Mr. & Mrs.

I've moved!

2010-01-23T13:43:00.003-06:00

After thinking about it for a long time, I have finally made the switch to Wordpress!

Click the banner to go over and check out the new blog! Be sure to update your blog roll and bookmarks while you are there.

Meet the Newlyweds

2010-01-21T10:00:00.003-06:00

Click the button below to check out my interview!

Life doesn't get much better than this.

2010-01-16T13:16:00.002-06:00

I just stopped in the hall at the sound of my husband's boots tapping the floor and the his voice in a near-whisper. He was in Lincoln's room, rocking him and reading a Dr. Suess book before naptime. I just stood at the door listening with a big smile on my face. He's a wonderful daddy.

Splish, Splash!

2010-01-15T11:02:00.006-06:00

Lincoln loves bathtime. He wasn't too fond of it the first time, but after that he decided it wasn't so bad afterall. Now he never makes a sound when it's time to get in the tub. We are quickly running into a space issue though. He's getting too long for the sling in his infant tub!

Here are some pictures from his first bath.

And one from last week...

The Lip

2010-01-15T10:37:00.001-06:00

A Sneak Peek - Lincoln's Birth Story in Pictures

2009-12-30T09:03:00.007-06:00

When I first found out I was pregnant, one thing I knew I wanted was a photographer present at the birth. I didn't want to chance leaving the picture-taking up to a family member on such an important occasion. (My sister-in-law tried that with her first daughter and the memory card got erased before they even left the hospital. I could not have handled that.) Through Facebook I found Emily Cottingham. She was great! Here is a slideshow she put together of a few of the images.

We've been busy having fun!

2009-12-23T15:58:00.003-06:00

That would be why I haven't been posting much lately. Our little guy is growing fast, and he keeps me rather busy.

After being home from the hospital a few days the visitors started pouring in!
Here are just a few of Lincoln's first visitors.

One of his proudest visitors - his great-grandpa!

Lincoln's Christmas List

2009-12-09T17:25:00.002-06:00

I think this shirt says it all.

And Santa, please don't forget the hay and oats. :-)

I'd like to introduce you to our son

2009-11-28T12:09:00.004-06:00

Meet Lincoln!

He arrived on Nov. 21, 2009 at 5:26 p.m., weighing in at 6 lbs. 13 oz, and measuring 20.5 inches.

39 Weeks

2009-11-19T19:32:00.004-06:00

How far along? 39 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: I have no desire to know.

Maternity clothes? Yes

Stretch marks? ugh. Do we have to talk about that?

Sleep: It depends on the night.

Best moment this week: I did what is probably going to be my last photo session for a while with a sweet little girl named Becca.

Movement: Lots!

Food cravings: None this week.

Gender: Boy

Labor Signs: Just lots of random contractions.

Belly Button in or out? still in

What I miss: regular clothes

What I am looking forward to: Holding my baby boy!

Weekly Wisdom: I'm all out of wisdom this week. Sorry.

Baby's Development:

"Your baby's waiting to greet the world! He continues to build a layer of fat to help control his body temperature after birth, but it's likely he already measures about 20 inches and weighs a bit over 7 pounds, a mini watermelon. (Boys tend to be slightly heavier than girls.) The outer layers of his skin are sloughing off as new skin forms underneath." -babycenter.com

Ice storm babies

2009-11-15T18:37:00.004-06:00

Everyone joked and said there would be a baby boom.

Dear Peanut,

When all your friends have October birthdays, don't feel left out.
Your a lineman's ice storm baby.

Love,
Mommy

38 Weeks

2009-11-15T17:51:00.004-06:00

Well, I'm still pregnant! We started the weekend with a doctor appointment Friday morning. My doctor was a bit surprised to see us! She said she figured our little one would have arrived already. No such luck. We're still waiting. After our appointment, we grabbed some lunch and headed to the Lil Bit'a Christmas Arts & Crafts show to do some walking and shopping. We ordered a Christmas gift for our Peanut! After that we pretty much just walked all weekend - Joe Mac Campbell Park (twice), Wal-Mart, and up and down our road.

How far along? 38 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: I have no desire to know.

Maternity clothes? Yes

Stretch marks? ugh. Do we have to talk about that?

Sleep: Pretty good.

Best moment this week: Putting up the Christmas tree!

Movement: Lots!

Food cravings: None this week.

Gender: Boy

Labor Signs: Another lovely round of 2+ hours of contractions that came to an abrupt halt. Good thing we aren't the type to rush off to the hospital at the first sign of a contraction because our kid apparently has a sense of humor. At our appointment last Friday, we also learned that I'm now dilated to 3 cm and he is "very, very low."

Belly Button in or out? still in

What I miss: regular clothes

What I am looking forward to: Holding my baby boy!

Weekly Wisdom: Walking miles and miles will cause a few contractions - and really sore legs.

Baby's Development:

"Your baby has really plumped up. She weighs about 6.8 pounds and she's over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek). She has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.

Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If she's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after she's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)" - babycenter.com

Another conversation from Mr. & Mrs.

2009-11-10T09:33:00.006-06:00

*last night*

Mr: "Do you have your bags packed?"
Mrs: "Everything except the phone chargers and stuff I use everyday."
Mr: "What are you wearing to the hospital?"
Mrs: "Heels."
Mr: Pause. Giving me his exasperated/trying to deal with a 'redhead moment' look...
Mrs: "I might even dig out my pearls too..."
Mr: "Have you thought about anything other than shoes?"
Mrs: "Yeah. It just depends on what I have on at the moment and what shoes I feel like wearing."

37 Weeks - Full term!

2009-11-08T19:58:00.008-06:00

How far along? 37 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: I have no desire to know.

Maternity clothes? Yes

Stretch marks? No new ones.

Sleep: Not so good the last couple of nights.

Best moment this week: Getting to stand with my best friend on her wedding day.

Movement: Lots!

Food cravings: This week it was grapes.

Gender: Boy

Labor Signs: At my 37 week appointment on Tuesday I was already dilated 2 1/2 cm. We also had one short round of false labor Saturday night. (No, we didn't go to the hospital!)

Belly Button in or out? still in

What I miss: regular clothes

What I am looking forward to: Holding my baby boy!

Weekly Wisdom: Do not go on a bumpy hay ride at nearly 38 weeks pregnant.

Baby's Development:

"At week 37, your pregnancy is considered full term, meaning baby is likely to thrive after birth. Baby spends these last weeks in preparation for the outside world… meaning careful refinement of the blink, suck, inhale and exhale. Meconium, which you’ll probably find in the first diaper, is accumulating in the intestines. If (okay, as) you worry about giving birth, consider what it’s like for the little one. During the journey out of your womb, baby will produce more stress hormones than any other time in life. " -thebump.com

"Congratulations — your baby is full term! This means that if your baby arrives now, his lungs should be fully mature and ready to adjust to life outside the womb, even though your due date is still three weeks away.

Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz." -babycenter.com

36 Weeks

2009-11-08T19:41:00.003-06:00

How far along? 36 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: I have no idea.

Maternity clothes? Yes

Stretch marks? Well they aren't going away that's for sure.

Sleep: Decent.

Best moment this week: Getting to see our baby boy on the ultrasound again and finding out that he isn't breach anymore!

Movement: Lots

Food cravings: fruit

Gender: Boy

Labor Signs: Braxton hicks are occurring more and more

Belly Button in or out? still in

What I miss: nothing at the moment

What I am looking forward to: seeing my best friend this weekend

Baby's Development:

"Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement.

At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely she's in a head-down position. But if she isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying she'll try to coax your baby into a head-down position by manipulating her from the outside of your belly." - babycenter.com

Just a picture - from week 35

2009-11-08T19:36:00.002-06:00

A few weeks ago my sweet husband took a few shots of my belly. This is one of my favorites.

What does a stay-at-home wife/mom get excited about?

2009-10-21T10:55:00.006-05:00

Throughout the year I have kept a running list on my phone of things I'd like for Christmas. There is lots of good stuff on there. Purses? Nope. Funky nail polish? Nope. No, by "good stuff," I mean really cool things like a bread knife and a rolling pin, dishes, flatware, and a travel coffee mug (mine all leak). Yeah, I'm asking for good stuff this year.

Lately I've had several "conversations" on facebook that have made me question my own sanity. A few weeks ago, a friend's status lead to 12+ comments from myself and other ladies about the pro's and con's of hardwood, tile, and carpet. Today, a friend posted she'd gotten a new vacuum and loved it. I asked what kind it was. I've also shared and learned lots of stain-removing and cleaning tips through facebook conversations.

Last week I had lunch with a friend, and we spent at least 10 minutes discussing the cleaning of carpet and couches. Sunday I realized my husband had cleaned the ceiling fan in the living room. That was definitely a happy moment for me. And did I mention that I went to Target yesterday? For storage containers that were on sale?

a good place for a cowboy to bed down for the night

2009-10-20T20:14:00.004-05:00

Last week we were able to pick up the last of Lincoln's bedding. Oh how in love with it we are! I can't thank Lori and Amy enough for the awesome work they do and the amazing talents they possess. We picked it up Saturday morning before my baby shower, and I could hardly wait to get it home and put in his crib. As soon as the gifts were unloaded from the car, the very excited daddy-to-be made a bee-line for the nursery, bedding in hand. As soon as it was finished we just stood there hugging each other and staring at it. (I might have even had a few tears in my eyes.) Then, of course, Daddy-to-Be insisted on taking some pictures.

This is the comforter.

And the full set...

Catching up - Pregnancy portraits

2009-10-20T20:02:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago Steven and I were able to meet up with fellow (and rather fabulous) photographer, Kendy for a fun pregnancy portrait session.

Here is some of her awesome work from that day.

35 Weeks

2009-10-20T19:46:00.004-05:00

How far along? 35 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: Not sure. I'll find out tomorrow morning and report back. :-)

Maternity clothes? Yes

Stretch marks? Not nearly as bad as they could be.

Sleep: Mostly good. Lots of crazy dreams though.

Best moment this week: Getting Lincoln's bedding and getting lots of hugs and kisses from my sweet nieces, Hanna & Kaeleigh while they were here visiting.

Movement: Lots

Food cravings: today it was apples

Gender: Boy

Labor Signs: Braxton hicks are occurring more and more

Belly Button in or out? still in

What I miss: nothing at the moment

What I am looking forward to: our next ultrasound on Friday

Weekly Wisdom: Do not tell a pregnant woman she "needs to" or "really should" get an epidural and then state that yours didn't work.

Baby's Development:

"Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight." -babycenter.com

Bedding sneak peek!

2009-10-11T19:01:00.004-05:00

Today we got the comforter! We love, love, love it.
I'm just a little excited about it. Can you tell?

The rope fabric was Steven's must-have request. I honestly wasn't really crazy about it when I saw the sample online, but once the actual fabric came in, I liked it. Now that I've seen it in use, I love it.

Want your little one to have custom bedding? Contact Lori at Institches. She's super talented.

34 Weeks

2009-10-11T14:49:00.007-05:00

Ok, this pregnancy stuff is catching up with me and I'm getting super lazy with my blog posting. Sorry! I'm really trying not to neglect it. The above picture is not the only one from this week, but it's the only one I like. :-)

How far along? 34 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 25 lbs.

Maternity clothes? Well yes.

Stretch marks? Let's not go there.

Sleep: Well I go to sleep, and I don't wake up all night, but I'm still super tired the next day.

Best moment this week: Getting to see our pregnancy portraits and getting Lincoln's comforter. I love them!

Movement: Yep

Food cravings: sweet stuff (grrr...not good)

Gender: Boy

Labor Signs: nope

Belly Button in or out? still in

What I miss: nothing at the moment

What I am looking forward to: pants without elastic!

Weekly Wisdom: No wisdom this week.

Baby's Development:

"Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies." -babycenter.com

33 Weeks

2009-10-11T14:38:00.005-05:00

*Sorry, no picture this week. I put this together with plans to get a picture, and have yet to do it. I don't feel like to today. Oh well, so I'm just going to post it without a picture.

How far along? 33 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: I don't know.

Maternity clothes? Well yes.

Stretch marks? Let's not go there.

Sleep: Well I go to sleep, and I don't wake up all night, but I'm still super tired the next day.

Best moment this week: Pregnancy pictures!

Movement: Yep

Food cravings: none

Gender: Boy

Labor Signs: nope

Belly Button in or out? still in

What I miss: Jeans withOUT an elastic waistband

What I am looking forward to: seeing our pregnancy portraits

Weekly Wisdom: No wisdom this week.

Baby's Development:

"Baby’s senses are continuing to improve -- when light peeks in through your (extremely) stretched belly, those tiny eyelids and irises blink and dilate. And, baby can now recognize and react to simple songs… time to start practicing your lullabies! Growth (at least inside your womb) is starting to slow, and you may notice baby descend into your pelvis at the end of this month. " -thebump.com

"This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood." -babycenter.com

32 Weeks!

2009-10-01T10:22:00.004-05:00

How far along? 32 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: I don't know and don't feel like finding out.

Maternity clothes? Well yes.

Stretch marks? No more new ones.

Sleep: Surprisingly good.

Best moment this week: Taking engagement pictures for my beautiful best friend and her fiance.

Movement: Yep

Food cravings: sweets

Gender: Boy

Labor Signs: nope

Belly Button in or out? still in

What I miss: Jeans withOUT an elastic waistband

What I am looking forward to: Our pregnancy photo session tomorrow! Can't wait!

Weekly Wisdom: Nothing profound for you this week. Sorry.

Baby's Development:

"By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth." -babycenter.com

31 Weeks

2009-09-22T08:55:00.010-05:00

How far along? 31 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 22 lbs. (Yes, I did actually just put that on the Internet for all the world to see.)

Maternity clothes? Well yes.

Stretch marks? No more new ones.

Sleep: Surprisingly good.

Best moment this week: Finally meeting and holding Steven's new baby cousin, Hayden last Friday.

Movement: Yep

Food cravings: Honey Nut Cheerios

Gender: Boy

Labor Signs: nope

Belly Button in or out? still in

What I miss: My husband

What I am looking forward to: Our pregnancy photo session next week! And hopefully going to the fair this weekend.

Weekly Wisdom: Nothing profound for you this week. Sorry.

Other Milestones: Andrea, you'll be happy to know that the baseboards have been purchased! They haven't been installed though. haha

Baby's Development:

"This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy." - babycenter.com

30 Weeks

2009-09-15T08:20:00.000-05:00

I'm getting lazy with my blogging lately. I put the post together, but then am too lazy to find my camera and upload the picture. Guess I need to work on that.

How far along? 30 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: I don't even want to know.

Maternity clothes? No. Hahahahaha.

Stretch marks? I've discovered a few new ones, but thankfully they are VERY faint.

Sleep: Suprisingly good.

Best moment this week: Spending the day in childbirth class with the husband last weekend.

Movement: Yep

Food cravings: none

Gender: Boy

Labor Signs: more Braxton Hicks, but that's it

Belly Button in or out? still in

What I miss: I really can't think of anything at the moment.

What I am looking forward to: Shopping at the Twinkle Twinkle Sale!

Weekly Wisdom: Nothing profound for you this week. Sorry.

Other Milestones: I'm now going to be going to the doctor every two weeks.

Baby's Development:

"Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)" -babycenter.com

29 Weeks

2009-09-13T17:40:00.011-05:00

*Apparently pregnancy brain kicked in during my blogging this week and I didn't hit "publish post." Oops. Anyway, here it is, finally.*

How far along? 29 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 18 lbs. (The scale is no longer my friend.)

Maternity clothes? Yep, and I got a few new things!

Stretch marks? no new ones

Sleep: Good, except for that early morning potty interruption.

Best moment this week: Spending the long weekend with my husband.

Movement: Lots, but only when HE wants to.

Food cravings: none

Gender: Boy! Definitely a boy.

Labor Signs: nope

Belly Button in or out? still in

What I miss: I really can't think of anything at the moment.

What I am looking forward to: Our upcoming childbirth class at the hospital next weekend.

Weekly Wisdom: Do NOT get on the Wii Fit board while nearly 30 weeks pregnant. It doesn't recognize pregnancy. It will, however, tell you that you are obese.

Other Milestones: Exciting stuff this week? I can STILL paint my own toes and shave my legs. Heck yeah.

Baby's Development:

"Baby’s energy is surging, thanks to the formation of white fat deposits beneath the skin. (Have those kicks and jabs to the ribs tipped you off yet?) Baby is also settling into sleep and waking cycles, though -- as you’ve also probably noticed -- they don’t necessarily coincide with your own. Also this month, all five senses are finally functional, and the brain and nervous system are going through major developments. " -thebump.com

"Your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (like a butternut squash) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is growing bigger to make room for his developing brain. To meet his increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because his bones are soaking up lots of calcium, be sure to drink your milk (or find another good source of calcium, such as cheese, yogurt, or enriched orange juice). This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in your baby's hardening skeleton each day." -babycenter.com

Goin' on a treasure hunt!

2009-09-08T13:39:00.006-05:00

This morning I finally worked up the courage to brave the bugs and heat in our storage building to look for my children's books. I pulled out three Rubbermaid tubs, and I think there is at least one more out there, that contain my sister's and my books from our childhood. I slid them onto our wagon and delivered the boxes to my kitchen to sort through them there. I'm nowhere near finished, but I thought I'd share a few of the great finds I have come across so far.

These were two of my favorites. I love Little Bear!

You can't see it in this picture, but most of these have a price of $.89 in the top right corner. The last one, Sleepy Bear, has a sticker on it that says $.82.

I can't wait to read these stories to Lincoln.

This next one is actually my sister's, and we still have the Teddy Ruxpin doll with the tape player in it...somewhere. It's in another box in storage.

This one is my sister's too. Remember these guys?

Our Stubborn Child

2009-09-04T10:08:00.008-05:00

Some of you may remember this post about my stubborn son. He hasn't changed.

Yesterday was the day we had been wating for - the 3D/4D ultrasound! Our appointment was for 11, and we arrived at the clinic at about 10:50. Our appointment started right on time, but we had a small issue. Lincoln wasn't interested in participating. In fact, he was asleep with his head turned away from us. We spent a long time poking and prodding my belly, hoping to wake him up. I even had Steven get out my phone and play some music for him since he has been known to enjoy "dancing" to some music. No luck. He refused to cut his nap short for us. We even threatened, begged, and bribed. Nothing was working. (Not even the promise of a pony!) Then the tech went and got the buzzer used for the non-stress tests. It is supposed to make an annoying noise that causes the baby to jump. Still no luck. He'd move a bit, but just enough to get comfortable again. He refused to turn his face to us.

Finally, at about 11:45, the tech asked us if we wanted to take a break, grab something to eat (preferably something sweet for me), and return in an hour. She said maybe eating something sweet would wake him up. I was getting pretty hungry by this point, so we decided it couldn't hurt to try.

We made our way across town to Burger King for lunch and a milkshake and returned to the clinic in time to start our appointment back up at 12:45. For another half-hour we poked and prodded. We were all three getting discouraged at this point, and I was afraid the tech was going to give up. I'm glad she didn't though. Finally, at about 1:15, he decided to start waking up. He turned over, yawned a lot, and made faces for us! Finally!

A few more things we have learned about our little boy:

He weighs 2 lbs. 4 oz.

He's a sound sleeper. I think it's because he's used to me playing loud music in the house, the dogs barking all the time, and the cat stepping all over my stomach. Let's hope this trait continues.

Yesterday morning I was trying to wake up Steven. I commented that I hoped our son would wake up like him because it's cute. He's a bit pouty and makes funny faces and then suddenly he's jumping out of bed and on the go. Well what do ya know? Lincoln does the same thing! Too cute! Lincoln woke up the exact same way Steven does - he made some cute faces and took a bit to wake up, and just when we thought he wasn't going to actually wake up, he was suddenly wide awake and moving all over the place.

He also looks just like his daddy when he sleeps. Yesterday afternoon we were both exhausted and came home for a nap before I had to go to work. When I woke up, Steven had his head on my shoulder with his chin squished down and and a groggy pouty face going on. I cracked up because all I could see was Lincoln's little face from the first picture above staring back at me from Steven's face. What a blessing!

28 weeks

2009-09-04T09:51:00.007-05:00

How far along? 28 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 16 lbs. (The scale is no longer my friend.)

Maternity clothes? Yep

Stretch marks? no new ones

Sleep: just dandy

Best moment this week: Getting to see my baby boy at our 3D/4D ultrasound yesterday!

Movement: Only when HE wants to.

Food cravings: none

Gender: Boy! Definitely a boy.

Labor Signs: nope

Belly Button in or out? still in

What I miss: I really can't think of anything at the moment.

What I am looking forward to: The first ASU Redwolves football game of the year!

Weekly Wisdom: I'm all out of wisdom.

Baby's Development:

"By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. She's also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world."

27 weeks - Goodbye 2nd trimester!

2009-08-25T21:28:00.007-05:00

How far along? 27 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 14 lbs.

Maternity clothes? Yep

Stretch marks? no new ones

Sleep: just dandy

Best moment this week: Getting a surprise gift in the mail from my friend Heather!

Movement: Yes, and he's finally starting to be a little less shy around his daddy.

Food cravings: Salad

Gender: Boy!

Labor Signs: nope

Belly Button in or out? still in

What I miss: I really can't think of anything at the moment.

What I am looking forward to: Taking Steven to Almyra for the first time this weekend.

Weekly Wisdom: Do not wait until you are actually hungry to start cooking or making something for lunch. If you think you'll be hungry in 15-30 minutes, start something. By the time I actually had lunch ready today, I was starving. Not good. Apparently my kid goes from not hungry at all to starving to death in less than 5 minutes.

Baby's Development:

"This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended. She's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and perhaps even sucking her fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While her lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if she were to be born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother her, so just relax and enjoy the tickle." - babycenter.com

"Got a sudden pain in your rear? That's just baby, settling into place for his upcoming debut. His head might be pressing on your sciatic nerve, which can cause pain and numbness down the backs of your legs. Don't worry -- it'll ease up soon after labor. For now, your aching back deserves a pat. You've reached trimester three!" - thebump.com

My favorite things

2009-08-23T19:31:00.014-05:00

I was recently tagged by my friend Bev over @ Running along with my husband and dog to participate in this fun little blog game.

Here are the rules:

1. Mention and link back to the person who tagged you.

2. List 6 little things that make you happy.

3. Tag 6 other bloggers and let them know they're "it".

6 of My Favorite Things

1. My hottie of a husband, who also happens to know how to operate a vacuum and cook a mean egg sandwich (You're jealous, I know.)

2. Feeling flips, flops, and kicks from the little guy to whom these belong

3. My animals. I have to cheat and put all three of these as one.
Our adorable yet spoiled (and dare I say a bit deceiving?), cocker spaniel Emerald

Our lovable red heeler Minnie Pearl who has an odd habit of sitting like this and watching television. I think it's a bit sad/odd that she watches more tv than either of the people in this house.

My fat kitty, Roush and his crazy ways.
Notice the little stream of water in the bottom right corner of this pic. He pretty much refuses to drink water that isn't fresh, as in currently running. He also has no problems with being wet. Very strange cat...

4. Looking out my kitchen window to see this

5. Sno cones. I'm pretty fond of those red shoes too. :-)

6. Funyuns!
(And my adorable husband who brought back this full size bag when I requested some -expecting a snack size bag- at a gas station on a recent trip out of town.)

I'm tagging:

1. Courtney @Adventures in Travel Nursing

2. Jamie @The Life of Molly and Sarah

3. Andrea @Wright where we want to be!

4. Shaila @The Creekmore Four

5. Kim @Newlywoodwards

6. Becky @Our Sweet Peas

Works For Me Wednesday - Free Chocolate!

2009-08-19T10:08:00.003-05:00

I love Snickers bars. They are definitely my favorite candy. I'm also a fan of M&M's. Snickers though, are my first love. They keep this pregnant girl sane after a crazy day. Strangely, I don't usually eat a lot of sweets though. However, sometimes I just need a Snickers. How about getting some of these (or other Mars chocolate candies) for free? Go to www.realchocolate.com every Friday through Sept. 25 and you can register to receive a coupon for FREE chocolate. Yes, it works. I've been participating for the last several weeks. I'm going to be very sad when this offer ends.

Free chocolate is what Works For Me. Do you have a tip that works for you? Join us at We Are That Family, and share your tip!

26 weeks

2009-08-18T17:23:00.009-05:00

*Andrea - please note that the baseboards still haven't been put up. :-)

How far along? 26 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 12 lbs.

Maternity clothes? Yep

Stretch marks? no new ones

Sleep: just dandy

Best moment this week: When Steven left on Sunday. He rubbed my tummy and said, "I love you, Lincoln." Then when he walked out the door he turned and said, "I love y'all." Somehow I held it together, sitting there at the dining room table, but it sure makes me teary-eyed to think about it now.

Movement: Yes

Food cravings: Grapes

Gender: Boy!

Labor Signs: nope

Belly Button in or out? still in

What I miss: drinking lots and lots of Sonic sweet tea - stupid caffeine...

What I am looking forward to: Getting Lincoln's bedding! We ordered it this week.

Weekly Wisdom: Yard sales are a pregnant girl's friend.

Baby's Development:

"The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. He may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. He's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when he's born and takes that first gulp of air. And he's continuing to put on baby fat. He now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel. If you're having a boy, his testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take about two to three days." -babycenter.com

25 weeks

2009-08-14T15:15:00.006-05:00

How far along? 25 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 11 lbs.

Maternity clothes? Yep

Stretch marks? no new ones

Sleep: just dandy

Best moment this week: Steven FINALLY getting to feel Lincoln's kicks!

Movement: Yes

Food cravings: None this week.

Gender: Boy!

Labor Signs: nope

Belly Button in or out? still in

What I miss: having more wardrobe options everyday

What I am looking forward to: Going to eat Cajun food tonight!

Weekly Wisdom: Don't take life too seriously. It's ok to laugh - even at yourself.

Baby's Development:

"Let your spouse put an ear to your belly -- he might be able to pick up baby's heartbeat (no stethoscope required). Inside the womb, the formation of tiny capillaries is giving baby a healthy pink glow. Baby's also soaking up your antibodies, getting the immune system ready for life outside the womb. Eyes are forming, and baby will soon perfect the blink -- perfect for batting those freshly grown lashes." -thebump.com

"Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Her weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but she's beginning to exchange her long, lean look for some baby fat. As she does, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she'll start to look more and more like a newborn. She's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture." -babycenter.com

Must be comfy!

2009-08-10T15:16:00.005-05:00

This bouncy seat was given to us by a sweet lady at our church. (Thanks, Ms. Pam!) It has been sitting in the kitchen floor for about a week now, and none of the animals have seemed at all interested in it - until today.

At least we know it's comfy! I just hope Roush doesn't get too attached.

Warning! Being frugal can backfire!

2009-08-10T09:03:00.004-05:00

It can lead to a spoiled husband asking you to spend lots more time in the kitchen! That's not good considering my stove and I really aren't bff's. In fact, I'm not sure I'm even on a first name basis with any appliance in my kitchen other than the fridge. While I really try to be a good housewife, sometimes I feel like I should be in one of those pictures in my apron with the big red "FAIL" written across it.

Anyhoo...

A while back I had frozen some strawberries that were on the verge of going bad but I didn't know what I wanted to do with them yet. I sure didn't want to throw them away though. One thing we go through quite a bit of at our house is jelly and jam. We're big pb&j fans, and we also eat biscuits with jelly or jam for breakfast fairly often. (And I tend to cringe every time I buy it. That stuff's not cheap.) While ~~reading some blogs~~ doing some research to better my home-making skills, I came across a recipe for freezer jam. I thought it seemed fairly easy (i.e. Emily-Proof). I bought some Sure Gel pectin and made strawberry freezer jam using the recipe in the box. I ended up with 6 half-pint jars of the concoction. I put one in the fridge and the rest in the freezer. (I even had enough crushed strawberries left over for a batch of strawberry pancakes, and boy were they good!)

Yesterday, my husband pulled the jar out of the fridge, dug in with a spoon and said, "You're not allowed to buy that other (mass produced) stuff ever again if you can make stuff like this. I could eat this whole jar by itself." Good thing I bought a whole case of jars. I think I need to invest in some nice, cushy mats for my kitchen floor. I'm sure my feet will thank me. I see lots of time being spent in the kitchen in the next few months.

And as if that didn't teach me my lesson, I spent the afternoon making wheat bread. Maybe he won't like it. Yeah right. However, he's such a sweetie that Mr. did offer to help me make several loaves of bread once a month so that I don't have to do it every week. Yes, I think I'll keep him.

24 weeks

2009-08-06T14:32:00.004-05:00

Sorry for the cruddy picture. I'll get a better one put up when I get home - hopefully.

How far along? 24 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: I have no access to a scale at the moment and no desire to step on one.

Maternity clothes? Yep

Stretch marks? no new ones

Sleep: Awful, thanks to the stupid bed I've been sleeping on this week. I took a nap on the couch this morning and wondered why I hadn't been sleeping on it all week.

Best moment this week: I don't know about "best," but feeling my first Braxton Hicks contraction was quite interesting.

Movement: Oh yes, there's movement, but only when his Daddy isn't trying to feel it - little monkey.

Food cravings: None this week.

Gender: Boy!

Labor Signs: nope

Belly Button in or out? still in

What I miss: my bed

What I am looking forward to: seeing my bestest friend, Lauren today!

Weekly Wisdom: I think I'm all out of wisdom.

Baby's Development:

"Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at just over a pound. Since he's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon." -babycenter.com

Not me Monday! Ooohh, Jingle bells! Jingle bells...

2009-08-03T08:55:00.011-05:00

Well, MckMama hasn't posted a Not Me Monday lately, as her littlest one has been battling his heart problems again. He's a fighter though, and according to her most recent posts, he is currently doing much better! Yaaaay God! So, in honor of Stellen's great news, I'm posting a Not Me Monday.

Christmas has NOT been on my mind lately.

Maybe I went in Hobby Lobby several weeks ago and saw the Christmas merchandise already out? No, I didn't do that. I do not get extremely giddy every time I walk into Hobby Lobby and see all the wonderful Christmas decorations out. Please note, if you see a redheaded girl wondering around Hobby Lobby with glazed-over eyes, giggling, clapping, and quietly squealing with delight - that's NOT me. Might be my sister. Or maybe my friend Courtney? :-)

Then I went into Target last week to get some photos developed and overheard a lady mentioning they had toys on clearance and she was stocking up for Christmas. I did NOT think that was a brilliant idea.

Then over lunch on Sunday, my husband decided to poke fun at me for my love of all things Christmas - including music- because he came home on Friday and caught me listening to it. It must be inherited because my dad rolled his eyes and pointed a finger at my mother, declaring that he had recently gotten into her SUV to discover Christmas cd's in the cd player. Oh wait, none of that happened either.

This morning, when trying to decide which topic to blog about, my love of Christmas did NOT enter my mind. I was NOT getting ready to post about the awesome deals I got at Target last week. Then, I saw THIS post by my friend Kim, over at The Newlywoodwards.

Oh, and my iTunes did not just randomly pull a Christmas song out of the depths of my song list.

So, even if I were to think about Christmas in July and August, it would not be my fault. Everyone else is doing it. I don't have to worry abou that though. I love Christmas, but I can restrain from thinking about it, even when everyone else is thinking about and talking about Christmas.

So now I'm NOT dreaming about these little guys.

Nor am I excited to see how cute they look in my newly painted kitchen.

And this on my front door...

Or this in my living room.

No, I'm not obsessed with Christmas at all. Not looking forward to the cooler weather, the lights, the parades, or the thousands of times I'll hear Jingle Bell Rock.

But since we're on the subject of Christmas, I'd like to say that Christmas will be even more exciting with a little one around this year. Also, having a baby in November has it's perks. We get to put up Christmas decorations early! Usually my husband refuses to help with any kind of Christmas decor before Thanksgiving. Ok, who am I kidding? He doesn't help with them after Thanksgiving either, except for unloading them out of storage. If I want anything up before then, I have to dig it out of storage myself. This year, however, we have a baby due to arrive the week of Thanksgiving. That means, my tree will be going up at the beginning of November! Woohoo! And this pregnant chick WILL get outdoor Christmas lights this year. We already have them, but a pregnancy-induced hissy fit may be needed to actually get them put up. I hope not though.

Did you know there are 143 day until Christmas! But whose counting? I'm not!

23 weeks

2009-07-30T15:15:00.006-05:00

How far along? 23 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: +7 lbs

Maternity clothes? Yes, but no new ones this week

Stretch marks? no new ones

Sleep: Pretty good

Best moment this week: Sitting in the rocking chair in the nursery in the mornings

Movement: Oh yes, there's movement!

Food cravings: Sweet stuff. My cravings change on a weekly basis.

Gender: Boy!

Labor Signs: nope

Belly Button in or out? still in

What I miss: Running - never thought I'd hear myself say that.

What I am looking forward to: VBS tonight

Weekly Wisdom:

Baby's Development:

"Baby's little face is fully formed...minus the baby fat, of course. The next task at hand for baby: sprouting two teeny-tiny nipples!" - thebump.com

"Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With her sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that she's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), you may be able to see her squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb." - babycenter.com

They had no idea.

2009-07-28T09:40:00.013-05:00

When my parents met my husband nearly 6 years ago, in the fall of 2003, they had no idea that he would one day be their son-in-law. I'm fairly certain they thought, 'It's just a phase.' They were probably sure that he wouldn't last any longer than any of my previous boyfriends. I'd say that's a normal reaction for parents whose honor roll child just introduced them to a guy obviously older than her with multiple piercings. C'mon, how long could that really last?

A few months later, when my dad discovered that his sweet little 16 year old baby girl would soon be dating a 20 year-old man, I'm not sure exactly what he was thinking, but the look on his face sure said a lot. By that point, he'd already decided he liked Steven, so there wasn't much he could say I guess. For the record, I never lied about his age. I said he was 19 - the truth. I simply left out the fact that he had a birthday coming up in a few months.

Then in December, he moved from Batesville to Jonesboro to be closer to me. Now if that didn't make a parent nervous, I don't know what would.

By February, I think they could see a hint of where our relationship was going. My dad, never one to miss an opportunity for a bit of humor, found this card for me for Valentine's Day 2004.

I found this card a few weeks ago while sorting through some boxes of old mementos.
It made me remember.
It made me smile.
It made me laugh.

They had no idea God had picked us for each other long ago.
They had no idea we would be married less than 4 years later.
They had no idea we had already been struck by that arrow.

John Deere Toy Giveaway

2009-07-26T23:40:00.002-05:00

I don't enter a lot of blog giveaways, but I couldn't pass this one up!
I'm not sure who would love these more, Steven or Lincoln. :-)
So, go check out the blog of John Deere Mom and enter for your own chance to win!

22 weeks

2009-07-21T09:48:00.010-05:00

How far along? 22 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: +5 lbs

Maternity clothes? Yes, but no new ones this week

Stretch marks? unfortunately a few really small ones, thankfully in places that are hidden

Sleep: Great. The covers were barely disturbed this morning.

Best moment this week: Seeing Steven so excited to pick out clothes for Lincoln.

Movement: Oh yes, there's movement! Usually around 9 each night, but last night he was really active from about 6:30 to 9:30.

Food cravings: Coffee! Thank goodness for decaf.

Gender: Boy!

Labor Signs: nope

Belly Button in or out? still in

What I miss: Running - never thought I'd hear myself say that.

What I am looking forward to: hanging out with my aunt tonight

Weekly Wisdom: You don't have to spend a ton on a really cute maternity wardrobe. Be creative.

Baby's Development:

"At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily." -babycenter.com

21 weeks

2009-07-15T23:11:00.005-05:00

.

How far along? 21 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: +4 lbs

Maternity clothes? Yes, and I'm in love with my new Gap jeans

Stretch marks? no new ones, but the old ones are showing up a bit better

Sleep: Good, just more weird dreams

Best moment this week: Getting Lincoln's crib put together.

Movement: More noticeable now. I no longer have to be paying attention to notice his kicks.

Food cravings: toasted turkey, egg, and cheese english muffin

Gender: Boy!

Labor Signs: nope

Belly Button in or out? still in

What I miss: Nothing at the moment. I'm feeling really great.

What I am looking forward to: Steven coming home tomorrow

Weekly Wisdom: If you wake up and think you dreamed there was a spider on you but it was really just a cat hair or something, you're not completely awake. It wasn't a weird pregnancy dream. That spider is still in your bed - and you probably just threw it on your spouse.

Baby's Development:

"Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. You may soon feel like she's practicing martial arts as her initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to her activity as you get to know her better. In other developments, your baby's eyebrows and lids are present now, and if you're having a girl, her vagina has begun to form as well." -babycenter.com

"Baby gulps down several ounces of amniotic fluid every day, both for hydration and nutrition and to practice swallowing and digesting. And, these days, those taste buds actually work! Studies show that after birth, babies are most interested in tastes they've already experienced through amniotic fluid. Meaning, think about what you want your future child to eat as you prepare your own lunch." -thebump.com

Weekend checklist

2009-07-11T20:36:00.003-05:00

Flooring in nursery - check
Crib assembled - check
Hang photos in kitchen - check (pictures of this to come)
Sorting/purging of kitchen cabinets - check
Sorting/purging of dresser in craft room - in progress
Hang shelves in craft room - postponed (We didn't have the correct type of screws)

Today's accomplishments

2009-07-10T16:12:00.011-05:00

We've had a busy day today.
We started our day with a trip to Lowe's. We needed some more underlayment for the flooring in Lincoln's room and another organizer basket for my closet. We spent most of the afternoon working on the flooring in Lincoln's room.

Here's Steven, sprawled out in the floor, working on the closet flooring.

Throughout the afternoon, all of the animals had to check out what we were doing. Actually, it was hard to keep the girls out of our way. Minnie and Emerald have separation anxiety issues. Roush was pretty good about staying out of the way though. He just checked in occasionally to fulfill his supervisor duties.

I love it! It isn't quite finished yet, but after all the work we did, we got worn out and had to take a break from it.

We also assembled the crib!
Steven had to get in the crib box to make sure we had all the small parts out. :)

The proud daddy with his finished project.

And the happy mommy...

Overheard in our home today....

2009-07-06T22:15:00.001-05:00

"Hey, the toilet smells good!"

I took this as a compliment/thank you for my excellent toilet scrubbing skills.

20 weeks

2009-07-06T19:22:00.005-05:00

How far along? 20 weeks - Halfway there!

Total weight gain/loss: +1 lbs

Maternity clothes? Yes

Stretch marks? nope

Sleep: Good, except for the weird dreams

Best moment this week: Hanging out on the couch, watching CSI with Steven.

Movement: I still have to be paying attention to notice it. However, I can definitely tell when he gets comfy in the wrong spot. He often gets comfy on top of the vein that numbs my left hip and leg.

Food cravings: egg sandwiches with cheese (My husband makes the best egg sandwiches!)

Gender: Boy!

Labor Signs: nope

Belly Button in or out? still in

What I miss: Nothing at the moment. I'm feeling really great.

What I am looking forward to: the crib coming in this week

Weekly Wisdom:

Baby's Development:

"Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. He's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a banana. (For the first 20 weeks, when a baby's legs are curled up against his torso and hard to measure, measurements are taken from the top of his head to his bottom — the "crown to rump" measurement. After 20 weeks, he's measured from head to toe.)

He's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for his digestive system. He's also producing meconium..." -babycenter.com

A cantaloupe!

"Baby's digestive system is busy creating meconium (a tarry black substance made of swallowed amniotic fluid, digestive secretion and dead cells), which will fill the first diaper after birth. And, speaking of the diaper situation... baby's genitals are now fully formed! " - thebump.com

I plan to use a lot of cloth.

2009-07-06T16:57:00.010-05:00

Cloth diapers that is.
I'm betting you are having one of three reactions now.
1.) "What? Is she nuts? Who would do that to themselves?"
2.) "That's a great idea!"
3.) "Oh." - Surprisingly, this was the reaction of my grandma.

First, cloth diapering is nothing like what it was 20+ years ago. Now, you can certainly still purchase the basic prefolds and plastic covers. However, there are lots more options now available.
Honestly, the options can be quite overwhelming. Actually, I'm a bit overwhelmed with the choices. I have currently purchased some prefolds and am searching for good covers or wraps. I am also trying to decide which of the hundreds of other types of diapers I want to use. Cloth diapering can be as simple and cost effective or plush and extravagant as you choose to make it.

When I mention my cloth-diapering intentions, the most commonly asked questions is....

Why?

Well, many choose to go the cloth diaper route because it is said to be more "green." This isn't my motive though. Sorry, but I'm not the "be green or the earth is going to fall apart" kind of gal. However, have I mentioned how much I detest taking out the garbage?

Reason #1, less taking out the garbage. I truly hate it. I have to wash my hands immediately after touching our outdoor trash can. I'm convinced it is one giant disease sitting in my garage. I would much rather do more laundry than take out more garbage. Also, I have to admit that I am horrible about remembering to set the trashcan out by the road for pick-up. Two-weeks worth of stinky diapers sitting in a trash can in hot garage in July? No thanks.

Reason #2, less Wal-Mart. I hate going to Wal-Mart. I will eat cereal three meals in a row to avoid it. Not tom ention, this would save me money because I tend, like so many others, to buy a lot of unnecessary items with each trip to Wal-Mart, also consider the gas it takes to get there.

Reason #3, disposable diapers are expensive. Too expensive, in my opinion, to let my child poop on them and throw them away.

Reason #4, less diaper rash = happier baby. Most moms I have talked to report less diaper rash after switching to cloth diapers from disposable diapers. Happier baby = happier mommy.

Reason #5, saving money. Not only will cloth diapers cost less than disposables for 2+ years, you'll also save money on trash bags (again, less garbage), gas for last minute trips to Wal-Mart, and lotions and creams (again, less diaper rash).

Reason #6, long-term savings. Cloth diapers are reusable (obviously). This means they can be used with multiple children. Not having anymore kids? Sell them! Ebay has lots of cloth diaper listings. There are also plenty of FSOT (for sale or trade) boards to be found on mommy and parenting forums.

Reason #7, they are so darn cute!

Another question cloth-diapering moms often get...

Isn't it inconvenient?

Well, that depends on your definition of convenient and your situation.

On vacations - probably so, unless you vacation where you have cheap access to a washer and dryer.
Out running errands - not really. Dirty cloth diapers can easily be dropped into a "wet bag" - a special bag inside the diaper bag, lined with water proof material - or even a Ziploc freezer bag until you return home.

At home - not really. The process of removing and changing the diaper is pretty much the same as that with a disposable. The only difference is solid waste is dumped into the toilet and you put the dirty diaper in a pail to be washed later instead of in a trash can or diaper genie.

Another downside, your newborn may not fit into all of those cute newborn size onesies and pants due to the extra "stuffing" in the diaper. However, onesie extenders can also be used to correct this with most onesies.

For Steven and I, the pros outweigh the cons. Cloth diapers it is for our family, with the occasional use of disposables.

19 weeks

2009-06-30T22:19:00.004-05:00

How far along? 19 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: +.5 lbs

Maternity clothes? Yes, got some new stuff this week too. :-)

Stretch marks? nope

Sleep: Good, except for the weird dreams - and my husband's random, loud outbursts in his sleep.

Best moment this week: Finding out Peanut is a boy and having Steven with me at the ultrasound.

Movement: Not much, while I don't feel it much, it was confirmed at the ultrasound that he doesn't move much, especially when we want him too. He gets comfy and stays there.

Food cravings: none this week

Gender: Boy!

Labor Signs: nope

Belly Button in or out? still in

What I miss: Nothing at the moment. I'm feeling really great.

What I am looking forward to: Painting the nursery this weekend!

Weekly Wisdom: I'm not feeling very wise right now. In fact, the pregnancy brain is getting worse, and I seem to be forgetting words and the names of places more lately.

Baby's Development:

"Vernix caseosa, a greasy white substance made of lanugo, oil and dead skin cells (yum) now coats baby's skin, shielding it from the amniotic fluid. (Picture yourself after a nine-month bath, and the need for protection makes sense.) You might actually get to see the vernix at birth, especially if baby is premature." -thebump.com

"Your baby's sensory development is exploding! Her brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that she may be able to hear your voice now, so don't be shy about reading aloud, talking to her, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes you.

Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the size of a large heirloom tomato. Her arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of her body now. Her kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on her scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on her skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid." -babycenter.com

Meet...

2009-06-29T20:49:00.002-05:00

Mr. Lincoln Walker!

Look at these little adorable toes! I want to kiss them already.

And the results are...

2009-06-27T07:31:00.004-05:00

20 Girl Votes

9 Boy Votes

It's a boy! (I think there are a lot of people that need to reevaluate their prediction methods.) Steven and I are more than excited that we will be welcoming a son into the world in November. After yesterday's appointment, it makes everything seem much more real. We also learned a little bit about our son.

He is his father's child. He is incredibly stubborn. (Some might say mother's, but I know that can't be where it comes from.) The ultrasound took about an hour because he refused to move, and when he finally decided he wanted to move, he would just do cartwheels sideways so that our view didn't change. The ultrasound tech and I poked and prodded him for 45 minutes! I even sat up and wiggled around several times! He'd move, but just enough to get comfy again. The tech said she had not had a baby be that difficult in a long time. I can already see that fun times are ahead. Anyone have a copy of The New Strong-Willed Child I can borrow?

*Ultrasound pics to come. I'm too ~~busy~~ lazy to do it right now.

Have you voted?

2009-06-25T08:25:00.004-05:00

Less than 24 hours left for the poll!

If you haven't voted yet, be sure to click your prediction in our poll on the left.

Getting ready for baby

2009-06-25T07:32:00.004-05:00

We have officially started working on the nursery.

Over the last couple of weeks I emptied the guest bedroom and closet, dusted, and vacuumed. This was not an easy task. It also involved emptying and reorganizing the living room closet, reorganizing some things in our bedroom, cleaning out Steven's closet, several trips to Abilities Unlimited (and another pile waiting in our kitchen), and piling LOTS of stuff into my craft room. We'll worry about that later.

Steven is home for the rest of the week, so he took advantage of his spare time this week and started on his part of the nursery work. The carpet and trim have now been removed! We will be going Friday afternoon to pick out paint and will be getting the new flooring sometime this weekend. Hopefully we'll make a decision on paint colors, technique, etc. today. Hopefully.

Minnie Pearl and Emerald were very curious about what Daddy was doing and what was making so much noise.

Bathroom - check

2009-06-25T07:18:00.003-05:00

Well, almost. I still can't find a light fixture I like!

Here is the latest picture. After we take out the braces today and I get everything cleaned up I will take a better picture. I'm pretty excited about it though! I think my husband did a fabulous job with the trim.

Oh, and here is a before picture.

18 weeks

2009-06-25T06:59:00.004-05:00

(*On a side note, see that gray wall behind me? That's my lovely new dining room!)

How far along? 18 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: -1 lbs

Maternity clothes? Yes

Stretch marks? nope

Sleep: Good, except for the weird dreams.

Best moment this week: Listening to Peanut's heartbeat, kicks, and flops with the help of the fetal monitor I bought Steven for Father's Day.

Movement: Some, I still have to be really paying attention to notice it.

Food cravings: peanut butter & jelly sandwiches

Gender: We'll know tomorrow! Hopefully.

Labor Signs: nope

Belly Button in or out? still in, but Steven did announce yesterday that he can't wait for it to poke out, "because it will be funny." Um, thanks babe. :-)

What I miss: Nothing at the moment. I'm feeling pretty great.

What I am looking forward to: Our ultrasound tomorrow!

Weekly Wisdom: Laugh everyday.

Baby's Development:

"Head to rump, your baby is about 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and he weighs almost 7 ounces. He's busy flexing his arms and legs — movements that you'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. His blood vessels are visible through his thin skin, and his ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from his head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around his nerves, a process that will continue for a year after he's born. If you're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If you're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from you during an ultrasound." - babycenter.com

"Your fetus has become amazingly mobile (at least compared to you), passing the hours yawning, hiccuping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking and swallowing. And, baby's finally big enough that you'll be able to feel those movements soon." - thebump.com

New toy!

2009-06-23T07:05:00.006-05:00

Mr. FedEx delivered my new toy on Monday!

No, I didn't get another animal.

I got a spiffy new lens and lens hood! Love them.

Our Zoo Date!

2009-06-22T18:09:00.014-05:00

Last week Steven was lucky enough to get off work a couple of days early after working storm duty in Russellville. I picked him up in Batesville on Wednesday. On the way home he announced that he had already made plans for us for Thursday - a trip to the zoo! We hadn't had a date in forever, so I was pretty darn excited.

We had planned to get up early on Thursday and leave the house by 8, so that we could hopefully get to Memphis, enjoy the zoo, and leave before the hottest part of the day. That didn't happen.

But wait. Wasn't it almost 100 degrees on Thursday?
Yes. Yes it was. I believe the high was actually 95. When we left the zoo and got in the car, we heard on the radio that the heat index was 107. That hadn't stopped us though! We love the zoo.

I think our favorite exhibit was the new Birds & Bees exhibit. It is awesome! It's pretty much a big, caged garden with LOTS of birds flying around. They let you get right up next to them. One of them even flew by Steven and hit his stomach with its wings! It's a seasonal exhibit though - only there until Labor Day - so go see it!

We got sno cones too!

One of the red pandas was on the ground! They are usually 100 feet up in a tree and really hard to see. Isn't he cute?

The polar bears are also a favorite of ours. We love to see the polar bear feeding. They were very playful that day.

The sea lion show was also fun. They had a good time showing off their tricks and talents.

Sleepy kitty :-)

The elephants were feeling the heat, too. They were enjoying spraying themselves with water.

Yep, we love the zoo.

17 weeks

2009-06-19T18:00:00.000-05:00

How far along? 17 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: -2 lbs

Maternity clothes? Yes

Stretch marks? nope

Sleep: Decent

Best moment this week: Our trip to the zoo yesterday!

Movement: Yes! I love it!

Food cravings: peanut butter & jelly sandwiches

Gender: Not sure.

Labor Signs: nope

Belly Button in or out? still in

What I miss: having control over my emotions

What I am looking forward to: My ultrasound next Friday!

Weekly Wisdom:

Baby's Development:

"Your baby's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord — her lifeline to the placenta — is growing stronger and thicker. Your baby weighs 5 ounces now (about as much as a turnip), and she's around 5 inches long from head to bottom. She can move her joints, and her sweat glands are starting to develop." - babycenter.com

"Baby's skeleton is hardening, changing from rubbery cartilage to bone, and fat is finally accumulating around it. The umbilical cord is getting thicker and stronger, and those little fingers and toes are now topped by one-of-a-kind prints." - thebump.com

When will we learn?

2009-06-13T14:15:00.003-05:00

It seems that every time Steven and I plan to leave town, a natural disaster or horrible storm occurs. A few times we have gotten lucky with his crew not being called out. Though more often than not we lose that battle. This weekend was no different. We had made plans to go to the river today, just the two of us because I have to work every other weekend this month. Well of course Arkansas got pounded by a huge thunderstorm, complete with straight line winds and tornadoes. Poor Steven didn't even make it home on Friday. I was planning to go to Batesville to pick him up Friday evening, but before I could even get home he called and said they had been called out. This time he is in Russellville, Arkansas.

Maybe someday we'll learn our lesson and start leaving town without actually making plans.

Our Kitchen - the neverending work in progress

2009-06-13T11:01:00.009-05:00

A few of my friends have requested that I post pictures of the work we are doing on the kitchen. Well, it is definitely a work in progress. I'm not sure it will ever end at this point.

Done so far:
painted the cabinets (Never again.)
replaced and refinished the ceiling (That was an experience!)
took out ancient lighting fixtures

In progress:
painting the walls
taking down old chair rail

To do:
paint trim
find new light fixtures
replace blinds
hang photos
get new door/drawar pulls
get new baby proof latches
get new baseboard for dining area

Wishlist: Well, more like the extended to-do list.
replace stove
replace flooring
replace counter tops
tile backsplash behind stove

Before:

It actually looks better in these pictures than it did in person.

In progress:

The raspberry color will only be under the cabinets in the kitchen area. Everything else will be gray, including the dining area.

Kicking and Screaming

2009-06-13T10:34:00.003-05:00

Thursday night I felt my first baby kicks! I was lying in bed, and at first I thought I had imagined it, but then I felt it again! Friday morning when I woke up, I still wasn't convinced. I thought maybe I'd been half asleep and dreamed it. I went to stretch out on the couch for a bit and felt it again. Still not convinced, I changed positions and waited. Yep, still there, and in a different place! They are still light enough that I have to be paying attention to notice it, but it sure is exciting. Now I just can't wait until Steven can feel it too.

Oh, and the screaming? That's because we have way too much junk! This week I made my 5th (yes, that's a five) trip to Abilities Unlimited, and I'm still not finished. Can someone please explain how two people that have been married less than two years have so much junk?

16 weeks

2009-06-10T11:38:00.005-05:00

How far along? 16 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: -2 lbs

Maternity clothes? Yes

Stretch marks? nope

Sleep: Last night was horrible.

Best moment this week: Listening to Steven talk to Peanut.

Movement: None that I felt.

Food cravings: fruit

Gender: Not sure.

Labor Signs: nope

Belly Button in or out? still in

What I miss: sleep

What I am looking forward to: Steven coming home on Friday.

Weekly Wisdom: Watermelon and an ice cream sandwich do count as a balanced breakfast. :-)

Baby's Development:

"Get ready for a growth spurt. In the next few weeks, your baby will double his weight and add inches to his length. Right now, he's about the size of an avocado: 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces. His legs are much more developed, his head is more erect than it has been, and his eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. His ears are close to their final position, too. The patterning of his scalp has begun, though his locks aren't recognizable yet. He's even started growing toenails. And there's a lot happening inside as well. For example, his heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, and this amount will continue to increase as your baby continues to develop." - babycenter.com

"Watch what you say... tiny bones forming in baby's ears mean the little one can now pick up your voice. Eyebrows, lashes and hair are starting to fill in, and taste buds are forming. And, if you're interested, an ultrasound might be able to determine gender." - thebump.com

15 weeks

2009-06-02T22:31:00.004-05:00

How far along? 15 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: - 3 lbs

Maternity clothes? Yes

Stretch marks? nope

Sleep: It changes everyday.

Best moment this week: When I realized our next ultrasound is less than 25 days away!

Movement: None that I felt.

Food cravings: fruit

Gender: Last night I dreamed Peanut was a girl.

Labor Signs: nope

Belly Button in or out? still in

What I miss: not knowing what heartburn felt like

What I am looking forward to: Steven coming home on Friday.

Weekly Wisdom: Cold pizza isn't such a good idea for breakfast anymore. :-(

Baby's Development:

"Your growing baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces (about the size of an apple). She's busy moving amniotic fluid through her nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in her lungs begin to develop. Her legs are growing longer than her arms now, and she can move all of her joints and limbs. Although her eyelids are still fused shut, she can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, for instance, she's likely to move away from the beam. There's not much for your baby to taste at this point, but she is forming taste buds. Finally, if you have an ultrasound this week, you may be able to find out whether your baby's a boy or a girl! (Don't be too disappointed if it remains a mystery, though. Nailing down your baby's sex depends on the clarity of the picture and on your baby's position. He or she may be modestly curled up or turned in such a way as to "hide the goods.")" -babycenter.com

"Continuing the march towards normal proportions, baby's legs now outmeasure the arms. And, finally, all four limbs have functional joints. Your fetus is squirming and wiggling like crazy down in the womb, though you probably still can't feel the movements. " - thebump.com

Pregnancy Brain

2009-05-27T08:41:00.005-05:00

It's not a myth. It really exists.

According to wisegeek.com, "Pregnancy brain is a condition that affects expectant mothers, usually during the first and third trimesters. Sometimes known as placenta brain or baby brain drain, the condition is usually characterized by short-term memory loss or forgetfulness."

A recent Australian study also confirms it.

The above photo I found on a blog (lilsugar.com), and portrays exactly how I feel lately.

I'm just now getting into the second trimester and pregnancy brain is really hitting me. Steven needs to revoke my cooking privileges. Last weekend, I made muffins for us to eat in the car on the way to his eye doctor appointment. When we returned home, we found that I had left the oven on. Thankfully nothing was on fire.

This morning I decided to try muffins again. For some reason it took longer than usual for them to bake. When I took them out and turned the oven off, I realized I had cooked them on the preheat setting!

Gee whiz. I'm losing it.

14 weeks

2009-05-26T11:04:00.003-05:00

As of today, I have about 182 days left. That seems like a lot - 26 weeks does not.

How far along? 14 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: - 2 lbs

Maternity clothes? Um, yes. See pants in photo above. :-)

Stretch marks? nope

Sleep: Decent. My sleep schedule is completely out of whack.

Best moment this week: Hearing Peanut's heartbeat again!

Movement: None that I felt.

Food cravings: none

Gender: I'm starting to lean toward girl, and I have no idea why.

Labor Signs: nope

Belly Button in or out? still in

What I miss: not needing a nap everyday

What I am looking forward to: Steven coming home on Friday.

Weekly Wisdom: Early morning drive + no breakfast + strong sense of smell= not a fun trip

Baby's development:

"Your adorable little fetus is busy with thumb sucking, toe wiggling, and (not so cute but equally amazing) making urine and breathing amniotic fluid as the liver, kidneys and spleen continue to develop. Lanugo (thin, downy hair) is growing all over the body for warmth." - thebump.com

"This week's big developments: Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another. His kidneys are producing urine, which he releases into the amniotic fluid around him — a process he'll keep up until birth. He can grasp, too, and if you're having an ultrasound now, you may even catch him sucking his thumb.

In other news: Your baby's stretching out. From head to bottom, he measures 3 1/2 inches — about the size of a lemon — and he weighs 1 1/2 ounces. His body's growing faster than his head, which now sits upon a more distinct neck. By the end of this week, his arms will have grown to a length that's in proportion to the rest of his body. (His legs still have some lengthening to do.) He's starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair, called lanugo, all over his body. Your baby's liver starts making bile this week — a sign that it's doing its job right — and his spleen starts helping in the production of red blood cells. Though you can't feel his tiny punches and kicks yet, your little pugilist's hands and feet (which now measure about 1/2 inch long) are more flexible and active." - babycenter.com

13 weeks

2009-05-20T10:05:00.003-05:00

How far along? 13 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: - 3 lbs

Maternity clothes? Still not a necessity, but I've definitely outgrown a few things in my closet.

Stretch marks? nope

Sleep: Decent. My sleep schedule is completely out of whack.

Best moment this week: Not sure.

Movement: None that I felt.

Food cravings: none

Gender: no idea

Labor Signs: nope

Belly Button in or out? still in

What I miss: not needing a nap everyday

What I am looking forward to: Steven coming home tomorrow

Weekly Wisdom: I'm all out of wisdom this week.

Baby's development:

"Your fetus is forming teeth and vocal cords... savor this, their non-functional phase. Baby is approaching normal proportions, with a head now only one third the size of the body. Intestines are in the process of moving from the umbilical cord to baby's tummy. (Much more convenient.)" - thebump.com

"Fingerprints have formed on your baby's tiny fingertips, her veins and organs are clearly visible through her still-thin skin, and her body is starting to catch up with her head — which makes up just a third of her body size now. If you're having a girl, she now has more than 2 million eggs in her ovaries. Your baby is almost 3 inches long (the size of a medium shrimp) and weighs nearly an ounce." -babycenter.com

What do you think?

2009-05-17T12:12:00.002-05:00

I realized this weekend that we will have our BIG ultrasound in a little over a month. I have set up a poll (to the left) where you can vote until that appointment. So what do you think, boy or girl?

Going on a treasure hunt

2009-05-14T14:16:00.004-05:00

Over the past week or two I've been on a cleaning mission. I've been de-cluttering our house. I'm nowhere near finished and I've already filled our big trashcan outside multiple times and have a gigantic donation pile (i.e. my entire kitchen is buried). In the past, I have been a horrible pack rat. No more. I am incredibly sick of all this clutter, and am throwing away everything in sight that I don't believe would be a useful donation.

While cleaning out the craft room, guest room and closets I have found a lot of interesting things. I have also learned some things about my husband.

He is just as bad of a pack rat as I am. He just hides it better.
I discovered my husband has a collection of hard hats.
He also has a lot of repair books for cars he no longer owns or has never owned.

Here are a few of the more interesting things I found in the craft room.

Teen and Teen People magazines from 1998 and 1999
enough Hanson posters and magazines to qualify me as a stalker
Disney World ticket stubs from 1991 (Price on those? $33 each)
enough loose leaf paper, binders, and folder dividers to supply a small school in Africa for a year or two

Then when I got to cleaning out the guest room and its closet I found some really sweet things too. Like these....

I know our little Peanut is going to enjoy these puzzles as much as I did. I'm surprised they even survived. I remember playing with these over and over and over.

I also found these....

These sweet little dresses were mine and my sister's. If Peanut is a boy, I guess these will go into the back of my closet to wait for myself or my sister to have a little girl.

I did it!

2009-05-14T14:06:00.002-05:00

I am now officially a college graduate!

Please ignore my kitty giving the death stare in the background. :-)

12 weeks!

2009-05-12T13:28:00.004-05:00

I can't believe how fast the first trimester has flown by! It seems unreal.

How far along? 12 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: - 3 lbs

Maternity clothes? Still not a necessity, but I've definitely outgrown a few things in my closet.

Stretch marks? nope

Sleep: Decent. My sleep schedule is completely out of whack.

Best moment this week: My "Happy Mommy's Day" voicemail from my sister-in-law

Movement: None that I felt.

Food cravings: pasta

Gender: no idea

Labor Signs: nope

Belly Button in or out? still in

What I miss: having a clean house

What I am looking forward to: getting the craft room somewhat organized and the carpet taken up in Peanut's room

Weekly Wisdom: The whole, "eat, even if you don't feel hungry," advice is ridiculous. Why eat when you aren't hungry just so you can vomit 10 minutes later?

Baby's development:

"As you move into the second trimester, baby shifts into the growth and maturation stage. After weeks in the critical development stage, almost all of baby's systems are fully formed." - thebump.com

"The most dramatic development this week: reflexes. Your baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, his toes will curl, his eye muscles will clench, and his mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, if you prod your abdomen, your baby will squirm in response, although you won't be able to feel it. His intestines, which have grown so fast that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into his abdominal cavity about now, and his kidneys will begin excreting urine into his bladder.

Meanwhile, nerve cells are multiplying rapidly, and in your baby's brain, synapses are forming furiously. His face looks unquestionably human: His eyes have moved from the sides to the front of his head, and his ears are right where they should be. From crown to rump, your baby-to-be is just over 2 inches long (about the size of a lime) and weighs half an ounce." - babycenter.com

Well that didn't take long.

2009-05-08T12:15:00.004-05:00

My poor husband, everytime he gets a new vehicle I end up with it. Last year, he brought home the Altima. He really liked it. Then his work location changed and it made more sense for me to drive the vehicle that got better gas mileage. He handed the car off to me, and in all honesty, I didn't really like it. It was nice at first, but I'm just not a car person. Eventually we switched again, and I took my TrailBlazer back.

Earlier this year, Steven wrecked the TrailBlazer. He has been wanting another truck forever, so instead of another SUV, he got a truck. Unfortunately he didn't get to to drive it much. It had a few problems, so he took it back to the guy he bought it from to be fixed. In the meantime, he ended up driving a company truck for a while and just didn't have time to go pick his truck up. He finally was able to pick it up last weekend. He brought it home - and promptly handed me the keys. I'm loving it. :-) Don't worry, I'll let him drive it on the weekends.

11 weeks

2009-05-06T10:39:00.005-05:00

How far along? 11 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: - 3 lbs

Maternity clothes? Still not a necessity.

Stretch marks? nope

Sleep: decent; I wake up between 4:45 and 5:15 every morning for a potty break.

Best moment this week: getting our first baby gift and finishing the first page of
Peanut's scrapbook!

Movement: None that I felt.

Food cravings: none

Gender: no idea

Labor Signs: nope

Belly Button in or out? still in

What I miss: having energy

What I am looking forward to: my SnoCone date with Steven this weekend!

Weekly Wisdom: It's too early for me to be wise.

Baby's development:

"Your baby, just over 1 1/2 inches long and about the size of a fig, is now almost fully formed. Her hands will soon open and close into fists, tiny tooth buds are beginning to appear under her gums, and some of her bones are beginning to harden.

She's already busy kicking and stretching, and her tiny movements are so effortless they look like water ballet. These movements will become more frequent as her body grows and becomes more developed and functional. You won't feel your baby's acrobatics for another month or two — nor will you notice the hiccupping that may be happening now that her diaphragm is forming." - Babycenter.com

"But, fingers and toes are no longer webbed, and hair follicles, tooth buds and nail beds are forming -- setting up a significantly more attractive future" - thebump.com

The video

2009-04-30T21:14:00.004-05:00

Here is the video I promised of how we shared the news with my extended family.

Our first baby gift!

2009-04-30T07:50:00.006-05:00

We have some pretty awesome friends. Everyone has been so excited about our little one on the way! Even Steven's guy friends have been excited. It's very sweet, and it makes me very happy to hear them asking him questions and congratulating him. I know it means a lot to Steven too.

Last night though, our awesome friends Courtney & Justin gave us our first gift for Peanut! They gave us this sweet little set of burp cloths. I'll admit, I almost got a little teary eyed, especially when I read the "Mommy loves me" tag on the top one.

WIll you have a different color eye?

2009-04-28T23:14:00.003-05:00

Last Thursday we made an early morning drive to Memphis for Steven's surgery.

For those of you that don't know, he got a cold sore on the inside of his cornea almost four years ago. This caused severe scarring in his right eye that was uncorrectable. Before the surgery, his vision was 20/400 in his right eye.

Thursday they were able to perform a partial corneal transplant!

We got there at 11, and they didn't take him back until about 1:30. They didn't start the surgery until about 2:10, but then he was back in the room with us by 3:30! When he got back, he was in a surprisingly good mood. We still aren't sure why because they didn't put him to sleep for the surgery. The nurses were pretty surprised by his mood too. They said patients usually aren't like that after that type of surgery. He's an oddball though. Apparently he was telling the doctor corny jokes throughout the surgery. :-)

We have since been back to Memphis twice for follow up appointments, and he has another appointment, with his Jonesboro doctor, scheduled for a few weeks from now. Today he was able to read two or three lines of the eye chart from his right eye! That is a major improvement. Before the surgery, he could only read the big E. Also, when the doctor looked at it today, it looked so good he had to call in several others in the clinic to look at it and show off his work!
He still has a bunch of stitches in his eye, and they will probably be there for at least another month, but we've been pretty encouraged by the results so far.

Here are some pictures I took with my phone at the hospital.

My pirate. :-)

SO happy it's over!

I made the mistake of wearing shorts that day, and it was cold in the hospital. I used Steven's shirt as a skirt while he was in surgery. :-)

And as for the title...that's been one of the most common questions he was asked before the surgery! haha (For the record, the answer is no. The cornea has nothing to do with the color of your eye.)

Weirdest question since the surgery: "Do you see dead people?"

10 weeks

2009-04-28T20:29:00.007-05:00

(Please excuse the nasty looking hair. This was after spending the day in Memphis and a nap in the car.)

How far along? 10 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: - 4 lbs

Maternity clothes? Still not quite a necessity.

Stretch marks? nope

Sleep: decent; I wake up between 4:45 and 5:15 every morning for a potty break.

Best moment this week: Telling all my family the great news! (video to come!)

Movement: None that I felt, but after seeign the ultrasound, I know Peanut is a mover.

Food cravings: none

Gender: no idea

Labor Signs: nope

Belly Button in or out? still in

What I miss: not waking up at 5 a.m.

What I am looking forward to: our next appointment

Weekly Wisdom: If you are prone to getting car sick pre-pregnancy, long car trips should be avoided during pregnancy. I'm not even safe in the front seat!

Milestones: I'm pretty sure the morning sickness is mostly over. I still get light headed and icky feeling if I don't eat often enough, but I feel fine when I wake up in the morning and the rest of the day as long as I eat. Also, I'm actually starting to look pregnant, not just fat!

Baby's development....

Peanut is now about the size of a prune or a kumquat.

"With bones and cartilage starting to form and vital organs beginning to function, baby is making major progress. Body length will almost double in the next three weeks, and arm joints are now working. (Soon, legs will too.) " - thebump.com

"He's swallowing fluid and kicking up a storm. Vital organs — including his kidneys, intestines, brain, and liver (now making red blood cells in place of the disappearing yolk sac) — are in place and starting to function, though they'll continue to develop throughout your pregnancy.

If you could take a peek inside your womb, you'd spot minute details, like tiny nails forming on fingers and toes (no more webbing) and peach-fuzz hair beginning to grow on tender skin.

In other developments: Your baby's limbs can bend now. His hands are flexed at the wrist and meet over his heart, and his feet may be long enough to meet in front of his body." -babycenter.com

9 weeks

2009-04-21T22:38:00.007-05:00

How far along? 9 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: - 2 lbs

Maternity clothes? Still not quite a necessity.

Stretch marks? no

Sleep: decent

Best moment this week: seeing the baby for the first time and hearing the heartbeat!

Movement: There was lots of movement for the ultrasound!

Food cravings: ugh

Gender: no idea

Labor Signs: nope

Belly Button in or out? still in

What I miss: my husband

What I am looking forward to: telling the rest of my family this weekend

Weekly Wisdom: Be sure to eat before a 9:15 doctor appointment. It may be 12:30 before you are out of there!

Milestones: The first ultrasound was this week, and the baby was measuring perfect with a healthy heartbeat!

8 weeks

2009-04-14T17:59:00.006-05:00

Here is what thebump.com has to say about baby's growth this week:
"Your baby is growing like mad, putting on about a millimeter every day and continuing to straighten out in the trunk. Though you can't feel it yet, baby is moving those little arms, legs and (now only slightly) webbed fingers and toes like crazy. "

How far along? 8 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: - 3 lbs

Maternity clothes? I've bought a few things, but it's more about just needing spring clothes in general at this point. I can still easily wear all my jeans, but I didn't want to buy stuff that I'd only be able to wear for another couple of weeks.

Stretch marks? no

Sleep: decent

Best moment this week: stepping on the scale and realizing that regardless of how I feel, I haven't actually gained 10 pounds.

Movement: none

Food cravings: I'd rather not even think about food.

Gender: no idea

Labor Signs: nope

Belly Button in or out? still in

What I miss: my husband

What I am looking forward to: the end of morning/all day sickness

Weekly Wisdom: Still no words of wisdom...

Milestones: I made it to 8 weeks! I'm pretty excited about that. Less than a week until my first appointment.

Minnie Pearl goes to the vet

2009-04-08T18:06:00.003-05:00

I just pulled out my little point and shoot camera and found this picture on it. Minnie is always such a good girl at the vet's office. I took this as they were weighing her. Emerald always walks around on the scale, but Minnie follows commands a little better, so all we have to say is, "Sit," and they can get an accurate reading.

I just love the way she smiles!

WFMW

2009-04-08T17:29:00.004-05:00

I'm actually participating in Works for me Wednesday this week!

In my craft room, I use a shoe organizer just like this one on the outside of the closet door. I use it to organize everything from paint brushes to ribbon to tape to feather boas. With clear pockets, it is easy to see where everything is and keep your supplies separated.

Have a tip to share? Join in at We are THAT family.

Wordless Wednesday - from Last Friday

2009-04-08T17:21:00.003-05:00

Here's my buddy Carter doing some bowling last Friday.

7 weeks

2009-04-07T16:33:00.006-05:00

According to thebump.com, "Baby's brain -- both hemispheres! -- is growing fast, generating about 100 new cells every minute. Arms and legs are emerging as joints start to form, and a permanent set of kidneys (baby's third!) is now in place."

How far along? 7 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: - 2 lbs

Maternity clothes? nope

Stretch marks? not yet, but I'm sure they'll be here soon

Sleep: better than last week

Best moment this week: going shopping for a few maternity outfits!

Movement: none

Food cravings: I'd rather not even think about food.

Gender: no idea

Labor Signs: nope

Belly Button in or out? still in

What I miss: the days when I wasn't gagging all day

What I am looking forward to: the nausea ending

Weekly Wisdom: I'm all out of wisdom at the moment.

Milestones: I bought my first maternity clothes this past week.

6 weeks

2009-03-30T16:48:00.006-05:00

Tomorrow I will be 6 weeks pregnant! That statement sounds absurd to me.

This is what babycenter.com has to say about the baby's development at 6 weeks.

"This week's major developments: The nose, mouth, and ears that you'll spend so much time kissing in eight months are beginning to take shape. If you could see into your uterus, you'd find an oversize head and dark spots where your baby's eyes and nostrils are starting to form. His emerging ears are marked by small depressions on the sides of the head, and his arms and legs by protruding buds. His heart is beating about 100 to 160 times a minute — almost twice as fast as yours — and blood is beginning to course through his body. His intestines are developing, and the bud of tissue that will give rise to his lungs has appeared. His pituitary gland is forming, as are the rest of his brain, muscles, and bones. Right now, your baby is a quarter of an inch long, about the size of a lentil bean."

How far along? 5 weeks 6 days

Total weight gain/loss:

Maternity clothes? nope

Stretch marks? not yet, thankfully

Sleep: What's that?

Best moment this week: Telling Steven's parents

Movement: none

Food cravings: corn

Gender: no idea

Labor Signs: nope

Belly Button in or out? still in

What I miss: sleeping at night

What I am looking forward to: having a bump instead of bloat

Weekly Wisdom: Don't try to travel during your peak morning sickness time if you also suffer from car sickness.

Milestones: I cooked dinner last night. :-)

Can you tell I'm bored?

2009-03-23T22:14:00.002-05:00

I found this little thing on Facebook. It seemed like a good idea.

A
- Age: 22
- Annoyances: lots
- Available: never again
- Animal: i like animals

B
- Beer: gross
- Birthday: March 19
- Best Friends: Lauren, Allison, Jennica, Jessica, Ashley, Heather, and my sister
- Best feeling in the world: laughter
- Blind or Deaf: Which would i prefer? neither
- Best weather: a summer thunderstorm
- Been in Love: well, yes
- Been on stage? yes
- Believe in Magic: no
- Believe in Santa: yes
- Book: Gone with the Wind

C
- Candy: Snickers
- Color: Pink
- Chocolate/Vanilla: Vanilla
- Chinese/Mexican Food: Mexican
- Cake or pie: Courtney Cake
- Continent to visit: Australia
- Cheese: depends what it is on/in
- Celebrity Crushes: don't have one

D
- Day or Night: I like both
- Dancing in the rain: yes
- Dog or Cat: I have both.
- Diamonds: are a great gift

E
- Eyes: brown
- Everyone's got: a water buffalo!
- Ever failed a class?: no
- Earliest memory: I was 2 or 3 and my dad was pushing me in the grocery cart at Kroger, I think. I was talking a lot, and he said, "Ok, that's enough motormouth." I then asked, "What's a motormouth?" haha

F
- First thoughts waking up: What time is it?
- Favorite Food: chicken fajitas
- Fears: losing my husband

G
- Goals: I need to set a few more...
- Gum: I like gum.
- Get along with your parents?: yes

H
- Hair Color: depends on who you ask...I say reddish brown
- Height: 5'3"
- Happy: Indeed
- Hate: seeing people in pain
- Holiday: Christmas is 276 days away! However, Thanksgiving is quickly becoming my new favorite.
- How do you want to die: in my sleep with my husband, old and gray.....hmm, that sounds like a movie I saw :-)

I
- Ice Cream: yes, please!
- Instrument: piano, sort of

J
- Jewelry: Love it!
- Job: photographer

K
- Kids: as many as God gives me
- Kickboxing or karate: neither
- Keep a journal?: yes

L
- Love: my family
- Letter: which one?
- Laughed so hard you cried: Yes!

M
- Milk flavor: Chocolate
- Motion sickness?: yes
- McD’s or BK: McD's if I have to have one
- Movies: The Notebook, Gone with the Wind, Yours, Mine, & Ours (the old one), Milo & Otis, Lilo & Stitch, Lady & the Tramp, Sabrina, Walk the Line...

N
- Number: 12

O
- One wish: to have a big, happy, healthy family

P
- Pepsi/Coke: Coke
- Perfect Pizza: Fox's Pizza - deluxe, no mushrooms, add black olives :-)
- Piercings: my ears
- Pain: is not my friend

Q
- Quality: is better than quantity
- Quote: ''Coincidence is miracles in which God prefers to stay anonymous'' Beth Moore

R
- Reason to cry: don't need one. I cry all the time anyway.
- Reason to smile: I have lots
- Reality T.V: is ok in small doses
- Radio Station: depends on my mood
- Regrets: can't think of any
- Roll your tongue: I don't think I can
- Ring size: 7

S
- Song: Sounds Like Life to Me by Darryl Worley
- Shoe size: 7.5 or 8
- Salad Dressing: ranch
- Sushi: ick
- Skinny dipped? not since I was little
- Shower?: yes
- Strawberries/Blueberries: strawberries
- Sarcastic: yes
T
- Tattoos?: none
- Time for bed: now
- Thunderstorms: make me sleepy

U
- Unpredictable: I can be

V
- Vacation spot(s): a cabin by the lake

W
- Weakness: babies and kids, and animals, and my husband's sad face
- Which one of your friends acts the most like you: Lauren
- Worst Weather: really cold rain that is just warm enough to not be snow
- Word: superduperfantastic
- Worst Feeling: sad
- Weirdest food eaten: I don't think I eat anythingn weird

X
- X-Rays: a few times

Y
-Year it is now: 2009
-Yellow: is a color

Z
- Zoo animal: polar bears

5 weeks

2009-03-23T21:11:00.007-05:00

Tomorrow, I will be 5 weeks pregnant! According to babycenter.com, that means our baby is the about the size of a sesame seed.

This is what else babycenter has to say:

"Deep in your uterus your embryo is growing at a furious pace. At this point, he's about the size of a sesame seed, and he looks more like a tiny tadpole than a human. He's now made up of three layers — the ectoderm, the mesoderm, and the endoderm — which will later form all of his organs and tissues.

The neural tube — from which your baby's brain, spinal cord, nerves, and backbone will sprout — is starting to develop in the top layer, called the ectoderm. This layer will also give rise to his skin, hair, nails, mammary and sweat glands, and tooth enamel.

His heart and circulatory system begin to form in the middle layer, or mesoderm. (This week, in fact, his tiny heart begins to divide into chambers and beat and pump blood.) The mesoderm will also form your baby's muscles, cartilage, bone, and subcutaneous (under skin) tissue.

The third layer, or endoderm, will house his lungs, intestines, and rudimentary urinary system, as well as his thyroid, liver, and pancreas. In the meantime, the primitive placenta and umbilical cord, which deliver nourishment and oxygen to your baby, are already on the job."

How far along? 5 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: didn't dare step on the scales

Maternity clothes? nope

Stretch marks? um yeah, but i had them long before I was pregnant

Sleep: Sleeping in is no longer an option. It just doesn't happen. However, I can do a 3.5 hour nap in the middle of the morning, no problem.

Best moment this week: Telling my sister the good news!

Movement: none

Food cravings: corn

Gender: I'm kinda leaning toward boy for some unknown reason.

Labor Signs: nope

Belly Button in or out? still in

What I miss: not constantly knowing the cleanliness level of my toilet and going more than one day without crying

What I am looking forward to: telling the in-laws this week!

Weekly Wisdom: I'm not in a wise mood. Sorry.

Milestones: I almost went a whole day without vomiting.

Other memorable moments:

Today Steven said he didn't care how much we spent on a crib because, "Nothing is going to be good enough for our little baby." Awww! He's so cute.

Tonight, he also asked me, "Why do they call it morning sickness?" He was confused because it is "all day sickness" to me.

New Furniture

2009-03-23T20:21:00.005-05:00

I'm finally posting pictures!
Here is the furniture I got for my birthday.

More naps than I can count have already taken place on the couch and loveseat. Actually, I even caught Steven napping on the ottoman the other day. :-) Yes, that is a tv tray in the corner. We are still searching for the right end tables. We actually need a pretty large end table for that corner, and have yet to find any we like that are big enough.

I'm even more in love with this dining set than I was when we bought it. It is the perfect size for our tiny (read: non-existent) dining room. Also, because it is so tall, I don't have to worry about the dogs snatching anything left on the table while we aren't watching.

And here is a picture of the collage I finally got put up of Steven's sister's family. I'm so happy to finally have photos of our sweet nieces up to show everyone.

We told my parents!

2009-03-21T09:56:00.005-05:00

According to thebump.com, our little munchkin is the size of a poppyseed. It's kind of amazing how something so small can make you feel so miserable. I've been sick off and on since last week. Not fun. I've also been waking up early pretty much everyday.

We decided to tell my parents our good news on Wednesday. My mom had been asking for a week or so what I wanted for my birthday. Wednesday afternoon, Steven and I went to Target and made a short baby registry. That night before church, I gave the list to my parents as my "birthday list." Oh the looks on their faces were priceless!

Next, we'll tell my sister and Steven's parents and sister.

Never a dull moment

2009-03-20T14:49:00.000-05:00

We got a not so fun surprise today. Our flower bed(or weed bed
actually) in the front yard is flooding. We have a bit of a water
leak. Its going to require more than digging a hole to fix it, too.
More on this later...

- blogging by iPhone

sniff, sniff....aaahhhh

2009-03-19T06:57:00.002-05:00

I have once again reclaimed my title of birthday princess.

4 Weeks

2009-03-18T13:58:00.006-05:00

Today I am 4 weeks pregnant! Wow, that doesn't even seem right. Our first appointment is scheduled for April 17, and I'm pretty nervous about it.

How far along? 4 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: I have no desire to step on the scale today.
Maternity clothes? no
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: Pretty good, but I wake up earlier than usual.
Best moment this week: Probably will be tonight when we tell my parents!
Movement: nope
Food cravings: Green stuff (pickles, broccoli, etc.) and corn on the cob
Gender: no idea
Labor Signs: None
Belly Button in or out? In
What I miss: going a whole day without gagging or puking
What I am looking forward to: telling our family
Weekly Wisdom: Don't eat spicy stuff at night. Heartburn isn't fun.
Milestones: I took my prenatal vitamins today without getting sick! Woohoo!

Oh boy! Or girl?

2009-03-15T22:41:00.006-05:00

Well, it's official. We are going to be parents!
Of course, by the time this actually posts, most of you will already know this.

Here are a few things I never thought about before being pregnant:

How on Earth am I going to pull the last sock out of the dryer with a big belly in my way?

Corn on the cob is a splendiferous food!

The big comfy couch

2009-03-15T00:19:00.003-05:00

We got our new furniture in! They delivered it on Friday. Wow, it makes a difference too. Our living room looks a LOT better. We are still planning to get an entertainment center, but we have yet to decide on which one. We also need an end table of some sort, and preferably inexpensive. I guess I'll post pictures of our new stuff later. Honestly, right now I'm being lazy and have no desire to move my butt of my new couch just to take a picture of it. It's that comfy. Sorry. You'll have to wait. I'm sure you all really care what my couches look like anyway, right?

Hopefully Steven will get the kitchen and dining room painting wrapped up this week. Then he can put together my new dining room set. We decided to take a break from all the painting this weekend since Steven will be off work all next week. I figured he needed a weekend of nothing before going to work on the honey-do list. Oh yes, that's right. He has not one, but two weeks off work! We're pretty excited about that too. He's hoping we get some warm, dry weather, so he can mow the yard. He's missing his mower. And I must admit, our yard is missing that big green machine too. :-( It's lookin' kinda pathetic.

Anyway, I'm really hoping we can be productive in the next two weeks. We realized tonight that in May, we will have had this house 2 years, and we're just now really getting things the way we want them. Maybe it will be finished eventually.

I've been tagged!

2009-03-12T16:45:00.004-05:00

Shaila tagged me to complete this task...

1. go to your documents/pictures
2. go to your 5th file
3. go to your 5th picture
4. blog about it
5. tag 5 people

This is a picture of the sunset from our front yard. I took this picture um...a long time ago. I think it was two summers ago.

Now, I tag: Victoria, Carrie S., Courtney T., Heather, and Kim!

It's what we do.

2009-03-11T23:59:00.005-05:00

This was taken at the Nashville Zoo at Grassmere on a chilly December Monday morning on our honeymoon. There was ice on the rope. I wanted to cross it, but he insisted on going first to help me across. Steven took one step onto the ropes and fell flat on his rear. I, being the sweet wife I am, laughed. He did too.

Are there moments in your life that are forever etched in your mind? I don't mean big moments like when you got engaged or when you gave birth to your first child. I mean smaller moments. Moments that will make you smile 50 years from now, even though when it happened it seemed small and unimportant.

This is a picture of one of those moments for me. It reminds me of what my husband and I do best together. Laugh. For a long time, I felt strange when people would ask us, "What do you do together?" I always felt a little embarrassed that we didn't have a joint hobby that we do together regularly. I'm not too interested in playing COD4 on Xbox Live, and he isn't too interested in scrapbooking or watching Desperate Housewives. Now don't get me wrong, we take our annual trips to the zoo together, go to car shows, play a mean game of Uno or Scrabble, and do other little things together here and there. However, none of those are things that we do together on a regular schedule. Of course, with Steven's work schedule, "regular" isn't really in our vocabulary.

Anyway, I worried that we weren't normal and that our marriage was doomed because we weren't enrolled in dance or cooking classes together and didn't share a love for something like Star Wars movies (although, strangely, we do both appreciate romantic comedies starring Ashton Kutcher). Then I thought about my parent's though. When they were newlyweds, they took a compatibility test. The person giving them the assessment told them they really weren't sure how my parents made it past the dating and engagement to end up married to one another. They've been married nearly 30 years.

Then I realized there is something my husband and I have in common with my parents. It's something we do together. It's something my husband and I do together everyday, whether we are in the same house or hundreds of miles apart. We laugh. Sometimes it's just a giggle or two, and sometimes it's a side-splitting, tears pouring down cheeks, me screaming for him to stop whatever he's doing that is so funny, need to run to the bathroom laugh. Sometimes it's even over those romantic comedies starring Ashton Kutcher that I mentioned earlier. Either way, it's what we do together. Although, my mother might say that arguing holds a close second place. :-)

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My little troublemaker

2009-03-10T18:25:00.005-05:00

Tonight I started painting my cabinets. After getting all the doors to the top cabinets painted, the pantry door, the sides, and some of the trim done, I decided to call it a night. I walked into the living room to grab my camera for a few in-process pictures of the kitchen. When I returned to the kitchen, this is what I found...

Apparently when Steven took the baskets off the pantry door, he just laid them on the floor of the pantry. One of those baskets just happened to contain doggie treats. Emerald attempted to help herself to the treats, and got covered in paint in the process.

Ten Things Tuesday

2009-03-10T12:31:00.003-05:00

Bet ya thought I had forgotten about these, huh? Well, I haven't. I have no excuse though. Just laziness. Here are a few things I have been thankful for lately.

1. The weather! Woohoo for warm days!
2. I have only 2 months until graduation. I think I can survive it.
3. I am thankful for my new furniture that should be arriving this week. Trust me, if you saw my pitiful, chewed on, stuffing deprived, down to one last throw pillow, old-lady print living room set, you'd be glad we're getting new furniture too.
4. I am thankful for my hard-working husband who made that new furniture possible!
5. I am thankful that my hard-working husband is (supposedly) getting time off after tomorrow! He has had only about 6 days off since January 25th, so he is in need of a break.
6. I am VERY thankful that my husband was not hurt in his accident last week. God was definitely protecting him.
7. I'm thankful I only have one more class today. I'm tired.
8. I am thankful that I have been able to attend the Monday morning Bible Study at my church! If you haven't done Beth Moore's Esther study, go check it out. I'm loving it! I'm also pretty fond of all the girls doing the study with me. :-)
9. I'm thankful for bananas. Random, I know. I really like them though. Bananas are my favorite fruit. Lately, I've been starting my day with a banana or a banana smoothie - except Mondays. Those are coffee days.
10. I'm thankful for spell check on Blogger. I type too fast. If it weren't for those little red dotted lines, I'm pretty sure people would think I was illiterate and just hitting buttons on the keyboard. My dad would certainly be embarrassed.

Not Me Monday

2009-03-09T21:15:00.003-05:00

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I did not go to FedEx today and mail a package containing a Christmas gift that got left behind when we traveled to Missouri in January and a few of my mother-in-laws belongings that got left at our house at Thanksgiving. Not me!

I did not breath a little sign of relief on the way home tonight because I remembered my sweet husband would not be here, therefore allowing me to watch Dancing with the Stars and hang out on the couch undisturbed. Promise. That wouldn't be nice.

I was not late for Bible Study today because I was not sitting in a drive thru line at a coffee shop down the street.

I did not go in the dollar store tonight looking down right scary after going to the walking class and running class.

And since I didn't go in the dollar store, I didn't purchase a half-size bag of Funyuns to consume while watching Dancing with the Stars.

Since I didn't buy those Funyuns, nor did I look at the nutritional value (or lack thereof) and say to myself, "Oh well, they're cholesterol free!"

Ok, I've posted my weekly confessions. Now you do it too! Click the banner above and join in.

My Little Escape Artist

2009-02-26T16:42:00.007-06:00

Not Me Monday

2009-02-22T21:04:00.013-06:00

It was not me that spent hours combing out my dog's hair the night before she went to the vet to avoid him seeing her with muddy tangles.

It was not me that restocked the fridge just to eat out every night for the whole next week.

It was certainly not me that told my husband he could play Xbox360 last night so that I could watch Desperate Housewives undisturbed. However, had I done that, you would think I would have remembered that the Oscars were on, instead of subjecting myself to machine guns for no reason!

It was not me that was nearly late for bible study today because of insisting on stopping by the coffee shop, even though the car also had to be refueled to the point of the little red light being on.

I did not leave my book and bible on the coffee table this morning when I left.

I did not skip an entire week of blogging.

I'm not currently postponing studying for a mid-term in order to post this. I'm a very responsible student.

I do not have a messy, messy house right now. Not me.

I am not going to bed before ~~10:30~~ 10:00 tonight.

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.