New Pictures!!!

THE worst picture experience to date. Bailee was not having anything to do with sitting for pictures and Codee was done after the first 30 minutes. Before we got started I told the picture lady that my girls respond really well to silliness and they both have dimples that I would like to see in their pictures. She said that that was fine and that she was glad to know and that it would help. So, what does she do to be silly and get my girls' attention? Sits on the floor and taps her fingernails against the lens of the camera while she is calling Bailee's name. She did not move from that spot and she was definitely NOT silly, cuz I know silly when I see it and that was NOT silly! So I start trying to get Bailee and Codee to smile by doing some things that I know they like and they would smile at to try to maybe show the girls what to do, but did she try any of them...NO, so they would smile the first few times, but at me, not the camera, so that didn't do any good. Needless to say...I got really frustrated, really fast. I'm just glad that I didn't snap at the picture girl, cuz I wanted to, and I almost did. (My patience isn't what it used to be these days.)
I was amazed that we got such good pictures in the end, cuz I didn't think that there were going to be any of Bailee that I liked. It's just a good thing that it's almost impossible for my girls to look bad in a picture, or ever. We decided that we would always schedule our pictures for the weekend from now on because there will be two girls there to help instead of just one girl to do it all. Cuz, I guess I can't be TOO hard on her. It would be really hard to get two kids to look and smile and hold the camera and snap the picture, but I know that it is possible, so we will see about next time, probably when the baby comes we will need new family pictures and sister pictures!

"THE PHAAAANTOM OF THE OPERA IS HERE, INSIDE MY MIND!"

So, for Christmas this year, my wonderful, hott, awesome, thoughtful, sweet, gem of a husband gave me a dream come true gift. Tickets to go see Phantom!!! Now, this might not seem like a huge deal to some, but it was a HUGE deal to me. I was emotional this Christmas to begin with (announcing that I was pregnant) so when I opened that present and saw those tickets, let's just say I totally lost it. I screamed and grabbed Nick and sobbed uncontrollably. No, seriously, bawled, into his shoulder with a death grip on him with no sign of me letting go for a while.

My parents saw Phantom when I was little and they bought the soundtrack and we listened to it ALL the time. So I have grown up loving the music and the story. I thought that you had to be rich or something to go to the opera. So it was something that I always wanted to see but never thought I would get the chance. So you can only imagine how I felt when I found out that 'I' was actually going!!!
The day finally came and I couldn't be more excited. Even with a bad cold trying to smash me down, I was sky high with excitement. I felt like a little girl, going to Disneyland for the first time. We got there a little early, which I was glad for because the line for the bathroom was ridiculous and I REALLY needed to go before the show. I was taking pictures of everything like I was a tourist that had never been to LA. The theater was beautiful and inside the hall was even cooler...yes, I said, cooler!

The orchestra started to play that familiar tune and I about jumped out of my seat. The auction started and when the chandelier went up I started bawling again. (I'm 5 months pregnant ok, give me a break!) Although, I think that I might have cried anyway with the way I feel about Phantom. Everything was VERY well done and the sets and costumes were amazing down to every detail. The singing was top notch and it just blew me away to be there listening to something so beautiful coming from actual people right in front of me.
I texted my mom when it was starting and she texted back and asked how it was..."A dream come true." And that just sums it up.

After, we went to Olive Garden for dinner and that was fun too. Mmm...the bread sticks! Nick and I don't get to go on many dates by ourselves anymore, so it was nice to have half a day to just be together and to actually be able to TALK to each other. It was lovely, but we still missed our girls, so we went home to them much to their excitement.

I just want to gush about my hubby for a minute:

I LOVE him SO much and he is the perfect man for me! I truly believe that he is the only one that could put up with me and my 'Rachel isms'. He is thoughtful and kind and shares most of my opinions, so we get along quite well.:) I love him, I love him, I love him.