GA portion of trip

The trip down was long but event free. The most traffic we hit was when we came up on a funeral procession. The part that added so much time to the trip was the pit stops.  We both potty a lot, so we stopped for that. Auburn needed to potty and stretch her legs, so we stopped for that. We had to eat, so we stopped for that. I am one of those "drive until you get there" people. So I was very irritated with all the stops. But we made it eventually and in one piece so we were thankful.

On her "throne" in Mommy's lap

Half way through the trip I had to relocate to the back seat so I could prop my swollen feet up. When we stopped for lunch at Zaxby's Auburn climbed in the back with me, hoping to get a bite or two (which we all know she did).  

Mason was really excited to be in the south! He was moving more than he ever has! In the car he was a little more active than normal but he went nuts when we got to the hotel. As I laid in bed waiting on my dinner, I watched my belly move as he wiggled from one side to the other. It was a "straight out of Aliens" moment. For over an hour straight he danced around and made me very uncomfortable.

I forgot how many yummy places Augusta has to eat at! So many favorites... Monterrey, Mellow Mushroom, Steak and Shake, Shane's Rib Shack, T'Bonz, California Dreaming, Barberitos, Miyako, Pizza Joint, Krystal's, Giuseppe's, Carolina Ale House, McAlisters... the list goes on and on. It was so hard to figure out where to eat when we got in. Not only was it after 8 pm, but it was Valentine's Day and our hotel was right on the busiest road in Augusta. I was exhausted and had very swollen ankles/feet so I had no intention of leaving the bed. I told Doug just to drive to the closest place and get something. Since traffic wasn't bad he went and got my favorite salad, the Greek salad at Mellow Mushroom. The salad is good but it's their Esperanza dressing that makes it amazing! We didn't end up eating until almost ten. But there is nothing like going to sleep with a full belly. :)

For Valentine's Day Doug picked me up a box of chocolates. I am normally not a box of chocolates kind of a girl but apparently pregnant me is. I ate the entire box by Sunday. Doug did have a few pieces but I didn't share that much. I loved my box of chocolates but I asked Doug not to give me another. I don't want him to lose an arm if he tried to steal a piece but I really don't want my ass to be another box of chocolates bigger.

Auburn pouting when Doug left to go get dinner. She hates missing out on "rides".

Nothing fancy but it was so freaking good!

Auburn did really good our first night in the hotel. She barks and growls at every sound she hears. With Valentine's Day, there was much more activity in the hallways. But luckily everyone settled in early and we got some much needed sleep. We were really thankful the baby next door to us slept through the night. He/she was very vocal before they went to sleep. I guess it was a preview of what's to come. :)

Getting ready for the shower

Before the shower we went and got our Monterrey fix. I was really surprised to see one of our favorite waiters still worked there. It was nice seeing the familiar face. We ate at noon (with Church crowd) in about half an hour, for only $15! We so miss southern prices!

Thanks to the "Mom of the year" that sat behind us, we learned exactly how we do NOT want to parent. I could not believe the way she was talking to her children. She even called their dad and said horrible things about them, right in front of them. I know we all have bad days and we need to vent sometimes. But across the table from your kids (one who was more than old enough to understand the things she was saying) in a restaurant is not the place. Poor kids! And it was all over the second to youngest (total of 4!) not finishing his food. 

The shower at Sara and Wes's house was amazing. Her house is beautiful and she is a saint for opening it up for all our friends to visit with us. I want to, once again, thank them for giving us the shower. We are so lucky to have them as friends. We had yummy snacks, beautiful decorations, and great company. Once again, even though it has been awhile since we have seen each other, true friends always pick up right where they left off. It wasn't like it has been over a year, but more like weeks. I never realize how much I miss everyone until I am there with them. We made some really great friends in our short time there. I am so thankful for all of them. The gifts were great and very much appreciated but the time spent with them was much better! It was so nice talking and catching up with everyone. I can't wait to introduce Mason to them! Thank you to all who came to celebrate Mason with us! We love ya!

(pictures coming soon)

Unfortunately, Auburn did not care for us leaving her in the room when we went to the shower. I think she would have been ok if the cleaners weren't on our floor. They were very nice and told us not to worry about her. By the time we got back she was literally hoarse from barking. My poor heart broke hearing her. The cleaners were right across the hall and she wanted to be friends. They, once again, were super nice. They laughed and said, "She missed yall!" Ha! Needless to say, she slept very well that night. She was exhausted!

For dinner we went with our old neighbors to Shane's Rib Shack. Their daughter, Jordan, has grown up so much. We hope Mason is as smart and sweet as she is. We went by their house to check out the old neighborhood afterwards. Very little has changed, which was nice to see. Our house looked to be in good shape, so that was reassuring. We miss the old place but we both agree if we moved back we could not move back into that house. After having renters, it doesn't feel like our home anymore. :( But a big house with a big kitchen, garage, and fenced in backyard is worth the trade up! 

Auburn was very nervous that we were going to leave her at the hotel when we were packing up to head to Atlanta. She would sneak out the door and fly down the hallway every time we opened the door. The hallways were like her quarter mile track. It was the cutest thing. One time a man got off the elevator, rounded the corner, and ran into her. She barked and he jumped out of his skin. It was the funniest thing ever. The guy clearly was not a dog person and we all know Auburn loves everyone so it made for an interesting encounter.

The rain started right around the time we got into Atlanta. Since Auburn hates windshield wipers, she spent most of that trip buried in pillows and blankets in the backseat. She didn't even bark at the drive-thru people at Steak and Shake! I let my prego self get the best of me. I ate my chili cheese French fries and my strawberry milkshake before Doug finished half of his shake. Yeah, I am not proud of that moment. Doug got a good kick out of it. So glad I could amuse him...

When we got to our friends', Christin and Brian, house the rain was coming down and it was cold! Brian started a fire for us then made us a very yummy dinner. It was so nice putting my feet up in front of the fire and having dinner cooked for me. Doug has heated up / gone and went to get dinner but we didn't have the fire ambiance. For dessert Christin made what she called peanut butter fudge but it was the "healthy" kind so not much was ate. She redeemed herself by making a batch of Ghiradelli brownies. Now those were yummy! We spent the entire night talking and catching up. It was very nice and relaxing. I wish we had more time to spend with them but we only had one night. Auburn and Brian became best friends immediately. I am not sure if she was really tired or high, but she melted in his hands. I have never seen her so calm around someone. He just held her, rubbed her belly, and she drifted off to sleep. She even let him move her around at will. Normally she will growl, wiggle, then run off. Maybe Brian is the dog whisperer.

The next morning we slept in since the ice was going to delay us anyways. The city did good prepping for the storm but they couldn't get every single road. Plus, it's still Atlanta so we had no plans of getting up early to get in that craziness! This trip was better since the rain was gone but Auburn, at this point, was getting more confident in the car. She was standing up on the back of the front seat and jumping from front to back like a bunny! The only bad part was she couldn't see which spot was a "supported" place to land or not. There were a few falls and even some stuck moments but she survived.