Merry Christmas!!!!

Kevin and I had a wonderful Christmas! On Christmas Eve we went to my Aunt's house and ate way too much food! We had a great time. That evening, we opened our Christmas presents. Kevin's parents gave him a ton of A Christmas Story gifts. He was in heaven! Both Kev and I love that movie. We watch it at least 5 times every Christmas. Here he is with a T-shirt that says "I triple dog dare you" and a leg lamp puzzle that a co worker gave him.

Kevin's parents always send Guido good treats and bones that he absolutely loves! My parents send him OSU T-Shirts and Hats that he absolutely hates, but we love them! This year Guido got a Buckeye hat. We put it on him and laughed and laughed!

He tried, but he couldn't get it off. Maybe if we sport him in his hat and t-shirt on Jan. 5th, we'll beat Texas at the Fiesta Bowl.......fingers crossed

Here are all of Kevin's Christmas Story gifts. T-shirt, DVD, Leg Lamp Puzzle, Christmas Story Game, and Leg Lamp Nightlight. All he is missing is the Red Rider BB Gun :)

On Christmas Day, we went over to Wendi and RJ's for another wonderful dinner. This is Wendi's French Bulldog, Bosley. He was all tuckered out.

Here is one of the dinner tables. There is Bruce, Patti, Wendi, RJ, Andrea and Joe

We were at the kid's table with Cheryl, Cameron, Kev and there is Wendi again :)

Here are Kev and I enjoying our paper hats

On Saturday, Kev and I decided to go to the Wild Animal Park. A co-worker of Kev's gave us free passes. The Wild Animal Park is a 1800 acre wildlife preserve that houses over 3500 animals and represents 260 species. It is also a botanical garden. Here we are overlooking part of the park.

Here are some giraffes and rhinos hanging out and eating together

You can kind of see from this picture how much space the animals get to roam around. It is a really cool place. Kev had never been to the Wild Animal Park, and I was only here once when my brother and his wife came out to visit about 4.5 years ago. So it was pretty much a new experience for both of us.

More Rhinos

This was in the kids section, and they had created some snow (it was basically ice) and they were letting the kids slide down this make-shift hill. It made Kev and I laugh :) Poor San Diego children really can't experience good snow sledding :(

This is a poisonous green frog......very cool

I saved the best picture for last :) This is a picture that my uncle had of my mom and my dad back in the day. Dad, what is up with your ears? Mom, love the ruffle dress :) Ahh, comic relief. Actually, you guys make a cute couple :)

Practicing!!!

This weekend we got to babysit our neighbor's 5 1/2 month old baby, Brett. This was the first time Becky and Josh left him overnight and we were excited to watch him! Since Kevin and I are the youngest in the family, we really don't have a lot of experience with little ones. It was great practice! Brett was soo good! He slept well, ate well, and thought both Kevin and I were hysterical! I still would go and check on him about every 2 hours while he was sleeping. (as if the video baby monitor was lying to me) but it made me feel better. I am now positive that I will officially get NO SLEEP when my little one is first born, because I will be checking on her constantly!

Isn't he sooo adorable! He really was that happy the whole time. He never cried! I hope our little one will be this good when she is Brett's age.

Here he is playing with some toys and having a grand old time.

Here is Kevin and him getting ready to take a nap

Here is Brett and I actually napping!

When we got home, poor little Guido had missed us! I fell asleep on the couch and this is Guido's favorite cuddle spot....right behind my knees.

Well on Monday, I will officially be 9 months pregnant. My due date is January 22nd so only about 4 weeks to go! Here are some belly pictures for everyone!

Getting Ready!!!

Last Sunday we went over to our friend Cindy's house to meet the boxer she adopted. His name is Leo and he is such a cuddler! I think he liked me :)

Isn't he soo cute? He is really the sweetest dog ever!

My work office had our Secret Santa exchange this past week. We exchange names and give little gifts throughout the week. Then our Manager, Victoria, takes us out to Bucca De Beppo and we tell who we had and eat lots of great food. It was a lot of fun and I couldn't eat for the rest of the day.

Kevin and I spent this weekend getting ready for our Baby Monkey's arrival! I washed all the baby clothes and blankets and started getting my bags packed! I am 34 weeks along so I need to start thinking about getting ready for labor. I think my last month will go by quickly because of the holidays. Actually the whole pregnancy has gone quickly. I have had it really easy. We are getting excited for her to be here and we want everything ready and in place for her arrival :)

December Nights

This weekend, Balboa Park in San Diego hosted their annual December Nights. Balboa Park is
the nation's largest urban cultural park. Home to 15 major museums, renowned performing arts venues, beautiful gardens and the San Diego Zoo. Their December nights ran Friday and Saturday and they had an estimated 300,000 people attend. The museums were free, there were food vendors, carolers, a beer tent, and lots and lots of people! Kevin and I went on Saturday night and had a great time. This is me in at the Natural History Museum.

Here is Kevin in front of a Dinosaur at the Natural History Museum.

This is outside walking around. We went from about 5:30pm - 9pm and the weather was really great. It was probably in the mid 60's. Sorry to rub it in to everyone in Ohio who is freezing :)

Here we were sitting and listening to some live music.

All the art shops were open and it was great to just walk around and browse.

Typical Jill picture :)

Oh, and I am 8 1/2 months pregnant! I am feeling really good. I have been sleeping better so I really have no complaints. Kevin says it looks like a swallowed a volleyball. I have to agree with him :)

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

For Thanksgiving we went over to my cousin's house (Dan and Lynn Beckman). Kevin makes his Grandma's baked corn. It is delicious!

Here is everyone at Thanksgiving! We had a feast! I ate so much that I think my little monkey gained about 5 pounds! Everything was so good.

Kev and I put up our Christmas tree. Since I am due in January, we decided not to go all out with decorating. We both really love Christmas and love to totally deck out the house. So it took a lot of restraint to limit it to just a Christmas tree and a wreath on the front door. But it will make clean up so much more manageable when I am 9 months pregnant.

We also put in our car seat this weekend. Our car seat was given to us by Clay, Lisa, Mitch, Will, and Grace. It is really cute and has zoo animals all over it. Ken and Jo also gave us little monkey sleeve covers for the car seat. Isn't that fitting? Our little monkey has so many cute little monkey toys and dolls :)

Sleep Deprived!!!!

I just started my 8th month of pregnancy. Only two more months to go! I am due January 22nd. I have really had an easy pregnancy so I shouldn't complain, but I have definitely had more trouble sleeping over the last two weeks. In a way, it isn't too bad. I think it is good preparation for what is to come. Also, late night thinking has helped me come up with some good ideas.

1. In lieu of Christmas cards, I'll wait and send everyone baby announcements after our monkey is born

2. No Christmas decorating this year (only a tree) because I don't want to deal with taking things down and house cleaning when I am 9 months pregnant

3. I'm going to lift some light weights. Since my stomach has grown, I might as well aim for buff arms :)


When my blog is slow, I always put a picture up of my current baby. This is Guido all wrapped up in Kev's arms. Isn't he so ugly, he is cute?

Also, a huge congrats to my girlfriend Denise and her husband Kevin on the birth of their baby boy, Gavin Lee Schimming, born on Thursday in Columbus, OH. Mom, Dad, and baby are doing great!

Baby Monkey Seiple Shower!!!!

I had my baby shower this weekend, and it was absolutely wonderful! A giant thank you to Mandy, Wendi, Andrea, Lauren, Loli, and Sally for putting it together. It was a monkey theme and they went all out! Another giant thank you to my sister Shanda and sister in laws, Lisa and Jill for putting together my virtual shower since I couldn't be in Ohio to visit with the Kuhlman's and Seiple's. I had a wonderful turnout and feel very blessed to have so many friends and family that are supporting Kevin and I as we enter parenthood. So thank you all for coming, for those who couldn't come but thought of us, and for everyone that continues to check our blog. I have a ton of pictures from the baby shower......so enjoy!! Love, Jill and Kevin

Check out this chocolate spread! I was in heaven!

Mandy and Sally made these cupcakes from scratch! They even decorated them like little monkeys :)

Mandy's cat Sunshine was so cute at the shower.

Monkeys were hanging everywhere at Mandy's house. The whole place was decorated soo cute!

These were party gifts. Everyone got to take a bunch of bananas. The inscription on them read "I went bananas at Jill's Baby Shower and all I got was this lousy bunch of bananas!"

This is my neighbor Becky and her son Brett talking with Sally.

Look at all Baby Monkey's gifts!!! She was very very spoiled :)

Everyone at the shower got a monkey hat to wear too! They really thought of everything! It was the best baby shower ever! I am so grateful to have such great family and friends.

This is my girlfriend Cat's daughter Corrin. They drove in from Orange County. I actually went to college with Cat. They moved to CA about 3 years ago.

This is Cassie (my second cousin) and my Aunt Karla.

Another monkey hanging from the ceiling fan. And my friends Loli, Wendi, Kim, and Sally.

This is my friend Courtney and my manager Victoria eating and chatting it up.

Here are more of my coworkers. Melissa, Cyndi, and Jenn

This is Emily (my second cousin) sporting her monkey hat!

This is my Aunt Karla. All of my Aunts, along with my cousins Donna and Lynn pitched in and bought our stroller, car base, and two sleepers. Thank you so much!

Even the plates and napkins were monkeys :)

Here is Melissa and I trying to guess what candy bar is melted in which diaper. Those diapers smelled pretty good. Do you think Baby Monkey's diapers will smell that good? :)

Here is my V.P. Cyndi trying to guess the candy bar in the diaper.

These are my good friends Loli and Kim. Kim is the one in the back trying to hide :)

This is Sally. She was the one that decorated all of those monkey cupcakes!

Corrin, Cassie, and Emily tired out Sunshine. She was passed out!

Everyone had to make a Play-doh baby and I got to pick my favorite. There were a lot of cute monkey babies. I picked Cyndi's because it looked like she was sitting up and laughing at me. It was funny :)

Mandy hosted the baby shower. Thank you so much for opening your home to all of my friends and family! I think everyone had a really good time.

Here I am along with my cousins Lynn and Donna (on the left). Take note Shanda, my entire outfit is the maternity clothes you sent me.....Thanks!!!!

Kim got the baby cute little monkey slippers and a monkey doll!

I also received my nursing pillow

Melissa got me much needed diapers! Or should I say, got Kevin the much needed diapers!

Andrea (on the far right) got me a great first aid kit. I'm sure that will come in handy. Sitting on the chair with me, is my friend Wendi that also helped put my shower together!

Jo and Ken (Kevin's parents) sent me some of Kevin's favorite things when he was a baby. These were his Sesame Street plates and bowls that he absolutely loved!

This is a picture of Kevin when he was born. Look how much hair he had! No wonder he is such a wookie!

Here are some of Kevin's favorite books as a child. I can't wait to read them to Baby Seiple!

My mom made this baby blanket for me. Isn't it beautiful?

Of course, my mom also sent me a Brutus the Buckeye blanket!

My Aunt Linda sent me "The Magic Hanky" that she'll wear when she is baptised.

"I'm just a little hanky, as square as square can be. But with a stitch or 2 they made a bonnet out of me. I'll be worn home from the hospital or on the Christening Day. We've been told, on her wedding day, every bride must have that something old. So what could be more fitting than to take out little me; a few snips to cut the stitches and a wedding hanky I'll be. And if perchance, it is a boy, someday he'll surely wed. So to his bride, he can present the hanky, once worn upon his head."

My brother Craig and sister in law Jill, bought our bath for the baby and also sent along adorable pictures of my Niece Allie (2) and Grady (almost 1). Clay (Kevin's brother) and my sister in law Lisa, got us our car seat!

These are some rattlers and a brush and comb set from Craig and Jill

This was a huge surprise! My grandmother (Calista) who passed away before Kevin and I were even engaged had made me a baby quilt. My mom has kept it all these years and sent it to me as a surprise. It truly was a gift from above!

This is my cousin Donna admiring Grandma's quilts (there were actually two)

The baby's bath

My friend Wendi, got me this T-Shirt for the little monkey. I love it!

My sister Shanda is putting together my baby book. She sent me two pages that I need to take with me to the hospital. One is to put her footprints which reads "Someday these feet will go places" and the other is for her handprints which reads "Someday these hands will change the world." My sister also had a diaper backpack and sun bonnet made. They are perfect!

Aunt MaryAnn and cousin DawnMarie got us our highchair.....thank you! There were so many other gifts, I couldn't possibly list them all here, but I do want to thank everyone again, for making my baby shower soo wonderful. Baby Monkey Seiple is so loved and Kevin and I feel very special and blessed to have so much love, support, family, and friends in our lives.....Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!