My Wonderful Friend

I have had many text messages complimenting my new blog design.  Well, you see, I have this AMAZINGLY, WONDERFUL, FANTASTIC friend who is ridiculously talented.  Her name is Jenny.

Isn't she gorgeous!?  I've known Jenny since my freshmen year of college.  She is one of those "will introduce myself to a rock" type of people (I am not) and we were in the same Welcome Week group.  We latched on quickly and made arrangements to leave our current roommates and move in together within the first week of classes.  Due to her easily friend making manners, we made a solid group of friends quickly and all keep in contact still (yes girls, I am totally contributing credit to Jenny and I, get over it).  

These were our "senior pics" in college.

 Jenny is fun-loving, easy-going, and an all around amazing lady.  You are better for knowing her, for real.  She recently gave birth to not one but TWO babies who we all adore and love to pieces, Hudson and Holly.

Jenny recently joined the blogging world and I enticed her into redesigning my blog, too.  (did I mention how talented she is?)  You can follow her here.  She blogs about delicious recipes (she has always been the one to destroy the entire kitchen for the sake of a meal), her two precious babes, designs she creates (she will have an Etsy shop soon), and who knows what else this creative stay-at-home-momma piece of wonderfulness will come up with.  So, go check her out and say hi.  

Love you Jenny!

Week 17 and What I Fit Into

I know this is the most unconventional way to hold a camera, sorry bout that.

We are creeping towards the half way mark, slow but sure.  This babe is for sure forcing me to grow more and more each week.  I have ventured into the Belly Band stage and with the amazing weather I am happily wearing dresses and leggings.  

I continue to feel pretty good.  Daylight savings has messed my routine up a little, aka staying up way too late.   I am loving the weather and go outside as many times as possible during the day.  Scents are starting to get to me more.  Nothing has made me sick yet, but our trash can is currently sitting outside waiting for Chris to clean it when he arrives home.  Besides being uncomfortable from time to time (which I know will get worse) and taking trips to the restroom multiple times during the day (I know this won't stop anytime soon), this pregnancy has been pretty easy!

We are anxiously counting down the days until we get to find out the gender of this little one (we haven't really told anyone when we are finding out, yeah, yeah, we're weird)!  I do not have a strong feeling one way or another, just praying all is well and healthy. 

 

A Pickle of a Discovery

I have weird things about me (and no friends, this isn't an invitation to bring these things to my attention).  I have a fetish with finishing things; pens, bottles of soap, toothpaste, chap-stick, etc.  It brings my heart joy to complete something and open a new bottle.  I place bets with myself to see how long the last little bit in the bottle will last.  I said it, I'm weird.

I also hate homemade sandwiches.  My friend Andrea and I were having this discussion last night.  I can go to a restaurant or someone can make me a sandwich and I think it is the best thing to hit my mouth.  However, when I set out two pieces of bread and slap some meat on there, I want to cry because I know it will be terrible.  

Another not so strange thing, I love pickles at restaurants.  I like pickles at home, but I LOVE them when I go out to eat.  Those sweet little tea rooms with their fancy sandwiches and pickle spears make my heart dance.  Just two weekends ago, my friends and I were at a local tea room and Andrea and I mushed about the pickles.  We expressed wanting to get a to go bag filled with pickles or receive a pickle instead of a homemade mint at the end of our meal.  Since our lunch date, I have longed for that pickle.  

Today I hit up the grocery store.  Another weird fact, I time myself at the store.  You know before going in I try to race the clock.  Today I made it to the grocery store, shopped, and back home in 35 minutes.  Be impressed folks, be impressed.  We are having hamburgers tonight and what goes better with a grilled hamburger than a crunchy, tart, pickle spear?  I picked up the generic choice with the bird on the jar (whatever brand that is).  I wasn't satisfied though.  I wanted that tea room pickle.

I wandered over to the cheese section and there it was...  I just knew from the coloring and the fact that they had to be in the refrigerated section my search for the perfect pickle had come to an end.  So, after Bible study this morning I had the most delectable meal.

My Monday is magnificent.  I have found the perfect pickle.

Weekend in Nashville

A few weekends ago Chris and I went with my parents to Nashville to meet up with my sister and her family.  Our nephew Benny Boy was turning one the following week, so we were getting together for a birthday celebration.  I know this is overdue, but I just had to share a few pictures of Kharis and Ben.  They are two of my most favorite little people.

Kharis was frustrated during the gift opening process.

Aren't they cute together?

We went to a fabulous family style restaurant, Monell's.  SO much food, delicious.  We also got to see the wonderful Melanie.  Love her.

Ben and his cupcake, he loved it.

Love this face so much.

And this one, too!

Pre-Baby Bucket List

I threw out the suggestion of a pre-baby bucket list to Chris last week.  We've never been the couple that has made plans of what we would like to do before starting a family, but figure now might be a time to start thinking.   We are very fortunate to live in the same town as both of our parents and pray this will continue to be the case, so we have plenty of free baby-sitting time in our future.  But, it will be different.  Today I had to take Jasper to the vet (who happens to be my father in-law) to get his teeth cleaned and teared up the whole way home.  If this is indicative of what I will be like leaving our babe, good gravy. Right now I will just say it is pregnancy hormones.  I can totally get away with that.

So, the pre-baby bucket list has been started, I am sure we will add to it as the months continue.  I am pretty excited.  On our list thus far:

• weekend getaway (some place we can drive to, suggestions?)
• day at the spa
• walk at the Nature Center
• a good grooming for Jasper (needed to include him in there)
• Cardinal's baseball game
•  visit friends in KC a few more times
• landscape the yard
• read Lord of the Rings (this is for me really)

Oh and by the way, Jasper is fine :)

 

16 Weeks and What I Fit Into

So, a week has passed since my last post... Yup, sorry 'bout that.  I promise this blog will not turn into simply a weekly update.  Chris and I had our first weekend with nothingness for a while and therefore computer was not top priority.  We had a sushi take out date Friday night (no raw stuff), picked out a paint color for the baby room Saturday, grilled out Saturday evening, and Chris golfed on Sunday (along with a plumbing issue, but I'm over that).

I apologize in advance for the wrinkles on my shirt.  If you own this Old Navy shirt, please attest for me that it wrinkles quickly.  If it doesn't for you, well whatev.  I know these outfits are by no means flashy, I put on what fits at this point. 

The little avocado and I had our 16 week appointment today.  All is well, heart rate is at 152 (was 172 to start with, 140 last time, and now up a little).  We have our ultrasound set and Baby Bosch will hopefully reveal all at that time.  Still feeling really good!  I tend to have more energy at the beginning of the week and then flatten out towards the end.  Tried to pace myself better this week and so far, so good.  No weird cravings this past week.  Still could eat french fries for every meal and drink limeades all day long, but haven't had either in quite a while.  We are doing great!  Can't wait to see the little one on the big screen soon.

15 Weeks and What I Fit Into ;)

I respectfully title this post "What I Fit Into" rather than "What I Wore" due to the simple fact that it is a trip finding things that I actually feel presentable in.  I should have posted this yesterday, but life has been seemingly chaotic this week.  I have paperwork up to my eyeballs (I really should plant a tree or two), a sink full of dirty dishes, a floor needing to be swept, but overall I have been able to catch up with quite a few friends this week while Chris is away.

Because Chris has been away and I am forced to man my own camera, I had to climb up on my ottoman and take a picture in the mirror setting on the mantle.  That was fun.  We have a full length mirror in the bathroom, but I wasn't about to succumb to the humility that is my dirty bathroom. Speaking of which... has anyone ever used a steam cleaner?  Not a floor one, we have one of those.  But, those amazing hand held ones you see on TV that get all dirt to melt away.  We have dreadful sliding glass doors in our bathroom and the track is not pretty.  

Sorry, I get side tracked.  So, here is a pic of what I fit into yesterday plus a little belly pic of 15 weeks.  The shirt wasn't helping show off my little naval orange so I had to pull it back some.  I am bigger in person I believe.  

We are 3/8 of the way there and I am feeling pretty darn good.  Haven't been nauseous in a long while and am gaining back more of my energy.  I have continued to work out, but feel my body holding me back a little more lately.  Core fitness is on Tuesday and Thursday (I have to modify a lot) and I walk or ride the bike on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  I still eat like poo half the time.  But, I am happy to announce I have not had a breakfast burrito in 3 weeks!!!  For those of you who didn't know already, these were my weakness.  I couldn't drive anywhere without pulling into McDonald's.  Little babe hasn't made their presence known with a flutter yet, but I realize it is still early for that.  Excited to find out the gender in a few weeks so we can get going on the nursery and start calling Baby Bosch by his/her name (yup we have names picked out already).