Ashley's Antics

Grayson Month 2

2012-01-11T14:22:00.004-05:00

Dear Sweet, Beautiful Grayson,

As of January 10, 2012, you are 2 months old. Hold me now. When did that happen?

You had your two month well baby appointment and you’re weighing in at 11 pounds, 9.5 ounces (30th percentile), you are 22 ¼ inches long (20th percentile) and your head is off the charts at 16 inches (98th percentile). This last part is obviously the result of your ridiculously large and brilliant brain.

The last month is tied with your first month for the best month of my life. You really blossomed this month. Gone is my tiny helpless newborn and in its place is a gorgeous infant who makes me ridiculously happy. I have to pinch myself all the time because I wonder how I got so lucky to have you as my son?

This month we celebrated your first Christmas and your first new year. It was incredible. Christmas as an adult was always okay, but now that I have a child it is so much more exciting. You were showered with gifts and everyone loved you.

This month your personality has totally blossomed. You are now smiling and cooing. When we put you flat on your back you move your arms and legs a mile a minute just testing them out. You’re starting to realize that you can control your own arms and legs and you’ve having a ball trying them out. Your smile melts our hearts. When you were a newborn, you smiled in your sleep all of the time, but now you are showing us purposeful smiles. The best part of my day is when you smile back at me in the mornings, right after you nurse and before we get out of bed to start our day.

You totally recognize me (this started at around 7 weeks) and you’ll track me and my voice around the room. During your first month of life, you were quite fussy in the evenings, but even that changed during month two. You still fuss sometimes, but we will either change arm position, give you a binky or try another trick and you usually stop fussing immediately.

You continue to be weary about bath time. You never cry during your bath, but you just stare at us with a furrowed brow and give us a look that can only read, “seriously, what is this?” Instead, you prefer to sit in your bouncer, play on your activity mat and being carried around the house looking at all the shiny objects.

Your favorite toy is definitely the mirror attached to your activity mat. You could stare at yourself for a long, long time. Who could blame you though? You are seriously adorable.

Sleep wise, at around week 5, life changed drastically. We didn’t really do anything different but you just started sleeping longer. You now sleep (knock on wood) from about 9:30pm until sometime between 3-5am. You get up and nurse, and then you usually fall back asleep until 7:30. You still sleep in our room in the rock n play, and I’m not sure that I’ll ever be able to move you out (ha).

My dear sweet Grayson, my heart swelled when you were born- so much so -that I thought it might burst. Instead, my love for you continues to knock me off of my feet and continues to grow each and every day. It’s funny because people always told me, just wait until you have a kid. The love will change your life. I just listened to them and thought yeah, yeah, I’ve loved before. I’m so grateful for the experience of having a child. It has forever changed me and opened my heart.

Thank you, Grayson, for teaching me about this love.

I love you sweet boy!

Mama

Happy Holidays

2012-01-03T13:43:00.002-05:00

Sorry I've been missing, but I've been having an amazing time celebrating the holiday season with my brand new son!

In the meantime, ooh and ahh over my super handsome son and our birth announcement.

2011 was an incredible year. My family grew and my heart swelled. I can't wait to watch my son grow in 2012. I'll be back soon with more posts!

The Truth about Life Post Delivery

2011-12-16T14:37:00.002-05:00

I cannot believe that I'm going to write this.

This is TMI to the max.

If you are a guy, you should probably skip this post.

However, I'm going to share about this because NO ONE warned me about what happens AFTER delivery.

People warn you about the epidural, the contractions, the love you will immediately feel for your child, but no one prepares you for what is to come during the first few weeks at home.

For example-- remember how RAD it was that you didn't have your period for 10 months? Well, after you have a baby you have the equivalent of 10 periods in one day and this bloody mess can last for up to 6 weeks. I was warned to buy pads, but I didn't think I'd have to live in them for 4+ weeks. Seriously, do you know how appealing it is to use your sons diaper rash cream after you've lived in a pad for 28 days (that is a joke- I didn't actually use it)? TMI, I know. But I really wish that someone had warned me for just how bloody things would be following birth and delivery. Consider yourself warned soon to be mamas and invest in puppy pee pads (they seriously make you lay on them in the hospital the entire time you are there), depends and/or huge pads. Steal the mesh underwear and ask for more before you leave.

Another warning- Don't look down for a long time. A deflated baby bump is depressing and ugly. Your stomach will look and move like a jello jiggler. I didn't expect to look hot in the stomach area immediately following birth, but I was not expecting the sheer magnitude of the jiggliness.

Also, the baby blues. I heard about them, but that shit is no joke. I'm not a crier. Having a baby turned me into a crier. I cried fifty times a day for the first few weeks. I cried because John looked at me, I cried because John didn't look at me, I cried because I put on my seatbelt, I cried because I was eating cookies. I cried because I loved my son so incredibly much. I honestly thought I was on the fast track to crazy town. I am here to tell you that it does go away, and that I can get through a day without crying (WAHOO), but don't be surprised if you are an emotional mess after birth.

Child birth is no joke. If you weren't emotional about it it would be weird. Thankfully, childbirth amnesia is a real thing (and probably why no one warns you about the blood, ugly stomach and tears- they forgot about it). Nowadays, I tell my birth story with a huge goofy grin on my face and I'd do it again tomorrow!

Thank god for pregnancy amnesia.

One Month Update

2011-12-12T04:00:00.000-05:00

{I'm going to write a monthly update -- and I hope to one day print them out and bound them in a book for my baby}

Dearest Grayson,

You are one month old as of December 10, 2011. My little baby is growing up and this was quite honestly the fastest month of my entire life.

Grayson, you are the light of our lives. I was so nervous about your birth and taking care of a little one, but the moment we set eyes on you all of our fears just melted away. I wake up everyday and thank my lucky stars for the opportunity to be your mother. I feel like the luckiest person in the world to have you as my son.

When you were born, you weighed 8lbs, 9oz and were a total chunkster. When we left the hospital you weighed 7lbs, 11oz (just like me when I was born). Two and a half weeks later you were back up to 8lbs, 10oz. I bet you are closing on 10lbs now, but we won't know for sure until the 13th of December! You eat like a champ and breastfeeding is going very well. When you turned 3.5 weeks old we let daddy give you a bottle of breast milk and I was able to have 5 straight hours of sleep. That rejuvenated me for an entire week!

You grew out of newborn diapers at 2.5 weeks old, but you still wear most of your newborn clothing. You are starting to grow into your 0-3 month clothing and it has opened so many doors for you in the fashion department. =)

Your sleeping habits improve every day. The first 3 weeks were pretty rough and you thought that 11pm-2am was party time! You still only sleep in stretches of 2-3 hours, but you are starting to go down easier after each feeding in the middle of the night.

You are absolutely adorable and have eyes that are as blue as the ocean. They may still change, but daddy and I both have blue eyes, so it's likely that you will too. Surprisingly, your hair is brown. Both daddy and I were platinum blondes when we were little. The nurse at the hospital suspected that your hair would fall out and turn blonde, but it's still brown here at 4 weeks.

Your favorite toy is your wubanub pacifier and your activity mat. Over the past week, you have blossomed and have started batting the toys on your play mat and I think you even smiled at me on Monday. On Thursday, you cooed for the first time and it melted my heart.

Our favorite thing to do is to kiss you right before you eat. Even though you're just rooting, daddy and I like to pretend that you're kissing us back. You are the most kissable baby and I just can't keep my hands off of you! My favorite thing to do with you is to lay with you on my chest. There is no better feeling than a tiny infant laying on your chest.

You have many nicknames- G, Lil G, Lil Boo, Gray, Gray-Gray, Graybee (I need to stop this- it's Grayson + Baby all in one), bear, nugget and peanut.

Sweet G, please make time slow down. I don't want to blink and have a five year old. I cherish every moment I spend with you now!

I love you sweet baby!

Mommy

Newborn Survival Guide

2011-12-08T14:32:00.003-05:00

I used to love when bloggers would recommend their favorite baby products so I am going to do the same each month.

I could not have gotten through the newborn stage without these items (okay fine, I could have survived without all of them, but these were my favorites).

1) Wubbanub Pacifier. These things are hard to find, but I'm glad I finally got my hands on one of them. Newborns need to suck to calm down, but they can't keep a pacifier in their mouths for more than 3 seconds. The wubbanub weighs the pacifier down so it stays in the mouth longer and G can hold on to the dog to help keep it in place. I need like three more of these. STAT.

2. The Cloud B Sleep Sheep: This is a great white noise machine and it helps G fall back asleep each and every night. When this doesn't work and he's really fussy, I'm in love with the IPhone application titled: White Noise. It works wonders.

3. The Fisher Price Rock n Play. We assumed that we'd just have G sleep in a pack n play in our room, but he actually sleeps in this now. The Rock n Play takes up 1/3 of the space, is compact, and it rocks like a cradle. The incline makes it great for any reflux issues and the sides make them feel more enclosed like they were in the womb. We even take this on trips with us when we sleep away for the night because it folds up so compactly.
4. This was a bit of a splurge but I love this JJCole diaper caddy. I made my own makeshift diaper caddy for the bedroom out of a plastic bin, but this one is more visually appealing and matches our living room decor. There is no way I'm walking upstairs every time this boy blows out a diaper. This makes it so much easier to change him downstairs and it keeps everything organized in one place (I'm anal).

5. The boppy pillow. I'm obsessed. He's currently sleeping on it right next to me on the couch. It's especially perfect for breast feeding. Get one!

My Son

2011-12-04T11:17:00.002-05:00

First.. play this song:

It's our song.

Then, cry with me and look at pictures of my beautiful baby boy.....

These were all taken during his first two weeks of life (holy crap he'll ALREADY be one month old on 12/10)

Would you believe that I'm one of those crazy people that actually misses being pregnant? I'm so happy to have him and to hold him, but I really loved those 9 months that I had to grow him.

Once they come out, you have to share them. When they are inside of you they are warm, protected and all yours. I'm glad that I cherished my pregnancy and that I can look back on it and relive all of those amazing moments.

Despite all the issues during labor, I often replay that moment when we rushed into the hospital and I think fondly of it every time. I'd do it all again, everyday if I could because it was a special day. It was the experience of a lifetime

Isn't he just the cutest? It's so cliche, but time really does fly by once the baby arrives. I'm not sure how my tiny little helpless birdie turned into a chubby little baby that can now move his head easier, stay awake longer, and who already wears size one pampers in what seemed like a blink of an eye. I feel like he arrived yesterday and a lifetime ago all in one moment.

Now if we could only get this sweet little G to sleep more than 3 hours stretches and we'd be golden.

Happy Holidays

2011-12-01T17:50:00.003-05:00

With a new baby at home, I haven't had much time to get into the holiday spirit quite yet-- but I have started thinking about our Christmas cards!

This year I want to do a Christmas card/birth announcement combination and Tiny Prints has THE CUTEST selection. They are all so colorful and fun!

I love coming home every day in December to see Christmas cards hanging up around my walls. We tape them to the archways throughout the house so that we can enjoy them all for the entire month. How do you display your Christmas cards?

Recovery

2011-12-01T13:53:00.002-05:00

Well.. in case you were wondering-- It is highly unlikely that I ever had any sort of uterine infection. While I was in the hospital I was so doped up on IV antibiotics and fluids that by my fifth day there my white blood cell count was normal, my fever went way down, and I appeared to be on the mend. That being said, my symptoms matched the uterine infection symptoms to a T so I don't blame anyone for the mistake.

After I was released from the hospital, I continued to have fevers every night at home. I had hot/cold sweats and my OBGYN urged me to go get an ultrasound of the lymphnode in my armpit. Two days after being released from the hospital I did and immediately afterwards, I was rushed to surgery to drain the lymphnode (it was the size of a golf ball). I'm not normally so dismissive of golf ball size lymphnodes, but I had other crap going on that was distracting me.

Seriously, the week after my delivery was a shit show. I had fevers, I had an ultrasound, I was rushed to surgery. On our way to surgery we were rear ended. The day after, John woke up with gout and couldn't move his leg.

Thankfully, now that we are 3 weeks out we are on the mend and order has been restored in our house.

I find it quite hysterical that the easiest part of this entire saga was my c-section.

I hope that others find peace in the fact that my c-section was finished on November 10th at around 1am. By 9:30am, I got myself out of bed, walked to a wheel chair and headed down to the NICU to feed my baby. Within 24 hours I was fully mobile. It didn't feel awesome, but it wasn't terrible and I never needed anything more than motrin to kill the pain (not even in the hospital).

Grayson's Birth Story

2011-11-27T18:47:00.003-05:00

Up until week 36, my pregnancy was pretty text book without any complications. At my 36wks, 3days appointment my blood pressure started to spike up pretty high. At that point, the doctor told me to try to relax as much as possible at home and that we’d continue to monitor it the following week. At my 37wks, 3 days appointment my blood pressure continued to be high so they sent me straight to labor and delivery for monitoring. I was hooked up to machines and my BP was monitored for hours. Whenever I laid down my blood pressure fell below 110/70 so at that point it was decided that I should start on bed rest. In the meantime, I was scheduled for an ultrasound and weekly NST scans to check on the baby. I was about 37wks, 5 days when I went in for my ultrasound and at that point, Grayson was measuring 8lbs, 4oz. The specialist decided that because of his size and my blood pressure that they’d prefer if he was delivered before I hit 39 weeks. I was scheduled for an induction on November 10, 2011. I would have been 38wks, 6 days pregnant.

(My last bump picture. Holy hell I was huge)

Two days before my induction I ignored my bed rest instructions a little bit and went out for a pedicure and did a TON of laundry (i.e., I walked up and down my stairs a million times) to help prepare our home for the baby. On the 8^th, hubs and I cuddled up on the couch, watched TV and ate Chipotle. We sat around saying, “only two more nights without a baby” and imagining what he would be like. At about 2:45 am I had a dream that my water was breaking and thought I felt a little something, but didn’t think anything of it or even wake up long enough to check what it was. A few minutes later I rolled over to get more comfortable and I felt a pop and a trickle of water. I ran to the bathroom and sat down on the toilet thinking that perhaps I wet my pants (had never happened before, but I hear it happens to pregnant ladies). When the trickle didn’t stop for over 10 minutes, I figured it was show time. I yelled from the bathroom, “Umm, John! I think my water broke.” The next half hour was a whirlwind. I jumped in the shower, we packed up the car quickly and we were on our way to the hospital.

We arrived at the hospital at about 4am where they checked me in immediately. Upon arrival, I was only about 1cm dilated and 80% effaced (I was closed up on Monday). From 4am-7am, I got my IV and we waited to see if my contractions would start on their own. I did have a few contractions but they weren’t regular/strong enough and pitocin was started at 7:30am. I needed a lot of pitocin to get things started. The highest dose that they will give you is 24, and I made it all the way up to 22 before things really got started. Of course, Grayson was sunny side up, so I was experiencing back labor. I got an epidural at 11am. I could have waited, but there was a line out the door for epidurals so it was a get it now, or wait hours type of situation. The nurse suggested that I get one soon to help relax my pelvis and to help my cervix progress so I did. The next few hours were heavenly. I napped, watched TV, played around online and just relaxed before the hard labor set in. I told my doctor that I would do this one hundred times it was so enjoyable. Ha.

My doctor came in at 2:30 and I was already at 4cm. Although this was good, she expressed her concern about the fact that I had developed a fever and she said we would need to monitor things closely. She said that at a minimum, Grayson would need to be in the NICU for at least 24 hours (and up to 7 days) because a fever makes it very likely that I had a uterine infection (which is a result of water breaking spontaneously). They started me on antibiotics and said that we would wait and see how things go. At 4:30, I was 5 cm. The doctor decided that if I did not hit 7-8cm by 7:30pm that we would go for a c-section simply because I was already at the heaviest dose of pitocin and my contractions were not regular. Between 5-7pm, the baby started to go into distress. His heartrate was all over the place and the nurse was very unhappy with how things were looking. They started to call for a c-section again and while waiting they made me lay on my side and put oxygen on me. These two interventions helped, so we went back to the waiting game. When the doctor checked me again at 7:30, I was finally 8cm and the baby was doing well with me on my side. At that point, she said that we would wait and see how things go. At 8:30, I was 9.5cm and the pain was beginning to become unbearable. I didn’t feel contractions, but at that point, Grayson had descended into my cervix and the pressure was unlike anything I had ever experienced. I literally felt as though my pelvic bone was about to burst into a trillion pieces. They boosted by epidural a few times, but it didn’t really touch the pelvic pain for more than 15 minutes or so. At about 9pm, the doctor came back and had me push for a bit—with very little progress. I couldn't believe it because it felt like his head was literally falling out of me. She said she wished that was the case and that he was engaged, but he was not moving down the canal. She noted that there was an anterior lip on my cervix that the baby was getting caught on. She said that I would need to lay on my other side in an attempt to have the baby’s head stretch that area out. I had to wait ANOTHER hour. The pain was ridiculous and although John was so supportive, I literally thought that I was going to explode.

When the doctor came back at 10pm she said that we had two options- we could wait another hour to see if I progress past 9.5cm (I had been there for two hours) or we could go for a c-section because the baby was still so high and because I was stuck at 9.5cm for 2-3 hours at this point. I asked her and the nurse for their opinions. She said that we could try to push, but that it was a possibility that I may need to push for up to 3 hours to get him and still need a c-section.

She also noted that there was an unprecedented number of c-sections that night (it was a full moon) and that there was a line for the OR. At that point, I asked them to keep the pitocin going, but to also schedule me for the OR just in case. I begged her, please tell me this can happen by 11 (it didn't). I was so spent and the pain was so intense. Well, emergencies kept coming up and I kept getting pushed back and my cervix wasn’t dilating past 9.5cm. Finally, after seeing how much pain I was in, they called in a second anesthesiologist and opened a second OR. Apparently, this rarely ever happens (the night Grayson was born, they had 9 c-sections). Luckily, my nurse was feisty and when another doctor tried to cut us in line, she told me that she flipped on their nurse and rushed me out of my room ahead of them.

(Terrible pic, but I'm keeping it real. This was after 20 hours of labor)

I kept my eyes closed almost the entire time in the OR so I can’t tell you what happened in there. I was terrified and exhausted. My water broke at 3am on the 9^th and I was just being wheeled into the OR after midnight on the 10^th. I had had nothing to eat in almost 24 hours and the last 4 hours of my labor were literally exhausting. My c-section was a whirlwind. I remember them asking me if I felt something really cold on my stomach. I felt something on my stomach, but it wasn’t cold (John said that that was when the cut into me). I know that once they gave me the anesthesia my blood pressure must have dropped significantly because I kept screaming out, I’m fainting. Everyone, help me! I’m fainting. I remember some lady rushing up to me asking me my name, what I’m doing there and trying to distract me. John was by my head rubbing it. I asked John later if I fainted (I swear I did), but he said I didn’t. After about 5, 10, 15 (I couldn’t tell) minutes I started to feel less faint, but I definitely had a panic attack on the table. I kept telling them that I couldn’t breathe and I just couldn’t get a good breath. My anesthesiologist was amazing and he kept reassuring me that my oxygen levels were great and he attempted to distract me. After awhile, I felt the pulling and pressure and at 12:44am I heard a tiny little whimper (I think he was still inside me at that point because I hadn’t felt them pull him out yet). After that, I felt them pull him out and two more whimpers. I don’t remember if they said, it’s a boy or anything. All I know is that five minutes later they took John and had him follow the baby to be weighed, washed off etc. I’m so happy that John was able to experience that, but feel a little robbed of the fact that I wasn’t able to see him until a bit later. Before they left with my baby (to head to the NICU_, they brought him up to my head so I could see him. He was beautiful.

After my c-section, I had to go to recovery and at this point, John and I were SO exhausted. We thought we’d only be there for an hour, but I guess something was slightly wrong (I still had a fever, I was bleeding a lot and my heart rate was really high), and we were down there for 2-3 hours. Finally, on the way up to our room, we got to stop at the NICU to see the baby. John and I were both able to hold him for the first time, but I was devastated that we had to leave him there (it was 5am by this point).

Although my story is a bit scary/overwhelming etc., in the end, everything that happened was worth it. I am so appreciative of my doctor and everything that she did. I had a lot of factors going against me-- small pelvis, large baby, a fever, my water broke and we were approaching 24 hours, I wasn't progressing, and my baby was in distress. I have my perfect baby and my c-section recovery has been a breeze. I was stuck in the hospital for 5 days because my fever never went down and my white blood cell count was crazy high. After the fact, I’m pretty sure that it had nothing to do with a uterine infection at all and it was probably related to an infected lymph node that I had developed (and ignored) two weeks before I gave birth. I’m kicking myself now for not taking care of that earlier because as a result, Grayson was in the NICU and I had to spend 5 extra days on IV fluids and antibiotics, but what can you do.

(My little conehead- can you tell he was stuck in the birth canal?)

Thankfully, Grayson only spent 36 hours in the NICU before he was released back up to our room. He was given antibiotics as a precaution, but luckily if I had an infection, it never spread to the baby (which is what leads me/my doctors to believe that it wasn’t a uterine infection after all).

If you are having a c-section, don’t let my story scare you. I think I only panicked so terribly because I had already been in labor for almost 22 hours. I was exhausted, hot, tired and upset to hear that my baby was going to be whisked away to the NICU. After my c-section, I was up and able to walk out of bed by 9:30am the next morning and It really was not as terrible as I thought it was after I’ve had time to reflect. If similar complications arise, or if my doctor feels as though c-section would be more appropriate for any future children that we may have, I would not hesitate to do it again.

He's Here

2011-11-15T19:42:00.002-05:00

Grayson Patrick
Arrived @ 12:44am on Thursday, November 10, 2011
He's our future linebacker, weighing in at 8lbs, 9oz and 20 inches long

Grayson arrived following one of those frenzied oh, crap, my water broke moments at 3am.

It was a long, hard labor (and a tale I can't wait to share with you all), but he was worth every single second of it.

I know it's cliche, but nothing compares to the love that I have for him. I could stare at him all day and never tire.

I'll be back soon with all the deets. In the meantime, I must sleep!

Scared

2011-11-07T14:40:00.002-05:00

I know many people wouldn't say this aloud, but I'm scared to have a kid.

I want my kid. But I'm scared to have a kid.

I'm scared of how I'll be able to handle it...

If I'll be nurturing enough...

If I'll lose my mind..

How it will change my relationship with John...

How it will change our lifestyle...

How it will change our relationship with our friends..

It's really flippin scary.

I just have to keep reminding myself.. If Amber and Gary can do it, so can I!

I Miss my Lil Buddy

2011-11-07T11:17:00.002-05:00

Polls went to grandma camp this week because I'm on bed rest and because I'm going to have this baby this week.

Even though she annoys the crap out of me sometimes, I miss her so much! I keep looking around the house for her and miss her couch cuddles. Damn these hormones!

I told John that I hope she doesn't think that we just left her, but I'm sure she's having a blast with their four dogs and in their huge fenced in backyard. She's probably having a field day.

(remind me of this when I'm going crazy trying to deal with a dog and a baby at home alone)

Maternity Clothes Survival Guide

2011-11-04T15:31:00.006-04:00

Remember the olden days when maternity clothes were really tragic? Not so much anymore my friends.

(okay, I think this shirt is tragic. No offense if you'd wear it)

Anyways, here's how I survived 10 months of pregnancy while trying to look semi-presentable.

Tip #1: Old Navy maternity pants are awesome, until you hit month 7 or 8 and start to have a really noticeable bump. The low rise maternity pants fell off of my relatively low lying bump and what they consider to be full panel IS NOT full panel to the average human. By month 7, their full panel pants were stiff and hit me in all the wrong spots on my belly. Plus, their panel is super thick and dark blue. It showed through EVERY top that wasn't black or brown. They do have a new line with a panel that looks much more promising.. It's called smooth panel. I never tried them because they are significantly more expensive then their other clothes, but they look much more comfortable than their regular full panel pants.

Tip #2: Old navy basic T's, long sleeve shirts and maternity yoga pants are excellent!

Tip #3: Motherhood Maternity. I'm a basics kind of girl, so I wasn't in love with many of the tops that motherhood had to offer me. I don't love outfits with swirls on them and I'm not a huge fan of prints. Motherhood shirts and dresses weren't my favorites, but their pants are super comfortable. These cords are amazing! The panel on motherhood pants are really comfortable and all of their pants have stretch in them (something that I did not find at old navy).

Tip #4: Target Maternity clothes are hit or miss. The sizing is weird and I didn't love the fit on a lot of their stuff. That being said, I skipped the maternity section altogether and got a lot of basics in the regular section that still fit me at 38 weeks pregnant. If I were you, I'd buy this top in every color 2 sizes up from your regular size. I wear this out on the weekends, to bed, to work out, to layer under any and everything. They are long and cover the bump perfectly. These tanks are also super long and super amazing. Pre-pregnancy I wore a medium in them, and purchased every color one size up. They have lasted me my entire pregnancy and I layer them under everything.

Tip #5: Don't diss Walmart. I got a super comfortable pair of pants at Walmart for 8 dollars (you must order online) and I wear this hoodie almost every other day when I get home from work.

Tip #6: Raid your husband's closet! Don't spend a ton of money on maternity loungewear. Instead, wear those flannel pj pants that you bought for your husband last Christmas. His undershirts are also appropriate (and oh so comfortable) for nightwear.

Tip #7: Go used. Although I don't live in a sweet, huge house-- 90% of the people in my town do. As a result, our Goodwill store is QUITE nice. The three most complimented items that I own came from Goodwill. I found a pair of Ann Taylor Loft Maternity pants there for 5 dollars, a pair of name brand jeans and several shirts. Ten items may have set me back about 30 bucks, and they are all in great condition. I don't know that I'd shop there for my everyday wear post pregnancy, but it's a great place to find maternity clothes (depending on your town/demographic).

Tip #8: All of the tunics and dresses that you wore pre-pregnancy can be used now with leggings underneath. I wear my pre-preg leggings, but I also love a full panel pair that are from Motherhood.

Tip #9: Come to terms with the fact that by the time you hit 35 weeks, you will hate all of your clothes. Nothing will be comfortable. You will want to live in yoga pants. You will find it hard to close your legs because of the bowling ball that hangs uncomfortably in between them. I wish I was prepared for that. It would have saved me a lot of heartache while trying to find something to wear at 6am.

I hope this list helps some of you soon to be mamas! It took me a lot of time and effort and several trips to the post office (to return things because cursed old navy won't accept maternity returns in store) to find decent maternity wear.

37 Weeks and Now with Bedrest. Boo.

2011-11-03T16:07:00.002-04:00

I know you're all dying to see me without my shirt on. Prepare to be amazed...

Week 37- October 28th- November 3rd

Due Date: November 18, 2011

How Big is Baby: The baby is the size of a waterfreakinmelon!

Symptoms: I feel so much better this week. Week 37 was easy physically. I basically forgot the protruding belly that I'm growing. Mentally, it has been more challenging. I mentioned that my blood pressure freakishly went up at week 36. Well, it got worse at week 37 and I earned myself a rush ticket to labor and delivery on Halloween night. The ran my labs and strapped me to a bed for hours and I do not (they think) have pre-eclampsia, but my blood pressure is high whenever I'm not laying down. As a result, my doctor told me that I cannot work anymore. It's not ideal- especially because I was hoping to actually have a baby with I use the majority of my leave, but it hasn't been awful. I get a week to relax at home and I can sleep a lot. Things could be worse and I'm blessed that this has been my only complication thus far. I'm thinking that as a result of my BP that I'll be induced by next Friday, but nothing has been set in stone yet. In the meantime, I'll be keeping horizontal on the couch.

Cravings: Nothing.

Sleep: I'm still sleeping. I wake up every time I need to move, but I can fall back asleep pretty easily.

I Can't Live Without: Now, the husband. I'm not supposed to do anything so he's being super helpful.

I Miss: Not feeling anxious about my blood pressure.

I am Looking Forward to: Either having this kid soon or setting up an induction appointment.

Milestones: We had a non stress test and biophysical yesterday just to make sure that the baby is doing well. Grayson looks great, but they think he's going to be huge. They estimate that he's probably 8lbs right now. Oh crap. I'm trying to remember-- the bigger the baby the better the sleeper.

Exercise: I've been banned from all exercise

Diet: No diet. It's a lost cause. ha.

Movement: It is slowing down. I'm hoping that means the end is near and that he'll come on his own this weekend (wishful thinking).

Labor Signs- Sadly.. NOTHING. I've been hooked up to monitors Monday and Wednesday for hours and not a single contraction was detected. This kid has no desire to leave the womb.

Gender: It's a boy! Grayson Patrick!

Breaking Dawn

2011-11-01T20:20:00.002-04:00

At the risk of sounding like a total perv...

...I'm going to sound like a total perv...

I'm more than a little disappointed to hear that Breaking Dawn has a PG-13 rating.

I get why they have to do it (to get all of the teeny boppers in), but I was really looking forward to some (ahem, LOTS) of hot vampire sex.

Not going to lie.. my favorite part of breaking dawn was the wedding, the birth and the hot Edward sex.

Here's hoping that they don't cut IT ALL out.

DIY Burp Clothes

2011-11-01T08:34:00.000-04:00

Remember the olden days when I used to craft and sew? Yeah, me neither.

Thanks so a not so new Pinterest obsession, I decided to pull out the old sewing machine and to try my hand at some very simple burp clothes.

All I needed was a pack of prefold cloth diapers, some fat quarter squares (I used flannel) and a sewing machine.

It took me longer to wash/dry/iron the flannel and cloth diapers than it did to sew them together.

This is a totally cute idea, and it actually cost me half the price to make them- compared to buying them. Most of the burp clothes at Babies r us are cheap, terry and thin. I have a feeling that this will be way more appropriate for a spitty baby.

36 Weeks

2011-10-29T10:00:00.004-04:00

Week 36- October 21st-October 27th

Due Date: November 18, 2011

How Big is Baby: The baby is the size of a waterfreakinmelon!

Symptoms: I'm just so tired. You really do come full circle at the end! I'm heading up to bed by 9pm each night and it's like I'm reliving March/April/May again. At my doctors appointment I found out that my blood pressure has skyrocketed, so that's something we need to keep an eye on (in the meantime I'm freaking out). Luckily, I do not have protein in my urine, so it is likely gestational hypertension which is not too uncommon at the end. My doctor will have more information about what we'll do next at my next appointment.

Cravings: Halloween candy!

Sleep: I can still sleep! Apparently, I'm one of the lucky ones.

I Can't Live Without: Sleeping, relaxing and putting my feet up.

I Miss: Getting up from the fluffy couch without assistance.

I am Looking Forward to: 37 weeks and full term status!

Milestones: I've survived 9 months of pregnancy with relatively few complaints.

Exercise: Yoga

Diet: Eh, I'm in the last few weeks and I just don't care anymore!

Movement: I'm definitely doing kick counts daily now because he has no room to move. Thankfully, he makes it every time, but sometimes I need to prod him along by putting a glass of ice on his back.

Labor Signs- The cramping and contractions stopped and the baby appears to be quite happy inside.

Gender: It's a boy! Grayson Patrick!

35 Week Update

2011-10-21T17:04:00.004-04:00

What a difference 9 weeks make.

When I was 26 weeks I thought that I was HUGE. Seriously. Ha, how naive.

Now, at 35 weeks, I won't even show you my face because I swear to god my lips have gotten bigger. Almost 9 months pregnant is NOT a good look.

Week 35- October 14th-October 20th

Due Date: November 18, 2011

How Big is Baby: The baby is the size of a WATERFUCKINGMELON.

Symptoms: Does being over it all count? I look back fondly on at least 33 weeks of pregnancy, but the end is a BITCH. I'd like the thank the lord for sparing me of morning sickness, heart burn, stretch marks, and general malaise for a long, long time. However, my general cheery attitude has been replaced with achy joints, achy bones, achy muscles, sore back, swollen feet and swollen hands.

Can I tell you that I had to buy shoes in a size 9.5 and they barely fit? I started off as a 7.5. I am just a swelling machine. I'm currently wearing flip flops EVERYWHERE because nothing else fits (because everyone asks, my blood pressure remains 120/70).

I'm still scared about actually having a baby so despite my generally poor attitude towards the 9th month of pregnancy, I'm trying to enjoy how easy it is to care for my son while he is inside me.

Cravings: Not having an achy uterus.

Sleep: Yes! I still sleep through the night and I love it! Getting out of bed to pee has come to a WHOLE NEW LEVEL. I thought it was hard during week 34. Watch out ladies, it gets harder.

I Can't Live Without: flip flops!

I Miss: Walking 10 feet without some part of my body aching.

I am Looking Forward to: November. We're in the home stretch now!

Milestones: I'm carrying a watermelon inside me. Now that is a milestone. Does making it to week 35 without swearing on one of these updates count as a milestone? I think so!

Awkward Moments: Dude. Everything is awkward.

Exercise: I skipped yoga this week due to contractions that lasted 5+ hours on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Monday and Tuesday. I think they were practice ones, but they hurt like hell.

Diet: Well, I can't shove as much food down my throat anymore. Hopefully that will help my diet.

Movement: He has his slow days and he's definitely running out of room, but he likes to punch me from the inside at least a few times a day.

Gender: It's a boy! Grayson Patrick!

Pumping

2011-10-20T09:53:00.000-04:00

I'm all for contraptions that will make life easier, but seriously- what is with some of the advertising for these types of contraptions?

1. My abs will NOT look like that ever again (sob)

2. This chick looks awfully happy to be flashing her boobies without any blinds on her windows.

Happy Anniversary Hubs

2011-10-18T08:45:00.001-04:00

I married my main man on October 17, 2009.

Life has ruled ever since.

I love you, Hubs!

Week 34

2011-10-14T13:24:00.001-04:00

Week 34- October 6th-October 13th

Due Date: November 18, 2011

How Big is Baby: The baby is the size of a honeydew melon.

Symptoms: Well, it's just harder to move. I will try to ice my swollen ankles and realize that I can no longer reach them. I'm hoarding all of the recycling bins at work, putting them under my desk and putting my feet up. Putting on pants has become an olympic sport. Now that I've experienced pregnancy, I'm seriously wondering how overweight people manage everyday life. Is it similar to what we preggos go through on a daily basis?

My other gripe.. maternity clothes- I used to think that they were AWESOME. At 8am, I still think that they are awesome. However, by 1pm I hate them and I want to rip off all of my clothes and go lay down on my couch (not possible at work). Nothing is comfortable for more than 5 hours (except for sleep shorts, yoga pants, sports bras, and/or nightgowns).

On the plus side.. no heartburn and VERY few stretchmarks. None visible on my sides at all.

Cravings: Candy

Sleep: I just love sleeping and thankfully, I can still put in a good 8 hours (minus potty breaks). If I wasn't the kinda girl that would hate sitting in a wet diaper, I'd totally consider wearing one to bed at this point.

I Can't Live Without: Icing my feet and ankles. Water. Tons and tons of water.

I Miss: Being able to walk by another human without inciting some comment about pregnancy.

I am Looking Forward to: November. We're in the home stretch now!

Milestones: Well.. I'm officially sleeping on a sheet that has FOUR doggy pee pads under it. Yes, I've reached that point. I don't want amniotic fluid ruining our mattress.

Some people claim that I've dropped. I just feel bigger altogether.

I've gotten to the point where i'm terrified about how much my life is going to change. I'm excited, but terrified nonetheless. I'm going to miss him being inside me. Inside me I know he's well taken care of and I don't have to share him. I think that I'll be one of those crazies that misses the baby being inside of them. It's such a fun experience.

Awkward Moments: Strangers keep touching my stomach. This is a new and unwelcome development.

Exercise: Yoga but I can only stay in downward dog for like 20 seconds now and I sure as hell am no longer "walking the dog"

Diet: Well, I can't shove as much food down my throat anymore. Hopefully that will help my diet.

Movement: It has slowed down some and that scares me. However, my doctor assures me that he's simply running out of room to move. I do still get to feel lots of hiccups and a few jabs every now and again.

Gender: It's a boy! Grayson Patrick!

Week 33

2011-10-11T15:50:00.001-04:00

I'm almost 2 weeks behind again.. but my computer is still out of commission and I'm overwhelmed trying to wrap things up for my maternity leave and in my home to prepare for baby! I hope to be able to post more frequently soon!

Week 33- September 30th-October 6th

Due Date: November 18, 2011

How Big is Baby: The baby is the size of a honeydew melon.

Symptoms: I'm still feeling pretty good physically but I'm starting to get more anxious about leaving work (and four schools with a huge testing/counseling load) for 14ish weeks. I know that i'll have a sub, but I'm still trying to wrap a lot of things up. Other than that, my feet are ridiculously swollen (although my doc denies that they are even remotely bad compared to some of the stuff he sees) but they are bad to me! My shoes DO NOT fit anymore and I'm wearing flip flops on the daily!

Cravings: Halloween candy!

Sleep: Sleep has been a dream this week (aside from the frequent pee breaks). However, despite getting at least 8 hours a night I'm exhausted during the day. I think it has to do with the fact that my sleep is interrupted so frequently.

I Can't Live Without: Putting my feet up and foot massages (thanks hubs)

I Miss: Wearing my cute fall clothing! I kind of miss alcohol but I'm thrilled about the fact that I get to drink on Thanksgiving AND on Christmas. I have a feeling that I will need it. Ha.

I am Looking Forward to: November. We're in the home stretch now!

Milestones: We're marking things off of our checklists and we're almost ready for baby! We've accomplished SO much in the last few weekends. Also, although I knew he was head down at 28 weeks, the doctor confirmed that he is still head down and in position in my pelvis.

Awkward Moments: Nothing this week.. I've heard that I'm adorable and cute like 10 times. Now THAT is what I like to hear! =)

Exercise: Yoga and moving from the couch to the chair. I'm going to try to keep doing yoga all the way to the end.

Diet: Eh, I'm in the last few weeks and I just don't care anymore!

Movement: He doesn't move as much anymore, but when he moves my entire stomach shifts right along with him.

Gender: It's a boy! Grayson Patrick!

I am OLD

2011-10-05T11:46:00.001-04:00

(If my computer wasn't completely ruined, I would post a picture of my 16 year old self in an afro wig)

I am old.

I found that out in 2 ways.

1. I just realized that the kids that I worked with my first year as a school psychologist are IN HIGH SCHOOL right now. Granted they were in 4/5th grade and are only now in 9th grade, but they are still IN HIGH SCHOOL. crap. When did that happen?

2. Teenagers at the McDonalds drive through annoy me.

Last Tuesday after yoga I decided to get a hot fudge sundae from McDonalds (a. I'm pregnant b. those things are good c. I saw a picture of frozen yogurt earlier that day and I'm very impressionable right now).

Ahead of me in the drive through was a car full of OBNOXIOUS teenagers. They were being annoying, talking with accents, confusing the poor McDonalds worker, honking their horns, changing their order and just being hellions.

It was 9:15pm and despite my "zen" state, these kids were annoying.

I came home and cried to John- when did I become that old person that finds teenagers annoying? I was that teenager. I was that annoying teenager. For goodness sakes, we spent most Saturday nights at the McDonalds drive thru ordering a 4 piece chicken nuggets, dousing them in fifty packets of sweet and sour sauce, while wearing afro wigs and while being obnoxious in the eyes of everyone within a 50 foot radius.

I mean seriously, we put pom poms on our head and thought we were cool. I (and three of my nearest and dearest high schol friends) am the star of at least 15 homemade music videos to the tune of TLC's waterfalls and we spent 99% of the winter doing donuts in the bowling alley parking lot. It's not cool that I find these kids annoying, when I did that same exact crap.

Seriously, I think/feel that I was just 16. Then I realize that basically, I was sixteen a little less than HALF MY LIFETIME ago.

So.. while I can't promise that I won't find these kids annoying. I will promise to smile when I hear them talk with a crappy Shakespearean accent (because you know they were probably reading Macbeth in English class earlier) while ordering chicken nuggets because I was there and I know how cool it is to be a teenager.

Week 32

2011-10-03T11:48:00.001-04:00

(You guys, I STILL HAVE A VIRUS. It's bad, really- really bad. My laptop is at the shop, so lets hope that it is repaired soon. Sorry if the format is whack- I'm blogging via email.. from work and I'm behind with my updates. In real life, I'm almost 34 weeks).

Week 32- September 23rd-September 29nd

Due Date: November 18, 2011

How Big is Baby: The baby is the size of a honeydew melon.

Symptoms: The usual. Swollen feet, swollen hands, swollen face. On the plus side of things, no heartburn yet!

Cravings: Candy. Brownies. Cookies.

Sleep: Despite anywhere from 2-8 bathroom breaks per night, I can still get comfortable without any hip/leg/heartburn pain.

I Can't Live Without: Frequent breaks. I'm tiring much more easily.

I Miss: Still turkey sandwiches. I want a turkey sandwich with loads of spicy mustard, cheese, and lettuce on an arnold sandwich thin. Like woah.

I am Looking Forward to: November. We're in the home stretch now!

Milestones: We're at the 8 month mark!

Awkward Moments: Well the same old annoying comments regarding how massively huge I am (although I'm amazingly called small the other 45% of the time). Duh people, I'm 8 months pregnant. I'm actually letting it go much easier now-- but I did want to throat punch the school custodian when she looked at me with disgust as I tried to convince her that yes, I'm only having one baby.

Exercise: Yoga and moving from the couch to the chair.

Diet: I'm trying to be better, but it's so hard. I am not passionate about cooking right now.

Movement: His movement has been slowing down. I think he's running out of room to roam freely. Now, I don't necessarily feel the kicks from inside, but I do still feel them when I rest my hands on my belly.

Gender: It's a boy! Grayson Patrick!

Week 31

2011-09-26T09:08:00.000-04:00

(sorry if the format is whack- I'm blogging via email.. from work).

Week 31- September 16th-September 22nd

Due Date: November 18, 2011

How Big is Baby: The baby is big. 17 inches long. That seems crazy to me.

Symptoms: Pregnancy is weird. Last week I didn't feel great, this week I've felt pretty good. I slept well, I moved well, I just felt well.

Cravings: Tootsie rolls and lobster rolls. Weird, huh? I have yet to find somewhere in Maryland that has lobster rolls. Boo.

Sleep: I'm sleeping. I'm still up every two hours for bathroom breaks and I'm still tired during the day- but at least I'm not laying there twiddling my thumbs anymore.

I Can't Live Without: Putting my feet up and biweekly pedicures (the foot massages are fabulous)

I Miss: Turkey sandwiches. I cannot wait to eat one everyday for a month. Laying flat on my back. One of the 16-20 weekers in my prenatal yoga class was laying flat on her back and I wanted to throat punch her (damn hormones).

I am Looking Forward to: November. We're in the home stretch now!

Milestones: The nursery is almost finished and I had both of my showers and we were spoiled. The only things we didn't get were all of my breastfeeding supplies (we did get the pump though, which is MOST important), a monitor, our swing, exersaucer and a high chair. Luckily, my mom found us an awesome swing for 3 dollars at a yard sale and bought us a pimped out exersaucer at a yard sale for only 20 bucks. We're not against used items in our family. In fact, 75% of baby's big ticket items are used including his 20 dollar dressers, 50 dollar glider/rocker, 20 dollar jumper and the other items we outlined above. The only things we bought new (received as gifts from our awesome parents) were the carseat, crib, breastpump and stroller for safety reasons. I think we're going to wait on purchasing the high chair to see if we really even need it. I'm assuming he's not going to use it anytime soon, so we have time to spare.

Awkward Moments: Nothing this week.

Exercise: Yoga is back on and I'm loving it. That two week hiatus really hurt!

Diet: I'm not on a diet. This is my free pass to eat whatever I like.

Movement: He's rolling around in there and he has the hiccups daily now.

Gender: It's a boy! Grayson Patrick!

Boo viruses!

2011-09-24T21:00:00.001-04:00

I have updates and posts to share, but my computer also has a MAJOR virus and may take awhile to fix. I'll be back as soon as I can =)

IPhone Photo Dump

2011-09-21T05:38:00.000-04:00

Our dog Polamalu-- known for her HUGE EARS. Seriously, she could fly.

Kitty Cuddles with my Sweet Baby Girl, Sage

O'Snap thinks that the changing table is his new bed. I don't mind.

Taken during a rare moment downstairs...

Polly isn't allowed on the couch. Can you tell?

John is whipped

The baby bump makes a good pillow

Baby's first Steelers Gear!

Ten on Tuesday

2011-09-20T08:46:00.001-04:00

A. Age: 30
B. Bed Size: King!
C. Chore that you hate: Emptying the dishwasher and doing laundry!

D. Dogs: A mutt named Polamalu (Polly)

E. Essential start to your day: A shower

F. Favorite Color: Purple

G. Gold or Silver: I like both

H. Height: 5'5

I. Instruments you play: I played cello/piano, but haven't tried in years

J. Job Title: School psychologist

K. Kids: One son, in utero

L. Live: Maryland
M. Mother's Name: Cynthia

N. Nicknames: Ash, Trash, Smash, Ashface, Spicy

O. Overnight hospital stays: None yet... one coming soon

P. Pet peeve: People that floss in public. Yuck.

Q. Quote from a movie: Okay, so it's a TV show, but it's all I can come up with right now and it's my favorite line.

"A squirrel is just a rat in a cuter outfit"

R. Right or left handed: Right.
S. Siblings: Little sister. Little brother.

T. Time you wake up: Too early. 6:30.

U. Underwear: Yes, I wear it. Daily.
V. Vegetable you hate: I like every vegetable
W. What makes you run late: My dog, stopping for coffee. Whatever. I'm perpetually 5 minutes late.

X. X-Rays you've had: My back

Y. Yummy food that you make: Mexican chicken

Z. Zoo Animal: Zebra

LINK UP.. www.rootsandrings.com

I Heart You!

2011-09-19T17:10:00.003-04:00

Sonya has left a new comment on your post "30 Weeks!":

Maybe it's me, but I feel like you keep looking smaller! Maybe it's the clothes, but you look great! Glad you're still feeling pretty good too!

Oh Sonya, I want to hug you and be your BFF, but I can assure you, that I am not getting any smaller.

Take a look at the front view. I meant to post this on Friday, but I forgot. I forget a lot of things now.

(shout out to my neti pot. I love you!)

As the weeks pass, I'm looking like a full fledged redneck. Some of my maternity shirts actually show like 3-4 inches of stomach (don't worry, I save those for around the house). The shirts that looked good at 22 weeks are teetering on trailer park now.

I think I just look small-ish in the pictures because he has dropped- meaning my boobs and belly are no longer one. Dropped baby is greater than non dropped baby. I can breath! I don't look quite as massive! But..... my shirts are too short because my belly touches my thighs (joking. kind of).

In other news-- I'm going to have a baby anytime within the next 4-9 weeks (but he'll probably be stubborn, overdue and arriving at 9 weeks).

What I'm Reading Now

2011-09-19T09:52:00.001-04:00

Twilight & Hunger Games fans from around the blogosphere have been urging me to read this book for months now!

I was not disappointed. I think I prefer Twilight and the Hunger Games to this book as a whole, but it was definitely entertaining, I loved the love story and I cannot wait until the next one comes out...

From Goodreads.com: Beatrice "Tris" Prior has reached the fateful age of sixteen, the stage at which teenagers in Veronica Roth's dystopian Chicago must select which of five factions to join for life. Each faction represents a virtue: Candor, Abnegation, Dauntless, Amity, and Erudite. To the surprise of herself and her selfless Abnegation family, she chooses Dauntless, the path of courage. Her choice exposes her to the demanding, violent initiation rites of this group, but it also threatens to expose a personal secret that could place in mortal danger. Veronica Roth's young adult Divergent trilogy launches with a captivating adventure about love and loyalty playing out under most extreme circumstances.

30 Weeks!

2011-09-16T08:23:00.000-04:00

Week 29- September 9th-September 15th

Due Date: November 18, 2011

How Big is Baby: As big as an eggplant

Symptoms: Well, I'm starting to feel pregnant. I'm starting to think that Mrs. Duggar really is freaking crazy for going through this so frequently. I'm functioning fine, but I'm moving a lot slower. Carrying more than two bags takes my breath away and the belly is feeling heavier these days. I feel as though I'm resorting back to the first trimester and can no longer stay awake past 10pm. I may also be having some braxton hicks contractions.. either that or baby boy is karate chopping my ribs.

Cravings: Nothing. This week everything sucks in the food department. I wanted Chinese and it tasted like day old fish. I wanted a veggie delite from subway and it tasted like day old fish.

Sleep: I'm sleeping a bit better this week. I'm still sleeping from about 10:00pm-6:30am, but it's not always peaceful sleep and I wonder if it's possible to reach REM sleep considering the fact that I'm up every 2 hours peeing. Despite all that sleep, I'm still beat during the day. BEEEEEAT.

I Can't Live Without: Drinking water. I have never been so thirsty in my entire life. I drink at least a gallon of water between the hours of 7pm-9pm. It's not a good move.

I Miss: My fall wardrobe. I'm running out of clothes to wear. Small feet. ALL of my shoes are too tight, resulting in more swelling. Surprisingly, I do not miss alcohol. I haven't had a sip since February and to be honest, I don't even mind.

I am Looking Forward to: My second and final baby shower that my mother-in-law and 2 sister-in-laws are throwing for me!

Milestones: He's started getting the hiccups and it feels so funny!

Awkward Moments: Nothing this week.

Exercise: I bought a pregnancy belt and have resumed the treadmill work outs.. (well at least twice this week) and I'm walking the dog. Does that count? My exercise is not like it used to be though. It now takes me about 1/2 an hour to walk a mile. I used to walk at least 2 in that same amount of time. What can I say, I'm waddling more now.

Diet: I'm not on a diet. This is my free pass to eat whatever I like.

Movement: He's rolling around in there.

Gender: It's a boy! Grayson Patrick!

DOH

2011-09-15T13:43:00.001-04:00

Remember yesterday when I told ya'll that I wouldn't want to stay home full time because I enjoy the adult interaction.

Well scratch that part.

(and add that I spent $50,000 on graduate school to become a school psychologist so I refuse to quit my job entirely before at least paying off my loans in like 23423423 years).

I don't even interact with adults. I interact with small, menacing children.

It's really amazing that I even agreed to have my own child after observing the youth of america these last few years.

Today I've hung out with a whole host of interesting children.

So far today I've counseled a child who's idol is Michael Vick and another who has three personalities and she's 9.

Please, please, please let my child be normal.

Please.

Oh, and those interesting adults that I do get to interact with? They are parents of said children.

While there are some lovely parents (I see them like once per month and I freaking LOVE them. Holler to the one mom that bought me a Tiffany's bracelet as a thank you gift and to the mom that brings baked goods and coffee to every meeting), I spend the majority of my time dealing with an apple/tree situation.

Sometimes, I can't decide which is worse.

*Epiphany. I am so going to be that mom that brings baked goods/coffee (I can't afford Tiffanys so F that) to school/dance/practice. Everyone loves that mom and her kid.

Random News

2011-09-14T11:06:00.001-04:00

I'm avoiding doing work at work-- so I'll blog!

1. I am so tired lately. Not first trimester tired- when I was in bed by 8:30pm every night- but holy crap walking up the stairs is hard, I must rest tired.

2. My baby shower last Sunday was wonderful! I didn't get a ton of pictures <sidenote: do not give 17 yr old a camera because she takes awful pictures and we should have learned this lesson at my bridal shower :endnote>, but I'll do a recap of it soon (right now, uploading pictures on the computer is also QUITE tiring).

The one this past weekend was thrown together by my mama- with the help of my sisters, cousins and aunt. The theme was so cute, so nautical and so me. It was all out, "Ships Ahoy, It's a BOY" themed and I loved it.

Baby Grayson was SO spoiled and he's going to have the cutest wardrobe in the entire world. He now has tiny little black Toms with stars, high tops, cute jeans, and shoes with skulls on them. The boy is going to be a serious hipster (and not by my doing-- you can blame this on my mom, aunt, cousin, and sister).

We also got a pimped out, fully loaded city mini stroller and our car seat-- among many other awesome gifts.

3. I just realized that I may never sleep in again. I do not find this amusing since my husband and I are 30 years old and can sleep till 10am most weekends. The realization that I'm done sleeping till 10am is starting to sink in and it is a little bit sad. I cannot tell a lie.

4. Everywhere I go, people are always singing baby girl praise. Oh, better luck next time. Or, oh sorry you're having a boy. Yesterday three people told me that I'm lucky that I'm having a boy and could not stop singing their praises and providing examples why. I like hearing that because most people are always chiming in about girls being better- so it's a rare treat to hear something so nice about baby boys.

5. I'm going to have to do an iPhone photo dump on my blog and share all my cute pet pictures. I have SO many saved up. I love my original furbabies.

6. Big brother is on tonight and I secretly hope Rachael wins. She provided the most entertainment this season and deserves it a hell of a lot more than Porshe and Adam. Adam is a meathead and Porshe should lose the vote simply because her dumb ass opened pandora's box and ruined the newbie lead.

7. Anyone else watch Teen Mom? Oh, just me. Crickets. Well, Farrah deserves a swift kick in the ass. The end.

8. Where should I buy nursing tanks?

9. We are so busy this weekend (and we have been every weekend in August and September). We have something going on Friday (birthday dinner), Saturday (my last baby shower) and Sunday (a baptism for my husband's best friend's baby. He's the godfather). Now that I'm in the single digits in weeks before baby comes (eeek), I may need to start limiting the invitations we accept after this weekend. Going out all weekend makes for a rough week at work. It's only Wednesday and if I had the spare days, I'd totally stay home the rest of the week to recuperate.

10. I am so over working full-time. I'd like to win the lottery and go part time (in my dreams). I don't think I'd ever want to stay home full time because I enjoy what I do, like the adult interaction, thrive on a schedule and love the benefits, but part time would be amazing!

Ten on Tuesday

2011-09-13T12:50:00.001-04:00

It has been awhile since I've done this.. here goes nothing...

WOULD YOU RATHER:
1. eat chocolate covered grasshoppers or this freaky squid thing?
Grasshoppers. I'm hoping the chocolate masks the gross taste.

2. never see another movie or never watch TV again?
Never see another movie. TV is just one super long movie!

3. be a superhero with a lame power or a supervillain with an awesome power?
Well it depends on if I lived in this world or a comic book world. In this world, I'd want to be a superhero (because I'd be the only one). If I live in comic world, I'd be a supervillain to aid my survival.

4. eat only salty snacks for the rest of you life, or only sweet snacks?
So tough! I'd probably pick salty. The only sweet treats that I crave are candies, but I love fries, mozzarella sticks, potato skins, and all the other naughty salty foods.

5. never read another book or never hear another song?
I could totally live without music. I don't like background noise and hate that my husband always likes a TV and/or music playing. That sort of thing annoys me. I would much rather read.

6. be a whale carcass remover or a sewer inspector?
Well, I don't really want to wade through human crap, so a whale carcass remover.

7. have no electricity or no running water?
I lived without electricity for a few days two weeks ago and it wasn't that bad. I would go nuts without running water.

8. be a dog or a cat?
It totally depends on my owners. If my owner LOVED cats, I'd probably want to be a cat.

9. always be hot or always be cold?
Always be cold. I hate being hot, and I can always throw on a sweater.

10. be forced to watch all 3 High School Musicals on an endless loop, or the Twilight movies?
Twilight. I love Twilight!

What I Miss Part 2

2011-09-09T21:25:00.002-04:00

I forgot to add one important thing to my week 29 update.

I miss laying flat on my back.

Granted, it's only been for 11/12 weeks (docs say you can continue to lay flat until week 18), and I'm not a back sleeper.. but I miss it anyways.

The end.

29 Weeks!

2011-09-09T17:27:00.003-04:00

29 weeks. It's amazing how fast time has gone by. I'm still in awe over the fact that I have a human being in my stomach. It would honestly make more sense for a stork to come drop it off, because it's CRAZY that a child can grow and sustain themselves in my stomach. Who came up with this idea? Whoever did.. it's pretty rad.

Week 29- September 2nd-September 8th

Due Date: November 18, 2011

How Big is Baby: As big as a butternut squash. Still.

Symptoms: Well, this is the first week that I understand why some women don't enjoy being pregnant and just want the thing out of them. I didn't feel terrible, but I had a few bouts of insomnia and the return of the nausea. The only thing that helps the nausea is eating, but when I eat, I feel all blown up like a blueberry and uncomfortable. Thankfully, this happened more so at the beginning of the week and I've felt better as I've approached week 30. Lets just say that things are getting harder now that I'm in the home stretch!

Cravings: Every yummy picture that I see on pinterest- so far I've made the marshmallow smores cookies, the salsa chicken and the tator tot casserole. Love it!

Sleep: This week was rough in the sleep department. Some nights I had trouble falling asleep, some nights I had trouble staying asleep and two night I peed no less than 5 times in one night.

I Can't Live Without: My morning coffee (sometimes). I'm a rebel and fully participate in my 200 mg allowance of caffeine each day.

I Miss: Not peeing in the middle of the night. Not feeling INTENSE pressure on my bladder. I always thought that it was a joke that pregnant women need to pee and pee immediately in the third trimester. Well, it is no joke and sometimes it's painful to waddle to the bathroom.

I am Looking Forward to: My baby shower this weekend! My mom is throwing me one at her house.

Milestones: He's looking great. He's measuring RIGHT on target and appears to be very active. At my OB appointment this week, he kicked the heart rate probe off of my stomach a few times and it took the nurse 5 minutes to find a steady heartbeat because he was moving around so much.

Awkward Moments: This week was much better in the asshole comments department. In fact, I was told that I look awesome, beautiful, and TINY all in one week by three different people. Finally, a nice comment!!

Exercise: Yoga is on a break between sessions and I missed it so much this week. I honestly think that yoga keeps me feeling amazing. I can't wait to get back to it and I'm blessed to have a studio so close to home. Most of the ladies in my class drive 1/2 or more to get to the class because it is that good. I highly, highly recommend it and I'm so not a yogi hippie (if you are my friend in real life and pregnant, email me if you want to try it. The new session starts sept. 19). I tried walking on the treadmill this week, but it caused a severe pain in my ass and back. I'm going to invest in a pregnancy belt and then get back on it next week.

Diet: I'm not on a diet. This is my free pass to eat whatever I like.

Movement: He's definitely more active and sometimes, his rolls really hurt. To amuse myself I like to sit with the channel changer on my stomach and see how long it takes him to kick/shake/punch it off. It never lasts long.

Gender: It's a boy! Grayson Patrick!

What I've Been Reading

2011-09-06T08:36:00.000-04:00

I have actually read a bit more this summer.. but I haven't blogged about it in awhile. Here are my last three reads....

My grade-- A

disclaimer-- blame pregnancy brain, but I had NO IDEA that this was a christian novel when I added it to my must read list. That being said, it wasn't overdone and I really enjoyed it.

From Goodreads: "I collect words. I keep them in a box in my mind. I'd like to keep them in a real box, something pretty, maybe a shoe box covered with flowered wrapping paper. Whenever I wanted, I'd open the box and pick up the papers, reading and feeling the words all at once. Then I could hide the box. But the words are safer in my mind. There, he can't take them."

Ten-year old Kaylee Wren doesn't speak. Not since her drug-addled mother walked away, leaving her in a remote cabin nestled in the towering redwoods-in the care of a man who is as dangerous as he is evil. With silence her only refuge, Kaylee collects words she might never speak from the only memento her mother left behind: a dictionary.

Sierra Dawn is thirty-four, an artist, and alone. She has allowed the shame of her past to silence her present hopes and chooses to bury her pain by trying to control her circumstances. But on the twelfth anniversary of her daughter's death, Sierra's control begins to crumble as the God of her childhood woos her back to Himself.

Brought together by Divine design, Kaylee and Sierra will discover together the healing mercy of the Word-Jesus Christ.

My grade: A .. It was a fun, quick pool read!

From Goodreads: Remember the woman you used to be ...

Alice is twenty-nine. She is whimsical, optimistic and adores sleep, chocolate, her ramshackle new house and her wonderful husband Nick. What's more, she's looking forward to the birth of the 'Sultana' - her first baby.

But now Alice has slipped and hit her head in her step-aerobics class and everyone's telling her she's misplaced the last ten years of her life.

In fact, it would seem that Alice is actually thirty-nine and now she loves schedules, expensive lingerie, caffeine and manicures. She has three children and the honeymoon is well and truly over for her and Nick. In fact, he looks at her like she's his worst enemy. What's more, her beloved sister Elisabeth isn't speaking to her either. And who is this 'Gina'everyone is so carefully trying not to mention?

Alice isn't sure that she likes life ten years on. Every photo is another memory she doesn't have and nothing makes sense. Just how much can happen in a decade? Has she really lost her lovely husband for ever?

My grade- B+ ... it was fun and entertaining, but I wouldn't read it again.

From Goodreads: Jen Lancaster hates to burst your happy little bubble, but life in the big city isn't all it's cracked up to be. Contrary to what you see on TV and in the movies, most urbanites aren't party-hopping in slinky dresses and strappy stilettos. But lucky for us, Lancaster knows how to make the life of the lower crust mercilessly funny and infinitely entertaining.

Whether she's reporting rude neighbors to Homeland Security, harboring a crush on her grocery store clerk, or fighting-and losing-the Battle of the Stairmaster- Lancaster explores how silly, strange, and not-so-fabulous real city living can be. And if anyone doesn't like it, they can kiss her big, fat, pink, puffy down parka.

How To: Baby Blocks

2011-09-04T20:04:00.006-04:00

As soon as we figured out the baby's name, I knew that I wanted to hang his name above his crib. I thought about buying/painting the wooden blocks, but then I was inspired by this blog and decided to try my hand at painting my own.

I am NOT a painter. I'm not particularly artistic, but I am talented enough to handle simple techniques. Especially those that rely heavily on painters tape.

The entire process took a long time-- at least several weeks. I actually started them in June, before we decided on our name because I knew that all three of our top name contenders were 7 letters long.

For the project, I purchased a 7 pack of 12x12 canvases from Michaels with a 40% off coupon. Michaels sells 7 for $19.99 prior to the coupon so they were a total steal. I also purchased two bottles of green paint, two bottles of navy blue paint, 2 bottles of light blue paint, and a large bottle of white paint. The paint may have set me back an additional $5.00 (I bought them on sale as well).

The next step required a lot of measuring and a lot of taping. The inside squares are all 5 inches x 5 inches. I'm not sure why I went with that, but after a lot of measuring/taping.. that looked best. The navy blue paint was a bit of a pain and required many, many coats. Thankfully, the light blue and green went on like a dream.

After I finished the squares in the squares, it was time for (you guessed it..) MORE TAPING! I used tape to make the stripes and a circle foam brush (found at all craft stores) to make the polka dots. This part was the most fun!

For the letters, I scoured the internet for stencils large enough to fill in the squares and they were all at least 20 bucks each. I know that, that isn't a TON of money. Especially since something similar to what I made would cost at least 75 dollars on etsy, but I didn't want to wait and didn't think that 20 dollars was worth it for a stencil that I would use once. I have teacher handwriting, so I decided to give it a go... I ended up painting all of the letters free hand. They aren't incredibly perfect, but I'm okay with that. They look pretty darn good for free hand. I wrote out each individual letter in pencil, before going over it with at least 3-4 coats of white paint.

Overall, I'm so incredibly excited about how they turned out! I like that they aren't perfect, and I think that they will grow with him as the design isn't too cutesy.

Now, I only hope that they go with the bedding that we picked out, as the blocks hang RIGHT above the crib (we have yet to buy bedding). I'm a tiny bit worried that I should have gone with red rather than green, but we'll do what we can to make it work!

Fingers crossed that it all comes together handsomely!

28 Weeks!

2011-09-02T14:19:00.003-04:00

Week 28- August 26th-September 1st

Due Date: November 18, 2011

How Big is Baby: As big as a squash.

Symptoms: I still feel lovely! My biggest complaint is that I cannot sit for more than 25 minutes (even in a comfy pedicure chair) without my butt hurting AND I can't stand for more than 15 minutes without my feet/ankles hurting. I have to move around.. a lot. Also.. I think 50% of my weight gain went straight to my feet. They look horrendously large.

Cravings: Every yummy picture that I see on pinterest.

Sleep: Aside from a case of the pregnancy pees at least 1-2 times per night, I'm sleeping like a baby.

I Can't Live Without: The pool.. and I'm going to have to after Monday. Wah.

I Miss: I don't even miss alcohol that much anymore. I miss summer vacation. My life is 34523423 times simpler when there are no kids, no teachers.

I am Looking Forward to: My first baby shower next weekend (I'm having two.. the one next weekend is at my mom's house)! Also... fall! I'm excited for pumpkins, the color orange and cool breezes!

Milestones: Well, Grayson made it through his first hurricane and I survived 72 hours, pregnant without power. I only turned into the pregasaurus at night!

Awkward Moments: More assholes telling me that there isn't room for the baby to grow in my belly. Suck it.. I am measuring perfectly.

Exercise: I am slacking in the exercise department.. It's harder to exercise now that school is back in session. I have continued my prenatal yoga routine and it's a lifesaver. I really think that prenatal yoga class keeps me feeling as good as I do.

Diet: Crappy.. but it's getting harder to stuff it all in and I'm slowing down....

Movement: More kicks, more rolls, and more punches! I love it! He's such a good boy and allows me to sleep at night.

Gender: It's a boy! Grayson Patrick!

Oh, Hi!

2011-09-01T10:38:00.001-04:00

You may not remember me. I haven't been online much since SATURDAY.

The hurricane forced me to pretend that I was amish and we were without power for a very long time. From Saturday evening to Tuesday afternoon to be exact.

I handled the days quite well. I went to the pool, met friends for lunch and got a pedicure. At night, I turned into the prega-saurus and woe is me! I don't do bored in the dark well.

I like to move around. I like to vacuum. I cry about throwing away hundreds of dollars worth of ruined/rotten food. My husband probably wanted to kiss the gas and electric guys after they restored our power on Tuesday.

Week 27

2011-08-27T15:15:00.002-04:00

We had an ultrasound on Wednesday and the baby is looking PRECIOUS!

Those lips.. I die!

This may be our last ultrasound. Unless you are over 35 and high risk, my doctor only gives ultra sounds at 12 weeks (optional) and between 18-22 weeks. We had several additional ultrasounds because our baby boy was having some difficulty with reflux in his kidneys and the entire situation needed to be monitored at 18 weeks, 22 weeks, and 27 weeks. Thankfully, the baby's kidneys are looking perfect now so no more ultrasounds.

Week 27- August 19th-26th

Due Date: November 18, 2011

How Big is Baby: The baby officially weighs 2lbs, 12oz according to our last ultrasound.

Symptoms: I'm still feeling pretty good. I've managed to avoid heartburn, stretch marks and puking thus far. Here's hoping it holds out...

Cravings: Nothing significant. It's very boring.

Sleep: Aside from a case of the pregnancy pees at least 1-2 times per night, I'm sleeping like a baby.

I Can't Live Without: My snoogle pillow. I think that it has helped me sleep so comfortably.

I Miss: Being able to walk more than 50 feet without a foot/back ache and having a waist line.

I am Looking Forward to: November!

Milestones: Well, Grayson made it through his first, first day of school and his first earthquake.

Awkward Moments: I am so incredibly sick of the comments. I cannot go ANYWHERE without someone commenting that i'm too big or really big or just big in general. My doctor is not concerned, I'm measuring perfectly, but lately I want to cry whenever someone tells me that I'm huge. The worst part is that the people making comments are all mothers. Didn't you live through this yourself? I may punch the next person that says something-- no lie. None of the asshole commenters think that there is anyway that I can make it to November.. however, I'm part of a November mom group and I can assure you, each and everyone of them are the same size as I am.

Exercise: I was lazy this week and only attended my prenantal yoga class. The first week of school wore me out.

Diet: Same old...

Movement: He's becoming much more active every single day.

Gender: It's a boy! Grayson Patrick!

Speed Cameras

2011-08-25T09:28:00.001-04:00

Speed cameras are the devil. Maryland has recently decided to get all speed camera happy and I swear to god.. we get a ticket in the mail like every month.

My most favorite (recent) tickets...

1. Going 30 in a 25 MPH school zone at 6:30 PM on a Saturday night. Seriously, are you freakin' kidding me?!?!?

a). There is no school on Saturdays

b). You are really going to charge me forty dollars for going 30 MPH?

ASSHATS.

2. Getting a 75 dollar ticket for running a red light that I DIDN'T run. It just looks like I ran it because I was driving during a torrential downpour/monsoon last Thursday and the cars in front of me stopped suddenly and an inch of my tail end remained in the intersection. Really!?!?!? That's my fault? Mother nature should have to pay that bill..

The worst part-- you can't even argue with the traffic gods anymore. They won't let you off the hook for anything (inspired by mother nature or not).

Basically, I need to start driving like a grandma- go 25 MPH at all times- to avoid paying Maryland like 233432 dollars per year. Personally, I THINK that grandmas cause more accidents, but what the F ever.

The Baby has a Name!

2011-08-24T08:34:00.000-04:00

We actually decided on the baby's name in July, but we're finally ready to share it with the general public.

Deciding on a boy name was very hard. The husband and I have had our girl name on lock since before we even got engaged, but we had a MUCH harder time deciding on a boy name.

I like names like Connor .. but he does not.

We went back and forth for MONTHS over boys names.

We finally settled on Zachary, Braden (or Brayden) and the name we ultimately chose.

We ruled out Zachary, because neither of us are in love with the nickname Zack-- and no one tends to call a Zachary a Zachary. I am still in love with Braden, but I was pretty active on the bump for the first few months of my pregnancy and for some reason, Braden is a very controversial name. Seriously, in every poll on the baby name board, Braden tends to be one of the most hated names on every list. I love(d) it, but I didn't love that no one else loved it.

{If we have another son, there's a good chance that his name will be either Braden or Zachary, so I haven't give up on them yet}

Anyways, the name that we ultimately went with is....

GRAYSON PATRICK!

It was my husband's favorite of all three, and I really like it too. I think that it fits us perfectly, and it's a name that can't really be shortened-- which we were looking for because our last name only has three letters in it.

*Those are the name blocks that I told you all that I was hard at work on. I'll post about how I made them soon.

*Excuse the tin foil in the crib. We're keeping the kitties out.

Week 26

2011-08-22T18:21:00.002-04:00

I'm way behind on the weekly updates.. and I skipped week 25 altogether (picture this: week 25 was JUST LIKE week 26)

Week 26- August 11th-18th

Due Date: November 18, 2011

How Big is Baby: The size of an eggplant!

Symptoms: I'm still feeling great! My feet are officially swollen almost every night now, but I think that has a lot to do with a small injury that I have, seeing as though the right foot is the only one that really swells up.

The pregnancy pees continue to be a pain in the butt. Pregnancy pees go something like this..

la di dah.. I'm walking through the mall.. I don't have to pee at all.

Cute shirt... Ooh

OMGMUSTGOTPOTTYRIGHTNOWIMMEDIATELYI'MGOINGTODIE

Then, you go and like one ounce comes out. It's not satisfying.

Cravings: Nothing significant

Sleep: Aside from a case of the pregnancy pees at least 1-2 times per night, I'm sleeping like a baby.

I Can't Live Without: The pool. The pool is amazing for the pregnant body. You can't feel your own weight and it reduces swelling. I'm going to cry when the pool closes next weekend.

I Miss: Sitting still for more than half an hour. My butt gets tired.

I am Looking Forward to: The third trimester and another ultrasound on Wednesday!

Milestones: I made it through the hottest months of the year and it wouldn't discourage me from trying another summer pregnancy (and trust me.. I've heard horror stories). Apparently, I can manage heat better than I thought I would.

Also, no news is good news and I don't have gestational diabetes.

Awkward Moments: Nothing!

Exercise: Walking on the treadmill (although baby likes to bounce on my bladder within the first five minutes.. every freakin' time) and prenatal yoga class.

Diet: My diet isn't terrible, but I definitely take advantage of being pregnant and eat more than I usually would. I managed to only gain a pound last month (and that included an entire week on Bethany Beach eating out daily. It's about time that happened.

Movement: He becomes more active every day.. mostly in the early morning and after dinner.

Gender: It's a boy!

How to Manage Pregnancy- The First Half: Part 2

2011-08-21T16:50:00.000-04:00

In the pregnancy world there is a serious debate.

DEMI PANEL...............

VS.

FULL PANEL..............

When I was like 12 weeks pregnant I went out and got a few cute things that were demi panel. They were so comfy.. it was like heaven in a pant.

Fast forward to week 18 and demi panel pants suck. They cut into your stomach, they are super low rise in the front and they are seriously uncomfortable once you develop that basketball look that most women have going mid second trimester.

Unless you are rich and can afford two types of pants and two pregnancy wardrobes.. GET THE FULL PANEL. Now, full panel pants are like heaven in a pant. If you are too small for the full panel at week 12, just fold/roll it down and you're good to go.

Trust me, this tip will save you a pretty penny.

How to Manage Pregnancy- The First Half: Part 1

2011-08-18T16:25:00.000-04:00

Now.. I've only had one kid (and I haven't even had him yet), but I'll let you in on a few secrets that helped me to survive the first half of pregnancy.

1. RUN (don't walk) out and BUY THE SNOOGLE PILLOW.

I dragged my heels regarding this pillow. It looks stupid, the lady using it looks stupid and 50 DOLLARS FOR A FREAKIN' PILLOW?!?!?! You MUST be shitting me? Well, they are not shitting you and it's worth every single penny.

Trust me, I thought a pillow between the legs and/or a body pillow would suffice. After awhile, they didn't.

Just suck it up and buy the snoogle. You'll thank me when you are sleeping like a baby every night.

DISCLAIMER: If you have a bed smaller than a king. Apologize to your husband in advance and banish him to the couch and/or spare bedroom. There isn't room for a pregnant chick, a snoogle and one husband in a small bed. Sorry.

Thankfully, we have a king, but we went on vacation and had to share a double a few weeks ago. It was not a pretty sight.

2. If you like dresses as much as I do.. get pregnant in February. You won't be getting huge until about August (ahem, me right now) so you can successfully wear all of your prepregnancy summer knit dresses into your 7th month of pregnancy. Your wallet will thank you.

AND

Even though you are fat (or at least I am), you will feel great telling people that your dress is NON maternity at 25 weeks. I heart stretchy summer dresses.

Birthday Trip

2011-08-17T16:08:00.000-04:00

In lieu of a birthday party this year, my husband surprised me with a lovely weekend getaway a few hours away at the Omni Bedford Springs in Pennsylvania.

We went a few weeks before my birthday and the only thing that he told me was that we were leaving Friday at 12 and to pack a bag.

The boy did good. The resort was in the middle of no where, but it was perfect! Our room had a darling little patio with a rocker and the decor inside was right up my alley.

We spent a lot of time at the pool and he surprised me with a mama to be massage. The massage was amazing and the spa had a five step bath spa area that I was able to use prior to the massage. It was the most relaxing three hours of my life.

At night, the hotel had live music and smores down by the fire pit. Even the restaurants were fantastic.. best lobster mac and shepherds pie that we've had in a long time.

All in all, it was the perfect weekend getaway. If you're looking for somewhere to go within 3 hours of DC.. you should definitely check this place out for a relaxing weekend away.

Birthday Weekend

2011-08-15T15:58:00.005-04:00

Thanks for the birthday wishes ya'll.

My 30th was AMAZING!

It was low key, I didn't do anything crazy, but I really enjoyed my day. I woke up on Saturday and walked out to my car to leave for my massage appointment. John walked outside with me with the dog and I was shocked to find that he had a remote car starter installed in my car!!

My top three birthday wishes were a remote car starter (defrost in the winter baby, I can't get my act together in the morning and/or wake up earlier to go outside and scrape the car windshield), a smallish stand up freezer chest to freeze meals and boob milk (seriously, what is my issue?), and a carpet steam cleaner (I know, I'm old as hell). I am super excited about being the proud owner of a remote starter.

After my massage I came home and was hoping to hit the pool, but the weather sucked. Instead, we went to our favorite japanese steak house for some hibachi fun and we did some shopping.

My mom, dad and sister came in the afternoon and we spent the remainder of the day walking around Annapolis, eating dinner at one of my favorite restaurants and eating cake from Coldstone.

On Sunday it was STILL raining, so the hubs and I went to town on the nursery. After a lot of work around the house, we had a lovely dinner out with some of my favorite friends and we get to see more friends and extend the celebration this coming weekend.

I love birthday week!

My only complaint is that the day flew by far too fast. It's crazy how time flies with each year. Am I the only one out there that wishes for a pause button?

Happy Birthday to Me!

2011-08-12T15:57:00.000-04:00

I love this song (although the video is SO whack). I remember being 25, and just wondering how my life was going to turn out.

I am so thrilled that as I sit here, on the eve of my 30th birthday, my life turned out even better than I could have dreamed it to be.

Sure I'm not rich, I don't have a million pairs of shoes or drive a fancy car- but I have a rich life, a life full of love, and I still have something to aspire to over the next 30 years (being rich, duh).

The last 30 years have been incredible. I have nothing but happy memories of my childhood and when I was a teenager, I thought that life just couldn't get any better. I lived high school to the fullest-- participating in sports, clubs, making cheesy music videos with my girlfriends, wearing an afro wig around town, and singing at the top of my lungs with some fun friends that I SO fondly remember.

In my early twenties, I had a blast in college, and after college and graduate school I branched out on my own and moved to a new place without a single friend. When I turned 25 I was living in a tiny one bedroom apartment, making 18,000 dollars per year at my internship. Life was incredible, but it was uncertain too.

I was dreading my late twenties (mostly the getting old part_, but they've turned out the be the best years yet.

I met my husband just shy of my 26th birthday. We were engaged at 27. I had the most incredible wedding-- the wedding of my dreams at 28. At 29, I found out that I was expecting my sweet, darling little son. I've never even met him, but I can't even explain the joy that he already brings me.

I get to meet my newest favorite man in my 30's.

Thirty used to scare the CRAP out of me-- but it doesn't anymore. I welcome my thirties (well 90% of them).

My twenties were fun, adventurous and full of great times. My thirties will be all about family.

I can't wait.

Disclaimer

2011-08-10T15:51:00.002-04:00

Not that anyone has complained, but I should provide a disclaimer on my posts.

I'm not commenting on my easy pregnancy to make other women want to throat punch me. I'm writing it down so I'll remember how God granted me this reprieve for 26 weeks in the event that I developed toxemia, gestational diabetes, swell up bigger than free willy and/or generally want to kick my own ass in the later weeks.

Now, I can look back here and praise God-- rather than be a bitch. Here's hoping that this works...

Evolution of a Belly and Other Thoughts

2011-08-09T08:58:00.003-04:00

I have so much to say. I have so many things to write about. But 99% of the time I forget that I even have a blog.

I have had one of the easiest pregnancies (knock on wood), but making a child sure knocks out all motivation to do anything else.

I can't even blame being busy. Work in the summer is the opposite of busy, but when I get home, hooking my iphone up to my computer to upload pictures seems like an overwhelming task. I'm going to try to get better.. because I want to. Hopefully now that school is starting up again, falling into a routine will help my get up and go get back.

For now, I will leave you with these gems of wisdom about being pregnant:

1. You will get bigger. You make think that you are bigger than a house, but sob-- you will get bigger. My belly may need it's own zip code by month 9.

2. You will pee a lot. But it won't be nice satisfying pees. You will squeeze out like an ounce and have to go back for more five minutes later.

3. You will drop everything and lose everything and forget everything.

4. You will become emo. Now, thankfully I'm not one of those pregnant crazies that cries every day.. but I cry like every week now.

All of my crying is irrational.

For example- last night I dropped shit from the toaster oven, dropped chicken that I was cutting up, and then dropped dinner down the front of my shirt. I cried.

Another example- when you become pregnant-- all country music will make you cry. The following lines are like emotional suicide for me....

a) it's a new tshirt saying I'm a grandpa.
(ummm, I'm not even going to be a grandpa so WTF)

b) just to see you smile
(isn't that a break up song?.. I'm very happy with my husband)

c) any line from Carrie Underwood's "All American Girl" song
(doh. I'm not even having a girl).

My advice-- carry tissues in the car.

5. People are not nicer to pregnant people. Perhaps they are in other countries that are not populated full of self centered assholes-- But here in the US of A.. grandma will still cut you off with her shopping cart and get in line in front of you and little kids will still try to boogey board right by you and knock you over.

Now some perks--

1. No one can side eye you for eating everything and ANYTHING under the sun. I love cookies!!

2. The clothes. Maternity clothes are the B-O-M-B. They are comfy and nowadays they are cute. Getting pregnant is an excuse to go shopping. HOLLER.

3. You can be dumb, forget things, drop things, and cry and your family can't disown you!!

4. Redecorating!!

5. Buying tiny little shoes and clothing.

6. Catching the glance of your main man and thinking, "wow, we made this!"

24 Weeks

2011-08-05T21:15:00.002-04:00

Week 24- July 28th- August 4th

Due Date: November 18, 2011

How Big is Baby: He's a foot long.

Symptoms: I felt better during week 24. I can't walk as far and/or as fast anymore without my ankles wanting to split in half, but I'm dealing with it.

Cravings: Nothing significant

Sleep: The last two nights have been rough.. insomnia, peeing fifty bajillion times. Here's hoping it's a fluke.

I Can't Live Without: Water. I drink like a fish.

I Miss: Not having a basketball up my shirt.

I am Looking Forward to: Getting the nursery set up! We're working on it. The painting is finished!

Milestones: The baby reached viability day. I'd prefer that he bake in there for longer, but we made it this far!

Awkward Moments: Nothing comes to mind this week....

Exercise: I didn't do anything this week... I was at the beach for the week.

Diet: I was on vacation so we ate out every night. I'm afraid of the scale right now.

Movement: He's not moving a mile a minute, but I feel him every few hours.

Gender: It's a boy!

Labor Signs: It’s far too soon for this!

Diary of a Pregnant Lady: 23 Weeks

2011-07-29T12:26:00.005-04:00

Prepare to be amazed by my giant basketball baby!!

OOOOH...

AHHHHH...

Week 23- July 21st - July 28th

Due Date: November 18, 2011

How Big is Baby: I'm still thinking he's papaya size

Symptoms: I jinxed myself. I'm feeling slightly less amazeballs now that I'm approaching the third trimester. I honestly don't feel bad but I have a few complaints.. i.e., I've been a little bit nauseous all week and the dreaded swelling has started. My feet blew up twice this week and my wedding rings had to come off. I was sporting the equivalent of finger muffin top and it was NOT pretty. The ring removal was quite traumatic and included about half a bottle of sex lube. Thankfully, my feet only swelled up after 8pm, but it makes me nervous about what is coming.

Cravings: Nothing significant

Sleep: Still lovely!

I Can't Live Without: Air conditioning. I really don't mind being pregnant in the summer though... in fact, I'll probably plan all other pregnancies around the summer months so I don't need to buy a new wardrobe.

I Miss: Not being swollen

I am Looking Forward to: Getting the nursery set up!

Milestones: More kicks! I'm officially 6 months along (while writing this...)

Awkward Moments: People are mean to pregnant women. Especially your relatives. I cannot think of one thing that my family has said about me except for the fact that a) I'm huge, b) even my teeth are swollen, c) I look 12313 months pregnant, d) I'm fat. It's not very nice.

Exercise: The same ol' walking on the treadmill and yoga.

Diet: I'm not on a special diet.. I'm just starving ALL THE TIME.

Movement: Still kicks, but John is still unable to feel it. Every time I call him over the boy stops moving.

Gender: It's a boy!

Labor Signs: It’s far too soon for this!

I am a bad blogger

2011-07-25T11:48:00.000-04:00

I haven't deserted you all. I just don't have a lot to write about.

I spend my time doing two things lately--

1. Relaxing in a complete zen state. I spend 75% of my time on a lounge chair, in a pool and/or reading a good book. It's awesome, it's amazing and I've never felt better in my entire life.

Then.. reality hits and and I spend the other 25% of my time

2. Absolutely panicking about our upcoming edition. Mostly the money aspect. I was really hoping that we'd get our step increases this year. We haven't had one in four years now <to the tune of at least $12,000> and it terrifies me. I can't even pay attention to whether or not other government workers are getting one this year. After three years of being one of the only groups not getting one, I'd prefer to live in la la land and not know. I would love nothing more than for the money gods to send us a bone.

Diary of a Pregnant Lady: 22 Weeks

2011-07-21T17:44:00.002-04:00

Week 21- July 15th - July 21st

Due Date: November 18, 2011

How Big is Baby: As big as a papaya OR for all you men- as big as an overinflated football.

Symptoms: I cannot complain! Seriously, if it wasn't for a stomach that gets caught in bathroom stalls or that bounces against the counter while I'm doing dishes (sorry if I bruised your head, son) I wouldn't even notice that I was pregnant. I always worried that I had the potential to be an unhappy pregnant woman, but I'm proving myself wrong. I'm elated! I'm not a total negative Nelly. Being pregnant is easy (so far). Sidenote: I'm still in the happy, joyous second trimester. Check back in three months when I'm ready to reach up there and pull my son out.

Cravings: Still no cravings, which is kinda a bummer. I love when people do cravings tables at their showers, but I'd have nothing to put on mine.

ETA: I did just have a craving for a watermelon margarita with a pack of twizzlers (to use as a straw of course).

Sleep: Now that I have a pregnancy pillow, sleep is as lovely as it's ever been. I should note, I've never been an insomniac (don't hate). Even before I got knocked up I could sleep a solid 10 hours without a hitch.

I Can't Live Without: Ugh. Water.. right before bed. I seriously need to drink a gallon every night at exactly bed time o'clock. This leads to many middle of the night bathroom trips.

I Miss: That darn watermelon martini. Tanning my back while at the pool.

I am Looking Forward to: Getting the nursery set up!

Milestones: We had another ultrasound on Tuesday because the little guy has a bit of reflux in his kidneys. It's not a huge thing, but it means extra ultrasounds which is okay with me!

Awkward Moments: My belly button is slowly turning inside out. Yikes.

Exercise: Treadmill and I just joined a prenatal yoga class in hopes of meeting some new friends in the area.

Diet: I'm trying not to worry about it. Although I'm gaining poundage like WOAH, my doctor hasn't said a word about it. I figure that if she's not worried, I'm not going to worry.

Movement: More kicks, but nothing consistent yet and nothing that John can detect.

Gender: It's a boy!

Labor Signs: It’s far too soon for this!

The Nursery

2011-07-18T17:56:00.003-04:00

After much debate (I wanted a madras plaid look/he wanted a football sailboat motif) we have decided on our baby boy's bedding.

We decided to go with the "Jackson" bedding from Pottery Barn Kids. It is freakin' adorable in person.

I get a little bit of preppy and the husband gets a little bit of the nautical theme that he wanted so badly. We actually put this on a small PBKids registry that we started, but I'm not sure if I can wait that long and may bite the bullet and just buy it.

While we were at the store, we picked up an adorable navy blue/white polka dot crib sheet that looks amazing with the rest of the bedding. We'll probably swap out the whale sheets with the polka dot sheets pretty frequently simply because they look adorable together.

Of course, we have champagne taste on a beer budget, so we had to forgo the PBKids crib. Instead, we're going to go with a solid, sturdy Graco crib that got a wonderful rating in the baby bargains book. We went with white so that we can use it with any/all future children and because it's easier to match white furniture.

We also picked the paint for the walls and the husband is picking it up at Home Depot as we speak. It's by Glidden and it's called Arctic Stone. It's actually a slate gray color, but I didn't want a traditional baby blue. We want to keep the wall solid with the exception of perhaps some horizontal or vertical stripes on the crib wall. I think we'll wing that...

As for the rest of the furniture-- I wanted something solid wood and sturdy. Nowadays, unless you have a trillion dollars you aren't going to find solid wood under 500 dollars. So, off to the yard sales we went and my mother and I found two solid wood dressers that were in pretty good condition for about 25 bucks each. A little sanding, wood putty and a fresh coat of white paint made them look perfect. We're going to use the smaller one as a changing table and the larger dresser for his clothes. I'll be sure to post pictures when they are finished.

Lastly, I'm working on hand painting seven (yes, his name is 7 letters long- we wanted something substantial and with at least 2 syllables to fit with our 3 letter last name) 12x12 blocks for his name to put over the crib. I'm using navy, blue, sage green and white for that project. I'll post a tutorial and pictures when I'm finished with that. You may be waiting a week or two though.. it's a tedious job.. but I wanted to do something that was at least a little crafty in the little guys room.

Week 21

2011-07-15T11:15:00.002-04:00

Week 21- July 8th - July 14th

Due Date: November 18, 2011

How Big is Baby: As big as a banana-- which seems like 1/3 of the size of a cantaloupe, but I'm no doctor.

Symptoms: Things are not too bad at all. I feel great almost everyday!

Cravings: No cravings either. I'm a boring pregnant lady.

Sleep: Still great! Thank you lord.

I Can't Live Without: Drinks. I cannot get enough liquid.

I Miss: Fair rides. We went to the fair last weekend and I had to sit out of everything. Also, I miss laying on my stomach at the pool.

I am Looking Forward to: Meeting baby!

Milestones: He's been kicking me a lot lately-- we picked out his baby bedding-- we picked out paint colors-- my mother and I found a 25 dollar solid wood dresser at a yard sale that we've refinished into a darling changing table-- and the registry is done!

Awkward Moments: Lord. My husband is so awkward (i.e. he tries to be funny). At our 7 week appointment he was joking around with the dildo cam condoms. On Tuesday, we had our breastfeeding class. I had to tell him to refrain from speaking altogether after he tried to find boobs in the book and pretended to breastfeed a plastic doll.

Also, I'm fed up with people and their dumb comments. It's like people cannot see a pregnant person without making some idiotic comment about size. Since becoming pregnant myself, I have learned that even if a woman has gained 34523452343 pounds and looks like hell, I will ONLY tell her how small and beautiful she looks. On Wednesday, I went to a work shop for work. While there, some dumbass troll of a woman that I've seen ONCE in my entire life asked me how far along I was. After I told her she said, "OH MY GOD. YOU ARE HUGE. I wasn't even that huge when I was 9 months." I promptly turned around and walked out of her presence. Next person that says anything like that to me will be punched in the face. The end.

Exercise: I've been trying to do 2 miles on the treadmill most days.

Diet: It depresses me. I've been gaining like a lb a week and I always promise to start watching what I eat after I step off the scale. Then I see candy and ice cream and cave. Sob. I lack self control.

Movement: He has officially made his presence known and he kicks me numerous times per day! It's actually kind of scary and has taken my breath away by surprise.

Gender: It's a boy!

Labor Signs: It’s far too soon for this!

Toodles, gotta run.

I have to go stuff myself with fried seafood with the girls.

(and THIS is why my diet sucks).

I've Been Reading... Book 43 (since June 2010)

2011-07-11T20:20:00.003-04:00

This book started off slow for me, but around the halfway point I didn't want to put it down. I'd probably give it an A-/B+. It's worth picking up from the library....

From Goodreads.com: A heartbroken woman stumbled upon a diary and steps into the life of its anonymous author.

In her twenties, Emily Wilson was on top of the world: she had a bestselling novel, a husband plucked from the pages of GQ, and a one-way ticket to happily ever after.

Ten years later, the tide has turned on Emily's good fortune. So when her great-aunt Bee invites her to spend the month of March on Bainbridge Island in Washington State, Emily accepts, longing to be healed by the sea. Researching her next book, Emily discovers a red velvet diary, dated 1943, whose contents reveal startling connections to her own life.

A mesmerizing debut with an idyllic setting and intriguing dual story line, The Violets of March announces Sarah Jio as a writer to watch

Week 20!!

2011-07-08T17:54:00.002-04:00

Week 20- June 30th - July 7th

Due Date: November 18, 2011

How Big is Baby: Huge. A cantaloupe. It amazes me.

Symptoms: I'm still feeling good! Yay!

Cravings: Still nothing that I have to have. I slightly bummed.. I was looking forwards to pickles and ice cream. Ha.

Sleep: Lovely. Especially now that I have my snoogle. Except for when I go upstairs to find my husband sleeping with it. Not cool my husband.

I Can't Live Without: Sports bras. Real bras are super annoying lately.

I Miss: Margaritas

I am Looking Forward to: A loooooooong awesome summer (that is already going by too fast).

Milestones: I'm past the halfway point!

Awkward Moments: The heat sucks. I love being pregnant in the summer. It's the best time because we can wear all of your knit sundresses and live in the pool. That being said, after 4 hours in 99 degrees I sweat like a whore in church.

Exercise: Treadmill, pilates, and strength training. I've been walking on the treadmill more frequently but it's REALLY hurting my feet. I need to invest in new sneakers.

Diet: The eat everything diet.

Movement: More little tickles, but not a kick in sight. I'm seriously behind in this area. I know he's fine because we check out his heartbeat on our home doppler, but I'd love to feel something significant.

Gender: It's a boy!

Labor Signs: It’s far too soon for this!

Chinese Gender Chart, Old Wives Tales & My Wee Lil' Man

2011-07-07T11:18:00.001-04:00

So yes, we're having a BOY!

Exciting, is it not?

I really want a boy and I really want a girl so things worked out quite well for us. I wanted a girl first so that she could babysit (ha) and be helpful (like myself- first born child) but I wanted a boy first so that he could be the protector. I guess that what it all boils down to is that having any baby is a win-win situation.

I wanted a girl so that I could dress her up, get a pedicure with her and take her wedding dress shopping.

I wanted a boy because boys love their mamas and tend to be the easier sex to raise post age 10.

{I remember many a day post age 10 where my sister and I told my poor, poor mom that her outfit was hideous, that her hair sucked and that she was a royal pain in the ass while my brother spent his life telling my mom that she was so special and beautiful -suck up-}

Obviously, there are many other reasons other than that, but those just scratch the surface.

Sometimes, I think that it's SUPER WEIRD that I'm growing a penis right now (never thought that I would say that) but it will be worth it when I can watch him play football and lacrosse with a Justin Bieber haircut.

Even if he hates football and wants to be a dancer, that's cool with me too. I love dance. The hubs may not be too amused, but I could always use a shopping partner.

Granted, aside from my football obsession I don't actually like boy things but that's okay too. My husband loves boy things.

I have a feeling that this situation is going to work out very, very well.

________________________________________________________________________

Let's just say that you have your heart set on one sex over the other and/or that you find old wives tales to be super fun because you are anxious to know what you are having (that was me).. I gotta tell you.. old wives tales are a crock of shiz.

If you find yourself with child, people will SWEAR to you that a boy cannot have a heart rate over 140. Well, our boy has had a heart rate of 159 from the get go.. and he has a penis.

If you find yourself with child you are supposed to pee in a cup full of baking soda. If it fizzles you are SO having a boy. Well, mine didn't fizzle and it's not a chick.

The ring test says that if you hold your ring on a string above your belly that a circle means girl and an up and down motion means boy. Well my ring did both and we're NOT having twins.

The old wives tales say that when you carry a boy you look like you have a basketball under your dress and that if it's a girl you're whole ass expands by a mile. Well according to my mother (she's paying me back for being a teenage girl so many years ago) my ass needs a wide load sign. My mother in law claims I'm all basketball so this old wives tale clearly sucks.

The ONLY old wives tale that I believe to be almost 100% accurate is the Chinese Gender Predictor chart. Trust me, I've done extensive research on this (i.e. polled every friend that has ever had a baby and spent an entire day at work asking every lady that passed by if it was correct for her-- seriously, that was an awesome day at work). Amazingly, it has been right for all of my friends and all of my coworkers. Granted this poll only consisted of like 30 people, but I think that that is pretty good odds.

*sidenote* the Chinese Gender Predictor only works if you use your LUNAR AGE. Chinese people are not kind. Despite being only 29.5 when I conceived, the Chinese consider me to be 31 years old and some change. Not what any hormonal woman wants to hear, but it's worth checking out. So far it's been spot on with baby gender prediction in my poll.

You'll Probably see this on 231232 Blogs Today

2011-07-06T09:47:00.001-04:00

I can't help but write about this. I am SO pissed about the verdict.

Yes, I get that she probably shouldn't be convicted of first degree murder, but how she got away scott free just amazes me for so many reasons.

Nowadays, you can't send your kid to school in the same outfit for three days in a row without getting social services all up on your ass. But apparently, you can let your kid go missing, lie about it, neglect to report it and get a small slap on the wrist.

The chick is a psychopath. She completely defamed her family, made up a twisted web of lies and will walk away without serving any time?

A woman that will not testify in her own defense is so obviously guilty. The fact that her own parents couldn't defend her makes her obviously guilty. Lets say that her daughter did drown? The fact that immediately afterwards, Casey didn't shed a single tear, went out partying and got a tattoo, makes her a psychopath and a danger to society. In my book, not reporting her missing until your own mother forces you to after 31 days makes you guilty of at LEAST child abuse/neglect.

I really want to see a picture of this jury of asshats that was selected. From what I've read, several were uneducated and at least 3 had spent time in jail themselves and/or had children/siblings that were drug addicts and drunk drivers. The fact that you could come to a unanimous decision in 11 hours after 31 days of testimony makes me feel like they just didn't care. How is it that 99% of the general public disagrees with the verdict, but those 12 determined it so quickly and easily? From what I've heard, they had to speed things along because juror #whatever had a cruise to catch this Thursday. It amazes me that they could listen to 30+ days of testimony and still believe that she had no ties to this child's death whatsoever.

I wasn't following this case super closely to be honest, but I'm also disgusted by the fact that the police completely ignored the lead determining the whereabouts of Caylee's body MONTHS before it was finally found completely decomposed. Perhaps if they went out and examined the area when the lead originally came in there would be DNA left on the body. It's disgusting.

Lastly, I'm completely disgusted by the defense team in this case. Partying and popping champagne on TV when a child has died. Celebrating because you let a murderer (or child abuser at the very least) run free? I have the image of the mousy blond lawyer chick with the really bad frizzy hair jumping up and down like it was her birthday. It's PATHETIC. These people should be ashamed of themselves.

What I'm Reading

2011-07-05T08:05:00.000-04:00

The best part about summer is the freedom to read a lot of books. I'm thinking that kids + books make it difficult to read, so I'm trying to cram in as many as I can this summer.

I just finished two new books this week. Both of them were good. Would I rave about them? No. But they were interesting and entertaining enough.

I love love love Kristin Hannah. This wasn't my favorite of hers, but it was worth reading.

From Goodreads.com:
For a mother, life comes down to a series of choices.
To hold on…
To let go..
To forget…
To forgive…
Which road will you take?

For eighteen years, Jude Farraday has put her children’s needs above her own, and it shows—her twins, Mia and Zach—are bright and happy teenagers. When Lexi Baill moves into their small, close knit community, no one is more welcoming than Jude. Lexi, a former foster child with a dark past, quickly becomes Mia’s best friend. Then Zach falls in love with Lexi and the three become inseparable.

Jude does everything to keep her kids safe and on track for college. It has always been easy-- until senior year of high school. Suddenly she is at a loss. Nothing feels safe anymore; every time her kids leave the house, she worries about them.

On a hot summer’s night her worst fears come true. One decision will change the course of their lives. In the blink of an eye, the Farraday family will be torn apart and Lexi will lose everything. In the years that follow, each must face the consequences of that single night and find a way to forget…or the courage to forgive.

NIGHT ROAD is vivid, emotionally complex novel that raises profound questions about motherhood, identity, love, and forgiveness. It is a luminous, heartbreaking novel that captures both the exquisite pain of loss and the stunning power of hope. This is Kristin Hannah at her very best, telling an unforgettable story about the longing for family, the resilience of the human heart, and the courage it takes to forgive the people we love.

From Goodreads.com:
Though he may not speak of them, the memories still dwell inside Jacob Jankowski's ninety-something-year-old mind. Memories of himself as a young man, tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. Memories of a world filled with freaks and clowns, with wonder and pain and anger and passion; a world with its own narrow, irrational rules, its own way of life, and its own way of death. The world of the circus: to Jacob it was both salvation and a living hell.

Jacob was there because his luck had run out - orphaned and penniless, he had no direction until he landed on this locomotive 'ship of fools'. It was the early part of the Great Depression, and everyone in this third-rate circus was lucky to have any job at all. Marlena, the star of the equestrian act, was there because she fell in love with the wrong man, a handsome circus boss with a wide mean streak. And Rosie the elephant was there because she was the great gray hope, the new act that was going to be the salvation of the circus; the only problem was, Rosie didn't have an act - in fact, she couldn't even follow instructions. The bond that grew among this unlikely trio was one of love and trust, and ultimately, it was their only hope for survival

Gender Reveal Party

2011-07-03T22:33:00.012-04:00

The hubs and I had our gender reveal party this weekend and it was so much fun.

My mom's friend that makes cakes for fun decorated the cake and she was sure to use two layers of fondant so that my mother couldn't peek prior to the party. We specifically wrote on the envelope-- DO NOT TELL CYNTHIA.

Everyone was asked to wear pink or blue depending on what they thought that this baby was. Apparently many people were thinking that our baby was a boy. Perhaps because I've thought that our baby was a boy from the beginning? I'm not sure. My mother thought it was a boy because I'm gaining in my hips (nice, huh). My mother in law thought it was a boy because I'm all belly. Clearly no one was on the same page. They only thing that they agreed upon was team blue. Ha.

Team pink was made up of the hubs, my cousin, father, sister in law and niece. Team blue was comprised of my sister in law, brother in law, nephew, aunt, myself, grandfather, sister, father in law, cousin, mother and mother in law.

After awhile we decided to cut the cake (before dinner, we were all eager).. the next few pictures are funny because I love the facial expressions on my mother in law and mother. Ha.

and this is when they all realized what baby is....

It's a boy!

My mother's intuition was right from the very start. I knew it was a boy before I even knew that I was definitely pregnant. I'm not sure how I knew, but apparently I have ESP. When I was little, I guessed the sex of every baby correctly until I was at least 11 (and stopped trying because it wasn't cool). Maybe I should turn this into a career. Ha.

Diary of a Pregnant Lady: Week 19

2011-07-01T19:53:00.003-04:00

A front and side view for your viewing pleasure! I think the side view was after a Mexican lunch so excuse the massive bump.

Week 18- June 24th - June 29th

Due Date: November 18, 2011

How Big is Baby: As big as a mango!

Symptoms: I'm still feeling fabulous. Today I felt pregnant for the first time after walking the mall in flip flops for a bit. My back and feet hurt. I can only imagine how I will feel at 9 months.

Cravings: Still nothing out of the ordinary. I've really wanted crab legs this week but that's normal for me.

Sleep: Lovely. I've been sleeping like a baby this week.

I Can't Live Without: Knit foldover skirts from old navy and sundresses. So comfy!

I Miss: Boozing for the fourth of July.

I am Looking Forward to: Tomorrow- our gender reveal party!!

Milestones: This baby is half baked! We're close to the five month mark.

Awkward Moments: I tried water aerobics. I was the only person under 65 and under 250 pounds. Awkward!

Exercise: Treadmill, pilates, and strength training.

Diet: If I want it, I usually have it (within reason)

Movement: Still little tickles.. no kicks....

Gender: You'll find out this weekend!

Labor Signs: It’s far too soon for this!

Ten on Tuesday

2011-06-28T15:46:00.001-04:00

1. What's the recipe for your favorite drink? (Smoothie, alcoholic, coffee, whatever.)
Fresh Watermelon, Rum, Mint, Simple Syrup and Lime.

2. What kind of razor do you use?
Whatever is on sale and I go as long as I can without shaving. Thank you blonde hair!

3. Who is your favorite Sesame Street character?
Eh, I have no idea. I do know that Elmo is hella annoying.

4. What makes the perfect salad? (Lettuce type, toppings, dressing, etc.)
Spinach, Romaine, Carrots, Onions, Green Peppers, Mushrooms, Zuchinni, Sunflower Seeds, Cheese (any/all kinds), Croutons, Ranch dressing.

5. What was your favorite subject in school?
English! I love to read.

6. What's your favorite summer tradition?
It's not a tradition, but spending hours at the pool. I love it! I guess I'll force the hubs to start a summer tradition with me. =)

7. Do you suffer from season allergies? How do you combat them?
Rhinocort, Patanese and my beloved neti pot.

8. How often do you have to charge your cell phone?
Everyday.. it's 1.5 yrs old and the battery is starting to suck.....

9. Do you have a bucket list?
Yes-- see blog header.

10. Do you have any desire to go back to school?
Not particularly. I did four years of college, 3 years of grad school and I work in an elementary school. I'm all schoeled out.
...

Link up with Chelsea

What I'm Loving Now

2011-06-27T17:57:00.002-04:00

First-- I am LOVING this recipe The picture may look like mush, but the taste is AMAZEBALLS. Serve it over white rice. I promise, you will not be disappointed. My husband, who normally hates salsa and hates beans even loves it. He had like three helpings AND I'm making it again tonight (* I swap black beans for pinto beans)

Second-- No, I'm not being paid for this endorsement (sad), but Lands End Heritage Cardigans are the best cardigans around. I'd pick a Heritage cardi over a JCrew Jackie and anything from Ann Taylor Loft any day.

They look short in this picture, but they aren't. I own this cardigan in coral, hot pink, light blue, royal blue, dark purple, light purple and sunny yellow. I fully intend on buying more too.

Third- My Chihuahua Bites. So summery, so bright and so fun!

Fourth- SUMMER! No, I'm not on an island and I won't be on an island this summer but I don't even care. Summer rules!

Diary of a Pregnant Lady: Week 18

2011-06-24T07:10:00.001-04:00

(If you've seen me this week, I am SO not this small anymore. I take these pictures 8 days before I post them on my blog, so times have officially changed. I popped majorly last Friday)
Week 18- June 17th - June 23rd

Due Date: November 18, 2011

How Big is Baby: The blob is big. As big as a sweet potato to be exact. S/he weighs 10oz according to our last ultrasound.

Symptoms: I'm feeling great! My feet get a bit more tired than usual, but I'm hanging in there.

Cravings: I have yet to have a gotta have it now craving.. and I haven't craved anything weird. The usual-- fruit, candy, Chinese, Mexican.

Sleep: It's fine-- I tend to wake up around 5:30am every morning and remain wide awake for about 15 minutes before dozing off again.

I Can't Live Without: Writing things down. I've become a total dumbass.

I Miss: Margaritas and turkey sandwiches.

I am Looking Forward to: Our BIG gender reveal on July 2nd.

Milestones: We had our anatomy scan on Tuesday and the babes was looking perfect! It was so awesome to see him/her on the big screen for 45 minutes. We loved every minute of it. The only bummer part was that baby is breach, but we have plenty of time to rectify that situation.

Awkward Moments: My brain is doing me wrong. This week I drove to a seminar for work at 9am-- it didn't start until 1pm. I also left home today without putting on makeup. Now, I don't wear a lot of makeup.. but I can usually remember mascara. People- baby brain is for real.

Exercise: Treadmill, pilates, and strength training. I think I'm going to start water aerobics this morning as well.

Diet: I really need to get on a diet. My doctor isn't concerned, but I am. I blame husband and his cravings for fast food. You'd think he was the pregnant one.

Movement: More little tickles, but nothing serious yet. I was beginning to think that we had a lazy baby, but the ultrasound teach said that s/he was moving a mile a minute. It's crazy that I still can't really feel it.

Gender: We will let the cat out of the bag soon enough!

Labor Signs: It’s far too soon for this!

Okay, now play along.. what do you think the baby blob is? Boy or Girl?

Ten on Tuesday

2011-06-21T17:37:00.002-04:00

1. What’s the perfect meal?

Hmm.. an appetizer of steamed spiced shrimp and crab legs, paired with an entree of tenderloin, a MARYLAND crab cake, asparagus, mashed potatoes and whole artichokes dipped in butter. For dessert I'd love strawberry shortcake.

2. What are the perfect pair of shoes?
Worn in flip flops!

3. What is the perfect afternoon?
74 degrees, 70% humidity, & not a cloud in the sky + one book, one margarita and one lawn chair.

4. What’s the perfect house?
Not mine!? Ha, no really-- a house with a big ol' fenced in yard and a large back porch.

5. What is the perfect outfit?
Dresses and leggings. It's like wearing pajamas.

6. What’s the perfect wedding song?
Obviously mine-- Bless the Broken Road by Rascal Flatts.

7. What is the perfect job?
Not mine!? No seriously, part time stay at home mom, part time crafty pants.

8. What’s the perfect hairstyle?
I haven't found it. I'll let you know when I do.

9. What’s the perfect music festival?
Country!

10. What’s the perfect day to yourself?
A morning/early afternoon at the pool, a huge greek salad from the Italian Market, an afternoon pedicure and an evening curled up with a good book.

link up: http://rootsandrings.com

Diary of a Pregnant Lady: Week 17

2011-06-17T15:47:00.005-04:00

Week 17- June 10th - June 16th

Due Date: November 18, 2011

How Big is Baby: The blob is the size of an onion!

Morning Sickness/Symptoms: This was a good week. I felt less faint and felt pretty darn good.

Cravings: Mozzarella sticks and soft pretzels.

Sleep: Sleep is a little more uncomfortable. I need a pillow under by stomach, between my legs and under my head.

I Can't Live Without: Twizzlers, water, air conditioning, summer

I Miss: A nice cold miller lite

I am Looking Forward to: Our anatomy scan on Tuesday!

Milestones: A stranger asked if I was pregnant, so I MUST be showing (a teenage boy cashier at the grocery store to be exact). I think that I've also felt the baby move a bit this week- it feels a bit like butterflies in my stomach and/or something tickling me from the inside!

Awkward Moments: Staying upright. My balance feels a bit off.

Exercise: Treadmill, pilates, and strength training.

Diet: I'm still eating like a champ.

Movement: I think I felt something a few times this week (so above).

Gender: We still don't know! A lot of people have been asking me if we have a preference and we don't. I would be thrilled to have a girl-- in fact, I think that I'd be a hell of a lot better as a girl mom. If this is a girl, she'll have the biggest bows on the block and own at least 10 ruffled bikinis by age two. That being said, I most definitely feel like this baby is a boy and that's okay too! Everyone that I've talked to (and trust me, people are always willing to weigh in) have told me that although they love their kids (boy or girl) "equally," that the love between a mother and a son is very different, and second to none. When I watch the mom's that I've asked talk about their boys it's obvious that the boys bring a sparkle to their eyes. In an ideal world, I'd get to experience both.

Labor Signs: It’s far too soon for this!

Mrs. Duggar must be on Ecstacy

2011-06-16T08:12:00.000-04:00

Mrs. Duggar is on Ecstacy.

She has to be!

(knock on wood) I have had the easiest pregnancy and I still wouldn't want to be pregnant for 18 years straight.

No beer?
No wine?
Thighs that rub together when you walk?
Unfashionable fat girl clothing?
Sore hips?

Even an easy pregnancy is no joke.

I would do it 2.. maybe 3 more times but 19? You have got to be shitting me.

What I Wore Wednesday

2011-06-15T19:55:00.003-04:00

I look decidedly more pregnant when wearing pants/shorts and shirt combos.

Here's two weeks worth of outfits (when I remember to take a picture)!

White Pocket Boyfriend Tee- Old Navy
Green Capris- Thrift Store *maternity
Gold Shoes- Target
Necklace- NY & Co

Purple Dress- AT Loft Outlet

Blue Wrap Dress- Target
White Cardigan- Old Navy
White Flops- Payless

Red Dress- Walmart

Black and White Striped Dress- Ross

Blue Shirt- Old Navy *maternity
Capri Pants- Old Navy *maternity
Necklace- NY&CO

Blue Shirt- Target
Bermuda Shorts- JCPenney *maternity
Necklace- Old Navy

HA HA HA

2011-06-14T22:53:00.000-04:00

{don't let this picture fool you. On the show it's much more obvious that he visits Snookie's tanning salon}

I just checked my blog stats for the first time in like three months. I especially love that like 15 people found my blog by googling the phrase-- "Ames Oompa Loompa" and/or "Ames looks like an Oompa Loompa"

Ha! I die.

Ten on Tuesday

2011-06-14T17:42:00.003-04:00

Link up with Chelsea on her blog.

1. How do you pronounce the word aunt? Does your pronunciation rhyme with ‘haunt’ or ‘can’t'?
I pronounce it how it is spelled. AKA, not ant.

2. Do most of the people in your life know you blog? Or are you partially or totally anonymous?
Good question. I don't really tell people about it often, but I'm not against people reading it. I think that most of the people that I know in real life that read it prefer that I don't know that they read it (Like I've heard by accident, when they were drunk, and/or it was briefly mentioned that they read my blog). Generally the people that comment on my blog posts are random, new blog friends rather than real life friends.

3. When you grocery shop, do you prefer to bag your own groceries or do you like it when the store bags them for you? Paper, plastic, or reusable bags?
If someone competent is working, I prefer that they bag for me. I prefer plastic bags (I know, sue me) b/c they are perfect for cleaning out the litter box.

4. Do you have a green thumb?
Eh. Kind of.

5. If you watch the Food Network, which chef/show host is your favorite?
I like the food network and watch it on the treadmill sometimes (ha, I know right?). I like Giada and although Rachael Ray is super annoying, she cooks interesting things.

6. Do you like to take baths? Do you take them very often?
I haven't taken a bath in at LEAST 6 years. I don't dislike them, but I'm not into cramming myself into my regular sized bathtub.

7. What color are the walls in your kitchen?
They are a very creamy, very light, very white yellow.

8. Do you prefer to dine outdoors or indoors?
As long as the weather is nice I love eating outside! That being said, it's SO much easier to eat inside. Dragging out ketchup, utensils, salad dressing can get a bit annoying.

9. Describe your ideal weather.
75 degrees with 70% humidity. That is the perfect day.

10. If you could learn any foreign language, which would you choose to learn?
At this point, I can barely speak English coherently. Yes, I'm at that point in my pregnancy.

Mom Help!

2011-06-13T08:11:00.000-04:00

Can you believe that I'm almost HALFWAY through?

We're currently working on our registry! What are/were your must have items?

DISH IT!

What I'm Reading

2011-06-13T07:50:00.002-04:00

This book was incredible. Perhaps the best book that I've read this year. It was one of those books that I breezed through in a matter of days and the story will haunt me forever.

Add this one to your must read list!

From Goodreads.com: Lina is just like any other fifteen-year-old Lithuanian girl in 1941. She paints, she draws, she gets crushes on boys. Until one night when Soviet officers barge into her home, tearing her family from the comfortable life they've known. Separated from her father, forced onto a crowded and dirty train car, Lina, her mother, and her young brother slowly make their way north, crossing the Arctic Circle, to a work camp in the coldest reaches of Siberia. Here they are forced, under Stalin's orders, to dig for beets and fight for their lives under the cruelest of conditions.

Lina finds solace in her art, meticulously—and at great risk—documenting events by drawing, hoping these messages will make their way to her father's prison camp to let him know they are still alive. It is a long and harrowing journey, spanning years and covering 6,500 miles, but it is through incredible strength, love, and hope that Lina ultimately survives. Between Shades of Gray is a novel that will steal your breath and capture your heart.

Diary of a Pregnant Lady: Week 16

2011-06-10T07:41:00.000-04:00

Week 16- June 3rd - June 9th

Due Date: November 18, 2011

How Big is Baby: The blob is the size of an avacado! These fruit references don't make much sense. Isn't an orange bigger than a avacado? Whatevs.

Morning Sickness/Symptoms: Still feeling good! I've continued to have super low blood pressure-- we're talking 70/42, but I'm pink, talking and still alive!

Cravings: Watermelon, strawberries and purple grapes.

Sleep: I'm not sleeping as well as I was last week. I'm starting to get sore and may need to invest in a pregnancy pillow soon. At least I'm only peeing once a night now! Score! Oh and pregnancy dreams, they are no joke!

I Can't Live Without: Air conditioning. It has been HELLA hot this week.

I Miss: My thighs not touching when I walk.

I am Looking Forward to: Finding out if this baby is a boy or a girl!

Milestones: I am pretty sure that I popped this week (the picture above was taken over a week ago, when I first turned 16 weeks-- apparently I popped on Wednesday). So many people have commented on the bump this week so I guess there is no hiding it anymore!

Awkward Moments: It's hard to get fat. I know it's for a good cause, but it's still no fun. Getting dressed is an absolute chore because nothing looks good and although maternity clothes are comfy, the shit that I can afford is down right TACKY. Ladies, where did you find good clothing? Also, this baby has given me cellulite. I may have had a tiny bit before, but times have changed. I feel bad for my fellow pool patrons.

Exercise: Treadmill, pilates, and strength training.

Diet: I'm on the see food diet.

Movement: Still NOTHING. I thought I felt something in the middle of the night last week, but it hasn't happened since so it may have been a dream.

Gender: We will be finding out very soon! Our appointment is on the 21st, but we can't announce until the 2nd of July at our family gender reveal party!

Labor Signs: It’s far too soon for this!

Poor Planning

2011-06-09T17:55:00.002-04:00

I never thought that I was the kind of girl that would be into vampires and werewolves.

But I am.

Have you seen the trailer for part one of Breaking Dawn?

Sorry hubby, but the headboard scene?!?!

I die.

I fell in love with Edward Cullen far before Robert Pattinson became Edward. Read the book- the man is amazeballs.

Anyways, wouldn't you know that my baby is due the exact same day that Breaking Dawn Part 1 comes out?

Well, crap. That was poor planning.

What I'm Reading

2011-06-09T08:33:00.002-04:00

This book was like IMPOSSIBLE to find. Okay, not impossible, but my county library didn't have it. I had to use the interstate library program to access this book, but I am SO glad that I did. It was fabulous. Long, but fabulous!

Has anyone read any other Diane Chamberlain books? I had never heard of her prior to this book and would love to hear if anyone has read any of her other books?

Here's what it's about-- from goodreads.com
In 1977, pregnant Genevieve Russell disappeared. Twenty years later, her remains are discovered and Timothy Gleason is charged with murder. But there is no sign of the unborn child.
CeeCee Wilkes knows how Genevieve Russell died, because she was there. And she also knows what happened to the missing infant, because two decades ago she made the devastating choice to raise the baby as her own. Now Timothy Gleason is facing the death penalty, and she has another choice to make. Tell the truth, and destroy her family. Or let an innocent man die in order to protect a lifetime of lies…

Call me Monet

2011-06-08T08:15:00.000-04:00

I have a really fun group of girlfriends that I try to get together with at least once a month.

We used to meet for dinner and drinks, but lately, we've gotten creative and crafty.

We've done wine tasting, card making and now.....

Painting!

I found out about Paint n' Party at a local craft fair and I just knew that the girls and I would enjoy it.

We had a blast!

I am not particularly artistic, but I think I rocked my blue crab {yes, only in Maryland do people paint crabs}.

If you live in the Annapolis area too you must check this company out.

The Bachelorette

2011-06-07T10:53:00.001-04:00

Who's watching this season?

Oh Bentley. If you look up douchebaggery in the newspaper, you will find a picture of Bentley.

I can't decide if Bentley really liked Ashley and was just talking smack, if he actually missed his daughter, and/or if he thought Ashley was cute. He was all over the place.

Regardless, he's a psycho. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that he has Borderline Personality Disorder. In fact, I dated a guy JUST like Bentley. Sweet to your face, but a psychotic asshole behind your back.

Bentley is a douche.

However, this was episode three.

How on this green earth did Ashley fall SO in love with Bentley after 3 episodes? Three episodes equals like 4 days in bachelorette time.

I can't decide if I think that she has issues too.

PS. Is it just me or does Ames look like an Oompa Loompa?

My Dirty Little Secret

2011-06-06T08:05:00.000-04:00

I love order and cleanliness. Clutter makes me crazy.

When you come over and think that my house looks perfect and pristine, I probably still think it looks like a hot mess.

I'm not OCD or anything severe, I just love to clean and to live in a clean house.

This is especially amusing since I married a man who is the anti-cleaner. I'll tell him that we need to vacuum and he'll say, "why bother, we have guests coming in 17 days and can vacuum then."

He's serious.

Thankfully, I've converted him and he now cleans like a champion.

Despite my need for clean, I can let a closet get seriously out of hand.

Case in point-- the pantry.

An avalanche of rice would fall down every time we opened the pantry door. I wanted to do something about it but I've been busy. and tired. and cleaning things you can actually see.

Finally, I accomplished a clean pantry and it's looked like this for a week now.

GO ME!

Yes, it may look like we are food hoarders, but we are just couponers. We stock up when there is a sale.

Not so Lil' Polls

2011-06-05T20:11:00.002-04:00

Remember when we adopted a teeny tiny 8 lb puppy in February?

Well, she's not that little anymore

{and she's the exact color of our cherry-ish floors}

Little Polls now weighs almost 30 lbs, has already been spayed and has ears that rival those of the Easter bunny.

She continues to drive her mother bat shit crazy at times, but we love her anyways.

Now, if only I could get those cats to like her too..

Diary of a Pregnant Lady: Week 15

2011-06-03T16:36:00.002-04:00

Week 15- May 27th-June 2nd

Due Date: November 18, 2011

How Big is Baby: The blob is the size of an orange!

Morning Sickness/Symptoms: Nothing, I feel great. I'm so incredibly happy that (most) the last 15 weeks have been pretty darn lovely. I feel like a pregnant super woman. Check back with me later when I'm so huge with swollen tootsies. My only symptom is pesky faintness, which I feel almost every day but I think it's because my blood pressure has been super low (like 80/50 sometimes).

Cravings: I love anything with marinara sauce.

Sleep: I'm back to my pre-pregnancy ways for the most part. The second trimester is heaven!

I Can't Live Without: Water. Sleep. Larger clothing.

I Miss: Alcohol. Amusement Parks. Roller coasters.

I am Looking Forward to: Finding out if this baby is a boy or a girl!

Milestones: This baby is growing more and more everyday (obvs). I have nothing enlightening to say and don't read those week by week pregnancy books.

Awkward Moments: I've been getting really annoyed when people point out that I look pregnant. I know, I need to get over it. People are SO rude though. On Tuesday a secretary at school told me that my stomach was so pudgy and to look at all my pudge. Not cool lady. Not cool at all.

Exercise: Same old.. walking and pilates. It's getting harder though.

Diet: My diet is if it sounds good, eat it.

Movement: Not a thing.. but it should be happening any day now.

Gender: Lord knows. Well I know that it's a boy because I'm psychic -- but I don't really know, know. I really wish someone would tell me that I'm having a girl though just to even things out. My gender reveal party is going to be a damn sea of blue. That is no fun at all.

Labor Signs: It’s far too soon for this!

What I Wore Wednesday

2011-06-01T18:51:00.002-04:00

I know, I missed last week so this week is a mix of this week and last week. I have no idea what day I wore what, but I did find some new (old) dresses in the back of my closet that I can add to my rotation.

I really need to be better about taking pictures and putting on shoes. I'm just lazy. I leave most of my shoes in an ottoman by the front door and I take my pictures upstairs. No shoes saves me the trip up/down.

This isn't a new (old) dress. This is a new (new) dress. I got it this past weekend at the ATLoft outlet on sale.

An old, old, old ATLoft Black dress paired with a necklace from Forever 21 and a cardigan from Lands End Canvas.

Okay, I lied about all the old dresses because this one is new too. I got it for 15 bones at Target a week or two ago. It's paired with a cardigan from Old Navy.

Lastly, an actual old dress. I got this bad boy at Marshalls at least 5-6 years ago. It used to make me look a tiny bit pregnant. Now that I am pregnant, I don't care!

Ten on Tuesdays

2011-05-31T14:50:00.001-04:00

1. From your childhood, what do you miss most about summer vacation?
Having the entire summer off. I work in a school, but in a 12 month position. Part of the reason that I became a school psychologist was to have summers off -- but in Maryland they work 12 months-- unlike most states in the country. Damn you, Maryland.

2. Are you going anywhere on vacation this summer?
To the exotic Eastern Shore of Delaware.

3. What foods do you like to barbecue?
I love BBQing burgers, veggies, and kabobs.

4. How do you celebrate the fourth of July?
We don't have any traditions yet. Some years we go to a friends house and others we hang out by our community pool and then grill out at home.

5. What's your favorite beverage to drink in the summertime?
Mojitos, margaritas and bud light lime. None of which I can have this summer.

6. What movie are you looking forward to seeing this summer?
We can afford to go to like two movies per year so I never pay attention to what is coming out.

7. In the car: windows down or AC?
If it's 85 or above it's AC all the way.

8. Have you ever had a summer fling?
Nope. Just boyfriends that lasted through the summer.

9. Do you wear sunscreen?
I wear 15-30. I think that the 100 and 150 SPFs out right now are a bit overkill. Supposedly, 15 works perfectly fine.

10. Do you have any favorite summertime activities?
Beach, pool, reading a ton more books, BBQs and porch nights….

link up here: http://rootsandrings.com

14 Weeks

2011-05-27T08:16:00.000-04:00

Week 14- May 20th-26th

Due Date: November 18, 2011

How Big is Baby: The blob is the size of a lemon!

Total Weight Gain: I'm not sure that I want to answer this question anymore. On Sunday I had gained 4 pounds, on Tuesday I was up 10, and then on Wednesday I was down to up 7. I haven't looked since.

Morning Sickness/Symptoms: No morning sickness and no real symptoms aside from a little dizziness and seeing stars every once in awhile.

Cravings: Nothing out of the ordinary.

Sleep: I'm back to my pre-pregnancy ways for the most part. The second trimester is heaven!

I Can't Live Without: Water. I am forever thirsty. Razors. My leg hair is growing at an alarming rate.

I Miss: A nice cold margarita

I am Looking Forward to: Finding out if this baby is a boy or a girl!

Milestones: At my appointment this week the heartbeat was detected in less than .23423 seconds. It used to take a bit longer to find it but it looks like baby is growing and getting stronger.

Awkward Moments: It's never my best friends that want to touch my stomach, it's the random ladies that I've talked to like twice ever.

Also, more twins comments- "Are we certain there aren't twins?" I wanted to ask her what her excuse was. Ha.

Exercise: Thanks to the return of my energy I'm walking, doing pilates and/or another prenatal work out video most days per week.

Diet: My diet is if it sounds good, eat it.

Movement: Not a thing.. but it should be happening any day now.

Gender: More boy votes. I'm not sure what it is about me that is giving off boy vibes, but everyone seems to be reading them.

Labor Signs: It’s far too soon for this!

Ghetto

2011-05-26T10:50:00.001-04:00

While you are working in your air conditioned offices with a plethora of copying paper, an hour long lunch break, and a company credit card please remember me HERE.

Locked away in my closet.

With no air conditioning.

With a ghetto ass broken fan.

Seriously, do you see this fan?

I may electrocute myself with this fan, but I'm too hot to care.

At least I have tissues.

Oh wait, I bought them myself.

Oh the joys of working for the public school system.

Three years of graduate school and 45,000 dollars of graduate school debt to work in a closet.

Please, give us (or at least me) more money government!!!

*yes, I'm pregnant and drinking an ice coffee. So sue me.

Ten on Tuesday

2011-05-24T10:11:00.001-04:00

1. Have you ever used Craigslist?
Nope. We've looked at things and contacted sellers about items, but we've never actually "won" anything. Everything we want is already taken.

2. Can you sew?
Yes, I can sew decently. My mom has always sewed so she helped me out a bit as a teen. When I was 14, I sewed my cousin Moriah an "M" shaped pillow that she still has to this day. That was one quality sewing job! I've sewed my own curtains and pillows. I haven't tried anything crazy like clothes or a quilt, but I'd like to.

3. Do you pour syrup on your pancakes or dip your pancakes in the syrup?
I don't really EVER eat pancakes. I prefer waffles, but don't love any of them enough to make them all the time. When I eat them I pour a small, tiny bit of syrup on my pancakes.

4. Rain storms: Love them or hate them?
It depends on what I have going on. If I'm being lazy then they are cool!

5. Do you like swimming?
I LIVE at the pool in the summer, but I do not really swim. I mostly go to lay out, socialize with friends, read my book and to wade in the shallow end.

6. What kind of drink do you order at Sonic?
Sob. I've never been to sonic.

7. Are you funny?
I have my moments.

8. At what age will your kids get cell phones?
Well, I didn't get my first cell phone until I was 20 and I bought it all by my lonesome. I'll probably get my kid one at 14ish. Lord knows how things will be by the time my kid turns 14 though. At my snobby school, all the kids have cell phones in second grade. It's nuts.

9. What's your favorite vegetable?
If my husband would let me I'd live on vegetables only. He doesn't like them much so I have to cook him meat. It's a pain in my ass. I love asparagus, brussell sprouts, artichokes, spinach, mushrooms, green/red peppers the best.

10. Were you a Girl Scout?
I was a brownie.. but I quit in fourth grade to focus on sports and dance.

Link up at http://rootsandrings.com

Money Saving Monday!

2011-05-23T06:31:00.000-04:00

I know it may not be cool, but I'm a coupon-er. I got it from my mama.

I know several of you girls post your latest finds, so I wanted to join in on the bandwagon in the event that I can help anyone with some of the deals that I've found.

When it comes to drugstore deals I tend to concentrate on CVS, primarily. All of the major chain offer competitive sales, but I work 40+ hours a week, try to work out everyday, have a house to clean and a husband and dog to feed. I don't have a ton of time to scour the internet, sales logs, and my coupons every week.

That being said, even when only concentrating on one drugstore, you can snatch up some pretty great deals.

We pay 77 cents per week for the Washington Post Sunday delivery and we're lucky to have a mother in law that will mail us her coupons almost every week. I'm not trying to create a bomb shelter so two of each coupon is plenty for me.

Here's how I was paid 2 dollars to take this stuff out of CVS this week!

{disclaimer-- I don't get all of the free stuff/great sales-- I only coupon for what we actually use}

Revlon nail polish is 4.99 a CVS this week. However, if you buy one you get 4.00 in extra bucks back. Extra bucks are basically cash and can count towards your next CVS visit.

I bought one nail polish for 4.99 and I used a 1.00 off manufacturers coupon from the Sunday paper and earned 4.00 in extra bucks. That made this nail polish free!

Herbal Essences is on sale 2 for 3.97. If you buy two you earn two dollars worth of extra bucks (read free money) this week. I used a one dollar off of two coupon from the Sunday paper and ended up paying 97 cents for TWO bottles of conditioner.

Lastly, Suave deodorant was on sale for 1.00 this week. Paired with a one dollar off of two coupon from Sunday's paper and I paid 50 cents per deodorant. Not a bad deal.

I paid my balance with last weeks extra care bucks and walked out with six dollars worth of new ones. CVS paid me 2 dollars to buy all of the items above!

What deals have you tried lately? Where do you go for drugstore deals?

Books 36 and 37

2011-05-22T21:07:00.003-04:00

I just finished a two part series that was really very good. I highly recommend checking it out. It's not necessarily light and airy chick lit (it's actually a young adult series, but you'd never know it) but the story was pretty fabulous!

From Goodreads.com: In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeen-year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck...

A sophisticated, layered, and heartachingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends, the choices we all make—and the ultimate choice Mia commands.

From Goodreads.com- It's been three years since the devastating accident . . . three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever.

Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Juilliard's rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future–and each other.

Told from Adam's point of view in the spare, lyrical prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance.