't drink any) and he liked it a lot better.  Hehe. 

I had a Dr. appointment on Friday too.  It went well. Everythings a-ok.  I go back on the 3rd and then start weekly appointments until the baby arrives! I cannot believe it is getting so close to the end now.  I still need to wash all the baby clothes and sheets and towels and whatnot.  I thought I would save it until January to keep me busy that last month... but I keep thinking about how Dave was 3 weeks early and it has me nervous that the baby will arrive early too.   Dave keeps telling me I better have my bag packed by the beginning of January.  Eee he is making me nervous.  When he says that I usually just mumble something and change the subject but he tells me 'if you aren't going to pack it at least make a list so I will know what to bring if you have the baby before you pack'.  Yikes.    Anyhow.  My coats still fit!  It is obvious that I am pregnant when I zip them though.  I noticed yesterday that my baby bump is sort of pointy!  Whats with that?  Shouldn't it be round? 

I have received all of my baby shower gifts!  I opened most of them this past week.  I was so exhausted after opening them all.  It took me 2 hours!  We got everything we needed!!!!  Everyone is so kind and generous.  Dave and I were really very touched by how well our families took care of us.  The non registry gifts were perfect.  I didn't get too much of one size and I got a lot of neutral stuff.  I had registered for neutral stuff and was happy to get some blue things too like a blue towel or two and blue onesies. Everything was wonderful and we have everything we need.  Yippie.   Melissa mailed us some coupons and we got them the other day.  Dave and I had a lot of fun looking for items we buy.  We cut out a lot.  The commissary takes coupons that are up to 6 months expired!  We bought 2 packs of Pampers with the coupons that expire this month because they only have the small sizes of Pampers at the BX and they don't take expired.  SO it worked out great!   I think I have 3 packs of sizes 1 and 2 and then one newborn pack.  * I know people say don't buy lots of newborn because you never know how big the baby will be, that's why I only bought 1*  **  Plus the newborn diapers are so itsy bitsy they make me sort of terrified**  There were lots of coupons for wipes that will be handy.  Plus just having coupons for food items will help our grocery budget a lot, cause if I can save a buck off TP and 50 cents off cheese every bit will help with buying those expensive diapers!   We also had fun looking through the coupon papers at all the new products we have never heard of. I CAN'T WAIT to live in AMERICA again!   Only 13 months left until we leave Japan!!  I am thinking of making a paper chain of the months we have left.  LOL  Dave and I are so looking forward to moving ANYWHERE in the USA it doesn't matter!  We are working hard to save up a good down payment for a car when we move back.  We have our eye on a Pontiac Torrent. Its the funnest things we have saved for in a long time!