beauty and her beasts.

My smashingly incredible husband did it again, y'all. Mama B's Christmas gift this year was two tickets to the two o'clock production of Beauty and the Beast at the Peace Center! TJ was finally feeling better, and it was a beautiful December day to walk down Main Street towards our destination. I contemplated wearing my entire outfit, dress and all, but decided to present myself as I thought Belle would as a pregnant girl in 2014. I got stares + second looks from most everyone we passed because what I was wearing on my head clearly looks like a wig, but I didn't mind at all. Nope, this twenty-five year old will always be a little girl at heart, and I'm perfectly okay with that.

One little girl, in particular, made a comment that I'll never forget. As we were returning to our seats during intermission after having a potty break + getting some water, I made eye contact with this cute girl whose eyes were as bright as the sun. When I smiled at her, she immediately gasped, grabbed the lady sitting beside her on the bench, and not-so-quietly whispered, "Mom! It's BELLE! It's really her!" Best compliment ever? Well, YES! And, yes, I'm still giddy about it.

When we got home after the show, we used my two beloved Beauty and the Beast ornaments as props to commemorate our date. I wore yellow to the show + afterwards in honor of Belle, of course, and Teesh wore bright blue in honor of the Beast. As you can tell, we are quite dedicated to these roles we play.

We ended our time behind the camera playing a game of peek-a-boo with our little beast. His arrival gets closer every day, and it's hard to believe that we'll be holding him in our arms in roughly three weeks. Baby B is loved by so many already, and I am so excited for the day when all of our hopes + dreams + anticipations are made real, and he is here with us.

Today, on this last day of twenty-fourteen as we share scenes of our last Christmas as a family of two, my heart is so full. This year has been one filled with blessing + favor + steadfast love from our Lord Jesus even in the most disheartening of circumstances. Every year gets better, and it makes me so excited to be able to boldly proclaim that the best is yet to come!

third christmas on brookdale.

This was our third Christmas at the bungalow, and sickness tried hard to mess things up for us. While this particular Christmas didn't look like most of the others that we've shared together, the joy didn't go anywhere. Nyquil kept Teesh asleep until nearly nine o'clock, but he got up + ate cinnamon rolls + opened presents before laying back down in hopes of getting rid of his fever + congestion. I, on the other hand, got up before the sun did and was able to spend some mommy + son time with Braxton as he wiggled + jiggled around inside my tummy. We got up to check on daddy multiple times throughout the night + morning, but we tried our best to just let him sleep in peace so that he would get to feeling better. Although my busy-body-tradition-loving self had to adjust to it, the rest we were granted on this Christmas morning was the perfect opportunity to practice something I'm not so great at: being still.

Teesh was a trooper as he opened his presents + smiled his best smile for the camera, and he was excited to get some new clothes to wear to school so that his students will stop pestering him about always wearing the same shirts + pants. HA!

I was extremely blessed on this Christmas morning, too! I opened up my presents under the tree to find the sweetest card that may or may not have made me cry, cozy socks (that are already packed up in my hospital bag, might I add), a frame for my license plate tag on my new mommy mobile, a gift card for a massage, and (drum roll please) tickets to see Beauty and the Beast at the Peace Center the day after Christmas. Hip hip hooray!

Before my poor wittle Teesh went back to bed, we took our fourth annual Christmas morning in front of the tree to commemorate our fourth Christmas as husband + wife, and we both giggled as we day-dreamed about what it will be like to have Baby B nestled between us in our picture next year. As much as I love our little family of two, I can't imagine how much it will mean to me as we begin to add new members to it, starting with our baby boy. Someone pinch me!

I hope your Christmas was as merry as ours was, and that the end of twenty-fourteen is, too!

bump it.

I don't know what I'll do when I can't bump people with my belly anymore. This little bowling ball of mine has finally started to pick up the pace, and I've been taking full advantage of it. Mama B + Baby B make a great team, and Papa B can vouch for us!

say cheese.

One of the best things about this wacky-yet-awesome family I call mine is that we can go from serious to silly in a matter of seconds.

Here we are a happy, smiley, put-together group:

And, then, BAM. All sorts of different personalities come out.

I really don't know how the world ever functioned without self-timer. Capturing Christmas memories just wouldn't be the same without it.

christmas eve on landwood.

This particular Christmas Eve was different than years past for several reasons: 1) the big girl got the comfy chair (insert "Oooo oooo!" line from Baby Mama here), 2) it was pouring down rain outside all day long, 3) Teesh was feeling rather icky, and 4) we didn't make it to the end of night because of number three. Nevertheless, the parts of the day that we were able to enjoy were splendidly Christmas-y! As always, we took our time getting out of our pajamas, and then mosied on over to Pop + GiGi's (formerly known as Daddy + Shannon) house for round one of the festivities. The presents + pictures + laughter were all abundant, and everyone was blessed with lots of things both wanted + needed. Side note: isn't it funny how the need overpowers the want with every year you get older? We had a great time, just as we always do, simply hanging out around the Christmas tree as we caught glimpses of the rain falling when we looked out the windows.

Next year will be the most fun yet as we all fix our attention on the little almost-one-year-old who will probably keep trying to pull down the Christmas tree. Let's hope we're all ready for the blissful chaos that is sure to come!

The girls smile pretty for the camera.

And the boys...well, they enjoy practicing their best mug shot faces.

Yep, these are my people.

christmas with grandma.

This year, we started a new family tradition, and now the twenty-second of December has officially been named Christmas with Grandma day. We celebrated at the bungalow this year, and we had vegetable soup + cornbread followed by presents. My favorite part, of course, was simply hanging out with family + making new memories while we laughed + rolled our eyes about old ones. My mommy (now better known as Grandma, that is) is so excited about the new handsome addition that will become part of our family soon, and we can't wait for him to meet + love her as much as we do!

this christmas.

Christmas looks a little different this year than any other year. Not only am I celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, the long-awaited Messiah who has redeemed + freed me, but I have also celebrated a new kind of advent season. My name may not be Mary and our stories may not identical, but I, too, am awaiting a baby boy that will soon call me Mom + will look to me for guidance, wisdom, grace, love, and so much more. My journey as a mother is just beginning, and it is my prayer that I would always seek to know the Father more + lead our son and, Lord willing, all of our future children down paths of righteousness for His name's sake.

My view + understanding of Christmas grows deeper + more profound each year, and this particular year has been one full of new perspectives, countless tears + smiles of joy, embracing every single moment, and praying + praising my Savior more than I ever have before. I want our son to know that his daddy + mommy love him more than anything else in the whole, wide world, but I want him to know that he is loved by the One who created him exponentially more. There is no sweeter sound than that of amazing grace being sung over me each day, and I can't wait until our precious Braxton Michael hears it, too.

"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your hours, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise."

-Deuteronomy 6:4-7

third trimester progress | 35 + 36.

The days are dwindling down so fast, and it's hard to believe that in less than one month, we will most likely have a baby boy at home with us. WOW! This season of waiting has been unlike any other I've ever had, and my heart gets fuller every single day. Since our last update, I completed my final full semester of graduate school + had my last week as a babysitter (well, one who gets paid for it) + joined the Capstone band on stage for my last Sunday before I'm officially a mommy. These three things are especially important to me, making it extremely hard to let all of them go within the same week, but I survived every "goodbye for now" I handed out. Spoiler alert: I am the worst at goodbyes.

Before long, all this waiting will be over, and we will be a little family of three. I wish y'all could see my huge smile + hear my giddy giggle as I even type these words! This mommy-to-be is thrilled to have her little boy in her arms soon.

Monday, December 15th

Week 35 + Day 2

Baby B is the weight of a cantelope.

*About five-and-a-half pounds!

Monday, December 22rd

Week 36 + Day 2

Baby B is the weight of a kabocha squash.

*About six pounds!

25 days! 25 days! 25 days!

wildin' out.

Another Christmas means another trip to Hollywild, of course. Every year seems to be more fun + more interesting than the one before. Thankfully, there weren't any stray bulls trying to kick us like last year, but the cows were extra frisky this go 'round. I  love how our little group has grown over the past few years, especially how this is the third Christmas that we've gazed at the lights + fed the animals with the Cribbs. I'm already looking forward to next year when we've got an extra set of eyes + hands joining us.

Side note: this is about as functional as our group gets, folks.

Only three more sleeps until Christmas day is here!

adalynn grace.

Today is Addy's first birthday, and we had were invited to join in on the celebration of her precious life yesterday afternoon. It's hard to believe that it's already been a year since we met her for the first time at the hospital, and it has been so much fun watching her grow these past three-hundred and sixty-five days. Leslie put together a beautifully pink onederland party for her, and everyone enjoyed the yummiest sweet treats + watched her open her birthday presents. She wasn't a big fan of the cake, and Trey attempted to get her to eat it until she started pushing it away from her face. Interpretation: she's little, but she's sassy! Don't worry, I ate a big piece to make up for her disapproval.

Y'all see for yourselves just how adorable this party was. I was smitten!

Happy birthday, Adalynn Grace!

bargeron bakery.

Sunday afternoon was baking day at Mimi's house, and the four Bargeron girls gathered together to make some yummy treats for the holiday season! Last year was fun, and this year was even better. Sausage balls, oreo balls, peanut butter balls, spinach dip, peanut butter ritz crackers dipped in chocolate, and rice krispie treats were all made in bulk, and now all of our pantries + refrigerators are stocked for Christmas. Mmm, mmm, mmmmmmm! We each had different jobs throughout the day, and thanks to Nik Nik, our mixing game was stepped up by way of her new Kitchen Aid mixer. It may have taken us over five hours to accomplish our goal, and we may have all been a little loonier than usual by the end of it, but we sure did enjoy ourselves!

Have I mentioned how much I love my family? Tradition is where it's at, folks, and there's no way you will ever be able to change my mind of that.